preparations The marriage of the Lamb draws nigh and his Wife hath made her self ready be sure you be not at any time found without your Wedding garment By Faith draw nigh to the Judgement Seat of Christ imagine your selves at the next door of being encompassed with the majesty of that day Let thoughts of it and of your accounts then to be taken keep you company all the day long in your buying selling eating drinking yea in all your converse and communication with men Follow God with incessant prayer to fill your souls brim full with a lively sense of these things whose weight is not to be expressed Hold much communion with your own weakness and do not trust your selves at the least distance from God abide under his shadow and in an humble way of pleasing him be alwaies confident of his strength to subdue your spiritual enemies to uphold you and keep you from falling and to carry you on from strength to strength until you appear before him That these and such things as these in the glory of their perfection may be your present portion from the Lord to prepare you upon the best terms for future glory is the true desire Of him who longs for more strength from Christ to serve you upon yet better terms in the dear Concernments of your precious Souls whil'st he is WILLIAM ALLEN April 13. 1658. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Reader I Am not unsensible but that the very name of Works as any ways interressed or concerned in mens Justification before God may possibly prejudice this work in the minds of some good people as if it were no good friend to the free grace of God especially considering that Grace and Works are so frequently opposed one to another in the Scripture as inconsistent in the business of mans Justification To prevent which I shall intreat thee to understand that this Treatise does not in the least interess those Works in mans Justification which the Scripture opposes to Grace which are sometimes called and are usually if not alwayes to be understood as meant of the Works of the Law or deeds of the Law Nor yet does it interesse any other Works I mean the most evangelical Works in the office or service of justifying in that sense in which Works are opposed to Grace and were asserted by the Jews and rejected by the Apostle to wit as doing that to justifie which is proper and peculiar only and alone to Christ Jesus For to hold any thing whether Works or Faith necessary for the doing of the same thing which Christ does in Justification would render Christs undertaking in that behalf incompleat and imperfect and disparage the sufficiency of his saving Grace and so lay the hope of salvation built thereon in the dust which yet it should seem was the errour into which the Galatians were running Gal. 5.4 and 2.21 And therefore all care must he had not to give ought of that to Works or Faith either which is the incommunicable prerogative of Christs bloud Though if it were possible that you could from this instant unto the end of your life become as holy in nature and life as the holy Angels themselves yet it would be damnable folly and wickednesse in you if you should in the least depend upon this holinesse for the benefit of atonement for the sins that are past which is to be had only by Christs bloud And therefore he that hath the most and best of Gospel Works of any man living to commend him to God can reasonably expect no more benefit by them as to this nor may with safety any more depend upon them for this then he that hath none at all but must and ought to cast himself as intirely upon the bloud of Christ for the grace of atonement purgation from sin and justification as the Theif upon the crosse did or as any poor forlorn and miserable sinner does at his first coming to Christ before he hath actually accomplished any workes of sanctification But now because Christs bloud does not actually justifie men though never so full of virtue and power to justifie till they doe believe God having suspended their personal interest in his bloud for their Justification upon their believing hence now in another respect Faith is necessary to Justification in its place and for its use as well as the bloud of Christ it self is in that superiour respect which is proper to it And because Faith also without works is dead Jam. 2.17 26. and so is altogether unserviceable to justifie and that that Faith only hath the honour conferred upon it by God to avail men to justifie and save which worketh by Love and no other Gal. 5.6 Hence the works of a holy life are as necessary to render Faith a living Faith an availing Faith and so a Faith that will justifie or which will interesse men in Christs bloud which doth Justifie as the Grace of Faith it self is necessary in order to such an interest Which as it is the utmost which I assert touching the necessity of Gospel-Obedience unto Justification so it is that which if found true which will avouch this necessity with a high hand For as a man may as soon be Justified without a Saviour as without Faith which gives him an interest in him so he may as soon be Justified without Faith as without those Evangelical Works the absence of which will render Faith uncapable to Justifie And to have no Faith and to have a Faith in no capacity to doe the work or business of Faith will be found the same thing in conclusion So that if the one be necessary so is the other but in different respects All that I shall further add is to desire thee to lay aside prejudice and so proceed to the perusal of the Work it self And as thou findest things built upon the Word and substantially backed by evidence of Scripture Light fairly treated so and no otherwise would I have thee to receive them For I assure thee my design towards thee is to make a match between thy Soul and Truth not my Opinion further then under the countenance of Truth And should count it a happiness if as a recompence of this labour I should hereby deliver though but one Soul from any longer contenting it self with that dead and barren Faith by which too many are and are like to be deceived And that the Lord may give thee a right understanding in this and in all things hath been and I hope the Lord assisting shall be the Prayer of him who loves and longs after the health and prosperity of thy soul W. A. A Table of the principal Matters touched or handled in the precedent Epistle and subsequent Treatise A ARgument of good life most taking generally Ep. S. 10 Argument against the form of profession from the miscarriages of professors not good Ep. S. 11 Assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel as true touching Christs being the Son of God
Author and founder of it Rom. 3.21 and 10.3 Phil. 3.9 1. It was found out and contrived by his infinite wisdom Eph. 1.7.8.11 and therefore Christ whom he sent to put in execution that wonderfull profound contrivance of his is called the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1 24. Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God 2. God the Father is the Author of it and object of our Faith about it because it issues and proceeds out of the womb of his grace where this blessed design was first conceived Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace The goodness and compassionateness of his nature meeting with the misery and necessity of his poor creature inclined him to set such a thing on foot disposed him to use both his Wisdom and Power to contrive and bring it to passe The creature neither did nor could put any obligation upon him to do this thing for him but by sin and unworthiness provoked him to that which was quite contrary and therefore the more wonderfull that it should make its way through so many and so mighty contrary provocations which it meets with from men This grace of God is so great a doer hath so mighty a hand so potent an influence in the whole and entire business of Mans Election Redemption Justification Adoption Sanctification Eternal Life and Salvation that all from first to last from the beginning to the end is worthily ascribed to the riches of his grace both in the things themselves and means of their accomplishment as might easily be shewn from Scripture but I will hasten on my way 3. The means by which this justification is effected and brought to passe are of and from God the Father and their power to justifie depends upon his will appointing them to that end 1. Christ is the great means of bringing this about but yet is given and sent by the Father for that purpose Whom God saith he hath set forth to be a propitiation for sin Rom. 3.25 In that Christ becomes righteousness or justification to men it is because God would have it so 1 Cor. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom righteousness c. Again it is God that was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing trespasses 2 Cor. 5.19 It is he that hath made us accepted in the beloved Ephes 1.6 Then said he lo I come to do thy will O God by the which will we are sanctified through the offering up of the body of Jesus Christ once for all Heb. 10.9 10. Though we are sanctified by the offering up of the body of Jesus yet it is by vertue of the will of the Father which the Son came to do and to fulfill According to these Scriptures the attoneing purging power and vertue of Christs blood seems to depend upon the Divine will and good pleasure of the Father Else if it did not why should not the whole world be justified for Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world 1 Iohn 2.2 and why then is not the whole world justified Surely it is not because the Sacrifice of Christ is not as sufficient to justifie all as some the whole world for whom he dyed as a few only which shall actually be justified and saved but it is because the Fathers will is such that the justifying saving benefit of his death shall be limited unto such only as do beleeve Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world as that he gave his only begotten Son viz. to or for the world or whole world 1 Iohn 2.2 but yet so and upon such termes as that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life The will of the Father piches the bounds how far the justifying vertue of his Sons blood shall extend and determines the termes upon which it shall be actually enjoyed And so 2. It is in respect of Faith another and compared with Christ an inferior means of mans justification it does not justifie in its own name or by its own power or vertue but its ability in this behalf to justifie and save depends meerly upon the will of him that hath appointed it to this office but of this afterwards So then the grace power and authority to justifie recides originally in the Father and what force and power there is in Faith or more remotely in Works to justifie they have it by way of designation and act what they do act in that kind not out of any intrinsical worth or merit but meerly in the strength and by the authority of the will of God And however there is in the blood of Christ a richness of intrinsical worth and vertue of it self to justifie as is clearly intimated when it 's said We are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 Purchased with his blood Acts 20.28 c. yet since Christ did not glorifie himself to be made an High Priest and to offer himself a Sacrifice but was made so by the Father Heb. 5.5 thence it is that the Priestly offering and sacrifice it self in the effecting of that thing to which it is appointed by the Father viz. the purgation of sins and justification of sinners hath a dependance upon the Fathers will And therefore when men do beleeve in and depend upon Christ for justification they do ultimately beleeve in and depend upon the Father for it Iohn 12.44 Jesus cryed and said he that beleeveth on me believeth not on me but on him that sent me 1 Peter 1.21 Who by him do beleeve in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your Faith and hope might be in God The Father hath the power of life and death hath the power of giving Laws to his Creature Iames 4.12 it 's his Law that is transgressed by Sin and against him that the offence is committed Psal 51.4 and therefore it belongs to him to forgive sin Isai 43.25 Luke 5.21 and accordingly Christ directs us to pray the Father to forgive our Trespasses Mat. 6.12 It 's true also that the Son hath the same power of life and death of giving Laws and forgiving sins For all power both in Heaven and earth is given unto him that all men should honour the Son even as they that honour the Father But this he hath according to the order of his being from the Father Mat. 28.18 Iohn 3.35 and 17.2 Faith acts it self upon the Father as its object in three respects especially First by believing him to be the true God in opposition to Idols and all false gods Iohn 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God c. 1 Cor. 8.6 But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him Eph. 4.6 One God and Father of all Secondly by believing that notwithstanding the sin of men that he having received an attonement in his Sons blood is most willing to be favourable and
and Saviour of the world alone not justifying faith the reason why 44 Antinomian Doctrine touching sins past present and to come being pardoned upon mens first being in Christ decryed as erronious and dangerous 95 Apostacy and decay the cause of it what 122 Alms-giving must answer the Estate of the Giver and what to be thought thereabout 145 B BLood of Christ nothing to be joyned with it in merit or atonement making 25 Believing and obeying put one for another 70 Believing and receiving of Christ equivalent 73 Bounty where wanting an argument there 's no right Faith 143 Badness of mens condition no reason why it should not be looked into 160 C COntinue to continue well is harder than to begin well Ep. S. 17 Covenant Attributing that to the blood and obedience of the first Covenant which properly belongs to the Blood Faith and obedience of the Second Covenant was the Jews grand mistake 21 22 Christ in what respects he is the object of justifying Faith 37 Confidence of Salvation without ground whence it proceeds 49 51 Confidence of being saved may be strong in men both while they live and when they dye and yet suffer disappointment in the Resurrection and judgement day 64 Conquer to conquer and more what 134 Conscience Christs Delegate and how to have it on ones side in time of tryal 166 D Decayes of spiritual sense and affection how repaired Ep. § 1 Deceive the Devils craft to deceive Ep. § 4. Dead Faiths being dead what 54 E Esteem of People to their Pastors the mischief of it when it grows low Ep. § 17 Epistle of Christ how the Church is so Ep. § 19 F Fruit upon what account due to God as procured by the labours of men Ep. § 2 Fruit Being yielded to God comes home to ones self Ep. § 2 Fruit yielding fruit the way to enjoy more cost and care from God Ep. § 3 And to be fenced from devourring temptations Ep. § 4 5 Fruit the want of it the cause of Apostacy and Church desolation Ep. § 6 7. Form the danger of turning Religion into Form Ep. § 8 9 Father how and in what respects Justification is ascribed to God the Father 33 154 Faith as it Justifies hath three acts credence adherence and confidence 43 Faith how acted on God the father in relation to Justification 36 Faith how acted on Christs death and bloud in relatioa to Justification 38 Faith a reprobate Judgment concerning it and a Form of godliness oft found in the same person 57 Faith and Love their near affinity 71 Faith without repentance cannot justifie 76 Faith without Love cannot justifie 77 Faith when found in Abrahams seed walks in the steps of Abrahams faith 84 Faith magnifies the word and power of God though crossed with greatest unlikelihood and humane improbability 84 Faith of right kind engageth to obey the hardest precepts 87 Faith eyes and adheres to Gods counsels for the way as well as his promise for the end 98 Faith depends on the Lord for supply of strength to do his will 109 Faith derives from Christ the power by which the Christian life is led 110 Faith how supported in dependance for supplies 114 Faith works by Love and how 127 Faith how it is not and how it is counted for Righteousness 150 Faith in its justifying office or power depends wholly on Gods will and its matter of great comfort that it does so 154 Faith not strictly and properly a mans Righteousness but does him the service of a Righteousness in the account and imputation of grace 156 Forgiving of wrong want of it an argument such have no justifying faith 148 G Grace the womb that bears justification 33 Ground what faith is resembled by the thorny ground hearers 59 H Holiness in men as well as the happiness of men Gods aim in contriving the terms of salvation 68 I Integrity not to be questioned meerly for difference of judgment in the point of Infant-Baptism Ep. § 13 Justification without Works the danger of mistaking the Scripture thereabout 2 Justification by Works in what sense opposed by the Apostle 12 to 17 Justification the necessity of Works thereunto not opposed by the Apostle no not among the Jews in all respects 21 Justification depends upon after acts of faith as well as the first 90 Justification attributed not only to faith but also to those works that flow from faith 94 Justification from eternity or before faith disproved 156 The ill consequence of that opinion touched 158 Judgment day the issue of that dayes proceeding in relation to ones felf to be known now 162 L Love to the Lord how known 121 Love how it casteth out fear 133 Love to men how known 137 M Ministers of the Nation how to be treated by the Baptists Ep. § 14. Maintenance for Gospel Ministers in what respect necessary Ep. § 16 Miscarriages in life proceed from want of faith 106 N Negative Christianity not to be rested in Ep. § 20 O Opinions four Opinions of the Jews contradictious to the Gospel opposed by Paul in opposing their seeking of Justification by Works 7 to 11 Opinion that holds Justification by Faith to be Justification not before God but in mens conscience proved rotten 157 Offence giving when shunned an argument of what 138 P Power to justifie by what means soever depends on the will of God 33 35. Promises indefinitely made to beleeving how to be understood 67 70. Perseverance in grace why found in persons of weak parts when many times those of greater parts fall 123 Power of the creature undue thoughts about it very dangerous 127 Q Quakers how deceitful Ep. § 4 R Reading or hearing how to profit by it Ep. § 1 Reflections unseemly and provoking in controversies condemned Ep. § 12. Relyance on Christ for Salvation not justifying without obedience 49 Resurrection of Christ how excellently it contributes to our Justification 39 Receiving Christ what it imports 73 Result of Scriptures duely compared a wise mans guid 79 S Scandals the mischief of them Ep. § 10 19 Study the necessity of it in order to the most profitable preaching Ep. § 15. Steps of Abrahams Faith what 84 Supplies from Christ how received by Faith 112 Spirit how received by Faith 118 T Terms of Salvation the danger of mistaking them 2 25 Tryal of ones state in Faith backwardness therein an ill sign 159 Temptations about ones present and future good condition not to be vanquished but by substanal evidences of a holy Faith 163 W Works that are the same in themselves differ in respect of different Covenants enjoyning them in different respects 19 Works of what sort they are that accompany true Faith in its first justifying acts 27 Works evangelical in what sense necessary to Justification 26 55. Works evangelical their necessity to Justification a Protestant Doctrine 28 30 Word or Gospel how the object of justifying Faith 36 41 Wresting the Scriptures to destruction what 3 ERRATA PAge 4.
accounting men righteous or the termes upon or according to which he does so esteem them and accordingly deal with them we have set down in the next verse 22. which is saith he By faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that beleeve for there is no difference that is this righteousness of God or this Justification of God or which is of God it is by Faith of Jesus Christ that is it does accrue to men or is vouchsafed by God unto men by the Faith of Christ that is by that Faith which men that rightly beleeve have concerning Christ And this is a priviledg a glorious one indeed which is vouchsafed unto all men indifferently who do beleeve whether Jew who hath followed the Law or Gentile who hath been without Law it is unto all and upon all that beleeve for there is saith he no difference the Jew by his Law is never the nearer Justification nor the Gentile by his living without it never the farther off it in case he do beleeve but both in a like capacity and both actually justified upon their beleeving and neither the one nor the other at all justified till then For saith he ver 23. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God both Jews and Gentiles and therefore both alike are cast upon the meer mercy and free grace of God vers 24. Being justified if ever they be justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ ver 25. whom God hath set forth both to Jews and Gentiles to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood Upon which the Apostle ver 27. makes this demand Where is boasting then if the Gentile without the Law be on equal termes with the Jews under his Law if there be no difference between them if all have sinned and all to be justified freely by grace if this Justification or righteousness be vouchsafed unto all and conferred upon all that beleeve and not otherwise and that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile in these respects then pray you where is boasting what is become of the boasting of the Jews who were wont to say we have Abraham to our Father and rejoyced in circumcision and made their boast of the Law Rom. 2.23 if for all the priviledges which in this kind they had enjoyed above the Gentile yet if the Gentile by the grace of the Gospel is made equall to the Jew though he do not at all come under the Law where then is there any longer place for boasting And in the 28 verse he draws up his conclusion from his premises saying therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law the same in effect with my Text If there be no difference between Jew and Gentile as was said before and that the Righteousness of GOD without the Law is manifested and tendred to the Gentile we may well conclude that a man even an ungodly Gentile that hath no Deeds of the Law if he once come to forsake his ungodlinesse and to beleeve and obey the Gospel which is to be preached to every Creature we may conclude that he is indeed justified his sins pardoned and he accepted in the Beloved in whom he hath beleeved But though the Apostle concludes the thing ver 28. viz. that the Gentiles might as well be justified without the Deeds of the Law as the Jews with them and both alike upon condition of beleeving yet he does not there conclude his discourse of this matter but is at it again and again And therefore in ver 29. he begins again demanding as it were with authority thus Is he the God of the Jews only is he not also of the Gentiles yes of the Gentiles also As if he should say what do you think that God only takes care of the Jews and of their Salvation and that he hath no regard at all to the Gentiles let them sink or swim Is he not the God of the Gentiles also is he not willing to bring them to Salvation as well as the Jews To which interogation he returns this answer yes he is the God even of the Gentiles also one propitious and favourable to them as well as the Jews which appears in this thirtieth verse Seeing it is one God which shall justifie the circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith the same God hath vouchsafed the same means and proposed one and the same way of justification and salvation both to those that are circumcised and to those that are not and that is the Faith of the Gospel Where there is neither Iew nor Greek circumcision nor uncircumcision i. e. no difference between these but as the Scripture saith They are all one in Christ Iesus Gal. 3.28 Col. 3.11 Sect. 8 Come we now to the fourth Chapter and draw we nearer the Text. In this fourth Chapter in which my Text is we have the truth under consideration drawn in lively colours viz. that men without Circumcision and the rest of the Jewish Ordinances may upon their cordial imbracing the Gospel attain justification in the sight of God This he makes plain and proves against all contradiction from the example of Gods proceeding with Abraham in the matter of his justification who as he was the Father of the Jew and one in whom they gloried as counting themselves the only people of God upon the account of that Covenant which God made with him and his seed whose seed according to the flesh they were so also was he a Father of many Nations even of as many as should beleeve in all Nations of the world and why so but because God was intended to justifie them upon the same termes as he justified Abraham Rom. 4.1 The Apostle begins thus What shall we say then that Abraham our father as pertaining to the flesh hath found In which affirmative interrogation we have laid down a vehement negation of the thing interrogated according to the usual custome and dialect of the Scriptures in that kind As if he should say look now upon Abraham our Father and consider Gods proceeding with him and the termes upon which God conferred righteousness or justification on him And what then shall we say or think that Abraham our Father according to the flesh hath found hath found what namely justification in the sight of God for that 's the thing in question the subject of his present discourse and that which he presently mentions vers 2. as that to which the interrogation relates Hath he found it as pertaining to the flesh what 's that hath he found it in that way in which the Jews boastingly think they have met with it and urge the Gentiles to seek after it viz. Circumcision and other works of the Law which in opposition to the Gospel-way of Justification is called flesh Phil. 3.3 4 5 6. Gal. 3.3 hath he found or did he meet with justification in this way no certainly he did not
for it we have this Evangelists word for it as appears by the latter part of the fore-cited verse where he sayes that they viz. the Devils knew that he was Christ If any should think that possibly the Devils may have the same faith that would justifie men if it were in them though it will do them no good as not being in the like capacity of grace as men are yet that passage in Iames 2. 19. will oppose such a thought For wherefore does the Apostle mention the faith of Devils there but to disparage the unprofitable and dead faith of some Christians and to give them to know that if their faith rested only in the beleef of things and did not carry out the soul in love both to God and men it was even no better a faith than is in the devils and consequently would save them no more than it would save the devils Sect. 5 3. The Faith of Assent as it is the act of the understanding is frequently forced the mind compelled to beleeve the truth of divine things by the strength of conviction which sometimes is so great that it is not in the power of men to dis-beleeve them which I concieve is the plain case touching that faith which the Devils have and the faith which some wicked men under despair have of the judgement to come who would be glad if they knew how to believe otherwise than what they do believe they would be glad if they knew how to believe that there is no God no Heaven no Hell and it is their torment to believe there is the Devils believe and tremble and so do some men And it is very like that those believers of which we heard before Iohn 2.23 and 12.42 had that Faith which they had concerning Christ forced upon them by the hand of those miracles of Christ in conjunction with his holy life and doctrine which were too hard for their consciences and evinced with power him that wrought them to be the Son of God And it may be they might have a desire to have stifled that light and to have overcome that conviction which they had as that which did oppose that carnal interest of praise which they had with men which it seems they loved more than Christ and therefore would not let it go for his sake And is not this the case of such who hold the truth in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 when the light of divine truth breaks into the mind and cannot be kept out but convinces the conscience that things have been so and so done by the Father and by his Son Jesus Christ in favour to man-kind and that therefore men ought to love the Lord and in love to obey him and that it is the way to be happy so to do and yer for all that this truth which hath thus far compel'd the conscience to assent to it is detained and held as prisoner in the mind by the power of lust so that it does not walk abroad in the life of such a man the thorns spring up with the seed and over-top it the seed springs up in the mind by its power of conviction shewing what should and ought to be but the thorns of lust spring up in the affection and determine what shall be and what shall not be in such a mans life Such a man indeed hath received the truth as he assents to it to be truth but hath not received the love of the truth by consenting to and affectionately imbracing what it enjoynes And shall we think that God will reward with the great and unspeakable blessing of Justification and Salvation such an act of the Creature as is not voluntary but forced from him whether he will or no surely he will not 2 Thes 2.10 Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved c. No other receiving of the truth then will be rewarded with Salvation but the receiving it in love and what 's more voluntary than love If a man had all faith never so strong a perswasion touching the vertue and power of Christ So that he could remove mountains and have not love it would profit him nothing 1 Cor. 13.2 If there be first a willing mind it is accepted c. 2 Cor. 8.12 that 's surely a necessary ingredient to render any act of the creature acceptable to God and consequently rewardable by him 1 Cor. 9.17 For if I do this thing willingly I have a reward Take heed then of venturing your precious souls upon this Faith that lies but in a naked and bare assent to the general truth of the Gospel CHAP. VI. Further discovering that neither the act of Relyance or Dependence upon God or Christ for Salvation without the concurrence of a loving and loyal adhesion to him will avail to Salvation Sect. 1 HAving already shewed that Faith by the first of those three acts mentioned in the former Chapter will not justifie without the addition and concurrence of more I shall now likewise shew you that neither will this act of trust confidence dependance or relyance upon the Lord for Salvation though added unto the former of assenting to the truth of that report which the Gospel makes of Christs being the Son of God his dying for sinners c. prove effectual to justifie save unless it be found in conjunction with an obediential cleaving to Christ to be delivered by him from the power and dominion of sin as well as the guilt and condemnation of it That there may be found in men a presumptious leaning upon the mercies of the Lord and his promises and acts of grace and an expectation of being thereupon secured by God from destruction while in the mean time they cut off their claim and title to those promises and acts of grace by loving of and cleaving to their inward lusts or outward enormities instead of cleaving to those precepts and promises touching holiness which would carry them out of those sins is a thing very visible in the Scriptures as well as obvious to experience It was so with men under the Old Testament Mica 3.11 The heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us none evill can come unto us The Lord had indeed made many gracious promises to that people of his being their God of his dwelling and walking among them of saving them from those evils which he would bring upon their enemies but all upon condition that they would be to him a people in love loyalty and obedience as he to them a God in protection and blessing Levit. 26. Deut. 28. but these men Judges Priests Prophets Sinners of sundry sorts eye the promises over-looking the condition upon which they were made and would needs lean upon these as if God were obliged to them by these to secure them from those evils
or as he had said vers 14. to save For that clearly is the sence of Faiths being dead in this place and not its barrenness of good Works Though that 's true likewise that Faiths being dead in another sence i. e. void of spiritual vigour force and power is the cause why it is alone and not accompanied with the goodness of conversation yet here in this place the deadness of Faith is the effect of its being alone and not the cause of it the deadness of Faith proceeds from the absence of Works as here spoken of and not the absence of Works from the deadness of Faith Faith is dead being alone saith he that is because it is alone for so it is plain that its being alone carries the force of a reason why it is dead And therefore Faiths being dead here notes it utter inability to justifie or save which answers the scope of the Apostle which is to convince the carnal professor that his Faith without Works would not save him as is manifest by the fourteenth Verse upon which the following Discourse to the end of the Chapter depends He sayes after Verse 26. That as the body without the spirit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also In which comparison or similitude as the body answers Faith so the Spirit answers Works and as the absence of the spirit from the body is the cause why the body is dead and does not the service unto which a living man is appointed so the absence of Works from Faith is the cause why Faith is dead and does not him in whom it is the service unto which the true Faith is appointed to wit to justifie or save him that hath it Sect. 4 And here by the way we have clearly set before us the true sence in which Works are necessary to justification as well as Faith and that is as they do qualifie Faith for that Work or Office of justifying unto which God of his meer Grace hath designed it For so is the will of God that though he will so magnifie his grace in the salvation of men as to justifie and save them by Christ upon or upon condition of their believing in him yet hath he therein made such provision to magnifie his holiness and his love of it in his Creature as that he will not confer the grace of Justification upon any other Faith or entitle any other believing unto that attonement which Christ hath made by his blood than such as hath its fruit unto Holiness the end of which will be everlasting life In which sence I conceive it is that Faith is said to be made perfect by Works James 2.22 that is as I understand put into a compleat capacity of attaining its end which is to justifie as a house is then said to be perfected when nothing is wanting in it as to the end and service for which it is built 2 Chron. 8.16 So is Faith when nothing is wanting to it to answer the end whereto it is to serve But now as long as Faith is alone or by it self without Works it is dead as we heard before and so in no capacity to justifie or reach its end Nor does it come under the saving influence of the Promise till it Work by Love that being the only kind of Faith that hath the promise to avail Gal. 5.6 and therefore Works added to Faith as children are added to their Mother being the same thing that makes the difference between that Faith that will justifie and that which will not and which brings that kind of believing under the promise without which all other believing is excluded hence it is I conceive that Works may well and truly be said to perfect Faith as putting it into a right capacity of reaching its end But thus much on the by in this place Sect. 5 As Iames so Iohn opposeth the vain confidence that is built upon the dead Faith 1 Iohn 1.6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth This doubtless he wrote in opposition to some professors of the Christian Faith who though they walked in darkness led lives disagreeing to the light of Christs Doctrine yet said profest and were confident that they had fellowship partnership with God and with his Son Jesus Christ in his Love Saving-mercy and promises of Grace as if as these were Gods to give so they were all theirs to enjoy But as he would take them off their vain confidence in this so he directs them how to be better built in the next Vers 7. saying But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Meaning I suppose that if that perswasion which they had of fellowship with God interest in his Grace Love and Mercy and share in Christs blood were but accompanied with an upright endeavour of purifying themselves as he is pure and of being holy in all manner of conversation as he that had called them is holy which I think is the same thing as to walk in the light as he is in the light then they might be confident indeed that they had fellowship with God in his Grace and Love and share in Christs blood to cleanse them from all sin But otherwise and without this what ever their opinion pretence or confidence was of their good condition they did but lie and falsifie the truth Of which delusion and dangerous deceit he admonisheth the Christians Chap. 3.7 8. saying Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous as he is righteous he that committeth sin is of the Devil By which saying he suggests that there were some amongst them of another opinion and perswasion and that they were in danger of being deceived by them to think that though they did indulge themselves in some sin yet they might be counted and dealt withall as righteous persons as being in Christ and knowing of him as they supposed In opposition to which vain conceit and lying imagination he had said in the verse before Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him The like admonition ministred by Paul to the Ephesians implyeth like danger from men of the same profession Eph. 5.6 Let no man deceive you with vain words for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience .. Implying that there were some among them that were otherwise perswaded than that those unholy wayes from which he had newly before dehorted them would expose them to the wrath of God who trusted in Christ for salvation For of such he prophecied whilst he was yet with them Acts 20.30 That of their own selves should men arise speaking perverse things wrested or swerving things to draw away Disciples after them Men professing the same Faith and expecting
and soundness to it to repair the breach that sin hath made there to restore the image of God which is decayed in the Soul and the like Rom. 6.14 Mic. 7.19 1 Thes 5.23 24. Ezek. 36.25 c. Isa 57.18 Hos 14.4 2 Pet. 1.4 And yet this grace of God is not wont to make any great or considerable progress in this work till Faith in men draw this mortifying power and healing vertue from him And therefore the purification of the Soul and sanctification of the person is sometimes ascribed unto their Faith as well as unto the power of Gods grace Acts 15.9 26.18 And that it is so is not only because it is instrumental in the hand of Gods grace to effect it but also because it is a powerful means of atracting and drawing the vertue power and grace of God to engage in this work God so pleasing that it should so do It fares with the Soul in respect of spiritual Diseases and the cure of them now Christ is in heaven as it did with the bodies of some in respect of natural Diseases and the cure of them when he was on earth There was alwayes power and vertue enough in Christ to heal them and yet the cure was not wrought until Faith was set on work to draw out vertue from Christ The Woman that had an issue of bloud twelve years though she had used many means and spent all upon the Physitians yet was never cured no not by Christ himself neither until she came to touch his garment and by her Faith drew vertue from him and then the cure was soon wrought Christ casts her cure upon her Faith saying Daughter thy Faith hath made thee whole Mark 5.34 Certainly it was the power of Christ and the vertue that went out of him that made her whole vers 30. but in as much as this was not drawn out into act till her Faith was active in it therefore is the cure ascribed unto her Faith And upon like account is it that we meet with such passages as these If thou beleevest all things are possible Mark 9.23 According to your Faith be it unto you Matth. 9.29 What is the reason may we think why so few of those vast multitudes in the world that languish under their spiritual Diseases are cured but that for the generality of them they are like to die eternally of them Certainly it is not because there is not vertue enough in Christ to heal them all but the reason is because there is so few that touch him by Faith to draw vertue out of him for their cure Nay they are afraid of being healed like some Beggars who keep their Sores open and unhealed on purpose because they make an advantage of them as they do of theirs such as it is Matth. 13.15 They have closed their eyes c. lest they should be converted and I should heal them And what 's the reason why many that are in part healed yet are not more thorowly cured But that there are too many signs and symptomes of their old Disease still hanging upon them and many grudgings of their old fits so that the Case remains in doubt with them whether they shall live or die Surely it is because though they have some kind of Faith yet they do not exercise it about this thing or but very little It may be they may have more communion with the riches of Gods grace the value and efficacy of Christs bloud in relation to pardon and Gods unwillingness to destroy and readiness to forgive poor sinners but have not acquainted themselves much with that heavenly art and method of Faith by which the Saints depend upon the Lord for his communication of vertue and strength for the healing of their Souls of spiritual distempers and restoring them to a spiritual health and soundness There 's no doubt but that the Lord Jesus is as much affected with the diseases that annoy mens Souls as ever he was with those that afflicted the body and delights every whit as much in the cure of the spiritual as ever he did in healing the corporal in as much as his own glory and his creatures good are more concerned in these than in the other But that which obstructed the cure of mens bodies and Souls too by Christ when he was on earth obstructs the perfect cure of mens souls by him now he is in heaven and that is the want of Faith in them that should be cured Christ could do no mighty works in this kind in some places where he came save on a very few that did beleeve because of their Vnbelief Matth. 13.58 compared with Mar. 6.5 6. As it was in the dayes of Eliseus as Christ observes when there were many Lepers in Israel needed cleansing as well as Naaman the Syrian and yet none were cleansed by the Prophet but Naaman for that none but he had Faith to seek it and qualifie them for it so was it with many in Israel in the days of Christ who though they had as much need of healing as any that were healed yet went without it for that they had not that Faith in the Lord by which those that were healed drew vertue from him for their cure Luke 4.23 with 27. 6.19 And so it is now the true reason why the Leprosie of the Soul is not cured in all as well as in some is because they do not by Faith draw vertue from Christ in whom it is for their cure It is not because Christ is not as sensible of the condition of men now he is in heaven as he was while he was on earth For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities Heb. 4.15 Nor is it because he is not as able now both to compassionate and succour them as ever For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2.18 But as I say the reason of mens languishing under their spiritual diseases either without any cure at all or that which is very imperfect is either because they do not come to Christ at all for cure or but very faintly either not knowing where it is to be had or not truly and thorowly desiring it of him or not having confidence enough of obtaining it from him Ye will not come to me said he that ye might have life Joh. 5.40 and therefore they go without it And so if men will not come to Christ for health and cure no marvel if they remain unhealthful in their souls The Lord makes Promise it 's true of taking away the old heart and of giving a new which is but the removing of the disease of the soul and giving it health and soundness but yet so as that he will be sought unto by men to do it for them Ezek. 36.26 with 37. So that if they do not make their serious and hearty applications to him for it upon the
a power to justifie The efficacy justifying power and vertue of Faith depends not upon nor rises out of the excellency or dignity of its own nature but it depends upon and proceeds from the will good pleasure ordination or appointment of God digested and put into the Gospel as a standing Law and unchangeable decree As it was not the naturalness of proportion between the Israelites looking up to the Serpent of Brass and that effect of healing that was procured thereby Numb 21.9 that brought the thing to pass but the production of such an effect by such means depended upon the operativeness of Gods will so in the antitype of this Jo. 3.14 mens being healed justified by looking up to and beleeving in Jesus as lift up upon the Cross this is not brought to pass neither meerly by the act of Faith it self as such but by the efficacy of the divine will which hath ordained it to that end and use And therefore is it I suppose that the Scripture so frequently casts this great effect of mens being justified upon God as his act grant and gift though by or through Faith as subservient to his will herein calling it The righteousness of God which is by Faith and saying That it is one God which shall justifie the Circumcision by Faith and uncircumcision through Faith Rom. 3.22 30. Phil. 3.9 And if Christ himself is said to be unto us Righteousnesse because made so of God 1 Cor. 1.30 and salvation to be had through his Name because given for that end Acts 4.12 then much more certainly does the justifying office or work of Faith depend upon the divine will John 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and beleeveth on him may have everlasting life This might be further argued from Rom. 3.25 John 1.12 and 3.16 but I forbear Sect. 6 But in the mean while a comfortable Doctrine surely it is to understand that our justification by Faith does not depend so much upon the nature of the grace it self as upon the will of him that hath appointed it to that office and upon the Gospel as that Charter by which such a priviledge is conferred upon it which is a thousand times richer and firmer foundation to bear such a building as the hope of Righteousness by Faith is than is the nature of the grace it self which is subject to ebbings and flowings and times of shaking and fits of feebleness and weaknesse If the justifying effect of Faith had depended meerly upon the nature and operation of the grace it self then the infiniteness of disproportion that is between such a cause and such an effect the inconsiderableness of the service and vastness of reward might have rendred the confident expectation of so great a benefit upon such terms matter of greater difficulty But now seeing that the weight and stresse of this great effect which is produced by or through Faith as that without which God will not have it take place does depend upon the powerful and operative will of God which is infinitely full of Grace and Kindness to the poor Creature and upon the everlasting and unalterable Covenant of his Grace and Love the confidence of Justification by Faith now becomes much more easie and pleasant as feeling firmness rockiness substantiality of ground under the feet of it He that holds an estate worth a thousand pounds by the year by Lease or Charter though he pay but a Pepper-corn by way of acknowledgment hath as good a Title in Law to that Estate as another that holds the like Estate from the same Landlord though he pay a thousand pound Rent by the year for it because the one Lease is the voluntary act of the Landlord as well as the other Even so though Faith amount but to little in comparison of that absolute perfection of holiness love and obedience that was found in Adam while he stood yet considering that the same Lord hath now graciously by an unchangeable act of his own will setled and entailed Justification and eternal life upon mens unfeigned beleeving in his Son Jesus Christ which once setled ever-living upon Adams absolute perfect holiness love and obedience it hereupon follows that whosoever doth in truth unfeignedly beleeve hath therefore as real as sure and as certain a title to eternal life as Adam himself had and would have kept in case he had kept his first integrity But then that which is the amountment of all this is that seeing there is now a new Law given by God a new Covenant established and that the sum and substance of it is this that God having sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners he requires and enjoyns men to receive him and beleeve in him in that capacity in which he is sent and upon their so doing promises Justification and eternal life as on the contrary threatens eternal death to those that do not hereupon it follows that those that do thus beleeve in Christ do fulfill the terms of the Gospel and fulfilling the terms of it must needs be righteous in the account of it For what else is a mans righteousness but his conformity to that Law under which he lives or which is given him to live by As transgression of it is sin 1 John 3.4 so conformity to it is righteousness And therefore since Faith bears such a proportion of conformity to the Gospel as it does when it is sound and sincere well may it be counted for Righteousness to them that have it Sect. 7 Yet because this Righteousness which is called the Righteousnesse of Faith consists in great part at least in the forgivenesse of sins and since both that and all the gracious acceptation with God which does accrue to men upon their beleeving is vouchsafed them not for their Faith sake though not without it but upon the account of another to wit Jesus Christ Ephes 4.32 1 John 2.12 thence it may well be that though Faith be really and truly a mans righteousness in the Gospels account yet it is so only in the way of imputation reckoning or account of grace Which is a thing I would not have slightly passed over but diligently and carefully observed as having much of the Spirit of the Gospel and Doctrine of Grace in it For Faith though it be rich indeed and hath glorious things in it and signifies much in the reckoning or account of the Gospel yet it is rich with the riches of another Faith it is the borrowing Grace as the Moon borrows its light from the Sun so Faith borrows that by which it does such great things for the Soul from another from Christ It is true Faith is a worthy thing as it gives glory to God in beleeving all that he sayes as it carries the Soul and unites it to him as it purifies the heart and works by Love and the like but alass what would all this do towards the making of
This he proves first by a clear Text of Scripture out of the Old Testament verse 3. For what saith the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse If his believing God was the thing that was counted to him for righteousnesse which is the thing the Scripture affirms Gen. 15.6 then Circumcision and the rest of the Ceremonies of the Law could not be it and therefore could be no more necessary in the Gentiles to their justification than they were to Abraham but that they without Circumcision beleeving as Abraham did they also without cir cumcision might be justified as Abraham was And therefore accordingly from this example the Apostle doth assert in the words of my Text which are brought in upon this occasion That to him that workeeh not but beleiveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted to him for righteousnesse Which doctrine of imputation of Faith unto men for Righteousnesse without Works the Apostle in ver 6 7 8. makes clearly agreeable to that passage of David in Psalm 32.1 2. where he sayes Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered blessed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute sin Whereupon the Apostle to draw home this part of his discourse unto Abrahams case which is the chief thing he prosecutes throughout this Chapter in the ninth verse he makes this demand Cometh this blessednesse then upon the Circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also for we say that Faith was reckoned unto Abraham for righteoasness V. 10. How then was it reckoned when he was in Circumcision or in uncircumcision not in circumcision but in uncircumcision Which way of arguing here used by the Apostle is of mighty force to evince the non-necessity of Circumcision unto justification a thing which the Jews would have imposed upon the Gentiles in order thereunto as I have oft said For if Abrahams Faith was reckoned to him for righteousnesse before ever he was Circumcised then was not his Circumcision necessary unto his justification which he had without it And if it were not necessary hereunto in Abraham their spiritual Father neither was it now necessary among the beleeving Gentiles his spiritual children For the Apostle seems to intimate in ver 11 12. that God had this designe in it that Abraham should receive his circumcision not before but after his justification to wit that he might be the Father the great exemplar copy or patern how or after what manner God would justifie the uncircumcised or Gentiles in time to come viz. by or upon their beleeving in him without Circumcision I might likewise shew you farther how the Apostle in ver 13. argues the non-necessity of keeping the Law of Commandements contained in ordinances in relation to salvation upon this ground because the promise of heirship was not made to Abraham or to his seed through the Law or upon condition of observing that but through the righteousnesse of Faith or upon condition of beleeving unto Justification Of which wise and gracious disposition of these things by God that the promise should be entailed upon beleeving rather than upon the observation of the Jewish Law the Apostle gives this account ver 16. It is by Faith saith he that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed to wit of Abraham not to that only which is of the Law such as the Jews his Seed according to the flesh were but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham to wit the beleeving Gentiles who otherwise would have been excluded So that the grace of God and the good of men are best provided for in this way and that 's the reason why God hath chosen this and not the other Sect. 9 To draw to a conclusion of this matter which is capable as you see of a large confirmation from Scripture and to passe over what might be further enlarged to the same purpose from other passages in this Epistle I shall present you only with a Text or two more elsewhere Acts 15. where this very question is solemnly debated among the Apostles and Elders for that very purpose assembled at Jerusalem viz. to resolve and determine this case whether it were necessary for the Gentiles that beleeved to be Circumcised and to keep the Law of Moses or no ver 1.5 6 And when there had been much disputing touching this question at last Peter rose up and said unto them men and brethren ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel and beleeve And God which knoweth the hearts bare them witnesse giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us and put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith ver 7 8 9. Where he gives this undeniable reason why this question should be resolved in the negative why Circumcision and the Law should not be imposed upon the beleeving Gentiles in order to their justification and salvation viz. because God by his giving the holy Spirit to the Gentiles Cornelius the rest Act. 10. that were uncircumcised upon the same termes as he did unto the beleeving Jews that were Circumcised Acts 11.17 did bear them witnesse that he accepted them as well without the Law upon their beleeving as he did the Jews with their Law he bare them witnesse giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us And that God made no difference at all between Jew and Gentile as to give the Jew more because he was Circumcised and kept the Law or the Gentile lesse because of his uncircumcision but their hearts and lives being purified reformed by Faith by their cleaving to Christs Doctrine God bestowed the same pledge of his love upon the one as upon the other the Law did not set the Jew higher in his savour nor the want of it keep the Gentile under in his love but being equall in Faith they were equally accepted and beloved of God He put no difference between us and them saies Peter who was a Jew And when Peter at another time was found by his Brother Paul not acting so evenly according to this his present Declaration but contrarily compelling the beleeving Gentiles to walk as did the Jews Gal. 2.14 he reproves him for it upon this ground that Peter himself knew this that they themselves who were by nature and birth Jews and not sinners of the Gentiles could not for all that be justified by the Law which they as Jews observed but must be glad to come by it in the same way and upon the same termes in which the sinners of the Gentiles did obtain it to wit the Faith of Jesus Christ Gal. 2.14 15 16. If thou being a Jew livest after the manner of the Gentiles and not as do the Iews why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Iews We who are Iews by
Mercy yea or the act of Faith it self or any other work commanded in the Gospel does justifie as Christs blood justifies by way of attonement for sin let him be accursed It is the prerogative royal peculiarly and alone belonging to Christ thus to justifie in which no creature in Heaven or Earth or any action of any creature bears any the least share Heb. 1.3 When he had by himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high To purge from sin is the self-work of Christ Heb. 7.27 and 9.26 28. and 10 12 14. When some of the Galatians were but about to attribute the same justifying power unto the Law which they had acknowledged to be in Christ Paul testifies to them that in doing so they would render Christ of none effect to them and fall from grace Gal. 5.4 So dangerous a thing is it to joyn any in competition or co-partnership with Christ in this work or to attribute the same justifying vertue to any beside him And if any among the Papists should ascribe any such operation or vertue to any of their works though as dipt in the blood of Christ and receiving their vertue from that it would doubtlesse be found a piece of high presumption and a sin of a daring nature before the Lord. But alass how far off are we from ascribing any such power operation or vertue unto any work which a Christian can do Nay Faith it self though it be so necessary unto justification as that without which the blood of Christ will not justifie and save men yet it is far from being necessary upon any such account as if it could in the least operate as Christs blood does or add any thing unto the saving vertue thereof and yet necessary it is because such is the Will of God as that the saving benefit of that blood shall not be made over unto any man but upon condition of his beleeving So I say of Works I mean Gospel-obedience though we say they are so necessary as that no mans Faith shall justifie him that is void of them or which is all one that no mans Faith shall justifie him without them yet we say also that they are far from being necessary upon any such score as Christs blood is necessary or as if they could contribute any thing unto its atoneing vertue Nor is it necessary in this case to suppose them to be formally of the nature of Faith nor to be essential to the act of beleeving nor that the same justifying act office or power is placed in them by God as is in Faith Yet necessary they are unto justification because such is the will and good pleasure of God as that though he will have Faith to entitle men to the justifying and saving benefit of Christs blood yet he will not interess an unprofitable dead barren fruitless formal Faith in that saving benefit and priviledges of the New Covenant but reserves this honour for that Faith only which is an active lively working Faith and which makes a man as well ready and desirous to give honour and glory unto the Lord in doing his will as to receive honour and glory from him in the way of beleeving his promise This God willing I shall make fully evident when I come to treat of the doctrine of Faith and Justification by it in the handling of the second part of my Text. Sect. 6 In the mean while if this burden any mans mind how to think or conceive that Faith in its first justifying act in closing with Christ should be accompanied with Works when as that first act is done in an instant but Faiths bearing of Fruit and producing of good works is a work of time and shal therefore think that sure Faith must needs be alone and without works in the first act of its justifying work whatever it be after I shall ease this burden and answer this objection by distinguishing of Works There are two sorts of Works 1. Such as consist in will purpose and desire 2. Such as consist in the actual execution of those resolutions and desires That those motions resolutions and desires that are transacted in the wil by way of preparation of turning them into actions of another nature when opportunity shall serve I say that these are works in Gods account who is as well privy to them as to external actions is most evident Mic. 2.1 Wo to them that devise iniquity and work evill upon their beds when the morning is light they practice it because it is in the power of their hand Their devising and resolving upon evill in the night in order to the practice of it in the day is called a working of evill upon their beds Again Psalm 58.2 Yea in heart ye work wickedness you weigh the violence of your hands in the earth The evill actions and motions of the mind and will are called a working of wickednesse in the heart as the looking on a Woman to lust after her is called the committing adultry with her in the heart Mat. 5.28 All which is as true of good intentions resolutions and desires as of evill the resolving upon good when opportunity presents is a working of good in the soul as well as the resolving upon evill upon like termes is the working of evill Now then that Faith which is not accompanied with good Works of this kind in the souls first fastening upon Christ by Faith for salvation I say that soul that does not come to Christ with a sence of such worthinesse in him as to desire and resolve through the strength of his grace to give up it self to him and to be commanded by him that Faith that soul by all the light that I can get from Scripture is never like to be accepted or to pass for currant in Christs account Nor will such desires and resolutions do it neither that are but airy and of the nature of false Conceptions and which spend themselves and languish and vanish in desiring and resolving like the sluggard Solomon speaks of Prov. 13.4 Whose soul desireth and hath nothing No unlesse they have that truth and reality that strength and substance as to be delivered of such conceptions and to bring forth fruit to perfection when opportunity comes and not like that corn that groweth upon the house-top that withereth before it come to maturity they are never like to obtain the honour and reputation of such desires and resolutions as will passe for good works in Gods account But if the soul in its first closing with Christ by Faith go armed and the Faith of the soul attended with real hearty and unfeigned desires and purposes to render unto the Lord in love honour and service according to the benefit it expects to receive from him and that nothing but lack of opportunity hinders the real acting and executing these desires and resolves with suitable endeavours doubtlesse that soul that faith is accepted with the Lord as
gracious not only in forgiving but also in rewarding such who duly and diligently seek his favour grace and love in such wayes and by such means as he himself hath appointed for that end Heb. 11.6 But without Faith it is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is there 's the former act of Faith touching the truth of his being and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Thirdly by trusting in and relying on his might mercy grace and love for pardon justification and eternal salvation Psalm 52.8 But I will trust in the mercy of the Lord for ever Rom. 4.5 But beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly Iohn 5.24 But all this at least since God was manifested in the flesh in and by Christ there being no coming to or believing in the Father but by him Iohn 14.6 1 Pet. 1.21 Though formerly he was worshipped and served under the name and title of the God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Iacob yet now in the New Testament under the Name and Title of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 1.17 and 3.14 Sect. 3 I might here shew also that the word promise or record of the Father concerning his Son is the object of Faith Yea Abrahams justification is cast upon his beleeving this word of God So shall thy seed be For Abraham beleeved God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse Gen. 15.6 Rom. 4.3.18 Gal. 3.6.8 Iames 2.23 Now the record which the Father hath given of Christ in the New Testament as the object of Faith is two-fold 1. That he is his beloved Son in whom he is well pleased and that he ought to be heard and obeyed Mat. 3.17 and 17.5 And 2. That in him is life and that salvation is now offered to the World by beleeving in and obeying of him 1 Iohn 5.9 10 11 12. If we receive the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater for this is the witnesse of God which he hath testified of his Son He that beleeveth on the Son hath the witnesse in himself he that beleeveth not God hath made him a lyar because he beleeveth not the record which God gave of his Son And this is the record which God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life This testimony which the Father gave of his Son was partly by voice from Heaven 2 Pet. 1.17 18. and partly by those Works which he gave him to finish by which men saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father Iohn 5.36 I have greater witnesse then that of Iohn for the works which the Father hath given me to finish the same works that do I bear witnesse of me that the Father hath sent me John 10.37 38. If I do not the works of my Father beleeve me not but if I do though ye beleeve not me yet beleeve the works that ye may know and beleeve that the Father is in me and I in him Sect. 4 II. As the Father so also Christ the Son is in Scripture set forth as the more immediate object of Faith Acts 16.31 And they said beleeve on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house Now ye must know that Christ is propounded as the object of Faith in several respects and under several considerations Sect. 5 1. As he is the Messias of which Moses and the Prophets wrote and said should come And therefore is Christ called the He that should come Mat. 11.3 Art thou he that should come or do we look for another John 13.19 Now I tell you before it come that when it is come to passe ye may beleeve that I am HE. It was one thing to beleeve in general according to the Prophets that Messiah should come which was the common Faith of the Jews and as it should seem of the Samaritans too Iohn 4.25 and another thing to beleeve in particular that Jesus which is come is the Christ This was the Faith of such as did receive him and cleave to him when he did come Iohn 11.27 She said yea Lord I beleeve that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the world The want of which is the destroying sin that lies so heavy upon the Jews John 8.24 For if ye beleeve not that I am HE ye shall dye in your sins 2. Christ as he is the Son of God is made the object of Faith Joh. 20 31. But these are written that ye might beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that beleeving ye might have life through his name Acts 8.37.1 John 5.1 4 5. and 4.15 By Faith he is beleeved to be the Son of God not as Adam was the Son of God viz. by Creation Lu. 3. last in which sence we are all his Offspring Act. 17.28 Nor yet as the Saints are the Sons of God to wit by Adoption Gal 4.5 but that he is the begotten yea the only begotten Son of the Father so the Son and so begotten of the Father as none else is among all the creation of God John 1.14 and 3.18 He that beleeveth on him is not condemned but he that beleeveth not is condemned already because he hath not beleeved in the name of the only begotten Son of God Sect. 6 3. Christ as dying and shedding his blood is the object of Faith and that by which sinners become justified Rom. 5.9 Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood Faith eyes the blood of Christ as its object under a three-fold consideration First it believes that Christ did dye and shed his blood for our sins 1 Cor. 15.2 3. If ye keep in memory what I preached unto you unlesse ye have beleeved in vain For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures Mat. 26.28 For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Secondly that this death and shedding of this blood of Christ is both the only and the all-sufficient means appointed by God to make an attonement for and to purge away sin Heb 1.3 When he had by himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high Revels 1.5 Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood c. Heb. 10.14 For by one offering hath he perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God Thirdly
at the last day and the eternal judgement that will follow thereupon which are two great Arricles of the Christian Faith and fundamental Doctrines Heb. 6.2 does depend upon our beleef of the Resurrection of Christ For if Christ the Son of Gods love him in whom his soul delighteth more than in any man should not have been raised by the glory of the Father there would have been little reason for any other man to expect so great a favour But now is Christ risen from the dead and is become the first fruits of them that slept 1 Cor. 15.20 as a pledge of their Resurrection also In that any have a lively hope of being raised again to an inheritance uncorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away they are thereunto begotten by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead so saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.3 4 And again verse 21. In that God raised him up from the dead and so gave him glory it was that our Faith and hope might be in God that he will do so to us likewise For God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power 1 Cor. 6.14 For if we beleeve that Iesus dyed and rose again even so them also which sleep in Iesus will God bring with him 1 Thes 4.14 Because I live ye shall live also saith he who is the Resurrection and the life Iohn 14.19 and 11.25 And that there shall be a righteous Judgement following the Resurrection and that Christ Jesus shall be the Judge is such a thing of which the Father hath given assurance or offered Faith unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Acts 17.31 Sect. 8 5. The Word Gospel or Doctrine of Christ and of his Apostles is so the object of Faith as that salvation is promised unto the right beleef thereof Mark 16.15 16. Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature he that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved 2 Thes 2.13 Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and beleef of the truth 2 Thes 1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that beleeve because our testimony among you was beleeved in that day The Doctrine of Christ and of his Apostles may well be counted the object of Faith inasmuch as to beleeve it is all one as to beleeve that the Father hath set forth his Son to be a propitiation for sin through Faith in his blood and so it is to beleeve that Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures because the Doctrine of the Gospel is a testimony and declaration of these things and he that beleeves the one beleeves the other also Gods giving his Son to dye and Christs dying and rising again without a declaration of the mind and counsel of God thereabout as viz. for what cause upon what account and for what end he did so as also upon what termes and conditions men shall reap the fruit of his Death Resurrection and Intercession I say the one without the other does not seem to be the adequate object of Faith but both together are For which cause the Doctrine of the Gospel in its Enunciations Precepts and Threatnings as well as in its Promises is the object of Faith And because the Doctrine of the Gospel contains declares and amply sets forth all these things together with those things which are to come viz. the Resurrection of the Dead and Eternal Judgement in order to which the former first take place as being all of them matters about which Faith is busied therefore is it that the Doctrine of the Gospel is frequently called the Faith Gal. 1.23 and 3.2 5 23. Acts 6.7 Romans 1.5 1 Tim. 4.1 Iude 3. And so now I have done with my first point touching Faith viz. the object of it or the beleeving of what it is that shall be imputed for righteousness CHAP. V. Shewing that that Faith which consists onely in assenting unto the truth of that report which the Gospel makes touching Christ his being the Son of God and of his coming into the World to save Sinners by dying for them will not availe to Iustification and Salvation as a Gospel-Faith of the right kind will do Sect. 1 HAving briefly shewed from the holy Scriptures the beleef of what it is objectively that hath the promise of Salvation annext to it I shall now in the next place come to enquire what and what manner of beleeving it is subjectively that hath the same promise or whether every act of beleeving that is placed on a right object hath this great priviledge of Justification entailed to it And upon due enquiry it will be found that not any act or acts of Faith one or more be they never so many of them that fall short of engaging the Soul in true Love and sincere obedience unto the Lord Jesus will avail the man in whom they are unto the saving of the soul If I mistake not all the acts of a saving Faith may be reduced to and comprehended under these three heads The first I call an act of Credence the second an act of Adherence and the third an act of Confidence in the exertion of which three acts of Faith having Christ for their object the whole soul mind will and affections are engaged which make up the beleeving with all the heart which the Gospel calls for Acts 8.37 By that act which I call an act of Credence I mean the assent of the mind unto the truth of what the Gospel reports especially touching Christ and Gods love to mankind in him as that he is the Son of God and Saviour of the world that he was sent of God the Father to shew unto men the way of salvation and then to dye rise again and after his ascension to make intercession to bring that salvation about and that remission of sins is to be had through his name By that act of Faith which I call an act of Adherence I understand the souls fast cleaving unto the Lord Jesus in affection and subjection as counting him more worthy of both than any Creature or thing in all the world as also taking hold of that grace and strength which is in Christ for deliverance from the power of sin and of bringing the soul back again to God in point of holiness And lastly by an act of Confidence I mean the Souls relyance rest or dependance upon Christ or on the Father through Christ for remission of sins acceptation and eternal salvation the committing of the Soul to his mercy the throwing it upon his grace These three acts of Faith relate to each other by way of dependance the second depending upon the first as the acts of the Will do upon the Understanding and the third upon both the
former and all acted upon the same object Now that which I shall endeavour is to shew that the first and last of these acts the assent of the mind unto the truth of things that are to be beleeved and the confidence of the soul to meet with salvation from the Lord may be found in such men in whom the middle act of a loving and loyal adherence to the Lord is not found and that the other two without this will not avail to Justification and Salvation Sect. 2 First that men may by way of assent unto the truth of that by which Jesus hath been manifested to be the Christ of God beleeve him to be so or beleeve on him as such and yet that beleeving of theirs not avail them to salvation will appear first of all by Ioh. 12.42 43. compared with other Scriptures The words are these Neverthelesse among the chief Rulers also many beleeved on him but because of the Pharisees they did not confesse him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue for they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God That these men did beleeve Jesus to be the Messiah the Christ of God is most evident in that upon conviction by his Miracles and Doctrine which declared him so to be they beleeved on him and consequently must beleeve in the generall his Doctrine to be true And yet that whilst they did thus beleeve they were in an unsafe condition as touching the salvation of their souls will appear by two material circumstances in the words The first is this That for all their Faith they durst not confess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue which unworthy deportment of theirs put them under that threatning of Christ Mark 8.38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels And John saith that every spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God 1 John 4.3 And confessing with the mouth is as well required unto salvation as beleeving with the heart Rom. 10.10 The second is this that while they thus beleeved they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God which whosoever does cannot beleeve savingly according to Christs own words Iohn 5.44 How can ye beleeve which receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only Such beleevers likewise surely were they Iohn 2.23 24. Who when they saw the miracles which Christ did they beleeved in his name but Iesus did not commit himself to them because he knew all men he knew that for all their Faith of assent that he was indeed the Messias of which they were convinced by his miracles yet there was not in them the Faith of adherence in a constant and an affectionate sticking to him and therefore would not trust himself with them Which is argument enough that their Faith was not saving nor such as would denominate them faithful Disciples unto Jesus whose property it is to forsake all rather than to forsake Ghrist Luke 14.33 which had it been their case Christ would not have been shie of betrusting himself with them It 's probable that Simon Magus was a beleever of this kind one whose Faith was right as touching the object of it and as touching this first act of it also for the Scripture saith Then Simon himself beleeveh also Acts 8.13 And what did he beleeve that 's exprest in the former verse where it 's said that when they beleeved Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the Name of Iesus Christ they were baptized both men and women Then Simon himself beleeved also that is as well as they or the same things which the others beleeved viz. Philips doctrine concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus And yet for all his perswasion of the truth of the doctrine of the Gospel preached by Philip his heart was not purified by his Faith as the hearts of all are by Faith of the right kind Acts 15.9 for Peter told him First that his heart was not right in the sight of God vers 21. Secondly that he was in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity vers 23. and consequently was in danger of perishing as the Apostle intimated to him saying Thy money perish with thee verse 20. There was in him the Faith of Credence but not of Adherence the assent of the mind unto the truth of Philips Doctrine but not the powerful consent of the will unto the superlative goodness of the way to the Kingdom taught by him Sect. 3 That this Faith of which we now speak which consists onely in the general assent of the understanding unto the truth of divine Revelation is not that Faith to which the great promises of the Gospel are made I shall endeavour further to manifest by adding two or three Reasons to the Scripture-testimonies already alledged 1. This assent as it is but one single act of Faith and therefore comprehends not the whole general nature of that grace so it is but the act of one single faculty of the soul the mind or understanding and so is not that beleeving with all the heart which is the right christian Faith Acts 8.37 which consists as well in the consent of the will touching the goodness of the thing beleeved as the assent of the mind to the truth of its being For as the object of the Christian Faith the Gospel bears the relation and carries as full a proportion of goodness as of truth in it so does the beleeving soul accordingly by the faculty of the mind assent to it as true and by the faculty of the will accept of it as a soveraign good And under this two-fold consideration is the Gospel propounded as the object of Faith 1 Tim. 1 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners It 's a saying faithful in respect of its truth and worthy of all acceptation in respect of its goodness Sect. 4 2. The Devils themselves have such a faith as by which they assent to this truth that Christ is the Son of God and it is the first-born of improbabilities that ever the Devils should have that faith abiding in them by which men shall be saved That the Devils do not only beleeve that there is one God and tremble according to Iames 2.19 but that they also beleeve Christ to be the Son of God the Christ of God is evident Luke 4 41. And Devils also came out of many crying out and saying thou art Christ the Son of God If any shall here object and say that we have but the Devills own word for it who was a lyar from the beginning The answer is that we have more than their word
salvation by the same Christ should make such swerving inferences from the Doctrine of Grace that offers Salvation upon believing in Jesus as tended to loosness of life and that they would labour to propagate their distorted notions and to make a party of the same mind with them Against whose dangerous insinuations he faithfully now again in his Epistle warns them to take heed of being deceived with such mens vain words and impure pretensions as if any Faith they had in the grace of God or merit of Christs blood could secure them from the wrath of God whilst they lived in uncleanness and covetousness and indulged themselves in a way of foolish talking and jesting for of such sins he had spoken before Sect. 6 Of this very sort of Men surely it is of whom Paul speaks 2 Tim. 3. concerning whom he informs us of these three things amongst others First that they had a form of Godliness Vers 5. and therefore were professors of the Christian Faith and Worship the Doctrine of Grace and Ordinances of the Gospel Baptism Supper of the Lord c. Secondly that in themselves they were men of an un-Gospel like temper and behaviour Lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemous disobedient to Parents unthankfull unholy without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God ver 2 3 4. Some of these bearing sway in some of them and some in others And that they were industrious to encrease their party and to draw Disciples after them appears in that they crept into houses and led captive silly Women that were laden with sins and led away with divers lusts who doubtless were glad of any notion about free Grace that would put them under hope of Salvation though under the power of divers Lusts which probably those men did instruct them in And Thirdly that from which this ill life under a form and shew of Godliness did proceed was their great mistake about the doctrine of Faith either as touching the nature of the Grace or the termes upon which Salvation was promised to it for he sayes that they were reprobate concerning the Faith or as the margent reads it Of no judgement concerning the Faith verse 8. they made no right judgement of the Gospels promising salvation upon believing but as Peter expresseth it Stumbled at the Word and wrested it to their own destruction 1 Pet. 2.8 2 Pet. 3.16 thought the promise of a larger extent than it was were not aware it was such a kind of believing only as gave a man victory over such Lusts and pleasures as in which they lived unto which the promise of life was made These things may well make the most of men called Christians to look about them who by their lives proclaim themselves to be believers but of the same rank with those marked out by the Apostles of our Lord as men whose Religion is vain whose Faith is dead whose confidence of salvation is built upon mistakes of the Doctrine of Grace whilst destitute of the life and power of Godliness which subdues the heart and life to God to answer that form of profession which they make of the Christian Faith But because it is a matter of such moment and so little laid to heart by those whom it so much concerns therefore do I dwell upon it the more if peradventure any may be awakened by it And therefore having heard something of that which the Apostles of our Lord have said to this important point for a close of this matter let us also a little weigh a passage or two spoken by the Lord himself relating to this business Sect. 7 Our Lord Jesus resembles the several sorts and tempers of Men that hear the Gospel unto four several sorts of ground upon which the sower casts his Seed Luke 8. And begins with the lowest and worst sort and from them proceeds gradually to the best of all The first sort resembled by the seed that fell by the ways side are such as neither understand nor believe the Gospel Luke 8.12 Mat. 13.19 The second sort go beyond these for they do believe the Word but it is but for a time for in time of persecution for the Words sake they fall away having no root vers 13. Now the third sort as they are placed in the middle between such as do receive the word and believe and rejoyce in it only for a season and such who with an honest heart having heard the Word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience so they do accordingly go beyond the temporary believer and yet fall short of the honest-hearted doer of the Word resembled by the good ground And that wherein they do exceed the stony-ground hearers that believe only for a time is this that they persevere in their believing such as it is unto the end of their lives And that wherein they fall short of the good-ground hearers is this that they do not with honesty or integrity of heart keep or do the Word and patiently bring forth the fruit of it as do the good-ground hearers For they when they have heard go forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life and so bring no Fruit to perfection verse 14. It 's said verse 7. that the seed falling among thorns the thorns sprang up with it and choked it by which it's evident that the seed of the Word doth in a sence grow up in these Men they may grow to have a great deal of knowledg of the Word and some Faith in it and they may bring forth some fruit too do many things as Herod and others did but the only fault is that they do not bring forth fruit to perfection they do not carry it quite through if they have a blade of profession yet they have not the ear of practice or if something of that yet they have not the full Corn in the ear a sincere respect unto all the Lords commands But the thorns of some Lust or other grow up with the Word and choke it and over-top it have more interest in the heart than the Word hath draw the affections of the Soul more to them than the Word doth as the thorns many times draws the nourishing moisture of the ground more to them then the Corn doth that springs up with them and so prevents the perfect growth of the Corn. The Word does grow in such men to a certain degree the Word as it brings glad-tidings of salvation to sinners by the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ hath some rooting in the heart and is received with joy and as it promiseth salvation upon believing as they understand believing so it is a welcome Word which they will by no means let go and as it enjoyns easier and cheaper duties so far it hath the heart to and thus far the Word may grow up and the
of the same soul because they pass under different denominations or that the Waters in Rivers are not the same which were in the Sea because now called by another Name When the Apostle speaks thus concerning the communication of Philemons Faith Phil. 6. That the communication of thy Faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Iesus does he not plainly suppose that every good thing was in his Faith before it was communicated though when communicated called by as great a diversity of Names as the things themselves were divers But every good thing and every good thing acknowledged was but his Faith effectually communicated distributed into acts all the good things of his life were but the births of his Faith as Waters issuing out of a Fountain some running one way and some another some serving for one use and some for another All which considered it need seem no strange thing that Luke should call that Love which Matthew calls Faith for Love is but Faith once removed as it were Faith drawn out into act as Faith also is dispositively and in the first habit Love Sect. 5 3. Believing in Christ and receiving of him are termes equivalent and import the same thing Iohn 1.12 As many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God even to those that believe in his name the former expression of receiving him is expounded by the latter of believing in his Name By which we may gather that it is the nature and property of the true Faith to receive Christ which is the act of Adherence I spake of before Men by the first act of Faith believe Christ Jesus to be what he is and to be so and so related both to God and unto men but by this second act which alwaies accompanies the first where the Faith is saving they receive and imbrace him and cleave to him as such And in this lies the formal act of mans striking Covenant with the Lord and interessing himself in the grace and blessing of the Gospel For all good present and future is entailed on Christ as being Heir of all things and as having all things put into his hand by the Father so that he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Iohn 5.12 receive him and receive all the whole inheritance goes along with the Heir but nothing short of this will invest us with the Inheritance What is the meaning then of receiving Christ 1. To receive whether understood of mens receiving the Lord or the Lords receiving of Men or of Mens receiving of one another is still in Scripture taken in the best sence for receiving with affection and acceptation 2 Cor. 6.17 Rom. 14.1 and 15.7 Gal. 4.14 Philem. 12.17 And so in this place of Iohn 1.12 Those that receive Christ receive him with affection and acceptation yea with such affection and acceptation as by which they prefer him above all other both persons and things for otherwise they will not be deemed worthy of him a wise man will not bestow himself upon a Woman that he knows loves another better than himseif and I am sure the Lord in this sence will not give himself to any man that loves any thing more than him Mat. 10.37 He that loveth Father or Mother Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me much less he that loves any sinful lust or way more It is true to give Men and Women a proof of his good will to them and as an argument to draw their affections to him Christ hath given himself a Ransom for all his flesh for the life of the World but he having done this those that shall not hereby be moved and drawn to forsake all to follow him cannot be his and consequently he not theirs They shall not taste of his Supper Luke 14.24 26 27 33. That 's one thing then which is to be understood by Mens receiving of Christ 2. Another is this he that receives Christ indeed receives him for such as indeed he is and in that capacity in which he is sent offered tendred by the Father and given by himself and that is not only as a Saviour but also as a Lord and as a Saviour by delivering him from the dominion of sin and bringing him under his own Rule and Government as King and Lord as well as by delivering him from the guilt of sin by the Sacrifice of himself How oft does the Scripture call him our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 2 Pet. 1.11 and 2.2 and 3.18 with many more And again Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour Acts 5.31 The Father gave him to be head over all things to the Church and to be a Ruler of his people Eph. 1.22 Mat. 2.6 And whosoever does not receive him as such does not receive that gift of God For Christ is not nor cannot be divided 1 Cor. 1.13 you cannot separate the Lord from the Saviour and take the one and leave the other Among all other Lords and Rulers which in Scripture are also called Saviours Nehem. 9.27 protection and subjection go together Does any rational man expect protection from the chief Magistrate upon any other termes than his due obedience to all his lawful commands And shall any man be so mad as to expect protection and deliverance by Christ from the wrath to come upon any other termes Will not Christ say to such as shal cry to him Lord Lord open to us who yet never made conscience to do all his commands as the Lord said unto a people that cryed after him in their distress and yet served other Lords in the time of peace Go cry unto the gods which ye have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation Iudges 10.14 Ier. 2.28 Where they yeilded subjection thither they are sent for protection if sin can save those that serve sin they shall have salvation and if Christ can save those that serve him they shall have salvation Where I am there shall my servant also be saith he Iohn 12.26 Christ is and will be the author of Eternal Salvation but to whom To all those that obey him Heb. 5.9 But to those that be disobedient and which stumble at his word he is and will be a stone of stumbling and rock of offence the same to them as a Rock is to a ship a means of swift destruction 1 Pet. 2.8 He wil be so far from saving them as that he will say But those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me Luke 19.27 A folly it is then for any Man to think that he can take hold of Christ as his Saviour and so receive him and salvation by him that does not willingly imbrace him as his dear Lord in which capacity he is given as well as that
one difficulty after another rose up to encounter his Faith yet they could not so much as make him to stagger so mighty was Gods Word in his soul And therfore was this Faith of his imputed to him for Righteousness Now this was not written for his sake alone that this Faith of his was imputed unto him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeve on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead saith the Apostle Rom. 4.23 24. It was written to give us to understand That if God be so magnified in the soul as that no difficulty or unlikelihood whatsoever can stand before or carry it against the Word and Promise of God there but beleeving first that God raised Christ from the dead for our Justification after he had been delivered for our offences and then beleeving also that God by the same power and grace by which he did that will certainly fulfil and perform all his Words and Promises in due time and according to his own terms and that this Faith do but dispose the frame of the heart God-ward as it did in Abraham that then this Faith of ours shall as assuredly be imputed to us for Righteousness as his was to him Hath God then Promised a free and full Pardon of all your sins upon your unfeigned Repentance and turning from them to God and taking hold of his Grace in Christ how great or many soever they have been and how unworthy soever they have rendered you of such a favour Hath he promised to such as have begun thus truly to turn to God that he will give them his Spirit to help in the Work to make them new hearts and to write his Law there and that humbly waiting and depending upon him in his own way and means he will keep them from falling and preserve them to his heavenly kingdom See then whether you do stedfastly beleeve these great and precious Promises and are encouraged and enabled by your belief of them to turn again to God from all your transgressions and in thus turning confidently to expect by degrees a real and faithful performance of them all notwithstanding the great distance you may possibly for the present perceive your selves to be from much of what is thus promised and notwithstanding those great mighty and violent oppositions which you do and are like to meet with from flesh World and Devil to encounter your confidence of these things Though difficulties in this kind are many great and sorely threatning your falling short of the enjoyment of these mighty Promises yet if your Faith be but firmly bottomed and built upon them and that the faithfulness and power of God to make them good be so eyed by you and your souls so centered therein as that all the difficulties and unlikelihoods that rise up in your way from what quarter soever cannot prevail in your soul against the Word of God but that you do indeed beleeve that the might and power of his Grace will make its way through them all and perform to a tittle what he hath promised and that this confidence of yours does but engage you still to be following of God step by step in his way method and means of fulfilling his Word as Abrahams Faith did then you may confidently assure your selves that your Faith is of the right breed and kind and of the same nature with Abrahams and walking in the same steps and such as will entitle you to and possess you of the same blessing which he attained by his Faith Sect. 3 2. Another step of his Faith was this As by it he stedfastly beleeved Gods Promises so by it he faithfully obeyed his Precepts call and counsel Heb. 11.8 By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an Inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went An excellent grace indeed that is moulded and cast in the Will of God and receives its form and figure from thence The Word of God had the same force upon Abrahams soul by means of his Faith as the Wind hath upon a Weather-cock it still made it to stand with it If he promised him any thing his soul did securely acquiess in his Word if he commanded him any thing he readily obeys the Word of the Lord carries him before it He only depended upon the divine Will by his Faith what that gave him he received what that would have him do that he did He beleeved its like That the Lord was so good in himself and so much a friend to him as that he would not put him upon any thing command him any thing but what in the issue should clearly tend to his good and therefore upon this perswasion resolves to deliver up himself wholly to the Will of God and to be an absolute Servant thereunto and to wait upon it whither ever it would carry him He knew his Happiness was in Gods hand and was confident that the way to be possessed of it was still to wait upon God in beleeving what he said and in doing what he bade him The Will and Command of God then was the constant walk of Abrahams Faith Sect. 4 3. And Thirdly the nature of that Obedience which proceeded from his Faith was this It was an obedience of Self denyal wherein he crossed his own will to comply with the Will of God therein doing God that right which but few in the world do as actually to acknowledge the Lord and his most holy Will to be absolutely sovereign and supream and that his own Will must stoop to his without all disputes how contrary soever thereunto The Command of God comes to Abraham Gen. 12.1 2 3. saying Get thee out of thy Country and from thy Fathers house unto a Land that I will shew thee and I will make of thee a great Nation and I will Bless thee and make thy Name great and thou shalt be a blessing And I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee and in thy Seed shall all Families of the Earth be blessed Here are great things promised indeed as an Argument and Motive to perswade him to obey this Call and Command of God which he confidently depended upon but in the mean time he must quit his Country bid a-dieu to his Kindred depart from his Fathers house make himself a laughing stock it's like to Neighbors Friends and Acquaintance as if some strange Chymera had struck his brain and must go he knew not whither So saith the Apostle He went out not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 Let 's make it our own case and we shall easily perceive that thus to do was a piece of great Self denial And yet his Faith led him out from amidst these ancient enjoyments the Command and Promise of God went before and he followed close after And this wonderful piece of Obedience is attributed to his Faith Heb. 11.8 By
same Inheritance But alas If the fore-mentioned steps of Abrahams Faith as troden by his Children do discriminate the Faith of the right kind from that which is of another race how many mens Faith who call Abraham Father will hereby be discovered to be but Bastardly and such as will never make good their title to the Inheritance which God hath promised to Abraham and his spiritual seed Does the Call of God back'd with a Promise by means of Abrahams Faith taking hold of the Promise with one hand and of the Command with the other draw him out of his own Country from his ancient Acquaintance Kindred and Fathers house which otherwise were lawful enjoyments What then shall we think of their Faith who though the Lord give forth Command upon Command back'd with great and precious Promises on purpose to draw men not out of their own Country but out of their ill Company out of their Intemperance and Excess out of their Uncleanness out of their Covetous practices out of their Pride and ridiculous fashions out not only of prophane Swearing and filthy Talking but out of light vain frothy frivolous Discourse and Communication out of their lukewarmness heartlessness and deadness in Religion and yet for all that are not drawn out of these unprofitable sinful and vain wayes unto this day Can any thing be plainer than this That either they have no Faith at all or that the Faith they have is of a bastard kind and such as shall never inherit Both they and their Faith must be judged of by their Works If they were Abrahams Children they would do the Works of Abraham but seeing they do the Works of the Devil they thereby plainly prove themselves to be his Children and not Abrahams as Christ who could not be mistaken hath told them Joh. 8.39.44 These as the unregenerate Jews that lived under the Word and Ordinances of God and yet were not renewed to God by them would needs claim from Abraham but Christ you see hath found them out another Father O that all such would therefore be perswaded now while it is called to day to take fast hold of the Commands of Jesus Christ made very pleasant and acceptable by the huge Promises that are annexed to them which would then certainly draw them out of their vain Conversation Shall Abrahams Faith enable him at Gods Command to offer to him his only and beloved Son Isaac and shall not thine enable thee to part with thy only beloved Lust Doest thou think thou hast more to say why thou shouldest not part with thy sin than Abraham had why he should not part with his Son If not then either cease flattering thy self as if thou wert one of Abrahams Children and Heir to the same Promise or else cease from thy vain and sinful wayes that thou mayest be so indeed CHAP. IX Shewing that it hath been the common and universal Property of the Faith of Gods Elect both in former and latter Ages of the World as well to depend upon and so to be ordered by the counsels commands and directions of God touching the way to life as upon his grace power and promise for life it self and that it is the highest point of Wisdom in men so to do And that mens mistrust of the suparlative goodness of Gods wayes counsels and commands and putting more confidence in their own proceeds from their mistrust of his power wisdom or good-will towards them in relation to their happiness Sect. 1 HAving shewed the nature of Abrahams Faith in the Properties and Effects of it and after what manner it disposed him in his deportment towards God and how the same is set forth as a pattern unto all men of that kind of Faith by which Justification is to be had let us now also take a further view of the same grace of Faith as it hath shewed it self acting its part in other of the Saints alwayes carrying in our eye along with us our own Faith and comparing it with theirs to see whether it affects and acts us as theirs did them as undoubtedly it will if it be of the same nature and kind with theirs For as all men in all Nations and Generations are of one bloud Acts 17.26 so all Saints in all Nations and Generations are in the general of our Faith Ephes 4.5 And as the one hath the same motion and operation in reference to the life Natural in all men so hath the other the same influence and operation in reference to the life Spiritual in all Saints Now then that which hath been in a manner as Natural to the Faith of all the Saints as the motion of the bloud in the veins is to all living men is this viz. To be verily perswaded that as happiness and salvation are assuredly to be had from God so the certain way not to miss of it but to receive it upon his Promise is and hath been still to eye his counsels and to follow the guidance of his directions and commands in all things as the direct way leading thereunto And the truth is for the creature man to be thus acted and steered in his dependance upon his God is the most rational thing under heaven and most connatural to that principle of understanding and light which God hath placed in men For first God by his preventing grace in propounding gracious terms and vouchsafing convenient and sufficient means of salvation unsought for on mans part hath given a plentiful proof and clear demonstration of his love and good-will to men and of his desire of their salvation And then secondly Having so done what is more rational than for men to be fully confident that the Lord will put them upon nothing advise them nothing command them nothing but what doth certainly tend to and perfectly consist with their chief good Will any tender Mother put her dearly beloved Child upon any thing but what tends to his good Or if she should would it not argue either want of Wisdom or of Love in her or both A want of neither of which are in God And then Thirdly If men are or have cause to be confident that God will advise or enjoyn them nothing but what hath a true and real tendency to their salvation which is his design towards them and that which he seeks after Is it not then most reasonable and the greatest wisdom in men to commit themselves to the guidance of God and to acquiess in his wisdom and love As being confident that that being truly followed will lead and bring them to that salvation which God hath offered and they desire and seek after It hath been in this Faith and confidence That the Saints from time to time have sincerely followed God which way soever he hath led them and not been turned out of his way by the greatest dangers or sufferings that could befal them from the hand of men as judging his Will and Counsel made known to them as to be
hand Therefore wait thou on God and keep his way and he shall exalt thee saith he Psal 37.34 Here he is teaching other men the trade which he himself had learned viz. Waiting on God for exaltation but still in keeping his way Sect. 5 Now that which had been the beaten road of the Faith of the Saints recorded in the old Testament as we have seen the same does the Apostle John affirm to be the tract of the Saints hope and confidence under the New 1 Joh. 3.3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Mark it he saith every man none excepted that hath hope of being like Christ in glory endeavours for the present to be like him in purity which is but the same thing with walking in the path of Gods Commands the way that is called holy or the depending wholly upon his counsel will and pleasure Psal 119.1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing ye have purified your Souls in obeying the truth c. And the same Word of grace that ministers any ground of hope to men of being like Christ in glory does declare that they are the pure in heart that shall see God and that no unclean thing shall enter into that glorious state and that without holiness no man shall see the Lord Mat. 5.8 Rev. 21.27 Heb. 12.14 And therefore all they that are not Reprobate or of an injudicious mind concerning the Faith have respect to both parts of Gods declared Will and do beleeve it 's as necessary for them to be holy as possible for them to be happy and accordingly do depend upon the Lord for the one in a faithful prosecution of the other And accordingly does the Apostle Peter from the Lord advise and perswade the Christians to exercise their Faith or dependance upon God in the way of well-doing as that which would secure them indeed 1 Pet. 4.19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well-doing as into the hands of a faithful Creator To commit the keeping of the Soul to God is certainly an act of Faith respecting both the ability grace and fidelity of God to secure save and make happy the soul so committed to him 2 Tim. 1.2 For I know whom I have beleeved or trusted and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which is committed to him against that day The beleeving or trusting God and the committing to him the keeping of the soul against that day is the same thing in which act the power of God and his trustiness is mainly eyed But then that which I would have especially noted also is That the sphear in which this trust and confidence is to be acted is well-doing let them commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing which is the proper element of Faith out of which it is not able to live having no Promise to feed and support it And Paul expresseth the natural and common working of his and others of the Saints Faith thus For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all men especially of those that beleeve 1 Tim. 4.10 Their trust and dependance upon God as Saviour as offering Salvation to the Beleevers caused them both to labour and suffer reproach i. e. diligently to labour in the Lords Work and carefully to please him in all things though their doing so exposed them to reproaches and persecutions their painful labouring to approve themselves in faithfulness to God alwayes and in all things did grow out of their confidence in God and in his Salvation The same which this Apostle Paul expresseth concerning himself singly in another place Acts 24.15 16. And have hope towards God c. and herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards men His hope toward God touching the Resurrection and the glory that shall follow put him upon this continual labour and exercise of having alwayes a Conscience void of offence toward God and men that is of carrying the matter so and that alwayes in his behaviour and discharge of his duty to God and to men as that he might not give his Conscience the least occasion of being offended And he sayes it was his exercise so to do that is the labour and business of his life the same to which he exhorteth his beloved Timothy saying And exercise thy self rather unto godliness 1 Tim. 4.7 A word as it is rendered by some properly importing to strip himself A Metaphor taken from Harvest-labourers and other work-men who to the end they may effect their business upon the best terms when they are very intent upon it are wont to cast off their upper garments that they might have no incumbrance upon them This you see was the way of the working of the hope and confidence which blessed Paul had in God And the same Paul sheweth that the twelve Tribes as many of them as truly feared the Lord expected the Promise of future happiness upon no other terms than upon their instant serving of God day and night Acts 26.7 Vnto which Promise our twelve Tribes instantly serving God day and night hope to come As they beleeved the promise of future bliss so they beleeved it was not to be had but upon a faithful serving of God and therefore the same Faith which by one act took hold of the Promise by another act took hold of the Precepts and in order to their coming into their hope they steered the course and travelled the way that directly led thither and that is an instant serving God day and night To name no more Instances of this kind but only that Heb. 10.34 35. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds and took joyfully the spoyling of your Goods knowing in your selves that you have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward Mark Their confident perswasion of that better and enduring substance in heaven as promised by God and as expected and desired by them caused them closly and intirely to adhere to the Doctrine and holy wayes of the Lord though their doing so cost them the loss and spoyling of their Goods they were confident the Doctrine of Christ stuck to would bring them to the enjoyment of that better and enduring substance and therefore they followed that though it led them out of the midst of what they possest and enjoyed for the present And thus now we have seen the common nature and working of the Faith of Gods Elect from age to age both under the former and latter dispensation of things appertaining to eternal life by which a just ground is ministred of suspecting their Faith to be none of the Faith of Gods Elect that
does not carry them the same way in which the Elect have been all travelling towards that heavenly Country which is the hope of all the Saints This Doctrine touching the Saints dependance upon Gods Counsels and Commands for a guide as the proper effect and inseparable companion of their dependance upon his grace and power for the upshot of their desires might be further exemplified by its contrary viz. That mens turning aside from Gods Counsels and Wayes hath been wont to proceed from a secret jealousie and mistrust either of Gods power or love and that a mistrust of Gods way in which he hath enjoyned men to walk as if that were not the very best but another of a mans own choice to be preferred before it clearly argues a mistrustful opinion of God as if either there were not so much love in him to men as is in men to themselves or so much wisdom care and providence in God to direct them the best way to happiness as is found in their own heads or so much constancy or power as to carry thorow his design of Grace towards them in his own propounded method and way All the turnings aside runings out lustings temptings of God murmurings complainings and rebellions of the people of Israel in the Wilderness are charged upon their unbelief Deut. 1.32 Yet in this thing ye did not beleeve the Lord your God Though God had gone before them though he had born them as a man bears his Son yet when they came but a little into straits they had so ill an opinion of God were so void of confidence of his care and love as that they rather enclined to think that because he hated them and bore them ill-will that therefore he had brought them out of Egypt to deliver them into worse hands and that which followed hereupon was their refusing to venture themselves under Gods conduct they refused to go up when God commanded them so to do vers 26 27 31. The spring of all is this Yet in this thing ye did not beleeve the Lord your God Again Deut. 9.23 Likewise when the Lord sent you from Kadesh-Barnea saying Go up and possess the Land which I have given you then you rebelled against the Commandment of the Lord your God and ye beleeved him not nor hearkned to his voice Either they did not beleeve that God could or else that he would carry them safe into the promised land they distrusted his power or love or both and therefore durst not trust themselves in his hands which appeared in this That they hearkned not unto his voice to do what he bid them do in order thereunto See the like Psal 78.17 19 22. In short the whole of the mis-carriage of that people in the Wilderness for which God destroyed them though it consisted in a great variety of faults is summed up in their unbelief Jude 5. I will therefore put you in remembrance though ye once knew this how that the Lord having saved the people out of the Land of Egypt afterward destroyed them that beleeved not All their other sins it seems were in the bowels of this and did indeed proceed from it as we heard before See 2 King 17.14 Heb. 3.17 18. Numb 14.11 Which things are not written for their sakes only but recorded for admonition to the Churches now under the new Testament 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4 5. Moreover brethren I would not have you ignorant how that all our Fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all Baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the Sea and did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them that Rock was Christ But with many of them God was not well pleased for they were over-thrown in the Wilderness Why would not the Apostle have the Church of Corinth ignorant of those things Surely he well knew That there is too much aptness in very many Professors of Christianity to bear so much upon the external Priviledges of the Gospel as because of them to think themselves in good condition though otherwise indulging themselves in some un-saint-like behaviour or other in their lives And therfore to the end none might think that because they have been Baptized are Members of the Church have some knowledge of Christ have been partakers of the Supper of the Lord that therefore they must needs be the favourites of the Lord and the people of his love he gives them to understand that the Israelites who were Gods people by Profession enjoyed that Priviledge than to which our Baptism answers now did eat and drink of that which was then a Figure of Christ as we now do in the Supper that yet for all this God was not well pleased with many of them but that because of their lusting after evil things their communion with Idolaters their defiling themselves with Fornication their tempting of Christ their murmuring and other like provocations they were so over-thrown in the Wilderness as that of six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty of the men of War that came out of Egypt there were but only two that entred the Land of Canaan Numb 1.46 32.11 12. And that which is much to be heeded is this That all these things happened unto them for ensamples or Types as in the margin and are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10.11 12. And 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 for unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Heb. 4.1 2. Wakening items and loud warnings to carnal Gospellers and formal Church-men the Lord grant that such may be rouzed by them out of their drouse of death CHAP. X. Shewing That the power of Gods grace the strength and fulness that is in Christ the presence power and influence of the Spirit being that by which the new and spiritual Life in a Christian is maintained it is the Property of true Faith to depend upon the Lord for these And herein is an excellent difference to be seen between the Living and the dead Faith The want of this the cause of manies Apostacie A great defect in this the cause of manies dryness and barrenness in grace Sect. 1 AS in the former Chapter I have shewed you that it hath been alwayes the property of the saving Faith in all the Saints to depend upon Gods direction for the way to happiness as well as upon his grace and Promise for happiness it self So now I would also shew you that it 's another property of the same Faith in the Saints to depend upon the
the spiritual strength and vigor by which the godly life is maintained but through the knowledge of himself the exercise of that spiritual principle which the Lord confers for that end Which is not to be understood neither only of a naked and bare act of discerning how great and gracious the Lord is in making so liberal a provision of all things pertaining to life and godliness nor of a discerning of the nature of the things themselves nor of Gods method and terms of conferring them but also of a practical improvement of such light in such a dependance upon and application to the Lord for them as puts a man into a regular capacity of receiving them and under the powerful influence of the Promise And so knowledge is not taken here as a thing distinct from Faith but as comprehending it as the Scripture elsewhere also sometimes useth it Joh. 17.3 Isa 53.11 1 Joh. 5.20 Sect. 3 2. Christ Jesus is the principle of spiritual life unto the Christian he from whose grace power and vertue the Christian graces both in habit and act receive being motion activity and strength He is the same to the Saints as the body of the Vine is to the branches a means of Fruit-bearing by communication of his grace unto the Soul as that of sap to the branches John 15. The same to them as the head is to the several members of the body from which nourishment and growth is ministred and conveyed Ephes 4.16 But yet Faith is the great instrument of this spiritual communication and conveyance as the influence of the Sun which draws the sap out of the root into the branches or as the Pump between the Well and the Vessel so is Faith in deriving that grace and strength by which the spiritual life is maintained from Christ the Fountain of it The poor Soul sees a great prize set before it and that a race is to be run to obtain it the hope of their calling high but the duties and engagements of it great and many and strength little to make them good but with all learning that grace and truth are in all their fulness in Christ and that of his fulness the Saints have all received and Grace for Grace Joh. 1.16 and that the invitation is general for every one that is a thirst to come hereupon it runs to Christ for supply of strength and depends upon him for it and so accordingly speeds And as the bucket of every mans Faith is larger or lesser by which these waters are drawn out of the Wells of Salvation Isa 12. or these wells more or less frequently visited so proportionably does every true Beleever receive more or less of that fulness which is in Christ See this property in the Apostle Pauls Faith Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Mark he saies that he lived and yet he sayes too that it was not he that lived but Christ that lived in him meaning I suppose That his conversation which he had here in the flesh was so ordered by the commands of Christ and so influenced by the grace and power of Christ that Christ was more visible in Pauls life then Paul was himself But then the question is How he came to have such a presence of Christ and his life so ordered and influenced by Christ The account of this you have in the next words I conceive and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God not only as being thereunto led motive-wise from the consideration of the worthiness of his person and profitableness of his service nor yet only direction-wise according to the tenor of the Doctrine of the Gospel which is the Doctrine of Faith but also by his Faith as deriving that power and strength from Christ by depending upon him for it by which he was enabled so to live and to make Christ so visible in his life as that he could say Not I but Christ lives in me I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me said he in another place Phil. 4.13 And what shall we understand by Christs dwelling in the heart by Faith The thing for which this Apostle so earnestly prayed in the behalf of the Ephesians Ephes 3.17 Christ in the heart where he dwells he dwels not only to command and rule by his authority but also to support quicken and strengthen by his grace and comfort with his love to furnish that soul with what it wants for where he dwells in this kind he dwells to bless But this presence of his reviving quickening strengthening grace in the soul is brought thither abides there by Faith Faith goes to Christ in the heavens as having all power in his hands and tells him as it were that though he have laid the foundation of eternal salvation for the poor soul in his own bloud yet considering what enemies are to be conquered and what services to be performed the work is never like to be carried through unless he furnish with supplies of Grace and strength for that purpose And then having this encouragement to strengthen it self in this address that this supply of Grace which is desired does not amount to more than what he hath already freely done for the soul in laying down his own life for its ransom before such a favour was sought at his hands and that those treasures of spiritual life strength and power which are in his hand are placed there on purpose to supply every needy Soul that thus seeks them and that they will never turn to such an account of glory to him while kept there as when delivered out to every soul that in a true sence of its own want of them and their worth unfeignedly desires them And considering withal how agreeable it is to the goodness of Christs own blessed nature and the general design of his Mediatorship and his faithfulness to that trust which is committed to him by his Father to carry forward the begun work of saving the Soul and to be furnishing forth strength for the doing of what he gladly would have done and which he knows cannot be done without it I say Faith being supported with such like considerations as these in its application to Christ for supplies is confident of obtaining and never leaves him till it brings down the vertue strength and power of Christ into the Soul to supply the wants thereof Sect. 4 3. There are many fair and gracious overtures in the Scriptures of Gods gracious inclination and intention to deliver the soul from the dominion of sin to subdue the iniquity of his people to purge purifie and cleanse the soul from the polution of sin to heal the spiritual distempers and diseases of the Soul to restore health
terms he hath appointed they may well go without it for all his willingness to give it It is most sure that Christians are more or less healthful in soul and spiritual condition as they do more or less depend upon the Lord for his saving health for the power and presence of his grace and Spirit to renew them unto God If men had but Faith enough they might have what they would in this kind from the Lord. When there was but once ground for Christ to say O Woman great is thy Faith he presently sayes also Be it unto thee even as thou wilt Matth. 15 28. And therefore such as have but little Faith had need to make the best use and improvement of that little by depending upon the Lord for the perfecting of that which is lacking in their Faith as well as any other grace Men receive but little of this healing vertue from Christ but little hatred of sin and strength to overcome the flesh but little of the power of love and of an humble mind but little of the quick and lively savour of spiritual things because they expect but little if they were larger and stronger in their expectations from God they should have more from him he does not love to disappoint his servants of this hope especially Open your mouth wide and I will fill it saith he Psal 81.10 And those that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled Matth. 5.6 If Righteousness were but desired and sought at the hands of God and he depended on for it as meat and drink is wont to be desired and sought by those that are ready to famish for want of food in which case no other thing but food will satisfie there would not be such a spiritual leanness and emptiness found among Christians as too commonly there is No it is mens indifferency about matters of this mighty moment that causes them to fall so short and to be so scanty in their receptions from God The Lord does not care to pour out abundance of inward grace and health and strength upon the soul until the soul knows the worth of them feels the want of them and desires them more than any thing in the world besides And therefore men may ask them and seek them and yet go without any great measures of them while but cold and indifferent in their desires this way but when their desires are strong their confidence strong their requests fervent and God can as it were have no rest for them but they are still following of him night and day and will have no nay then does the Lord rejoyce over them to Answer them in the joy of their heart and to cause them to inherit substance and to fill their treasures For he waits to be gracious and is alwayes ready and never unprovided of the greatest measures of grace and spiritual strength and is more desirous to give than the best of men are to receive if they would but come up to his terms which are established by him in wisdom and counsel but surely when he hath first given men Faith he does not use to bestow upon them any great addition of spiritual ability but upon the improvement and exercise of that Faith in a way of dependance upon himself for it nor does he give much in this kind to those that are but of little Faith but encreases their spiritual revenue as they encrease in the measure and degree of their relyance upon him for it Sect. 5 4. The gift of the holy Spirit by whose presence power and influence the Saints Salvation must be wrought through and they strengthened with all might in the inward man Ephes 3.16 and by whose Workmanship they are formed fashioned and fitted for that glory which is prepared for them 2 Cor. 5.5 This great gift is I say received also by Faith and consequently it is the property of true Faith indeed to be busied about the receiving of it I shall not so much stand to make this out by shewing you how the Scripture speaks of mens receiving the Spirit after they beleeved as consequential thereunto Ephes 1.13 In whom also after that ye Beleeved ye were Sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise Joh. 7.39 This he spake of the Spirit which they that Beleeve on him should receive Acts 19.2 Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye beleeved Though this also is worthy consideration hereabout For though it 's true That Faith it self in it's first act is raised by the holy Spirit in the Soul 1 Cor. 12.9 Gal. 5.22 Acts 18.27 Ephes 2.8 so as to furnish it with this divine Principle and Power for where else should man have it And so in this respect the Spirits work upon the Soul goes before the Spirits being received by that divine principle which is wrought by it yet the giving and receiving of the Spirit to remain and abide as a constant nourisher supporter comforter guide leader or teacher follows beleeving I know not how better to illustrate this thing than by this similitude A man by visits addresses and applications of Love to such or such a Woman raises in her such Affections towards him as by which afterward he is invited and drawn to become her Husband and constant co-habitant and to take upon him the care and management of her houshold affairs which he would not have done had he not been thereunto encouraged by those Affections which were but the fruit of his own Applications Even so the Spirit by his applications and visits first raises in the Soul that Faith by means whereof his company and presence is so valued and desired as that thereby he is strongly invited to come and dwell in that Soul and to undertake the management of the spiritual affairs thereof and upon which he does accordingly But that by which I would more expresly and particularly make out how the holy Spirit is by Faith invited to come and to make his usual and constant abode in that Soul that does beleeve I shall present to you under these three Heads Sect. 6 1. The First is that which I but now hinted viz. That act of Faith or Divine light by which a Christian sets a holy and very high esteem of the Spirits presence as not knowing how to live the Christian life or to do the Gospel-work without it For when the Soul enlightened and converted to God is made to know that there is no inheriting without overcoming Rev. 21.7 2.7 11 17.26 3.5.12.21 and that the reason why any do overcome is Because greater is he that is in them than he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4.4 and is made to know likewise That men cannot mortifie the deeds of the body but by the power and strength of the Spirit and yet mortified they must be or else they must die Rom. 8.13 when they shall perceive That they know not how to Pray as they ought or to do other Christian duties as
the Christian Religion and possibly Dispute for them too yea which is more possibly may be able to speak many things in the Theory and by Hear-say touching the Work of the new Creature and these spiritual supplies of which I now speak and yet all the while void of any true sense of the power of them upon his own heart But on the other hand the living Faith being the heaven-born principle of the new creature which is it self born from above does still dispose and encline it to look up to God the same fountain of grace for dayly supplies from which it at first received it 's new and spiritual being As God hath placed in Nature a certain instinct among the Creatures by which as soon as they are brought forth they do with a kind of dependance seek their nourishment from their Dams so hath he likewise placed a spiritual instinct in the new Creature which enclines and guides it to himself as soon as it is born from above to seek its food from God Sect. 10 And the main Reason I conceive why many Persons who have flourished like a green Bay-tree in the Christian Profession for a time have yet afterwards shamefully miscarried and fallen away of which this age affords too many sad instances hath been this they have not been close in their dependance upon God for supplie of strength to encounter the motions of the flesh and temptation from spiritual enemies they have not had or have lost the sense of their own weakness and what Children they are in the hands of their spiritual enemies if God should but a little with-draw and leave them but having received it may be many spiritual gifts and many favours from God they have grown confident bold and presuming upon the stock they have already received and being a little spiritually intoxicated with drinking too deeply of their own cup and fallen too much in love with themselves by viewing their beauty in their own Glass have forgotten themselves and their own weakness and forgotten God their strength and so have come down wonderfully God taking no pleasure in them but leaving them to fall and to be an admonition and warning to those that yet stand to take heed lest they also fall Sect. 11 Whereas others again that have been but poor and low and exceeding weak in parts and gifts yet alwayes bearing about them the sense of their own meanness and weakness and withal retaining a good perswasion of Gods supporting grace and good-will towards them and in the sense of both depending upon him to be upheld kept and maintained in grace have hereupon retained their spiritual verdure when others have withered have been holpen with a little strength and sate safely under the shadow of the Almighty when many tall Cedars in the Mountains have fallen in the stormy day These poor Souls being jealous of themselves and of their own strength dare not trust themselves with themselves or at any distance from God but follow him close begging him to help and to uphold them and to keep them from falling who in that case is willing to be intreated Psal 63.8 My soul followeth hard after thee And what of that thy right hand upholdeth me If the Soul follow him for it in good earnest it shall have it They are kept by the power of God saith the Apostle through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Mark it They are kept by the power of God and yet through Faith Why is Faith joyned with the power of God Alas it's but a poor weak feeble thing of it self but it 's happiness is it lives in the strength of another it carries the Soul out of its own shelter and leads it unto a Rock that is higher than it it takes hold of Gods almighty strength and interesseth it self and the poor creature in that and the power of God is well content that Faith should be busie with it and as confident of it and of it's improvement for such a Souls good as if it were in it's own possession and under it's own disposal Though it is the power of God by which the Soul is kept yet it is the power of God leaned upon through Faith which is the leaning and depending grace The power of God could uphold all but it is not it's pleasure so to do but only those that through Faith hold by it And as by how much the more men live out of themselves and depend upon the Lord by so much the safer are they and at the greater distance from falling so likewise by how much the more entire and close mens dependance is upon God for spiritual supplies for a spiritual frame of mind for God to write his Law in the heart and to maintain a good Savour in the Soul of God and all good things for a spiritual liberty and enlargement of Soul in Gods wayes for to be strengthened with all might by his Spirit in the inner man and the like by so much the more does the Lord give forth of these and like good things unto such The closer they lie and the more they draw at those spiritual breasts the more they receive the more they thrive Blessed is the man said he that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is for he shall be as a tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out the roots by the River and shall not see when heat cometh but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of drought neither shall cease from yielding fruit Where we clearly see That Faith trust dependance on God puts a man under a like capacity for the flourishing estate of his Soul in respect of spiritual loveliness beauty and fruitfulness as a Tree is of the utmost prosperity such a creature is capable of by being planted by Waters and Rivers in those dry Countryes And as the more men thus depend on God for supplies the more they receive and the more spiritual they grow so on the other hand too the more spiritual and the more strong in the Lord men grow the more sensible do they grow of their own frailty and weakness and the more emptied of all self-confidence and their thoughts runing more upon the grace of God and strength of Christ and presence of the Spirit and the necessity of these prizing these more desiring these more following God more for them depending on him more to receive them at his hands And so proportionably are they the more ready and the more enlarged to attribute and ascribe all spiritual in-comes all spiritual endowments all operations of grace all strength and ability of acting and doing in the Lords work unto the Lord from whom all comes and to say with him 1 Chro. 29 14. But who am I that I should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee O Lord and of thine own have we given thee Sect. 12 And however God hath as I
conceive vouchsafed by the gift of Jesus Christ for all such means and opportunities of grace even unto those that shall perish and so much power and ability of improving those means and opportunities for the end for which God gives them as will discharge the Lord of their condemnation and cast their loss of Salvation wholly upon themselves yet I cannot but fear that many make that ability which God hath given unto the creature on this behalf greater in their own thoughts than it is in it self And I am not without fears too lest the large apprehensions which some have touching the power of the creature and what all men are able to do out of the stock of common grace wherewith God hath prevented them and what others are able to do out of that stock of special grace with which God hath blessed them should have betrayed them into too low and too narrow apprehensions touching the necessity of additional supplies from God for the issueing of common grace into special and for the maintenance activity and growth of special grace it self And there is too much cause to fear also That the largness of manies apprehensions touching what God hath already given in this kind hath contributed much towards the making of their dependance upon God low and little and their applications to him weak and faint for further supplies and consequently their receptions in this kind to amount but to little Which if such a thing be as is too much cause to fear then I am perswaded that this is the true reason why many whose judgements run too much this way are less spiritual are flatter and duller Christians less versed in the Work of God upon the heart whose Religion lies more in matters of a Controversal and Disputable nature or in matters of external Form and Order And while men are busied and taken up with the skirts and borders of Religion and in the mean while neglect their inward and close communion with God and study of their own hearts and their spiritual trade and intercourse with God it 's no marvel if they be found but huskish dry and barren in the power of holiness and experimental part of a Christian For surely the Spirit of God does not take pleasure in this or that opinion which men hold in Religion but as it serves them in bringing them neerer to him and causing them to prize him his grace and presence more and working in them a greater love of his likeness and longing after the power of his grace to conform them to it Nor is the other extream Opinion touching mens being meer Passives in the hand of Grace and that Grace alwayes works it's effects in men in an irresistable way any better friend I conceive to the thriving way of depending upon God for more grace in a due use of what they have alreay received For as the Opinion of mens having more power than they have or that that power which they have is more conducible to the principal end Salvation then indeed it is obstructs their applications to and dependance upon God for what is indeed necessary on this behalf so does an Opinion of having received no power at all freez the Soul and bind up the faculties of it from using and improving that power which it hath from God in seeking of more and consequently deprives them of receiving more or at least of so much more as otherwise they might have Sect. 13 All which I have noted for Caution lest while men are striving who shall approve themselves the greatest friends to the grace of God in point of Opinion they should in the mean while fall short of the powerful and saving effects of it in their own hearts And since the end of all Doctrines and Ordinances in Religion and consequently of every particular Branch Point and Opinion concerning them is to bring men back again to God and to restore them to his likeness and similitude it concerns every man therefore in his holding and managing any matters of Controversie hereabout to be so true to his own and others Souls as thereby to drive on the principal end of all and to steer himself in holding or letting go Opinions as they appear consonant or repugnant to that end CHAP. XI Shewing how Faith worketh by Love both to God and Men. Sect. 1 THere is one property more of Faith which I have had oft occasion to mention but shall now a little further enlarge on and so conclude this part of my Discourse touching the nature of Faith And this quality in Faith is that property of it by which it works by Love which is made the badge and character of that Faith that shall avail men Gal. 5.6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love As the Apostle shews that not circumcision but Faith avails men under the Gospel so he shews too what manner of Faith it is that does so namely such as works by love not every Faith that is so called but that Faith which is thus distinguished So that it concerns every one as he desires to have something that will avail him in the sight of God and in the great concernments of his Soul not only to prove himself to be in the Faith but to prove his Faith to be that Faith which will avail him by this operation of it here specified When he sayes that Faith works by love I take it for granted that he means love both to the Lord and unto men for they go together as inseparable companions Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 Joh. 5.1 And he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen 1 Joh. 4.20 But then the Question will be How Faith works by Love And the Answer is It does so First by working this grace heavenly qualification spiritual affection or principle in the soul and so in the second place disposing the man in whom it is by means of this principle unto a deportment and actions suitable to such an affection And this I would set out in Two things especially Sect. 2 1. First Faith raises this principle of Love in the soul both to God and men by having it self so much to do with the Love of the Lord as indeed it hath For the Love of God and Jesus Christ to poor man is the very element in which Faith lives the food and nourishment upon which it continually feeds the lovely and most beautiful object which it delights continually to behold lodges in the bosome of it and finds no rest but in this bed of Love Faith is wonderfully intent on it exceeding busie with it marvellous curious in its inspections into enquiries about it 1 Joh. 4.16 We have known and beleeved the Love that God hath to us And by means of Faiths free frequent familiar and intimate
forgive Trespasses that their Faith whatever otherwise it be is not of the right kind neither such as will avail them to Justification for where there is no forgivenesse from God as there is not where there is not forgiving of men there 's no Justification and where there is no Justification there is no justifying Faith How then will they be able to evince their Faith to be of the justifying kind who are apt to render evil for evil and to bear grudges one against another upon account of injuries received and to ease themselves by throwing the burden of others weaknesses wholly upon them by spreading and aggravating them and that too before all due means on their part have been used to cure them I might but I will not enlarge this Sect. 18 9. There are other wayes and veins wherein Faith works by Love as viz. by doing to all men in point of Commerce and Dealing as they themselves would be done unto in like case Mat. 7.12 not using any deceit or fraud not taking advantage of others weaknesse not cruelly working upon others necessities for men would not be so served themselves but setting the law of Neighbourly and Brotherly love before them in all their civil transactions and affairs with others But I shall not enlarge further upon this Doctrine of Love as it is an effect of Faith having already dwelt longer on it than at first I intended Only let it be remembred for a close of this matter that mens love to God and men in these and other-like wayes of working holds proportion with their Faith so that where they are rich in Faith they abound in Love and where they are poor and low and narrow-spirited in acts of Love to God and of kindnesse mercy and bounty to men it 's a sure signe their Faith is not well thriven 2 Thes 1.3 We are bound to thank God alwayes for you Brethren as it is meet because that your Faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth Mark if you hear of their Faith growing exceedingly to be sure you will hear also of their love abounding also And thus I have now dispatched also the handling not only this property of Faith but also this branch of the Doctrine of Justification which concerns the nature of that Faith which shall be counted unto men for Righteousnesse CHAP. XII Shewing that Faith is counted for Righteousnesse both as it entitles men to the justifying virtue of Christs Blood and as it puts them under the protection and promise of the Gospel as it is a fulfilling of it And so discovers the opinion of Mens being justified before Beleeving and of being justified by beleeving only in the Court of Mans Conscience to be unsound Sect. 1 I Have already been shewing 1. The beleeving of what and 2. What beleeving it is that shall be counted for Righteousnesse Now I shall come in the 3. and last place to shew how or in what sence this Faith is counted unto men for Righteousnesse For counted for Righteousnesse it is so saith our Text. But to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted for righteousnesse Or which is the same is reckoned to him for righteousnesse Rom. 4.9 Or imputed to him for righteousnesse Gal. 3.6 Rom. 4.22 23 24. For our Apostle useth this three-fold variety of expression to set out the same thing For the better understanding of this point I will shew you 1. Negatively how it is not counted for Righteousnesse or which is the same how it does not justifie It does not justifie or is not reckoned for Righteousnesse as Christ his Death and Blood is viz. by way of attonement Rom. 5.9 11. for that 's the incommunicable property of Christs blood Heb. 1.3 which is reckoned to us for Righteousnesse too in a sence proper to it for Christ is said to be made unto us righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 and so he is when the attoneing virtue of his Blood the power and efficacy of his Death and Resurrection is made over conveyed reckoned or imputed to us for our Justification But this in a way infinitely superior to the Imputation of Faith for Righteousnesse for Faith it self and the activity of that and all other Graces in their Sphear become acceptable with God as built and bottomed upon that sure foundation Christ Jesus And therefore I exceeding much desire that the Lord Jesus may have all the glory of your confidence touching the merit of Remission of your sins and that your confidence about Justification have nothing to do with Faith but as that thing which God hath ordained to entitle you to the other and the gracious priviledges annexed to it nor with works further than they are appointed by God to render your Faith a substantial and not deceitful title 2. But come we then to shew in the affirmative how Faith is counted for Righteousnesse and this I shall according to my understanding lay out to you in two things Sect. 2 1. Faith is a means of our Justification or is reckoned toward our righteous-making as it is a means appointed by God to interesse us in the benefit of Christs death and the attoneing vertue of his Blood for our pardon and acceptation For though it 's true Christ gave himself a ransome for all 1 Tim. 2.6 and tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 yet all are not thereupon delivered from their sins and why but because they have not that Faith which should give them a right and propriety in the justifying vertue of his Death For Christ was not given to dye for men upon such terms as that they should reap the benefit of his Blood in the pardon of their sins however they should carry themselves towards him well or ill And therefore the Apostle plainly declares how men by miscarriage towards Christ may cut themselves short of the benefit of his death Gal. 5.2 4. Behold I Paul say unto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing And again verse 4. Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law Which could not be if Christ were not given if Christ did not dye for men conditionally See 2 Pet. 2.1 1 Cor. 8.11 Heb. 10.29 Sect. 3 Which condition or proviso is plainly laid down John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son but with this proviso mark it that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Though Christ be given for the World yet mens not perishing by means of this gift but enjoying eternal life is suspended upon their beleeving in him So that it 's mens beleeving that does enstate them in the justifying saving vertue of Christs death Another like place is that Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood 1. God hath set him forth as a publick
propitiation unto all there 's the extent of the offer and tender of grace But then 2. He is set forth as such through Faith in his blood there 's the limitation of the propitiating vertue of his blood viz. to such as have Faith in it The Author to the Hebrews saith chap. 13.10 We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat that serve the Tabernacle meaning Christ of which they had no right to partake that did Judaiz it adhere to the Mosaical way and is parallel with Gal. 5.2.4 But that which I note hence is that men in order to their partaking of Christ must have a right to him Now what is that which gives men a right to Christ his Death Blood Resurrection and Intercession is it not this Faith of which I have been speaking so much surely it is Hence the Apostle suspends the beleeving Hebrews being made partakers of Christ upon their holding the beginning of their confidence stedfast unto the end Heb. 3.14 It was that Faith and confidence which they had by which they were made partakers of Christ when they first beleeved and they were to continue their right by continuing their Faith for thereto did his Exhortation tend Another-like place is that Cel. 1.21 22 23. And you who were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his Flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight if ye continue in the Faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel If their final reconcileation by the death of Christ so as to be presented unreproveable in his sight depended upon their continuing in the Faith then certainly that which first invested them with that priviledge in which for the present they stood was their beleeving Sect. 4 And the reason why I conceive this right which Faith gives unto Christ and the justifying vertue of his blood is one cause or consideration for which it s said to be counted for Righteousness is this because Faith it self without this office and use is neither righteousnesse nor means of righteousnesse unto any man and consequently cannot be counted to him for Righteousnesse But for as much as though Faith is not virtually or meritoriously any mans righteousnesse as Christs blood is and yet by the grace and appointment of God becomes a means of possessing him with that which is hence Faith it self may well be said to be counted to him for Righteousnesse with like propriety of speech as when in Scripture the means bears the denomination of the end as John 4.22 2 Pet. 3.15 For that now I conceive may be a reason of the phrase counted reckoned or imputed for righteousnesse as it is applyed to Faith viz. because by it as it hath to do with Christ a man though he be not formally righteous with a personal and sin-lesse righteousnesse yet becomes possessed with the same priviledge of enjoying Gods favour and love and the blessed effects of it in respect of Justification which a personal and sin-less righteousnesse in the formality of it in case he had it would invest him with And therefore may well be said to be reckoned for or put to account instead of Righteousnesse because it does a man the self-same service as that would do Sect. 5 2. There is another notion or consideration in respect whereof Faith may be said to be counted for Righteousnesse to him that hath it And that is as it is a fulfilling of the termes of the Gospel or New Covenant For Faith in that latitude of which I have been speaking of it as it is a lively active working Grace and disposes the Soul in affection and subjection to the Lord as well as to depend upon him for what it would have is really the fulfilling of the condition or termes of the Gospel and consequently that which puts him that hath it under the great promises of Justification and eternal life contained therein For the Gospel declares who and what manner of persons shall have their sins pardoned for Christs sake shall be accepted and approved of God and are by him designed to eternal life viz. Beleevers no man by name but all under this qualification of effectual Faith For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith Rom. 1.16 17. And whoever does accordingly beleeve does fulfill the Gospel and so is righteous in the account thereof As any man that lived under the first Covenant I mean the Mosaical Covenant had he but observed and kept the termes of it the man that doth those things shall live by them Rom. 10.5 he should have been righteous in the eye of that Law or Covenant Deut. 6.25 even so he that does but observe and keep the terms or condition of the Gospel or New Covenant which is Beleeve in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Acts 16.31 he also is righteous in the eye of that As it is in the common Law of Nations those that are justified are justified by that and those that are condemned are condemned by that if there be righteousnesse of proceeding John 7.51 If men be cast they are cast by the Law and if they are acquitted they are acquitted by the Law the Law cannot justifie the guilty nor condemn the innocent whatever men may do that have the handling of it Just so is it with the Gospel and those that are under the administration thereof all such shall be cast as guilty or acquitted as righteous by it The word that I have spoken said Christ the same shal judg him Jo. 12.48 The Doctrins of Christ are his Statute-laws which whosoever beleeves and sincerely obeyes shall be justified by their sentence All the holy word is on such a mans side against such as the Apostle saith there is no Law Gal. 5.23 but he hath as Demetrius had a good report even of the truth it self 3 John 12. Mica 2.7 As he hath been a true Friend to this to beleeve love and obey it in truth and uprightnesse though not without weaknesse so will it be a true Friend to him to stand by him to vindicate and justifie him against the accusations of the enemy So that mark we then Faith in the latitude of it being that very thing which doth answer the very mind and scope of the Gospel which is the Law of Faith Rom. 3.27 it must needs be counted to them for Righteousnesse that have it because by it they stand right in the eye and account of this law of life And indeed it is this heavenly and divine Law in the promisory part of it which furnishes Faith with that power which it hath to justifie As on the contrary the Law is said to be the strength of sin 1 Cor. 15.56 It arms sin with that power which it hath to condemn the Creature so is the Gospel the strength of Faith that which invests it with
atonement for sin without which the Creature is undone and without which Faith cannot justifie And therefore that which is impossible as to it self in this respect it hath from another from Christ Who is the propitiation for our sins So then righteousness coming upon or accruing to men upon or by means of their beleeving and yet proceeding or issuing principally by way of result from that which is extrinsical to Faith to wit the blood of Christ and unspeakable grace of God there is good reason why Faith though it be a mans righteousness or that upon or by means of which he enjoyes the priviledges of a just and righteous man yet he should have and hold this great and blessed benefit by way of imputation or altogether upon the account of Grace as having that transferred to his account in the result of it which resides in another and which indeed hath the greatest stroke in his Justification Sect. 8 Which Doctrine of Faiths being counted to men for Righteousness according to the explanation given if it be true then the opinion and Doctrine of some who hold and teach that men are justified before beleeving or when Christ suffered or from eternity must needs be false For if there be no Justification but by the blood of Christ and no application of this blood in the justifying vertue of it to persons of years of discretion for of such I speak but by Faith which is the thing ordained by God to interess them in the justifying vertue and saving benefit of it then there can be no actual justification of men till they do beleeve but that there is no Justification by the blood of Christ nor right to or saving application of that Blood without beleeving is that which from the Scriptures hath been asserted in the first head of explanation and might be abundantly further made out from the Scriptures if what hath been already said on this behalf were not sufficient And so again if that be true that whosoever shall be justified must be justified declaratively or sententially by the Gospel and acquitted by that and that the Gospel acquits no man but such as perform the termes and fulfill the condition of it upon which its promises of Justification do depend and that the Gospel-termes or condition upon which it promises Justification and eternal life is Beleeving then certainly till men do indeed Beleeve the Gospel does not will not cannot acquit and justifie any man but cast and condemn him But that no man shall be justified without the acquittance or discharge which the Gospel gives and that it gives this acquittance or discharge to none but such as perform its condition and fulfill its terms and that the said terms or condition is Beleeving are things that lye very fair and obvious in the Scriptures and are in part to be seen in the second head of explanation of the Doctrine of Faiths being counted for Righteousness Sect. 9 By the light of the same Doctrine of Faiths being imputed for Righteousness that opinion also which holds that the Justification by Faith which the Scripture speaks of is not meant of mens being justified in the sight of God but only in the Court of their own Conscience by way of evidence or assurance is proved to be darkness and not light For when Faith is said to be counted or imputed for Righteousness the meaning is not that when a man comes to Beleeve he thereby comes to know himself to be what indeed he was before viz. justified in the sight of God but that then indeed he comes to be that which till then he was not viz. a man acquitted and discharged from his sins and accepted in the sight of God as one reconciled by the Death of his Son which till then who not actually applyed for his Justification as one under the protection of the Gospel which till then thundred out wrath and judgement against him as it does against all while in the state of unbelief Mark 16.16 John 3.18 36. Which threatnings would be really inconsistent with their safe condition by Justification in the sight of God if there were such a thing as Justification in his sight before Believing For those threatnings are true or else they are false if true as most certainly they are then whosoever dyes before he believes and so before he is justified by Faith is damned and if damned then not justified in the sight of God Sect. 10 And I the rather mention these things as well for caution as confutation because the Doctrine of mens Justification before believing as grounded on the Doctrine of particular and personal Election before Faith hath I fear in these late years rendred the work of Faith with power in the heart and life of too many a matter not of that mighty importance which indeed it is in the Scripture account But hath been a temptation upon them to think that Faith hath not been absolutely and essentially necessary to the being of a Christian or a mans safe standing before God but necessary only unto his comfortable and well being in respect of evidence and assurance And so hath rendred their care and diligence about their proving themselves to be in the Faith proportionably less by how much an assurance of ones good condition is less than ones good condition it self CHAP. XIII Containing an Exhortation by way of vse for Men to behold themselves in this Glass of Iustification and by the help of the precedent Discourse to prove the goodness or badness of their title to life And shewing the ill abode of negligence and the real advantage of care and diligence herein and what must be done to obtain a good testimony from Conscience as Iudge Delegate under Christ touching the goodness of mens spiritual condition in the eye of the Gospel and in the sight of God Sect. 1 DEarly Beloved as you have heard some parts of the Doctrine of Justification more briefly opened so you have had the nature of that Faith by which you are to be Justified if ever justified more largely handled according to that measure of understanding in it which God hath given me By which means you have opportunity given you of beholding as in a Glass your own spiritual state and condition before the Lord whether justified or not and whether your title to that incomparable priviledg be tite and sound or crackt and flawed It remains now that according to the Apostles Exhortation 2 Cor. 13.5 You prove your own selves whether you be in the Faith or no whether you have that Faith in you which hath been discovered to you to be that only kind of Faith which will be counted to them that have it for righteousness As for such as shall be negligent careless and slight in a matter of this moment it 's a shrewd sign that all is not well with them When Trades-men are backward and unwilling to cast up their Books and to see how the case stands with them