to those which are redeemed and justified by faith to give them grace to worship him in holyness and righteousness Secondly we note that our justification and sanctification are both the free gifts of God for it is he that redeemeth and justifieth and it is he also that sanctifieth which point needeth no proof seeing God 〈◊〉 swear they are both his gifts The use where of in a word is that both they which want these benefits being neither freed from the guilt of their sins nor purged from their corruptions may know where to seek themâ— also those that have them maybe thankful to God the giver of them which is the thing whereunto the holy Ghost by Zachary exciteth us in this Psalm Now this gift promised by Oath that I may come to the parts thereof is twofold our redemption or justification for to be redeemed is to have our sins remitted Ephes. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. and to have our sins remitted is to be justified and the fruit or end of our redemption which is our sanctification consisting in the faithful sincere and constant service of God in holyness and righteousness Of these I am to speak First joyntly of both together and then of either of them severally In the ioynt consideration we are to observe both the order and coniunction of them The order is plainly expressed by the Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that being delivered from the hand of our enemies we should worship him c. For the meaning of the holy Ghost is that God would give us both that we should be redeemed and delivered from the hand of our enemies and also that we should worship him But to note the order he hath expressed the former part which is the benefit of redemption by the Participle that being delivered from the hand of our enemies we should worship him c. which teacheth us that before we can worship God aright we must be delivered from the bondage of our spiritual enemies and that for two reasons For first naturally we are the servants of sin and of Sathan Being servants of sin we are in two respects utterly disabied from serving God until we be delivered out of this bondage for first being servants of sin we are frâ—e from righteousness Rom. 6. 20. in respect of that privative corruption which is in us all derived from our first parents being a privation of all spiritual goodness Rom. 7. 18. not only in respect of the act but also in respect of the habite and power as blindness is of sight being a meer impotency to that which is spiritually good in so much that not only we do not think nor wil nor do that which is good but also we are not able thereunto Of our selves we cannot so much as think a good thought 2 Cor. 3. 5. The natural man doth not understand spiritual things neither can he understand them 1. Cor. 2. 14. Fulgentius De incarnat gratia 〈…〉 wel that Adam by his sin wholy lost the faculty of thinking those things which appertain to God and also of willing that which is good and much more of doing that which is good for wil may be present when performance is wanting Rom. 7. 18. But it is God that worketh in us both to wil and to do Phil 2. 13. Insomuch that the faithfull themselves if they think or 〈◊〉 or do any thing that is good may truly say every of them 1 Cor. 15. 10. not I but the grace of God which is with me For the carnal mind or the disposition of our corrupt nature is not subject to the Law of God neither can it be Rom. 8. 7. Augustine truly faith that man by his fall lost bonum passibilitatis and our Saviour professeth that without him or not being in him we can do nothing John 15. 5. Doth not the holy Ghost elsewhere teach the same when he affirmeth thaâ— we are naturally dead in fin Ephes. 2. 1. 5 And therefore as a dead man cannot perform the actions of the natural life no more can he that is dead in sin perform the actions of the life spiritual likewise when he calleth our recovery from sin sometimes the first resurrection whereby the soul which before was dead is Homo per peccatum facultatem 〈…〉 perdidit bona voluntatis it raysed as it were from the grave of sinne sometimes regeneration whereby we being before dead are quickened and begotten a new unto God Sometimes new creation by which we are made new creatures created unto good works For as the first creation was a motion from nothing to those things which are so the new creation is a motion from our not being of grace and spiritual goodness to a being thereof which serveth notably to confuâ—e the erroneous conceipts of the patrons of freewil the Pelagians Papists Arminians and our new Anabaptists Secondly being servants of sin sin raigneth in us as a Iyrant without resistance imposing upon us a necessity of sinning In respect whereof it may truly be said that naturally we do nothing but sin neither can we do otherwise but sin Our free-wil by nature having as Augustine saith no hability but to sin For as the same Augustine saith 〈…〉 The frame of a mans thoughts and imaginations which the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is evil and only evil and that 〈◊〉 Gen. 6. 5. 8. 21. and therefore of the 〈…〉 Apostle affirmeth Rom. 8. 7. 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not an 〈…〉 also enmity against God And for the 〈◊〉 cause our Saviour when Peter 〈…〉 counsel called him Sathan 〈…〉 why he so called him was 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is mind and affect the things which are of men Mat. 16. 23. And S 〈◊〉 affirmeth that that wisdom which is 〈◊〉 and carnal is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iam. 3. 15. As therefore it was wel said of Augustine De natura gratiae contra Pelag that man by his fall did lose 〈◊〉 possibilitatis so as truly he did deny that he retaineth possibilitatem non peccandi And this 〈◊〉 the estate of all men in their pure 〈◊〉 which the Philosophers do magnifie as good and the Papists qualifie as not evil In regard whereof notwithstanding we may truly be said besides the guiltiness of Adams heynous transgression to have but two faults the one that there is in us no goodness spirituall nor possibility of our selves but a meer impotency to that which is good The other that there is us naturally an evill disposition and 〈◊〉 into all mâ—â—â—er of sâ—â— which doth so domâ—â—â—â—r in us that it imposeth a necessity of sinning so that by nature as we do no good neither can we think or wil or do that which is good so do we nothing but sin neither can we do any thing but sin And as we are naturally the servants of sin so by sin we are also the serof the devil who is the
Prince Ioh. 12. 31 and God of this world 2 Cor. 4. 4. under whose subjection the whole world of the wicked lyeth 1 Ioh. 5. 19. who is the powerful Prince of the aire working effectually in the children of disobedience Ephes. 2. 2. carrying them away captive to do his wil. 2 Tim. 2. 26. This servitude to sin and Sathan the mystery of our redemption doth presuppose For if we were not captives we needed not to be redeemed And he doth therefore redeem us that we might serve him and therefore before he doth actually redeem us we cannot serve him in holyness and righteousness Socondly we are by nature the children of wrath Ephes. 2. 3. and enemies yea rebels against GOD. And therefore until we be reconciled unto him by the death of Christ and justified by faith through redemption wrought by Christ we cannot do any thing which may be acceptable to God for they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. The person must be accepted before his actions can be accepted And without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. Now if this be so that we cannot serve God or do any thing that shal be accepted of him unleâ—s we be first redeemed justified and reconciled to him how doth it behoâ—e every one that hath not yet obtained these graces to labour for them above all thâ— things in this world For until then he doth nothing but sinn and by multiplying sinns he doth hoard up wrath against the day of wrath The means of Gods part is the preaching of the Gospel which is therefore called the ministry of reconciliation which God hath committed to the Preachers thereof by whom as his Embassadors in Christs steed he intreateth you to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 18 20. The means on our part are faith prayeâ— and repentance For if thou dost truly and by a lively faith effectually believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Saviour of all that believe in him thou art bound to believe also or else thou makest God a lyar that he is thy Saviour and so believing thou art justified and being justified by faith thou shalt have peace with God Secondly if the Lord who is the party offended and needeth not thy friendship desiâ—eth thee to be reconciled unto him wilt not thou who art the offendor who also without his favour shalt perish eternally wilt not thou I say by hearty and earnest prayer deâ—iâ—e him to be reconciled unto thee Now if 〈◊〉 dost by the prayer of faith desire God to be reconciled unto thee what should hindâ—â— thy reconciliation when thou destrest 〈◊〉 of God which God by his Ministers desireth of thee But unto these two we must add the duty of repentance For if we continue in sinn without repentance and please our selves in â—â—â—pleasing God how can we perswade our sâ—lvâ—s that we desire to be reconciled unto him And if we do not desire to be reconciled then are we the professed enemies of God for whom remaineth the fearful expectation of that judgment which shaldestroy the adversaâ—â—â—â— of God Heb. 10. 27. So much of the order Now we are to speak of the concurâ—â—nce of these two graces For when the Lord sweareth that to those whom he redeemeth and justifieth he wil give grace to worship him in holyness and righteousness from hence we do necessarily collect that sanctification is an unseparable companion of justification and that no man can have assurance that he is justified unless he be in some measure sanctified Let no man therefore deceive himself with a vain profession of an idle and dead faith 〈◊〉 2. 14. for unlesse thou doest at the least desire and endevour to worship God in holnesse and righteousnesse it is as certain as the oath of the Lord is true that as yet thou art not justified nor actually made partaker of the redemption wrought by Christ. It is true that our Saviour Christ in the dayes of his flesh did redeem us meritoriously paying a ransome sufficient for all that should beleeve in him but none are actually made partakers of this Redemption but they to whom it is applyed and it is applyed only to those that truly believe and true faith purifieth the heart Act. 15. 9. and worketh by love Gal. 5 6. and is to be demonstrated by good works 〈…〉 faith as all those are which truly believe in him in them Christ dwelleth by his Spirit for Rom. 8. 9. they are not his who have not his Spirit applying unto them not only the merit of his death to their redemption and the benefit of his resurrection to their justification Rom. 4. 25. but also the vertue and efficacie of his death to mortifie their sinnes Phil. 3. 8 9. and of his resurrection to raise them to newnesse of life so that for whose sinnes Christ died they die to their sinne and for whose justification he arose they also rise to newnesse of life The Apostle Rom. 6. 3. 4. affirmeth that those who have been baptâ—zed into CHRIST were baptized into his death and resurrection that as CHRIST did die and rise againe so they also die to sinne and rise to a newnesse of life 2. CHRIST was given unto us by his Father not only to be our justification and redemption but also our Sanctification 1 Cor. 1. 30. Neither did hee come with blood alone or with water alone 1 Iohn 5. 6. But as Saint Iohn in his Gospell carefully observeth as a thing most remarkable Iohn 19. 34 35. He came both with water and with blood with the blood of redemption to expiate the guilt of our sins and with the water of ablution or sanctification to cleanse us from the corruption 1 Iohn 5. 6. And in respect of both his blood doth cleanse us from all our sins 1 Ioh. 1. 7. from the guilt perfectly in our justification from the corruption in part and by degrees in our sanctification See Hebr. 9. 14. 3. Whosoever are the sons of God by adoption as all those are Io. 1. 12 13. that truly believe they also are his sons by regeneration 4. The same is implied in the benefit of Redemption whereby Christ our blessed Saviour doth not only redeem us from the guilt of sin which bindeth men over to damnation but also from the bondage of sinne that howsoever sinne doth remaine in the faithfull yet it shall not reigne in them Rom. 6. 14. nor have dominion over them For they that practise sinne are the servants of sinne Iohn 8. 34. and of Satan 1 Ioh. 3. 8. in them sin reigneth and therefore they are not by Christ redeemed from the bondage of sinnâ— For whom the Sonne maketh free they are free indeed Ioh. 8. 36. 5. The same is proved by the nature and property of a true faith For faith is a grace of regeneration which the Spirit of God when he doth regenerate us ingenerateth in us wherby as we are justified alone because no other
grace doth concurre with it to the act of justification So are we sanctified in part â—â—gether with other graces and therefore is never severed from the grace of regeneration or from other sanctifying and saving graâ—â—â— and further it is the property of faith having justified us inwardly to purifie the heart Act. 15. 9. and outwardly to work by love Gal. 5. 6. Therfore though to the act of justification neither outward obedience nor inward graces do concur with faith as any cause thereof Yet in the subject that is in the party justified they must and do concur as necessary fruits of a true and lively faith without which it is dead Iam. 2. 20. And therefore a true lively justifying faith is also a sanctifying faith Now both from the order and conjunction of these graces we may infer a singular consolation to all the trueâ— Children of God For if there be such a conjunction between these two graces of justification and sanctification that whosoever hath the one hath also the other and who hath not both hath neither then it followeth necessarily that as he that is justified is also sanctified So he that is sanctified is also justified and if the order between them be such that a man cannot serve God in the duties of sanctification untill he be justified nor cannot worship God aright untill he be redeemed from his spiritâ—all enemies then it followeth 〈◊〉 that they who are in any true measure sanctified are also justified that they who sincerely desire and endevour to walk in the obedience of Gods holy will making conscience of their wayes are redeemed from the hand of their spirituall enemies And not only may we from our sanctification come to the certain knowledge of our justification but also we may thereby make our calling and our election sure For dost thou professing the true faith endevour to keep a good conscience and to walk uprightly before God then it is certain that thou art justified by a true faith art thou justified then 〈◊〉 is certain that thou art effectually called art thou called according to Gods purpose then without doubt thou art elected art thou elected then undoubtedly thou shalt be saved Seeing then such singular comfort â—â—setâ— from the leading of a godly and upright 〈◊〉 as that thereby we may make our calling and election sure hereby we should all of us be excited to the study of godlinesse and practise of piety for the greatest comfort that we can have in this life is to be 〈◊〉 of our election and salvation But to the knowledge of our election we cannot come 〈◊〉 by any thing going before as the cause thereof but à posteriori by the effects The sâ—ries or chaine of the degrees of salvation may not unfitly be compared to Iacobs ladder which reached from the earth to heaven the lowest step whereof in this life is our sanctification whereon if we can set our foot we may from thence arise to our justification and from thence to our effectuall calling and from thence to our election But if we will without ascending by these degrees take upon us to conclude the certainty of our election we shall be like him that being to go up a ladder would strive at the first to set his foot on the highest step of the ladder neglecting the lower degrees CHAP. V. Of the parts of the gift severally and first of Redemption NOw we are to speak of the parts severally and first of redemption in these words That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Where wee are to note Three things 1. The parties that are redeâ—med 2. The party by whom and after what manner 3. The parties from whom our enemies 1. The parties redeemed are We who have Abraham to our Father that is to say the faithfull not all men but those only that believe For so God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne that whosâ—ever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3. 16. Thus he is said to have saved his people from their sins Matth. 1. 21. to lay down his life for his sheep Iohn 10. 15. to have given himself for his Church Ephes. 5. 25. that he might redeem us from all iniquity and might purifie to himself a peculiar people Titus 2. 14. The Prophet Esay teâ—tifieth that Christ by his knowledge that is by the knowledgement of him which is faith shall justifie many Esay 53. 11 12. for he shall bear their iniquities and that he bare the sin of many and our Saviour himselfe Matth. 26. 18. that his blood was shed for many for remission of sins It is true that Christ his death is a sâ—fficient price of ransome for the sinnes of the whole world Yea of more worlds if there were more then one for his blood and his sufferings whereby he redeemed us were the blood and sufferings of him that was and is God Act 20. 28. but yet they are effectual only to those that do believe Arg. 1. For if Christ had redeemed all men then all should be saved 1. For all that are redeemed are also justified and all that are justified shal be glorified 2. For for whom Christ died for them he hath satisfied the justice of his father so that there is no condemnation to them whom Christ hath redeemed 3. For whom Christ dyed them by his death he reconciled to God now they who when they were enemies were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled 〈◊〉 be saved by his life Arg. 2. Neither may we think that Christ would die for them for whom he would not pray But for the world faith he Iohn 17. 9. that is for the company of the 〈◊〉 and reproâ—atâ—s I pray not but for them whom thou hast given me out of the world Arg. 3. But if the Oath of an honest man ought to be the end of controversie much more ought the Oath of God in this place end this controversie concerning universall redemption For God hath sworn that to so many as he redeemeth he wil give them to worship him in holsness and righteousness But the greater part of mankind have never the grace to worship God in holyness and righteousness and therefore to them the benefit of redemption doth not belong Now when we do profess our selves to be the redeemed of the Lord we do withall confess that in our selves we are bondmen and servants whom Christ came to redeem out of this bondage But howsoever all will challenge to themselves the benefit of Redemption yet how few in comparison do acknowledg their bondage But like the unbelieving Iews when our Saviour promised them liberty profess that they never were in servitude Iohn 8. 33. and so bewray themselves not to be redeemed But this humble conceipt of our selves before our Justification is necessary for us if either we would seek to Christ or have him to respect us For if by nature we be not
certainty of salvation W. P. whereat no man is to marvel and much lesse to take offence For so long as our knowledge is but in part it cannot be avoided but there wil be diversity of opinions among the Faithfull who notwithstanding hold the maine substance and foundation of Faith and true Religion The points of difference are eight The first errour Vocation and sanctification confounded 1. The first that he confoundeth our vocation and sanctification alleadging that in our vocation and first conversion the universall or generall habite of grace containing in it all sanctifying graces is infused whereby all the parts and powers of man being renewed together and at once and the image of God in them all renewed by the infusion of the habites of all sanctifying graces together are sanctified throughout Resâ— To omit his acception of the word Grace even where of purpose he doth at large discourse of Grace for one supernaturall quality inherent in us or habite of grace infused into us according to the use of the school-men who thereby have overturned the doctrine of justification and salvation by Gods grace magnifying under the name of grace their own righteousnes inherent which in the question of justification is to be esteemed as dung Phil. 3. 8. and not once mentioning that which is out of us in him which most properly is the grace of God for it is one of his attributes and not according to the scriptures which never speake of grace in that sense but alwayes use the word either properly for the gracious favour of God in Christ by which grace we are elected called justified sanctified and shal be glorified or metonymically for the Speciall gifts of Grace To omit this oversight I answere it hath beene the received opinion and usuall practise of all Orthodox Divines to hold and set downe in this order the degrees of salvation which are wrought in this life viz. Our vocation justification sanctification And that in order of nature vocation wherin justifying faith is begotten goeth before justification and that justification wherein we are made just before GOD by imputation of CHRISTS righteousnesse goeth before sanctification wherein we being already justified from the guilt of sinne and redeemed from the hand of our spirituall enimies and reconciled unto God receive grace to worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him Howbeit we deny not but that in time our justification doth concurre with our effectuall vocation for as soone as a man doth truly believe so soone is he justified before God and that in time the first act of sanctification which is our regeneration doth concurre both with our justification and effectuall vocation Now of our regeneration which is the beginning of our sanctification and of our spirituall life Which we live by faith there seeme to be two acts the one wherein we are begotten unto God of incorruptible seed by the word of God the other wherein the image of God being in some measure renewed in us and our Saviour Christ formed in us we are borne anew The former is our spirituall conception the latter our spirituall or new birth in the former regeneramur we are begotten anew in the latter renascimur we are borne anew And as in naturall generation there is a meane time betweene the conception and the birth in which time that which is begotten is formed in the wombe according to the image of the first Adam so betweene the first act of regeneration and the new birth there intercedeth a time wherein the image of the second Adam is in all parts by degrees renewed untill Christ bâ— formed in us Gal. 4. 19. The former which also is the first act of our conversion is the same with our calling or vocation wherein our Saviour Christ is conceived in our hearts when we doe receive him by the true and lively assent of faith which is the seed the root the fountaine of all other sanctifying graces which whosoever hath 1 Iohn 5. 1 he is begotten of God This act the holy spirit worketh ordinarily by the ministry of the word For faith commeth by the hearing of the word Rom. 10. 17. For how should men believe in him of whom they have not heard and how should they heare without a preacher Rom. 10. 14. In this regard preachers being ministers by whom others believe 1 Cor. 3. 5. are the instruments of the holy Ghost for our spirituall regeneration and are therefore called fathers in the faith who beget men unto God 1 Cor. 4. 15. Phil. 10. 1 Tim. 1. 2. Now in our vocation the worke of the holy Ghost is partly preparative and partly operative The preparation unto faith is 1. the illumination of the minde partly by the ministery of the law revealing unto us our miserable estate in our selves and partly by the ministery of the Gospel revealing unto us the mystery of our salvation by Christ. 2. the molifying of the heart by the finger of the spirit humbling us in the consideration both of our damnable estate in our selves and of the undeserved mercies of God offered in Christ from which being effectuall ariseth a desire both to be freed from that damnable estate and to be made partakers of that happinesse promised in Christ. 3. The invitation of the hearers and the stirring of them up to come out of that wofull estate and to accept of Gods mercies in Christ by the Ministers of the word who being the Embassadours of God in Christs stead doe beseech you as if God himself did intreate you by them that you would be reconciled unto God 1 Cor. 5. 18. 20. The Holy Ghost having thus knocked at the dore of our hearts doth himselfe in his good time open our hearts as he did the heart of Lydia to assent to and to believe the Gospel By which beliefe being lively and effectuall we receive Christ not onely in our judgements by assent but also in our hearts by an â—arnest desire to be made partakers of him and in our wills by an earnest purpose and settled resolution to acknowledge and professe him to be our Lord and Saviour and to rest upon him for salvation The Holy Ghost having wrought this assent and by it this desire and purpose of applying Christ unto our selves and thereby also some beginnings of hope of the hatred of sinne of the love of God and of our neighbour and of other graces by which the Image of God beginneth to be renewed and Christ to be formed in us being yet as it were Embryones in the womb he teacheth every one of us who have through his blessed operation the condition of the promise to apply the promise to our selves and to believe not onely that Christ is the Saviour of all that do believe but also that he is my Saviour that he died for my sins and rose again for my justification so that when the Minister according to the word pronounceth this generall proposition whosoever truly believes in Christ hath
promâ—â—â—gation of the Gospel it should be explained what this blessedness is which was promised by the Messias 1. First for confutation of the erroneous and pernicious conceipt of the Iews who thinking that the Messias should be â— temporal Monarch expected only temporaâ— blessings from him But if our hope in Christ were only in respect of this life then were we of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15. 19. Secondly For prevention of a most dangerous scandal which otherwise would have ensued upon that erroneous conceipt For it beingâ— received opinioÌ„ among the Iews from which the Disciples of Christ were not free Mat. 20. â—1 Act. 1. 6. that the Messias should be a teâ—poral Monarch who should restore the Kingdom unto Israel and make his followers happy with external and â—emporâ— blessings If this opinion had been nourishâ—d in them it could not have been avoided but that they would have taken offence at Christs 〈◊〉 and poor estate when in stead of honours riches greatness and gâ—â—ry in this world which they expected from the Messias all things should happen contrary to their expectation Our Saviour therefore pronounceth them blessed who were not offended at him in respect of his mean condition and poor estate Mat. 11. 6. Thirdly For rectifying our judgment in that most weighty point concerning our happiness For the very foundation of a Christian conversation is the right belief concerning happiness For all men desire happiness as the supream end And such as is the end or happiness which they propound unto themselves such are the means which they use such are their studies and endeavours As for example if men place their happiness in pleasure their whole course of life is volumptuous if in riches covetous if in honour ambitious c. For these causes as I said it was necessary that it should be declared what this blessedness is Our Saviour therefore in the beginning of his gracious Sermon upon the Mount sheweth that the happiness which by him they were to expect did consist in spiritual grace and eternal glory Mat. 5. 3. Blessed are the poor or beggers in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven and so in the rest in every whereof two degrees of happiness are noted 〈◊〉 the one set down as the Schoolmen speak per modum meriti which I called grace the other per modum praemij which Lealled glory the one being be 〈◊〉 via or our happiness nâ—this life the other beatitudo patriae or our happiness in the life to come S. Paul likewise expoundeth the happiness which we have by Christ to be spiritual Ephes. 1. 3. Blessed be God saith he who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessingâ— in heavenly things in Christ. Thus S. Peter speaking of this Covenant which God made with Abraham and applying it to the Iewâ— expoundeth this blessedness to be their turning and consequently their freedom from sin Ye â—e saith he Act. 3. 25 26. the children of the Covenant which God made with our fathers saying unto Abraham and in thy seed shal all the families of the earth be blessed unto you first Gâ—d having raised up his Son Iesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities In like manner the Apostle Paul Galat. 3. expoundeth this blessedness of justification by faith redemption from the curse of the Law and receiving the promise of the spirit Those which are of faith saith he vers 7. 8. 9. are the sons of Abraham and the Scripture that is the holy Ghost who speaketh in the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the 〈◊〉 through faith preached the Gospell before to Abraham saying in thee that is in thy seed shall all nations be blessed Gen. 12. 2 3. chap. 13. 15. 17. chap. 15. 18. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham Again vers 13 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit But most chiefly in this place where the Holy Ghost doth as it were ex professe expound what this blessednesse is viz. That he would give us that we being deliverâ—â— from the hand of our enemies should worship him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him al the dayes of our life Now that this is a most true perfect exposition I will prove by these two reasonâ— And first for the truth of it For wheraâ— there 〈…〉 called obtain in this life 〈…〉 and sanctification justification by 〈…〉 to the Kingdome of 〈…〉 with it concur redemption 〈…〉 adoption being all in substance the 〈…〉 only in some relation or respect For when God doth forgive our 〈…〉 of Christs righteousnes he doth both redeem and reconâ—â—â—e and justifie and adopt 〈◊〉 but with this distinction First that when fâ—rgiving our sins by which we are bound over to death and damnation and held 〈…〉 sunne and Satan he fiâ—eth us from this bondage he is said to redeeme us Ephâ—s 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. Secondly when forgiving 〈…〉 whereby we are the children of wrâ—th and enemies against God he receiveth us â—nto his love and favour in Christ he is said to reconcile us 2 Cor. 5. 19. Thirdly when forgiving our sins which exclude us from heâ—ven and make us guilty of 〈…〉 absolve and 〈◊〉 us from the 〈◊〉 and doth accept of us in Christ 〈…〉 and as heires of salvation he is said to just 〈…〉 Rom. 3. 24. 25. 4. 6 7 8. Fourthly wâ—en forgiving our 〈…〉 of the Devill he doth in Christ 〈…〉 to be his children he is said to adopt us The second degree is Sanctification by which we are prepared and made fit for Gods Kiâ—â—dome Now these two are the two parts of the gift which God by oath in this place promised to give to the faithful the sons of Abraham viz. deliverance from the hand of our spiritual enemies namely the law sin death and the devil which is our redemption or justification and grace to worship God without fear in holyness and righteousness before him all the days of our life which is our sanctification 2. And that it is a ful and perfect exposition it is easily proved because not only to the whole gift here promised but to every part and parcel thereof happyness is ascribed in the word of God As first to redemption for what is it to be redeemed by Christ but to have remission of sins by him Ephes. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. By him we have redemption even the remission of our sins But to the remission of sins the holy Ghost ascribeth blessedness Psal. 32. 1 2. Rom. 4. 6 7. Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity 2. Secondly to a godly life which is here termed the worship of God in holiness and righteousness in which
the keeping of the law doth consist For when a woman out of the crowd cryed unto our Saviour blessed is the womb that bare thee and the papes that gave thee suck Our Saviour returned this answer Luke 11. 28. Yea rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it The same hath Salomon Prâ—v 29. 18. and who knoweth not that which the Apostle teach 1 Tim. 4. 8. Godlinesse hath the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come and consequently of the happinesse both of this life and of the other life 3 To the parts of Gods worship as namely to holiness Apoc. 20. 6. Blessed and holy is the man who hath his part in the first resurrection Which testimony yeeldeth unto us a double proof First because he useth the terms of 〈…〉 of life And not only to holiness in generall but to the severall branches thereof is blessedness ascribed as to saving knowledge Prov. 3. 13. Ioh. 17. 3. to faith Luke 1. 45. Ioh. 20. 29. to assiance Psal. 2. 12. 34. 8. 40. 4. 84. 12. to hope Esayâ—0 â—0 18. Ier. 17. 7. to obedience Apoâ— 22. 14. to the feare of God Psal. 112. 1. 128. 1. 4. to humilitie Mar. 5. 3. Ioh. 13. 17. to patience Iam. 1. 12. 5. 11. 4 To righteousness Ps. 106. 3. Es. 56. 1 2. and not only to righteousness it self but also to the true desire of it Mat. 5. 6. Yeâ— and to the several branches of it as to mercifulness Mat. 57. Psal. 40. 1. 2. Prov. 14. 21. to meekness Mat. 5. 4. to peace-making Mat. 5. 9. And not only to the parts of Gods worship but also to the properties Fiftly therefore to the worship of God without fear of our enemies that is in confidence Psal. 146. 5. Whether you understand it without cause of fear because there is no condemnation to theâ— that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. or without servile feâ—r in expectation of eterâ—al happiness Tiâ— 2. â—3 for this indeed is the top of our happiness in this life to worship God as without fear of damnation so in a found expectation of eternal life And this seemeth to be implyed in the Hebrew word Hithbaracu which being of a reciprocal signification signifieth that in Abrahams seed all Nations should not only be blessed but also should bless themselves that is esteem and accompt themselves blessed Sixtly To uprightness and integrity or to the worshipping of God in holiness and righteousness as before him Psal. 1 19. 1. Blessed are the upright in the way that is who walk uprightly So Psal. 84. 11. and not only the upright themselves but their children also after them are pronounced blessed Prov. â—0 7. If therefore blessedness be ascribed first of all to redemption 〈…〉 secondly to the true worship of God in general thirdly to holiness fourthly to righteousness fiftly to the worship of God without fear sixthly to integrity or to the worship of God as before him seventhly to perseverance or to the worship of God 〈…〉 days of our life Then seven times happy is that man who being delivered from the hand of his enemies hath grace given unto him to worship God without fear in holyness and righteousness before him all the days of his life By this conference of places we learn what the happiness of a Christian is in this life not to abound in wealth not to attain to great honours not to wallow in pleasures 〈…〉 graces above all the things in this world for what is our happiness that is our chief good esteeming all wordly things as dross and dâ—ng yea as loss in comparison thereof Phil. â— 8. 9 For as without these spiritual graces all wordly things are â—ain and unprofitable yea to them that set their hearts on them hurtful and peâ—â—icious So having fought and obtained these graces all temporal blessings shal be added unto us or if we seem to want any of them our seeming want thereof shall not hinder our happyness And therefore our Saviour pronounceth the faithful though living in poverty hunger sorrow and persecution happy and blessed Luke 6. 20. 21. 22. CHAP. IIII. Of the gift promised by this Oath in general and of the two parts thereof joyntly THus much of Zacharies exposition of Gods Oath now we come to the words thereof that he would give us c. The thing then promised in this Oath is a gift Of this gift we are to speak first in general and then in particular In general we may observe first the main difference between the Covenant of works made with all mankind and the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham and his seed the heires of promise In the former the Lord 〈◊〉 perfect obedience to the performed by our selves to our justification and salvation and denounceth his fearful câ—rse against those that do not continue in a total and perfect obedience In the latter the Lord iâ— in stead of requiring perfect obedience to be performed of us to our justification and salvation promiseth to those which believe redemption and justification without works and being redeemed and justified by faith he promiseth to give them grace to walk in new obedience as being an unseparable fruit of our redemption and justification and as the high-way wherein we are to walk towards our glorification Of this new Covenant the holy Ghost prophesieth by Ieremy Chap. 31. vers 31. 32 33. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I wil make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the Covenant which I made with their fathers when I brought them out of Aegypt which was the covenant of works but this shal be the Covenant that I wil make with them I wil put my law in their inward parts write it in their hearts c. which is the covenant of grace recited by the Apostle Heb. 8. v. 8. 9. 10 of which being a better Covenant Christ is the mediator v. 6. according to that Iohn 1. 17. This Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ. The same Covenâ—nt repeated by Ezekiel Chap. 36. 26. 27. The Gospel therefore or Covenant of Grace is not a new law nor Christ a new law-giver as the Papists absurdly teach confounding the Law and the Gospel saving that they teach that the Gospel requireth more perfect obedience to be performed by our selves then the Law it self doth prescribe unto justification but to them that are redeemed and justified by faith it promiseth grace to walk in new obedience Howbeit this is true that as men deprived themselves of what was promised in the Old Covenant by disobedience So if men do live in sin without faith and without repentance not so much as desiring caring and endeavouring to worship God in holyness and righteousness they can have no assurance that they are within the Covenant of grace made only with those that truly beleeve God having promised
remission of his sins and shall be saved the conscience of every faithfull man may both safely assume but I through Gods grace doe truely believe in Christ and also certainly conclude by the testimony of the holy Ghost bearing witnes with our conscience in the assumption according to the word in the proposition therefore I through the grace of God have remission of sinnes and shall be saved When the holy Ghost hath thus taught us to apply the promises unto our selves and hath sealed us after we have believed and testified together with our spirits that we are the children of God then it appeareth that we are already born of God and that we are the sons of God not only by regeneration but also by adoption Eph 1. 15. Rom. 8. 15 16. Joh. 1. 15 16. And being sonnes God sendeth forth the spirit of his Son into our hearts crying Abba father Gal. 4. 6. By this faith first apprehending and then applying Christ unto us we become not only the sonnes of God but also members of Christ and having union with him as our head we have communion also with him both in respect of his merit unto justification first before God and then in the court of our own conscience and in respect of his graces unto sanctification receiving of his fulnes euen grace for grace Joh. 1. 16. As therefore men are first conceived before they be born and they are borne before they are said to lead a life in this world so we must first be begotten and born anew in our vocation and regeneration before wee can live unto God the spirituall life of sanctification These two therefore were not to be confounded sanctification being the end as of our election Eph. 1. 4. and of our justification Luk. 1. 75. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 24. so also of our vocation 1 Thess 4. 7. By our vocation we are begotten unto God by sanctification we being both begotten and born anew do live unto GOD. In our vocation the spirit of God first draweth us unto God Joh. 6. 44. in our sanctification we being already drawn the Spirit of GOD doth lead and guide us in the way which leadeth to life Rom. 8. 14. Gal. 5. 18. Vocation produceth Faith Faith being begotten produceth sanctification both habituall for the heart is purified by Faith and actuall for Faith worketh by love producing good workes as the fruit both of Faith and Charity Act. 15. 9. I do not deny but that Faith is a part of our sanctification and of our inherent righteousnesse yet this hindereth not but that both it self doth sanctify us and is also the mother of all other inward graces wherein our habituall sanctification consisteth and of all the works of grace wherein our actuall signification is occupied For when the Holy Ghost doth regenerate us he doth ingenerate the grace of Faith in us and by it al other graces The second error That sanctification goeth before justification The second which is a consequent of the former that sanctification goeth before justification The contrary whereof I have proved in the discourse whereunto I adde 1. That sanctification is the end and fruit of our justification the cognizance also and evidence whereby it is known and therefore a consequent thereof Col. 1. 22. Rom. 6. 22. 2. As we are made siners first by imputatioÌ„ of Adams sin then being guilty of his transgression are made partakers of his corruption so we are made just first by imputation of Christs righteousnes and then being justified we are in some measure made partakers of those graces which he received without measure Again the persons of men being sinners in themselves must be accepted of GOD as righteous in Christ before either thereâ— be qualities or their actions which when they are at the best are defiled with sinne can be acceptable unto GOD. Therefore we must be justified before either our qualities or actions can be holy and righteous before God Neither can there be any sanctification without justification and reconciliation with God going before in order of nature as there is no justification without sanctification accompanying and following the same For by the same Faith whereby we are justified we are also sanctified Christ being apprehended by faith to justification dwelleth in us by his Spirit to work in us sanctification and to whom the merits of Christ apprehended by Faith are imputed to their justification to them the vertue of his death and resurrection is applyed by the holy Ghost to the mortifying of sin and raising againe to newnes of life to which purpose the Apostle saith Col. 2. 12. by Faith we are risen with Christ in Baptisme Again faith by which we are justified in order of nature goeth before repentance wherein our sanctification consisteth It is a resolved Case by Calvin Penitentiam seu rescipiscentiam non modò fidem continuò subsequi sed ex â—a nasci extra controversiam esse debet See Calvin Instit. l. 3. c. 3. sect 1. 2 and by Fulâ—entius quòd vita sancta à fide sumit initium The same is testified by the ancient Fathers as Clem. Alexandr strom l. 2. Faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first inclination to salvation after which follow feare hope and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance Ambros de sacram l. 1. c. 1. In Christiano prima est fides Chr. hom de â—ide spe char fidem esse originem justitia August de predest SS c. 7. fides prima datur ex qua caetera impetrantur Prosper ad Dubium 8. Genev. fides omnium virtutum fundamentum Greg. Moral l. 2. 6. c. 13. fidem primam in corde nostrâ— gignit If any object that the learned Chamier in his paustrat l. 10. treateth of sanctification before justification let him heare his own apology c 1 n. 2. Debueramus sanctificationi justificationem preponere si nostri arbitrij methodus esset ut tum re tum ratione priorem quod ab ea profluat altera sed quia Papistâ— non distinguunt cogimur de sanctificatione prius dicere The third error that justification goeth before Faith 3. The third that justification and remission of sins goe before faith which may seeme a strange assertion to be delivered by him who holdeth that sanctification whereof faith as he confesseth is a principall part goeth before justification But this absurdity he salveth with a distinction that he speaketh of justification not in foro Dei but in foro conscientiae and consequently acknowledgeth no justifying faith but that by which we are in our conscience assured of our justification But when we speak of justification as of a degree of our salvation it is evident that justification is to be censidered as an action of GOD for it is God that justifieth Rom. 8. 30 33. wherby he imputing to a believing sinner the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith absolveth him from his sins and accepteth of him as righteous in Christ. As for that justification
but such as repent of their sinnes and make conscience of their wayes This learned man therefore should have distinguished betweenâ— the merâ—t of redemption and actuall redemption even as well as between the merit of Salvation and the actuall possession thereof Christ merited our redemption and Salvation long since yea his merit thereof hath ever been in force since the beginning of the world Apoc. 13. 8. but yet none are actually made partakers of redemption but such as to whom it is appyed that is to those that truely believe for they only receive it and to them onely according to the Covenant of grace it was intended Otherwise he might say that all the elect are actually saved for whom Christ purchased eternall life who notwithstanding are not saved so much as in hope untill they do truely believe And if all the elect be actually justified before God because Christ did merit their justification why doth he not say in like manner that all the elect are actually sanctifyed seeing Christ was made unto us of GOD not onely righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30. and redemption but also sanctifycation and hath as well merited our sanctification for us as our justification Againe what benefits we obtaine by Christ we receive them by Faith and therefore in the Scriptures the same benefits which we receive from Christ are ascribed to Faith by which Christ and his merits are ours by which also Christ dwelleth in us Eph. 3 17. we live by Christ we live by Faith Gal 2. 20. by Christ we have remission of sinnes by Faith we obtaine remission Act. 10. 43. 26. 18. we are justified by Christ we are justified by Faith Rom. 3. 28. By Christ we are made the sonnes of God by faith we are made the sonnes of GOD Joh. 1. 12. and so in the rest and therefore to imagine that we are justified before GOD without Faith is a dreame Moreover this assertion cannot stand with the perpetuall Doctrine of the Apostle Paul who teacheth that we are justified before GOD by Faith therefore not before nor without Faith By faith saith he without workes that is by the righteousnesse of Christ apprended by Faith and not by inherent righteousnesse Neither doth he in those places speak of justification in the Court of Conscience whereby we are assured of our justification for as before men we are justified Jam. 2. â—4 that is declared and known to be just by good workes so much more by our good workes by which we are to make our election 2 Pet 1. 10. our calling our justification sure we are justified in our own Conscience that is assured of our justification And to conclude this assertion is such a 〈…〉 Protestant nor Papist did ever hold that a man who is come to yeeres is actually justified before GOD before and without faith The fifth erâ—our that Faith is not the mother grace 5. The fifth that faith is not the root nor the mother of other graces and that the soule is not disposed to believe sooner then to love GOD or our neighbour or to produce the act of any other grace But this I have sufficiently disproved in the discourse shewing evidently that as without faith there can be no other grace so not onely from it all other graces do spring but also according to the measure and degree of it is the measure and degree of all other graces We are not disposed to love GOD as we ought untill we be by faith perswaded of GODS love towards us we cannot hope for the performance of Gods promises to us unlesse by faith we are perswaded that they belong unto us we cannot trust in GOD nor rejoyce in him unlesse by faith we are perswaded of his goodnesse and bounty towards us and so â—n the rest and what is more plaine then that love which is the fulfilling in the whole law proceedeth from Faith unfained as being the fruit thereof 1 Tim 1. 5. Chrysostome and Theophilact call faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother and fountaine of all graces and Calvin Justit l. 3. c. 2. sect 41. sect 42. c. 3. sect 1. sola est fic'es quae in nobis charitatem primum generat it is faith only which first ingendereth charity in us it begetteth also hope and newnesse of life as he saith But to omit other testimonies St. Peter seemeth to acknowledge this truth 2 Pet. 1. 2 3. where he prayeth for them to whom he wâ—iteth that grace and peace be multiplyed unto them by the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertaine to life and godlinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the acknowledgement of him that hath called us c. that is by faith The sixt error that Faith is assiance 6. The sixt that faith is assiance and so to be defined and that trusting to the promise is the proper act of faith as it justifieth c. But I have proved that faith is not affiance nor affiance faith But a fruitâ— of faith as well as hope and that by faith we have affiance Eph. 3. 12. whereunto I adde that the trust in GODS promises to be in particular performed to us is not faith but â—ope Yea but promises faith he are both true and good therefore our assent to them is with adherence affiance and trust Answ. The promises are true the things promised are good we believe the promise we hope for the thing promised As contrarywise Gods threatnings are also true and the things threatned evill as therefore he that believeth the threatning to be true feareth if it be applyable to himselfe the thing threatned and yet this feare is not of the nature of faith but a fruit and consequent thereof so he that believeth a promise to be true and can apply it to himself trusteth hopeth for the thing promised which trust in respect of the promise is no more of the nature of faith then feare in respect of the threatning But that affiance is of the essence of justifying faith he will make good by divers reasons first from the phrases of believing Iohn 1. 12. Rom. 10. 1â— â—s Rom 4. 5. Act. 16. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Eph 1. 12. 〈◊〉 that is in or upon which imply affiance A. That as I said in the discourse affiance is such an unseperable fruite of faith that sometimes it is implyed in the phrase of bliâ—ving in Christ. For that phrase may and sometimes doth imply three acts the first of assent that he is the Saviâ—â—r of all that believe in him which ass 〈◊〉 it be lively and effectuall is the proper act of that faith whereby we are justified before God and in this sense the phrase of beliâ—ving in him is ordinarily used in the Scriptures yea sometimes it is attributed to those who have assented onely by a bare historicall and temporary Faith which is the Faith of hypocrites and all
Saviour because many say they believe who do not truly believe Aske him again dost thou believe that in thy selfe and by nature thou art no better then a firebrand of hell a vassall oâ— sinne and Sathan subject to â—ternall death and damnation To this no doubt he will say Yes say then it seemeth you believe the sentence of the law concluding you under the curse but do you not also believe the Gospell that notwithstanding 〈◊〉 guilt of your own Conscience accusing and the sentence of the law condemning you you shall be blessed if you believe in Christ This also if he have any grace he will confesse as being the expresse Doctrine of the Gospell aske him then is there any othâ—r meâ—nâ—s whereby you may hope to be saved but by Christ He will say he renounceth all other meanes well then you acknowledge you may say that in your selfe you are a wretched sinner but yet notwithstanding by Christ you shall be happy if you shall believe in him tell me then have not you earnestly desired to come out of that damnable estate wherein you werâ— by nature and to be partaker of that happinesse purchased by CHRIST for all that believe in him He will say he hath and that he hath often expressed this his desire by hearty prayer But you believing may you say and desiring those things have you not also resolved to acknowledge and professe CHRIST to be the onely Saviour and to rest upon him alone for salvation renouncing all other meanes and to acknowledge him to be your Lord and therefore to obey him and serve him making conscience of all your wayes All this have I done will he say and yet I have not assurance But say I if thou hast done all this then thou hast a true justifying Faith for to believe in Christ is to receive him and thoâ— hast received him not onely in thy judgement by a firme and lively assent but also in thy heart and will by an earnest desire and setled purpose of applycation by which thou hast received him to be thy Saviour Hereupon I inferre that thou hast the condition of the promise and therefore that the promise doth belong unto thee and that thou believing truly that Jesus is the Saviour of all that believe in him he is thy Saviour and therefore needest not yea thou oughtest not to doubt of thy salvation for by refusing to apply the promise to thy selfe when thou hast the condition thereof thou makest GOD a lyar 1 John 5. 10. If thou wilt not believe me yet believe the Apostle Paul Rom. 10. 9 10. If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that GOD raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made to Salvation Believe St. Iohn whose first Epistle was written to this very purpose that those who truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Saviour might have assurance that he is their Saviour 1 John 5. 13. For so he writeth in the same Chapter vers 1. Whosoever believeth that Iesus is the Christ is borne of GOD and vers 5. Whatsoever is borne of GOD overcommeth the world and this is the victory that overcommeth the World even our Faith who is he that overcommeth the World but he that beliâ—veth that IESUS is the sonne of GOD Believe our Saviour himself For if being asked with the Apostles what you thinke he is thou shalt answer with St. Peter Thou art the CHRIST the sonne of the living GOD he will pronounce thee blessed Matth. 16. 16. If for all this thou canst not gather assurance know then that the premises being granted thou canst not but have assurance unlesâ—e thou wilt deny the conclusion which cannot possibly be false the premises being true But for thy better assurance tell me what you are to thinke of a man believing truly that Jesus is the Christ yet in respect of his spirituall estate is so poore that he is as it were a meere beggar who having nothing of his owne whereby he might hope to be saved dependdeth wholly upon the mercies of GOD and merits of Christ Even as beggers who having nothing of their owne depend upon the Almes of well-disposed people what thinke you of him who believing that Christ is the Saviour is not yet assured that he is freed from that damnable estate wherein he is by nature but mourneth in the sense and acknowledgement of his wofull condition desiring to be freed from it What thinke you of him who truly believing that Jesus is the Christ but not yet assured of his justification doth therefore hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Whatsoever you thinke of them or whatsoever they be in their own sence they are justified before GOD. And that I prove thus Whosoever are blessed are justified and contrariwise but all believers though they be beggers in Spirit though they mourne though they do but hunger and thirst after righteousnesse are blessed by the testimony of our Saviour himselfe Matth. 5. 3 4. 6. Where directing his speech to them that believe vers 1 2. Compared with Luke 6. 23 21 22. He saith Blessâ—d are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beggers in Spirit blessed are they that mournâ— blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse 2. This assertion cannot stand with the ortâ—odoâ— doctrine of justification by faith For that teacheth the justification of a sinner or as the word signifyeth of an ungodly person before God this justification is neither of an ungodly person but of a man already justified before God and also sanctified neither is it before God but in the court of conscience that justification is an action of God acquitting the sinner and accepting of him as righteous by imputation of Christs righteousnesse in this there is no such matter in that we are taught that by â—aith a sinner doth receive remission of sinnes and that he is to believe to that end that he may obtaine pardon and to the same end is both to repent of his sinne and to sue for pardon by this doctrine are taught that a man hath his sinnes actually forgiven not onely before he believe or repent or sue for pardon but also before he commit them there we are taught that a man is justified before God by faith here that a man is justified 〈…〉 and without Faith there we are taught that faith doth justify not as it is an habit or quality inherent or as a part of inherent righteousnesse but onely as the hand receiving Christ who is our righteousnesse and is therefore said to justify because the object which it receiveth doth justify But according to this new doctrine faith doth neither justify as the hand to receive Christ unto justification not in respect of the object but as a part of the generall habite of grace infused not justifying a sinner before God by apprehension of Christs righteousnesse but
us to return unto him by unfained repentance as himself exhorteth Esay 44 22. These things saith Saint Iohn I write unto you that you sin not but if any man do sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins 1 Ioh. 2. 1 2. 3. Seeing our Saviour hath redeemed and bought us with so great a price therefore we ought to acknowledg him to be our Lord in the right of Redemption and our selves not to be our own men but his servants For therefore Christ died and rose again to life that he might be the Lord both of the quick and of the dead Rom. 14. 9. And if we acknowledg him to be our Lord we must be carefull to do his will otherwise in vaine do we call him so Why do you call me Lord and do not the things that I command you Luke 6. 46. Not every one that saith Lord Lord shal enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Mat. 7. 22. Again being bought with a price we are not our own men but his that bought us and therefore ought not to seek our selves or the satisfying of our own lusts but to glorifie God both in our bodies and in our spirit which are not ours but Gods 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. That body is not thine to spend in sin but is to be offered unto God as an holy and acceptable sacrifice That tongue is not thine own as the wicked say of theirs Psal. 12. 4. to use or rather abuse at thy pleasure but to be used to the glory of God That heart is not thine to be addicted to worldly vanities but to be given to God In a word Christ died for al that they which live should not henceforth live to themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again 2 Cor. 4. 15. 4. Seeing Christ hath given himself for us to fâ—ee us from our enemies let us stand fast in that liberty which Christ at so deâ—r a price purchased for us and not suffer our selves to be entangled again with the yoke of bondage Gal. 5. 1. For what can be either more dishonorable to out Redeemer then that we should revolt froÌ„ him to serve sin Satan or more pernicious to our selves for then our latter end should be worse then our beginning 2 Pet. 2. 20. Remember the Israelites who being redeemed out of Aegypt for desiring to return perished in the wilderness Remember Lots wife Luk. 17. 32. who being delivered out of Sodom for looking back was turned into a pillar of salt The which I speak not as though I thought that a man who is once truly justified redeemed can either totally or finally fall away from saving grace but to admonish those who think they stand to take heed they do not fall 1 Cor. 10. 12. For if any professing himself to be redeemed shall fall away his example will not prove that a man may fall from saving grace but his falling away will evidently prove that he was never in the state of grace 1 Ioh. 2. 19. 〈◊〉 5. For as much as Christ our 〈◊〉 is sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5. 8. we should purge out the old leaven and keep a perpâ—â—â—all feast of unleavened bread signified by the 〈◊〉 days of that feast not with the 〈◊〉 hypocrisie nor with the old leaven of naughtinesse but with the unleâ—vened graces of sincerity and truth but especially when we celebrate the memory of our redemption 〈◊〉 the Lords day or in any of our Lords Feasts or at the celebrating of the holy 〈◊〉 which is the antitype to the Passeover 6. Lastly we are to be hearâ—dy thankfull unto God for this 〈◊〉 benefit wherby we being 〈◊〉 lost by sin and therefore in our selves worse then nothing for better were it not to be then being lost not to be redeemed are restored to a betten estate then we lost in Adam And this our thankfulness we are to expresse partly by thanksgiving whereunto we are excited in this Psalme 〈…〉 CHAP. VI. The fruits and end of our redemption viz. the true worship of God in holinesse and righteousnesse 〈…〉 we shall abuse this great benefit of Redemption if we have not respect to the end thereof which is our sanctification For else what can be the cause of such dissolute living as is every where to be seen among those who professe themselves redeemed by Christ but a foolish opinion that Christ having freed them from their sins they may sin the more freely and that he having dyed for their sins they need not to die to them and so abuse the grace of God unto wantonnesse Iude 4. For if our sanctification be the end of our redemption then do we abuse this great benefit of God if we do not refer it to this end yea rather we deceive and abuse our selves with a vain opinion of our redemption For if this be the end of our redemption then those that live in sin as the servants of sin either are not redeemed for whom Christ the Son maketh free they are free indeed or else they are redeemed in vain for that is in vain which is frustrate of the end Now that sanctification is the end of our redemption it may be proved by the testimonies of holy Scripture and also by sound reasons drawn from thence Tit. 2. 14. Christ hath given himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and that he might purifie or sanctifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Eph. 5. 25 26 27. Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse in with the washing of water by thâ— Word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or anysâ—ch thâ—ng but that it should be hâ—ly and without blemish Col. 1. 21 22. You that were enemies Christ hath reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable in his sight 1 Pet. 2. 24. Christ himself bare out sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness The reason is evident For that which is the end of all Gods blessings in this life both spiritual and temporal must needs be the end of our Redemption But our sanctification is the end of all Gods blessings in this life 1 Thes. 4. 3. This is the will of God even your sanctification this is that which God willeth and intendeth in bestowing his benefits upon us He hath elected us that we might be holy Ephes. 1. 4. he created us after his own Image that we might worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse Eph. 4. 24. he hath called us to holinesse 1 Thess. 4. 7. and we are called to be Saints or Saints by calling Rom. 1. 7. 1 Cor. 1. 2. he doth regenerate us to the same end For we are the workmanship
a Christian sâ—â—ll have 〈◊〉 more in him then the Pagans who knew not God can such a one be esteemed a souâ—d Christian Our love of men â—â—st proceeâ— from the love of God the streames of ouâ— justice and charity towards men must be derived from the fountain of piety towardâ— God withâ—â—â— faith iâ— is impossible to please God Hebr. 11. â— Without Faith without piety without the â—ear of God without râ—pentance the best actions of civil honest men are but splendidâ— pâ—ccata The chiefest care of a Christan must be to worship God 〈…〉 â—harity towards men But the meer civill honest man neithâ—â— worshipeth God in the duties of piety 〈◊〉 yet in the duties of righteousnessâ— which he perfâ—â—mâ—th as a meer natuâ—all maâ— without any respect or relation had 〈◊〉 God And therefore cannot be said in doing those 〈◊〉 ties to serve God in righteousnesse as no◠〈…〉 â—bedience to God or for Gods 〈◊〉 Now if they which wâ—nt either of thesâ— are not to be deemed sound Christians what â—hall we say of thoâ—â— which hâ—ve neither yea that not so much as seem to have either prophane and wicked men who professing themselves Christians that is to say men redeemed by Christ turn the grace of God into â—antonnesse Jude 4. being in name Christians in deed Atheists professing themselves to know God but in deed denying him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate Now we are to speak of either of them severally but briefly and in a word For if I should treat of them at large under the title of Holinesse I should discourse of all the duties required in the first Table of the Decalogue in all which we must think our selveâ— bound to worship God if we wil worship â—im in Holinesse And under the name of Righteousnessâ— I should treat of all the duties of the second Table all which we must endevour to perform to our neighbor in obedience to God if we would be thought to worship or toserve him in righteousnesse But first we are to speak of Holiness because that is the first and the greâ—test Commandement Mat. 22. 38. That holiness is a fâ—â—it of our redemption the Holy Ghost doth plainly testifie Rom. 6. â—2 Being freed from sin and made servâ—nts to God you havâ— your fruit untâ— holinesse and the end everlasting life And that 〈…〉 also the end of our redemption S. Paul witnesseth Ephes. 5. 27. Col. 1. 22. And as it is the fruit and end of our redemption and justification in part so is it also a necessâ—ry forerunner of glorification And therefore if we shall truly worship the Lord in holiness we may be assured that the Lord hath redeeâ—â—d us and consequently as we have the fruit of our redemption in holiness so shall we hâ—ve the end thereof which is the salvation of our soules Râ—m 6. 22. Apoc. â—0 6. But contratiwise if our conversation be unholy and unpâ—re as we want the fruit of our redemption so shall we never attain to the end thereof which is everlasting life For as the Holy Ghost witnesseth Heb. 12. 14. 〈◊〉 holinesse no 〈◊〉 shall sâ—e God Righteousnesse also as hath been said is in part the fruit and end of our redemption for being frâ—â—d from sin we become the seâ—vantâ— of righteousnesse Rom. 6. 18. And therefore did our Savlour in his body on the tree bear our sinnes that we dying to sinne might live untâ— righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2. 34. But hâ—re some may object if righteousnesâ— contain the duties W th we owe to man whether our brethren or our selves how is it here said that we are to worship or serve God in righteousnesse Answ. This teacheth us that must also and that principally be carefull to worship him in holinesse And this is to be understood of civill callings But as touching the Ministers of Gods word this may further be added for their comfort that so many of them as with good conscience take pains in their function whether in their private studies or in their publique ministery seeking to glorifie God in the edification of the Church or the members thereof they do worship God both in holinesse and in righteousnesse By this which hath been said it plainly appeareth that howsoever we are freed from the curse the rigor the terror irritation of the Law yet we are not freed from the obedience of the Law Morall For freedom from obedience and righteousnesse is the servitude of sin But we are freed from the bondage of sin that we may be enabled with upright hearts willing minds to worship the Lord in holiness and rigteousness And therefore howsoever carnall gospellers and Libertines â—buse the liberty which Christ hath purchased as an occasion to the flesh turning the grace of God into wantonness to their own perdition Yet devillish is the slander of the Papists who calumniate the doctrine of the Gospell as if we taught thereby that men are freed from obedience to all Lawes whaâ—soever of God and man yea from the Dâ—calogue it self But this needeth no answer it being evident to all the world that we do urge the obedience of the Law Morall as wâ— as they do and by better arguments and reasons then they do For their chief reasons are taken from the falsâ—ly supposed benefits of good works that they satisfie for sin justifie before God and merit eternall life But by these reasons they teach men to marre good works and not to do them for a good work done with the opinion of satisfaction justification or merit is so far from being a good work that it is odious and abominable in the fight of God as being derogatory to the most perfect satisfaction and all-sufficient merit of Christ our Saviour But we among other arguments take some from this text Because our new obedience or practise of good workes is the fruit and end of our redemption 2. Because it is an unseparable companion of our redemption and justification 3. Because God hath sworn that he will give to them that are redeemed grace to worship him in holiness and righteousness and therfore that works in them that are redeemed or justified do follow necâ—ssarily by necessity of infallibility And therfore it is impossible the oath of the Lord being â—â—ue which cannot possibly be untrue that a man should be actually redeemed or justified and yet have no care to practise good works that is to say to perform the duties of holiness and righteousness But in other respects also we do urge the necessity of good works which we prove to be necessary also necessitate prâ—cepti and so by necâ—â—ssity of Duty which we owe 1. unto God to shew our selves obedient and thankfull unto him and studious of his glory 2. to our neighbour and 3. to our selves likewise necessitatâ— signi not only as they are the testimonies and tokens whereby we are to make our callings and election sure But also as they are the evidence according to which
else according to that Prov. 14. 26. In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence 2. In respect of the thing feared fear iâ— either of the evill of punishment or of the evill of sinne But this distinction is the same in effect with that distinction of fear in respect of the subject whereof I am now to speak 3. In respect of the subject that is the persons fearing Fear is either of Bond-servants who are under the Law which is a servile or slavish fear Sons who are not under the Law butunder grace which is a son-like or shall fear The former is properly called metus whose effect is metuere ab aliquo to be afraid of the object that is feared The other is timor of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose effect is to fear or to reverence the object feared The former is a fearfull expectation of some evill from the party feared the other is an awfull reverence of the party feared not to offend him by doing evil so that the formall object of the former is maluÌ„ poena the evil of punishment in regard whereof they are afraid of God of the other malum culpae the evil of sin in regard whereof they fear to offeâ—d or displease God The former is rather metus poena then timor Dei fear of punishment rather then of God For if there were no punishment they that have but this fear would not fear to offend God Oderunt peccare mali formidine pocnae The other out of the love of God of goodness though there were no punishment to be fearâ—d feareth to offend Oderunt peccare boni virtutis dmore The former being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit of bondage Rom. 8. 15. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit of fearfulness 2 Tim. 1. 7. is a fruit and effect of the Law forcing and compelling those that are under it to yeeld some outward obedience for fear of punishment The other is a fruit of the Gospell and of faith when a man being perswaded of Gods mercy and goodness towards him in Christ feareth to offend so gracious a God and mercifull Father according to that Psalm 130. 4. There is mercy with thee that thou 〈◊〉 be fâ—ared Of this son-like fear there is no question but that we are to worship God therewith Psal. 2. 11. 5. 7. Nay we cannot worship God arigh without it Den. 6. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him this being one of the chiefest things required in his service Deut. 10. 12. Eccles. 12. 13. and is therfore called caput sapientiae the very chief point of wisdom that is of true piety and godliness Psa. 111. 10. Pro. 9. 10. Of the other there may be a question whether God hath promised to those that are redeemed that they shall worship him without all serviâ—e fear seeing that it is profitable that men should be restrained from sinne by feare of punishment And to that end doth the Lord threaten judgements and punishments to terrifie and to deterre men from sinne To this I answer as I delivered before in the doctrine of redemption that our Saviour in delivering us from the terrour and coaction of the Law doth free us also from servile fear but we are to consider quatenus how far forth For such as is our redemption I speak of it passively as it is in the redeemed such is our freedom from servile fear to wit inchoated or begun in this life and increasing by degrees compleat and perfect in the life to come which is called our full redemption which being not totall in this life doth not free us totally from this servile fear Full and perfect charity indeed casteth out this fear and he that thus feareth is not perfected in charity 1 Ioh. 4. 18. But whiles the reliques of sin or rather the body of sin remaineth in us whiles we are in part flesh as well as spirit we have not perfect charity And therefore so far forth as we are flesh we are subject to servile fear yea so far as we are carnall we are servants Rom. 7. 14. 23. but so far forth as we are spirit we are freed from that fear as not being under the Law but under grace Yet because concupiscence and the corruptions of the flesh still abide in us it was expedient for the subduing and mortifying of the flâ—sh that we should in some part be obnoxious to this fear To which end the rest also of our spirituall enemies though they be overcome and we delivered out of their power are still 〈◊〉 to â—â—counter us that we standing upon our guard and exercising and maintaining a spiritualâ— warfare against them may at length triumpâ— over them and receive the crown promised to those that overcome In the mean time we are freed from this servile fear by degrees from the time of â—ur justification to our glorification as our faith hope and charity do encrease by encrease whereof we are more and more enabled to worship God as without fear so also with willing and cheerfull minds And therefore we are to be stirred up to labour for the encrease of these graces in us that our fear may be diminished and our assurance encreased wherein our happiness in this life doth consist Security likewise is two-fold Carnall Spirituall The carnall security is when a man being void of grace and of the true fear of God and destitute of faith hope and charity goeth on carelesly in his sinnes without repentance presuming of Gods favour and â—is own salvation The spirituall security as I distinguished before is either of the object signifying the spiritual safety of the faithful because there is no condemnation to them that be in Christ. In regard wherof they worship God securely or without fear that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without danger or cause of fear The spirituall security in respect of the subject is when a man being justified before God by faith and assured in some measure of 〈◊〉 is favour as knowing himself to have received grace to believe and having peace of conscience worshippeth God in assured expectation of everlasting life And of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or spirituall security the Holy Ghost speaketh in this place The summe of that which hath been said by way of exposition is this 〈◊〉 that God hath promised to give the faithful being redeemed by Christ to worship him without fear not without the true fear of God for that is a chief part of his worship but without fear of their spiritual enemies and namely without fear of damnation and that in two degrees so that they may worship him without fear that is without cause of fear securely and safely without danger because their salvation is certain and sure there being no condâ—mnation to them that are in 〈…〉 Secondly without fear it self namely of their enemies from whose power they believe themselves to be redeemed and consequently from the servile fear
to be regarded But they should remember him who sayeth that of every idle and much more of every malicious word men shall give an accompt at the day of judgment For by thy words saith he thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned If therefore any among you saith St. Iames I am 1. 26. seeme to be religions and hath not learned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were with a bitte or a brible to refraine his tongue that man deceiveth himselfe and his religion is vaine that is to say he is an hypocrite having a shew of religion but denying the power thereof For in whom there is any power of religion they have learned to bridle their tongues Yea in their words iâ— a disâ—ord not only between them and their hearts and between their words and their works but also between their words and their words For as they speaâ—e with an heart and an heart that is a double hart whence they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so also with a tongue and a tongue that is a double tongue whence they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 3. 8. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bilingues Eccles. 28. 13. Out of the same mouth they breath hot and cold which the Satyre liked not out of the same fountaine issueth both bitter and sweete both salt water and fresh with the same tongue blesse God and curse men Iam. 3. 9. 16. 11. 12. out of the same mouth procedeth blessing and cursing It is strange to see and lamentable to consider how some men and women who would seeme religious are given to ill speaking being not onely â—â—arâ—e cenâ—â—rers and depravers of their brethern but also detracters back-biters and slanderers and which is an evident signe of an hypocrite thinking that the dispraise of other men â—endeth to their 〈◊〉 and the praise of others to their disgrace 3. The obedience of the upright is â—o tall in respect of his whole 〈◊〉 after the time of his justification and reconcilation with God as it is here said all the dayes of our life Not but that sometimes he stumbleth in the way of Christianity and sometime falleth but yet notwithstanding in respect of his desire purpose and endevour his obedieâ—ce is constant and permanent For he keepeth a constant course in well-doing as namly in the practise of piety wherein by continual practise he is habituated He so giverth himselfe to prayer as that in the scriptures he is said to pray alwayes Acts 10. 22. not that he doth nothing els but pray but that he prayeth both ordinarily at see times every day perhaps thrice a day as Daniel did Dâ—â— 6. 10. and also extraordinarily aâ— ocâ—asion is offered Likewise he keepeth a constant course in reading meditating and hearing Gods word and in other Christian duties wherein he sted fastly goeth on with desire to increase in goodnesse And as his obedience is constant so 〈◊〉 it is permanent For uprightnesse is evermore accompanyed with perseverance to the 〈◊〉 â— as 〈◊〉 I shall shew But the obedience of the hypocrite is neither constant but as it were by fits for the double minded man is inconstant in all his wayes Iam. 1. 8. neither permanent but momâ—ntany oâ— temporary like the morning â—â—ist or the early dew Hos. 6. 4. like the seed sowne upon the rocâ—ie ground which in time of heat withereth Luk. 8. 13. like the building of the foolish man which in â—ime of temptation is overthrowne Mat. 7. 26. Graces Now I come to the graces every one whereof in the upright is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is unfained and as Salomon speaketh Pro. 3. 12. tusâ—â—jak that which truly is but in the hypocrite counterfeit In these the generall note of uprightnesse is desire of increase and striving forward towards perfections Phil. 3. 14 for in this life we are in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our growing age and God doth orowne their righteousnesse with incrâ—ase for to him that hath it shall be given The hypocriteâ— are non-proficienâ—s contenting themselves with that measure of graâ—e which they seeme to have and have not and having not they are so farre from increasing in grace that that which they seeme to have Luk 8. 8 is taken from them And first the faith of the upright is lively and effectuall both to justification apprehending and applying Christ who is our righteousnesse and also to sanctification because it doth purify the heart Acts 15. 9. and worke by love Gal. 5. 6. Againe the faith of the upright is permanent by it he standeth Rom. 5. 2. and by it he shall live Heb. 2. 4. by the power of God through faith he is preserved unto eternall life 1 Pet. 1. 5. And therefore those who are of the defection are not of faith And contrarywise Heb. 0. 39. The seeming faith to the hypocrite is dead being nether effectual to justification as being without roote Luk. 8. 13. nor to sanctification as being without â—â—uit For as the body without breath is dead Iam 2. 26. so is faith without works Neither is the faith of hypocrites permanent but temporary which in time of tryall faileth Luk. 8. 13. Love The love also of the upright is unfained whether we speake of his love to God which appeareth by obedience both active which is obedients legis for this is the love of God that he keepe his commandements 1 Iohn 5. 3. Exod 20. 6. and passive which is obedientia crucis that is to say patience for love suffereth all things 1 Cor. 3. 7. or of his love to man which appeareth in giving and forgiving But more specially an undoubted sigue of uprightnesse is to love and respect the godly though of mean accompt in the world for their godlinesse sake Iam. 2. 24. and to disrespect the wicked though great in the world for their wickednesse Ps. 15. 4. following therein the disposition of God himselfe 1 Sam. 2. 30. and the example of Elisha 2 King 3. 13 14. for in the eyes of the upright prety maketh men honorable but wickednesse maketh them vile and despicable Dan. 11. 21. And as the upright are an abomination to the wicked so contrarywise Pro. 29. 27. The world loveth her owne but those that be not of the world the world hateth it is therefore a good signe that we are not of thâ— world if we love and affect those whom the world hateth The love of hypocrites is not true neither towards God For they be haters of God Exod 20. 5. 6. that will not keepe his commandements nor towards men being in word and tongue onely 1 Iohn 3. 18. or as we use to speake from the teeth outward But especially their hypocrisy is discovered as by hating or envying the godly even for his godlinesse sake because they cannot endure that any should be esteemed better then themselves Thus Cain hated Abel 1 Iohn 3. 12. and Saul David 1 Sam. 18. 9. and the Pharisees Christ so