as a description much lesse a definition of repentance but only an occasionall expression holding forth some single Act thereof Secondly I desire that they would be pleased Severally to enter into their closets and there for a while commune with their owne hearts and be still Selah And having compared their notes with what is written in their consciences tell of a truth ethice for Logicee I thinke they cannot First Whether or no they ever heard this passage delivered by mee in these very words Secondly Whether or no by the rules of Orthographie it should be closed with a period or space left for some thing Exegeticall to extend or explaine it Thirdly whether or no this Repentance or not saying in the heart doe this i. e. this or that commandment had expresse reference to any other commandment than this and that of ascending or descending mentioned in the text which being proposed at first by way of Querie by a desttessed distrustful soule came afterwards oftentimes to be imposed upon the soule it self as commandments from God though really they be the dictates of its owne tormented conscience For 1 the soul enquires who shall c. and if not stopt there by the word of grace the next Querie is shall I And then Thirdly neglecting the word of faith is too apt in the time of Temptation to turn back to the Covenant of works and look upon it self as bound by the law of God or legal Covenant either to ascend that is as Diodate to undertake by its own works to obtain a right to eternal life or to descend that is to take upon its self the pains of death and hell for satisfaction for its own sins And doubtlesse Evangelical repentance includes in it a not saying in the heart do this that is this or that commandement whether of ascending or descending which are accounted by a distressed distrustful soul to be the commandments of God or of Gods law yet in force Of the first for the attempting to do that is to bring down Christ from above And of the second for the attempting to do that is to bring up Christ again from the dead Rom. 10 6 7. And if ever such a passage as this fell from me in a publick Assembly Nisi mentis memoriae inops I am verily perswaded and speak it as in the presence of the Lord that first it was grounded upon and occasioned from that Text Rom. 10.6 7. Secondly that it was intended per dicentem by me that spake it in that sense or to that effect as is before explained Though thirdly I dare not aver but that the Dicta or the words spoken simply considered might sound harshly in such mens ears that first are accustomed to press an active obedience from the law of works secondly came filled with prejudice and thirdly never heard me preach nor expresse my thoughts upon any such a subject either before or since these passages were collected I have answered thus farre to this passage in Hypothesi though not to any of the rest because I have some special hints from the Text which containes part of it 1. To what purpose I might possibly speak 2. What might be the ground of these Informers misapprehensions and mistakes 3. That the unprejudiced reader from this to which De facto I can say a little may be directed in some measure how to judge of their dealings with me in the rest I shall now declare as if this had not been said what I conceive of the passage it self in Thesi 1 Repentance is either legal which consists chiefly in a sense of and sorrow for the transgressions of the law and a restlesse fear of the judgements threatned and deserved and this I grant is often followed nay commonly accompanied with a saying in the heart do this or that or what shall I do this commandment or that commandment to free my self thereby from fear and bondage Thus the Jaylour cries Sirs What must I do to be saved Or Evangelical which includes a Renunciation of a mans own Righteousnesse or the works The Ismaels begotten of his own flesh by the law and a turning unto Christ who is the Lord our Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption and this is that hereafter spoken of 2. By this or that commandment of God may here be meant either first those Vtopian fancied commands Deut. 30.12 to which the Apostle seems to allude Rom. 10.5 6. Or secondly some of the ten commandments which are and as they are the condition of the Covenant and Law dispensed by Moses or thirdly such scriptural commands which are and as they are given by Christ himself who hath all authority for a Directory and Rule to the lives and conversations of christians 1. If by this or that commandment be meant those Vtopian fancied commands which the deceitful heart of man not being able to hear or do the word that is nigh enquires to have fetched from heaven or beyond the Sea that it may hear and do them Then doth Repentance include not only a not saying in thy heart Do this but what is not a not saying in the heart So much as who shall ascend or who shall descend to inform thee of this or that commandment For 1. This is a sinful evading of the just sentence of the Law already given by God instead of submitting to judgement and acknowledging the sin and guilt And an hypocritical arrogance enquiring for some new Law as if God knew not how farre short all men come of keeping the old Rom. 3.23.2 It s a neglecting to look up to the Brazen Serpent now when stung with the fiery and a seeking for devised remedies run for a covering but not of Gods Spirit and so an adding sinne to sinne like as Adam did when he sewed Fig-leaves Isa. 30.1 2. If by this or that commandment be meant this or that of the ten as dispensed by Moses and have their bent by him described Rom. 10.4 He that doth them shall live in them then doth repentance include a not saying in thy heart Do this that is this or that commandment of God that by doing of them thou maist live in them For thereby 1. Thou shewest thy self ignorant of Gods righteousnesse 2. Thou vainly goest about to establish thy own righteousnesse And 3. Thou rebellest against instead of submitting to the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10 3. 3. If by this or that commandment be meant the scriptural commands which are and as they are given by Christ himself according to that If ye love me keep my Commandements John 14.15 Then doth repentance include a saying in the heart Do this that is this or that commandement of God nay all the commandements of God together with a deniall of all ungodliness and worldly lusts which war against the spirit and are contrary thereunto Tit 2.12 Acts 3.36 1 Cor. 7.10 11. The fifth Passage There be two sorts of people first the uncalled to them only
of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God If any say that a man may antecedently will regeneration or conversion by antecedaneous works of grace though not of nature I answer first It is said that God worketh in us to will Phil. 2.13 And to will is present with us who are born of God Rom 7.18 but never that he worketh it in them that are unborn So that secondly To will conversion is not a work of grace antecedent but subsequent thereunto and argues the Infant born and alive though yet it cannot tell so much but only cries thirsts and hungers for in this very willing there is a turning towards God and then undoubtedly a believing on the Lord Iesus And he that believeth is born of God 1 Iohn 5.1 Thirdly Christ puts not the except of entring into the Kingdom upon mans doings but upon Gods he sayes not except a man beget bear or convert himself but except a man be begotten born again or as some read it from above and be converted He cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven Mat 18.3 Vbi manebit liberum arbitrium ubi facere quod in se est cum hic fieri nos doceamur non facere non nos operemar sed Deus operetur facturae non factores sumus funditus scilicet ruit omnis Theologia superborum Thirdly Man neither is nor should be active in reference to the effecting either Faith or Repentance for if so either as an agent in the producing of them or as an agent in the using of means to procure the producing of them from and by God not in the former sense for first faith is not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 It is given to you on the behalfe of Christ to believe Phil. 1.19 This is the work of God Iohn 6.29 Him hath God exalted to give Repentance unto Israel and Remission of sins Acts 5.30 Secondly Mr. Shepherd Mr. Baxter and before them Camero and Ferrius maintain that God doth not infuse a habit of Faith and Repentance whereby men are enabled antecedently by an inherent habitual grace to produce the acts of believing and repentance but doth himself say they first produce the first acts and then infuseth habits whereby men are enabled to act afterwards And if we should say with Mr. Kendal that faith is in us as the adjunct and hath to God only the relation of an effect that it denominates him alone the Authour of our believing though us the Believers because the subjects As the Boul only is said to runne and yet it is the man that is the cause of the motion I see little that Mr. Baxter is pleased or that others can say against it and not in the latter For first God hath appointed means to be used by the living through which he hath promised to beget faith in all the elect though for the present dead Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel Mar. 16.15 but of means appointed of God for the dead to use thereby to get faith or to procure the raising of themselves from and by God we read not If any say that prayer is a means then first If by prayer be meant the intercession of Christ it is granted for it is his intercession alone that procureth the actual collation of all those blessings purchased by himself in the flesh promised in the new Covenant by the Father and conveyed to us by the Spirit But if by prayer be meant any petitioning of ours then is prayer not a means to but a consequent of faith for first How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Rom. 10.14 The interrogation is equivalent to a strong negation viz. they cannot Secondly Christ taught his Disciples to pray in faith not before nor for faith Mat. 21.22 unlesse by faith be meant the increase thereof and then we pray Lord increase our faith Luke 17.5 I believe Lord help my unbeliefe Mar. 9.24 Thirdly he called them to leave all and follow him before they asked him any such a thing You have not chosen me but I have chosen you John 15.16 and after he had called them he prescribeth them a form of prayer or teacheth them to pray after this manner saying Our Father which art in heaven c. Mat. 6.9 Luke 11.1 2. And is it now agreeable to that form or letter to teach men to preferre the petitions before they can say the Preface or to enjoyn them to pray thy Kingdome come before they can cry Abba or Our Father These men I fear would teach their Scholars all the Alphabet of Christianity before Christs Crosse all the petitions before the Preface and it is doubtful then that as some coppies do they will leave out the conclusion also and the observation of all the Commandments before that which stands in the front Scilicet I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt Secondly God hath made no promise to an impenitent unbelieving man while such that upon condition of using such and such means or performing such and such duties he will bestow upon him either of those where it is said either implicitly or expressely if thou wilt do thus and thus I will give thee faith or I will give thee repentance And how any doing or dutying of man should be called means of getting any thing from God unlesse in a moral consideration and way of causation as conditions to some promise I have not yet learned from those Masters that stile one another the Orthodox Divines Thirdly though many enquired of the Apostles What they should do to be saved yet did never any ask what they should do to get Faith Repentance Conversion Regeneration or to get Christ into Christ nor did the Apostles leave any Directions or Rules to be observed by such Querists in future times but brought the word nigh unto them into their mouthes and into their hearts even the word of faith which we preach and tells them that faith comes by hearing and that hearing is not an Antecedent act of their own but that that also cometh by the word of God Rom. 10.8.17 The legal resolving of these Queries and the teaching of Nicodemus Disciples how to beget themselves the second time by entring into their own fleshly wombes is left to the Grand Casuists of these our dayes who can direct their followers how to beget that which is spirit of that which is flesh and how to get the fruits of the Spirit by doing the works of the Law can either ascend to heaven or go beyond the Sea to fetch such commandments as were neither given by Moses nor Christ that their Disciples may hear and do them and have their reward Fourthly Luther and other sensible believing men assert that Non nobis cogitantibus sapientibus volentibus oritur in nobis fides Christi sed incomprehensibili occulto opere spiritus
and he goeth to another come he cometh to my servant do this and he doth it Secondly There would be no sin against the Holy Ghost but only against the letter whereas the great sin is called the sin against the Holy Ghost and offering dispite to the Spirit of Grace Acts 7.51 Heb. 10.29 Mat. 12.32 Thirdly Christians now should be in the same bondage as the Iewes were under the Law Scilicet bound Sub poena peccati mortis to act at the meer commandment of the letter Rom 7.9 But the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus haeth made them free from that law of sinne and death Rom. 8.2.14 So that it is not the letter it self when of it self commanding or as simply spoken by our neighbour but to Iesus Christ himself speaking in the letter or speaking the things contained in the letter that Christians nextly and immediately owe their obedience And hence it is clear for ought I yet see that though sin De facto when committed be firstly and formally the transgression of the letter or law without yet in fieri or in committing it is firstly and more directly against the Spirit or law of the mind that is within And though it be granted that to crosse the Spirit is not that which firstly maketh the fact sin yet it is that which firstly maketh this or that Christian a sinner If thou wilt know in the definition of it what is Rebellion and what is sin consult with the letter or Law 1 Iohn 3.4 But if thou wilt know in individuo what is rebelling and sinning or who rebells and sins look within thine own heart even now standing out against some or other of the personal commands which are alwayes legal of Jesus Christ our King and Lord Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice c. Rev 3 20. The words that I speak are Spirit and life John 6.63 If any ask how shall Christians know when to do this and when that or which of these in particular is to be done First must they set down the time themselves wherein they will perform such and such duties Shall they appoint aforehand such an hour they will pray and such an houre they will mourne for sinne and such an houre they will do acts of charity c. No For first Christians should stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free Gal. 5.1 And as in respect of times and seasons they are not to be enbondaged or imposed upon by others so much lesse by themselves what hath any man to do to be his own Law-maker By multiplying lawes to multiply sins Or to bind himself in such things as these in which Christ hath left him at libertie Gal. 4.9 10 11. Sith secondly It is clear that Christ never appointed any set times for his Disciples nor ordered them to appoint any for themselves to perform such and such duties in but left them free both as to the particular times to perform the duties in and as to the particular duties to be performed in such and such times He said When ye pray pray thus not ye shall pray then and there and this Mat. 6.6 7 9. and in like manner When ye give almes and when ye fast and as often as ye do this do it c. Mat. 6.2 3. Mat. 6.16.7 1 Cor. 11.25 26. Nay where do the Apostles throughout their Epistles ever enjoyn any such thing to Christians or ever reprove them for the neglect of any such a duty Thirdly There is the same reason for Christians to limit themselves unto certain places subpoena peccati as unto certain times which yet none do which know in any measure what is meant by christian liberty Though neverthelesse fourthly Christians out of a consideration of one anothers infirmities while here in the flesh as well as for order decency and conveniencies sake both may and should appoint times and places for assembling themselves together to provoke unto love and to good works and so much the more as they see the day approaching Heb. 10.24 25 1 Cor. 14.40 and are then in a special manner to stir up the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or gifts that are in them 2 Tim. 1.6 being strengthened {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in or by the grace that is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 2.1 Secondly must Christians wait for extraordinary impulsions of the Spirit No For first though sometimes and upon some special occasions Christians are said {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to be vehemently stirred or sharpened in Spirit as Acts 17.16 yet not alwayes The work of the Spirit may be irresistible in it self and infallibly produce its effect in or upon and yet not work irresistibly as unto us For secondly our Spirits are not said to be forced but freed made free or freely carried out to work by the Holy Ghost He worketh in us to will Phil. 2.13 Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power Psal. 110.3 Thirdly The Spirit ordinarily worketh us to or in us this or that by proposing to us objects sutable to the eye or eare as appeareth from those Ordinances appointed by Christ himself And therefore thirdly Christians like the wise Virgins With oyle in their vessels with their lamps Matth. 25.4 should continually watch and wait for their Lord and Master Jesus to call them forth to all or any of these either immediately by spiritual suggestions and heavenly impression upon their hearts and minds or mediately by providential objective administrations and occasions as and when it shall seem good unto him For first Christianus verus as Luther Class. 3 loc. 1. nec liber est nec servus neque Indaus neque Gentilis neque masculus neque foemina neque Clericus neque Laicus neque orat neque legit neque facit neque omittit Sed ad omnia prorsus indifferens est faciens omittens sicut ad rationem sese res rel obtulerit vel abstulerit A true Christian is neitner free nor bound neither Iew nor Gentile neither male nor female neither Clerk nor Layman neither prayeth nor readeth nor doeth nor omitteth but is altogether indifferent unto all things doing and omitting each as the matter or occasion shall either offer or withdraw it self Secondly This is agreeable to the Evangelical {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} form or letter which pointeth not out for Christians a Tempus Physicum of houres dayes moneths c. calculated by the motions of the Sun and Moon accordingly as was done to the Iewes under the Law as appeareth by their new Moons and their other appointed solemnities which continued till the time of Reformation or the passing away of old things Heb. 9.10 2 Cor. 5.17 But a Tempus Theologicum or Evangelicum calculated by the motions of the Son of righteousnesse Mal. 4.2 which by its distance and
Burgesse it was Adams Abrahams c. then though Christians may heare read speake of and hearken to the letter which saith labour and it may be but useful in divers respects as is hereafter shewne yet are not Christians bound to an {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or obedientiall hearkening thereunto as when it saith unto them labour upon that accompt but they are to hearken to the word which is nigh them even in their mouthes and in their hearts That is the word of faith which we preach and to looke for the Spirit in faith to worke in them through the ministrie of the Spirit all such effects as Christ hath purchased and the Father hath promised in that new covenant of which the Man Christ Iesus is the everlasting Mediatour The Antecedent of this position which is Negative is evident for first the Apostle opposes the Letter or law as dispensed by Moses unto the word of Faith or doctrine of the Gospel which we preach and dehorts from an obedientiall hearkening unto that and exhorts to a hearing and Cordiall beleeving of this as holding forth Christ the end thereof for righteousnesse and salvation to every one that beleeves Rom. 10.4.5.6 8.9 Secondly We are not under the law but under grace Rom. 6.14 I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God Gal 2.19 Wee are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ that we should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held Rom. 7.46 Thirdly The binding of Christians to obey this Law renders Christ unprofitable to them for circumcision did it not simply for if so doubtless Timothy should not have been circumcised by any consent of Paul but because it was looked upon as making them debtors to doe the whole law Gal. 5.2 3 4 and necessarily putting them under the curse for not doing of it Gal. 3.10.12 If it be granted that Christians are freed from the Damnatorie but not from the Mandatory power of the Law and that the promissory being accidental to a Law this and the Directory essential Then note 1. that the question is not about a Law but this Law nor what is essentiall to or will make up the definition of a Law Politique but what is essential to and wil make up the Definition of the Mosaicall Law which was dispensed at Sinai subratione foederis and so not after the usual manner of other Lawes And now if wee beleeve Paul and will not be so very Logicall as to deny Moses description to be a Definition He describeth the righteousnesse which is of the Law That the man which doth these things shall live by them Rom 10.5 And Paul proves that as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse Because it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to doe them Gal 3.10 He proposeth these texts as containing the Sum essentials of Moses Law And can no more be denyed so to doe for ought I See then that of Gen. 12.3 cited Gal. 3.8 to containe the Summe and essentials of the Gospel Secondly The Law is said to be dead Rom. 7.2.6 But how dead if both essentiall parts be vnited and in their vigour Can a man be said to be dead because he wants some Integrall part as a leg or Arme So Long as the body and Soule which are the essentials remain in vnion Thirdly Beleevers under the Old Testament were freed from the Damnatory power of the Law for they were blessed with faithful Abraham as well as beleevers now Gal. 3 9. But beleevers under the New Testament are freed from this Law or covenant as beleevers under the Old Testament were not and therefore cannot their freedome be Interpreted of a freedome from the curse or Damnatory power thereof as is fully cleared by Mr Shephard Thes Sab. part 1. pag. 73. they must therefore of necessity be said to be freed from the obligatorie power of the Law at least quá foedus and if so quá dispensed by Moses which is the point to be confirmed Secondly Christians are to serve God not in the oldnesse of the letter but in the newnesse of the Spirit Rom. 7.6 whereas the Law or letter demands the service to be done in the power of the old man menaces death for the least failing therein and is disenabled either from accepting or rewarding any obedience unlesse so done Rom. 8.4 For though it be not against the service done in the newnesse of the spirit Gal 5.23 any more than the satisfaction made by Christ in the flesh yet as this so that is not exactly Idem the same there required at least not done per eundem by the same though being spirituall and proceeding from the spirit of Christ it be really the tantidem the tantamounts nay the Supramounts and farr more acceptable to the Father who is both the Soveraigne over and was the giver of the Law The consequence of this position which is affirmative is as plaine For first Christ hath promised to send the Spirit Iohn 16.8 And the Scriptures plentifully declare both that and what he shall worke when hee is come Ezek. 36.27 nay what he hath already wrought Gal. 5.22 And sure then Christians should looke for the spirit to work and to work those very works in upon them in measure which are promised and have been wrought in others Secondly Christians are encouraged to pray for the holy Spirit Luke 11.13 and sure not to be idle but to worke either by in or upon them and shall they not looke for an answer to their prayers Thirdly Christians are exhorted {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Phil. 2.12 to work their own salvation That is as Chamier Interprets it from the like phrase Gen. 2 Rev. 18 to be employed and worke in those things which concern their own salvation with feare as in the presence of God and with trembling at the sense of their own weakenesse and unworthinesse and that upon this ground because it is God that worketh in them c. And if though wee be called upon and said to work It is indeed not so much wee that worke as God that worketh in us shall we presume to set our selves to worke in conformitie to the letter and not firstly nay continually in much weakenesse fear and trembling looke to and for God to worke both the will and dead by his own Spirit And fourthly Seeing we received not the spirit by the workes of the Law but by the hearing of faith Gal. 3.2 wee are to looke for the spirit to worke not by the ministrie of the Law which saith labour but by the word of faith or doctrine of the Gospell For as Reynolds The Law can onely shew what is good gives no power at all
nothing in their own eyes that Christ might do all their works in them and for them and so may wholly live upon Christ and to Christ still drawing vertue from him seeing a need of Christ and nothing else and finding a fulness and help in him and nothing else Secondly christians when they glory should not glory in their gifts whether inward or outward For first It is forbidden Ier. 9.29 Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches Secondly they are but common to the Reprobate and the Elect No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before him Eccl. 9.1 See Luke 10.20 Thirdly who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why doest thou glory as if thou hadst not received it 1 Cor. 4.7 Fourthly gifts are bestowed upon us by God as instrumental to draw our hearts to glory in the mercy bounty and faithfulness of him that gives and that he is ours though we more unworthy than other men Gen. 32.9 10. and not in the enjoyment of the gifts themselves or that they are ours and other men more unworthy than we Luke 18.11 Thirdly Christians when they glory should not glory in their sins For first christians by their sins grieve the holy Spirit whereby they are sealed to the day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 and therefore are they to grieve and be humbled for their sins which is inconsistent with glorying in them nay even for the sins of their brethren 1 Cor. 5.2 And this godly sorrow worketh repentance not to be repented of Scilicet A detestation and renunciation of all sins I am troubled that I made you sorry and yet not for what zeal what revenge c. 2 Cor. 7 8 9 10 11 Secondly Christians should be so far from glorying in that they are or ought to be ashamed of their sins what fruit had you then in those things whereof you are now ashamed Rom. 6.21 And the carnal earthly minded christians glorying in the satisfaction of their lusts are said as a thing most abominable to glory in their shame Phil. 3.19 Thirdly the Saints as Iob David Peter c. are frequently brought by God to loath and abhorre sinne and themselves because sinners but never either to glory in their sins or in themselves because they had sinned against that gracious God Who doth neither behold iniquity in Jacob nor seeth perverseness in Israel Numb. 23.17 Secondly I answer affirmatively christians when they glory should glory in the Lord For first Christ of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousnes Sanctification and Redemption that according as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1.30 31. Secondly Glory is peculiar unto the Lord My glory will I not give unto another Isa. 42.8 Thine is the Kingdome Power and Glory Mat. 6.3 Thirdly Paul saith I will glory {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in mine infirmities or in the weakenings and disenablings of my self from attaining ease in the flesh by those crosses pricks or buffettings of Satans messengers yet not simply in them as considered in themselves but because he found them Instrumental through the wise and merciful ordering of his God to take away all occasion of glorying in any fleshly things and to give occasion to the grace and mercy of God to appear as sufficient for him and to the power of God to be made perfect through those his infirmities and to rest in and over him 2 Cor. 12.9 that so he might be brought to rest rejoice and glory which is the true christian sabbatizing only in the Lord See Phil. 1.3 That the answer to the second Querie may be more distinct and clear note first christians are either formal such only in outward profession or spiritual such also in deed and in truth Secondly The Pronoun they may relate either to these very Christians meant in this passage or to some others spoken of in a precedent connected though here omitted discourse Thirdly The quantity of the Praedicate is not to be supplyed with the adverb Semper alwayes or constantly but with Maximâ ex parte for the most part or most commonly or aliquando sometimes Fourthly glorying is either inward in the heart or outward in words And then this either real which is a publication or a publick narration of our sins accompanied with a conceit of an excellency in and a delight arising from them or imagined and such only in the accompt of some sort of men being indeed nothing else but a publick confession of our sins accompanied with a detestation of an inward compunction for them Fifthly Sins are either of ignorance or knowledge either such as appear black and ugly or such as appear white beautiful in the eyes of men 1. Formal Christians when they glory do most commonly glory both inwardly and outwardly in their seemingly beautiful if not ugly sins For first The Pharisees an embleme of such are said to sound Trumpets Mat. 6.2 and make their brags De splendidis peccatis of their fair outside sins Luke 18.11 which though highly esteemed by men yet are abomination in the sight of God Luke 16.15 Secondly The false Disciples are said as their common practice to glory in appearance or in the face that is in outward disguising and that coloured shew of mans wisdom and eloquence Engl. Annot. 2 Cor. 5.12 and the embondaging of others to the legal yoke Gal. 6.13 Thirdly The Apostle saith That such professors as minded earthly things gloried in their shame Phil. 3.19 And is it not apparant that many in these dayes do ordinarily boast of and rejoyce in fulfilling those lusts which they like slaves are secretly making provision for If not I say in fulfilling those that are from-wards them bringing shame abroad and want at home as drunkennesse whoredom swearing and the like yet in fulfilling those that are towards them bringing profit and worldly honour as covetousness pride envy c Secondly The most spiritual christians when they glory do in heart if not in words sometimes glory in their sins if not of knowledge yet of ignorance if not such as appear ugly yet such as have a fairer shew in the flesh For first Christians cannot say their hearts are alwayes clean from any sin except that against the Holy Ghost Psal. 19.12 13. Ier. 17.9 and then doubtlesse sometimes not free from glorying in their sins at least of ignorance Secondly The Christians at Corinth walked sometimes as men Enevyings strife and divisions and law-suits being amongst them 1 Cor. 3.3.6.6 and then consequently they gloried sometimes in fulfilling those lusts which for the present they walked after Thirdly the Church at Laodicea one of the seven to which Christ was pleased to write did for a time glory in a covering but not of Gods Spirit saying I am rich
Anchorage for the soul Heb. 6.16 But all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen unto the Glory of God 2 Cor. 1.20 And thence as there needeth not so there is not any other sure and stedfast ground of our future enjoying the things promised but the present indwelling of Christ in the heart by faith 2. As other foundation or ground of hope can no man lay than that is laid which is Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 So the very attempting to lay another ground is both an overturning of the Faith and a turning back unto the Law of Moses It being not the title and interest to the Kingdom or the Ius ad rem But the possession of the Kingdom or the Ius in Re that was promised in the law and to be hoped for by the Iewes in case they could observe it 3. Let works be made the condition upon which as some assert Christians must necessarily ground their hope of Glory and there will be no ground of hope left for such as walk in darkness and have no light Isa. 50.10 or that cannot by a reflexe Act discern themselves actually performing such and such conditions The conditional promises as a learned writer observeth being made rather to the Acts than Habits And least we as well as they should leave such poor souls comfortless consider First The admonition of the seven brethren in the forecited Epistle Scilicet there is a sturdy stoutness and unyieldingness of spirit in men against the blessed truths of the Gospel made known unto them they must have peace comfort and assurance their own way or else they reject all They would find a principle of life and power within themselves and not go to Christ for it they would bring something to Christ and not fetch all from Christ not knowing that the way which all believers have gone after much wearying of themselves to find some thing in themselves hath been at last to rowle themselves wholly upon the free grace of God through Jesus Christ seeing nothing in themselves yet giving glory to God by believing And if they could bring their hearts so disposed and qualified yet they see the danger of resting in what they are have and do And if want of such and such conditions and qualifications had ground enough to keep them from Christ it might have hindred any that ever did cast themselves upon the free grace of God because they would still have been at a losse finding a defect in them 2. That he that is born of God may have the seed remaining in him that he cannot sin and yet not always be able to bring forth the fruits of righteousnesse at least not always see himself so bringing forth for that the being of grace in doth not necessarily infer the seeing of grace by a christian That which we look upon as Luz may be Bethel the Lord in that place and yet Iacob knew it not Gen 28.16 The promise made good and applied to the soule and yet the soul not make good the condition nor apply it self unto the promise God be with us according to his word Heb. 6.13 and yet we as to our apprehensions at a distance from God Psal. 77.3 10.2 The Scriptures hold it forth as a firme qualication for a believer to see himselfe unqualified {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Poor or beggerly in spirit Mat. 5.3 and that then a man is in the fittest condition for the Kingdom of heaven to come to him when he sees himself able to perform no conditions whereupon he may ground his coming into the heavenly Kingdom {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The poor are Gospellized Luke 7.22 the rich need not they can Gospellize unto themselves both fetch down a promise suitable to that condition they have performed and form a faith ad libitum out of that condition sutable to the promise 4. Though they be promises made to such and such conditions and such Christians as have them while they can certainly say and see they have them may ground their hopes though neither infallibly nor ultimately thereupon yet are there absolute promises or rather declarations of everlasting love through Iesus Christ to poor wretched creatures that can say nothing for but all against themselves Scilicet that they are ungodly and the chief of sinners 2 Tim. 2.25 And God by these without those is able both to beget and increase faith in the heart of a sinner and keep him by his mighty power alone through faith in that word unto salvation He through the Spirit waiting continually for the hope of righteousnesse by faith Gal. 5.5 For 5. Though saith receive much refreshment and encouragement from sence yet it receiveth life and nourishment only from the word Rom 10.17 2 Pet. 2.2 Abraham the Father of the faithful may part with Isaac the only sensible ground he had of the accomplishment of the promise and yet his faith not be thereby destroyed but proved to be a true working faith indeed And Christians may loose the light of all their works and yet not loose the life of faith nor ground of hope but come experimentally to know the true difference betwixt faith and works what it is to believe on him who justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4.5 and to be justified by faith without the works of the Law Rom. 3.28 O woman great is thy faith saith Christ to her that believed and yet saw and confessed her self to be a dog Mat. 13.27 28. And as that saith Mr. Burges is the best manifestation of love when it is carried out to an enemy So is that faith when relying upon God though feeling terrors and hell within us See Burgesse justificat Lect. 14. Sect. 8. pag. 117. Citing and approving of Luthers two-fold pardon the first of meer faith and obtaineth much of God the latter of experience and takes off from the excellency of faith RIghteousnesse or good works are profitable to me and other Christians 1. As subservient subsequent Testimonies of our adoption in Iesus Christ For there is assurance in a believing soule successively or conjunctly as pleaseth God to order either primary which is the result of a direct act of the holy Spirit or secundary which is the result of a reflexe act of an inlightened understanding The first cometh like faith not by seeing but by hearing and the active instrument if we may call it an instrument by which the holy Ghost gives conveyes or begets it is by his own voyce testimony or word And the Passive instrument through which as the Conduit it is conveyed into the heart or inwards of a Christian is believing the Gospel or word of reconciliation as it is evident from Rom. 8.16 Eph 1.13 1 Iohn 5.10 Heb. 10.22 The second is collected from sence or a visible discerning the effects and fruits of the Spirit of Christ in and flowing from a believing heart and is more properly called Scientia