A Conciliatory DISCOURSE UPON Dr. Crisp's Sermons ON THE Observation of Mr. Williams 's Dissatisfactions in Them In which the Unsearcheable Riches of Christ IN THE Covenant of Grace passing Knowledge is yet Aspired to to be made Known Humbly Presented To the Preachers of the Merchants Lecture at Pinners-Hall To the Sustainers of it And the Congregation usually Assembled there By T. BEVERLEY LONDON Printed for William Marshall at the Bible in Newgate-street 1692. Where you may be furnished with Dr. Crisp's Works And likewise his Son's Book Samuel Crisp Esq Entitul'd Christ made Sin You may also be supplied 〈…〉 The PREFACE I Have not long ago endeavour'd to Write as a Reconciler between Two Persons of Estimable Memory Dr. Crisp and Mr. Baxter Now Both in their Spirits with Christ where They have Fully Concerted their seeming various Apprehensions or Representations in so Great Points not only by Receiving those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those Vn-utterable Explanations of them but in their Highest Enjoyments and Mutual Congratulations in those Fundamental Truths and Graces wherein they were even here notwithstanding a seeeming Discord and much more there One in Christ. But we that are on this side their Line still See through a Glass Darkly Perceive Know and Speak as Children and so Express our selves Diversly one from another as we look to this or that side of Truth Not being able to Comprehend the perfect Physiognomy or Representation of it at once And indeed in the Great Points that are nearest allied to the Coveant of Grace we are most unable to pronounce clearly That first Engraving upon our Hearts and the Divine Revelation of Christ From Faith Rom. 1. 17. having not yet Attain'd To Faith in Perfection are ready in this our Imperfect State to enter a Centest in our Minds and we cannot decide as we ought between the Eternal Law of Righteousness and the Everlasting Gospel of Righteousness and while we have Great Discourses in Scripture upon Both we very hardly keep the Ballance of the Sanctuary even in our Vnderstandings as it is in it self While therefore the Servants of Christ are some in their Ministry inclining the Beam one way and some another though according to the manifold Distributions of one and the same Spirit to both in the main yet they are ready to find fault mutually at their so doing It may be no Injury then for a Third to endeavour to set Both even though great Infirmity may appear in that also For who is sufficient for these Things Especially it is to be consider'd The Gospel-Righteousness or of Faith hath ever since the Apostles Preaching and Writing suffer'd an Eclipse by the Mystery of Iniquity early working and by degrees from that very time the Apâ—stle dates 2 Thess 2. it was cover'd more and more Till the very State of the Christian Church fell into the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Dark and Foul Place of the Apostacy 2 Pet. 1. 19. And though the Eclipse be much less than it was by the Light returning in the Reformation yet it remains in part and oh that it were not in Great part Now it is very observable That grand Prophecy of the Revelation knowing upon what side of Evangelical Truth that Black Shade would most dreadfully fall gives its Divine Symbols or most Exquisite Figures for prevention for preservation of the Witnesses of Christ for Condemnation of the Apostacy for Recovery out of it in this Supreme Article of Gospel-Truth the Blood of Christ Hence there are so often mentions of the Lamb of his Blood of Robes wash'd white in his Blood The pure and perfect Song of the Lamb as it was sung in the Apostles Days is given chap. 5. as the Great Standard The Witnesses are within the measur'd Temple during the whole Apostacy Which Temple is the known Type of Christ in his Redemption They are at the Golden Altar of Incense the pure Intercession of Christ in the deep of the Apostacy Along the entire space of which that New Song of the Lamb chap. 5. is almost wholly lost The Apostacy is thus condemn'd ch 13. 8. All the Earth Worshipp'd the Antichristian Beast whose Names were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life slain from the Foundation of the World The difference is not very great whether we apply the last words to the Lamb slain or Names written I prefer the first shewing the Eviternity of the Sacrifice of Christ above the Vpstarts of Antichristianism At the end of the Apostacy when the Witnesses Seal'd on their Foreheads appear'd with the Name written there as I have further intimated in the following Discourse The Song as it were new because so much Lost is Sung again with the Voice of Thunder and to be Learnt chap. 14. and is perfectly Learnt chap. 15. after the Preaching of the Everlasting Gospel There the Kingdom of Redemption in its fully Glory follows wherein the Saints are Priests not only of God but of Christ a 1000 Years chap. 20. 6. Have the Name not only of God but of the Lamb written on their Foreheads And the Throne of God and the Lamb is in that City of Redemption c. 22. 3 4. And it is most notorious Matter of Fact that the most Glorious Ray of the Reformation was the Restoration of the Doctrine of Justification by Free Grace and Faith in Jesus wherein Luther and Calvin with other Reformers however in other things they differ'd yet concurr'd herein as under the Spirit and Zeal of Elijah All in it How much any under the Profession of the Reformation have declin'd from this Ipsi Viderint Let them well look to it I am far from esteeming the Reverend Persons I have to do with Dead or Living among that sort But this Great Fall of the Christian Church as from Heaven in this Point would tempt any considering Person to be most on the side of those who ascribe most to Free Grace and the Righteousness of God in Christ Except they hold the Doctrine or Deeds of the Nicolaitans the Turning the Grace of God into Lasciviousness which Thing Christ hates ch 2. 6 15. being the other part of Antichristianism Indulgences to Sin And this I never heard Dr. Crisp charg'd with and he is particularly acquitted by his Reverend Opposite I dare not pretend to justifie all my own much less anothers Expressions who knew his own Grounds and Reasons of so expressing and it is most probable thought some unusual ones necessary to alarm the Thoughts and Minds of Men into the Observation of the Truths he design'd to exalt as not enough exalted I do not pretend to enter as they say the Lists with so Judicious and Worthy a Person as Mr. Williams nor with the Things he hath spoken giving a Cordial Assent to much the most nor shall I I hope appear Contentious wherein I dissent but have only consider'd what Truth lies on each hand more than what he himself hath so excellently observ'd and have therefore made his
sense before either Justification or Pardon but that mighty Rays and Beams of each must be broken out to the Soul before it enters into the Beginnings of Eternal Life by Faith and Repentance is very hard to understand except Faith and Repentance are ascrib'd to Man as the Products of his own Power and Will If they are from God his Justifying Righteousness and Pardon are come near when-ever where-ever he gives Faith and Repentance And as it may be most necessary in some regards to Preach Faith and Repentance as in order to Pardon and Justification so is it no less necessary to be as Free and Large that without graciousest Approaches of the Righteousness of God and Christ brought near Faith and Repentance lye for ever dead that every unconverted Person may gasp up to God and Christ for that Grace that is abundant in Him The intention is not that Pardon or Justification can be without Faith or Repentance but whether Justification doth not draw and excite its own Faith and Pardon it s own Repentance So that they are rather before Faith and Repentance than Faith and Repentance before them And which Preaching is most to be preferr'd in the Nature of Things without respect to the Present Necessity and for the Time Being That which is most abundant in ascribing to the Principal or in pressing the Less Principal and Subordinate I make no doubt the Singing the new Song before spoken of Rev. 14. will in a short time determine And yet I defer all that ought to be deferr'd to those whose Spirits are both enlarg'd and enabled to offer to the Souls of Men the things wherein God appears as the Rector of the World offering Faith and Repentance in order to Justification and Pardon while the Secret Springs of his Justifying and Pardoning Grace give the very Faith and Repentance required But surely great respect may be had to what is to be without violating what is even as Sacrifices are debas'd Esa 1. in foresight of their final removal by Christ Head 13. Sinners have much to do to be saved Conciliation Even the Righteous arc scarcely saved For with Men it 's impossible but with God all things are possible I can do all things through Christ strengthening me My Yoke saith Christ is easie my Burden is light I will run the way of thy Commandments when Thou shall enlarge my Heart The Joy of the Lord is Strength His Delight is in the Law of the Lord Faithful is he that hath Promised and will Perform it to the Day of Jesus Christ Great and Precious Promises are given whereby we are made Partakers of the Divine Nature We can do nothing againstst the Truth but for the Truth All these with innumerable more of the like shew the Certainty and the Easiness of the Salvation of God's Elect. And yet as we look to Man and his Motion and Action these Things are impossible For there is no doubt Holiness and New Obedience are the Paths wherein though with many Imperfections Falls and weaknesses in the present state God carries his Elect to Life and Salvation And the Way is narrow and the Gate strait and require striving to Enter But God is their strength who keeps their Foot from being taken that they walk in their way safely and their Steps are not straitned He makes their Feet as Hinds Feet and sets them on High Places They that wait on the Lord run and are not weary They walk and faint not He girdeth them with strength By him they leap over a Wall Head 14 15. I joyn these Two together The Gospel hath Threats and Promises Holiness and Good Works are necessary to Salvation Conciliation As upon the gracious Councels of God before All Worlds Began so upon this very Point among all the Disposes of God in time the Hinge of these Points turns For if the Gospel be a Law full of all Holy and Righteous Precepts to which Faith and Repentance introduce us arm'd with its Promises and Threats and so setled as a Covenant that who of himself accepts the Terms of it by Faith and Repentance under the Assurance of the Assistances of the Divine Spirit are accepted and shall have All the Benefits of it and whoever will not shall be Damn'd and his Judgment shall be more intollerable because he refuses such gracious Terms offerr'd This doth I confess perfectly overthrow Dr. Crisp's Scheme For then Christ comes in as a Law-giver and having all Judgment committed to him and there is a Mediatorian Law and Covenant in the Hand of the Mediator of more gracious condescention than that of the Covenant of Works but the last result of all is into the free Will of Man and his Action in compliance with this Covenant Thus of the Law and the Covonant of Works as the First Law there is a Perfect Abrogation as a Law but as the Holiness and Righteousness of it are transplanted into this New Law so here is as to that Law a perfect Antinomianism and all Mankind are only under this Law and Justification Salvation or Death and Condemnation are according to Obedience or Disobedience to this Law or Gospel-Covenant of which the Conditions are Faith and Repentance But if the Gospel in the Supreme Intention of it and in the Propriety of its Nature be a Covenant of Grace wherein God is pleas'd to be from his own free purpose of Grace the Soveraign Covenantee and his Elect bear the Analogy or part of Covenantees as at the other Extreme and Jesus Christ the Mediator Surety and Testator pass between both that all may be perform'd Mediating with God for his efficacious Grace in giving the Divine Dispositions promised in this Covenant as if perform'd by the Covenantees So bringing every thing in effect from God to us and from us to God and by his Death having right as a Testator to bestow the very things upon All given to him by God to give Eternal Life to them John 17. 2. Then shall the Gospel or New Testament be supremely a Ministration of the Spirit of Righteousness of Life according to 2 Cor. 3. And in its Subordinate Nature it shall be a Publication of the Divine Grace and Love to Mankind in general upon the Terms of Faith and Repentance The Law all this time stands in its own place as the Eternal Sanction of Holiness and Righteousness and can never be abrogated because it is Eternal Righteousness but it is as a Covenant so far mitigated as to accept the Satisfaction it requires from a Mediator and so it is in the Hand of a Mediator Gal. 3. 19. Towards whom it commands Faith and Repentance or return to God by him even as it is a Law of Eternal Righteousness Requiring Faith and Obedience to all Manifestations from God sufficiently testified to be from him and as these Manifestations of Grace are the only possibility left to a fallen Nature to return into a State of Agreement with God Hereupon the Law
becomes a Standard by which the full Value of the Satisfaction of Christ by his Sacrifice and Obedience unto Justification and the Infinite Grace of God in Pardon is tryed and made glorious by which the Duties of Humiliation Confession of Sin Application to Christ for Righteousness Repentance should be both understood and urged Here is the Rule for Holiness and new Obedience out of which all the Holy Precepts of the Gospel are drawn Hereby the Remainders of Sin are Discern'd and Humiliation under them wrought Hereby is the Infinite Grace of Christ towards his Legatees his Redeemed set at full Light in working an Inward Conformity to this Holy Law in all parts of it And hereby the Government of God committed to Christ is continued with Relation to all Mankind even to all not given to him For they who have the Gospel Preached to them are judged not only according to the Law of Righteousness first written in the Heart but according to this Divine Revelation and Grace which highly aggravates their Disobedience and makes it more Tollerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for them Mat. 10. 24. They who have not the Gospel are judged according to that Law and Light of Nature They have concerning the Law and that Witness of an Intention of Grace God gives to them in giving Fruitful Times and Seasons and all the Discoveries of his Patience Leading them to Repentance even as the King of Nineveh who shall rise up in Judgment and condemn Heathens who have not by such a Light from the forbearance of God argued to Repentance as he did And thus are the Secrets of all Hearts judged according to the Apostles Gospel as he said Rom. 2. 16. Some Ombrage of which Heathens have Thus the Law is established and preserved in its full Authority and the Gospel is also establish'd as Divine Revelation and in its High purely promissory Part as a Ministration of the Spirit And if the Designation of the Gospel be particularly singled out for the most powerful Preaching of it by some and yet in the mean time the more large and universal Motion and Doctrin of the Gospel be Preach'd more universally by the most of the Preachers whom the Spirit of God according also to the general Stream of Scripture hath so Missiond Commission'd and Enabled I cannot see but here may be the Sweetest Union and as great a Conspiration as between the Apostle Paul and the Apostle James while one tells us a Man justifyed by Faith without Works and the Last tells us by what of Faith viz not by the Body of Faith or a Confession of Faith but by the Spirit of it the Vis Essectrix or Operatrix the working Efficacy of it which I take on great Reason to be the very true Expedient of Reconciliation between the two Apostles and yet in both by the Righteousness of Christ by Faith alone and that Faith given only by Christ So all is of Grace Ephes 2. For Faith and all its Works flow from the Blood and Righteousness of Christ drawing nigh to his Elect People to Regenerate and to justifie together Titus 3. 5. c. And surely by a close and universal Compare of Scripture The Day of Judgment must be according to this very same Grace For when the Spirits of Saints are immediately with Christ and He receives them who Dye and Sleep in him in a Moment in the Twinkling of an Eye made Perfect and when they are Raised Incorruptible he brings them with him and they together with Christ Judge Angels and the World And it is given to them to Appear in Robes wash'd white in the Blood of the Lamb and to be Cloathed in Linnen white and clean which is the Righteousness of the Saints and he presents them to himself without Spot Wrinckle or any such Thing It cannot be understood that the Day of Judgment in relation to the Saints is by way of Tryal of Judgment on particular Actions But their very Appearance is their Absolution and Adjudgment to Glory as Clad in the rich Robes Wash'd in the Blood of the Lamb All their Graces and Holy Duties fill'd up and their Sins perfectly blotted out and remainders of Corruption effaced by Grace perfected in Glory On the other side The wicked have Appearances in their Sins having found them out covering them as a Garment of Dishonour and as filthy Garments that expose them immediately to Condemnation And as if their particular Sins were written upon them and the Condemnation together with them And thus each appear visibly before the Throne Tribunal and Judgment Seat of Christ during the whole Thousand Years of his Kingdom One Crowned with Glory and Honour the other cover'd with Shame and Contempt If any should object Christs insisting on the particular Duty of Visiting Cloathing Feeding Mat. 25. either as perform'd or neglected It is to be observ'd each sort first were set one on the Right Hand the other on the Left one as Sheep the other as Goats So the Tryal was easie If it be further said God will bring every Work into Judgment whether it be Good or Evil. This I attribute to the mighty Power and Wisdom of God giving together with every Person before his Judgment all the Holy Actions of Saints wash'd and perfected in and by the Blood of Jesus and fill'd up with his Grace and by the Spirit as in a Moment an Atom of Time the Twinkling of an Eye and their Sins so taken away as not only not to be found but not to be Whereas the Talents of wicked Men that is any good Things they had here not being purged by his Blood perfected by his Obedience and fill'd up by his Spirit are taken from them and they appear All in their Sins And thus the Order of Things at that Day is according to the free Grace of Election Calling Justification and Sanctification covered under Justification in that Chain of Salvation Rom. 8. and Glorification springing from all Head 15. Holiness and good Works are necessary to Salvation Conciliatiion Good Works are so as they are the Provision and Preparation of God even of his Eternal free Grace in furnishing us with them and as we are his Workmanship in Christ Jesus Created to them But the Number Measure Elevation of them in higher or lower Degrees of Excellency so diverse in Saints shew the Foundation of our Salvation as well as Justification rests elsewhere Head 16. Good Works are profitable and please God Conciliation They do so as they are the Fruits of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Disposalls of his free Grace in us and to us and so by us And as God is pleas'd to shew himself as the Supreme Rector and Governor according to his Holy Law but yet so that the Poles on which Salvation moves are the Grace of God in our Election and his Acceptation of us to Righteousness in Christ and if he leave any of his Servants in their Service and
Yet speaking in the Language of Eternity he calls them Vessels of Mercy Vessels unto Honour And indeed whatever is looked upon as only a Motion or Ordination of Time must needs arise from our selves For all Acts of Grace are Eternal in their Spring and Fountain Time therefore genders only to a Covenant of Works I know not therefore but why as the generality of Preachers enlarge most upon the one as to unconverted Elect There may not be some stirr'd up and enabled of God to triumph in the Savour of the Knowledg of Christ made known by them in the other while they Center upon the Eteral Election of God demonstrating it self in Calling Conversion Sanctification But they only can do this who have receiv'd it as a peculiar Talent But I doubt not the Spirit of it will within short time be pour'd out more abundantly and that it shall not turn to Licentiousness but overflow with Holyness and Purity as also Efficacy of Conversion The third Head I Transpose into the second Place as being more Congenial or of a kind with the first and will joyn the second with the fourth and those following to Head 8th Head 2. The laying the Sins of the Elect upon Christ is not their Discharge from their Sins This is oppos'd to what Dr. Crisp hath said All the Weight and all the Burden of Sin the very Sin it self is long ago laid upon Christ and that laying it on him is a full Discharge and Release to that c. The Conciliation To an Eternal Being there must needs be an Eternal Justification because there is no new thing to him The Apostle therefore makes the whole Chain of Salvation of an Eternal old Style whom he Foreknew he Called he Justified he Glorified Rom. 8. 30. All in the Time pass'd not in the Style of Time but of Eternity But when we speak in new Style Style of Time there is not an actual Discharge of Sin or a Justification of a Sinner by Election but according to the order of things fix'd by God in Time Even so if we consider Sins lay'd upon Christ even the Sins of all the Elect in the Fulness of Time as the Apostle styles it That Fulness of Time may be very well supposed to collect into it self all Time And as the Sins that were past were Recollected so the Sins to come were Forepriz'd into it And all this issues into the Fulness of Times that is of all Time in the Kingdom of Christ For as Christ dyed in the Fullness of Time so the Glory of his Redemption appears in the Fulness of Times Eph. 1. 10. of All Time when all Things in Heaven and Earth shall be Recapitulated in him which yet we know they are not The Offering of Christ therefore is an Offering once for all and it is one Offering that forever Perfects and Jesus Christ is Yesterday and to Day the same forever As then all Time is gather'd into that Fulness of Time So that Fulness of Time redounds upon all Time and Flows out upon it till it Flows into that Fulness of Times Now as the Lord of Time offered Himself in the Fulness of Time he expiated all Sins in that Fulness and what was expiated in the Fulness can never be charged in the Retail of Time for then it was not expiated Although therefore when we are spoken of and unto as not the Lords of Time but the Subjects of Time we are oblig'd to measure it out by Parts as being Inferiors to it and below the Hill to it we see the Approaches of its Events one after another only but the Lord Paramount of it being so high above it sees all at once we are Creatures but of the Parts of it so indeed we are not Discharged from Sin in the Discharge of Christ But from hence to conclude we are not in highest Sense Discharg'd but that if the Elect dye before Faith and Repentance they are lost for ever is to make supposition of Impossibilities it is to set Time the small outlet of Eternity to rise up and Encounter and lead Captive Eternity even the Eternity of Election and that the parts of Time may be set in Battel Array and subdue the Fulness of Time But this can by no serious Considerer be allow'd I find not then but as there is just Reason to represent to Men that till they find within themselves the Efficacies of the Death and Redemption of Christ by Faith and Repentance they stand in the sight of their own Consciences as Persons who have no Interest in that Death in that Redemption And that this is proper on one side representing God and Christ therein as the Rector and Governor of the World to move them to Repentance and it is that which Scripture does very largely and frequently insist upon So on the other side it is most true That the Foundation of God stands sure and cannot shake nor totter even under this very Seal single and alone That the Lord knows who are his and that his Election shall break out with all the mighty Effects he hath pitch'd upon as most suitable and Connatural to it So that it shall produce in all its own the Derivative Stamp Let him that nameth the Name of Christ depart from all Iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. And that Christ is in all Senses the Certain and Infallible Sanctifier of his People by his Blood That he not only as a Judge and a Law-giver but as a Prince gives Repentance and Remission of Sins This may be as hopeful to move the Spirits of Men and be as gracious a Conveyance of the mighty Efficacy of the Divine Grace and Spirit For as these are rich Truths of Scripture so they have an admirable mooving Stroke upon the Hearts and Minds of Men And he that Ministers them is a Minister far more immediately of the Spirit that giveth Life of that without which the Evangelick Law is a Letter that kills Head 3 to Head 8. I put these Heads together because there cannot be any difference in the main Notions but only in the different ways of Expressions and what each part may think will most lively illustrate and make the deepest imprint of the great Scripture-truths upon the Heart I say there can be no difference in the main Truths between Persons sober and Reverent of God and of Christ for who can think the filth of Sin transacted on Christ in such a sense as that Christ should be defiled by it But now there must needs be a Moral Impurity in every Sin as it is a Recess from the Holiness of God from the Righteousness of the Divine Law there is a Dishonour a Blot a Stain and Blemish a Deformity a loss of Beauty and Honour and Happy Conformity to Goodness and Righteousness This is intended by Reatus Culpae another thing from the Reatus Poenae or a meer Obligation to Punishment I demand then What becomes of this Obliquity the Guilt of the very
Good Works to the Eleventh Hour or that he fits them not to such Abundant Services Eminency and Exemplariness therein as he doth other of his Saints He hath an Infinite Fund to supply them out of viz. the Righteousness and Obedience of Christ and Power of Grace to Accomplish them to their Measure Head 16. Our Good should be intended by Good Works Conciliation Our Good should be intended by them as they are Manifestations of the Grace of Christ in us and suitable to that Law he influences his Servants by his Spirit according to In the want of which we have great reason to Mourn as giving Fear and Suspition Christ is not in us of a Truth and that he leaves us to do the things very displeasing and offensive to his Holy Nature and the Rule of Life and Action his Grace governs his Servants by but yet they are not of themselves our Title but our Evidences only of our Title which is Christ alone and if we are his we shall certainly be born up to what He as our Mediator Surety and Testator hath thought necessary to our Salvation and will accept and supply the want of by himself Yet all is and ought so to be carried that we may be urg'd and press'd to our Duty as under the Holy Rectory of God and Christ and according to all the Rules of his Word Head 17. Assurance is by Gospel-Marks and not by a Voice within us Conciliation Marks are according to Scripture yet so that they are but few of any of the Servants of God but have reason to fly to the Witness of the Spirit and its Voice crying Abba Father and to appeal to Infinite Grace seeing in the midst of our Falls Failings and Imperfections we cannot otherwise discern where Sincerity and Perfect Obedience divide one from another and what is enough in our many Corruptions to constitute Sincerity Besides seeing our Staple-hold is the Righteousness of Christ without us our Supreme Testimony depends upon his Spirit witnessing within us indeed yet from what is without us viz. Free Grace Head 18. God charges Sin on Men and they should repent for Repeated Pardons Conciliation This is among the Wise Holy and Gracious Methods of God and Christ in this present Low State of the Redemption appearing until its Glory in the Kingdom of Christ that Sin is charg'd and Pardon repeatedly begg'd in Daily Prayers But all notwithstanding is secur'd in the unchangeableness of Electing Love of Justifying Grace of the daily Issuing Pardon of the New Covenant immediately ready and thus express'd as if it issued out upon the very Sin I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesses and their Sins and Iniquities I will remember no more Heb. 8. 12. Before David had said any more than this I have sinned against the Lord Nathan said from God The Lord hath put away the Iniquity of thy Sin Thou shalt not Dye 2 Sam. 12. 13. The Grace of the Covenant went forward therefore in him as in all Saints to the Composure of his Heart to that great Penitential Psal 51. So that in a way of Consolation of Saints and Encouraging of all to Come into Christ there may be great Freedom of Expression us'd in which some Things may need Review and Correction as Humane and yet the main Scope and Intention preserv'd as consistent with sincere Design to promote Holiness most livelily flowing from the Grace of the Covenant and the Death of Christ into the Hearts and Lives of Believers there being hence much more hope both in Conversion and Renewed Repentance than in any thing within Men themselves whenever they have fallen into Sin after conversion or while in an unconverted estate Head Sin may hurt Believers and God afflicts for Sin Conciliation While we look down to the present State and to God's present Government of the World this must be acknowledg'd and yet when we lift up our Hearts to the Consideration of the Supreme Grace of God in Jesus Christ the very hurt Sin does Believers or even the Elect is made to serve the Triumphs of Grace and all their Afflictions for Sin are Salutary Dispensations All which must needs be granted on close reasoning these Points and will bear out many Amplifications of this Grace in Discourses declararatory of it tho' on the other side a very different way of speaking of them must be submitted to in this Atmosphere this Dark and Foul Place of the Apostacy we are yet in and it is born out by a very general way of Scripture-speaking Head 19. Sincere Holiness is not Dung nor does the Apostle include such Holiness in that so great Scripture concerning Evangelical Righteousness Philip 3. 7 c. Conciliation For the clearing of that great Scripture and the Points dependent upon it I must first take the freedom to assert That the Apostle doth in that Context lay down at full and at large the two great Points of Justification and Sanctification In that of Justification he rises to the heighth and so in that of Sanctification and these are both handled so distinctly that they cannot be confounded For the Apostle had fallen severely upon the Concision by whom he most probably means those who compounded the Profession of Christianity with the Works and Ritualisms of the Law as if Christ were not enough without them for Acceptance with God for Righteousness in Justification and Holiness in Sanctification and therefore he calls them not The Circumcision meaning Pure and Perfect Jews but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Concision as a Peculiar Brand of Reproach upon Them and calls Himself and Sincere Christians The Circumcision viz. The Spiritual Circumcision who Worship God in Spirit who hold the True Righteousness of Faith of which it was the Seal Rejoyce in Christ Jesus alone and have no confidence in the Flesh that is in Creature Righteousness In the same sense Flesh is taken Rom. 4. 1. What shall we say that Abraham our Father hath found according to the Flesh viz. according to his own Righteousness not only Ceremonial but Moral For if Abraham were justified by Works c. So But if he had no other way but to believe on him that justifieth the Vngodly It is evident it was not Ceremonial Ritual Works the Apostle discoursed of but Substantial Works of Righteousness opposed to Vngodliness Thus the Apostle reckoning up his own Priviledges first gives indeed those which were External and Ritual but adds Moral in those words According to the Righteousness of the Law which was not only Ceremonial but Moral He was Blameless which words may be expounded by those I have liv'd in all good Conscience before God to this day Acts 23. 1. Now upon all this he sits as an Accountant with his Tables before him and what had been Gain or Riches in his Account he now writes it All Cypher And then by way of Triumph and in a mighty Elevation of his Discourse he adds Yea doubtless I count not only
my Jewish as I may call them Effects but even whatever else may come into Computation even All he accounted Loss of no Value On what Recompence or Reparation did the Apostle thus cast out every thing On this alone That he might be found in Christ not having his own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is the Righteousness of Christ the Righteousness of God which is by Faith To clear the Apostle's Doctrine These two great Doubts must be decided Query I. Whether the Apostle thus far as we have gone is upon the Point of Justification or of Sanctification or so much as on Sanctification join'd with Justification or on Justification purely and alone when he speaks thus Quer. II. Whether the Apostle puts into this Account of Loss and Dung the Inherent Holiness he had as a Christian looking upon it as Inherent and in Himself whether I say he accounted this as Loss and Dung or only the Ceremonial Ritual Righteousness of the Law together with his Pretentions to the Moral Righteousness of it as without Christ and separated from him The clear Decision of these two Questions will much contribute to our distinct Judgment in the Points we are upon Answer to Query I. I assert therefore thus far as I have gone upon this Context or till the Apostle comes to those words That I may know Him and the Power of his Resurrection he is wholly and solely upon the Point of Justification and not of Sanctification Argument 1. The Apostles does in all his Solemn Discourses most distinctly handle the Point and Doctrine of Justification by it self and of Sanctification by it self so Rom. c. 3. c. 4. c. 5. he begins with Justification and so goes on to Sanctification c. 6. so Gal. c. 3. he discourses of Justification and the consequences of it c. 4. and so enters into that of Sanctification c. 5. c. 6. Even in all the Apostolick Epistles we may find the Lines of Justification and Sanctification are kept distinct and clear one from the other So therefore here it is to be expected he should do for the Gospel-Notions are most distinct Arg. 2. The Righteousness of God without the Law Rom. 3. 21 22 c. is the Righteousness of Justification Arg. 3. Righteousness by Faith is a peculiar manner of Speaking in the Point of Justification Justified by Faith and Righteousness of Faith is several times mention'd in the Discourse of Justification Rom. c. 3. c. 4. in those great and most distinct Treaties of Justification Rom. 10. Gal. 3. Arg. 4. The Expression of being Found in Christ being so plain an Allusion to the Cities of Refuge the Security from the Avengers of Blood plainly shews The Apostle was upon the Point of Justification our great Security against Guilt Wrath and Condemnation at the Times when the Pursuits will be closest upon us Arg. 5. The First and Fundamental Riches of every Man is that Righteousness by which we stand before God Arg. 6. That which is oppos'd to the Righteousness of the Law which was according to the Covenant of Works to justifie is the Righteousness of Christ for Justification so no other can be meant Arg. 7. The Apostle goes on to so solemn a Discourse of Sanctification in the most proper Expressions of it Source and Springs of it and to the utmost Heighths of it and so consequent and dependent upon his being Found in Christ for Justification that it is an Injury to his Discourse to Confound the Foregoing so proper to Justification with those so proper to Sanctification as shall be presently made further out Ans to Quer. II. I assert in answer to Query II. There is great reason to believe the Apostle put into the Account or Bill of his Effects the Holiness he had as a Christian considered as inherent in himself but not as in Christ so that even this he accounted but as Loss and of vile Account in the Point of Justification Argument 1. Because by way of Elevation and Surmount above all he had be-before said of Ritual or Moral Legal Righteousness the Apostle says Yea doubtless I count all Things Now what All or Any could there be in Relation to God between God and the Soul beyond what he had Named but what he had as a Christian as in Himself but not as in Christ And hereunto agrees that venerable Person Dr. Tuckney in his Sermons on Philip. 3. p. 42. Arg. 2. That Expression of being Found in Christ viz. Christ himself shews a Christian cannot rest in what he hath though from Christ in himself as a Christian except he be found in Christ himself Arg. 3. Because all the Holiness of a Christian as it is in himself and not in Christ comes under the denomination of his own Righteousness and even of the Righteousness of the Law For it can be no other than the Righteousness of that Law which is Spiritual Holy Just and Good And to assert any other Righteousness of Sanctification as to the Matter is a greater Antinomianism or Elevation of the Law of God than any other thing call'd so loudly Antinomianism Arg. 4. The Holiness Majesty Purity of God is infinitely great we cannot stand before him but in the increated Righteousness of Christ alone Angelical Righteousness is call'd Folly and is unclean before Him What wonder is it then our Holiness however receiv'd from Christ is as in us in the midst of remaining Sin call'd Dung even as Filthy Rags Isa 64. 6. Object But can the Righteousness of Holiness and Sanctification from Christ be stiled Dross or Dung of which the Apostle just after desir'd so high Attainments Answ We ought to distinguish between the Holiness of Sanctification as it is in a perpetual Emanation from Christ from his Righteousness from his Death from his Resurrection and as it is in us mixed and allayed with the remaining Corruption in the best of Saints in the 〈…〉 be called Loss or Dung for it is consider'd in Christ the Fountain and so as from him to us where it is pure and unmix'd under his Sacrifice the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant the Power of the endless Life streaming out always upon it But as in us if considered as separate from Christ It is as a Beam clip'd off from the Sun that would presently vanish and come to nothing or sink into our Darkness and Impurity It is the great Admonition therefore of the Apostle to Timothy 2 Tim. 2. 1. My Son be strong in the Grace that is in Jesus Christ. And to shew how earnestly Christians should press to the height of these Emanations from the Death and Resurrection of Christ he lays down that great Canon never Calculated for any Poor Base Ritual Conformity never in the Apostles Thoughts But it is fitted to that great end viz. To Attain if it were possible the Holiness of the Resurrection of the Dead And for this to forget All that is behind And to press according to the