life annexed to its Possitive of believing For such is boâ—h the wisdom and mercy of God that that life man forfeited by transgressing a Legal Positive eating the forbidden fruit he should recover by obseâ—ving a Gospel-Positive Faith in a Medâ—atiour Faith in God is of the Law Moral Faith in a Mediatiour a gospel-Gospel-Positive Now to this gospel-Gospel-Positive is annexed the Promise of eteâ—nal life Act. 13.39 16.31 c. And from this Gospel-Promise of life annexed to this Gospel-Precept of â—aith in a Mediatour hath faith the nature and notion of a Title and will accordingly be so judged by God In relation to the Precept it hath the nature of obedience in relation to the Promise the nature of a Title There is indeed in the nature of Faith as a receiving Grace a peculiar aptitude above other Graces to become a Title but that it actually becomes such is from the constitution and ordination of God by his Gospel-Promise As the Rain-bow had its peculiar aptitude by nature above all other Meteors to become the Sign of that Covenant God made with Noah no more to destroy the World by Water that Bow being alwaies placed by the Pencil of the Sun beames in so thin a dewy Cloude from which no great Rain can ensue but that it should be a sign of no universal deluge ever after to ensue from the collection of any other Clouds was meerly by Divine Institution So Faith of its own nature as a receiving grace had a special aptness above all other graces to become the condition of the Covenant of Grace But that it actually became such the condition of the Covenant of Grace and title to the Grace of the Covenant was meerly by the free Constitution of God And his Judiciary Sentence will be according to his Gospel-Constitution 2. And as God will judg here according to his Promise annexed to his Positive Precept of the Gospel for Faith in a Mediatour so will he judg here too according to his Promise annexed to his moral Precepts of the Law for obedience as fruit and evidence of that Faith Rom. 8.1 Mat. 25.34 35 c. In the former place non-condemnation and consequently salvation is made the priviledge both of those that are in Christ by Gospel-Faith and those that walk after the Spirit but principally of a state in Christ by Gospel-Faith of walking after the Spirit as Characteristical and signative of that state and condition In the latter place you have the Sentence passed accordingly Come ye blâ—ssed oâ— my Father There 's their {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Adoption and Sonship by Chrâ—st with the blessedness of that state Receive the Kingdom There 's the Inheritance adjudged to them For ye have done so and so that For not inferential of the moral meritoriousness of their works of mercy to Christ and his Members but of their own Membership by faith evidenced by their works of mercy to their fellow-Members Thus largely too largely I fear for the Straitness of time though not for the weight of the things of the second Quâ—re A third Quere should have been What manner of Rulâ— of mans Obedience and Gods Judgment the Law of God is And for Answer I should have shewed that 't is 1. An obliging Rule for that 's the nature of a Law Regula Obligans I think as just a definition of Lex as most given 1. An obliging Rule in respect of mans obedience As a Rule 't is an Act of the Divine understanding shewing man in what way he may walk as his convenience Regula indicat as an obliging Rule or Law 't is an act of the Divine will requiring man to walk in that way as his duty Lex imperat See both these in that one Scripture Mich. 68. He hath Shewed thee oh man what is good There 's the Proper Act of the Law of God simply as a Rule And what doth the Lord Require of thâ—â— c. There 's the proper Act of the Law of God as an obliging Rule 2. An obliging Rule in respect of Gods Judgment and there proportionably as a Rule it shews what rewards God may apportion to mans obedience or punishments to mans disobedieâ—ce As an obliging Rule or Law iâ—'s obliging upon God to conferre such rewards upon mans obedience and obliging not upon God to inflict but upon man to undergo such punishments upon his disobedience if God inflâ—ct them on him 2. The first obliging Rule As the will of God exerting or putting forth his natural powâ—r or strength is in natural things the first efficiâ—nt cause So the will of God exerting or putting forth his moral power or authority is in moral things the first obliging Rule and as all things in nature act dependingly upon the Will of God putting forth his natural power as the first efficient cause so in morality all Laws oblige dependingly upon the Will of God putting forth his moral power as the first obliging Rule whether in point of obedience or judgment This such Judges and Pleaders of Law as are Makers of Law too among us have special reason to take notice of Therefore for the exellently both full and clear handling of this Point and many singular Corollaries drawn down from it I shall referre them to Petr. de Alliaco the Learnâ—d Cardinal of Cambray in Princ. in Prim Sentent in quaest. dâ—term in vesper ad calcem 4. â—â— Senten 3. A Rule obliging in the first place to obedience and in the second to Judgment First obliging man to obedience and secondly either upon his performance obliging God to conferre the rewards promised or upon his non-performance obliging man to suffer if God inflict the Punishments threatned This clear as in the nature of the things so in the order of the Words in the Text So Speak Ye and so Do as they that shall be judged 4. A most freely and impartially obliging Rule both in point of obedience and Judgment This too in the Text The Law of Liberty and that in the Explication sufficiently cleared and we have not time actum agere These Reasons also of the Point had been given would the time have permitted 1. That there might be nothing of encouragement wanting to obedience or of discouragement to disobedience God would have the Promises and Threatnings as clear in the same Law as a Rule of Judgment As the Precepts and Prohibitions are in it as a Rule of obedience that man might obey having respect unto the recompence of the Reward and perswaded by the terrours of the Lord beware of disobedience 2. That there might remain nothing of pretext or excuse to those who walking not according to the Precepts and Prohibitions of the Law of God as a Rule of obedience shall be sentencâ—d according to the Promises and Threatnings of it as a Rule of Judgment to lose the Rewards promised and incurre the Punishments threaâ—ned They cannot say if we had known our disobedience should have been so
to a Rule equally imperfect with it self and so Gods Judgment must be according Not to dispute the Suppositum Answer 1. The condition of the Law of nature as it hath the Super-added formality of a Covenant of Works is such that being once broken it can never be performed by him that breaks it The souls of just men made perfâ—ct could not conâ—inue a moment in Heaven in the right of their own perfect inherent righteousness it being the righteousness of persons who had sin'd 2. That the esseâ—tials of the moral creature Man if they have the capacity of a Law to be obeyed as well as of a principle to obey yet in the capacity of a Law they are a necessary Law so requiring that they cannot but require obedience But in the capacity of a Principle they are a free principle so able to yeeld that they may not yeeld obedience And which is more never did any fallen man do what he was able by his essentials as a Principle of obedience to the same essentials as a Law 3. That man at first had not only natural principle enableing him to do the things for the matter contain'd in the Law but a supernatural Principle also enabling to the manner of doing required by the Law That by his fall his naturals were indeed but corrupted and that perhaps equally both as a Law requiring of and Principle enabling to the things to be done for the matter But his supernaturals enabling to the graâ—ious manner of doing were wholly lost 4. That man hath indeed by sinne as much blur'd and blotted rent and razed his counterpart of the Law and Covenant of works as he hath vitiated and weakened his natural Principle But God hath kept his counterpart of the same Law pure and entire Now Gods procedure in judgment will not be according to Heathen mens rent and razed but his own pure and perfect counterpart of that Law as a Landlord will deal with a Tenant in the like case of a Lease So that the Infidel Heathen as he sinnes without shall also be judged by God to perish without Law i. e. doth not in sinning shall not in judging come under the aggravation of the Jews sinne against or judgment by the Law written in Tables no more then of the unbelieving Christians sin against or judgment by the Gospel But shall be judged by as he sinnes against the Law written in his heart and not only as in his heart corrupted and defaced but as in the uncorrupt counterpart the great Judg keepeth by him 2. Whereof more briefly if they be Jews in the forementioned condition as 't is conceiv'd many of those people especially since the dispersion are their obedience or disobedience shall be measur'd according to the line and rule of the Law written in Tables and Gods proceeding in Judgment with them accordingly Rom 2 12. As many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law 't is clearly spoken of the Jew As many as have sin'd {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the Law commonly interpreted by {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} having the Law But I conceive there 's more much more in the expression then so {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} In the Law means in the midst of so much Law in the face and light of so pure and clear Law As many as have thus sin'd in the Law shall be accordingly judged by the Law so much more severely then the Infidel Heathen as they have sin'd more hainously against a perfect Transcript by the hand of that perfect counterpart in the hand of the great Law-giver himself never purchased to the Infidel Heathen Rom. 2.9 Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile 2. Those who have had Christ whether Jews or carnal Christians sufficiently proposed to them but never by saving Faith closed with him have both Law and Gospel the rule of their obedience and shall have of Gods Judgment They have 1. Both the Law and Gospel the Rule of their obâ—dience 1. The Law and Covenant of Works because they are under it under it as the Law of nature as men that binding all whether in or out of Christ to its obedience under it as the the Covenant of Works as men out of Christ there being but two Covenants of Works and grace between God and man and every man under one of them if not that of grace the other of works For neither could mans first disobedience nor succeeding disability thereupon bastle the rigorous demands of it 's Precepts 2. The Gospel also is to such a rule of obedience requiring them to come under its new Positives of Faith and Repentance Mar. 16.15 Preach the Gospel to every creature 1.15 Repent and bâ—lieve the Gâ—spâ—l Whatsoever the Law speaketh it speaks to them that are under the Law but the Gospel speaks to men that yet are not under to come under it and it 's their great sin that they do not obey 2. Such shall have both Law and Gospel Gods rule of Judging them 1. The Law and Covenant of Works because broken by them Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them For if by disobeying the Precept they did not void the powers of the Precept much less of the Threatning Nay they could no otherwise forfeit the Promise and incur the Threatning than by disobeying the Precept 2. The Gospel and Law of Faith because they finally reject it Now 't is more hainous finally to dis-believe the Gospel then first to disobey the Law And this aggravates as their sin against the Gospel as the rule of their obedience so also the wrath of the Gospel against them as the Rule of Gods Judgment John 13.22 3.18 19 3. Those who have had Christ sufficiently proposed to them and by saving Faith closed with him have both the Gospel and Law of nature or moral Law the rule of their obedience to God and shall have both Gods rule of judging of them 1. They have them the Rule of their obedience unto God 1. The Gospel requiring of them perseverance in obedience to it's Positives Be thou faithfull unto death Rev. 2.10 For as faith is required to the getting so perseverance in Faith to the keeping of a Gospel Title 2. The moral Law or Law of nature requiring Perseverance and improvement in obedience to its morals 1 Cor. 15. ult. Alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord And this their obedience not to God as Creatour only but as Redeemer also Not as it self the condition of the Covenant of Works but as fruit and evidence of the condition of the Covenant of Grace Gospel Faith and the way to the possâ—ssion of that Inheritance Gospel Faith entitles to 2. Such shall have both these the rule of Gods Judging them 1. The Gospel in the Promise of
sadly attended with the depriving of so great rewards and inflicting of so great punishments we would have obeyed when the Promises and threatnings are as clear in the same Law of God as the Precepts and Prohibiâ—ions 3. Because as man cannot obey or disobey God but in relation to a Law so neither can God judg man obeying or disobeying but in relation to a Law As man as before you heard might have been subject to God as supreme Lord not obedient to him as Rectour without Law so proportionably God as supreme Lord could have disposed of He could not as Rectour judg man without Law nor judg him according to any other Law than what 's the Rule of his obedience For this would be no more judiciary then but as much arbitrary as the other The Point now sufficiently clear'd and confirm'd I come at length to Vse and Application 1. To all in general 1. Information 1. The Power of God is the supreme Power of the World As Legislation making of Laws to determine the civil obedience and disobedience rewards and punishments of all the people in a Nation is an act of the supreme Power wheresoever it reside of the Nation so to make Laws to determine the spiritual obedience and disobedience and the temporal spiritual and eternal rewards and puâ—ishments of all the people in the world must needs be an act of the supreme Power of the world 2. How far the Majesty of Heaven is from affâ—cting the exercise of an Arbitrary power The great Potentates of the earth have it not and would usurpe it The great and only Poâ—entate of Heaven and Earth hath it and will not use it except in case of extraordinary concernment to his own glory and his Subjects good and then as little and with as speedy return as may be to methode or course of Law again as in the case of bringing in the New Covenant by Christ According to his absolute Power and Dominion he might had he pleased have disposed of as he pleased his whole moral Creature all man-kind to their last end of weale or woe meerly as Lord without any Law but he was pleased to become Law-giver and according to his Laws given will dispose of them to their last end as Rectour 3. God will never judg the best works of meer men meritorious God judgeth according to the nature of the things to be judged and according to his own Word the Rule of Judgment That good works merit of their own nature not many at this day of the Papists will affirm and as such as you heard in the Doctrine they are only capable of do not merit a reward That they merit by any Ordination of God in his Word all the Papists together will never be able to prove He hath indeed Ordained that the least good work even a cup of cold water to a Disciple shall have a reward not that the greatest even fire and faggot for the Master Christ himself should merit a reward He hath Ordained Christ should merit they should have not deserve a reward 4. In evil works sinne and guilt differ As the former noted against the Papist so this against the Antinomian who will have sinne and guilt to be one and the same thing and tells us we can never have sound peace till we see the filth and power as well as the guilt of sinne charged upon Christ But the difference between them I make out from the Doctrine thus 1. They have relation to the Law under different Considerations Sinne as the rule of obedience guilt as the rule of Judgment 2. They have relation to different parts of the Law Sin to the Precepts and Prohibitions as a rule of obedience guilt to the Threatnings as a rule of Judgment 3. They have different kinds of Relation to the different parts of the Law under those different Considerations Sinne a relation of deformity to the Precepts and Prohibitions whereto it is contrary as a Rule of Obedience to the Precept if a sinne of omission to the Prohibition if of commission Guilt a relation of conformity to the Threatning whereto it 's agreeable as a rule of Judgment For 't is agreeable to the Threatning that sinne should deserve death in all bind over unto death in all out of Christ Now Divines make that desert of punishment the habitual as this obligation unto it the actual guilt of sinne So much for Information I come now to 2. Several sorts of Inference according to the several conditions of people mentioned in the Doctrine And 1. It calls for pity and Prayer for those whether Gentiles or Jews that never had Christ or not sufficiently proposed to them There being none other name under Heaven given amongst men whereby they must be saved neither is there salvation in any other Act 4 12. That if Gentiles God would make Christ a Light yet further to enlighten them That the people which sit in darkness and see no light may have this great light shining unto them that the fulness of the Gentiles may be so brought in That if Jews God that first perswaded Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Sem would now perswade Sem to dwell in the Tents of Japhet that the Children of Israel may return and seek the Lord their God and David the Sonne of David their King in these letter daies Look unto him whom they have pierced and mourn that his blood be no longer upon them and their Children only in the guilt of it but for the pardoning of the guilt of that blood shed and all other their sinnes This should we say for our Elder Sister which hath no Breasts in the day she is to be spoken for that the Scatterings of the Jews may be recollected and grafted in again That whether Gentiles or Jews they may not have the Law and Covenant of Works Gods Rule of Judging of them with a Judgment of condemnation but the Gospel and Covenant of Grace his Rule of judging them with the Judgment of Absolution and Salvation 2. It should speak terrour to those amongst us that will not obey the gospel-Gospel-Positive of Faith enjoyned them but will reject Christ in the Gospel sufficiently proposed to them 1. They shall be judged with the Infidel Heathen for transgressing the Law of Works written in their hearts have the way to the Tree of Life armed against them with a flaming Sword in the hand of an Angel waving this way and that way 2. Above these with the unbeliving Jew for transgressing the Law written in Tables have that Law executed upon them with more of thunder and lightning and blackness and darkness and tempest than it was promulgate and publish't with For if so terrible were the promulgation that Moses himself who was out of the reach and Gun-shot of the curse of this Law exceedingly feared and quaked how much more dismall and dreadfull must be the execution of it upon those souls that fall under it 3. Above
of Judgment at the last day Rom. 2 16. In that day when God shall judg the secrets of men by Jesâ—s Christ according to my Gospel God who delegates Christ the Judg appoints the Rule of Judgment the same as of mans Obedience Pauls Gospel Not any fifth Gospel written by Paul as some of the Papists fondly imagine nor yet the Gospel written by St Luke as Pauls Amanuensis But the Gospel saith Austin a contain'd Propheticis Apostolicis Libris in the Books of the Apostles and Prophets called PAVLS because he is the Preacher of it by much better right then I call JAMES MINE APOSTLE when Preaching upon a Tâ—xt of his Epistle Rev. 20.12 The last Proof I shall offer ye have a solemn representation made to John by Vision of the last general Assize the Throne set Books open'd and dead judg'd b Origen and c Ambrose interpret the Books there said to be open'd the Books oâ— mens Conscience and Gods omniscience d Austin and our old Countrey-man Bede the Boâ—ks oâ— the Old and New Testament Why may not these Antients divide the truth between them When it 's said the Books were opened I conceive both may be taken in When it 's said tâ—e dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according their works I conceive both must be taken in Origens Books the Books of mens conscience and Gods omniscience as Records of Fact Austins Books the Books of the Old and New Testament as Records of Law That in these as Austin saies might be seen what Laws God hath commanded to be observed in those Not as Austin in that of life how men had or had not observed them The Point thus proved I shall now in the second place make some Queres for the better learning of the Doctrine QUERE I. How the same Law of God is the Rule of mans Obedience and Gods Judgment Answ. The same Law in different respects The Rule of Mans Obedience in the Precepts and Prohibitions Gods Judgment in the Promises and Threâ—tnings 1. The Law of God is tâ—e Rule of mans Obedience in the Precepts and Prohibitions For as where no Law is there is no Transgression no sins of Commission where no Negative Laws or Prohibitions No sinnes of Omission where no Affirmative Laws or Precepts So where no Law is there 's no Obedience neither Man might and must have been subject to God as supreme Lord without any Laws He could not without Laws be obedient to God as Rector 2. The Law of God is the Rule of Gods Judgment in the Promises and Threatnings annexed to the Precepts and Prohibitions For as the Precepts and Prohibitions determine mans duty and sinne what shall be his duty and what his sinne so the annexed Promises and Threatnings determin Gods Rewards and Punishments The Promises what shall be Gods reward of mans duty the Threatnings what shall be mans demerit of Gods punishment for his sin So that had no Promise been annexed to the Precepts and Prohibitions man obeying both had indeed been capable of reward but God is not bound â—o conferre it and had no Threatning been annexed to the Precepts and Prohibitions man disobeying both had indeed been capable of Punishment but not bound to suffer it much less God to inflict it For the very Threatning annexed in the meer nature of a Threatning if it be not a denunciation also bâ—nds not God to inflict but man only to suffer if God inflict I have been the more brief in this first Quere because to be more large in the second QUERE II. What Law of God it is that is the Rule of mans Obedience and Gods Judgment Answ. Not one and the same Law to all but different according to the different state and condition of the persons to be ruled and judged by it yet so that the same persons have still the same Law the Rule of their Obedience and Gods Judgment Now there 's a three-fold different state and condition of persons to be rul'd and judged by the Law of God Some 1. Who never had Christ or not sufficiently discovered and proposed to them 2. Who having had Christ sufficiently proposed to them have not by saving Faith received and clos'd with him 3. Who having had Christ sufficiently proposed to them have by saving Faith received and clos'd with him 1. That Law of God which is the Rule of their obedience to God and Gods judging of them who never had Christ or not sufficiently discovered and proposed to them as the Law of nature under the formality of a Covenant of works written in their hearts if Gentiles or in Tables also if Jews None of these whether Jâ—ws or Gâ—nâ—â—les are requirâ—d Obedience according to the Law of Gospel-Faith never pubâ—ished among them neither shall they be saved by that Gospel-Faith they never had in them nor be condemn'd for want of that Gospel-Faith never required of them in a Mediatour never or not sufficiently held forth to them For Credibile sufficienter proposiâ—um ad sidem obligat Now Christ â—s only sufficiently proposed where himself the end for which and Termes on which he is proposed are sufficiently made known Where this is not done there 's no obligation of duty to Believe and therefore There can be no obligation of guilt for not so believing So that here the Gospel can neither be the rule of mans Obedience nor of Gods Judgment But 1. If they be Gentiles in this condition their obedience or disobedience shall be scan'd according to the Law of nature written in their hearts and this Law of nature written in mens hearts being as capable of sanction by Promises and Threats as written in Tables judgment accordingly passed on them See both these Rom. 2. v. 14. this Law their rule of â—bedience These having not the Law are a Law unto themselves Ver. 12. this Law Gods Rule of Judgment They shall perish without Law Gods judgment of all such a judgment of condemnation for their disobedience to the Law For though some of them may do as the Apostle saith {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the things contained in the Law he meaneth but some things And of those some things for the matter which they do contain'd in the Law they do nothing for the manner and measure of doing required by the Law Now Dâ—ut. 6.25 it shall be our righteousness if we observe to do all these Commandements before the Lord of God As he hath commanded us not only All commanded for matter but As commanded for manner or measure or no Legall Righteousness And if it be here Objected That the same essentials of the moral creature according to that of the Apostle are a Law unto themselves are at once mans both Rule and Principle of obedience and therefore The one cannot be more perfect or imperfect than the other and an imperfect principle may come up to perfect obedience