considerable Objections against the truth hereof may be answered In the prosecution whereof I shall endeavour as much as I can to use so convenient a method and plainness and brevity also as may neither burthen your understandings nor your memory Be it therefore presented unto you in this Order CHAP I. And first of the Creation THE Creation of the world was the first Act of Gods power we know of beginning then to execute in time his counsel and decrees that were from everlasting The world is that whole frame of Gods building consisting both of heaven and earth with all things thereunto appertaining according to the plat or model in the mind and purpose of God who hath built all things Heb. 3.4 in which he hath manifested the invisible things of his wisdom and goodness to his own glory Rom. 1.20 Therein he made creatures of sundry natures motions and perfections to sundry ends Above others he made Man in more excellent perfections to a more excellent end For he created Man in the Image and form of God as far as was meet for a creature to partake of the Divine Nature that was to be good but mutable He may be said to be in the Image of God in other three things 1. Understanding and Will 2. in Holyness and Righteousness 3. in Immortality and Blessedness These three were subalternate one to the other Understanding and Will to Righteousness Righteousness to Blessedness Blessedness to be the reward of Righteousness and Righteousness to be the work of willingness for Vertue is not necessitatis sed voluntatis CHAP. II. Of Gods governing Man AFTER Man was thus Created Gods next Act according to his eternal counsel was to govern Man thus created as he might use his Perfections and attain his End In this Government God as the Supream Lord was to command and Man as his creature and vassal was to obey yet God being a free and gratious Lord and Man not a brute but a reasonable and free servant it pleased his Lord to descend and come into a Covenant with him as is used between party and party The Summe of this Covanant was Do this viz. what I command you and you shall live if not you shall die The Law Natural or Moral written in the heart of man comprehended all the works that were to be done by him The Law Positive namely that one of abstaining from the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden Eden was a tryal and experiment of his obedience and the exercise of the duties of the Law Moral in a particular to man appertained the observing of these Laws to God appertained the performance of the promise of life to man observing them as being faithful in the Covenant CHAP. III. Of the fall of Man and its effects ADAM being tempted by Satan I did transgress that one easie Commandment and so became guilty of all and loosing his Righteousness he forfeited his happyness by sin the breach of Gods Commandment and Covenant This sin of his was voluntary not necessary though he sinned being tempted by another for he had strength enough given him of God and more was ready to have been supplied unto him if he had craved it whereby he might have vanquished the tempter and have stood firm in his obedience but he willingly consented and yielded to the deceiver This fall was not caused by God though foreknown but onely permitted when God if he would could have hindred it But God permitted it First because he would not impeach the freedom of will that he had given unto man Secondly because he saw it would offer him a fair occasion to manifest his wisdom and goodness yet more graciously then he had done in the Creation which also he had forethought on namely by his Son Jesus Christ his suffering intending by the obedience of that one man to make many righteous as by the disobedience of one man many were made Sinners Thirdly because God knew it would offer unto man a just occasion if he were dealt withal again in a second Covenant both to be more thankful more wary careful so many more likely to be saved by a second Covenant made with man fallen then would have been by the first if Adam had stood for natural perfections easily beget pride and confidence in our selves which is the first degree of aversion from God and the beginning of ruine but wants and weaknesses do humble us and make us fly to God and cleave more close to him That the fall of man was known to God before the decree of Creation I deny not for the Creation it self doth declare no less where there are infinite things prepared for mans use onely as fallen as all Medicinal herbs prepared for Pysick Physick presumeth sickness and sickness presumeth sin The effects of this fall of man are twofold within him and without him Within him that which is called original sin comprehending both the loss of his original righteousness and of his supernatural perfections and also the decay of his very natural faculties from whence floweth a continual lusting after that which is evil and a repugnance to that which is good which loss is repaired again by the grace of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ The effects of the fall without man are comprised under the curse of the ground the subject of mans labour comprehending all the miseries of this life and under the sentence of death comprehending both death and all the miseries that belong unto it I mean the first death These effects of the fall of Adam took place not onely upon himself but on all his posterity because God held him as the whole nature of Mankinde CHAP. IV. Of the Covenant of Grace THe next Act of Gods eternal Counsel was the restauration of man fallen for the most wise and mighty God having created the world for man and man for happyness in the fruition of himself would not suffer either the whole destruction of his creatures or the frustrating of his end though he pleased to permit the depraving of his creatures and to forsake one ill succeeding way to take a better for the attainment of his end Now what by the remaines of Gods Image left in man and what by the supply that God would make by his gracious help miserable Man was reputed by God a fit person once again to be a party in a Covenant a Covenant of new conditions suiting to the state of a sinner but tending to the same ends righteousness and life This Covenant is called the Covenant of Grace 1. First because it was freely made with man a sinner utterly unworthy to have any more communion God 2. Because in this the righteousness and salvation of man is wrought rather by God then by himself man being more in receiving then in giving in believing then in doing yet hath it the nature of a true Covenant both parties having something for either to perform God to send
They have compelled me who under a colour of magnifying the grace of God and of justly reproving those that have been adulatores Naturae are turned themselves adulatores Gratiae So far forth that by them Satan seeketh to subvert the truth and righteousness of God and to extinguish and destroy all piety and religion in men bringing into the world a stupid sloth for some a remorsless infidelity and impenitency for others and an invincible desperation and hardness for othersome being the natural off-spring of that Doctrine that takes away all manner of will from men in matters of Salvation that turns the general promises of the Gospel into particular and private that limits an especial kinde of grace which is onely effectual to a few secret ones by a direct decree the rest being left destitute of true grace though they be called by the word of the Gospel CHAP. VII Of Free will COncerning free will I thought good to speak a few words and no more then I have great Antiquity for besides the word of God The commands and threatnings of Almighty God in Scripture whereby man is called upon and put in mind what God will have him do most evidently doth declare that man hath free will still after the fall as appears in such places as these Be not overcome of evil Rom. 12. Neglect not the grace that is in thee 1 Tim. 4. Love not the World 1 Joh. 2. If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments Matth. 19. Which undoubtedly should be said in vain if there were no facultie or power left in man whereby he may by the help of grace if he will receive it when 't is offered him understand and obey Gods commandments This free will we may conveniently describe thus to be a certain power of the will joyned with reason whereby a reasonable creature without constraint discerneth and willeth good and evil but it willeth not acceptable good except it be holpen by grace but that which is evil it willeth of it self CHAP. III. Concerning falling from Grace THat a man who is really and truly in the state of grace and salvation may fall I will prove first by these two texts Matth. 24.13 and Ezek. 18.22 the first hath the promise of salvation to him that continueth to the end out of which I collect two things First that he to whom salvation is promised if he continue is in the right in which he should continue and is so ripe and fit for salvation that if he but continue such he shall be saved 2. That he who is thus excited to continue is presupposed possible to fall away deny the saith and imbrace this present world the answer that some rest in is to no purpose i.e. that means must be used in regard of our weakness but in regard of Gods Election and Christs intercession we cannot but stand for if two pillars be strong enough to bear up such a house as Sampson was in with the Philistines what need other supporter besides The second text is that of Ezek. 18.21 26 27. Which by no evasion can be avoided if the comparison there between a righteous man and a wicked be well observed for deny you in any wise that a righteous man can turne from his righteousness and die and I will with the like reason deny that a wicked man may turne from his wickedness and live and so we shall solvere Scripturas make void the holy word of God if a supposition putteth nothing in the one it putteth nothing in the other if it be ever seen that a wicked man turns from his wickedness and lives then it may as well be seen that a righteous man turns from his righteousness and dies Let me adde this one Argument more that the regenerate fallen into mortal sin is not then filius Dei It is taken out of 1 Joh. 3.9 He that is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remains within him and he cannot sin because he is born of God I shall here do two things at once overthrow the strongest Arguments of my Opponents and I shall retort the text unavoydably upon themselves that is by giving the true sence of that place The scope of Saint John is not to prove that they that are born of God cannot depart or change from righteousness to sin or that there cannot be a succession of these two for this in the Apostles time was out of question But his scope is to prove that these two cannot consist or stand together which the will of the flesh would fain have to be born of God and to commit deadly sin They did admit for true that he that had been the member of an Harlot might by repentance become the member of Christ and that the member of Christ might become the member of an Harlot by falling into adultery But that a man might be at once a member of an Harlot and a member of Christ that they denyed these expelling one the other If we have entertained Christ in the Inne of our hearts we put the Devil to flight presently if we sin and by the gate of sin give entrance to the Devil forthwith Christ departs let them consider this who defend David to be still born of God when he stood guilty of Adultery and murther But they count it ridiculous to say we be so often born of God as we repent of sin it is more lamentable to fall oft into such sins then ridiculous to be often renewed by repentance because in our natural birth we are born but once therefore they will have it that in our Spiritual we are born but once There is no necessity in this consequence it should seem then that Saint Paul was not aware of this Argument when he said Gal. 4.19 My little Children of whom I travel in birth again untill Christ be formed in you This text of Saint John may be understood with much ease if we do but consider the acceptation of the word cannot there He that is born of God cannot sin rendring this Reason because he is born of God that is He cannot lawfully because in his new birth he had so solemnly engaged himself to Jesus Christ in Baptisme that if he should now return to sin he would be perjured and forsworn Like this is that of Saint Paul Rom. 6.2 3. How shall we that are dead to sin that is by Baptisme live any longer therein not how shall we possibly for 't was possible for he exhorts them verse 12. not to let sin reign in their mortal bodies But how shall we lawfully since that you have covenanted against it giving your selves up in Baptisme to be dead to sin and to rise out from thence unto newness of life you should do well to read this Chapter seriously as to this point It is ordinary in our common locution if we see a man doing that which is both unlawful and which he hath vowed against to say to him it is
Sound Doctrine OR The Doctrine of the GOSPEL about the extent of the Death Of CHRIST Being A REPLY To Mr. Paul Hobson's pretended Answer to the Author's Fourteen Queries and ten Absurdities With A brief and Methodical COMPENDIUM of the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures clearing up the riches of Gods love to all mankinde and his desires to save them that yet wilfully perish Also Of ELECTION and REPROBATION whereon they do depend and how the Objections against the Truth hereof may be Answered Whereunto is added The fourteen Queries and ten Absurdities pretended to be Answered by Mr. Paul Hobson but are wholly omitted in his Book LONDON Printed for Richard Moon at the seven Stars in Paul's Church-yard 1657. To the Church of Christ at NEWCASTLE in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ THe grace of our Lord be multiplied upon you all and strengthen you in every good word and work You may remember that one Mr. Paul Hobson who professeth and preaches up that faith which teaches a man to doubt whether Christ died for him or no did write a little book by way of Answer to the fourteen Queries and ten Absurdities which I presented unto him Which book I thought I was bound to answer for the sake of truth because he doth labour by so many subtilties to overthrow the very foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ And indeed had there not been an urgent necessity compelling me thereto I should not have undertaken such a task being I confess very unable to manage so great a work in such a publick manner which I have done though according to truth and my best endeavours yet not without some fears lest my weakness should disadvantage the righteous and undoubted cause I have in hand I had also another discouragement upon my spirit when I considered how many most excellent works are now in Print already about this subject so far transcending what I could say Notwithstanding I was perswaded to adventure upon this consideration That if I should have buried all in silence many of the Lords people might have stumbled and fallen from the truth of the Gospel and the adversaries thereof would have triumphed and so have hardned their necks more and more against the light of the glory of God shining forth to all the world in the face of Jesus Christ I desire you dear Brethren to accept this my small and first work of this nature in right good part and seriously peruse it over with an attentive eye I have endeavoured as much brevity as would stand with plainness If any thing at first reading seem-strange to you read it over again I have not willingly erred in any thing in this work that I know of I desire you to shroud this little Tract under your protection for it is not like to be the safer for being innocent I mean i' th' world it was not the modesty of Susanna that was able to secure her from the inditement of the Elders and 't was the innocency of Joseph that made his Mistriss pronounce him guilty But ye unto whom God hath given a spirit of discerning between truth and errour I trust will defend this little book because it labours to deffend the truth I pray God of heaven to encrease in you all vertuous and sound Principles that from thence may spring and also encrease a holy and Godly conversation more and more until we come to be perfect before our God in Sion This is the earnest request of Yours in the Lord Jesus W.P. To the Reader Courteous READER DAyly experience makes me sensible that the Devil never wanted cunning inventions to court men to the imbracing of false Doctrine and most commonly such false Doctrine whose natural tendency is to carry on the great design of Satan in the world to wit ungodliness and unholiness of life and conversation For he always labours to counter-plot the Alnighty in all his designs We may observe throughout the whole stream of Gods word Gods great design is to destroy the works of the devil that is sin and to make men holy to the end that he might make them happy Now Satan that arch-enemy of mankind be seeketh above all things to hinder this work for by hindring righteousness he knows he shall hinder the happiness of Gods creatures and because he well perceives that Gods design is to promote the work of righteousness in all people that so he might make all happy Satan there projecteth alwayes to counter-plot God labouring to promote sin in all that so he might promote the misery of all men So large as Gods love extendeth in endeavouring to save even so far also doth the envy of the Devil extend in his endeavors to damne And for as much as God hath tied himself that he will not work Physically upon man nor irresistibly but by gentle perswasions upon hopes of glory and feares of punishment and the devil hath not power to work otherwise then by alurements and promises and threatnings which he is not able to perform I say because God will not and the devil cannot work upon man otherwise then by perswasions therefore it comes to passe that all men are neither saved nor damned but onely those saved that are willing to let the Lord work on them and also are willing to work with him in purifying and cleansing themselves from sin and onely those damned that refusing Gods work do yield themselves to the working and works of Satan Now these things though they are most plain truth and do sure right well with good reason justice and equity yet they are much opposed by too many in our dayes whose â—eal is too great for their knowledge I desire thee most Kinde Reader to read this little Book seriously and weigh it 〈…〉 the balance of Truth and sound Reason and see wheâ—◠〈◊〉 I have not spoken to thy reason and search those Scripâ—â—â—â—â— which I have quoted if they be not to the purpose in 〈◊〉 and whether my design be not to magnifie the amplitude of Gods grace to sinners by which they are undoubtedly excited to amendment of life upon a sure and certain hope of glory and not upon any uncertain sound of the Gospel As they do that limit the general promises of the Gospel unto a few onely and without condition making an unknown and secret decree of Election to be the ground of their faith and so 't is no marvel if their faith be unstedfast and full of fears and doubts when the foundation of it is no better But I will detain thee no longer from the book itself lest I should make my Porch too big for the Cottage to which it leadeth But I commit thee to the guidance of God in the reading hereof that thou mayst not onely be brought to the acknowledging of those truths herein contained but also and chiefly that thou mayest in the power and and strength thereof live according to that grace of God which bringeth his
And as many as were ordained to life or had acceptance with the King humbled themselves will you be so weak as to judge that their humbling was not before their choice though mentioned last in words when as 't is made a condition of their acceptance 1 Reas. Next you come to your Reasons in which you most unreasonably say That whatsoever comes to pass was before determined of God Oh impudence the height of blasphemie what every thing determined of God what if a man lieth with another mans wife or be drunk was that determined of God every thing was then these things were Oh! blush and be ashamed in maintaining such sordid opinions as these are 2. Reas. Secondly you say Whatsoever God doth for us in relation to heaven before Grace was wrought in us is done beforetime But Election or chusing of us is done for us before Grace is wrought in us Ergo The bold assumption of this foolish Syllogisme is most notoriously false being against the current of Scripture and those places you alledge for probation thereof do prove no more but that God loves us and hath given his Son to die for us even before we loved him and so he hath done for all But this is no chusing or Election such as you speak of from the rest but onely a general loving of all so as to endeavour their salvation by his Son Jesus Christ This shall be more fully cleered when I have done answering to your particulars when I come to speak of conditional Election made in intuition of our being in Christ and against irrespective decrees 2. Your second particular That God hath a special designe for the advancement of his grace and love to carry on by Christ for them and them onely is directly false and diametrally opposite to these Scriptures Mat. 9.13 Rom. 5.6 18 19. 2 Pet. 3.9 Ezek. 18.30 31 32. Chap. 33.11 and therefore I shall return no more answer to it his design being to work grace in all that he might save all though most will not receive grace and some receive it in vain 3. Your third particular being grounded upon the former false ones must of course be also false it self and so much for it 4. Your fourth particular That Gods designe was satisfaction for all sin and the purchase of eternal life c. If you mean he have purchased these things conditionally I assent to it and so he hath done for all But if you mean he hath done it for any other wayes then upon conditions performable by them then I deny it as most untrue according to the speech of our Saviour to his Disciples Matth. 6.14 If ye forgive not men neither will your heavenly father forgive you So that 't is to be noted that forgiveness is upon condition and also 't is to be noted that forgiveness and blotting out of sin is not properly in this life no other wayes then in a promise we may be said to be forgiven even as we may be said to be now saved see Act. 3.9 Sin being properly blotted out when there can be no more remembrance of it But now yet sin may be remembred against those righteous men that turn from their righteousness and all their righteousness shall be forgotten That which causeth you so plentifully to erre in your next particulars is your not understanding what Christ came to do you take it for granted I see that Christ came to do all the work for the Elect so that their sins are pardoned and they saved ipso facto and without any condition in them if that were true indeed that those he died for he had done so for them then his death indeed could not have been for all unless all should have been saved But 't is most evidently true That he hath not so died for any What the Father intended he should do by death that indeed he did finish and compleat viz. offer up himself a propitiatory sacrifice to God that he might open a way unto remission of sins and salvation for all but did effect it fully for none without themselves And because the greatest part of the errours of your book are founded upon this gross mistake I shall speak a few things more to it before I leave it although I have said enough already in a manner to a considering person first I will note wherein we differ in this point You hold that when Christ was offered upon the cross he took away put an end blotted out and utterly destroyed all his peoples sins for ever and presented them just righteous and holy before God now I for my part do distinguish between the cause and the effect between the time of the one and the time of the other but you jumble both together These things were done says your opinion whilst Christ was on the cross but I say they are indeed doing but are not compleatly finished till his second comming And now I will proceed to prove it which if I do not by plain and unwrested Scriptures then believe me not The first place is 1 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him that knew no Sin to be Sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him This Scripture was wrritten by Paul after Christs death now note here he hath made him sin that we might be made righteous he hath been that we might be past in him and to come in us he is sin in us first we are righteousness of God in him afterwards his being sin for us is the cause our being righteousness is the effect A second proofe is Tit. 2.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie c. Note here also that Christs end in giving himself was that he might purifie and cleanse c. and we are cleansed but in part then his end is acomplished in part but when we are cleansed throughly then his end is wholly acomplished he shall first travel and afterwards shall see of the travel of his Soul Isa. 35.11 A third proofe is Col. 1.12 21. You that were enemies he hath reconciled in the Body of his flesh through death to make you holy unblameable and without fault in his sight from whence doth appear plainly 1 that Christs death was then past 2 that their spirits were in part reconciled then 3 that their being without spot was yet to come A fourth proofe Eph. 5.25 26.27 where note he gave himself for his Church that he might cleanse it with the washing of water by the word and that he might present it not having spot or wrinkle c. Minde it he gave himself that he might cleanse 2. cleanseth that he might present spotless c. First he in love gives himself second he cleanseth by his word third after clensing he presents it without spot or blemish but spotlesness is not before but at the appearing of Jesus Christ as you may see yet further in 1 Cor. 1.7 8. That ye may
you would prove Election to be the cause of Faith unto all which I shall speak joyntly and make the shame of them appear to all men that read them And herein I must be diametrially opposed against you because you bring in such a Hysteron Proteron the Cart before the Horse that I must of necessity invert your order or rather disorder And therefore I do affirm that Election is not the cause of faith and good works but faith and good works the cause of our Election or Gods chusing of us 1. I prove it by Scripture 2. I prove it from the nature of causes 3. From the Nature of Election 1. From Scripture I will onely refer you to consult these places hereafter named Act. 13.48 Joh. 1.12 Psa. 4.3 Joh. 16.27 Rev. 3.10 2. From the Nature of causes I will observe this rule if Election on should be a cause of faith and such a cause as cannot be resisted as you hold then Reprobation must be a cause of sin and damnation and so God blessed for ever will be made not onely a tempter to but a cause yea the cause of all sin and wickedness in the world But let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God as our Modern Ranters are wont to do for every man when he is tempted is drawn away of his own lusts and inticed I dare not say as one did that had been a great sinner Quid si haec quispiam voluit Deus What if some God hath so decreed it For St. James makes me believe that sin is both ingendered and conceived within me when my lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and if my lust be the mother of it sure the father is my own will It was Davids saying of wicked Israel That they provoked God to anger not with his will but with their own inventions There are contrivers of mischief Psal. 58.2 Devisers of lyes Eccles. 7.13 which cannot be imputed unto any absolute decree in God O how many Volumes have been written concerning irrespective decrees in the Latin tongue which might even blush to be named in English and shall we yet in these daies of light ascribe sin and wickedness to God as your opinion doth I am in such disorder and discomposedness of spirit while I only but name these bold expressions that were it not for a good purpose as I conjecture and intend I durst not venture to repeat them O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of face for thou hast made man upright but we have found out many inventions Eccless 7.29 Next I will come to Reason by which I hope to make it appear that the Almighty is so far from being accessary to sin and does so many things to hinder it that he doth not so much as permit it but in a equitable sence and amongst many Reasons that may be given I will content my self with this one which seems to me the best That which assigns to every thing the kinde that which moderates the power and appoints the form and measure of working that we properly call a Law Hence the being of God is a kinde of Law to his working because that perfection which God is giveth perfection to that he doth So that he being nothing but what is good he can work nothing that is otherwise It is therefore an errour saith judicious Mr. Hooker to think that there is no reason for the works of God besides his absolute will though no reason is known to us for the Apostle tells he worketh all things not simply and meerly according to his will but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} according to the counsel of his will And because he doth voluntarily set himself a Law whereby to work it followes that that Law is no abatement to his freedome if therefore he be pleased to set himself a Law or Rule not to reprobate any but upon pre-science or fore-knowledge of sin because that is most conformable to the nature of his goodness can this be any prejudice to the perfection of his being is his nature the less absolute because it pleases him that his will be conditional in some things as it is absolute in others does he lose any prerogative by being unable to be the Author of sin We are Gods creatures but sin is ours God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good We see the things that are made by the fiat of our will and behold they are very evil This creative power of ours we justly reckon as the sequel of humane weakness and shall we heedlesly affirme it to be a jewel in the glorious diadem of Gods Almightiness Let this be seriously considered Thirdly I shall prove it from the Nature of the thing that Election is not the cause of faith and good works c. but contrary faith and good works of Election This shall be proved and illustrated by these five considerations First of all I consider that there is no salvation but onely to such as are found to be in Christ Jesus in the day of death and of Judgement which no man living can be unless he be qualified with such conditions as without which it is impossible to be so found such as are faith repentance obedience and perseverance in well doing unto the end that God will save none but such is all mens confession and that he saves none but such as he decrees to save is as plain therefore none but such are the objects of such decrees For if he decreed to save any without respect to their being such he might actually save them without regard to their being such Because whatsoever is justly decreed may be justly executed as 't is decreed But 't is granted by all good men on all sides that God will save none but such as are found to be in Christ with the aforesaid qualifications and therefore it should be granted on all sides also that he decreed to save none but such persons as they And what is that but a respective conditional decree made in intuition of our being in Christ and so qualified c. Secondly I consider that the decree of the Father to send his Son to be a second Adam was in respect and regard to the back-sliding of the first Adam and the decree of God to save the first Adam was in respect to the merits of the second Adam for God chuseth never a child so as to give him eternal life unless it be for the sake of his onely begotten Son 1. God pitied a woful world 2. He loved what he pitied 3. He gave his own Son to save what he loved and upon the condition of believing in his Son he gave them a promise of eternal life For so believing is interposed betwixt love and life in Joh. 3.16 Thirdly I consider There must be a difference before there can be an Election LOVE indeed is an act of favour but ELECTION
his Son and his Spirit to relieve the miseries and wants of man to forgive sins to impute righteousness and to give life to such as obey his Son and his Spirit And Man to humble himself for his sins to God his Creator to believe in Christ his Redeemer and to yield himself to be led by the word of God and Spirit But here are two things affirmed which may seem to require proof First that the Covenant of Grace was made with all Mankinde Secondly that he supplieth by his Spirit whatsoever is needful to the keeping of this Covenant on the behalf of man who is confest impotent in himself through his former fall These two shall by Gods assistance be sufficiently proved afterward when I come to speak of calling and free will In the mean time let this suffice First that we finde here in the day of the first publishing of the Covenant all Mankinde in Adam and Eve receiving the promise of the Gospel at the same time that they received their penances which we see to be universal to all their seed it is therefore more then probable that promises should be taken as universal since the wise do say Ampliandi favores Secondly that we finde left after the fall remains of some part of the Image of God as life understanding of good and evil liberty of will in natural and civil things conscience accusing or excusing c. Which though they were given at first by Creation and so belong to nature yet the staying of them to remain in man after his fall was of Grace both to make him capable to contract and Covenant withal and also to be some beginnings and principles in order to his restauration but since these alone are not sufficient to make him able to rise again or recover righteousness it is decent to think of God who doth nothing imperfectly and who in Covenanting is no hard Master that he would supply by his Spirit whatsoever was needful more to the keeping of that New Covenant upon which dependeth the eternal woe or the eternal happiness of the party Covenanted with CHAP. V. Of Calling by the Word and Spirit CALLING is the Revelation and Proclamation of the riches of Gods Grace in the Gospel to all sinners commanding repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Act. 20.21 and promising of forgivenesse of sins and life everlasting to all that obey Act. 2.38 39. Calling consisteth of two essential parts both which are requisite to make up one whole and perfect work of calling i.e. the outward preaching of the word and the inward operation of the Spirit accompanying the word There are many and too many that distinguish calling into two kindes one outward of the word onely another inward of the Spirit joyned with the word That they say is ineffectual This effectual That common to the Reprobate This special and peculiar to the Elect That never obeyed with truth of heart This never disobeyed This Doctrine is to be examined before we give it a let-passe For my part I distinguish not two callings but compound one calling of the word and Spirit as it were of a body and Soul supposing it to have in it self power to bring forth effect in all that are under it and if it do not so the cause not to arise from the Calling but from the called that obey not 1. For declaring of this point we are to consider that the Spirit doth not go with the word to make the hearer perform that which he can do already by natural strength for the Spirit is given to help where nature faileth as to keep waking and to be attentive for that which men can bring of their own strength God expecteth to finde and to meet one cause therefore why to many the Spirit is not present to the word is when they are not present to the word through their sottish carelesness Secondly it must not be thought that the concurrence of the word and spirit is as it were natural necessary and inseparable but voluntary and arbitrary in the will and good pleasure of God to such as heartily pray for it for themselves and others hence the Church of Christ prayeth before Sermons for the illuminations and power of the Spirit to come with the word Another case then where the Spirit is not co-working with the word many times is when it was not duly and diligently asked Thirdly there are men that are past grace to whom the Spirit is not present with the word such as for their former neglect and contempt of the time of their visitation when God did call them are now given up to blindness and hardness and have the light of the Spirit and the dew of grace held back from that word which is preached in their hearing by accident Fourthly it must not be thought that the Spirit goes with the word to work any grace in any person whatsoever but according to the order of divine providence who dispenseth his grace wisely which is thus to be declared we are to distinguish the word that calleth the persons that are called and the operation of the Spirit by the word the word is either the Law or the Gospel The Law hath two parts and so also hath the Gospel a Commandment and a Promise 2. The persons called by God in the Gospel are all manner of sinners but convicted terrified wounded full of compunction and self-condemnation wrought in them by the Spirit in the preaching of the Law Matth. 11.28.3 The operations of the Spirit upon these men by the ministry of the Gospel are First to open their eyes to see the marvelous light of Gods mercy to sinners of the infinite love of Christ in dying for sinners of the powerful gifts and graces and aids of the holy spirit to help and relieve the impotency and misery of sinners to the end that by this light this opinion may be begotten in them that it is possible for them to be recovered Secondly to pour into their hearts hope or to stay them from desperate sinning or sorrowing Thirdly to inspire the grace of prayer at least to wish or desire Oh that they might be so happy as to escape the wrath to come and recover the love and favour of God! Fourthly to give them repentance that is to sorrow for sin past with a godly sorrow and to purpose to break off sin and to cease from further offending God Fifthly to work in them faith that is to run to Christ and to cast themselves into the arms of his goodness and power to be saved by him These graces in this order the holy spirit is present and ready to work by the Gospel upon a sinner convicted humbled and prepared by the Law And look what portion of power the Spirit had in the Law upon an unregenerate man to humble him the same hath it in the Gospel upon the humbled to work in him hope and him hoping to win to wish and pray