difference and the abrogation of the Law of Works which to a guilty person denyes all possibility of salvation To come nearer to the intended Scope § III These punishments may be distinguished 1. In to those of losse and paine Because some deprive us of that good we have or may have Some vex us with some evil which either lyes upon us or threatens us Some do both But this is a generall distinction and agrees to punishments in generall 2. They may be distinguished in respect of the principall cause or instrumentall For some are from God immediately Some are inflicted from him by some of his Creatures as by fire destroying Sodome by the water drowning Pharoah by the earth swallowing up Dathan and Abiram by the Pestilentiall vapours of the aire infecting many thousands by Wild Beasts Locusts Cater-pillars Frogs and other animate or inanimate Creatures by Angels good or bad and God punisheth man by man and that many wayes For all the just judgments and penaltyes inflicted by humane jurisdiction are punishments of God who judgeth amongst the Gods and rulers of the earth Many times the unjust judgments of man are the just judgments of God For man may be adjudged unjustly to death in a cause wherein he is innocent and yet justly suffer that death from God for some other Crime whereof he is guilty 3. They may be distinguished in respect of the subject whether single persons or societyes lesse or greater A single person may be the subject of these punishments in respect of his goods his body his person his Soul A society may be considered as one body in respect of it self for the present or joyntly with posterity for time to come There are penaltyes proper to Familyes to Cityes to Viâ—inityes to States and whole nations wherein they are involved at one time There may be penaltyes transmitted from Parents to their Familyes as from Gehezi to his posterity and so likewise from Joab and from Judas and so from States and other Societyes But I spake before particularly though briefly of the punishments both of Civil and Ecclesiasticall Polityes 4. The punishments may be distinguished into ordinary and usual incident to the generality of Mankind or extraordinary For the punishment of Cain the old World Babel's builders Sodome Lots Wife and such like were extraordinary and rare and so will be the burning of the World in the end But 5. The principall distinction of punishments is that of Temporal and Spirituall and by temporall I mean all such as are different from spirituall The one deprives men of the comfort and happinesse which we may enjoy in this life and the other touch a man more nearly and tend more directly to his eternall misery hereafter The temporall punishments of single persons are easily known by the History of the Scriptures and others Writers and especially by Gods threatnings against the Jews for their disobedience Levit. 26. and Deut. 28. which though they had some speciall reference to the Law and the Jewes yet are incident to all even those that live under the Gospel The greatest punishments § IV and most to be feared which men do suffer in this life are spirituall When it 's said The Wages of sin is Death Rom. 6. 23 By death is meant not onely that death which is seperation of Soul and body for the time and all the fore-running miseryes of this life but all kind of punishments and especially spirituall because death in that place is opposed to eternall life which is an aggregation of all spirituall mercyes If we should follow the order of time then all the spirituall penaltyes inflicted by God and suffered by man since the first promise of Christ for the sins following are reducible to this head as the rejection of Cains offering his excommunication the Rejection of the greatest part of the World before the flood as being the Sons of men and seperated from the Sons of God After the flood seeing all first in Noah's person then in his family had the Word and other means of conversion yet the greatest part of them for Apostasie were punished with the losse of these meanes and were left without the Oracles of God the promise of Christ and the power of the restoring Spirit and this punishment lay many yeares upon their posterity continuing Apostates After God had singled out the Posterity of Abraham by Jacob and renewed the promise unto them and continued the meanes of conversion in that nation the rest of mankind being rejected were called Heathens Yet to these he left the light of nature and some remnants of the truth continued from their first Apostate-Parents and Ancestours by tradition and some if not very many had not onely a possibility but opportunityes to be Proselytes and so incorporated into the Church of the Jews Yet these did generally not onely neglect these opportunities but held the truth in unrighteousnesse lived contrary to the light of nature left unto them and worshipped the creature above the Creatour God blessed for ever And for this sin God gave them up to vile affections delivered them up unto a reprobate mind whereby they became full of all unrighteousnesse and this was that fearfull judgment and penalty whereby all hope of Salvation was taken from them Their sad condition is described unto us not onely at large Rom. 1. from verse 18. to the end but briefly yet fully Ephes. 2. 1 2 3. 11 12. The taking away the Word and the Spirit of grace and sending upon them the spirit of slamber was also the punishment of the Jew after they refused their Saviour and rejected the Gospel But to proceed to the particular degrees of these punishments § III according to the different nature and degrees of sin against the Law of grace and the Lord Redeemer we must distinguish of persons never sincerely converted and â—o regenerate and of such as have been truly regenerate and are entred the state of justification Amongst those who were never truly regenerate some reject some receive the meanes of conversion and their punishments are inflicted in this life or after death For here I speak not of Heathens which never enjoyed the meanes neither can say that they were tendred unto them For such as to whom God sends his Messengers and by them offers the meanes their sin if they reject them is Rebellion and they refuse to submit themselves to their Lord and Saviour These say We will not have this man reign over us Luk. 19. 14. Their punishment is this for the present that they shall be accounted enemyes be devoted and deâ—â—ined to final and utter destruction verse 27. Such must be sure and they must certainly know this that the Kingdome of God came nigh unto them and their Condition shall be very sad and wofull For Christ himself saith that it shall be more tolerable in the last day for Sodom then for them Luke 10 11 12. Others receive these meanes and proceed to profession
Haughton octavo Orders of Chancery octavo Illustrious Bashaw in folio The Bloody Inquisition of Spain Twelves Hughs Abridgment of the Common Law Large quarto â—is Abridgment of all the Acts and Ordâ—nances quarto Several Works of Mr. Murret Minister at Dublin in Ireland with his Life quarto A Catalogue of the Chancellours of England quarto A Scripture Chronology By Mr. Al lâ—n Minister in quarto A Catalogue of most Books vendible in England of Divinity History Law c. quarto Annotations upon Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon By Arthur Jackson Preacher of God's Word at Faiths under Pauls quarto ERRATA PAg. 6. l. 36. artificiale read inartificiale p. 9. l. 30. yet men r. yet if men p. 17. l. 35. unbelief r. belief p. 17. l. 47. which r. what for it r. is in the Margent by is omitted p. 18. l. 18. Legal r. Regal p 32. l. 36. wrap r. rap p. 23. l. 43. delâ— not p. 36. pro. 34. l. 32. knew r know p. 35. l. 31. if r of p. 39. l. 47. in it is written r it is written p. 40. l. 38. elements r element p. 48. l. 17. they have r God hath l. 35. propriety r variety p. 50. l. 17. resign r reign p. 54. l. 15. r. and attain p. 66. l. 19. convinced r charged p. 70. l. 30. wherein passed r wherein God passed p. 70. l. 21. heart r heel p. 91. l. 26 case r cause p. 94. l. 18. r with godly sorrow l. 40. resently r presently p. 96. l. 8. he r God l. 21. in r to p. 103. l. 50. pardoned r pardonable p. 107. l. 10. charge r care p. 106. l. 7. it is omitted p. 111. l. 16. sure r since p. 147. l. 12. twofoldness r twofold use p. 153. l. 3. ought r would accused r accursed p. 156. l. 39. as he omit as p. 160. l. 47. meer r meerly p. 172. l. 36. because he r man may p. 176. l. 32. to r they who p. 177. l. 35. it is omitted l. 37. omit the word not p. 183. l. 43. rise r risen p. 184. l. 32. the word King is omitted p. 189. l. 27. r in some p. 200. l. 9. is the r its the. l. 16. omit they p. 208. l. 40. all r also p. 233. l. 38. new r mens l. 40. r arbitrary power p. 227. l. 3. unprofitable r profitable p. 242. l. 26. Grenaeus r Iraeneus p. 246. l. 30. Cross r Mass. l. 38. r Heb. 9. 26. p. 264. l. 36. if r that p. 276. l. 49. for nothing r something p. 278. l. 45. but r by p. 285. l. 46. conform r confirm p. 297. Pro. 327. l. 38. was made r was not made p. 328. l. 15. omit the word to p. 330. l. ult r c. p. 394. l. 6. external r eternal The First Scheme Howâ—â—â— the 〈◊〉 the Holy Sâ—riptuâ—â— which being the Word of God written signifie the Mind of God concerning His special Government first known unto Himself alone as contrived by His Wisdom decreed by His Will afterwards revealed from God to Man immediately by inspiration mediately by Man infallibly directed in Words Writings of the Old instrument begun by the Prophets finished by the Apostles New instrument begun by the Prophets finished by the Apostles which are of Divine Authority primarily in the first Origina Languages Copies secondarily in the Transcripts Translations as they agree with the Originals no further fallibly in their Words Writings yet infallibly so far as they follow the infallible Scriptures and attain the knowledg thereof by certain ordinary means appointed by 〈◊〉 communicate the knowledge several ways to others whâ— by Reading Hearing Meditation Prayer Power of the Spiâ—â—â— attain a Divine Faith more Largely in the whole Body of the Canon which upon the Testimony of the Church Reasons added is believed to be Divine Briefly as being contracted in many places of the Holy Scriptures particularly in the words of our Saviours doctrine concerning the Father Son Holy Ghost Math. 28. 19. which is the ground for Matter Method of all Orthodox Creeds Confessions Catechisms Theological Systems declareth the Government of God considered in Himself as onely fit to be the Universal Soveraign Absolutely a most perfect Being great one and onely one alone infinite immense incomprehensible omnipresent eternal existing alwayes necessarily the same in his most eminent Acts perfection of acting by His Understanding knowing himself all things at once fully clearly Will willing indeclinably that which is just readily that which is good Power doing all things exactly according to His Understanding Will. Relatively Father Son Holy Ghost Regal Capacity according to an Actual Power being acquired by Creation continued by Preservation of all things was exercised in the ordering of all things for their ends special Government of Angels who 1. Being created holy became subjects of this Kingdom by their dependence upon God voluntary submission 2. Received Laws Were judged and some of them according to their Disobedience and Apostasie condemned to Eternal Death Loyalty and Obedience justified confirmed rewarded Men according to the Order of Creation in the Constitution of God's Soveraignty Mans Subjection Natural from Creation Moral God's Will Man's voluntary Submission Administration giving Laws Moral Positive concerning the Tree of Life Knowledge of Good Evil. judging Adam and in him all his Posterity according to His Obedience whilest he continued innocent and righteous rewarding him with present comfort hope of future glory Sin which was considered In general as disobedience to the Law of God hath many evil consequents In particular a breach of a positive Law and Committed upon a temptation made yieldedâ— Sentenced to a punishment to be inflicted upon the Tempter 〈◊〉 movable Persons 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 by Chrâ—â—â— Transmitted to Posterity by Propâ—â— just 〈◊〉 Redemption and Free-Grace THE DOCTRINE OF The Kingdome of God The First BOOK Chap. I. Shewing the Subject Matter and Method of the ensuing Discourse THE Divine Politicks inform us of the Kingdom of God and of His Power and how it is acquired how exercised both in the Constitution and the Administration of his Government by Laws and Judgments determining both the Temporal and Eternal Rewards and Punishments of Angels and Men according to their Obedience or Disobedience They say little of Angels but much of Men who were first under the Government of Justice and after of Mercy For when Man transgressed the Law given in Creation and made himself liable to the Eternal Displeasure of his Lord and Sovereign the first Government was alter'd and modeâ— anew And thereupon the Laws the Judgments the manner of administration were new and different from the former God acquires a new Power requires a new Obedience and orders Man to Eternal Rewards another way And because these are high Matters great Mysteries glorious Designs and many of them far above the reach of Mans Reason therefore it 's necessary that we have some certain Rules to direct us yet no Direction except from
Positive And both may be considered as a rule of Mans Obedience Gods Judgment I mean by Moral such as are contayned in the Decalogue and tend more immediately unto Righteousnesse and holinesse and issue more immediately from the Love of God and our Neighbour which are the Principall dutyes of that eternall Law Positive are such as require obedience in things intrinsecally neither good nor evill but indifferent That there were Morall Lawes given to Adam no man can doubt because he was certainly bound to continue Righteous and holy as God made him and to love his God and his Neighbour and to performe such acts as were intrinsecally and necessarily just That he was bound by Positives is clear and evident as appeares by the Prohibition to eate of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil The morall precepts required the continuance of mans Fealty and Subjection and prohibited Revolt Rebellion and Apostacy in the first place and in the next place Obedience to all other dutyes depending upon and derived from that loyalty and fidelity and forbad all other disobedience The Positive law was not merely concerning a solemn rite for confirmation of the Covenant as some do conceive but 1. To signifie the absolute Power of God whereby he could bind man to obedience even in things indifferent whereof man knew no reason of obedience from the thing but meerly from the Will and Pleasure of God 2. To try mans heart and whether he would deny his own understanding and renounce his own Will wholly resigne up himself to the Wisdome Will of God and in these two respects the breach of a Positive law may prove most heynous Mans dominion over the Creatures and giving them names and Marriage are rather reducible to the more generall Providence though the dutyes following upon Marriage and required in the Use of the Creatures may have their place amongst the Moralls of this speciall government What other Positivâ—s besides these concerning the Tree in the mid'st of the garden is not easily determined neither is it needfull to know them if there were any other But these Moralls and Positives were the rules of mans obedience in respect of the precepts and prohibitions The one bound man unto good and so to conform to the Will of God The other bound him not to do evill or any thing that God did not approve These Lawes are a rule of Gods judgement in respect of the Promises § VIII Comminations By Promises God bound himself to Man to reward and blesse him for his encouragement to obedience and the reward being sweet excellent and very desireable was a mighty Motive unto Performance of duty By the Commination he made man liable to punishment if once he disobeyed and death was so terrible that to the rationall Creature it was a mighty and strong restraint The thing promised was Life and the same not onely bodily and spiritual but eternall Yet this life was not a new being but the happinesse of the former Being And this happinesse was not meerely a continuance of that present estate he enjoyed in Paradise but a farr higher condition which might reach Heaven and come neere the blisse of Angels This seemes to be intimated because the Tree of Life is used by the Spirit to signifie that Eternall Life which is to be enjoyed in the Heavenly Paradise Rev. 2. 7. Death which was threatened was not onely a dissolution of Soul and Body begun in the miseryes of this Life but also spirituall and eternall punishments For it 's opposed to that eternall Life we obtayne by Jesus Christ Rom. 5. 21. and 6. 23. Without this Promise man could not have had upon his obedience any right unto or certain hope of eternall Life and that felicity which was suitable to his intellectuall and immortall being And if man obeyed God was absolutely bound by this promise to reward If he disobeyed Man was liable to be punished though God was not absolutely bound to Punish Yet to vindicate the honour of his Law his will was that some punishment must be suffered before he would Pardon and Save CHAP. XII Of Sin in generall and the first Sin in particular AFter that God had given man Lawes § I and man began to observe or violate the same God began to exercise his universall and supreme jurisdiction not by Delegates and inferiour Judges but by Himself The proper subject of this judgment was man as subject to Gods Power under his Laws and observing or violating the same For As the Law determins jus observandum and so prescribes mans duty So judgement considers jus aut Observatum aut Violatum as Observed or Violated already The Act of this judgement was to render to man according to his Works in generall and in particular as mens workes are good or bad agreeable or disagreeable to his Laws to reward or punish For judgement is a Retribution and the end of it is justice in the execution of his Laws for the happinesse or misery of Man according to his doings And here by the way we may observe that as the Law is de actibus futuris of future works So judgment is of Acts past And here it may be doubted Whether God gave any command of Habits And this is easily resolved for God bound man to habituall righteousnesse and holinesse so farr as Habits did depend upon Acts For as an habit is acquired by Acts and former habits strengthened and improved and demerit prevented so by disobedient Acts the Active Power to righteousnesse is not only Weakened but in danger upon demerit to be taken away by the just Judge God gave man sufficient power to continue such as he made him and to perform perfect obedience if he by sin did not deprive himself of that Power According to mans obedience § II first and then his disobedience God proceeded to judgement first in rewards then in punishments For man did not sin instantly and immediately upon his Creation but continued subject and obedient for a certain time But how long we cannot punctually determine But long it was not before he was tempted and did transgresse Whilst he performed his duty and observed his Creator's Laws his condition according to Gods promise was very comfortable His Dominion over the Creatures was continued Paradise his habitation the holy Angels his Friends the Creatures his Servants He had free accesse to the Tree of Life enjoyed sweet Communion with his God who continued his Sanctifying Spirit in him and all necessary assistance unto him His peace joy content hope were excellent He was free from that fear shame misery pain curse and punishment which followed upon his Sin and happy he and his had been if he had walked constantly with his God And thus whilst he was innocent without any fault and obedient without any sin God dwelt with him and made him happy without any misery Only this was wanting that as he had not perfected his obedience so he was not confirmed
Children of Disobedience But § II secondly Whether is this Corruption which in Scripture is called the Flesh Concupiscence Sin the Body of Sin c. properly a Sin That it is from sinne called sin and is a cause of sin is generally confessed But that it is a sin in proper senâ—e is denied absolutely by Pighius But he is singular and differs from his own Church which generally acknowledgeth it to be a sin but not in such as are baptized Because Baptism being a Sacrament of Remission and Regeneration takes away the nature of sin from it so that the formal part of sin is taken away but the material remaineth For so I understand them because they call that which remains Concupiscence and the Fuel of Sin This were something if Regeneration did always accompany or immediatly follow upon Baptism which cannot be proved or if it did so accompany and follow Baptism as to be perfect and make the soul perfectly righteous and holy which it doth not as experience in God's own Children teacheâ—â— us yet this Doctrine doth confess plainly that it was sin before the formal reason and nature of sin was taken away and by the same reason it will follow that so far as it is not taken away it is properly sin It is placed by many of them especially in the Sensitive Appetite but certainly it 's found in the Rational Appetite and the Will and must needs be morally evil and they confess that it must be resisted and subduâ—d Some Remonstrants and Corvinus amongst the rest deny it to be properly sin upon another account because though it be materially contrary unto the Law yet formally it is not so And why Because the Law forbids future ill acts not habits But yet this is not precisely true because the Law forbids to all such as are under a Law not onely the future evil acts but also dispositions and habits especially such as depend any ways on Acts. But to give a more perfect Resolve of this Question § III we must 1. Distinguish of Sin Habitual and Actual And Actual Sin it is not 2. We may consider it as it 's in us by Conception and Birth and a Naturall Habit if I may so speak or as improved and increased by many Actual Sins and so become an acquired vitious habit and thus in this latter sense Paul seems to take it Rom. 7. and elsewhere In this latter sense few will deny it to be sin and by the same reason it may be sin in the former sense 3. We may conceive of this Original Corruption and the want of Originall Righteousness as taken away or denied upon a former demerit and so it 's certainly a punishment or absolutely in it self as a quality disposition or habit inherent in us and so it 's not properly a punishment but a sin Yet it 's not so a sin in us as it was in Adam For Adam once had Original Righteousness entire we have not Adam lost it by the demerit of an actual sin but Infants have not actual sin for which it 's denied unto them It seems to be rather a punishment then a sin though both in them who never were perfectly and personally righteous especially in such as never had the use of reason It 's certain that God never allowed in Man or Angel any vitious quality or disposition contrary unto his Law But the reason why it is a sin in Adam's Posterity is singular as will appear in the Derivation of sin from Adam which is the next thing In the third place § IV this which we call Original Sin is derived from Adam to his Posterity with many evils besides And first we must prove that it is derived Secondly shew how it is derived from him to us 1. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is so seems to be evident from those words By one man sin entred into the world and by Sin Death and so Death passed over all men in that or as some turn it in whom all men have sinned Rom. 5. 12. And by those As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive 1 Cor. 15. 22. The meaning is not as some conceive that one man the first man Adam was the first that sinned and so by his Example sin entred into the World As though his Posterity were sinners onely by imitation But the plain and clear sense is that by the sin offence and disobedience of one man many yea all men were made sinners and so liable to death as appears by the words following This sin was his first sin in eating the forbidden fruit For his after-sins were personal and not derived to Posterity in that manner as the first sin was So that the person from whom sin was derived was one man even Adam the means whereby it was derived was sin one sin the first sin of that one man that first man The parties to whom it was derived were All men The thing that was derived by this one sin was Death the death of all This sin offence disobedience is opposed to the obedience of Christ unto Death the death of the Cross and the Death from this Sir is oppoâ—ed to that Eternal Life which Believers obtain by Jesus Christ. So that the sin of Adam is the sin of all and the guilt of Adam is the guilt of all But the great difficulty is § V How Adam's sin and guilt is transmitted and derived to all The ordinary determination is that it 's derived by Propagation It 's true that without natural propagation it 's not derived because without it we cannot Be or if we could have our Being without it yet we could not be his children and except we be his children we cannot be any subject capable so as to derive any thing from him Yet this natural propagation doth onely make us subjects of this derivation of sin and guilt from him Therefore this participation of sin guilt death from him is an Act of just Judgment This therefore presupposeth 1. That Adam was sinful and guilty 2. That we are descended from him as sinful by Natural Generation 3. That we are some ways one person with him either by Nature or Law or both and God did so account of us 4. That in Adam innocent God judgeth us innocent in him guilty us guilty And though we be descended immediatly from our next Parents yet we deâ—ive the sin and guilt from Adam immediatly though we have our Being from him mediately by intermediate Ancestours and Parents All men were one man in Adam and in none else We were in him by Nature and Law By Nature for he was the Root and all men the Branches and it was God's Will that all Mankind should descend from him By Law for as all Nations account the Parents and Children as one person in many things and Children part of their Parents so that Children and Parents make but one body So likewise God did account Adam and all Mankind
to such Rules as that he might attain Eternal Salvation For there was a Foundation of this new Government laid in that Judgment God passed upon the Devil and he began instantly to act according to the same Yet though he abolished the former Government yet he continued the memory of it and revealed the Doctrine thereof unto the Church and it remains in the same and it serves to let men see their misery and humble them that they may seek for remedy and vehemently desire it and follow the Directions God hath given And by this he may and ought to know that in strict Justice he can expect nothing but Eternal Death and that all hope of life depends upon the mere mercy of God and the merit of a Second Adam This Second Government did not abolish the power acquired by Creation § II for that continues still and will continue whilest man receives his Being from God by Creation and the continuance of his Being by preservation Yet God acquired a new power superadded unto the former and did exercise the same after a new manner In this respect there must needs be a great difference between the former and this latter Government For in the former the Governour was God-Creatour by the Word not incarnate or made flesh but in this he is not onely Creatour but Redeemer by the Word made Flesh. The subject of this latter is not man holy righteous innocent as he was created but sinful guilty miserable in Adam fallen The Laws thereof do not bind man as the former did to perfect and perpetual obedience as the condition of Life but to Faith in the Redeemer Neither in this New-Model doth God alone without a President-general as in the former◠govern Mankind but doth administer all things by his Son made Lord and King at his Right-hand after the Incarnation This Government is that Act of Divine Providence § III whereby he orders sinful man redeemed by Faith in Christ-Redeemer unto Salvation or upon his Unbelief unto Eternal Death unavoidable This is evident out of the sacred Writings both of the Old and New Testament For all the Holy Patriarchs from Adam were saved by their Faith in God Redeemer and the Seed of the Woman And after the exhibition of the Redeemer and his manifestation he himself faith That God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Eternal Life And He that believeth on him is not condemned And he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the onely Begotten Son of God Joh. 3. 16 18. John the Baptist testifieth that the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Joh. 3. 36. And all power in Heaven and Earth was given to Christ Math. 28. 18. And from this Power the Apostles received Commission and Command to go to all the World and to preach the Gospel to every Creature And He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16. 15 16. In all which words we have a New Power a New Government New Laws both as a Rule of Man's Duty and God's Judgment differing much from the former This might be called the Government of Mercy as the former the Government of Justice Whereas many tell us that the former Government continues that the Laws are still the same that God as Rectour by Substitution transferred the punishment merited by transgressions of the Law upon Christ and for and in consideration of satisfaction made by him remits sin and this is nothing but a relaxation or interpretation of the former Law they are much mistaken and reach not the truth in this particular And this shall be made evident when we come to speak of the Administration of this Kingdom from the times of Adam till the preaching and baptizing of John the Baptist and the manifestation of Christ's entring upon his Publique Office As in the former Government § IV so in this we must consider 1. Who is the Governour invested with Power 2. How this Power was 1. Acquired 2. Exercised The Governour is God Creatour and Preserver of Mankind the same who was Lord and King by Creation Yet here he must be considered under another notion as God-Redeemer For as the Work of Creation and Redemption differ so the Power acquired by Redemption differs from that acquired by Creation This Power is Supream Universal Eternal Monarchical as the former In the Acquisition we must consider by 1. Whom 2. What it was acquired It was acquired 1. By the Word made Flesh. 2. By the Humiliation of this Word made Flesh. The Person by whom God acquired this new Power was the Word made Flesh for as by the Word he made the World and in particular Man and so acquired a Properiety in Man and a Dominion over Man as a rational free Creature So by this Word incarnate and made Flesh in a wonderful manner he acquired a new propriety in Man fallen and a dominion over him as capable of Spiritual and Eternal Felicity to be recovered by a new way The work whereby this Power was acquired was the Humiliation of this Son of God So that now Man is God's and subject unto God not onely as Creatour and Preserver in general but as Redeemer and Sanctifier For this new Dominion considers Man in his Spiritual Capacity For the better understanding of this acquisition of New-Power § V we must consider 1. Who the Redeemer is 2. What the Work of Humiliation is The Redeemer is Jesus Christ our Lord first promised then exhibited Jesus Christ our Lord who is blessed for ever In himself is the Word made Flesh Ioh. ◠14. As our Redeemer he was anointed with the Holy Ghost and power to be a Prophet Priest and King Universal Act. 10. 38. In Him as the Word made Flesh we may observe 1. His Person 2. His Natures For his Person in a large sense as here I take Person He is the Word which was in the beginning and was with God and was God and by whom all things were made Joh. 1. 1 2. The onely begotten Son of God Joh. 3. 16. The Image of the Invisible God the first-born of every Creature by whom all things were not onely created but do subsist Col. 1. 15 16 17. The brightness of his Father's glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1. 3. He was begotten of the Father from Everlasting and is the full expression and representation of Himself unto Himself By these places it evidently appears that the Word did exist before the World was and so exist that He was with God and God To be with God implies some distinction to be God an identity of substance and this is that which we call
Propitiation of Christ makes no man absolutely but upon certain terms pardonable and savable so it was never made either to prevent all sin or all punishments For it presupposeth man both sinful and miserable And we know that the guilt and punishment of Adams sin lyes heavy upon all his posterity to this day And not onely that but the guilt of actual and personal sins lyes wholly upon us whilst impenitent and unbelieving and so out of Christ and the regenerate themselves are not fully freed from all punishments till the finall resurrection and judgement So that his propitiation doth not altogether prevent but remove sin and punishment by degees Many sins may be said to be remissible by vertue of this sacrifice which never shall be remitted In this sense it may be understood that some deny that Lord that bought them 2 Pet. â— 1. For Christ by his death acquired a right unto and so a power over all flesh but so that he must give eternall life onely to such as his Father gave him For one immediate effect of Christs death was to make God placable and sin pardoned yet he never merited that any sin should be actually pardoned but upon such terms as his heavenly Father should prescribe It may also in a sense be said that Christ dyed onely for the elect That is that onely they shall obtayn actual pardon Yet they who thus affirm must give us out of the Scriptures the true notion of Election and of the Elect and not seek to obtrude upon us their own false Conceits For the Elect as the elect in decree are no subject capable of actual Remission as such for they are no subject at all because they have no actual existence though they may be and are an object or Logicall subject of Gods decree And after that they have actual being yet they are not immediately capable of actual pardon before they are called and actually believe And whereas some affirm that Christ dyed onely for the Elect in their sense it cannot be proved Because they presupposing an order in the decrees of God take it for granted that the decrees of Election and Reprobation are antecedent to the decâ—ee of Redemption and â—o by these very decrees formally exclude the greatest part of mankind and include the rest which cannot stand with the plain texts of Scripture which signifie that we are predessinated to be conformed to the image of Christ That we are elected in Christ and predestinated to the Adoption of Children by Jesus Câ—rist unto himself The 4th and last thing in this discourse of Christs death § IX is to consider the attribuâ—es and perfections which were principally manifested in this work of Redemption For bâ—sides his absolute power by which he acted in this work above the lâ—w of Creation many of his perfections did most gloriously appeare And first his Wiâ—dom For this was one of the highest designes of God and this work of redemption was contrived and ordered in the highest degree of Wisdome that God did ever exercise out of Himself The Apostle determined to know nothing amongst the Corinthians but Christ Jesus and him crucified And though this Doctrin of the Crosse seem'd foolishnesse to men devoyd of the Spirit yet when he preached it he spake Wisdome to them who were perfect the Wisdome of God in a mystery evâ—n the hidâ—en Wisdome which God ordayned before the world was to our glory 1 Cor. 2. 2. 6 7. And by the preaching of the Gospel was made known to Principalityes and powers in heavenly places the manifold Wisdome of God Ephes. 3. 10. And the Doctrin of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow thereupon was such and so excellent for Wisdome that the very Angels desired to pry or look in it 1 Peter 1. 12. That Wisdome must needs be wonderfull which contrived such glorious things For the seed of â—rayl Woman deceived by the Devil and now guilty before the tribunall of God must bruise and break the head and power of the Devil and shake his Kingdome over mankind in pieces The Word and eternal Son of God must be made flesh as though mortality and eternity had been united together Weaknesse must vanquish strength Mortality must be away to immortality Death to eternal life the most cruel paines to full and everlasting pleaâ—ures the moâ— bitter sorrowes to the sweetest joyes the lowest humility to the highest honour and the greatest shame to the most excellent glory And which is strange that the Devil himself must use his utmost strength and policy to overthrow himself And his deepest Counsels must be the cause of his own ruine These are the wonderfull wayes of Gods unsearchable Wisdome discovered in the humiliation of the Son of God The Holinesse § X and Justice of God appeares in this work many wayes For though he be slow to anger inclined to forgive abundant in mercy and delighting in kindnesse and doing good unto his unworthy creatures and resolved to give his Son to remit sin and to save sinners yet he will not free any man from the guilt of sin nor yield that any sin should be pardonable without expiation be made his divine justice satisfied and the honour of his law violated be vindicated He will admit of no reconciliation except propitiation be made by blood to declare his righteouâ—nesse that he might be just and the justifier of him that beleeveth on Jesus Christ Rom. 3. 25. And this propitiation must be made by the Word made flesh Therefore he sends his son his dearly beloved his onely begotten son whom he esteemed above all men and Angells He smites him wounds him and layes on him the iniquityes of us all He must not only suffer but suffer death the death of the Crosse and he must for a time be a servant and lay aside 〈◊〉 his shining Robes of Glory be content to want the joyes and pleasures of Heaven and be deprived of God's sweetest comforts be exposed to the malice of the Devill and his malicious enemies ly under the pressure of most bitter pains sorrows and anguish and suffer and that from basest wretches the basâ—â— indignityes that ever any suffered And thus though he were a son must he learn obedience by suffering and before all these things were endured his Soul seperated from his Body and his Body layd in the Grave he must not rise again to Glory And he makes an unchangeable decree that whosoever will not be willing to deny himself take up his Crosse be obedient not onely in doing good but also in suffering evill even death the most cruell and tormenting death and that with patience for his sake shall derive no benefit from his Saviour who did not only expiate sin seal the Truth with his blood but also give us an example of most eminent humility patience meeknes charity obedience all other heavenly virtues that we might follow him if we will be saved And sinful man must know
his sin confess it be sensible of it hate it resolv against it return unto his God rely upon his Saviour who must plead his cause with his own blood and the sinner must be washed in that blood and sanctified by his Spirit before he can be admitted to the Throne of Grace and have accesse unto and acceptation with his God And he must be cleansed fully from all sin before he can enter into Glory and no man must expect eternall life upon other Terms The Mercy § XI Love and free Grace of God appears in that he was willing to save man though a grievous offender that he would transfer the punishment due to us and deserved by us upon another and he must be his onely begotten that must bear it that he doth all this freely when there was nothing out of himself to move him of merit it for us That he should do thus for unworthy Wretches enemies ungodly miserable base polluted deserving to be cast out of his presence and condemned to eternall death Upon the very foresight of our sin and misery he out of love decrees to send his Son and give him unto death and in him elects us and predestinates us unto eternall Glory When man was created had sinned he promiseth Christ renews this promise often in fulnesse of time he sends him and severely punisheth our sins in him accepts his suffering and sacrifice as a sufficient satisfaction for all our sins and meritorious of Remission and eternall life He reveales him in the Gospell offers him unto us calls us gives his Spirit and with patience and long-suffering waits for our Repentance abrogates the law of works and promiseth eternall life anew upon fairest terms constitutes him an High-Priest in Heaven and ever hears his Intercession which he ever lives to make for us Nay upon this suffering of Christ foreseen and fore-accepted he gives his Spirit who justifies and saves all Believers of the World who lived before his Incarnation and the finishing the work of Redemption When we cry to him with penitent and believing hearts and come unto our Saviour our sins though many and grâ—evous are pardoned and Christ hath a charge given him to receive us have a care of us protect us guide us raise us up at the last day and give us everlasting life Angells must be ministring Spirits to guard us all things must work together for our good And this is strange The Son of God must be punished that we might be spared must be condemned that we may be justified dy that we may live be humbled very low that we may be exalted very high endure most bitter pains that we may enjoy eternall pleasures and be miserable that we may be for ever happy But what Tongue of Men or Angells is able to expresse the exceeding greatnesse of his Love to us which was the greatest that ever God did manifest Who is able to number and reckon up the particular mercyes and benefits which Christ did merit and we receive by him This Mercy in Christ is to be remembred not onely on earth but to be matter of eternall praise and thanksgiving in Heaven The subject of this discourse is the Acquisition of a new Power § XII and by all this dâ—th appear not onely that another power is acquired and added to that of Creation and preservation but also that it was acquired by the humiliation of the Son of God made Man And now man in respect of his spirituall capacity and eternall estate is wholly Gods and subjected to him anew and now are we not our own for we are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. And Christ hath given himself a Ransome for us 1 Timothy cap. 2 ver 6. And we are redeemed by his pretious Blood as of a Lamb without blemish and immaculate 1 Pet. 1. 19. And as God acquired a new right unto us by Redemption so likewise by Regeneration which is a new creation so that our spirituall being is wholly his and he hath acquired a new power to dispose of us and give us laws and bind us to obedience and his service upon another account For wee are delivered out of the hands of our enemies to serve him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life This power being acquired we must consider to whom it was acquired and to whom it was communicated God acquired this power unto himself and he communicates it to Christ as man so farr as he is capable That God did acquire it 't is evident for he sent Christ he gave him he transferred the punishment of our sins upon him he accepted his death and sacrifice as a full propitiation He regenerates and renews us by his spirit and gives us our new being And if althese be his works then the Power as also the Glory is his and he hath a new propâ—iety inus For the Word made flesh was his son The work of Redemption and Humiliation of this son was his work Therefore we are said to be purchased by his Blood his own Blood Act. 20. 28. We are said to be his workmanship created anew in Christ Jesus Ephes. 2. 10. All that we are in respect of our spirituall estate we are wholly wholly his and al things that we have as New-creatures are from him who quickned us raised us up set us in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Though it be said that Christ is our Lord § XIII our Head our Saviour who hath washed us in his blood redeemed us out of all Nations made us Kings and Priests to God for ever and reconciled us to the Father so that whether we live or dy we are the Lords because to this end Christ both died and revived and rose again that he might be Lord both of the living and the dead Rom. 14. 8 9. Yet God did all this likewise and put him to death and raised him up again and made him Lord and King This power therefore is Christs but so as that it is derived and communicated unto him from his heavenly Father For he gave him power as he himself confesseth over all flesh he exalted him and gave him a name above all names he by his mighty power raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places farr above all principality power and might and Dominion And though he had all power in heaven earth yet he acknowledgeth it as given him The son hath an universal jurisdiction yet all judgment was committed unto him Joh. 5. 22. so that he hath it by commission From all this it 's evident that God acquired this power and Christ acquired it God hath it Christ hath it God hath it originally and primitively Christ hath it derivatively as man and by commission God is the principall cause of the work of Redemption Christ as man united to the Word is the ministeriall agent And as God by Christ did
essential And that perfect and perpetual obedience should be that condition upon which perâ—ormed it was God's Will Eternal Life should follow and no ways else was accidental So likewise it was that the sin of one should be the sin of all and His Death their death For the Law might have been a Law without any such thing This Law may be considered § IV 1. As given to Adam and in him to all Mankind 2. As continued yet with several accidental and extrinsecal alterations in the Kingdom of God-Redeemer As it was given to Adam it 's of a two-fold consideration in respect 1. Of him as Innocent 2. Of him as Fallen Adam as Innocent received this Law and it was given unto him as righteous and holy by Creation and he was able to keep it And he was bound to perform it perfectly and perpetually together with other Positives And this perfect and perpetual obedience was the onely condition of life to him and his and one sin one committed made him and his liable to death After that Adam and in him all his had sinned it was a Law of Sin and Death unto them and if God had made it a standing Rule of Judgment in strict Justice man must needs have bâ—en condemned to Eternal Death and there was no hope or possibility of Eternal Life by this Law For suppose God had pardoned this first sin and yet continued this Law in force man could not have been saved by it For he lost the Spirit of Sanctification and if God had continued to say Do this and live because he could not do this he could not live Neither was there any Promise of a Saviour to expiate his sin nor of the Spirit to enable him to keep it nor of Pardon upon expiation made if he afterwards transgressed it After that God in passing Sentence upon the Devil had said § V that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents Head this Law continued but with a great alteration in respect of man A Redeemer who should satisfie God's Justice and merit God's favour unto man was promised his satisfaction accepted the Spirit restored pardon and eternal life promised Faith in the Redeemer made the condition of life the Law of the forbidden Fruit ceased the Law of Works as the condition of life and rule of judgment for punishments and rewards repealed And all this was done in great mercy by God as Supream and absolute Lord above his own Law which bound not Him the Soveraign but Man His Subject Thus much I observed when I spake of the Judgment which God passed upon the Authors of the first sin But how the Law-Moral continued you shall hear-anon The knowledge of this Law § VI as applyed to the Acts Dispositions Habits of men is commonâ—y called Conscience which is nothing else but the knowledge of a man's Acts Dispositions Habits as agreeable or disagreeable to this or other Laws of God This Knowledge in respect of acts future is the Law of God within him to bind him to obedience and restrain him from disobedience In respect of acts past it 's a Judge within himself or a Witness for or against him before the Tribunal of God This it is properly yet tropically in Scripture it 's several times taken in another sense according to the several adjuncts thereof For the practical judgment of man is sometimes more sometimes less perfect and great is his Ignorance and many his Errours both in matter of Law and of Fact and most of all in applying the Law unto the Fact or Fact unto the Law Sometimes it 's a false Witness and an unjust Judge and hence man's Security in greatest Guilt and Despair when there is hope of Mercy This Knowledge of this Law-Moral in Adam innocent was more perfect § VII in his Posterity more imperfect For the enlightening Spirit was taken from him it was not so purely diligently constantly taught neither was the outward Revelation thereof renewed to all Besides the erroneous Traditions without the Corruptions of man's Heart within with other vicious Habits together with God's just judgment had much impaired this Knowledge though not utterly razed it out For even the wicked Heathen who had not the Law written yet by Nature did something contained in the Law and were a Law unto themselves which did shew the Works of the Law of God written in their hearts Rom. 2. 13 14 15. Yet the knowledge of it was always preserved in the Church by constant Teaching and reiterated Revelations improving the Natural Light of Reason Yet some Positives and Ceremonials were always added and it was joyned to the Law of Faith God renewed the Doctrine of it more perfectly and in a more solemn manner unto Israel both by an audible Voice and by writing it in Tables of stone Moses and the Prophets Christ and His Apostles more fully and clearly explain it And by outward Teaching and inward Illumination God writes it by degrees in the hearts of His people The use of the Law may be considered § VIII 1. In respect of the Gentile 2. Of the Jew 3. Of the Church in general but especially Christian. In respect of the Gentiles who had other positive Laws and Customs either by Tradition or the invention of the Devil and wicked men this Moral-Law so far as it was left written in their hearts taught them their Duty to the onely true God and also unto Man For it was a Rule in matters of Religion and in matters of Justice unto them both as they were single persons and also associated in a Family or a Common-wealth It was the Rule of their Civil Government both in making Laws and in Judgment And according to the violation of this Law God judged single persons Families Nations and Kingdoms And the knowledge thereof which they had or might have had though imperfect did manifest in their own Conscience the justice of God's Judgments executed upon them And so much the more because by His patience long-suffering and bounty together with this law he sought to draw them to Repentance But they holding the truth of God in unrighteousness and continuing impenitent were inexcusable and justly delivered up unto a Reprobate mind as may appear Rom. 1. from ver 18. ad finem Chap. 2. from ver 1. to the 17th And they that disobeyed this clear light of Nature were justly punished by God with the ignorance of Jesus Christ and the want of the Laws and Promises of God-Redeemer It was of singular use to the Jew For § IX 1. It was added to the Promise made to Abraham four hundred and thirty years before 2. It was so revealed that it reduced all Moral Duties to a few Heads and digesteâ— those Heads into an exact and excellent Method and was given with a special application to that People 3. It was Supernaturally written in two Tables of Stone that it might be reserved in the Ark as a rare and lasting Monument from Heaven
as consecrated unto God were apt to represent Christ sanctified and set apart to be our Saviour and deliverer The bread was fit to signifie his body and the Wine his blood the bread broken his body crucified the Wine powred out his blood shed and both separated and given a part did resemble his death the virtue of both to preserve life the vertue and power of Christ dying to give us eternal life The eating of the one and drinking of the other our participation of Christ for remission of our sins and our Eternal Salvation The actions in the use of these Elements are either common to both joyntly or § XIV proper to them severally The common are 1. Blessing 2. Giving 3. Taking 1. Blessing which some call Consecration was by Word and Prayer For as other Meats are sanctified by Word and Prayer 1 Tim. 4. 5. so these were blessed and sanctifyed in a peculiar manner by Word and Prayer The Prayer was 1. A Thanksgiving 2. A Petition A Thanksgiving for the Bread and Wine as Blessings of God given us for the preservation of our bodily life and for Christ the Bread of Life that came down from Heaven The Petition was for a Blessing upon our use of these Elements in this Sacrament for our Spiritual Comfort and Happiness It 's written that our Saviour gave thanks and blessed But what form of words He used is not related by any of the Evangelists Therefore we are not bound in this act of Consecration to any set-form of words yet our words must be such as are agreeable to the Scriptures and proper to this Sacrament The Prayers used in most Liturgies are such and agree not onely with the Scriptures but are suitable to the Sacrament The next common act is Giving and that some make to be twofold 1. A giving to God as Grenaeus and some others at least seem to intimate an offering of the Bread and Cup to God though it 's certain that the whole Service taken together and being a part of Divine Worship is an Offering made to God 2. A giving of both unto the People who are called Communicants The 3d Action is the taking the Elements given The Actions proper are 1. The Breaking of the Bread and the Powring out the Wine 2. The Eating of the Bread and Drinking of the Cup. The first is fit to signifie the Death and Sacrifice of Christ. The second the participation of the benefit thereof by Faith These Actions may be orderly distinguished into 1. The Acts of the Party Administring which are 1. The Blessing 2. The Breaking 3. The Giving And 2. The Acts of the Communicants which are 1. Taking 2. Eating 3. Drinking They are reducible to Three 1. Consecration 2. Distribution 3. Participation The words are the last § XV and they concern either the Participation as Take Eat Drink or the things participated and they are concerning 1. The Bread 2. The Cup. In both we may observe 1. The great Work of Redemption 2. The Covenant both which are represented by the Elements and the use of them The Redemption is signifyed by the words My Body broken and My Blood shed For these inform us that Christ dyed and offered Himself a Sacrifice unto God offended by the sin of Man to propitiate Him by satisfying His Justice and meriting His Favour This was the Foundation of the Covenant and Man's Salvation For it made Sin Pardonable and Man Save-able That His Body was broken and being broken was given it informs us that He suffered Death and offered Himself dying That this Offering was propitiatory it 's implyed in that Bloud was shed for Remission In the words of the Covenant we have 1. The Promise 2. The Precept 1. The Promise in the words This is my Body broken and given for you and This is the New Covenant in my Blood which was shed for the Remission of Sin For though remission of sins and Salvation were merited and purchased by Christ's Death and Sacrifice and so trusted in his hands yet they are conveyed in the Covenant by a Promise or Grant Yet the Word is turned A Testament and if we follow that metaphor that which is called a Promise is a Bequest Yet though the Expressions may be different yet the thing is the same and informs us That it is the Purpose and Will of God for and in consideration of the Death of Christ suffered for our sins to give man remission and eternal life And this His Will He hath signified in His Promise whereby He hath bound Himself upon certain tearms unto sinful Man Upon which tearms Man may challenge them as due unto him And whereas we read in Luke and Paul This is the New Testament or Covenant in my Blood and in Matthew and Mark This is my Blood of the New Testament You must understand 1. That the words are taken out of Exod. 24. 8. 2. That Matthew and Mark follow the Hebrew and Septuagint more expresly then Luke and Paul 3. That the Sense of both is the same For to be a Covenant in the Blood of Christ is to be a Covenant confirmed by the Bloud of Christ and to be the Bloud of the Covenant is to be the Bloud whereby the Covenant is made firm and so both teach us that by the Death of Christ the Covenant of Grace was made for ever unalterable as you heard before out of Heb. 9. 15 16 17. And the Covenant was sounded upon Christ's Death 4. That this Covenant is called the New Covenant to distinguish it from the Covenant of Works and that Covenant that was made and confirmed with Israel Exod. 24. 8. 5. That as Christ's Bloud did merit so the New Covenant did convey the Benefits merited by the Death of Christ. This is the Promise The Precept is in these words Do this in remembrance of me That is As I dyed for thee gave my Body for thee shed my Blood for thee So eat thou this Bread drink thou this Cup in remembrance of my Death suffered willingly out of the greatest love for thee This Remembrance must be practical And as the thing remembred is Christ's Death for our Sins it requires 1. A Confession of our sins a Sense of them an Hatred a Desire to be pardoned and Purpose to forsake them 2. A Belief that Christ dyed for the expiation of those sins and that His Sacrifice was accepted of God as a sufficient Satisfaction 3. An acknowledgment of God's wonderful Love and the great benefit of Redemption and desire to be for ever Thankful Thus far the Rites § XVI wherein the Elements were chosen in Excellent Wisdom the Actions ordered in an admirable manner the words though few yet very comprehensive of much and weighty matter expressing the mystical and hidden part concerning the Incarnation of the Son of God the Glorious Work of Redemption the Blessed Covenant of Grace wherein we have the Laws and Constitutions of this Glorious Kingdom whereof we discourse The
and severall degrees thereof but do not proceed to perfection and sincerity Some will hear the word but not receive it into their minds to understand the very principles and fundamental Laws of this Kingdom Their punishment is that as they will go no further with God so God will go no further with them but denyes unto them the Spirit of illumination leaves them blind as he found them and suffers Satan to take the Word from them Luke 8. 12. Some receive it so far as to understand it but are not willing to do it Their punishment is this that God will not make it further effectuall to promote their spirituall happinesse and they are left as the former to Satan to take it out of their hearts lest they should be ieve and be saved And though these may receive the Spirit of illumination yet they receive not the Spirit of Conversion Some receive if onely into their understandings but not into their hearts so as to delight in it and to do something commanded and obey it in some degree but either for fear of adversity or love of the World and the Cares of this life they bring no fruit unto perfection but either deny the truth or receive it not into an honest heart Their punishment is this That the Spirit of conversion sanctification and Adoption is denyed unto them whilst they are such but they remaine under the Power of Satan the dominion of sin and in the state of Damnation Some continue for a longer or a shorter time in this imperfect condition and in the confines of these Kingdomes of life and death and though God be patient and calls for an honest and good heart yet they deny it and at length the time of grace allotted by their Saviour is expired and then the things which belonged to their peace are hid for ever from them and the gates of mercy and eternall life are shut against them Luke 19. 42. The last sin is Apostacy of such as have received the knowledge of the truth have been convinced of the same escaped the corruption that is in the World through lust have tasted some joy and comfort in their Saviour yet turn back to their Vomit and Wallowing in their former sins or deny the Lord who bought them or do not only deny him but blaspheme him and persecute him in his Members The punishment of these is that God suffers the unclean Spirit with seven other spirits worse then himself to enter and keep possession and so the end of that man is Worse then the first Math. 12. 45. And it had been better for them never to have known the way of righteousnesse then after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandement delivered to them 2 Pet. 2. 21. There remains no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Heb. 10. 27. They cannot be renewed to Repentance Heb. 6. 6. So that they make Repentance and Salvation plainly impossible to themselves Such is the Punishment of them who blaspheme the Holy Ghost Though many of these may live a while in worldly Peace yet their case is miserable and so miserable as no Tongue of man can expresse and God delivers them up unto security till they suddainly sink into Hell or before their end awakes them and they become desperate and the â—lames of Hell begin to kindle and rage in their hearts and so intolerably that some with Judas murther themselves The Sins § VI deserving these Punishments formally considered are Impenitency and Vnbelief Impenitency is a continuance in Ignorance or Errour or other sins against the meanes and motives of Conversion and it 's the same with Blindnesse and Hardnesse of Heart which admit of many degrees according to the meanes greater or lesser or continued a shorter or a longer time or according to the Malignancy of the Heart which may be more or lesse Unbelief is a reâ—usal to receive Christ upon those terms God doth offer him After a time of Mercy wherein God calls us to Repentance mispent Impenitency and Unbelief which before were Sins may become Punishments The Punishment of these Sins is deniall of the Spirit either sufficiently to prepare them or convert them and so justifie them From some of these he takes the Word To some of these he continues the Word and denies the Spirit To some he grants the Spirit for some degrees of Preparation but not of full Conversion From some he takes away the Spirit wholly and delivers them up to Satan And this deniall of the Spirit is the heaviest Judgement that God inflicts or man can suffer in this life when men shall hear and not understand see and not perceive to have their Hearts made fat their Eares heavy their Eyes shut lest they see with their Eyes and hear with their Eares and understand with their Hearts and convert and be healed Esa. 6. 9 10. and Act. 28. 26 27. As the State of impenitent Sinners § VII upon their death doth alter so their Punishments different from the former do begin and they suffer in another kind and their condition being miserable becomes unalterable The day of Grace with them if not before as it is with many yet surely then is past No place for Repentance will be found No Prayers Tears Intercession of Saints and Angels or any other meanes can do them any good Their Conversion and Salvation become irrecoverable and impossible Death which in it self is a Curse yet by the Wisdom and Mercy of God in Christ to the faithfull is a door to Eternity of Blisse and an end of all their Misery is the beginning of their greater Woe and though it doth not wholly take away their Being yet it deprives them of all hope of a better Being Their Bodies are laid in the Grave or left upon the Surface of the Earth for a prey to Fowles Dogs wild Beasts or hurled into the Deep or howsoever dissolved and turned into dust are reserved for greater Torment Their Souls departed from their Bodies are forsaken of God not received by Christ not guarded by Angels nor carried into Abraham's bosome and are left as a prey unto the Devils and into whatsoever dismal Lodging they are brought or in whatsoever woeful Region they wander as in this life they had no faith in God no Union with Christ no heavenly Consolation of the Spirit so now they are destitute of all peace and joy And it 's not the least Torment to remember that once there was a day of Mercy and Grace an Opportunity of obtaining pardon or at least a power to have lessened Sin to lessen the Punishment yet now that day is past and that Opportunity neglected is for ever lost They are in the same condition with the Devils and reserved as it were in chains unto the Judgment of the great Day This certainly known and continually remembred continually torments In consideration of which
is justifiable by Law But whether this be all the justification the Scripture speaks of especially the Writings of the Apostles shall be considered hereafter 3. It cannot be the sentence only of the Church or Minister because they do not alwayes judge and absolve Clave non errante infallibly and so one may be absolved on Earth and not in Heaven or in Heaven and not on Earth either in foro interiori aut extâ—riori as many use to expresse themselves It 's true that when it is exactly agreeable to Gods rule then it 's ratified in Heaven that is by Christ and manifested so to be by the execution For Gods sentence is not a bare word or distinct sound in the Aire 4. It 's not the sentence of the conscience For conscience is neither the supreme judge nor infallible 5. That it 's not pronounced by inspiration or enthusiasm as the words are ordinarily taken will easily be granted 6. Whether it be signified to the soul in man by some real operation with some execution is more disputable That it is signified by some real operation of the spirit with execution seems very probable if not very certain But let others judge when they have considered these places following The justified by faith have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also they have accesse by faith into his grace wherein they stand and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God c. And the love of God is shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost which is given them Rom. 5. 1. 2 5. Believers in Christ by the spirit mortifie the lusts of the flesh and are led moved acted by this spirit have received the spirit of Adoption whereby they cry Abba Father This spirit witnesseth to their spirit that they are the Sons of God having the first fruits of the spirit they groan within themselves waiting for the Adoption the Redemption of their body Rom. 8. 13 14 15 16 23. Now he that stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of the spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1. 21. 22. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren 1 Ioh. 3. 14. God will give him that overcommeth a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it Rev. 2. 17. 1. All these places with many more speak not onely of Believers but Believers justified and in this life 2. All these places either expresly or by consequence speak of the Spirit of God and of this Spirit in us and the effects of this Spirit in particular persons 3. The Effects are Divine and such as onely God can produce 4. These Effects are the shedding of the love of God that is the Manifestation the evident and abundant manifestation of God's special love accepting us to Eternal Life the Sanctification of the Spirit and enabling them to mortifie the Deeds of the Flesh and acting them to Obedience Adoption whereby call upon God as a Father their Father and giving them boldness and confidence to approach the Throne of Grace testifying inwardly testifying in them and to them that they in particular are the Sons of God and Heirs of Glory giving them assurance of Eternal Glory as giving the first-fruits thereof being a Seal and Earnest of the same making them know and certainly know that they are passed from Death to Life and that God is in them and they in God and that God abides in them and they abide in God 5. All these signifie and declare and that evidently that there is a great change wrought in them both for disposition and condition For disposition they are regenerate and sanctified For condition they are in the state of Life not of Death of Salvation not of Damnation and neither of these can be without Justification actual And this change is the more evident because the Spirit abides in them constantly as a constant Spring of Sanctification and unspeakable consolation and joy 6. Therefore God by this Spirit in them by these Effects and real operations speaks plainly with some execution that particular persons in this life are justifyed not merely by the Promise of the Law but the Sentence of the great Judge God's Word is not like man's word which is a bare sound but it 's a Word with power It 's like the Word of Creation saying Let there be Light and there was Light like the Word of Christ to the man of the Palsie Arise take up thy bed and walk and presently the thing is done Health and Strength is given He takes up his bed and walks and so his sins were forgiven and the remission was signified by a real operation and word of power And certainly there is no greater Evidence of sin past forgiven then power given to subdue sin for the time to come and after fear sorrow and trouble of men sweet peace joy and Heavenly Consolation 〈…〉 this Word which the Spirit speaks within is the very same Word with 〈…〉 Word which the Spirit speaks without us in the Scripture Yet with this difference that there it is a Promise made to all Believers in general here a Word with performance unto particular Believers The Word is not the Sentence of the Conscience The Witness of the Spirit is not the Witness of Conscience The Sentence of the Spirit is infallible the Sentence of the Conscience is fallible The Spirit is the Supream Judge by which God so justifies as no man can condemn the Conscience is an inferiour and subordinate Judge and the Sentence thereof may be revoked and made void The Spirit speaks with power and produceth Divine Effects and in the very Soul and such as neither Man nor Angels can produce These or like Effects the Conscience cannot reach If any say or ask How can God pass this Sentence but by the Conscience It 's answered That such men seem to be ignorant what the Conscience is and what the Sentence of it is what the different Sentences of the Conscience before and after Justification be The Sentence of the Spirit is a principle but that of the Conscience a conclusion And the Spirit must speak by these real Effects before Conscience can certainly conclude Justification to be past or the state of Justification to be present But this Point will receive some further Light § VIII after that we understand what this Judicial Act of Justification is Yet here ye must know that the act of Justification is one thing and the state of the party justified is another and they must be distinguished as cause and effect The general nature of it is that it is not the Promise of the Law nor the convention of the party to be judged nor the discussion of the cause but it 's a Sentence Yet because there 's a Sentence against a party and a Sentence for
doth not hence follow that we shall be justified by our works In the matter of Judgment and the Cause to be tried there are two things the Merit and the Evidence And who dare say that good works are the merit of the cause which are only the Evidence Gregory the Great distinguisheth in this case saith we shall be judged and so rewarded Secundum sed non propter Opera Where Promises of Life Blessing Reward and of Glory and of Remission of Sin are made to such as do works of Mercy or suffer for Christ's sake or love God or serve and fear him we must observe that where any one of these is named all the rest are meant and that the Person qualified with one is qualified with all and the reason is because there is such a connexion between them that where one is predominant and in sincerity all the rest are inseparably joyned Yet none of these can be where faith in Christ is not neither can a living faith continue without all these or any of these and where such a faith is not none of these can be in such a Subject or if they could be without it yet without it they could not be acceptable nor rewardable Neither could this qualifie the Person aright nor faith qualify aright if it were not fixed on Christ. The Apostle James indeed saith that Abraham was justified by works and that by works a man is justified and not by faith onely Chap. 2. 23. Yet we must consider 1. That he speaks of the same justification of Abraham wherein Paul instanceth who affirmeth that Abraham was justified by faith and not by works and proves it out of Psal. 32. 12. 2. That James speaks against such as professe â—aith without practise and his principall Scope is to shew that a vain faith a dead faith a faith without works the faith of Devills which may be in Devills cannot justify nor can any man be justified by such a faith and implies that when Paul or any Apostle speaks of justifying faith they do not mean such a faith and that no Solifidian can be justified at all before God He speaks of such works as follow faith and Justification by saith which did evidently prove the sincerity of their faith and the certainty of their Justification One cause of this mistake both in them of Rome and others is 1. Because they do not consider that the Righteousnesse required before the Judgment Seat of God especially at last triall must be perfect and such as the party to be justified cannot by law that Law which should be the Rule of Judgment be chargeable with any the least Sin 2. They do not consider that the party to be justified is in himself a guilty Sinner and as such can in no wise be justifiable before the most just and sin-detesting Judge 3. That the Justification so much spoken of in Scripture especially in the Apostles writings is Remission and onely Remission of Sin in which respect no man guilty can be justified by Works For all the good works a man can do in a thousand years cannot expiate one Sin antecedent intervenient or consequent nor free him from the guilt of eternall death Austin saith truly that our righteousnesse is true because referred to the right end yet in this life it consists potius remissione Peccatorum quà m perfectione Virtutum rather in Remission of Sin then perfection of Virtue For as he manifestly shews our righteousnesse of good works is imperfect many wayes imperfect therefore he exhorts us to give thanks to God for our good works whereby he implies that they are God's gifts and more God's then ours And certainly they are so and God never gave them to us that we should stand upon Terms with God and plead that the Righteousnesse of them was such as that for them he in Justice was bound to justify them No penitent Sinner dare plead so No wise man will plead so and the best of men in that last day of Triall will wave the Plea of Works and will onely plead God'â— Mercy and Christ's Merit and his own faith in the one and the other onely What shall we plead Merit or righteouâ—ness of works or any title to reward by them because God hath freed us from the Dominion of Sin and the Power of Satan and by his Spirit enabled us to do a few good Works and the same through our own default imperfect whereas he might have bound us to a thousand years oâ— Penance and as many of service in good Works without promising any Reward the least Men may dispute acutely and subtilly for justification by Works now and here but then and there summond to be tried before the great glorious and most just King they will recant be ashamed of their arguments and abhor themselvs as in themselvs most sinfull and guilty wretches God did never ordain good works which are the fruits of a sincere faith in Christ to acquire a right unto Remission of Sin and eternall life but to be a means whereby we may obtain the Possession of these Rewards he hath promised And whosoever will take the words of St. James in proper Sense neglecting the true Scope of the Apostle can hardly avoid it but must contradict the Doctrine of St. Paul agree with the Papists in their Doctrine of justification by Works for the main use the same arguments to maintain it and give the same Answers to Objections against it which they do though in some Terms and Circumstances they may differ CHAP. XXIII Of the several Branches Parts and Degrees of Justification and the continuance of them unto us until the Final Judgment HItherto of Justification by Faith in Christ § I in general After which follow the several Branches or Parts and degrees thereof if we may so call them and the continuance of them to us till the final and universal Judgment of our great and glorious Lord and King-Redeemer These are Regeneration Reconciliation Adoption Ministery of Angels and the rest And they may be considered 1 As they free us from the guilt and punishment of sin Whether the punishment be privative or positive 2 As they make the estate of the justified person of miserable to be happy and blessed The first is Regeneration which in the Execution of this great and special Judgment frees us from that great Penalty of Original Unrighteousness the Dominion of sin and slavery under Sathan of this you have heard before and shall hear more distinctly and particularly of it in the continuance hereafter For the first thing in order though not in time seeing all go together is the restoring of the regenerating and sanctifying Spirit to abide in us after it hath prepared us and it is so necessary a part of Justification that if we distinguish between the Sentence removing the guilt and the Execution removing the punishment the Sentence without the Execution could be little advantage unto us nor could it minister any
Petition if once received becomes the matter of Thanksgiving A brief Explication of every several Petition and also of the conclusion CHAP. XIX Of Promises and Threatnings The Laws of God both Moral and Positive considered as a Rule of Judgment in Promises and Comminations The nature of Promises in general and of Comminations Their Order as following Precepts and Prohibitions The nature of the Promises of God-Redeemer The nature of Comminations The difference between Promises and Threatnings both in respect of themselves and of the subject and also the matter which are rewards or punishments bodily spiritual of this life of that which is to come CHAP. XX. Of Punishments What the Iudgment of God-Redeemer is It 's Particular Universal Of Punishments which might be reduced to order according to Chronology or according to Laws general or particular for the violation whereof they are inflicted The difference between the punishments upon Mankind for Adam's sinne and those which we are liable to for our sins against the Laws of God-Redeemer Several distinctions of punishments Of Spiritual punishments suffered in this life both by Unbelievers and Believers considered either as single persons or associate in lesser or greater Communities both Ecclesiastical and Civil Punishments suffered after Death before the Resurrection CHAP. XXI Of Rewards What a Reward of God-Redeemer is The distinction of Rewards into those of this life and that which is to come before and after the Resurrection Rewards presuppose the performance of a Duty and the first special Duty pre requires preventing Grace The first special Reward is to take away the Stoney-heart and to give an heart of Flesh. The second is God's writing of His Laws in Mans heart The third God becomes our God Christ our Head and we are made His Subjects His Members CHAP. XXII Of Justification The fourth Spiritual Reward is Justification defined The Judge and how considered The Party judged Man sinful guilty penitent believing in Christ as Propitator and Intercessour What kind of Faith justifying Faith is The Acts of it and what the Objects of these Acts are and what not Where the Iudgment or Iudicial Act is passed and how manifested What it is The proper effect of it Certain observations The greatest punishment Justification frees us froÌ„ is the want loss of the Sanctifying Spirit and the dominion of sin How this Doctrine differs from that of Trent Councel Three Questions 1. Whether God doth always in every Sentence of Justification free the guilty totally or sometimes onely in part 2. Whether there be two parts of Justification as Remission and Imputation 3. Whether good Works be a condition of Justification continued or final so as to give a right upon the Promise CHAP. XXIII Of the Parts of Justification and the continuance of it The Branches or Parts of Justification which some call Effects as Regeneration Reconciliation Adoption from which arises the happy estate of the justified The continuance of these in this Life and after Death before the Resurrection which might be called the Fifth Reward Mortification Vivification The Spiritual War The different Issue of the several Battails The last Issue which is a final Victory Of Perseverance and falling away CHAP. XXIV The Final and Universal Judgment The time of this Judgment The Judge His manner of coming The General Summons Convention and Appearance of Men and Angels The Eternal Rewards of the Godly The Eternal Punishment of impenitent and unbelieving Sinners These several Books following are Printed and to be sold by Francis Tyton at the Three Daggers in Fleet-street MR. Baxter's Saints everlasting Rest Quarto His Apologie containing Exceptions against Mr. Blake The Digression of Mr. Kendal Animadversions on a late Dissertatition of Ludiomeus Colvinus alias Ludovinus Molineus An Admonition to Mr. Eyrs With Mr. Crandon's Anatomy quarto Confession of Faith quarto Christian Concord quarto Defence of the Worcester-shire Petition quarto Advice to the Parliament quarto Letter to Mr. Durry for Pacification quarto Concerning the Saints perseverance quarto The Quakers Catechism quarto Of Infant-Baptism against Mr. Tombs The Unreasonableness of Infidelity Octavo Thirty two Directions for getting and keeping Spiritual Peace Octavo Against Popery Octavo Mr. Lawson's Examination oâ— the Political Part of Hobb's his Leviathan Octavoâ— These several Books of Mr. Gilberts Minister of Limtick in Ireland THe Libertine school'd Or A Vindication of the Magistrates Power in Matters of Religion Quarto A Soveraign Antidote against those sinful Errours that are the Epidemical Disease of our Times quarto A pleasant Walk to Heaven on Ephes. 4. 1. quarto The Blessed Peace-maker Or A Christian Reconciler intended for the healing of our Divisions quarto Innocents no Saints Or A Pair of Spectacles for a dark sighted Quaker By E. Dod. quarto Man's Duty in magnifying God's Work A Sermon preached before the Parliament on the occasion of the Victory obtained against the Spanish Fleet By John How Preacher of the Word at the Abbey-Church Westminster quarto The Perusall of an old Statute of Death and Judgment A Funeral Sermon By Mr. Bedford in quartâ— These several Books following of Mr. Strong HEavenly Treasure Or Man's chiefest good Twelves Communion with God the Saints Priviledge and Duty Twelves Thirty one Sermons preached on select occasions quarto The Will of Man subjected to the Will of God Octavo A Commemoration Sermon preached at Pauls on the 5th of November 1646 quarto A Voice out of the Temple Being also a Sermon on the 5th of November quarto A Confession of Faith of the severaâ— Congregations or Churches oâ— Christ in London commonly called Anabaptists quarto A Discovery of some tâ—oublesome Thoughts By Daniel King quarto Gospel-Glory in the 〈…〉 invisible Worship of God By Edw. Drapes quarto Common-Good Or The Improvement of Commons Forrests 〈◊〉 Chaâ—es by Incloâ—ure By S. T. quarto An Assiâ—e Sermon Preâ—â—â—bed by Thâ— Gilbert quarto The Word of Faith Or The Coâ—lection of the Sermons of a Mâ—neth preached at Martins in the Fields methodically By Mr. Sanger Barton's Translation of the sinâ—ing Psalms Twelves Sydenham's for Infant-Baptism Octavo Renodeus Dispensatory in Folio Spencer's Similies in Folio Dr. Robinson's Endoxa in Octavo Dr. Harrison's Spiritual Logick in Octavo The History of Dreams By Mr. Philip Goodwin Minister at Watford Octavo The Three Theological Graces By Mr. Ward Octavo Biddle dispossest in answer to his Challenge Twelves Habbington's Edward the 4th in Folio His Observations on History in Octavo Allen 's Henry the 7th Octavo Buck on the Beatitudes in quarto Eurialus and Lucretia Octavo Herbert 's Henry the 8th Folio English Law By Charles George-Cock Folio Par on the Romans Folio Hackwel's Argument for the Liberty of the Subject quarto The false Brother quarto Mr. Sedgwick's Sermon at Mr. Strong 's Funeral quarto Hamilton's Case argued by Mr. Steel now Lord Chancellour in Ireland quarto Gospel-Ministery and Gospel-Light and Life By Dornford in octavo The Rise Fall and Ruine of Antichrist By
in the end to encline so farr as to look upon the fruit to cover it to touch it and tast it too And so the Vâ—nome of the Serpent infected Soul and Body Neither staid it here but did diffuse and Communicate it self to man who hearkened to his Wiâ—e and did eate and so transgresse Upon which the victory became compleat And though the temptation and plot was deeply laid and managed with greatest subtlety yet they could not be excused For the law was plain the power to observe it sufficient and God did in no wayes desert them in any thing necessary They did both willingly consent and yield They were too precipitate and did too hastily determin and resolve before they had sufficiently considered the matter either severally or joyntly together And their sin was in the issue so much the more heynous because they believed the false suggestions of the Devill and harkened to his damned Counsel contrary to the clear Command and peremptory Commination of their Creator In all this they had not the least cause to complain of God Their Sin and misery was from themselves and there was much of will in the transgression The Woman was first in the sin and was deceived Yet the Man followed her example Otherwiâ—e it might have been better with all mankind And in this place something may be â—aid of the permission of sin and Gods providence in respect of the same No doubt God could have prevented both the sin and the temptation yet being no wayes bound to do either he suffered both And this is one of the deep Counâ—ells of God whereof man can give no reason Arminiuâ— doth discourse of this subject and observes the acts of Divine providence about sin to be reducible to three heads 1. In respect of the Beginning 2. Of the Progress 3. The Consummation of it In respect of the Beginning the Acts of Providence are either permission or hinderance In respect of the Progress Direction and Limitation In respect of Sin Consummate Punishment or Remission But he that will accurately discuss this Point of Doctrine must distinguish 1. Between the first sin of Angels and the first sin of Man and other sinnes following these For in respect of these later that which we call permission may be a Desertion and to a Punishment which in the first sinnes cannot be 2. He must put a difference between a Moral and a Physical permission and also between the sinful Disposition and immediate Act of the Will as sinful and such Acts as follow and are not formally and intrinsecally sinful but bâ— participation 3. He must discern which of these Acts belong to Judgment as the two last evidently do and which not 4. It should be distinctly known what this Permission is For it 's not any Licence or Liberty to sin given by God to the Creature nor any toleration connivence indulgence much less any approbation of sin The proper and immediate first subject and cause of sin is the Will as free Therefore when Scotus had defined sin to be Carentia justitiae actui inesse debitae Occam corrects him and defines it to be Carentia justitiae voluntati inesse debitae And whereas many out of Austin take it for granted that Peccatum non habet causam efficientem sed deâ—icientem He â—aith That 's true onely of sins of Omission not of Commission and doth positively â—ffirm that God is the Author of every sin of Commission because in Commission there is something positive which is forbidden by the Law directly as well as that which is privative yet gives the reason why man is guilty and God not because man is under a Law and bound God is not And whereas some in sins of Commission distinguish between the Act whereof they grant God to be the Author and the Sinfulness of the Act whereof he is not the Author He answers That in sins of Commission the very Act is forbidden and therefore the very Act is so sin that you cannot make it the subject of sin is any ways different from sin In this making of God the Author of all sins he seems to be very bold and heterodox though very acute But let his Judgment in this be true or false these things are certain 1. That all the difficulty in this point ariseth from our ignorance of the manner how God concurs with the Free will of man in sin 2. That God could prevent all sins and every sin though he doth not 3. That God doth not necessitate much less force the intelligent Creature to sin for then sin could be no sin 4. That let Permission be what it will yet he so permits sin that he can justly punish it in the Parties guilty who alone are chargeable with it 5. The reason why God doth not cannot sin is not onely because he is under no Law but because he is absolutely just and holy and hates sin as he doth forbid it threaten it give power against it and punisheth it 6. We must not think that God doth so permit sin as not to order the sinner and out of evil bring good as once out of Darkness he created Light To think that God who is the Universal Judge is a bare Spectator of sin must needs be an Errour The cause of this sin § XI which was blameless was the Law which did forbid sin command obedience promise life to the Obedient threaten death to the Disobedient This could not by any inward native power or quality be a cause of Sin or Death for it was spiritual holy just good and so contrary to sin For every thing acts according to the inward power and quality And how should that be for sin which was the Rule of Holiness and for Death which was given for Life Yet a cause of sin it might be though not per Se yet per Accidens as the Logicians speak Not by any thing in it self yet by something from without in Man or the Devil Some instance in the dashing of a Pitcher against a Wall so that it 's broken The breaking of the Pitcher is an Effect but the Cause thereof is rather the force of him who purposely casts it against the wall then the Wall it self yet this Comparison is not so fuâ—l and perfect If there had been no Law there had been no sin For where there is no Law there is no Transgression saith the Apostle Rom. 4. 15. An if no transgression then no guilt no punishment If there had been no Law man might have done â—omething worthy of punishment yet without a Law he could have contracted no guilt so as to be bound to suffer punishment And though God knew that if he did give a Law it would be disobeyed yet he might justly give it For as he knew man would transgress it yet he knew likewise that he might keep it No Governour will forbear to enact Laws to regulate his People because he knows many will disobey them That the Law
and made a shew of them openâ—y triumphing over them Col. 2. 17. For by his Death and Resurrection he brake in pieces the Power of Sathan acquired a right to all flesh and received strength to rescue man out of his hands and to give eternall liâ—e to as many as his Father had given him By him the Prince of the World was cast out Joh. 12. 31. For this end he was partaker of flesh and blood with his Brethren that he might destroy him that had the Power of death that is the Devil Heb 2. 14. And for this end the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3. 8. And so profound was the Wisdom of God that he turned the power and policy of Sathan to his own ruine For whilst he did bruise Christs heel and put him to death he overthrew his own Kingdome and gave Christ a glorious Victory And by him having foyled the Devil in his Power all the Saints overcome the Devil and obtayne a final Victory yea are more then Conquerours Other Places of Scripture give us so much light as to understand these Words in this manner which certainly Adam and Eve understood better then we can do Yet this enmity and glorious Conquest was expressed in few Words and some what darkely because the full Knowledge of this great Victory was reserved till the Son of God was glorified and the Gospel revealed This was that dreadfull sentence passed upon the Devil all his Angells and his wicked brood which began to be executed then and shall be Consummate when the Devil Death and Hell shall be cast into the Lake of fire where they shall be tormented for ever The Sentence § V passed upon Woman followes And her proper punishments besides those that are Common to Man and Woman are two 1. God determines to multiply her sorrow in conception In sorrow she must bring forth her Children 2. Her desire must be to her Husband and he must rule over her Both these are cruel punishments For many times the birth and life of the child is the death of the Mother after that she hath suffered many paines in conceiving and bearing and most cruel pangs in her Travaile Sometimes the safety of the Mother is the death of the Child The latter is the more grievous because of the Proud cruel and domineering Spirits of crooked and unfaithfull Husbands and by the wickednesse of both partyes that society which should have been most comfortable proves most miserable If woman had never sinned she must have brought forth Children yet without paine and bin subject to her Husband but without any discomfort Women should remember this sentence acknowledge Gods great displeasure against sin and humble themselves Yet they must not despair but hope for eternallâ—life by Jesus Christ their Saviour and be thankfull to God who mitigates the rigour of his justice and in these two things many times shewes great mercy The sentence passed upon Adam is the last And his Poenalties are many The ground was cursed for his sake in sorrow He must eat of it all the dayes of his life Thorns and Thistles it must bring forth unto him He must eat of the Herb of the field In the sweat of his face he must eat bread till he return to the ground For out of it he was taken and being Dust unto Dust he must return The sum of all is Misery and Mortality He must be in misery and suffer many afflictions in this Life and soul and body must part at death and death will turn his body in the end to dust These penalties are fearfully inflicted upon many yet with many God deales mercifully and removes or prevents many of them and in the end by the Resurrection gives a full and finall deliverance from all After Sentence follows Execution § VII at least in order though many times they go together so that the Sentence and execution are all one though the execution is not finished at the first but continues afterwards This execution began instantly with the Sentence Gods word was his deed For the Serpent instantly was accursed and began to suffer all the penalties denounced So likewise the Devils did The punishment of Woman began to be executed in her first conception bearing bringing forth of Children man became instantly miserable and mortal as the earth was presently accursed for his sake and he found a great alteration and a 〈◊〉 change in his Body his Soul the Earth and others Creatures which were subject unto him and made for his good The execution done upon the Serpent shall continue whilst there shall be any Serpents upon the earth The Punishment of the Devil continued until the Incarnation of Christ and upon his Death and resurrection his head was broken but it shall be Consummate at the Last Judgment The Punishment of the Woman shall not determine till the last child be born And The Punishment of Man and Woman shall not be totally removed till the Resurrection and finall Glorification of all the Children of God And Here severall Particulars are considerable 1. That this was A Generall Assizes wherein passed Judgment upon Beasts Millions of Angels and all mankind 2. In the Sentence passed upon the Devil CHRIST was promised and by that promise The Government of mankind was altered And God did new-model his Kingdom For thereupon followed A New Constitution New Laws and Judgment did proceed afterwards in a New Manner 3. By this promise the Covenant of Works was made voyd and the Law as promising life onely upon condition of Perfect Personall and Perpetuall obedience without any Promise of Pardon of any the least sin was repealed And the Positive Law of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil did cease 4. Though the Law of works was repealed yet the Sentence passed upon man for the sin he Committed against that Law of works as unrepealed stands in force and shall in part continue unto the Resurrection 6. Though the Law of Works as a Condition and only condition of life be repealed yet the pure Morals continue in force to bind man to obedience or punishment in generall but not to obedience perfect as the condition of life or to punishment as no wayes removeable To argue that because the matter of the morall Laws continues in Precepts and Prohibitions therefore the Law continues is vain For it may continue yet in another manner and to an other end and both the manner and the end far different To say that man is under the Law of works as Adam was at the first until he be in Christ is very false It 's true that he is under the execution of that sentence which passed upon man for his sin against that Law both morall and positive given to Adam and he cannot passe from death to life from the State of Damnation to the State of Salvation till he be in Christ by a true and lively faith And
too For he doth not say to our first Parents Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels But you shall suffer Temporal punishments yet so that through my Grace and sanctifying Spirit they shall be Corrections and Chassisements for Humiliation Mortification and Reformation and you shall be banished out of Earthly Paradise and from this Tree of Life that you may more earnestly long after and seek the Paradise and Tree of Life in Heaven For you shall know that it 's a bitter thing to forsake your God and disobey his Command Yet this was the great punishment that the Spirit of Sanctification and Comfort was departed and no ways to be recovered but by Jesus Christ the great Redeemer as a gift of Free-grace And now consider all Mankind in Adam as innocent and obedient they are innocent and obedient Consider them in him as sinful guilty convicted they are sinful miserable convicted and in a lost condition Consider them in him as receiving the Promise of Christ they are in a possibility of Salvation and Deliverance And all such as are born in the Bosome of the Church and under the means of Conversion are in a better condition then such as are strangers from the Covenants of Promise as all Children or Apostlates are Yet we must understand and take special notice of it that after the Fall there is not any thing in man tending either to holiness or happiness or the abatement of sin or misery but from the mere mercy of God which doth shine forth most clearly in two things The first is the giving of Christ or the Promise to give him and this was not upon any merit no nor of Christ himself And howsoever all other Spiritual Mercies may be promised and given for and in respect of the satisfaction and merit of Christ yet the gift of Christ was from purest love without any respect to any merit at all The second is in calling wherein he prevents both by giving the means of Conversion and the grace of his Spirit to make them effectual Therefore the Scripture so much magnifies God's abundant love and free grace manifested in both 1. For the first it 's said God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son Joh. 3. 16. And God commendeth his love towards us in that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners Rom. 5. 8. And in this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his onely Begotten Son into the World that we should live by him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 4. 9 10. For some mercies we receive from God loving us before we love him as these two Some after we begin to love him 2. For the second we read that God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace we are saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit together with Christ Jesus in Heavenly places Eph. 2. 4 5 6. Yet this latter is merited by Christ. Besides the manifestation of these Attributes it 's remarkable that God exercised his transcendent and absolute power above his Law For to reverse the Law of Works to require and accept satisfaction and the same made by another even Christ and not the Delinquents and thereupon to promise Pardon and Eternal Life upon condition of Faith were acts of Him as above his Law and dispensing with it in his judicial proceedings For if he had according to his ordinary power made the Law of Works requiring perfect and perpetuall obedience as the onely condition of life the rule of judgment he could have done none of the fore-mentioned Acts but must have condemned man unto Death and punished him according to the demerit of his sin which if he had done neither Adam nor any Son of Adam could have had the least possibility of Salvation So that in this Judgment the Foundation of the second Government of greatest mercy was laid and then even then God began to constitute another Form of Government over Man and to administer the same And the former continued but a little while and the latter hath continued long and shall be An everlasting Kingdom The Second Scheme Acquired by the Word made Flesh by His Conception Birth Anointed King Priest Prophet in His Humiliation taking upon Him the form of a servant being obedient unto Death which presupposing His former Holiness and Obedience was an act of Obedience unto the great Command of His Father accepting Him as the Surety and Hostage of Mankind laying on Him the iniquities of us all a Sacrifice offered to God as Supream Judge to expiate the sin of Man and being accepted did satisfie Divine Iustice offended merit for Himself Eternal Glory and Power sinful Man immediately the Abrogation of the Law of Works Covenant of Grace Power of the Spirit to enable Him to keep it These Effects formally include exclude no person mediately upon the Covenant observed Iustification Glorification Exercised in the Constitution which determines the Sovereign God-Redeemer Administrator-General Christ at the right hand of God Enemies Devils Men Rebels Apostates Subjects men who being reduced by Vocation according to Predestination do voluntarily submit and that sincerely to God-Redeemer their Soveraign Administration considered in general according to the degrees alterations from the time of Adam till the Commencement of that glorious Reign wherein God shall be all in all special in giving Laws which being Moral considered as given to Adam Innocent continued to Gentiles Iews Christians with the different Obligations thereof determines man's duty to God Creator Redeemer Man Positive in Ceremonies especially Sacrifices Ilastical Eucharistical Sacraments of the Law extraordinary ordinary Gospel Baptism Eucharist an Examination by whom to whom How these may be admiâ—â— are a rule of Man's duty in Precepts Prohibitions God's judgment in Promises Threatnings Iudgment particular in Punishments Temporal Spiritual in this life upon single persons Societies Ecclesiastical Civil after Death before the Resurrection Rewards Temporal Spiritual in this life Conversion Iustification begun continued in the state thereof after Death before the Resurrection Universal determining and rendring the Eternal Punishments Rewards of Men Angels THE DOCTRINE OF The Kingdom of God OR The Government of God-Redeemer The Second BOOK CHAP. I. Concerning the Power of God-Redeemer and by whom it was acquired WHen the first Government did determine § I the second did begin For after the Fall of two of God's most noble Creatures there followed a great alteration in the World and such that if God had followed strictly the Rules of his former Government all Mankind must needs have perished But this his Mercy could not suffer therefore his Divine Wisdom contriveth a way how to recover Man fâ—llen and began to govern him according
mortifie corruption the very root of sin in us The death of Christ should be the death of sin in us and the remembrance of his sufferings should break our hearts humble us and separate us from sin That Christ should die and we should live and his death should be our life was often signified by the ancient Sacrifices wherein the bloud and death of the thing sacrificed was a kind of expiation of the sin of man Man sins and Beasts suffer to signifie that there must be a far better Sacrifice to purge away the sin of Man and purifie his Conscience Therefore Order requires that we consider the death of the Cross so willingly suffered as a Sacrifice And if it was a Sacrifice as no doubt it was we must observe 1. The Priest 2. The thing offered 3. The Party in whom it was offered 4. The Parties to be sanctified by this Offering The Priest is CHRIST The Sacrifice HIMSELF The Party to whom it was offered GOD. The Parties to be sanctified SINFVL MEN for whom He suffered That Christ was a Priest the Apostle proves Heb. 5. 6. For there he first describes a Priest to be a Mediatour between God and Man in matters of Religion and in his Offerings and Prayers represents the People In blessing of the People He represents God though of this He saith nothing in that Chapter yet in the 7th in Melchizedeck blessing and tithing Abraham he implies that in both these Acts a Priest represents God And because a Priesthood is an Office and a Priest and Officer in Religion and things pertaining to God he informs us that very one cannot be a Priest but one taken from amongst men and ordained for men And as an Officer is made by the Will and Commission of the Supream Power and must not presume upon and usurp the Office therefore Christ did not glorifie himself but was chosen called ordained a Priest and that immediatly by God And his Commission he finds in Psal. 2. 7. 110. 4. And his Priesthood was powerful most excellent personal immutable made so by Oath and Eternal and he himself holy without sin He must minister in the Heavenly Tabernacle and his Ministery must be Spiritual and himself the Mediatour of the New Testament to procure and dispose of the Spiritual and Eternal Blessings promised in the same Amongst many other Services to be performed by a Priest one and a principal was Sacrifice and in the Levitical Service that of Expiation yearly offered on the 10th day of the 7th Month was most eminent and this the Apostle singles out as the most excellent Sacrifice to typifie the death of Christ as far more excellent then that Sacrifice of the Levitical High-Priest Chap. 9. Therefore the death of Christ was a Sacrifice Ilastical and Propitiatory His willing-suffering of death was the Offering the Thing offered was Himself For he offered himself without spot The Party to whom he offered himself was God considered 1. As Law-giver offended 2. As Judge who had power to refuse or accept the Offering and upon the same accepted to pardon sin and give Eternal Life The Parties to be sanctified by this Offering were sinful and guilty Persons acknowledging Christ alone to be the Priest and this Death the full and onely expiation of sin and resting in the same alone So that this Sacrifice so was offered unto God and this Offering was an Act of Christ as a Priest and in particular it was an Act of Obedience to that great and transcendent Command of His Heavenly Father that He should suffer death for the sin of Man and the intention of it was to take away and expiate the sin of Man and in this respect it 's said that by His own blood He entred in once into the Holy Place and obtained Eternal Redemption or Remission Christ entred two several times into Heaven 1. Immediately upon His Death when His Soul separated from His Body was received into Paradise 2. When He was risen He ascended both Soul and Body as immortal into the Heaven of Heavens where He doth and shall continue until the time of the Restitution of all things The first entrance seems to be that which obtained Eternal Redemption For as the High-Priest presently upon the slaying of the Sacrifice takes the blood and enters into the Holy Place and appears before the Mâ—rcy-Seat and when that was done the expiation of the sins of the People was finished So Christ being slain and dying upon the Cross His Soul enters the Holy Place of Heaven as separated from the Body and so presented himself before the Throne of the Eternal Judge as having suffered death as God commanded humbly demands that which God had promised and so speeds For He obtained Eternal Redemption And lest this Death of Christ should seem to be an ordinary thing The Sun was darkened the Earth did tremble the Rocks were torn asunder the Veil of the Temple was rent from the top to the bottome and all this to signifie that the Great High-Priest was entered by His Death and blood into the Holy Place of Heaven and had obtained Eternal Remission the great Encounter between the Son of God and the Prince of Darkness was past and Christ obtained the Victory and the sin of Man was now punished in the Surety and Hostage of Mankind and the greatest Execution in the World was ended and by the same an entrance was made into the place of Glory After that it hath been made evident § IV that this Suffering of Christ was an Act of Obediâ—nce unto the Death of the Cross and a Sacriâ—ice â—he next thing in the second place to be inquired is what the effects of this Sacrifice were And they are of two sorts 1. Immediate 2. Mediate Immediate are reduced to two The First is called satisfaction The Second Merit And both these in respect of man are called Propitiation yet the immediate effect in respect of Christ is Merit and onely Merit In respect of man it 's written That God set forth Christ the Propitiation for our sins by Faith through His Blood Rom. 3. 25. And He is the Propitiation for our sins and the sins of the whole World 1 Joh. 2. 2. And that God did manifest His love in sending His Son to be the Propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 4. 10. To be a Propitiation is to make God offended propitious unto guilty Man This Propitiation therefore in respect of sin which is also called Redemption may be truly said to be Satisfaction made to the Supream Judge offended so as to free the party guilty from the obligation unto punishment Neither need we scruple the word Satisfaction as not found in Scripture for it 's expresly used by our Translators Numb 35. 31. Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a Murtherer that is guilty of death c. The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turned by the Septuagâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Actual Enjoyment of Salvation and Eternal Glory is granted as merited by this Death ver 28. All these are summed up in that one of the Eternal Consecration of the Sanctified Chap. 10. 14. Seeing Christ merited many and glorious things for sinful man § VI he must needs merit some greater thing for himself and so he did For because he humbled himself so low and took upon him the form of a Servant and was obedient unto death the death of the Cross Therefore God highly exalted Him and gave Him a Name which is above every Name Phil. 2. 9. And God advanced Him far above all Principality and Power and Might and Dominion and every Name that is named not onely in this World but in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the Church Ephes. 1. 21 22. By which we may understand that He merited to Himself a Supream and Universal Power in Heaven and Earth and not onely power over all flesh but over all Creatures even over all Angels And He was invested with this power immediately upon the Resurrection for then He was made universal Prophet Priest and King and upon His Ascension followed His Solemn Inauguration and Coronation as we may so speak when He was set at the right hand of God and then His Eternal and unchangeable Priest-hood was confirmed unto Him by an Oath 2. He merited Immortality the Place and Throne of Glory fulness of joy in His Fathers presence and pleasures at His right hand for evermore He attained Immortality upon His Resurrection the Place and Throne of Glory fulness of joy and Eternal Pleasures upon His Aâ—cension 3. He merited a Judgment to be passed upon the Devil to lose his power over Mankind and the same to be transferred upon Himself and a strength to rescue him out of Sathan's possession aâ— will and pleasure 4. He merited a power to send down the Holy Ghost to reveal the Gospel and in a special manner to head His Church protect it guide it give it everlasting peace and in respect of His highest Dignity that not onely Men but Angels shall worship and honour Him and all such as refuse so to do must be dashed in pieces with His Iron-Scepter and cast into Hell Christ's Sufferings being 1. An Obedience unto the Death of the Cross § VII and a Sacrifice And 2. Having many and glorious Effects one and the same principal being the Acquisition of a new Power over Mankind The 3. Thing in order is the manner and measure of the communication of the benefit thereof unto others That the benefit of this Death and Sacrifice is communicable to sinful Man is express Scripture For as by the offence of One Judgment came upon all men unto condemnation even so by the Righteousness of One the free gift came unto all men unto justification of life And again As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous Rom. 5. 18 19. And since by man came death by Man came also the Resurrection of the Dead for as in Adam all dye so in Christ shall all be made alive 1 Cor. 15. 21 22. From which places it 's clear that as from Adam Sin and Death were derived upon all men so Righteousness and Life are derived upon Mankind by Christ. But the Question will be 1. How 2. How far this Benefit is derived 1. If we enquire of the manner how Righteousness and Life is derived from Christ being One unto so many we shall find that this cannot be except Christ be a general Head of Mankind and one person with them as Adam was And this He could not be as He was the Word properly but as the Word made Flesh for if He will sanctifie them he must take Flesh and Bloud with the Sanctified and so be Man Yet He may be Man and not a general Person so as to be one with them and we do not read of any but onely two who were general Heads and in some respect virtually all Mankind the first and second Adam Such Christ was not but by the Will of God and His own voluntary Consent The Will of God appoints Him to be the Head of Mankind and their Surety and Hostage and so accounted Him and He did willingly submit and took upon Him the Person of others And the principal cause of this Representation whereby He is one Person with us is the Will of God who as Lord made Him such and as Law-giver and Judge did so account Him But 2. How far is He One Person with us The Answer is 1. In general so far as it pleased God to make Him so and no farther 2. In particular He and We are One so far 1. As to make Him liable to the Penalty of the Law which He suffered not for Himself but for us 2. So far as to free us from that Obligation and derive the benefit of His Death to Us. I may instance in a Debtour and his Surety who are one person and the Law so accounts them so far as 1. The Surety becomes liable to the Debt And 2. If he pay it the Principal is freed from the Obligation Yet the Surety is not the Principal nor if he pay the Debt with his own money doth the Principal pay it with his So though Christ be so far one with us as to be liable to the Penalty of the Law and to suffer it and upon this Suffering we are freed yet Christ is not the sinner nor the sinner Christ. Christ is the Word made Flesh innocent and without sin an universal Priest and King but we are none of these Though we be accounted as one person in Law with him by a Trope yet in proper sense it cannot be said that in Christ satisfying we satisfied for our own sins For then we should have been the Word made Flesh able to plead innocency with perfect and perpetual obedience have dyed upon the Cross when He was crucified and by our own blood entring into the Holy Place to have obtained Eternal Redemption But all these things are false impossible blasphemous if affirmed by any It 's true that we were so one with Him that He satisfied for us and the benefits of this Satisfaction redounds to us and is communicable to all upon certain tearms though not actually communicated to all From this Vnity and Identity of Person in Law if I may so speak it follows clearly that Christ's Sufferings were not onely Afflictions but Punishments in proper sense For it is not material whether He suffer for His own sins which He could not because He was innocent or for the sins of others For if He suffered for sins then His Sufferings were Punishments For Poena is Vindâ—cta noxae sive propriae sive alienae That one may suffer for the sins of others and that justly except we will accuse God of injustice
the Scriptures make evident by Doctrine Threatnings Examples Eating the Forbidden Fruit was not the Personal Sin of any of Adam's Posterity and yet they all are punished for it For by one Man sin entred into the World and by sin Death and Death passed over all men c. Josuah and the Princes of the Congregation of Israel swear unto the Gibeonites not to put them to death Saul 450 years and more afterwards slays them and so violates that Oath For this sin of that King Israelâ—â—â—ers â—â—â—ers three years Famine and this sin is not expiated nor the Judgment turn'd away 〈◊〉 7. of Saul's Son long after were given to the Gibeonites and hanged up unto the Lord. Saul sins Israel suffers Famine and 7 of Saul's Sons are slain and this by the direction of God declaring the Perjury of Saul to be the cause of Israelsâ—â—sfering â—â—sfering Achan commits Sacriledge not onely He but his Sons and Daughters are stoned to death for it But I shall have occasion hereafter to say something more of this Particular The Socinians in opposing this truth deny plain Scriptures and charge God with injustice by consequence and whilest they deny Christ's Sufferings to be Punishments lest they should make God unjust they charge Him with injustice For if it be unjust to punish Christ being innocent for the sinnes of others for whom He voluntarily suffered according to the Appointment and Command of His Heavenly Father much more unjust it must needs be to afflict him and that so grievously without any cause at all or demerit of others And whereas they say That though some may suffer for the sins of others when they are sinful themselves and not otherwise they do but trifle For if one may justly be punished for the sin of another whereof he is not guilty then an innocent person may justly suffer for another who is guilty This was the case of Israel when David sinned He out of Pride numbers the People God is offended herewith and punisheth for this sin and that with death 70000 of his Subjects The King sins the People suffer and they suffer death for the Kings sin whereof they were not guilty as appears by those words of David's Repentance But these sheep what have they done 2 Sam. 24. 17. That is I not they have sinned They are innocent in this particular By all this we may understand how and how far Christ's Sacrifice is communicable to us How we come to be actuall Partakers of these Benefits shall be shewed hereafter Before I proceed § VIII I will take occasion to examine the Extent of Christ's Death Whether He died for all men and so Redemption be universal as some use to speak or no. 1. That Christ dyed for all in some sense must needs be granted because the Scripture expresly affirms it For by the Righteousness of One the free gift came upon All Men to justification of life Rom. 5. 18. And if One died for all then were all dead 2. That onely Believers actually enjoy the Benefit of this Death unto Salvation is as clear also 3. Neither God's love in giving Christ nor Christ's love dying for Man do exclude any as love 4. The benefit of Salvation is communicable to all upon certain tearms expressed in the Covenant which yet limits the actual benefit of Remission and Eternal Liâ—e by prescribing a qualification in the Parties to be saved by Christ's death 5. The Qualification is such that it excludes no man as a man or a sinful man but as impenitent and not believing at least So that it may truly be said that by Christ's Sacrifice all men are save-able some way though all shall not be saved And if any become not save-able it 's upon some demerit and speciall cause antecedent The immediate Effects called Satisfaction and Merit both signified by the word Propitiation make God propitious and in that respect man in a capacity of Salvation or save-able and do not precisely exclude or include any But Justification Reconciliation Adoption Glorification are so simiâ—ed by God's Promise that they formally and immediately belong to none but Believers This Question is needless if men would content themselves with the plain and simple truth of the Scriptures and rather use all means to believe then dispùte For if I once sincâ—rely believe I may be sure I have a right unto those Benefits If I believe not I can have no comâ—ort in this blessed and most meritorious Sacrifice There is another question and the same unprofitably handled Whether the Propitiation which includes both satisfaction and merit be to be ascribed to the active or passive obedience of Christ as their distinction and expression proposeth it For solution whereof it s to be observed 1. That both his active personal perfect and perpetual obedience which by reason of his humane nature assumed and subjection unto God was due and also that obedience unto the great and transcendent command of suffering the death of the Crosse both concur as causes of Remission and justification 2. The Scriptures usually ascribe it to the Blood Death and Sacrifice of Christ and never to the personall active obedience of Christ to the Morall law 3. That yet this active obedience is necessary because without it he could not have offered that great sacrifice of himself without spot unto God and if it had not been without spot it could not have been Propitiatory and effectuall for expiation 4. That if Christ as our surety had performed for us perfect and perpetual obedience so that we might have been judged to have perfectly and fully kept the law by him then no sin could have been chargeable upon us and the death of Christ had been needlesse and superfluous 5. Christs propitiation frees the Believer not onely from the obligation unto punishment of sense but of losse and procured for him not onely deliverance from evil deserved but the enjoyment of all good necessary to our full happinesse Therefore there is no ground of Scripture for that opinion That the death of Christ and his sufferings free us from punishment and by his active obedience imputed to us we are made righteous and the heyres of life 6. If Christ was bound to perform perfect and perpetuall obedience for us and he also performed it for us then we are freed not onely from sin but obedience too and this obedience as distinct and seperate from obedience unto death may be pleaded for justification of life and will be suffiâ—ient to carry the cause For the tenour of the law was this Do this and Live And if man do this by himself or surety so as that the law-giver and supreme Judge accept it the Law can require no more It could not bind to perfect obedience and to punishment too There never was any such law made by God or just men Before I conclude this particular concerning the extent of Christs merit propitiation I thought good to inform the Reader that as the
be without sorrow for sin past Humiliation hatred of sin a love of God and desire to please Him 3. This Obedience cannot be performed without the Spirit merited by Christ and restored unto us first to prepare us then to dwell in us by degrees renewing the Image of God and imprinting it upon us 4. We must be in Christ as the Branch in the Vine and be conformed unto His Death and Resurrection before we can perform any obedience acceptable to God so as to tend towards the attainment of Everlasting Life For without me saith Christ ye can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. And we are God's Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Ephes. 2. 10. It 's one thing to do that which is Morally good as the Heathen might do and be rewarded Temporally another to perform Christian obedience 5. It presupposeth Faith whereby we are united unto Christ and sincere Faith is virtually Repentance and all Obedience and a part and beginning thereof 6. This Obedience is imperfect and defective in the best man living upon Earth and therefore is not the condition of life For if the Moral Law should be in force so as it was to Adam at the first to require and bind man unto perfect and perpetual obedience or else upon one act of Disobedience unto Death no man could be saved Therefore that manner of strict Obligation ceaseth unto sinful man for ever To think that the Promises Threats and Obligation of the Law of Works continue under the Gospel or remain at any time in the Kingdom of God-Redeemer is an errour and a great mistake It 's one thing to bind unto perfect obedience another to bind unto perfect obedience as the condition of life This latter was essential even to the Moral-Law as given to Adam at the first and in that respect it 's truly and properly said that the Law of Works is abâ—ogated The Law binds according to the will and pleasure of the Law-giver and no otherwise If Man perform not perfect obedience and yet be bound unto it he is in the hands of his Judge above the Law to dispose of him as he pleaseth 7. This obedience is performed to God-Redeemer as satisfied atoned and propitiated by the bloud of Christ who hath merited that it should be accepted and rewarded In this respect it 's not proper nay it 's not true to say that God in the Moral Law binds man to perfect or perpetual obedience For so He doth not He binds to perfect and perpetual obedience which he neither doth nor can perform or to punishment suffered by his Saviour and upon Faith in him removable not to obedience and punishment too For time-past Man hath been already disobedient and for time to come he will not be perfectly obedient till the time of glory Yet the Suffering of Christ doth not free man sinning from all suffering For it 's the Will of God that even regenerate men should suffer much for their own sins Yet man's suffering cannot satisfie it may dispose him through the help of God's sanctifying Spirit to Repentance and make him capable of the benefit of that Suffering which hath satisfied the Justice of God who hath accepted it for sinful disobedient Man pleading his Saviours suffering This Obligation of the Law is purely Evangelical and in this respect the Precept and the Condition are of equal extent as well as they were in the time of the Law of Works 8. Faith and Repentance as they are Acts of Obedience in general are commanded in the Moral Law Yet as Faith is in God-Redeemer and Repentance a return to obedience to be performed to God in Christ by the Spirit of Christ they are not to be found in the Law at all as such they are purely Evangelical and conditions of life even to sinful guilty man Though Faith and Obedience as different from Faith be conditions of the New-Covenant yet there is both a difference and an inequality between them as a condition Faith unites us unto Christ from whom immediately by viture of the Promise we derive a right to Justification and so to Life In which respect it may be said to be a Title-Condition that is â—a condition upon which follows immediately a right to Righteousness and Life Faith considered as Faith in general in it self cannot be a Title without reference to Christ's merit and God's Promise For Faith this Faith is terminated upon both and as such and no ways else is Saving The Promise is a kind of Donation of Righteousness and Life as purchased by Christ and God's the Donour and the Believer by his Faith becomes the Doneè Good Works are a condition and all obedience which follows and flows from Faith as distinct from Faith yet virtually included in Faith is so too Obedience is two-fold 1. In Morals 2. In Positives Obedience in Morals and good Works as morally good are a condition not to give a right but to render a man capable of communion with God and make him fit for the possession of that life Christ hath purchased For without Holiliness we cannot see God and except we walk in the light as he is light we can have no communion with him and till our obedience in Morals be perfect we can have no full fruition of him Obedience in Positives is a condition yet neither as giving right nor making man capable but because God's institution makes them binding except in case of necessity wherein God dispenseth with Man This is so far a condition that life follows thereupon if it be joyned with Faith and Obedience in Morals and in case of Contempt life will not follow not be communicable From all this we may understand that there is a twofoâ—dness of the Moral Law Evangelically considered 1. To discover sin 2. To be a Rule of Obedience Thus the Composers of our Liturgie did understand it and that rightly according to the Scripture when they added this short Petition Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law after every Commandement This Petition is two-fold For 1. Pardon of sin that is past 2. For Grace to enable them to keep it for time to come The first includes a confession of sin a Belief in Christ and a Petition for pardon The second an acknowledgment of their inability to keep it a necessity of the sanctifying Spirit a Petition or the same and the end and effect thereof obtained which is to incline their hearts to keep it And after all the Commandements and every particular they desire God to give them a general pardon of all sins against this Law and such a measure of Grace as that they might perform an Universal Obedience For so the Petition runs Write all these thy Laws in our hearts we beseech thee In the next place § XII let us consider what hath been the binding force of it in all times since it was first given to Man To this purpose we must observe many things
1. That as purely Moral it is always in force and God did never at any time dispense with it but made it the Foundation of all other Laws and it shall continue in force in Heaven For in the very estate of perfect glory all the Subjects of that eternal glorious Kingdom shall be bound eternally to love their God themselves and one another 2. God bound Adam in the day of Creation to the perfect and perpetual personal obedience of this Law and of other Positives as the onely condition of life and so that upon one sin he and all his should be liable to death without any remedy as from that Law This was the highest obligation 3. After that Adam and in him all his had once sinned this Law with the Positives did render him liable and bound to death 4. After that Christ was once promised as a Surety and Hostage to satisfie God's Justice offended by the sin of man it made him liable to death and all such punishments as God should inflict upon him 5. After the Fall of Adam it was in force so fa◠as to bind all such as were out of the Church to Temporal and Eternal Punishments for their sins against it without any hope of Pardon and all such as were in the visible Church to Temporal and Eternal Punishments no ways removable but upon Faith in the Death of Christ. 6. It is in force always since sinful Man received the New Law and Covenant of Grace to bind him to repentance present repentance and return unto the sincere obedience of it to be performed by the power of the Spirit 7. It always is in force to bind the Regenerate Children of God here on Earth to endeavour and aym at an universal perpetual and perfect obedience and upon defect or default presently to return to God-Redeemer for mercy and pardon of what is past to be obtained by a Plea of Christ's Satisfaction and Merit and also further for the continuance and increase of His Sanctifying Grace Lastly after that Man is perfectly sanctified it 's so far in force as to bind him to perfect and eternal obedience unto it Such is the excellency of this Law as purely Moral that 1. If Man had kept it God would give life by it 2. That God never gave Man a liberty to be free from the Obligation of it 3. That God would never pardon any sinne against it without satisfaction made by the Blood of Christ believed and pleaded by sinful Man 4. That Christ merited and God restored the Spirit of Sanctification that Man might keep it 5. That He will not spare His own children when they transgress it by heynous and especially scandalous sins 6. That no Man can have union with Christ except he willingly separate from sin and return to the obedience of this Law 7. That no man can have full communion with God before he perfectly obey it 8. That there is one great change in respect of this Law First perfect Obedience unto it with other Positives was made the onely condition of life But afterwards that Promise of Life upon those strict tearms and that severe commination of Death upon Sin were abolished and Faith was made the onely condition of life So that it may be truly said that the Law of Works is abrogated but not the Moral Law considered in it Self Yet this change was but accidental as before These things premised § III concerning the Moral Law in general I proceed unto the Exposition of the DECALOGVE which though it was given to the Jewes contains the Heads and Method of the Morall Law And it may be considered either as a part of the Law of Works or merely as the Moral Law in general or as part of the Gospel in an Evangelical Notion As it was delivered in that terrible manner with these Clauses Do this and live and Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in this Book it had something of the Law of Works in it As it was annexed to the Promise made to Abraham and joyned with the Ceremonies typifying Christ it was Evangelical As considered in general abstracted from both these it was an Abridgement of the Moral Law respecting Man in this life not in the life to come It 's to be understood not strictly as given to Israel at that time but in a Latitude as it is explained in other parts of the Books of Moses especially in Deuteronomy in the Prophets and most of all as in the New Testament where it is explained by our Blessed Saviour and the Duties thereof pressed by Him and the Apostles upon all Christians And this is an Argument that some ways it continues in force in the Gospel As delivered in Exodus and repeated in Deuteronomy it rather contains the Heads to which other Duties not there expressed may be reduced rather then the Principles from whence they may be deduced It 's abridged in many places of Moses the Prophets and Apostles Yet that of our Saviour is most perfect wherein according to Moses he reduceth all to Love For Love is the whole Law This Loves either of God or of our Neighbour To love God above all is the first and great Commandement of the first Table To love our Neighbour as our Selves is the last Commandement of the second Table These two are purely Moral especially the former and the rest are such by participation as before Therefore the first is said to be the great Commandement The last to be like it CHAP. VII An Exposition of the Moral Law as methodically reduced to Ten Heads in the Decalogue by God himself And of the first Commandement With the Preface THE Decalogue so called by the Septuagint § I because consisting of ten words or Commands we find first delivered Exod. 20. and repeated Deut. 5. Wherein we have 1. The Preface 2. The Precepts or Commandements themselves The Preface is two-fold 1. Of Moses the Historian 2. Of God Himself The first Preface in these words God spake all these words The meaning is that 1. These Words or Commandements for so the Word in the Original sometimes signifies These I say and none else 2. These and all these 3. Were spoken published and promulgate 4. By God and God alone immediately in a wonderful and extraordinary manner in the hearing of all Israel prepared and assembled before Mount Sina in Arabia By this we understand that God Himself was the La-wgiver and the immediate Author of this Law And therefore it 's more excellent then any Law or Laws of any Nation in the World And seeing He spake these and these onely these and all these it 's not for Man to add and diminish And all and every one are authentick and of Divine Authority in an high degree The second Preface we have in these words I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt out of the House of Bondage This second Preface is of God
honour them And whosoever will not perform this duty must needs transgresse against the very light of nature and those principles which God hath imprinted in their Soules So that as Philo saith The offenders are guilty of impiety against God and inhumanity against man and stand liable before the Tribunal both of God and man and those that are undutifull to their Parents are usually prophane and irreligious towards God This duty in respect of Children is generall and binds them all and every one none can be exempted All and every one have Father and Mother too since Adam and Eve were created by God and not procreated by man Therefore Adam is called the Son of God Luke 3. 38. The conception of Jesus Christ and his birth were extraordinary for he had a Mother but no immediate Father therefore he may be excepted Yet it was said that he was subject unto them that is not onely to his Mother Mary but his Father by law Joseph to give example to all Children seeing he the Son of God subjected himself unto them This duty ariseth from the relation as the foundation thereof For by the manner of the receiving and continuing of their being they are inferiours depending upon Parents and under their power The partyes to whom the duty is to be performed are Father and Mother Father who begets them and Mother who conceives beares bring forth nurseth and taketh care of them in their helplesse age In this respect they have propriety superiority of power above them And lest Children should think it sufficient to be subject to their Father he adds and thy Mother For though the Mother be subject as a Wife to her Husband yet she is superiour to her Child as she is a Mother and may command and must in no wiâ—e be neglected or disobeyed The duty it self is expressed in the word Honour which is but single § V yet comprehends severall dutyes as Reverence to their persons in respect of their dignity subjection to their power obedience to their commands maintenance if they be in want and they able to relieve them and covering their infirmityes for maintenance is sometimes called honour and Shem and Japhet honoured their Father when in a modest manner they covered his nakednesse Reverence must be in the heart and expressed in their words their gestures and outward carriage towards them Subjection is a resigning of their own Wills and acknowledgement of their power and superiority and that they themselves are not Sui juris their own Masters but their duty till the time of emancipation is to serve Obedience is to do their just commands and must be regulated by their directions for they must hearken unto their instructions both for the matter to be done and the manner how it ought to be performed and they must execute it freely and with diligence for if it be not free and willing it s no obedience If Parents fall into want grow decrepit and faile not onely in strength but understanding and so cannot help themselves Reason it self much more the Word of God will dictate unto us that Children should not onely cover their infirmities and bear with their imperfections but also help succour relieve them and endeavour to recompence that tender love and kindnesse which their Parents shewed unto them when they were Children And this is to be done unto them with all due respects as unto Parents for in their lowest condition such they are and such they must be accounted And if all these dutyes be not performed how can Children be said to honour Father and Mother as here they are commanded to do And if Heathen Children be bound thus to honour their Parents and some of them by the light of nature have done it how much more are Christian Children of Christian Parents obliged to this duty which should be performed out of knowledge the love of God and Faith in Jesus Christ as a part of Christian obedience and thankfulnesse This is the duty commanded § VI The reward promised is That they may live long in the Land which the Lord their God had given them and that it might go well with them The reward is 1. An enjoyment of that good land God should give them 2. A long life 3. Prosperity and comfort This is said to be the first Commandement with promiâ—e It s the first Commandement and it hath a promise The second Table is called the Law Rom. 13. 8. 10. And all the Law Gal. 5. 14. That is all the Law which prescribes the duty of man to man It hath severall Commandemnents and this is the first of them and it hath a promise and so none of the rest following have It 's neither the first Commandement of the Decalogâ—e nor the first with promise But it 's the first of that Law which prescribeâ— our duty towards man and hath a promise annexed The end of this promâ—â—eâ— to encourage Children For though they are bound by the law of thankfulnesse unto it anâ— by the performance thereof cannot recompence the love and care of their Parâ—nts and they should be very unworthy if they should neglect it yet it was Gods superâ—bundant mercy to add the promise and the Apostle makes the use of it to move Children to obedience The land which the Lord their God should give them was the land of Canaan and therefore it had special reference to the Isralites yet so that all other dutifull Children of all nations have a right in it and especially Christians Why else should the Apostle take it up to move Christian Children to obedience Ephes. 6. 1 2 3. The enjoyment of our own native Country is opposed to captivity banishment dispossession disinheritance and a Vagabond life Long life to an unnatural or a violent death which takes away life even then when natural vigour continues and there be no internal causes of immediate dissolution A prosperous life is opposed to the cuâ—ses and miseryes which others suffer Yea all these mercyes are opposed to all those judgements as inflicted by God and suffered by wicked and undutifull Children for their neglect disobedience contempt and rebellion against their Parents These blessings promised are but temporall not spirituall and Eternal For those are acquired by Faith and derived from Christ and the promises in Christ in whom Christian Children receive not onely this temporal but a spiritual reward upon this obedience performed in Faith Neither doth this promise take effect in all dutifull Children so as that alwayes they enjoy this reward and be free from the like judâ—ements in generall which arâ— contrary to this reward For even dutifull Children many times suffer Captivity banishment untimely death and other miseryes but not for this sin of obedience whereof they are not guilty but for tryall and some other cause best known unto God who will recompence the want or losse of this reward with some far greater mercy There be extraordinary and reserved cases wherein good Children
may suffer and have a share in publick and general calamityes and ruins and sometimes may bear the sins of their Parents The performance of the promise doth most appear either in the times of peace and prosperity or in deliverances and comforts in the time of misery or in those fearfull curses which fall upon such as have been disobedient stubborn and undutifull Children who are punished sometimes with penâ—ry and want sometimes with crosses and discomforts in their own Children Sometimes with losse of their estates and banishment from their native soyl and place of inheritance sometimes with a violent and shamefull death or an ignominious life and all this for the violation of this precept besides other temporall and eternall punishments for their other sins Examples of those rewards and punishments we may read in Scripture and in other Historyes Hitherto I have explained the expresse words of the Commandement § VII There is something further implyed and that 's the duty of parents in respect of their Children For if they be in Gods place and must be honoured then they must be like unto God do good be beneficial to inferiours so as to deserve honour which unnatuall and carelesse parents cannot so much expect As God by the Apostle exhorts Children to obey their Parents so he forbids Parents to provoke their Children Ephes. 6. 4. Where we may observe that in duties the inferiour must be first The Wife must be subject to the Husband first The Children must be obedient to their Parents first Servants to their Mâ—sters first Subjects to the higher Powers first Yet so that superiours have their dutyes which they are bound to perform The dutyes of Parents are either negative or affirmative Negative are many as opposed to the Affirmative The Apostle in the former place expresseth onely one They must not provoke them This is done when they deny that which is necessary and convenient for them in respect of theiâ— ability and estate when they command them unjust or unreasonable things when in their rash passion they revile them and give them ignominious terms though they deserve them not When they use too much severity and sometimes plain cruelty not so much out of a desire to amend them as for to satisfie their own humours and fury as though they would revenge themselves upon them as enemyes To this purpose the Reverend and Learned Bishop Dâ—venant expounds those words Col. 3. 21. Parents must know that there is a great difference between Children and Slaves and a greaâ—er between Children and Enemyes If they will punish them they must be Judges not partyes know the cause and the merit of it be just and not cruel Correct them not Confound them The affirmative dutyes may be reduced to two 1. Preservation 2. Education 1. They must preserve them have a tender care of them maintayn them and provide for them according to their ability lest that life which God by them hath given be miserable or perish They must have a care of their education and bring them up for this life and that which is to come For this life they must train them and teach them or cause them to be taught in some honest kind of proâ—ession as in Husbandry trade or Merchandiâ—e or Learning according to their inclination and capacity Thus Adam and Eve brought up their Children Cain to be an Husband-man and tiâ—â—er of the ground and Abel to be a Shepherd They must not be suffered to spend their time in idlenesse playes sports and Vanity but must exercise themselves in some honest profession whereby they might benefit them and be usefull to their Countrey For the life to come so they must bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and learn them betimes even in their tender yeares so far as they shall be capable to serve their God know their Saviour and seek Eternall Life Ephes. 6. 4. Children have Souls as well as Bodyes and are capable not onely of a temporal but an eternal estate And Parents should endeavour to provide for both especially for the better that their Children might be the Sons and Daughters of the Living God and Heires of Eternall glory What comfort can it be to have Children miserable in this life or if in this life happy eternally miserable in the life to come as it often falls out through want of education To this education belong instruction example correction Familyes should be nurseryes and Seminaryes of Religion And if Parents for want of knowledge or leasure cannot thus educate them let them commit them to School-Masters Trades-men Ministers and others who are fit for that purpose What Parents in this Particular should do Tutours Guardians and such as are trusted with Orphans are bound to perform By this discourse we may easily understand § VIII what the sins both of Children and Parents against this Commandement be For they are contrary to the dutyes here commanded The sins of Children are disobedience to their Parents commands irreverence to their persons rebellion against their power ingratitude and neglect of them in their weaknesse want and misery when they shall take bad courses so as to be a shame grief and discomfort to their Parents who did carefully endeavour and seek their good God will surely punish them For the promise of life peace and prosperity to good Children implyes a commination of a curse against wicked and grace-lesse wretches who cannot be obedient to God when they are disobedient to Parents God high displeasure against incorrigible Children is signified by that law he gave to Israel If a man have a stubborn and rebellious Son which will not obey the voyce of his Father or the voyce of his Mother and that when they have chastned him will not hearken unto them Then shall his Father and Mother lay hold on him and bring him out to the Elders of his City unto the gates of his place and they shall say unto the Elders of his City this our son is stubborn and rebellious he will not obey our voyce He is a glutton and a Drunkard And all the men of his City shall stone him with stones that he dye So shalt thou put evil away from amongst you And all Israel shall hear and fear Deut. 21. 18 19 20 21. These are the sins of Parents § IX as Parents 1. To be unnatural Of this sin many Fornicatours and Adulterers are guilty For fearing shame or some other punishment from men more then from God they murder their Children either before or after their birth or desert them being born and leave them to perish 2. To take no care to maintayn them and provide for them or prodigally to wast that which should relieve them 3. To discourage them dul their Spirits provoke them use them as slaves or beasts or enemyes 4. To be ignorant or negligent so that they either cannot or will not instruct them or cause them to be instructed 5. To be prophane
same is gone and stays no longer As this life is the subject of this Commandement so the end of it is to preserve the same and not to break the Bands of Union till it be God's time Soul and Body must part It is Negative § III and so a prohibition of some sin and this sin is murther To kill 1. In general is to take away the life of any living Creature and this is not the sin 2. It 's to take away the life of man neither is this absolutely and simply the Crime For the life of man may be taken away and yet justly Now God doth never forbid any thing that is just yet this may be so just that it would be injustice not to do it 3. Murther here forbidden is to take away the life of man unjustly and without Warrant from God To understand this sin of Murther we must observe certain distinctions For 1. It 's Negative or Positive 2. It 's total or partial 3. It 's inchoat or consummate Negative Murther is when we deny to give or do something when it 's our Duty without which life cannot subsist or continue as shall appear hereafter Positive when we by some violence or some other way do that which is destructive or tends to the destruction of life So the life of many a man is taken away by Poyson and other secret Plots devised by cursed Wretches and put in execution by bloody Villains It 's totall when life is wholly taken away immediately or the body receives some mortall harm so that life is irrecoverable Partiall Murther is committed by wounds blows stripes or other violence which destroyes a limb or limbs for all these hazard life and take away the perfection of it and tend to destruction It 's inchoate in the mind and heart first and then in words In the mind as by violent passions of anger wrath fury and rage or by malice and hatred For all murther is begun in the heart and the more of Will consent and resolution there is is the more heynous Therefore Wilfull Murther is accounted most heynous and Man-slaughter is a grievous sin though not so grievous as the former Both issue out of the heart for out of the heart proceed evill thoughts Murthers c Luke 15. 19. Chance-medly as we call it in our law indeed takes away life but the party thus killing his Neighbour whom he formerly loved or did not hate is rather unhappy then wicked because there is nothing of Will in it God therefore assigned Cityes of Refuge for the protection of such Yet these if when they did this they were either vainly or ill imployed have much cause to be deeply humbled For no such unhappy event can fall out without the Will of our Heavenly Father who could easily have prevented that sad accident The most bloody disposition of the mind which is most directly contrary to this Commandement is that of hatred and deliberate malice Therfore it is said that he that hateth his Brother is a Murtherer 1 Joh. 3. 15. Yet Anger and Wrath if rash and unjust are transgressions of this Law in the judgement of our Blessed Saviour Math. 5. 20. If anger be continued it becomes malice and that malice is most accursed which deliberates and resolves of Murder and proves implacable though it commit not the fact onely because of want of powâ—r and opportunity or for feare of some mischief which may befall the party himself if he put the bloody design in execution Yet to hate and actually Murder is more then to hate and not to Murther absolutely considered There is another degree of this sin in bitter spitefull reviling contumelious words For whosoever shall say unto his Brother Racha shall be in danger of the Councell But whosoever shall say Thou Fool shall be in danger of Hell fire Mat. 5. 21. The former word seemes to be a terme or expression of passion the other of contempt There be also treacherous words which tend to the taking away of life and there be whisperings backbiting standering and tales all tending to shed blood Ezek. 22. 9. There be words which are softer then oyle and yet are drawn Swords Psal. 55. 21. There are persons who whet their tongues like a sword and bend their bow to shoot their arrowes even bitter words Psal. 64. 3. Doeg's words did cut like a sharp Razour and cut off the lives of the innocent Priests Psal. 52. 2. Thus this bloody sin is begun in the heart and tongue of man Yet it cannot be consummate without the Hand which is the instrument to execute and accomplish what Thoughts and Words have begun Again in this sin § IV as in others some may be principall some accessory and so guilty by consent counsell assistance connivence in concealing or not hindering or some other way And whosoever shall not use all meanes to prevent and save the innocent or not endeavour to see the Murder once committed punished are guilty of blood In this respect the Priest and Levite passing by a man wounded and half dead yet neither pitying him nor endeavouring to recover him were guilty Luke 10. 30. For if we should do our diligence to save the life of a beast much more the precious life of man Let 's heare what God saith in this particular If thou forbear to deliver them who are drawn to death and those that are ready to be slain If thou sayest Behold we know it not Doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it and he that keepeth the Soul doth not He know it and shall he not render to every man according to his Works Prov. 24. 11. 12. We read that a Galatian Shepherd refusing when it was in his power to save a man torn with dogs was three yeares after slain by Wild Beasts himself This was a just judgement from God The Rich man refusing to relieve Poor miserable and hungry Lazarus lying at his gates could not be innocent neither can any such unmercifull and inhumane wretches For not onely such as cruelly oppresse afflict and grind the faces of poor people but such as are devoyd of mercy and the bowels of compassion are guilty Si non pavisti occidisti Ambros. In this kind unskilfull or carelesse Physitians cannot be excused Some of these do not valew the life of man and are easily perswaded for favour or gain to murther such as they pretend to cure As there are private § V so there be publick Murders and these are also negative or positive Negative when they neglect to enquire after the authours of Murder or acquit them being known or grant them Pardons By this meanes sometimes a whole Land is polluted with blood and suffereth Gods vengeance For a Murderer should be taken from the Altar and put to death Exod. 21. 14. No satisfaction must be taken for his life but he must surely be put to death Numb 35. 31. And a man that doth violence to the blood of any person
must fly to the pit Let no man stay him Prov. 28. 17. He that endeavours to save a bloody person must needs be guilty of blood himself Some make bloody lawes to take away most unjustly the lives of their innocent Subjects Some wrest the lawes just in themselves and by unjust Judgement condemn the guiltlesse to death and this is done in time of peace All such as wage unjust wars or manage just wars cruelly and unjustly are great transgressours Such also are all seditious and tumultuous persons and also the Authours of civil Wars and enemies to the administration of justice Some are too remisse in just wars to revenge that blood which was cruelly and causelesly shed by the enemy This was the sin of King Saul in that he destroyed not the Amalekites from under Heaven Besides the former differences § VI and degrees of this sin there be others For even of Wilfull Murders those are most heynous 1. Which are committed out of pure malice or a contempt of the precious life of man Some are so bloody as they make no more account of the life of man then of a beast nor so much Others are so cruel as that they delight in the torment which others suffer and therefore take away the lives of others so as to put them to lingring and extreame paine 2. To Murder Father Mother Children as the Canaanites and after some cursed Israelites did sacrifice their Children to the Devil is most unnaturall grievous and abominable 3. To Murder Magistrates Judges publick Officers and especially Kings and Princes upon whom the publick peace and safety doth much depend is a far more heynous transgression then to slay a private person 4. To Murder innocent persons and such as have done no wrong nor given any cause is far more then to Murder injurious and abusive provoking persons 5. The blood of Abel and the Saints and faithfull Servants of God do cry most loud because the cursed Caines and Perfecutours slay them because their works were good and their own evill and out of an hatred of the power of Godlinesse in them For the more of God is in them the more they hate them The most heynous Murther in respect of the person the injustice the malice the reproach was the crucifying of Christ the Son of God 'T is difficult § VII if not impossible to reckon up all kinds and different ways of murther For the life of man is exposed to a thousand dangers and is easily taken away and the malice of the Devil that old murtherer and of bloudy men is very great So that it 's the great mercy of God that man lives half his days or that any dyeth a natural death And therefore our duty is to be thankful to our God as for other mercies so for the continuance and preservation of our life And every day should we commit our selves into his hands prepare for death set our soules in order desire his protection and the guardance of his Blessed Angels And in this place we might take occasion to speak of self-murther which is certainly unlawful For we have not the absolute propriety but the use of our lives given us of God to use and to make an account to him of the same A man may be unmerciful and unjust unto himself both in respect of life and other things Unto all the former sorts of murther may be added all unjust Punishments and especially such as grant life yet upon such tearms that it is worse then Death as when innocent persons are condemned to cruel Servitude or to the Gallies or to Banishment or the Mines By what hath been said we may in some measure understand what God hath forbidden The Preceptive § VIII and Affirmative part is implied and may be easily understood by the former which is Negative For as the Duty is so our care must be to preserve the life of our Neighbour as our own which is dear and pretious to us To this end 1. We must be humble meek patient peaceable placable and ready to forgive and be reconciled upon reasonable tearms unto our Enemies 2. We must be pittiful kind liberal and ready to give or do what shall be necessary for the preservation of the lives of others and not suffer them through out own default to perish 3. We must be bold resolute couragious and ready to hazard our goods credit liberty and sometimes our own lives to save innocent persons and especially the servants of God and rescue them out of the hands and jaws of wicked and cruel men Open thy mouth saith God by the Wise-woman for the Dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction Prov. 31. 8. 4. We must in a just War be willing to lay down our lives for our Countrey that by the Death of few many may be preserved 5. As our hearts must be well affected so our words must be words of meekness patience love humility peace kindness comfort And as we must avoid the causes and occasions of doing hurt so all our inward affections outward carriage words deeds must be so ordered as shall most tend to the safety of the life of others Neither must our Prayers and Endeavours be wanting to prevent the death of innocent persons Thus Reuben sought to save the life of his Brother Joseph Esther adventured her life to prevent the ruine of her people Esth. 4. 11 12 c. Thus Ebedmeleck delivered the Prophet out of the Dungeon Jer. 38. 7. 8. And God remembred the Work of Mercy to reward it Jerem. 39. 15 16. Besides all this we must not conceal but discover and that betimes all Plots Designs Intentions of Murther known unto us do what we can to prevent the effusion of innocent bloud severely and carefully prosecute all Bloudy Murtherers And herein all Judges Magistrates Higher-Powers who are trusted with the Sword must by the Sword cut off bloudy men and not suffer them to live The Reasons why we should abhor § IX and take heed of this sinne are many For 1. The life of man is precious and the greatest and chiefest Earthly Treasure man can have it 's the best thing under Heaven and in it self the greatest blessing of God in this World 2. It was given of God to serve him and seek a better and more glorious life in the World to come To take it away before the great work be done and Man hath made his peace with God and secured his Title to Heavens Kingdom is a most horrid crime and tends to the destruction of Soul and Body at once and may be a privation and prevention of Eternal Life to be enjoyed in Heaven Therefore it 's no wonder God doth so much detest it And many are so malicious and revengeful as that if it were in their power they would destroy and punish both Body and Soul in Hell fire 'T is reported of a bloudy man of Millain in Italy that when he had suddainly surprized one
unto our Neighbours as our selves or any degree thereof is here prohibited From all this it 's evident that the principal thing commanded and required in this Commandement is the love of our Neighbours as our selves So to do as we would be done unto For the more full understanding of this we must observe and consider some things concerning 1. Love in general 2. Our Neighbour as the Object of this Love here required 3. The measure and quality of it 4. The end whereat it aims 1. Love is of persons or of things This is a love of persons And it presupposeth a Knowledge antecedent to direct it The act of it is to wish well desire intend the good of the person beloved and therefore is called Amor Benevolentiae the love of good-will There is indeed a love of others for our own ends advantage interest but this is either Lust and not Love or love of our selves not of our Neighbours As this Love wisheth and desireth the good of another so the good is either Temporal or Spiritual and Eternal For the good desired by this Love here commanded is any kind of good whereof he is capable which may conduce unto his happiness Therefore the principal thing desired is Eternal Life as it is an Estate of perfect Holiness and Happiness And it 's such a love and so vigorous as it will stir us up effectually to use all means to procure this good 2. As the Object of the highest degree of our love is God § VI so the Object of this love required in this last Commandement is our Neighbour This our Neighbour is 1. All Mankind so far as capable of our love 2. Some part of Mankind and so our Neighbour is either publike or private Publike is either Civil or Ecclesiastical the State or Church whereof we are members and in both first the Superiours and publike and most eminent persons Our private Neighbours are not onely Father and Mother Wife Children Friends Servants Benefactors but also strangers yea and Enemies as God in his Divine Providence shall make them immediate Subjects in particular of our love 3. The quality and measure of our love § VII is implyed in these words As thy self It 's not said as God for that 's too high Nor before or more than our selves for that 's too much So that in these words we have both the quality and the quantity or measure of this love determined For the quality it must be real hearty and sincere for so we love our selves It must be real for in some Cases we must hazard yea lay down our lives and give our goods for to save relieve and help our Brethren in their miseries wants extremities We must lay down the lives of our Bodies for the Salvation of their Souls and with the Widow cast in all that we have into the Treasury This love must be without dissimulation Rom. 12. 9. And we must not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth 1 Joh. 3. 18. Yet this love of our selves cannot be a Rule of the love of our Neighbours except it be regular For it may be fond foolish vain irregular and inordinate Therefore it must be regulated by the Word of God issue from Faith in Christ and our love of God in Christ and we must love in obedience to his Commandement and aym at His Glory and seek the true especially the spirituall and eternall good of our brethren And if we thus love our selves then we may make this love of our selves the measure of our love to others The measure and quantity of this love is also here implied in the foresaid words For we must love God more then any thing more then any person more then our selves and the more wee love God the more we love our selves in God Therefore because we must love our selves lesse then God we must love our Neighbours lesse then him otherwise our love will prove inordinate In loving others we may love our selves first and in that respect more then our neighbours And in this love of our neighbours there be degrees to be observed For we must love our Country under what form of Government so ever it be before any particular person the Whole more then the Part the publick more then the private and because we our selves are but private Persons and a part therefore we must love the whole State in some cases more then our selves And in the State we must love and seek the good of such persons upon whom the safety and peace publique much depends more then others We must also love the Church more then the State and our brethren in Christ more then any particular persons in the world In the fourth place § VIII the End of this love is that we may do as we would be done unto For as we love or hate others so we do unto them so we deal with them well or ill If we love our selves aright and love others as our selves we will neither think nor devise nor intend nor endeavou◠to do him any evill but we will desire devise intend endeavour his reall good And as we would have others to do all things so as that they may tend unto our Temporall peace and spirituall Welfare so we must do all things so as to design their perfect happinesse so well as our own And as we desire that others may do nothing prejudiciall to our joy comfort happinesse so we must do nothing that may tend unto or end in our neighbours hurt so as to make them either sinfull or miserable All obedience without this love is but a carkeise Therefore though the heathens did the things conteined in this Law yet because they were devoid of the Love of God and this love of our Neighbours issuing from the love of God and faith in Christ their obedience was not sincere and such as this Law required To give all our goods unto the poor and our bodies to be burned and not out of love is nothing This love will think well wish well do well speak well It will be patient and long-suffering yea it will be kind unto enemies and such as hate us and if they thirst will give them drink if they hunger feed them and in their miseries relieve them It will blesse them that curse us and pray for them that hate us and despightfully abuse us It will return blessing for cursing do good for evill and seek to overcome evill with good It 's an evidence of a sincere faith a confirmation of our union with and interest in Christ it 's the character of a reall Christian and a proof that we are passed from death to life By it we resemble God who is love by it we imitate Christ by it we are cemented together amongst our selves by it we rejoyce with them that rejoyce and mourn with them that mourn it makes all men one and every man part of ourselves it 's the union of Souls the
Gen. 18. 25. Where he acknowledgeth 1. His Universall jurisdiction He is Judge of all the World 2. His absolute justice Shall He not do right That is certainly he Shall 6. His power is Almighty and as he can easily summon all before his judgment Seat even the greatest so he can execute his judgments to the full whether in punishments or rewards So that this Judgment is free from all the imperfections of humane Courts whether civil or Ecclesiasticall This judgment differs from that which he pass'd upon Men and Angels at the first For it hath another rule and conâ—iders the persons to be judged and their works under another notion and the Judge also is God as Redeemer The obedience or disobedience which are the proper formall object of this judgment are to be measured by the Laws of Redemption The one is faith the other unbelief And these things must seriously be considered lest we confound the several jurisdictions of this supreme Lord. â— This judgment is two-fold § II 1. Particular 2. Universal and final By Particular I meane the judgment of God passed and executed before the Resurrection By Universall that which follows when God shall keep his last and generall Assises And both these shall be considered 1. In the Punishments 2. In the Rewards To begin with the Punishments of the Particular judgment and they are either such as are determined and inflicted upon Collective bodyes or upon Single persons and they are either temporall or spirituall In the discovery of these punishments as likewise of the rewards I might take a Chronological method beginning with the first times of the World after the promise of Christ was made and â—o go through the Scriptures beginning with Gen. 4. and go on unto the end of the Revelation For even in the dayes of Adam God began to open his Court and set himself in the Throne of Justice and shall continue without any vacation or intermission unto the Resurrection Universal And here I might make use of humane Historyes which if true and wisely composed will manifest much of Gods just Judgments which take up a great part of those Voluâ—s But this to do would make these Divine Politicks and brief Treatise swell unto a Vast Volume Yet if any man of ability would single out this subject and enlarge upon it he might thereby much honour God and do great service unto Man There is another method might be taken and the same very usefuâ—l and that is to reduce the severall judgments to their proper places in the Laws of God Redeemer For as some sins are generall against all the Laws of God Some against the Morals Some against the Positives Some against some of the Moral precepts joyntly considered Some against the severall and particular precepts accordingly the punishments might be ranked and the same order might be observed in the rewards But lest we should confound the judgments of the two severall Governments amongst others two rules may be observed whereby we may difference them and this difference once known I may go on without interruption The 1. Rule is from the judgments themselves The 2. From the Laws and works disagreeable to these Laws 1. The judgments which fall and lye upon all mankind indefinitely as Mortality the curse of the earth ejection out of Paradise the perill and paine of Women in bearing and bringing forth Children and the paenal subjection of them unto their Husbands For these are common to all both believers and unbelievers and are inflicted upon all mankind without exception for the first sin Yet because some of these or some part of them may be in some measure removeable or abateable and yet continue they may become penaltyes inflicted by God Redeemer 2. The Lawes of God Creatour require perfect obedience not onely in all things and degrees but in all times and say thus Do this and live and if thou do not this thus thou must dye and there is no remedy but this Law if it be maâ—e the rule oâ—â—udgment as God might have made it The Law of God Redemeer saith Though thou hast sinned and dost sin yet if thou return by the power of my grace and believe thou shalt live and not dye Though thou art guilty and liable to punishment and the same lye upon thee in part yet upon these conditions the penalty may be removed or prevented Some of the sins forbidden in the Law of work are the same materially with those forbidden in the Gospel and so are some of the dutyes yet they differ formally if we speak after the manner of the Schools This you have heard before For any sâ—n after it once put on the notion of impenitency by delay and neglect to return it presently begins to be a sin against the Gospel And such are all sins committed after the first promise of Christ. Such was the Murder of Cain the corruption of the old world the filthinesse of Sodome and all the rest mentioned in the book of God from Gen. 4. to the end So that all the penaltyes as that of Cain the old World the Builders of Babel and the rest were penaltyes as threatned by so inflicted for the sins against God Redeemer All this is evident from the books of Moses and all the Prophets which speak to men as sinfull promise Christ forbid impenitency Preach and urge repentance and make all penaltyes removeable upon that condition which could not have been done if sin and penaltyes had been looked upon according to the Law of works Therefore it 's in vain to argue that because as the Law of Works commanded love to God love to Neighbour did forbid Idolatry Perjury Mâ—rder Theft c did threaten death and punishment for these sins so the Gospel commands the same dutyes forbids the very same things threatneth the same penaltyes and promiseth life that therefore the Law of works continueth especially the Morall Law For the precepts prohibitions promises threats of the Law of works and the Law of grace come under different notions For an instance we may amongst many places single out this one Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God and he will abundantly pardon Esa. 55. 7. The Law of works saith Be not Wicked Sin not at all The Law of Grace saith Though thou hast sinned and art wicked yet forsake thy wicked way and return unto the Lord against whom thou hast sinned The Law of Works saith Thou hast sinned and must dye I have no promise of life or Pardon for thee The Law of Grace saith though thou by thy sin hast deserved to dye yet upon condition of repentance and return thou shalt be Pardoned and live I touch more often upon this point and here stand more largely upon it because some will take no notice of it others who are sufficiently informed are hardly perswaded of this
comfort And God knowing this doth alwayes in this particular declare the Sentence by the Execution and never did justify and person and left him unsanctified And by this Sactification doth plainly testify unto the party justified that he hath freed him from the guilt and obligation to the greatest Punishment of all Yet this Regeneration is not perfect at the first neither shall be fully perfect in Body and Soul untill the Resurrection This must needs be the first part of branch because all that follow depend upon it and without it we are uncapable of them For as God for order so far as our shallow capacity will reach is first conceived to be holy before he be conceived as happy so man must needs be The greatest and first penalty for Sin was to take away the sanctifying Spirit and the greatest mercy is to restore it again And this as all the rest is derived immediatly from Christ believed upon For by faith we first have Union then Communion with him and derive both Grace and Peace from God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ and are blessed in him with all spirituall Blessings It 's called Regeneration because we are by it delivered from that most fearfull death we call the death of Sin and receive a new and spirituall life being created anew according to his Image in Righteousnesse and true Holinesse It may be said to be begun though at some distance in Vocation when ouâ— Hearts are first prepared for then informed with Faith and so we are ingrafted into Christ and made one with him Yet all this was but a preparation for it and tending unto it to complete our union with our Saviour And when we are once united that Spirit which did onely prepare us is given to abide in us constantly and first as a Spirit of Sanctification In this the foundation of eternall Joy and Glory is laid and now we begin to move directly towards our full happinesse This not onely takes away former guilt but the very Root of former guilt of Sin The second Branch is our Reconciliation § XI for being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have accesse into the Grace wherein we stand This is said to be an effect of Justification strictly taken In the words of the Apostle Rom. 5. 1 2. we must consider 1. The Condition of the party to be reconciled before he be reconciled 2. What this Peace with God is 3. Who they are that are thus reconciled and have this Peace 4. How they have it through Jesus Christ our Lord. 1. Because Reconciliation presupposeth Emnity therefore the condition of the party to be reconciled must be that he is at Emnity with God and God at Emnity with him There is Emnity between them and this is a very sad condition to be at Emnity with that God in whom all our comfort is and upon whose favour depends our spirituall and eternall happinesse The cause of this Emnity is Sin considered either in the habit or in the act or guilt By the habit and the act we are contrary to God as just and holy and God must needs abhorr us Therefore the Scripture represents Sin as base and filthy polluting the Sinner and God as pure and holy hating detesting abominating sin For nothing is so contrary to God and so odious in his sight as sinne Therefore is it said Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in Wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee The foolish shall not stand in thy sight Thou hatest the Workers of Iniquity â— Psal. 5. 4 5. And thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil and canst not look upon Iniquity Hab. 1. 13. And there shall in no wise enter into the new and holy Jerusalem any thing that defileth Rev. 21. 27. And without as in no wise admitted to enter are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers and Idolaters and who so maketh a Lye Rev. 22. 15. That is men polluted and defiled with sin are uncapable of this Society and communion with the most holy God and his most holy people Nay we are commanded to be holy as He is holy and if we be not so He will not admit us into his presence hear our Prayers accept our Persons or our Service nay He will cast us out of His Presence And though He may love us as Men yet He cannot love us as polluted with sin As sin so the Emnity begins on our part for we first sin and so are alienated and Enemies in or by our mind by wicked Works Col. 1. 21. Where the Learned Bishop of Salisbury observes 1 The miserable estate of those Colossians before they were reconciled it was an estate of Emnity and Hostility And 2 The cause and that was the mind in sin set on sin so he with Beza understands it The first Emnity therefore is from sin as sin But this is not all for sin as a transgression of the Law of God threatning punishment offends God and provokes him to anger as it makes man liable to punishment So as that God who as merciful is inclined to reward as just is bent to punish and so not onely take away his mercies but inflict Positive Penalties to take vengeance upon the sinner for the Transgression and Contempt of His Law And he that continueth in his sin without repentance must needs be an Enemy and the subject of His Wrath. God is an enemy to him not as a man but as a sinful man continuing in sin and as he is unclean he can have no fellowship with God who is Light and in whom there is no Darkness because he walks in Darknessâ— and he is deprived of his special favour and love and lies under His heavy displeasure This is the condition of the party before He be reconciled The 2d Thing to be considered is What this peace with God should be And 1 It 's peace after Emnity Therefore called Reconciliation 2 It 's a removal and taking away the emnity by taking away the cause thereof as you shall hear hereafter 3 This Emnity is so taken away that the state of the Person reconciled is not a bare Neutrality between God and him but a state of special love and favour whereupon follows an acceptation of the person and an admittance into God's presence to come with boldness and confidence unto the Throne of Grace a delight in his Prayers and Service and a Peace and quiet calm of Conscience which cannot be without great joy God before did hate hide his face cast out of his presence and man once sensible of his sin doth fear and fly from God's preâ—ence as from a conâ—uming Fire As Adam hearing the voice of God was afraid and hid himself and Israel trembled before Mount Sinai burning with fire up to the midst of Heaven Now God loves and man is bold and confident This is a special favour God bears unto his
People which the Psalmist prayeth for Psal. 106. 4. The light of God's countenance whereby His frowns are turned into smiles and he looks chearfully upon us 4 This favour is not a fancy and conceit that God doth love us but it 's really and fully manifested in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which God hath given us Rom. 5. 5. 5 As this Emnity begins on Man's part turning away from his God and provoking him so this Peace and Reconciliation begins on God's part in mercy turning unto man 6 As the hatred and displeasure of God and the want of his favour maybe considered as a Penalty and the same removed by Reconciliation so it may belong to Justification and Remission as a branch thereof without which it cannot be perfect 3 The party reconciled is the justified by Faith For being justified by Faith we have peace with God Take this Peace Passively as a benefit and reward received by Man it 's an effect of Justification and may so be called but take it Actively as coming from God it may be a part or degree of Justification essentially included in it For God in justifying in that very act accepts him as a friend and looks not on him as an Enemy It presupposeth the taking away of the general guilt and the removing the great penalty of sin and corruption by restoring the regenerating Spirit For how can man as guilty and polluted with sin and under the dominion of Corruption be a subject of this special love and favour According to the Scriptures and His Eternal Laws He cannot possibly be such God may so love Man when he is his Enemy as to give his Son for him and his Spirit to take away the cause of this Emnity but to love him with this special love as such is impossible For this Reconciliation necessarily presupposth the cause of the Emnity not as to be taken away but as taken away already Otherwise God should love those whom He hates as He hates them and be well pleased with those that lye under his fearful displeasure 4 We have this peace by Jesus Christ our Lord for by whom we have Justification by Him we have Reconciliation We find two degrees of this Reconciliation and both by Christ. For so the Apostle informs us For saith He God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them and hath committed to us the Word of Reconciliation Now we are Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. By which words we easily understand that the Foundation of this Reconciliation was laid in Christ's suffering For even then God did not impute our sins to us but unto him and punished them in him for us For He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be the Righteousness of God in him Ibid. ver 21. And if this first Reconciliation had not been made and so God made propitious the second had never followed Again if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life And not onely so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the atonement Rom. 5. 10 11. Where we may observe that the first degree of Reconciliation 1 Was by Christ's Death The 2 By his life when we are justifyed For by His Death He merited it and by His life and intercession procures the actual enjoyment of it The first is Reconciliation made The second Reconciliation and Atonement received and both by Christ who reconciled us to God both Jew and Gentile in one Body by the Cross having slain the Emnity thereby And came and preached Peace to them which were afar off and to them that were nigh For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father Ephes. 2. 3 12. In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by Faith in Him Ephes. 3. 12. So that by Christ we have this Peace with God For by his death he averts the Wrath and Displeasure of God and merits his favour He by his Ambassadours preacheth Peace and beseecheth us to be reconciled and so by his Word and Spirit converts us He by his intercession takes us by the hand and brings us before the Throne of Grace as though He were the Master of Ceremonies and Admissionate of Heaven and presents us holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight as washed in His Blood believed upon Col. 1. 22. Upon this Reconciliation it follows that we cease 1 To be Enemies 2 To be Strangers 3 To be Neutrals 4 We are Friends Fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the Family of God This Reconciliation makes the state of the Reconciled very happy and it 's an unspeakable mercy as may appear 1 From the sad condition of Cain when he was driven from God's presence and others in his case from the Lamentations and Complaints of God's Servants when he did hide his face absent himself withdraw his Spirit and in anger as it were cover himself with a Cloud that their Prayers could not pass through and be heard By their Deprecations of God's anger least they should be cast out of his presence and his Holy Spirit taken from them From the unspeakable joy and consolation which did diffuse it self and warm their hearts upon this Reconciliation and return of the Spirit after their penitent and importunate Prayers For as it 's lost by sin so it 's regained by Repentance and Faith We seek the love and favour of great ones and fear their frowns But what are their frowns to God's displeasure or their love unto his favour which is the Fountain of Eternal joy A third degree of Justification § III which reacheth Salvation and toucheth Eternal Life immediately is that which the Gospel calleth Adoption whereby those who were no Sons believing in Christ are made the Sons and Heirs of God and joint-Heirs with Christ of Glory Where we must observe 1 How this Adoption agrees with Justification and differs from Regeneration and Reconciliation 2 What the nature of this Adoption is 3 Who they are that are Adopted 4 What the condition of the Adopted is 1. It agrees with Justification as a part or degree thereof as it doth remove a great penalty and so the guilt which Justification properly doth The guilt and penalty you shall know hereafter It differs from Regeneration because that gives onely a nâ—w life of Grace and Sanctification altering our disposition And this new Being and Life might be given us without a further Dignity and Title to an Heavenly Inheritance It 's true that if God beget us again and renew us we may be said to be His Sons yet it doth not follow that if we be Sons only in that sense that therefore we are Heirs though if we be adopted Sons
when we are once in Christ and the Spirit is derived from him to us in him to abide as a constant Spring of Regeneration at the first is that I call Regeneration as a Branch of Justification and as neither before nor after the first judgment of justification 3 This Sanctification active not being perfect in respect of the Subject is continued For we being in Christ as Branches in the Vine derive continual Sap or sanctifying Vigour from him that we may bring forth Fruit. Christ communicating this continually unto us by his Spirit may be said to continue to sanctifie us From all this you may understand a three-fold Sanctification 1 Preparing 2 Initiating us prepared 3 Continued to consummate us For the First Work of the Spirit is to prepare us and ingrast us into CHRIST The Second Is to regenerate and renew us once in CHRIST at the first The Third Is a continuance of the Second to perfect us In the first sense it seems to be taken 2 Thes. 2. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 2. In the second sense Joh. 15. 1 2 3 c. Rom. 6. 4 5 c. 1 Cor. 6. 11. In the third sense 1 Thes. 5. 23. Yet this must be known that Regeneration Sanctification Renovation are taken for the same several times and Sanctification in Scripture is taken for Justification and that we call Sanctification too as Ephes. 5. 26. Heb. 9. 15. 10. 10 14. 13. 12. and many other places Sometimes it 's taken for that purity we acquire by the Works of Sanctification and the constant practise of Righteousness as Rom. 6. 19 22. As for Sanctification Passive it 's easily understood by the Active This Sanctification differs from that of Adam § IX and the Blessed Angels for this finds us unsanctified corrupted unclean perverse and blind Therefore it 's called Regeneration and Renovation and Cleansing the other did not find them such What this doth at first it continues to do it makes us at the first Righteous and holy and imprints God's Image upon us and continued it continues us such and makes us more and more holy And the more we exercise this Active Power the more we are sanctified according to that Promise To him that hath that is useth and exerciseth it shall be given that is more shall be given It 's a Reward given at the first and it 's a Reward continued enabling us to perform Duty that the Reward may be greater and greater For the effect of it is to cause us to walk in God's Statutes and the more our obedience is improved the more our comfort is increased because our estate of Justification and our Title to Eternall Glory is thereby the more evident There is an ablute necessity of the continuance thereof For if God desert us but a moment there presently follows a Relapse The subject of it is the whole man Soul and Body the Soul chiefly and primarily the Body secondarily In the Soul it enlightneth the Understanding more and more and dispelleth the Mists of Ignorance and Errour and rect fies the Heart declining it from sin inclining it to Righteousnesse It fixeth it upon the right Object Christ and Eternal Glory in Him and continues to strengthen and incite us to the performance of Obedience and the practise of those Duties whereby Eternall Life is obtained All the Motions and Inclinations and Dispositions and those we call Affections are by it set in a right order especially the Affections of Love and Hatred which principally move and sway the Soul It limits and directs the Sensitive Appetite and makes the Body and the Members thereof Instruments of Righteousness to Holiness Yet this Sanctification was neither given to expiate sin past nor merit life to come but to prevent sin and bring forth the fruits of Righteousness In respect of Sin and Corruption yet inherent it 's called Mortification in respect of righteousnesse this heavenly active power is called Vivification And by vertue of Christ's death it destroies Sin and by vertue of Christ's Resurrection it quickens us to an heavenly life Yet this Mortification and Vivification are not properly integrall Parts but onely Adjuncts of this Sanctification For take away Corruption wholly there will be no Mortification because there remains nothing to be mortified Because this regenerate power is not consummated at the first § X therefore it will meet with continuall opposition from Corruption within and the Devill and the World without For in every regenerate man there is in this life Flesh and Spirit Corruption and Grace and these two being contrary one unto another have continuall conflicts both habituall and actuall Yet Grace and the Spirit is predominate otherwise Regeneration could not be Regeneration These are Jacob and Esau continually striving in the Bowels and Womb of our Souls The Assistants to the Flesh are the Devill and the World The Assistants of Grace are the Father Son and Holy Ghost the blessed Angels Ministers and sanctified Christians For as God useth the Ministery and Discipline of the Church in the declaring outwardly with the Word the Sentence of Absolution so he useth them to stir up continually to holy Duties to restrain Sin to strengthen us and promote our Sanctification And I cannot see but the blessed Angels should have as much power to help us as the Devill to hurt us For they are ministring Spirits not onely for temporall Safety but spirituall Assistance And from this opposition ariseth that spirituall Warr so much mentioned in Scripture in respect of which all spirituall and heavenly Vertues are called Armour the Armour of God and the more we exercise them with Prayer and Watchfullnesse the more and the faster we gird them upon us the stronger and safer we are Some of these though onely the principall are named Ephes. 6. 11 12 13. c. 1 Thes. 5. 8. Yet all are understood for Sanctification inclines to Obedience and fenceth us against all Sin The event of this War is either intermediate § XI or finall The intermediate from the first Regeneration is often and for the most part Victory yet not without many wounds hurts foils falls and the same sometimes very grievous And though Grace in us be habitually predominant yet actually it is not alwayes so We may neglect our watch be too carelesse and then we suffer Yet the weaker by Humility Prayer Watchfulnesse may stand when the stronger fall And the Victory doth not depend so much upon the eminent degrees of gifts and graces in us as upon divine Assistance from without The more we fight according to the rules of this war the stronger we are by God's Assistance and our Saviours intercession who prayed that Peter's faith and so ours though fearfully sometimes shaken might not fail This war is to be waged not onely by strength but policy and holy prudence whereby we foresee dangers to prevent them and take all opportunities and advantages for our safety and our Enemies ruine Because our weaknesse
from all weariness faintings diseases annoyances and pains so that the loss of Sense is turned to a benefit though in it self it be a punishment As for the Soul the reward thereof is excellent though not perfect It hath obtained a final Victory over sin Sathan the World and is out of all danger of Hell It 's freed from all trouble and inconvenience that did arise from the Body and is delivered up with great peace and joy into the hands of a gracious Redeemer who sends his Angels to receive it guard it and set it in the Heavenly Paradise where Satan can never come near it or tempt it any more either to sin or despair And now it 's free from all sin all fear and sorrow and temptations and washed in Christ's bloud shall be presented pure and blameless before God's Throne The place whatsoever it is is full of comfort the Society excellent it 's secure of the great reward of Eternal Glory And that which is the accomplishment of all comforts it is with Jesus Christ it's blessed Saviour who takes the charge and protection of it Paul desired to depart and be with his Saviour which was far better Phil. 1. 23. Which words inform us 1 That the Soul lives after it is separated from the Body 2 That Death is not a destruction but departure 3 It 's departure from a worse place and condition to the better 4 Though it's absent from the Body yet it 's present with the Lord. 5 Though it had many sweet and excellent joys and comforts in Christ in this life yet now it hath more and greater CHAP. XXIIII Of the Universall and finall Judgment and the Eternall Rewards and punishments of the World to come AFter all the judgments past § I and executed from the beginning of the world to the last period and moment of the same there will be another and it shall be the last for none shall follow It 's final As it shall be the last so it will be the greatest Court that ever God did keep both in respect of the persons to be judged which shall be all men and Angels and in respect of the retributions which shall be Punishments and Rewards in the highest degree and everlasting Many Signes and Prodigies both in Heaven and Earth shall go before and prognosticate the approach thereof The world shall be consum'd by fire the dead shall be raised the living shall be changed and both shall be immortall The Judg is God who hath given commission to Iesus Christ to judge both Angels and men both quick and dead He hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the World in Righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Act. 17. 31. Yet of the day and hour when he shall come no man knoweth no not the Angels of Heaven He shall come in great glory all the holy Angels shall attend him a Cloud shall be his Chariot his Tribunal shall be high and dreadfull The Arch-Angel shall sound the Trumpet and make all the World to heare All shall be summond all shall appear All causes shall be evident The sentence shall be irrevocable the Punishments and Rewards great the execution certain and the estate of the partyes judged shall be unchangeable That such a day will come that it will be a great day that it will be dreadfull unto many and a day of unspeakable joy to true believers it 's certain For God hath said so and all his Saints believe him and long for that day and wait for their Saviours comming from Heaven That it will be a day of judgment and that Christ shall be the Universall judge we doubt not Yet the manner of his comming and the way of his proceeding we do not perfectly and distinctly for the particulars know Something of it God by his Son Jesus Christ hath signified unto us and informed us of as that an Eternall Kingdome upon a finall and totall absolution will be adjudged to some but others shall receive the doom of an eternall curse and excommunication to be cast out of Gods presence and condemned to suffer eternall Punishments with the Devill and his Angels All secrets shall then be brought to light and the judgment shall be exactly just according to mens works and the execution shall be answerable For the condemned shall go into everlasting Punishment but the righteous into life eternall Math. 25. 46. So that of this judgment and the execution thereof we have two parts 1. The Reward of the Righteous 2. The Punishment of the unrighteous according to their obedience or disobedience unto the Laws of God Redeemer The reward of the righteous shall be of the whole man § II both soul and body both united together and joyntly partakers in the reward as they were in obedience The body being raised shall be immortall free from all evils incident to a body free from all imperfections and defects and made glorious and perfect with all perfections a body can be capable of For from Heaven we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashion'd like unto his glorious body according to the Working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3. 21. The greatest perfection shall be this that it shall be united to a Soul fully sanctified from which it shall never any more be separated and both together shall be the Eternal Temple of the Holy Ghost The Soul it self shall be finally and totally justified fully sanctified and endued with all the graces of the Spirit requisite to happiness and then their Reconciliation and Adoption shall be consummate the whole man shall be firmly established in Righteousness and Holiness never to sin never to be in danger to sin again They shall be with their Saviour and behold his glory enjoy the clear Vision of God be ravished with his Beauty filled with Eternal Joy and Delights and be secure of their perpetual full Bliss All tears shall be wiped away from off all faces and they shall never sorrow any more No evil that can be feared shall come near them and all good that can be desired shall abound there As the Light of God's Eternal Favour shall ever shine upon them in full strength so the streams of Eternal goodness shall ever issue from the Throne of God and the Lamb so that they shall be fully satiated with all pleasures for evermore The place will be glorious the company excellent and no good thing that may add unto their happiness shall be wanting Then shall they know how much God loved them and how much Christ hath done for them They believe now that the Reward is great but then by the enjoyment they shall know it to be far greater then ever entred into the heart of Man As Camaracensts saith truly § III That we may know God to be
opposition of these Enemies their cruelty the sufferings of God's People God frustrating of their Designs and confounding of their Counsels His Defence His mâ—ny and strange Deliverances the Valour of God's Saints and their glorious Victories mentioned in the Scripture would require a whole Volume and be an excellent Subject of some Sacred Pen. As this Administration refers to the Church the Subjects of God-Redeemer by Christ the Parts thereof are LAWES And JVDGMENT For as there be two Branches of this Supream Power § II the one of Legislation and the other of Jurisdiction so the Parts of this Administration which is the Exercise of this two-fold Power are Laws or rather giving of Laws or judging according to these Laws For these Laws are the Rules of this Administration of the Subjects Duty and of God's Judgment as the Judgment puts the Laws in execution according to the obedience or disobedience of the Subjects Concerning these Laws we may observe 1. That they bind the Conscience and the Immortal Souls to obedience and make men upon their disobedience liable not onely to Temporal but Spiritual and Eternal Punishments And in Judgment God takes cognizance of all causes even the most secret and spiritual and rewards and punisheth accordingly 2. The Church was never without these Laws since God made the first Promise of Christ. 3. They were made known and promulgate before the Exhibition of Christ by Angels and Men and by men either immediatly inspired as by extraordinary Prophets or by ordinary Prophets Priests and other Teachers The Decalogue which we call the Moral Law was once delivered by God in wonderful manner upon Mount Sinai And after Christ was exhibited they were promulgated by Christ His Apostles Prophets Evangelists and after that by ordinary Pastours and Teachers The Gospel began to be made known by our Lord Jesus Christ Heb. 2. 3. 4. They are delivered to us and reserved in the Church by Word and Writing 5. They are not bare Precepts Prohibitions Threatnings and Promises but have annexed many Admonitions Reproofs Exhortations Dehortations absolute Denunciations of Judgments and Examples The Examples are delivered in the Historical Part and they set before us the Obedience and Vertues of some and their Rewards with the Disobedience Apostacy Rebellions of others and their Punishments And all these are further illustrated by Parables and Similitudes and the same Commands and Prohibitions repeated often in several parts of the Scriptures The final and universal Judgment with many other particulars of this Administration we may read in the Prophetical Part. 6. All these are Laws of God-Redeemer who doth not expect from sinfull man perfect and perpetual Obedience nor promise Eternal Life upon that condition but upon the Faith of Christ's Satisfaction and Merit 7. They presuppose man sinful and destitute of all power to observe them Therefore they require obedience by way of Return to be performed by the power of the Spirit merited by Christ and restored in great mercy unto us And which is strange Obedience as Obedience and performed by us gives us no Title unto everlasting life For it 's derived by the Promise of God from the merit of Jesus Christ from and for which we receive our Faith and Obedience 8. Some of these Laws were Temporary and to stand in force onely for a time Some perpetual and after they were once given to continue unto the Worlds end These Laws must be considered 1. As a Rule of Man's Duty § III 2. Of God's Judgment In respect of the Commands they bind man to duty and are the Rule thereof In respect of the Promises and Threatnings they are the Rule of God's Judgment As they are the Rule of Man's Duty they are either Moral or Positive The Moral require or presuppose Subjection unto God not onely as Creatour but Redeemer in the first place The Moral Law as such is of perpetual obligation and was given to Adam innocent and continues in force for ever yet as it is purely Moral Yet the obligation thereof which followed the Promise of the Redeemer differed much from the former as it bound Adam innocent as shall appear hereafter at large This Law is called Moral not merely because it 's Regula morum a Rule of Humane Actions for so other Laws may be but to distinguish it from Laws Positive as Judicial and Ceremonial be and because the Acts commanded by it are intrinsecally just For we must not so much attend to the proper signification as the use of words And it 's so called not by the Prophets or Apostles but by Latine Christian Writers especially of later times The reason why it is of perpetual obligation is because God having made man righteous and holy never gave him liberty to be unrighteous and unholy and He always bound him to love his God himself his neighbour The Duties thereof arise from the Natural Relation of Man unto God and unto his Neighbour therefore called the Law of Nature The very frame and constitution of his reasonable and immortal Soul and of his Body did dictate the Equity and Justice of this Law Some therefore say that this Law did result from the Image of God wherein Man was created Yet there are degrees of Morality For some acts are more immediately Moral Others derive their Morality from some other and are such at second hand In the Decalogue all the Commandements derive their Morality from the first And all the Precepts of the second Table receive their Morality from the last as that receives Morality from the first of the first Table Some are Moral in this life which shall cease to be so in the life to come And we must diligently consider what Duties are purely Moral and of perpetual continuance Consider the matter of this Law as consisting in so many Rules or Propositions of Divine Wisdom and Justice as abstracted from the Nature of a Law and the commands of God's Legislative Will and the same known unto man if he act according to these Rules he may be capable of reward yet can have no title to it if he act contrary he may be worthy of punishment yet not bound to suffer it But consider the Parts and Branches of it not onely as Rules and Acts of the Understanding but of Gods Legislative Will so they have the form of Laws and such God's Will hath determined them to be unto Man The nature of them as Laws is to bind unto obeâ—ience or upon disobedience unto punishment This is that which they call active obligation which is the essential act of a Law Passive obligation whereby Man is bound flows necessarily from the essence of it That this Law should have a Promise of Eternal Life annexed unto it upon condition of obedience and a threatning of Eternal Death upon Disobedience was accidental unto it That if Man sinned he should actually suffer the punishment threatned was so too That the particular Precepts thereof should be Articles of a Covenant was not