that time to wâ—t when they shall be converted unto the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none Jer. 5.30 Our blessed Saviour also speaketh thus unto the Church his spouse Behold thou art all fair my love and there is no spot in thee Cant. 4.7 That I may answer these things in order first I grant that if God did not at all see any sin in his people he could not be angry with them but the Testimonies here alledged do not prove this for first the Lord is said to have beheld none iniquity in Jacob and to have seen no perversenesse in Israel to wit at that time when Balaam uttered these words non absolutè sed comparativé not absolutely none at all but none in comparison of those foule and fearfull sins of Idolatry sorcery and the like abominations to which the Heathen were addicted and whereunto Balaam by his wicked counsell which he gave afterwards to Balack drew many of the Israelites to their destruction those I mean which committed adultery both spirituall and corporall and hoped by this meanes to have insnared them all that so they might have been open to Gods Judgments and have been destroyed by the King of Moab Again the Lord is here said not to have beheld any iniquity in Jacob nor to have seen perversenesse in Israel with a revenging eye to condemn them or to cast them off for it and to deliver them up as a prey into the hands of their malicious enemies but otherwise he saw all the iniquity and all the evil that they did with the eye of his providence from which nothing is concealed nor lyeth did for as the Apole saith All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Heb 4.12 And as Solomon saith Pro. 15.3 the eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil with a loathing of it and the good with an approbation of it Those therefore who hold that the Lord doth not at all behold any iniquity in his Children must either deny their sins to be evill or else â—ay that they do not sin at all directly contrary to most expresse and plain places of holy Scripture Ecles 7.20 For as Solomon saith There is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not See also Rom. 3.10 James 3.2 1. Joh. 1.8 Thus I have answered the first Testimony of holy Scripture admitting that the words are to be translated as they are commonly read in our English Bibles and as they are by this Author alledged But the truth is they are so rendered by some most learned and judicious Interpreters that there cannot so much as any shew or colour of an Objection be raised from them to prove that God seeth not any iniquity in his Children For thus do they translate them he hath not beheld wrong against Jacob nor hath he seen grievance against Israel For the exposition and justification of which interpretation I referr my reader to a large and most learned dissertation of Mr. Gatakers upon this very place of holy Scripture which I saw not untill I had finished this Question Hujusmodi dicta non sunt intelligenda de Simplci cognitione Dei quasi non ea amplius nórit sed de cognitione judiciali ad paenam Zauch lib 3. de natura Dei Chap. 2. q. 14. The next Scripture that is alledged that is Jer. 50.20 Where he saith At that time the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none the meaning whereof is that there shall be none to be imputed unto them because it shall be forgiven them and the sins of Juda shall not be found that is to be charged on them or rise up against them to their condemnation because they shall be justified and absolved from them In the same sense doth our Saviour speake of his Church †Cant. 4.7 Behold thou art all fair my love and there is no spot in thee for this is not spoken of the spotles purity and perfect beauty or fairnesse of the Church by inherent sanctification but of perfect righteousnesse imputed unto her in her justification for although none of the Children of God be perfectly fair in themselves but defiled in part with many spots of sin while they live here yet being considered as they appear before Gods tribunall clothed with Christs righteousnesse so they are all fair in Him and there is no spot in them which is not washed away in his blood in regard of the imputation or guilt thereof Hereunto I add further that the holy Scripture speaketh sometimes of the Church of Christ not only as shee beginneth to be purified from sin here in this life but as holinesse shall be perfected in her in the world to come at what time shee shall be all fair not only by justification but internal sanctification also so that no spot of sin shall at all adhere unto her Even now while Christs spouse so journeth here on earth he beginneth by his word and spirit to sanctifie and cleanse her from her spots and impurities but when her warfare shall be ended he will present her unto himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrincle or any such thing Eph. 5.26.27 but holy and without blemish The next thing which I find alledged to prove that the Children of God are not to fast nor pray that God would turn away his indignation from them are certain places of Scripture which say expresly that God is never angry with is people Isa 27. Fury is not in me Isa 54.9 As I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I will be no more wroth with thee nor rebuke thee Whereunto I answer that there is a two fold anger the one of a revenging Judge that executeth justice strictly according to mens deeds and deserts the other of a loving Father who is angry with his Children when they do evil for their correction and amendment Of the former the Lord speaketh to his Church when he saith Fury is not in me and I will be no more wroth with thee nor rebuke thee that is in wrathfull revenge to satisfie my justice on thee For otherwise the Lord saith plainly As many as I love I rebuke and Chasten be Zealous therefore and amend Rev. 3.19.20 Thus the Lord is angry with his own Children with the anger of a Father that is not out of hatred or any ill will but out of mere love tendring their good and reclaiming them from evil that they may not perish but be saved eternally So he was angry with Moses and Aaron at the waters of Meribah as I have shewed before And of this anger David speaketh when he saith His anger indureth but a moment Psal 30.5 And again the Lord is mercifull and gratious slow to anger and plenteous in mercy
David by his Prophet Nathan and saith The Sword shall never depart from thine House because thou hast despised me and hast taken the Wife of Vriah See also Luk. 1.20 the Hittite to be thy Wife 2 Sam. 12 10. And afterwards he saith Because by this deed by the murther of Uriah thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die Vers 14. That the death of Davids child was a correction to him it cannot be denyed Now the cause of this correction is here said to be his evil deed or his sin which he had committed it followeth necessarily therefore that God correcteth him for his sins his sins past and not from sin onely that he might live righteously for the time to come for the end of Davids corrections was not onely his own humiliation and reformation and the restraining of others from the like sins through the terror of Gods judgements inflicted on him but the vindication of Gods glory in the execution of justice and the manifestation of his hatred against those sins of David whereby he had made the enemies of God to blaspheme his holy name These corrections of David as also the corrections of all Gods children sunt actus justitiae Divinae cum misericordia temperatae are acts of Gods justice tempered with mercy for God seeing he will not spare no not his dearest children such as David was but sharply chastizeth them hereby he openly declareth that he is a just God that will not wink at sin in any though otherwise this his justice is tempered with singular mercy towards the Elect because their afflictions are through Gods grace and goodness sanctified unto them and do turn to the furtherance of their salvation That one end of Gods correcting of his children is the manifestation of his justice and hatred against sin David himself acknowledgeth in his own particular when he saith Psal 51 4. Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified that is acknowledged to be just when thou speakest against me and reprovest me and be clear that is appear pure and clear from all fault when thou judgest me by thy punishment and corrections David also when Gods hand did lie heavy upon him by sore sickness did acknowledge that his sin was the cause of all this for thus doth he complain unto God Psal 38.7 3. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither any rest in my bones because of my sin But I shall not need to alledge any more testimonies to prove that David was corrected for his sins For those whose opinion I do now oppugne do grant that God did chastize David for his sins but they say that David in these his sufferings was a type of Christ They hold therefore Object that that which is testified concerning the cause of his sufferings is not to be applyed to all Gods Children generally as if they also when they are afflicted should be said to be corrected by their heavenly Father for their sins But this that they say is no solid answer but a meere evasion For first Though David were a type of Christ in his sufferings Answ as he was unjustly persecuted by Saul falsly slandered by Doeg and Sauls Courtiers and perfidiously and trayterously dealt withall by Achitophel and others whereof he complaineth in divers of his Psalms which the Evangelists do alledge as fulfilled in Christ Yet it is not enough barely to say but it would be as solidly proved that he was also a type of Christ in all those evils wherewith God visited him for his sins in numbering the people and for the wrongs which he did to Uriah What shall we say that whereas Davids Wives were defiled before all Israel and in the sight of the Sun that this befel him onely as he was a Type of Christ and not rather as a correction for his sin in defiling Vriahs Wife To hold therefore as these men do that David suffered onely propter rationem typicam that is that he might typifie Christs sufferings seemeth strange unto me for seeing he was one of Gods Children no doubt the Lord disciplined him as he doth the rest of his Children For what Sonne is he whom the Father chasteneth not saith the Apostle Heb. 12. David therefore was chastized for his sins not onely as he was a type of Christ as these men will have it but as the rest of Gods Children are for his humiliation and future reformation and repentance as also that God by scourging him might manifest and make known his hatred of those sins which he had run into and warn others to beware of them as I have before shewed But if I shall grant that all Davids afflictions befel him as he was a type of Christ what will these men say to the sufferings of Asa the King of Juda 2 Chron. 16 7 8 9. and of Miriam the Sister of Moses and Aaron for both these were chastened of God for their sins Asa because he trusted not in the Lord but relyed on the King of Syria for help against his enemies and Miriam because she murmured against Moses Will they say that both these were in this a type of Christ Indeed I do willingly grant that Asa was a type of Christ as he was the anointed King of Judah But that otherwise as he suffered for want of confidence in God and Miriam a woman in suffering for her murmuring should be a type of Christ seemeth as yet somewhat strange unto me until I shall by these men be better instructed And although I do grant that Moses was a type of Christ as he did in some sort perform the Office of a Mediator between God and the people yet I think it cannot be said that whereas he was excluded out of Canaan for his sin that he committed at the waters of Meribah that he was in this a type of Christ saving us by his sufferings but rather shadowed out the Law which bringeth none to Heaven In which regard Joshua that brought the Israelites into Canaan and not Moses who for his sin dyed in the Wilderness was a type of Christ But whatsoever is to be said of Miriam Asa Aaron and Moses I know they will not affirm that the Corinthians that came irreverently unto the Lords Supper without due examination and preparation of themselves were any type of Christ Notwithstanding St. Paul telleth us That for this cause many of them were weak and sickly and many of them did sleep that is the sleep of death It cannot be denyed therefore that these were scourged corrected for their sins This is so evident that they are inforced to grant it but they think to put it off thus Object They say that there were many hypocrites and wicked men in the Church of Corinth that did give their names unto Christ and made an open
your trespasses 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither fornicators nor adulterers c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God Heb. 12.14 Without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. 1 John 3.14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren The Refinement of Zion Quest 1. Whether Christ and his righteousnesse be made ours by faith And whether we do put on Christ by faith Or rather whether He be not to be set forth freely in the preaching of the Gospel without any condition SECT I. A certain Authors Opinion concerning this Question SOme Protestants holy men The Doctrine of John Baptist saith this Author do say that Christ is made ours in the sight of God by faith alone Christ being the garment our Faith the hand that putteth this Garment on yet methinks saith he that here is Christ set forth upon some conditions not so freely given I must here saith he profess my Ignorance that I cannot conceive how faith should put on Christ apply Christ or make Christ ours in the sight of God I therefore professe my self openly to leane unto them that say that Christs righteousnesse is made ours before God by Gods imputation before the act of our faith and therefore necessarily without it Even as our sins were made Christs so is his righteousnesse made ours Now how were our sins made Christs Let the Prophet Esay speak The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all so that the Lord who calleth things which are not as though they were makes us righteous by His imputation of Christs righteousnesse Thus far this Author SECT II. Christs Righteousnesse is made ours by Faith NOw that I may examine these things It is true Christs righteousnesse is made ours by imputation ours who believe in him and hereupon we are said to be justified by faith But where in all the Scripture do you read that we are justified without faith or that God imputeth Christs righteousness consequently remission of sins to any Infidels or unbelievers Object But saith he Christs righteousness is made ours by imputation therefore not by Faith Answer I answer Subordinata non pugnant the latter of these is in some sort subordinare unto the former there is no repugnancy therefore between them for Christs righteousness is made ours ex parte Dei on Gods part by Imputation but ex parte nostra on our part by Faith whereby we receive both Christ and remission of sins John 1.12 Act. 10.43 26.18 and salvation by him offered unto us in the Gospel I do therefore retort this argument upon the Author of it thus As our sins were made Christs so is his righteousnesse made ours but our sins were made Christs not only by Gods imputation but by his voluntary taking them upon him therefore we also are made righteous not only by Gods Imputation but by our taking and receiving Christs righteousness by Faith Again saith he as Christ became sin for us so are we made the righteousness of God in him Confer p. 17. Isa 53.6 But say I Christ became sin for us not only by his Fathers imputation or as I say faith by his laying on him the iniquity of us all but by his own taking of our sins upon him to satisfie Divine Justice Joh. 10.15 18. Rom. 8.32 and to expiate them by his passion as these words of His bear witnesse I slay down my life for my sheep no man taketh it from me I lay it down of my self Again as St. Paul saith that God spared not his own Son but delivered him up Eph. 5.2 that is to death for us all So saith he also That Christ gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Wherefore seeing we are so made the righteousnesse of God in Christ as he became sin for us it followeth necessarily that together with Gods act in imputing Christs righteousness unto us there concurreth also our act in receiving his righteousness when in the Gospel it is offered unto us But of this more at large hereafter in the sixth question SECT III. Christ is made ours by Faith LEt us now in the next place examine and see whether Christ be made ours in the sight of God by faith Mr. D. thus expresses himself concerning this I must here professe my ignorance that I cannot conceive how Faith should make Christ ours in the sight of God It should seem he doth not altogether deny that Christ is made ours by Faith but will not yield that he is thus made ours in the sight of God Now what his meaning in this may be I do not certainly know unless perhaps it be that he is made ours by Faith declaratively only to our own consciences of which see Quest 6. But when those holy men of whom he speaketh do say that Christ is made ours in the sight of God by Faith they do not exclude neither God the Author and principal efficient of this work nor the word the external instrumental cause thereof but all our own works in opposition to faith Their meaning therefore is that Faith is the only internal instrument ex parte nostra on our part or the only hand as it were of the Soul whereby we do receive Christ and he according to his gracious promise unto all that do believe in him is made ours Again when they say that Christ is made ours in the sight of God by Faith alone they do oppose Gods judgement unto mans Men indeed judging according to the judgment of charity do hold him to be a good Christian and one that is interested in Christ who outwardly maketh profession of Christ and in the sight of man is unreproveable in his life and conversation But as Almighty God himself said unto Samuel The Lord seeth not as man seeth 1 Sam. 16.7 for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord seeth the heart In his sight therefore who seeth things and pronounceth of them as they are Christ is made ours not by an outward profession but by Faith alone I am induced to be of this judgment with these holy men good Protestants which Mr. D. here speaketh of by these Reasons following First Christ is not ours until we are made one with him and he with us no more then a woman can say that her husband is hers until they are made one by marriage 2 Cor. 11.2 It is their union or their being joyned together in marriage which maketh the husband to be his wives and the wife to be her husbands And even in like manner is Christ made ours when we are espoused unto him by faith and not before whereupon it is that Christs Spouse speaketh with great rejoycing and saith My well-beloved is mine and I am his Cant. 2.16 Again when it is said that Christ is ours what is the meaning
finished the work of thy salvation I tell thee thy salvation is not now to be begun thou hast been in the state of salvation ab aeterno from everlasting or at leastwise ever since Christ suffered his bitter Passion on the Crosse Believe only in the Lord Jesus and this thy Faith hujusce rei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 erit evidentissimum shall be a most clear evidence hereof Thus Mr. D. would have answered but St. Paul knowing well that the Jaylor did only enquire concerning the means of his salvation which were by him to be used he answered him therefore Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Phil. 2.12 and thine house And in a like sense did St. Paul bid the Philippians Work out their salvation not in regard of the merit but the means thereof with fear and trembling And St. Peter prescribeth repentance as a means to be practised by us that our sins may not be laid to our charge by Christ at his coming but that we may be absolved from them Acts. 3.19.20 for so he saith Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you Let it be considered therefore whether Mr. D. doth nor deal most injuriously with us when he censureth our Religion for a falâ—e Religion because we do thus prescribe unto men Faith and Repentance as means of their eternal salvation by Christ Certainly St. Paul speaking of himself and of the rest of the Ministers of the Gospel saith 2 Cor. 5.20 As though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled unto God Now how is this to be understood but in respect of the means of our reconciliation Reconcil of God to man pag. 34. which are to be performed by us Yet Mr. D. is not ashamed to write thus Now this is the common character of all false Religions of what sort soever Jews Turks Papists Pharisaical Protestants Heathen all propound in some degree or other an angry God a Diety not reconciled and then prescribe certain means and services whereby to appease his wrath and to quench his displeasure or to obtain his love and favour that is in regard of the effects thereof so it must be understood or else he fighteth not against us but against a fancy of his own We are told that the wrath of God abideth on him that believeth not John 4 36 Are not all then under wrath or as St. Paul calleth them the children of wrath untill they do believe Eph. 2.3 But for the better understanding hereof our next Question shall be Quest 3. Whether God may be said to love us eternally before we do repent and believe in Christ even while we do live in sin And whether God do love his Children as much while they lye in sin as when they rise out of it by Repentance and live holily SECT I. Mr. D's opinion concerning this Question is set down and censured MR. D's resolution and determination hereof is this Ezek. 16.4 God loved us with as great love when we were in blood and pollution as he did ever afterwards when we were cleansed as well before as after our conversion He loved Paul with as great a love when he persecuted the Church as when he preached the Gospel Thus speaketh Mr. D. of this high mystery without distinguishing of the diâ—ers acceptions of Gods Love which cannot but greatly offend many godly good souls and confirm harden profane ones in their wicked courses yea imbolden them to do evil For will such carnal ones say seeing God loves his elect as much when they welter and wallow in sin as when they live holily and purely I 'le therefore take my pleasure and deny my self nothing that is delightful unto me For though I be not so strict as some are yet I see that I may be as highly in Gods love as the holiest of them all For preventing of such presumptuous thoughts And for clearing of the truth I will lay down the answer to the Question in two several conclusions SECT II. How Gods love is ever the same without any alteration THe former whereof is That if the Love of God be taken properly as it is in it self pro actu divini amoris for the internal Act of Gods Love so it is immutable eternal and ever the same accidens enim in Deo nullum est and hereupon it is that St. John saith 1 Iohn 4.11 God is Love his Love therefore must needs be immutable and eternal as he himself is Wherefore if we shall speak of Gods Love properly so it must be granted that he loved his people from all eternity even before they did believe in Christ and forsake their sins This is that which the Lord maketh profession of by his Prophet when he saith Ier. 31.1 I loved thee with an everlasting love And our blessed Saviour saith Iohn 13.1 that whom the Lord loveth he loveth unto the end When any of the children of God therefore are at any time or other supplanted by the Devil and do fall into sin as David did the Lord ceaseth not to love them for it is his love that upholdeth them that they do not fall totally and finally and that recovereth and raiseth them up again Thus Gods Love is eternal in it self and hath neither beginning nor end as our love hath Objection But how then are we to understand those words of David Psalm 5.5 where he saith Thou hatest all workers of iniquity for hatred is contrary to love Wherefore seeing the elect of God as well as others before their calling and conversion were workers of iniquity How can it be said that God loved them eternally Reconcil of man to God pag. 19 20 21 22. This Objection Mr. D. encountreth And first he bringeth three answers of Others The first whereof is That God hates the works but not the persons of his elect The second That God loveth his elect before their conversion amore benevolentiae sed non complacentiae with a love of benevolence not of complacencie The third that God loveth them with the love of election but not of justification all which he scornfully rejecteth And then taketh upon him to unty the knot thus The Lord hateth all the workers of iniquity is the voice of the Law The other the Lord loves sinners * He should say workers of iniquity is the voice of the Gospel Now the Law and the Gospel speak divers things the one being the manifestation of Gods justice tells us what we are by nature the other being the manifestation of Gods mercy tells us what we are by grace in Jesus Christ Thus he Now I do acknowledge indeed that the Law doth reveal Gods wrath against sin and passeth sentence of condemnation not only on
those that are workers of iniquity but on every one that commiteth the least sin that is for so it saith Deut. 27.26 Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Book of the Law to do them But where doth the Gospel reveal Gods Love or offer any mercy to those that are workers of iniquity Not any where but on the contrary saith that he that committeth sin that is that sinneth dedi◠â operâ of set purpose or pleno voluntatis consusu with full consent of will as Zanchius saith or as Polanus fitly expresseth it qui facit artem peccandi he rhat maketh a Trade of sin which is to be a worker of iniquity he is of the Devil 1 John 3.8 Again it is not the Law but the Gospel also that saith Except ye Repent Luke 13.3 John 3.38 ye shall all perish And he that believeth in the Son hath eternal life but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Thus not only the Law but the Gospel also revealeth the wrath and hatred of God against all that are workers of iniquity It is true the Gospel offereth pardon and revealeth Gods love to repentant sinners but I believe Mr. D. will not call such workers of iniquity Whereas then Davâ—d saith Question The Lord hateth all workers of iniquity First it may be said that if we shall speak of the elect themselves not as they are elect but being considered as they before their calling and conversion were workers of iniquity as well as others so God hated them though not odio redundante in personas illorum or odio inimicitiae that is so as to reprobate or to reject and cast them off yet odio abominat onis that is so that he was offended and displeased with them while they took such courses and did not love them amore complacentiae with a love of complacencie but loath them while they were polluted and defiled with their sins Thus afterwards in the very next verse the Prophet saith Virum sanguinum et doli abhominabitur Jehovah The Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man I find that Estius in tert Sent. et in D st 32. and others do say That God doth hate the elect quoad statum presentem suum while they live in sin and are unconverted alleadging for confirmation hereof this very saying of David The Lord hateth all the workers of iniquity and that in the 14th Chapter of the Book of Wisdom Similiter odio sunt Deo impius et impietas ejus The ungodly and his ungodliness are both alike hateful unto God Thus do they speak of the elect being considered as they were sinners before their conversion But otherwise if we shall consider the elect as God in his eternal Counsel and Decree saw them justified and sanctified so he loved them not only amore benevolentiae that is with such a love whereby he did will their good sed complacentiae but of complacencie or delight For thus all things are present with God ab aeterno from all eternity and there is nothing neither past nor future unto him And the the reason hereof is God knew all things most perfectly before any of them were because he seeth all things that either are were or ever shall be in the world non extra se in creaturis not without himself in the creatures as we do but in se in himself that is in his eternal Counsel and Decree or in se non solum tanquam in causa efficiente sed exemplari rerum omnium Wherefore although being considered as we were in our selves before our calling and conversion that is full of sin and void of all goodness we may in some sense be said to be objects of Gods hatred yet as we were vessels of Election so we were alwaies beloved For as St. Augustine saith Tract in Johan 112. Deus omnes sanctos suos ante mundi constitutionem dilexit sicut praedestinavâ—t God loved all his Saints before the foundation of the world as they were of him predestinated For we must not say that God absolutely and simply first hateth and then loveth the same things as men do for then we shall make him variable mutable as we our selves are whereas there is neither Variableness nor turning Jam. 1.17 nor so much as any shaddow of turning with God If this answer do not give full satisfaction Answer then I say further That when Davâ—d saith The Lord hateth all the workers of iniquity he speaketh of those that do work iniquity perseverantly that is who do continue in sin without Repentance as the next words may seem to declare when he addeth thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing For it is certain God will destroy none eternally but obstinate and impenitent sinners This answer I do prefer before the former For if we shall speak of hatred as the word is commonly used then I cannot but subscribe to Zanchius whose thesis or position is this Electos nunquam odit Deus trascitur quidem illis ut illos duriter castiget saepe De natura Dei lib. 4. c. 7. Quest 2. sed hoc facit ex amore ad illorum salutem odit tamen nunquam In English thus God never hateth the elect indeed he is angry with them so that he doth oftentimes chasten them sharply but this he doth out of love to their salvation notwithstanding he doth never hate them For saith he odisse dicitur Deus quibus male vult God is said to hate those whom he beareth ill will unto And thus also doth Cicero speak of hatred when he saith Quem quis odit periisse expetit whom a man hateth he desireth his destruction In which words he letteth us see what is commonly meant by hatred Thus I hope I have cleared this matter And now I would know of Mr. D. why he doth say that Faith doth justifie declaratively if the Gospel which preacheth Faith in Christ doth declare the love of God either to all or to any that are workers of iniquity For Faith cannot be without a reformed conversation as he himself acknowledgeth All the workers of iniquity therefore are destiture of true justifying Faith Reconcil of God to man pag. 44. whereby to be assured of Gods love of their salvation by Christ Mr. D. therefore will he nill he must needs acknowledge that if Faith do justifie declaratively then the Gospel doth no where declare the Love of God towards the workers of iniquity and consequently That it is not only the voice of the Law but of the Gospel also that saith The Lord hateth all the workers of iniquity SECT III. How God way be said to love his children sometimes more and sometimes lesse THe second Conclusion is this If we shall speak of the Love of God as it doth manifest it self by its effects so it is neither eternal nor alwaies
the same but sometimes greater and sometimes lesser towards his children And in this sense David speaketh of Gods Love Psa 147.8 when he saith The Lord loveth the righteous and Solomon Prov. 8.17 where he bringeth in the Son of God the eternal wisdom of his Father speaking and saying I love them that love me that is them only and none else Now there was a time when the elect did not love God but the world and the things thereof a time when they were not righteous but wicked they were not at that time therefore loved of God in this sense as Solomon and David here speak of his Love that is so as to taste or to be made partakers of the comfortable effects thereof The Lord also speaketh of his Love tanquam de re futura as of a thing to be accomplished in time to come when he saith or his revolted people I will love them freely I will Hos 14.4 saith the Lord he did not therefore thus love them alwaies Now this also must be understood not of the internal Act of Gods love which is eternal but of the manifestation of his love in the saving effects thereof Thus also are we to understand St. Paul when he blesseth the Corinthians and prayeth for them saying 2 Cor. 13. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God be with you For his meaning is not that God would then first begin to love them as if he had hated them or had borne them no good will before but that he would multiply the effects of his Love upon them or that he would continue the gracious influence of his Love towards them in the most comfortable and saving effects thereof In the same sense also doth our Saviour speak of Gods Love John 14.21 He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them it is he that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him When Christ saith here He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him he speaketh as the next words do shew of the manifestation of his and his Fathers love by the saving effects thereof Tunc enim Deus novâ ratione suam exhibet dilectionem cum novo homines afficit beneficio For then doth God exhibit his Love after a new manner when he bestowetn on men a new benefit saith Jansenius Like whereunto are the words of Dionisius Carthusianus on this saying of Christ God loveth all that are predestinate eternally and simply even then when they do not love him but are wicked For he first loved us 1 John 4.19 He loveth them I say according to that he seeth them to be in his Decree of Predestination But when they are converted and do love God he bestoweth on them the effects of his Love which he doth fully and finally vouthsafe them when they obtain the inheritance of Heaven Peter Lumbard also Lib. 3. Sent. Dist. 32. doth excellently unfold this matter I will therefore shut up this discourse in his words The Love of God saith he is considered two manner of waies secundum essentiam et secunduÌ„ efficientiam according to the essence according to the efficiency of it It is neither more nor less according to the essence but according to the efficiency of it In which regard those may be said to be more loved for whom out of his love he hath from eternity prepared majus bonuÌ„ the greater good or a greater blessing and doth in time confer the same upon them and those lesse loâ—ed quibus non tantum for whom and on whom he hath from eternity prepared and in time bestoweth not so much good or not so great a blessing Thereupon also it is that some when they are converted and justified are said then to begin to be loved of God not that God can love any one nova dilectione with a new love yea he loved with everlasting love before the foundation of the world whomsoever he loveth But they are then said to begin to be loved of him when they receive the effects of Gods eternal love to wit grace or glory Whereupon Augustine saith Far be it from us that we should say that God loveth any one temporally as it were with a new love which was not in him before with whom nec praeterita transierunt neither the things that are past have passed away et futura jam facta sunt and those that are future are already present or are done Therefore he loved all his Saints before the foundation of the world sicut praedestinavit as they were predestinated by him But when they are converted and do find him then they are said to begin to be loved of him Ut eo modo dicatur quo potest humano affectu capi quod dicitur to speak after that manner that the thing which is spoken may be comprehended by mans capacity Thus also when God is said to be angry with the wicked and well pleased with the good the change is in them and not in Him as light is offensive to weak eyes but comfortable to strong to wit through the change that is in them not in it self so when any one begins to be Gods friend being justified he himself is changed not God Now if the Question be asked whether one may be said to be loved of God more at one time then at another distinguenda est dilectionis intelligentia that we may understand this aright we must distinguish of love for if it be referred unto the effects of love concessibile est it is to be granted that God doth love some more at one time than at another but if it be referred to the essence of Gods Lo e inficiabile est it is to be denied Hitherto Peter Lumbard And thus this deep mystery or matter is sufficiently cleared I 'le onely add two things more to preâ—ent the mistaking of this Doctrine The former is that all those quibus ab aeterno Deus bene vult whom God eternally loveth shall in time have all those good things that is those effects of grace wrought in them which he decreed for them As long therefore as men do live in sin they cannot conclude nor they cannot believe that God loveth them with any special love as he doth his Elect whom he hath appointed heirs of salvation because as yet no effects of Election do appear in them The other thing which I think good here to add is that Mr. D. hath no cause so sharply and bitterly as he doth to reproâ—e some of our Protestant Preachers and writers because they tell men that if they forsake sin and follow after Gods commandements and do that which is acceptable in his sight then God will love them For seeing they speak no otherwise of Gods Love than the holy Scripture doth Why should he so rack their words as if they taught that God were mutable in
will be said So also did Christ reconcile us unto his Father by his death Object therefore we were reconciled before we did believe in Christ It is true we were reconciled to God by his death Answer 1 quoad meritum vel quoad pretium redemptionis et reconciliationis nostrae in regard of the merit or price of our Redemption and Reconciliation but we are not actually reconciled until by Faith we do believe in Christ 1 John 5.11 12. and are united unto him For he that hath the Son hath life but he that hath not the Son hath not life but the wrath of God abideth on him And hereupon it was that St. Paul accounted all he had but as dung that he might win Christ Phil. 3.8 Math. 17.4 and be found in him For why Christ is the beloved Son of the Father in whom it is that he is well pleased with us As long therefore as we are out of Christ and remain in our sins we are liable to Gods displeasure and therefore had need to be reconciled unto him For though God loveth us ab aeterno from everlasting amore complacentiae with a love of complacencie and delight secundum intuitum praedestinationis suae that is as he beholds us justified and sanctified in his Decree of predestination yet being considered as we were of our selves when we remained in our sins and were aliens from Christ he could take no pleasure in us If this answer do not give full satisfaction then I say Answer 2 further that although God loves his elect eternally yet he suspendeth the saving effects of this his love towards them until they do believe in Christ In that regard therefore they may be said to be reconciled unto him when they are converted and do believe because he then taketh off this suspension by working in them the saving effects of his love and not only declaratively For first God works these effects in them and then by them declares and manifests his Love unto them and assures them thereof Answer 3 Lastly Though God loved us eternally as we were elected of him in his eternal Decree of Predestination that is in regard of the felicity and happiness which he alwaies intended us notwithstanding we were by God in his word bound over unto eternal punishment and condemnation for our sins while we lived in them but when we did return unto God and believe in Christ then we were justified and absolved from our sins and from the sentence of condemnation and consequently were actually reconciled unto God for there is no reall difference between the justification and reconciliation of a sinner When a sinner by Faith in Christ obtainerh pardon of his sins then he is reconciled to God St. Paul therefore useth the words justification and reconciliation promiscuously Rom. 5.9.10 and indifferently as importing the same thing being justified by the blood of Christ saith he we shall be saved from wrath through him This he proveth thus for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son where you see he putteth reconciled for justified implying there is no real difference between them much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life See this proved afterwards Question 6. Now we are not actually justified from the sentence of condemnation which God in his word hath denounced against us for our sins until we do believe in Christ It follows necessarily therefore that we are not actually reconciled unto God until we do believe in Christ and are united unto him Quest 5. Whether the Doctrine of Reconciliation as Mr. D. hath propounded it be a better means of comfort to distressed consciences then our Protestant Doctrine is FIrst He teacheth that God was reconciled to us that is as he understandeth it that he loved us ab aeterne from all eternity without any precedent dispositions or qualifications which he found or fore-saw in us or any conditions to be performed by us to gain His love and His favour Now whatsoever comfort this can afford to any if it be a means to keep those that are great sinners or such as are troubled with the apprehension of their own unworthinesse from despair our Doctrine will do the same also For there is no judicious nor no orthodox Protestant who teacheth not that God loved us freely from everlasting and that His love is the cause of our loving Him and of all the goodness that is in us as St. John saith We love him because he loved us first 1 John 4.19 and not that he loveth us because we love Him to speak properly of his Love as it is in it self though otherwise when we speak of Gods Love according to the influence it hath upon us or according to the gracious effects thereof we say as the holy Scripture doth that the Lord will love those that love him and keep his commandements In this sense our Saviour speaketh of Gods Love If a man love me he will keep my words John 14.23 and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him And John 16.27 The Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me have believed that I came out from God Where we must not so understand our Saviour as if he made his Disciples loving of him and believing him to be the cause why God did first set his Love upon them for he loved them erernally but to be the cause why God did aboundantly testifie his Love towards them by many gracious rare and most comfortable effects thereof rather than to the world We may say therefore as Dionysius Carthusianus doth That our Saviour in these words setteth down the cause of Gods Love à posteriori that is he cause of the effects of Gods Love and so maketh his Disciples loving of him and believing in him a sign and an assurance unto them that his Father loved them Reconcil of man to God pag. 49 50 52 57. Secondly speaking of our Reconciliation to God that is as he expresseth himself of the declaration or manifestation of Gods Reconciliation to us he teacheth that we are thus reconciled to God by Faith only but maketh joy in the Holy Ghost and the Love of God and of our Brethren and new Obedience inseperable Companions of this our Reconciliation Now it a man cannot finde these graces in himself What great comfort can he take that Gods Love is eternal without any conditions on our par◠to be performed Or how can this encourage men against desperation more than our Doctrine which is That Gods Love may be known by the inseparable effects thereof For he will not say that God loves all or that he was from all eternity reconciled unto all but only unto the Elect. Until therefore a man shall finde in himself the undoubted effects of his Election he can take no great comfort in this that Gods Love is free and without
time I deny this consequence for from hence it followeth only that Faith goeth before our justification in order of nature or in reason but not in time because a man is justified at the same instant that he layeth hold on Christ believeth in him But he denieth that Faith goeth before our justification in any respect at all his reason is because Faith is a part of our sanctification but there is no sanctification but it is after justification which indeed and in nature is before it The first of these Propositions I do willingly grant that Faith is a part of sanctification but whereas he assumeth that there is nosanctification but it is after justification I cannot assent unto him in this For many worthy Divines do hold that sanctification is before justification their judgment therefore I might oppose unto the learned Chamiers others that hold the contrary For the clearing of this matter I do distinguish of sanctification and say that it is either habitual and so God doth sanctifie us by infusing holinesse into us or actual and so we do sanctifie our selves by renouncing the works of sin and living holily Of both these Moses speaketh when he saith Sanctifie your selves and be ye holy for I am the Lord your God and ye shall keep my Statutes and do them Lev. 20.7.8 for I am the Lord which sanctifie you When the Lord saith here Sanctifie your selves and be ye holy this must be understood of actual sanctification that is of holiness that is to be actually performed by us But whereas the Lord useth this as a reason to stir us up hereunto for I am the Lord which sanctifie you this is spoken of habitual sanctification For how doth the Lord sanctifie us but by infusing the habit or the internal grace of holinesse into us whereby we are inabled to perform the several acts of holinesse or to live holily the effectual excitation of Gods blessed Spirit herewith concurring But because these words of the Lord which I have alledged though they speak of a twofold sanctification are taken in another sense by very learned Divines than this that I have given for confirmation therefore of habitual sanctification I do alledge those words of St. Paul 1 Thess 5.23 where he prayeth that God would sanctify them wholly or throughly And those 1 Cor. 1.30 where he saith That Christ is made unto us sanctification See also 1 Pet. 1.2 Now of actual sanctification St. Paul speaketh when he saith This is the will of God even your sanctification that ye should abstain from fornication that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour not in the lust of concupiscence even as the Gentiles which know not God Hereof also speaketh St. Peter in that precept of his Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts In these and in other places the Scripture speaketh of Sanctification both habitual wrought in us by God himself and of sanctification acted and wrought by us through the assistance of Gods Spirit exciting us unto holinesse Whereas then this most learned Divine saith That there is no sanctification but it is after justification this is true if it be understood of actual sanctication For we are first justified by Faith and then this Faith inflameth our hearts with the love of God and stirreth us up to glorifie him and to serve him in holiness and righteousness according to all his commandements Thus the several works of holiness and righteousness do proceed from Faith Etiamsi non elicitivè imperativè tamen though not elicitly yet imperatively Faith stirreth us up unto them For as St. Paul saith The end of the commandement is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.5 and Faith unfeigned It is true therefore that Faith and therefore justification which is thereby laid hold of and obtained is before actual sanctification For as this learned man saith well fides vera est fons et scaturigo omnium bonorum operum in fidelibus De sola fide justificante Lib. 22. cap. 12. True Faith is the fountain and source of all good works in the faithful But I cannot say that there is no sanctification but it is after justification for habitual Faith is a part of habitual anctification Now the infused habits of grace such as Faith is are before their acts If therefore it can be proved that adulti or such as are of capacity and understanding are not justified without or before actual Faith then it will inevitably follow that there is some sanctification that is not after justification Yea beside what hath been said already to prove that we are actually justified by Faith and not without it methinketh Chamierus himself doth as good as grant it when he saith Verum est proptereà nos factos in Christo justitiam Dei quòd Christo nos simus incorporati per fidem It is true that we are therefore made the righteousnesse of God in Christ because we are incorporated into him by Faith We are not then justified before Faith or before we do believe in Christ Again this most excellent Divine saith In adultis fatemur remissionem peccatorum ab inhaerente justitiâ nunquam sepaerari We confess that remission of sins is never separated from inherent righteousness in those that are grown in years But say I many of the Elect after they have the use of reason and understanding being well grown in years do yet live in sin for some time and do not serve God in righteousness until he by his grace doth afterward convert them According therefore to his own Doctrine it followeth that justification from sin at least in adultis in those that are grown in years doth not go before Faith But saith he Faith justifieth relativè as it hath for its proper peculiar object the mercy of God on which it relieth Whence as I conceive he would have it inferred That seeing the mercy of God is eternal therefore our justification is so also and therefore before Faith Now hereunto I answer that though Christs righteousnesse be materialiter the proper object of our justification or that which is imputed to us for our justification Yet I will not deny bur that Gods mercy considered as the internal cause moving God to justify us may thus be said to be the proper and peculiar object on which our Faith relyeth for justification But it doth not follow hereupon that we were justified ab aeterno from everlasting because Gods mercy is the cause of our justification no more than that we are sanctified and glorified eternally because our sanctification and glorification are wholly of Gods mercy Quest 7. Whether any previous dispositions preparations or qualifications be required of men in the Gospel that they may be partakers of salvation by Christ SECT I. The Preparations that go before our Regeneration and Conversion THose that take upon them to be the only Preachers of
Free-grace do condemn us who teach that men must repent and believe if they will be saved for requiring such qualifications and preparations in them If the promise of salvation and justification saith Mr. Hobson had been tendred to us as a looking upon some qualification in us and not bringing in the bowels of it a power to produce all qualifications in us it had not been free but still a Covenant of works but it is free therefore there is a great deal of comfort to poor Souls And Mr. S. saith That Christ is offered to sinners as sinners and that no qualification is required of them that they may be saved by him Reconcil of God to man pag. 40. Mr. D. also telleth us That a man is to believe that God is his Father in Christ without any precedent qualifications Thus do they teach but we think it not good to speak thus confusedly of this matter knowing that many by these and the like speeches which they meet with in these mens writings are led into most dangerous errors To avoid therefore mistaking we say that salvation may be taken either pro salute inchoatâ or consummatâ that is either for our salvation as it is begun in us in our regeneration or in our conversion from sin to righteousness and from infidelity or incredulity to Faith in Christ or else for our salvation as it shall be consummated and perfected in us in heaven If we shall speak o salvation in the former sense we do not say That Faith and Repentance are precedent qualifications or previous qualifications or previous dispositions unto it for then we should be said to be saved before we are saved or saved and not saved which is a manifest contradiction For our salvation is begun in our conversion to God by Repentance and Faith in Christ It is no new light but the constant Doctrine formerly taught as well as now by all Orthodox Protestants that homo in primo puncto conversionis suae se habeat mere passivè et obedientialiter that is that man in the first instant of his conversion is no actor but a receiver of grace wrought in him by the Spirit of God but in the next instant actus agit being thus acted or wrought upon by God he also acteth or co-operateth and worketh with God And yet though we do constantly teach thus we do not reject all previous dispositions or preparations to saving grace or to the very first beginning of our salvation in our conversion to God to Christ For the Law Rom. 3.21 must ordinarily first be preached unto sinners to prepare and make way for the Gospel For by the Law cometh the knowledge of sin As long as men are ignorant thereof they are ready to rely on themselves do not see that they stand in any great need of Christ as it is to be seen in our ignorant people who put the confidence of their salvation not in Christ only and in his merits but in their good prayers good serving of God and good meaning boasting and bragging that they serve God truly and keep all his commandements Now our blessed Saviour offereth not himself unto such justitiaries as such or while they continue such but rejecteth them Matt. 9.13 and telleth them that he came not to call the righteous his meaning is those that justifie themselves and are righteous in their own conceits but sinners that is such as acknowledge themselves sinners unto Repentance and consequently unto salvation And in the same sense he telleth us Matt. 9.12 that the whole have no need of the Physitian but they that are sick hereby giving us to understand that as men slight the Physitian and will not send for him until they are afraid of sickness so neither will any seek to him or rely upon him for salvation until they feel their sins which are the deadly sicknesses and maladies of their souls Such poor and such distressed sinners therefore they are whom Christ inviteth unto him and promiseth to relieve them when he saith Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will ease you And Esay 61.1 2 3. he telleth us that the Lord sent him to cure and to save not all in general or sinners as sinners as Mr. S. speaketh but poor contrite and broken hearted sinners for so he saith The spirit of the Lord is upon me therefore he hath annointed me he hath sent me to preach the Gospel unto the poor to bind up the broken hearted and to comfort those that mourn in Sion All these sayings of our blessed Saviour himself do evince and make it manifest that there are some previous dispositions necessary to the receiving of Christ even those which I have thus spoken of with some others Concerning which our own learned Divines at the Synod at Dort in their Suffragium Collegiale do speak excellently I 'le therefore set down their words at large as they are delivered in two distinct Theses I. There are certain outward works ordinarily required of men before they are brought to the estate of Regeneration or Conversion which are wont sometimes to be freely done by them and sometimes freely omitted as to go to the Church to hear the word preached and others of the like sort Rom. 10.14 It is manifest that such are required How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard Now that these are in our own power both reason telleth us seeing every one hath ability to move or not to move from place to place and experience proveth it seeing we see that men in outward things do either do this or that as they think good or omit them both They may sit still at home therefore when they should go to the Church they may stop their ears when the Minister is preaching the Gospel Mark 6.20 Acts 13.14 Herod heard John willingly The Jews refused to hear the Gospel Psal 58.5 The wicked do stop their ears like deaf aspes II. There are certain internal effects previous unto a mans Conversion or Regeneration which by the power of Gods Word and Spirit are excited in the hearts of men as yet not justified such as the knowledge of Gods Will the sense of sin the fear of punishment thoughts about their deliverance and some hopes of pardon God by his grace is not wont to bring men to the state of justification wherein we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by a sudden enthusiasm but being first subdued and prepared with many previous actions in the ministery of the word This we may see in those who upon the hearing of St. Peters Sermon feel the burden of sin are afraid do mourn desire deliverance and conceive some hope of pardon Acts 2.37 all which may be gathered out of those words When they had heard these things they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the other Apostles Men
ones we are by sinners whom Christ professeth that he came to call to understand contrite and broken hearted sinners that being terrified with the judgements of the Law do acknowlege that they stand in great need of Christ the heavenly Physician and of every drop his blood which he shed for them But of this I have spoken enough before Object 7. He goeth on and saith All that ever received Christ Object 7 Corinthians Ephesians Colossians received him in a sinful condition when they were unwashen darkness dead in sins enemies in their minds by wicked works Answ Here also Mr. S. setteth up an adversaâ—y unto himself of his own devising and then dischargeth fiercely and furiously upon him For no Protestant teacheth that those that are only prepared for the preaching of the Gospel by the terrours of the Law are washed from their sins and do live the life of grace but on the contrary they hold That as yet they are dead in sin and if they proceed no further shall perish everlastingly Object 8. Object 8 Lastly He thus also objecteth God offereth Christ in time as God gave him God before all times gave him to us because we were sinners and now he is but offered as he was given Answ Hereunto I answer First That God neither before time gave Christ in his eternal decree because we were sinner nor in time doth he give us him because we are sinners For there is no cause in us at all of our salvation it is to be ascribed wholly to Gods grace As for sin it is in it self a cause of damnation not of salvation But if his meaning be that God before time considered us as sinners when he gave us Christ there followeth nothing more from hence but that God in time offered Christ unto us when we were sinners which we willingly grant But we add further that God before all time decreed not only to give Christ to sinners but that those sinners should by the power of his Spirit be brought in time to acknowledge their sins and spiritual misery and woful condition under sin and so be driven out of themselves and be made to fly unto Christ Seeing therefore whatsoever God decreed before time shall be fulfilled and accomplished in time hereupon therefore it followeth not that all sinners absolutely but that those only who do acknowledge their sins and their eternal misery by sin are they to whom Christ is offered in the Gospel and that do come unto him SECT 6. Two Objections of Mr. D. answered THere are two Objections of Master D. which I formerly passed over at my first reading of his Book whereunto I have thought good now to return an answer First Object he reasoneth thus against any qualification or preparation or other to be wrought in us before we be justified Reconcil of God to man pag. 16. Let us hear the Lord speaking of his own work upon the Creature Isa 57.18 He went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his wayes and will heale him I will lead him also and restore comforts to him and to his mourners Whom wilt thou heale O Lord Whom wilt thou restore Even him whose wayes I have seen What are those wayes Even frowardnesse and perversnesse He went on frowardly in the way of his heart See again Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my owne sake and will not remember thy sins Whose sins will the Lord blot out Look we back unto the 22. vers Thou hast not called upon me O Jacob thou hast been weary of me O Israel Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities verse 24. See Thou hast been weary of me Yea thou hast wearied me This is Iacobs qualification This is Israels preparation Then follows I even I am he that blotteth out thy trangressions As if the Lord should say unto his people as he speaketh by the prophet Ezek. 36.22 Say unto the house of Israel Thus saith the Lord God I do not this for your sakes O house of Israel but for my holy names sake which ye have prophaned among the heathen whither ye went See also Deut. 9.6 Isa 48.9 alleadged by him And then his conclusion is This is all the qualification we bring unto God to win his love and mercy Answer But I answer whereas the Lord saith he went on frowardly in the way of his heart c. This is not Jacobs qualification but a description of his perverse disposition being considered as he was in himself to the magnifying of Gods most rich mercy and superabundant grace towards him in pardoning his sins His qualification precedent to his justification was his humiliation and abenegation of himself wrought in him by Gods Spirit opening his eyes to see his sins and the great wrath that was due unto him for them This was that which through the gracious working of Gods Spirit drew him unto Christ the promised redeemer of his people when he was offered unto him that he might be saved through faith in him But it was not this nor any thing else that Jacob did or could do that merited the pardon of his sins or that moved made God to justifie him for we acknowledge that our justification is wholly of grace yea that this preparation is also of grace yet not necessitating our justification as if it did alway follow it But of this enough hath been said before Yet Mr. D Dr. C and others do so represent our doctrine as if we taught precedent qualifications to win Gods love to procure him to have mercy upon us to forgive us our sins Object Master D. second Objection against precedent qualifications not onely to our justification but to our Conversion and Sanctification Reconcil of God to man pag. 31. is this John Frith whose Learning was by his adversarie commended whose constancy and patience in his Martyrdome was admired writeth to this effect Thou maist preach Hell Damnation and the rendering of a terrible account to a severe Judge seven years together and yet not make one good Christian He that would make a good Christian let the love of God be the first stone which he layeth for the foundation Answ That which this holy man saith I acknowledge to be most true A minister may preach not only seven but seventy time seven years together and yet if he preach nothing else but Hell and Damnation not convert one soule For it are not the terrours of the law but the glad tydings of Salvation by Christ in the preaching of the Gospel whereby the Spirit of God worketh faith in us to our conversion and salvation and stirreth us up to love and thankfulness towards God Notwithstanding the terrours of the Law are necessary by way of preparation hereunto For how can a man se of apprehend the great love of God to him in giving his Son to death for his Redemption if by
Baals priest I think ten times over and Minister of the Devil Doct. of John Baptist Page 36. 37 38. did unto me that Christs Disciples at that time and all the servants of God under the Old Testament were to pray for the pardon of their sins because Christ had not then payd the price of our Redemption and purchased the pardon of our sins by his Passion Now here Mr. D. joyneth with them and confirmeth them in their errour For he saith that there was no pardon of sin in the Old Testament because Christ had not then redeemed us But against this Assertion of his I shall by Gods grace both prove that there was the same forgivnesse of sins in the Old Testament that is in the new and then afterwards I shall answer his Arguments which he alleadgeth to the contrary First the Scripture it self of the Old Testament sheweth not darkly nor obscurely but plainely and manifestly not in a few but many places that the sins of all that did in those dayes truly repent were blotted out and forgiven by God The truth of this is to be seen in David he no sooner repented of his sins of adultery and murther crying out in the anguish and bitternesse of his soul and saying I have sinned against the Lord but presently the Prophet Nathan pronounced his absolution and sayd 2 Sam. 12.13 The Lord hath put away thy sin He hath forgiven he hath put it away sayth Nathan not he will put it away when the Messiah shall come and lay down his life for thy Redemption The same also doth David himself acknowledge and professe saying I acknowledged my sin unto thee Psal 23.4 5. and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin But what do I stand upon a such particular examples The Lord himself speaking of and to his people in the Old Testament saith I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake Esa 43.25 and will not remember thy sins And by his Prophet Ezekiel he proclaimeth a generall pardon for all as well in those dayes as in these that would repent and turn unto him saying Ezek. 18.20 21. The soul that sinneth it shall dye but if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my Statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live he shall not dye Hereupon the Prophet Micah magnifieth the mercy of the Lord and saith Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Micah 7.18 The Protestants do hold against the Papists that the souls of the ancient Patriarchs and of the godly and faithfull that died before Christs passion went after the dissolution of their bodyes not into limbus patrum but into Heaven But surely this could not be if their sins remained and were not forgiven them For it is nothing but sin that openeth Hell and shutteth Heaven Let Mr. D. therefore advise himself whether he will in this joyn with the papists or with the protestants Sure I am as many as took the protestation which was put out by the Parliament bound themselves by a solemne vow to defend the protestant religion against all popery popish innovations but how well this is performed â—y many of the Sectaries the event sheweth Thus have I manfested that there was remission of sins in the Old Testament SECT III. Objections Answered LEt us now examine Mr. D. reasons whereby he and divers Sectaries do think to prove the contrary It is not possible say both he and they that those who lived under the Old Testament Object could have their sins actually pardoned because Christ then had not purchased the pardon of them by his death and Passion But I answer Answ they are much mistaken For the sins of all the elect people of God that lived before Christs passion were pardoned because he had undertaken to satisfie the law and justice of God for them Whereupon it is that Christ is called the surety of a better Testament Heb. 7.22 that is then the Law was to wit because he became our surety to his Father and undertook to satisfie his justice for our sins and to bring us to God Wherefore as the debter is discharged from prison when the suerty taketh the debt upon him although he doth not pay it presently but bindeth himself to satisfie it at a set time agreed upon So seeing the eternall Son of God became surety unto his Father for us and took our spirituall debt upon him and bound himself to redeeme us by his death at that fulnesse of time which was decreed and agreed upon by his Father and him all those therefore that by faith did rely upon the alsufficient sacrifice satisfaction of Christ from the beginning of the World untill his passion had their sins pardoned and were saved by meanes of that their faith in him as well as we are who now believe in him after he hath suffered and paid our debt For this cause he is called The Lamb slain from the beginning of the world Rev. 13.18 not only because he was in Gods decree and counsell from all eternity appointed to be slain or because he was from the beginning of the World slain Mystically in the sacrifices that were offered But in this regard principally becauâ—e the validity and virtue of his death did extend it self unto Adam and to all the elect of God that lived at any time or other from the beginning of World Object But saith Mr. D. those that lived before Christ had by his death redeemed them were under the Bondage and curse of the law Answ therefore their sins were not pardoned and forgiven them I answer they were in bondage to the Ceremonies of the Law Gal. 5.1 which Paul called a yoak of bondage And St Peter saith That neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear it but they not were in bondage to sin and Satan Acts 15.10 For what godly heart can endure to hear that Abraham the Father of the faithfull or Isaac or Jacob or David and the rest of those holy Patriarchs should be said to be in bondage to sin or to be Satans bond-men As aborrent also it is to Christian piety to say as Mr. D. doth that they were under the curse of the law for then they should have been in the state of damnation and liable to Gods wrath We confesse indeed they were under the law but how under the paedagogie or School-Mastery not under the curse and condemnatory sentence of it for from that were they freed and delivered by their faith in Christ to come as we are now by our faith in the same Christ who is come But saith he Object St. Paul telleth us that as many as are under the law are under the curse
No he doth not Gal. 3.10 but as many as are of the works of the law that is who seek and go about to be justified by the works of the Law Answ are under the curse But this did not the Fathers before Christs coming for as St. Peter saith Acts 15.11 As we do believe that we shall be saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ so did they Object He alleadgeth also those words of the Apostle They received not the promise Heb. 11.39 as if the meaning of them were that those under the Old Testament were not made partakers of forgivenesse of sins and salvation before Christs coming Bur I have before proved Answ that there was the same remission of sins in those dayes that there is now For of those that lived at that time as well as now David speaketh plainely and saith Psal 32.1 2. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity Whereas then the Apostle saith they received not the promise he speaketh of the promise of Christs incarnation and manifestation in the flesh and his meaning is that that promise was not then accomplished but differred untill the dayes of the New Testament wherein we see those things and hear those things which Abraham and the Prophets and faithfull people of God in those dayes desired to see and hear but could not God providing better things for us as the Apostle speaketh in the next words that they without us might not be made perfect that is in the knowledge and faith of the full Revelation of the Messiah but held in the state and condition as it were of children in their Minority Object He urgeth also against us those words of the Angel Gabriel unto Daniel Dan. 9.24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon the holy City to finish the trangression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousnesse For from hence he inferreth and concludeth that the sins of the people of God were at that time remaining and that they were not reconciled to God Answ But hereunto I answer that the Angel in these words speaketh of the finishing of transgressions and making an end of sins and of making reconciliation for iniquity by way of satisfaction and Redemption which Christ was to do in his passion Isai 53.10 when as Isaiah saith he was to make his soul an offering for sin but not of taking away sin and making reconciliation by actuall remission and forgivenesse thereof For thus all those were reconciled to God and were discharged of their sins who before Christs passion did expect his coming and built the hope and confidence of their Redemption and salvation on him I do not remember for I have not his book by me any thing else that Mr. D. alleadgeth to infringe the force of my two former reasons I have nothing therefore more to say unto him in this Question SECT IIII. Two reasons more proving that the Children of God are to pray for the pardon of their Sins THirdly therefore I do reason thus against the aforesaid Reaso n 3 Sectaries If the Children of God are not to pray for the pardon of their sins then it will follow that pardon of sin is to be had without any prayer which is a great and grosse absurdity for we have no promise of any good thing from God unlesse we pray for it Math. 7.7 Ask saith our Saviour and you shall have Here the promise is made to him that asketh But on the contrary ye have not James 4.2 because ye ask not saith St. James James 1.7 Now when men are unregenerate they cannot pray in faith and therefore as St. James saith shall obtain nothing of the Lord. And after they are regenerated and do believe these men will not allow them to pray for the pardon of their sins According therefore to their doctrine pardon of sin is to be had without any true prayer The grossnesse and absurdity of which conceipt who seeth not that is not stark blind in spirituall things Fourthly it hath been Reaso n 4 constantly taught untill this time not only by others but even by those also that would not allow the Lords prayer to be used as a prayer that it is a platforme of prayer according whereunto we are all of us to frame and form all our prayers at least wise for the matter of our petitions Now as I have shewed already Christ therein taught his Disciples to pray for the forgivenesse of their sins It it a novellous conceipt therefore and upstart errour to hold That the Children of God ought not to pray for the pardon of their Sins SECT V. The severall Causes or reasons why the Children of God are to pray for the pardon of their sins Object But say these men when we believe in Christ our sins are pardoned we are therefore to praise God for this his mercy but not to pray for it seeing we have it already for then we should take Gods name in vaine Answ 1 But I answer them that the promise of pardon of sin at leastwise for the continuance of it is not made unto one individuall act of faith onely but to perseverance and continuance in the faith for so we are given to understand Heb. 10.38 Heb. 10.38 The just shall live by faith but if any man draw back my soule shall have no pleasure in him But saith the Apostle We are not of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that believe perseverantly to the saving of the Soul And before in the third Chapter the same Apostle hath told us See also Joh. 8.31 verse 14. that we are made pertakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence sted-fast unto the end After therefore we are justified and absolved from our sins yet we are to pray still for the pardon of them because as Amesius and other of the Learned protestants generally say Continuatio hujus gratiae est nobis necessaria the continuance of this grace is necessary for us For as it is not to one individuall act of faith onely so neither of repentance nor of prayer but to perseverance and continuance in all these that God hath promised and granted pardon This is to seen in David for after his sins were pardoned and he the true Child of God yet he prayeth still remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions And after David was pardoned for Nathan upon his repentance said unto him the Lord hath taken away thy sin 2. Sam. 12.13 yet he prayed most earnestly for pardon Psal 51. We are still to pray for the pardon of our sins Ut sensus et manifestatio hujus gratiae magis magisque percipiatur prout singularia peccata postulant that the sense and manifestation of this grace may be more and more
evident unto us as our severall sins do require For so it is there are hardly any of Gods Children whose consciences are not more troubled with the remembrance and remorse of some of their sins then of others It will be necessary for them therefore to pray dayly as for the pardon of their other sins so especially of these that so they may grow more and more assured of the pardon of them considering what gratious promises Christ hath made to these their paayers Verily verily I say unto you Joh. 16.23 whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you And what things soever ye desire when ye pray Mar. 11.24 believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them Sure I am there is no man living upon the face of the earth that attaineth unto such a perfect assurance of the remission of his sins that he cannot have that assurance of his increased For all graces are here imperfect in us 2 Pet. 3.18 Whereupon we are all of us commanded to grow in grace In this regard therefore he that is most assured of the remission of his sins hath still need to pray for the pardon of them Thirdly We do all of us daily commit new sins Thirdly we have need therefore daily to solicite the Lord for the pardon of them Jam. 5.16 St. James exhorteth and stirreth us up unto this when he saith Confesse your sins one to another and pray one for another For I would know of these men what he would have us to pray for Not unlikely they will say for increase of grace to conquer and overcome our sins and for health in time of sicknesse It 's true no doubt but not for these onely but for pardon of those sins of ours which do pull down Gods judgments upon us for so he giveth us to understand when he saith Is any sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him And the prayer of faith shall save the sick and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him Here first the Apostle excepteth none no no not the best Christian that is but speaketh universally and saith Is Any man sick let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him Secondly he setteth down a double consequent of these their prayers when he saith the prayer of faith shall save the sick and Secondly if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him It is most evident and manifest therefore from hence that prayer is to be made for the forgivnesse not onely of the sins of those that are unregenerate and unbelievers as St. Stephen prayed for his persecutors saying Lord lay not this sin to their Charge Acts 7.60 but as well also for the sins of believers Fourthly Lastly we are daily to pray for the pardon of our sins because the day of judgment is not yet come when Christ with his own mouth will pronounce sentence of absolution on believers and of condemnation on all unbelievers and ungodly men There is none of us I presume that will say that he is holier then Epaphroditus or that hath more assurance of his sins then he had Notwithstanding Paul as much as he commendeth him prayeth heartily for him that the Lord would shew mercy unto him at that day the day of judgment in which he should be presented and appeare before Christ Now what meaneth he hereby but that the Lord would be mercifull unto him in blotting out his sins 2 Tim. 1.18 then as St. Peter speaketh that is in passing sentence of absolution upon him See Acts 3.19 and in freeing him from the dreadful sentence of condemnation which he will then passe and pronounce on the ungodly For that there shall then be not only an execution of the sentence already given in the word but a reall judgment the Scripture maketh plain Acts 17.31 God hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath Ordained 2. Tim. 4.1 that is by Jesus Christ And I Charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom St. Peter also speaking of himself and of the other Apostles saith that God commanded them to preach unto the people and to testifie that it is he Acts 10.42 that is Jesus Christ which was Ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead Here in the courts of this world the judgment goeth before the execution followeth after the former is the act of the judge himself the other of his Ministers that do it by his Authority and never till the judgment is past So Christ himself will sit in judgment on all the world at the latter day Math. 25.31 Math. 13.41 42. but the execution of his judgment he will commit to the Angels As long therefore as we live here who seeth not that we have all need to pray that our sins may be pardoned and that we may stand in judgment at that dreadfull day when we shall appear before the judgment Seat of Christ Psal 1.5 and every one receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 SECT VI. Another Objection answered AFter I had thus finished this Question a friend of mine acquainted me with an argument drawn a Simili from a similitude which he heard a Souldier use to prove that he was not to pray for rhe pardon of his sins it was this If one give me a garment shall I still after I have it petition and pray him to give it me It were absurd so to do Seeing therefore God upon my repentance and faith in Christ hath forgiven me my sins it will be no lesse absurd in me still to pray for the pardon of them Whereunto I answer that an apt similitude doth excellently illustrate a matter after it is proved but otherwise there is little or no force in it at all of it self to prove any thing that is doubtfull or called into Question especially Si illo pede claudicat if it do halt on that foot wherein the force and strength of the Argument lieth Now so fareth it with this Similitude of his For that garment he speaketh of was absolutely given and he put into possession of it without being further bound to the performance of any thing for the time to come unlesse it were to a duty of thankfulnesse But our sins are not forgiven us absolutely by God but upon condition that we do repent and believe in Christ and pray for the pardon of them yea and this pardon is also granted not to one individuall act of repentance or of faith and prayer but to perseverance and continuance in all these as long as we live here as I have shewed already We can
have no assurance nor no hope therefore of the forgivenesse of our sins if we fall away from the faith revolt to sin or leave off praying Again a garment is given but once for all but our sins were first forgiven ab aeterno from all eternity in Gods predestination Secondly upon our repentance and faith in Christ they are forgiven in verbo Evangelii in Gods word in his word of the Gospel And lastly at Christs coming we must all appear before his judgment seat to be judged openly before all the world that the equity of his Justice may appear and be made manifest unto all to the glory of God the comfort of his Saints the confusion of all the wicked Untill therfore we shall personally appeare before Christ be absolutely absolved by him we have need still to pray for the pardon of our sins Quest 10. Whether it be hainous and hatefull impiety for the Churches and Children of God to fast and pray that God would turn away his anger and indignation from them when they lye under his judgments or at other times when their consciences are terrified and troubled with their sins And whether God may be said to be pacified and appeased by our fasting and prayers or by any such things SECT I. It is lawfull for us to pray that God would turn away his anger from us And how this is to be understood Mr. D. sharply reproveth the practice of this saying How often have we thought God like unto our selves Recon of God to man page 36. How many times have we imagined an angry God a wrathfull Maiesty And thought to appease his indignation by fasting by praying by almes by teares and such like things O foolish man if his wrath should not be before appeased what Creatures could stand in his sight Because of this he chargeth us to have set up an Idol in our hearts throughout the Land But I would know of him whether it be not safe for Christians both to speak and pray in the language of the holy Scriptures Sure I am David prayeth thus Psal 6.1 O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure And Psal 79.5 he speaketh and saith How long Lord wilt thou be angry for ever shall thy jealously burne like fire And then he prayeth Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee and upon the kingdomes that have not called upon thy name In Psal 85.3 He also speaketh unto God and saith Thou hast taken away all thy wrath thou hast turned thy self from the fiercenesse of thine anger And then he prayeth and saith Turn us O God of our salvation and cause thine anger towards us to cease Wilt thou be angry with us for ever Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations After the like manner doth David speak of Gods anger in divers other Psalmes Moses also told the Israelites that the Lord was angry and wroth with him for their sakes But Deut. 1.2 7 3 26 4 21. not to alledge any more the like sayings whereof we meet with many in the holy Scripture doth not the King of Ninive both speak and practise that for the averting of Gods heavy judgment from himself and his people which Mr. D. greatly condemneth in us Joh. 3.8 9. the people of this Land For he proclaimed a fast and commanded his people to cry mightily unto God and to turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that was in in his hands Saying who can tell if God w ll turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not What shall we say the King of Nineve did evill in speaking thus No for this is related here in the prophet not by way of reproof but of Commendation and for our imitation We are not therefore to find fault with any for fasting and praying that God would turn away his wrath from them and from the whole Land at such times as this is for so we should hinder the peoples repentance and make them profane But that they may not conceive amisse of Gods anger we are to teach them that anger is in God non per modum affectus sed effectus that is to say that by the anger of God we are to understand not any such turbulent passion or affection as is in us when we are angry For then God should not be immutable and unchangable For such passions do work a great change and alteration Mal. 36. Jam. 17. both in the body and in the mind and soul of man Again if God should be moved and disturbed as we are when we are angry then he should not be perfectly blessed because he would for that time or at that present want inward quietnesse and contentment of mind By the anger of God therefore we are to understand such effects of Gods justice or such actions as anger produceth in us Now these are reduced by Zanchius and after him by Polanus unto these three heads First all men when they are angry do decree and resolve with themselves to be revenged on those that wrong them and punish them And secondly do threaten them in words And lastly do indeed performe that which they have threatned So by Gods anger are meant these three things first his most just will and decree to visit and punish sinners temporally and eternally Rom. 1.18 Thus St. Paul saith The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse that is saith Zanchius by effects it is manifest what the will of God that dwelleth in heaven is against all iniquity Secondly by Gods anger is also meant his terrifying and threatening of sinners denouncing of judgments against them whether it be by his word or by portentuous or prodigious signes and tokens In this sense doth the King of Nineve speake when he saith Who knoweth if God will turn repent turn a way from his fierce anger that is ab executione suarum Comminationum saith Zanchius from executing of that fearfull destruction on them which by his prophet he had denounced and threatened Lastly by Gods anger are meant also the judgments and punishments themselves which he inflicteth on sinners in which sense the Apostle speaketh when he saith Thou treasurest up for thy self wrath against the day of wrath id est saith Zanchius poenas in illud tempus quote Deus puniet that is punishments against that time in which God will punish thee And in the same sense and signification is the anger or wrath of God to be understood Math. 3.7 Eph. 5.6 Luke 21.23 as Zanchius sheweth To lay down this matter yet more fully By Gods anger we are somtimes to understand the severity of his justice upon obstinate sinners whom he punisheth without shewing them any mercy Thus David speaketh of Gods anger when he saith O Lord rebuke me not in thy hot displeasure that is according to the rigour
of thy justice Psal 6.1 unlesse we shall say as Zanchius and Polanus do that he prayeth that God would not execute the threatenings of his word upon him So also whereas the Lord saith I will not execute the fiercenes of mine anger Psal 11.9 I will not return to destroy Ephraim By the fiercenesse of Gods anger here we may either understand the severity of his revenging justice or his heaviest judgments or else those terrible threatenings which he had denounced against the ten Tribes for their Idolatry and other sins And in the same sense he speaketh Hos 13.11 I gave thee a King in mine anger and took him away in my wrath Again by the anger of God in other places of the Scripture we are to understand the effects of Gods revenging justice on the wicked and of his correcting justice on his own Children both denounced in his word and executed in his punishments and corrections Thus when Moses told the Israelites that the Lord was angry with him for their sakes he spake this because the Lord had reproved him for the words which he by their instigation spake hastily at the waters of Meribah and told him that he should not enter into the Land of Canaan And when the Lord saith that he sware unto the rebellious Israelites in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest by his wrath here is meant that destruction which he had denounced against them Now by the anger of God in other places are meant the effects both of Gods revenging justice executed on the wicked and of his correcting justice on his own Children An example of the former we have in the unbelieving Jews of whom St. Paul saith wrath is come on them to the utmost that is 1 Thes 2.16 Isa 54.8 extremity of punishment And of the latter in the believing Jews In a little wrath I hide my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse I will have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer Thus have I briefly shewed what the Protestants do hold and what they do teach concerning the anger of God against which I presume Mr. D. will not reply No cause hath he therefore to find fault with us for praying that God would be mercifull unto us and turn away his wrath and indignation from us and from the whole Land unlesse he will say that it is not lawful for us to speake Tropically or Figuratively in our prayers as the Scripture doth SECT II. How Gods wrath is Pacified THe next thing which I am to clear is how God can be said to be pacified and appealed by fasting and prayer For Christ onely hath pacified his Fathers wrath by that propitiatory sacrifice of his which he offered unto him for the sins of all the elect If any therefore shall take upon them by their prayers or by their fasting and teares to turn away Gods wrath from themselves or from the Land instead of pacifying him they shall provoke him so much the more by robbing Christ of the glory that is due unto him This is another thing as I conceive which Mr. D. in those words of his which I alledged at the beginning of this Question doth intend to charge us with But hereunto I answer briefly that Gods wrath may be said to be appeased two manner of wayes 1. Stricté et proprié in a more strict and proper sense by satisfaction made to his justice Answ for the sins whereby he is provoked Now thus only hath Christ pacified his Fathers wrath Rom. 3.25 Eph. 2.14 Col. 1.20 Rom. 5.10 and reconciled us unto him by his death We do willingly therefore acknowledge that both the Papists and all other that do think to satisfie God for their sins and so to pacifie his wrath by their prayers fasting and weeping and afflicting of themselves with any such pâ—nall workes or sufferings do take upon them Christs Office and rob him of his glory But the Protestants are not guilty of this but do condemn it and speak against it as their works and writings do bear witness Secondly Gods wrath may be said to be pacified laté et improprié in a large in an improper sense when such duties are practised and performed upon the doing whereof God doth turn away his indignation that is removeth his judgments not for the merit of the works that are done or as if by them his justice were satisfied but for Christs sake who hath merited pardon for such as * Heb. 5.9 obey him in doing the things which he requireth to whom therefore God hath promised that he will be gratious and favourable Thus is God through Christ pacified towards sinners when they repent and turn unto him and pray and humble themselves before him according to his gratious promises which he hath made unto them Therefore also now saith the Lord turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting Joel 2.12.13 and with weepâ—ng and with mourning and rent your hearts and not your garments and turn to the Lord your God For he is gratious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the evil And Jer. 18.7 8. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to plucke vp to pull down and to destroy it If that Nation against whom I have denounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thuought to do not them See also Zach. 1.3 1 Cor. 11.13 1 Kings 8.33 The summe of all that hath been said is this Gods wrath is pacified upon our humiliation repentance prayer and faith in Gods promises not for these acts or workes of ours but for Christs sake in whom we do believe and whom we do obey or else thus Gods wrath is not pacified By our fasting and repentance to speake properly for then we should be justified by works but When we repent and pray and turn unto him for as long as we live in sin we are under Gods wrath SECT III. Objections Answered Having thus finished what Mr. D. hath given me accasion to say concerning this Question before I do proceed unto the next I have thought good to answer certain Objections which I find urged by one to prove that God neither is nor can be angry with any of his Children which if it were true then indeed the Children of God should have no need to pray at any time or other that God would turn away his anger from them or if they pray so they shall take Gods name in vain The first of these Objections is this God seeth no iniquity in his people he cannot therefore be angry with them for nothing offendeth him nor causeth him to be angry but sin Now to prove that God seeth no iniquity in his people these Testimonies of holy Scripture are alledged He hath not beheld iniquâ—ty in Jacob Num. 23.21 neither hath he beheld perversenesse in Israel At
He will not alwayes chide neither will he keep his anger for ever Psal 103.8 9. After the same manner speaketh also the Lord himself In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting mercy will I have compassion on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer It is evident that the Lord speaketh here of his own Children for his everlasting mercy belongeth to them and on them it is that his anger remaineth but a moment For on wicked reprobates it shall rest for ever according to that Joh. 3.36 He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Quest 11. Whether God do correct his Children for their sins This Question I thought good to add unto the former because it is of great affinity with it and the rather indeed have I done this because an Acquaintance of mine did lately long after I had finished this Treatise take upon him to maintaine that God doth never correct his Children for any sin that is committed by them against whom I reasoned thus God doth either correct his Children for sin or for righteousnesse for there is no mean betwixt these two For our actions although being considered simply as they are per se et sua natura in themselves and in their own nature are many of them indifferent that is neither good nor evil morally yet in actu exercito that is being clothed with such circumstances as they are when they are practised by us so they are all either good or evil Now said I God doth not correct any for righteousnesse or well doing therefore it is for their sins and for their evil doings that he correcteth his Children But hereunto he answered that it is for righteousnesse that God correcteth his Children for said he God correcteth them from their sins and maketh them to live righteously I perceived his meaning was as if he should have said God correcteth his Chiâ—dren for righteousnesse not that righteousnesse which they have done but which he would have them to do Now this I willingly yeelded unto him that the terminus á quo of Gods corrections or rather of our sanctification which he worketh in us by his corrections is sin and the terminus ad quem is righteousnesse that is to speak popularly and plainely God by his chastisments driveth us from sin unto righteousnesse For as the Apostle saith No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous Heb. 12.11 but grievous neverthelesse afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them which are exercised thereby Thus the end of our Heavenly Fathers Chastiâ—ements is to make us to leave our sins and to follow after righteousnesse But doth it follow hereupon that we are not corrected for our sins whereby we do provoke God and make him to afflict us If we should never be overtaken nor be at all defiled with any sin he would never correct us We may truely therefore be said to be corrected for our sins because sins are they that do pull down Gods corrections upon us But here mine adversary replyed and said Object Christ hath either born all the punishment of our sin or he hath born none of it at all Whereunto I answered that punishment is of two sorts either satisfactory to Gods justice Answ now all this Christ hath born For as I say saith He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities Isa 50.5.6 the Chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes are we healed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath layd on him the iniquities of us all Or else punishment is for the humiliation and reformation of the party offending and such are Gods corrections whereby he nurtureth his Children for his own glory and their amendment It is for our profit that we are thus corrected as the Apostle telleth us Heb. 12.10 Christ therefore by his passion hath not redeemed us from such Chastisements but sanctifieth them unto us After I had answered these Objections I proceeded and proved unto him that God correcteth his Children for their sins The arguments which I then used I shall now somewhat inlarge not tying my self strictly to the order in which they were propounded unto him First of all then I say that the holy Scripture in expresse words affirmeth that God correcteth his Children for their sins for thus speaketh the holy prophet David unto the Lord This Testimony is universal of all men of all times Psal 39.11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moath And presently he addeth surely every man is vanity in regard he meaneth of Gods corrections which do weaken and waste him He excepteth none out of this number not the Children of God more then others For it were his own afflictions that made him to utter these words For having said I am consumed by the blow of thine hand presently he inferreth When thou with rebukes dost chasten man thou makest his beauty to consume away David also bringeth in Almighty God speaking thus of his posterity whereof it cannot be denyed but many were Gods Children If his Children forsake my law and walke not in my judgments If they breake my statutes and keep not my Commandements then will I visit their transgression with the rodde and their iniquity with stripes Psal 89.30.31.32 Now what is this but to correct them for their sins And I pray you did not Josephs bretheren when they suspected that they were brought into great hazard and danger of their lives in the land of Egypt acknowledge that this was Gods punishment or correction on them for their sins for thus they spake one to another We are verily guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he sought us and we would not heare therefore they mean for their sin in oppressing and betraying their Brother is the distress come upon us Gen. 42.21 When Job also saith Thou makest me possess the sins of my youth what meaneth he but that God laid his hand heavy upon him and chastized him for the sins of his youth 2. Besides these and many other testimonies that might be produced I reason thus If the sins of Gods children be the cause of their corrections then they are corrected for their sins for what is it to correct one for his sins or for his faults but to correct him because of such faults and offences as are committed by him Now the holy Scripture testifieth that Gods children are corrected because of their sins which they have committed and not onely to keep them from sin pro futuro for the time to come therefore it cannot justly be denyed that God correcteth them for their sins That their sins are the cause of Gods corrections these places of holy Scripture do evidence first the Lord speaketh to
profession of faith in him as the true believers did Now they tell us that the Apostle speaketh of these counterfeit and not of true believers when he saith for this cause many are sick and weak among you and many sleep for say they could such impious and wicked Beasts be the members of Christ who came drunk to the Lords Table Answ I answer It is not impossible that a Child of God drinking Wine liberally with others at their love feasts might as well be overtaken with drunkenness as Noah was whom St. Peter calleth a righteous man But suppose that they were all wicked hypocrites that thus prophaned the holy Sacrament of Christs body and blood 2 Pet. 2. yet seeing the Church and people of God at Corinth tolerated them in their Communion and did not censure them for this foul fault therefore Gods judgement might break in among them all by an epidemical disease and take away some if not many of the better sort as well as all the Israelites fled before their enemies and divers of them were slain for the sin of A chan Josh 7. And that this was the case of the Corinthians whom God visited some of them with death and others with sickness and weakness the words immediately following in the Apostle do manifest when he saith for if we would judge our selves we should not be judged But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the World Tâ—ese words do evince that St. Paul speaketh in this place of true beleeâ—ers and not onely of counterfeit hypocrites First This iâ— evident from his scope in uttering these words which was to comfort not onely those which were living and yet lying under Gods judgements but others also for the death of their dear friends who were thus taken away for prophaning the holy Sacrament of Christs blessed body and blood The former of these might think thus with themselves seeing this our sickness and weakness is a judgement of God upon us what hope can we have in him And the latter might say seeing God hath taken away our friends in judgement alas what is become of their souls The Apostle to comfort them against such sad thoughts as these telleth them that this was indeed a judgement upon them but a judgement onely of castigation for their reformation that so they might escape the judgement of eternal condemnation in the world to come Again St. Paul includeth himself in the number of those that are thus judged For he saith not that those men onely that came irreverently to the Lords Table were judged but when we are judged speaking of himself and all believers we are chastened of the Lord. Rom. 8.1 Thirdly He informeth us how happy the end and issue of this judgement of castigation is to all Gods children It becommeth a meanes God sanctifying it unto them for this end to free them from condemnation which is the portion and proper and peculiar priviledge of the godly and not common to them with the wicked 4. lastly Therefore he opposeth the persons that are thus judged unto the world It is not possible therefore that St. Paul should speak only of wicked hypocrites when he saith For this cause many are sick and weak among you and many sleep For such wicked ones belong unto the World and are no true members of Christ nor of his Church which consisteth of Saints that are gathered out of the World 3. lastly I would know of these men whether a Father doth not correct his children and a Schoolmaster his Scholars for their faults To deny this is to contradict all men and the truth it self For a Child when he groweth wanton and stubborn against his Father and a Scholar when he playeth the trevant and neglecteth his book do both of them deserve the Rod of correction Their faults which they have committed are causa meritoria the meriting cause of their correction though the final cause or the end of such correction is their reformation And even so also by a like reason do Gods children when they forget their duties and wax wanton against their heavenly Father deserve to be corrected by him for their amendment Object But here it may be said God correcteth his children in love for their good Answ Now what Can they by their sins be said to deserve good and not rather evil For answer hereunto I say that although the afflictions of Gods children are good unto them in their end and issue whereunto they are sanctified and directed by God In which regard Gods Children do say with David Heb. 12.11 It is good for me that I have been afflicted for before I was afflicted I went astray but now do I keep thy Law Psal 119. Notwithstanding as the Apostle saith and as we feel in our own experience our afflictions in themselves are grievous and bitter to the flesh And therefore as it is said of him that cannot rule his appetite that he deserveth to fall into the hands of the Physitian who by bitter Pills or potions purgeth away the ill-humors which his delicious Cups and sweet morsels bred in his body So when Gods children do satisfie their carnal lusts and surfet upon sin they deserve the bitter pills of affliction which when the heavenly Physitian of their souls shall administer unto them they have cause with Job not only to be patient and contented but thankfully to submit themselves unto his corrections and to say Job 2.10 Shall we receive good at the hand of God and not receive evil Ye see then that the afflictions of Gods Children are evil in themselves though good in their end The force of this reason Object our adversaries do think to avoid by saying that a Father is indeed angry with his children when they offend him and correcteth them for their faults But so doth not God to his children for he is never angry with any of them because Christ hath born all their sins and pacified his Fathers wrath for ever This Objection I shall not need here to answer Answ for I have removed it in the former Question where I shewed that Christ hath freed us from Gods revenging wrath which would have overwhelmed us in perdition and destruction everlasting but not from his paternal indignation which tendeth to the furtherance of our sanctification and salvation And therefore it would not be for our good but to our hurt if he should not thus cause us to feel his anger when we forget our selves and go a stray from him I would know also wherefore God calleth himself our Father and us his children but because he dealeth with us as a Father doth with his children as in other respects so particularly in nurturing us for our sins when we offend him by them as the Apostle expresly sheweth Heb. 12.5 6 7 8. This that I have said cannot but be of singular use unto the children of God when they
are visited with his corrections For if they believe that their sins are at least wise in part a cause of their afflictions 1. This will make them so much the more diligently to search and examine themselves that they may both find out their sins and purge them out by repentance saying with the Jews Lam. 3.40 Lam. 3.40 Come let us search and try our wayes and turn again unto the Lord. 2. It will make them also to humble themselves so much the more before the Lord saying with the Prodigal Luk. 15. Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and I am no more worthy to be called thy Son 3. It will make them also to pray the more fervently and effectually to God for mercy and forgiveness as David did being afflicted in minde with the sight and sense of his sins when Gods judgements were upon him Psal 38. 4. It will make them to hate and abhorre sin so much the more and the more to shun it for the time to come 5. And lastly As he in the time of the Law that was pursued for murther which he had unwittingly and unwillingly committed did flie hard to the Alter or to the City of refuge to save his life so when a man acknowledgeth that it are his sins that do cause God to persue him with his judgements it will make him to flie the faster unto and to lay the firmer hold on Jesus Christ that he may obtain forgiveness and salvation by him But when men do deny that their sins are any cause of Gods corrections then when they lie under his judgements they will neither search out their sins nor humble themselves before God for them nor pray so much the more earnestly for the pardon of them nor repent and turn unto God from them But on the contrary such persons as we see it is both the Opinion and the practice of many now at this day will say that they need not neither to repent nor to pray for the pardon of their sins nor to make any confession of them and so they take a course to shut Heaven gates against themselves For as St. John telleth us If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us If we confess our sins 1 Joh. 1.8 9. that is with inward penitency compunction of heart and with a lively hatred and abhorring of them God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness To the same effect speaketh Solomon Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sins as every one doth who saith that he hath no sin shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy Quest 12. Whether a man may be assured of Salvation by his love to the Brethren Quest 12 and by other effects and fruits of Sanctification Or whether he can be assured of Salvation no otherwise but onely by Faith in Christ SECT I. A Man may be assured of his Salvation by his Repentance TO this Mr. D. answereth When the soul is loaden with the burden of sin and sense of misery Confer p. 18 it is sufficient for our assurance to believe God in his promises and we read of nothing else Act. 16.31 Beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved No doubt it is true that he who believeth in God according to his promises which in the Gospel he hath made unto us I find saith he but one onely condition of actual Reconciliation of man to God p. 56. that is as he explaineth himself whereby we know that God is reconciled to us p. 51. Confer between a sick man c. p. 5. shall obtain remission of sins and salvation but these promises are not made to any one that continueth in sin although he be never so much terrified and troubled with the fear of Hell but to those only that repent and turn unto God And hereupon it is that the true Christian in believing repenteth and repenting believeth Thus Faith and Repentance are twisted together as it were and indeed are never separated as he himself acknowledgeth Whereupon it followeth necessarily also that a man may be assured of his salvation by his repentance And this he dareth not deny but saith that it is a sure mark of salvation whatsoever faileth But he hath no sooner granted this but in the next words he laboureth to rob and bereave Christians of all the comfort which their Repentance will afford them for he saith That a man cannot know his Repentance to be true neither by his hearty sorrow for his sins past nor by his steadfast purpose to forsake all sin and to walk in all godliness First He saith that Reprobates as Esau Gen. 27.1 and Judas Math. 27.3 repented and sorrowed heartily for their sins And saith he doubtless all that do despair do heartily sorrow for their sins as they that are swallowed up with over much sorrow But I answered him that such do sorrow heartily in deed but nor for their sins but for the punishment and damnation of them which they are afraid of The Apostle therefore calleth this Worldly Sorrow 2 Cor. 7.10 and saith that it causeth death but in the next words he telleth us that godly sorrow which is when a man after a godly manner is sory for sin because it is sin or because it is an offence against God and a dishonour to him worketh repentance unto salvation 2 Cor. 7.10 never to be repented of Whosoever therefore findeth such godly sorrow in himself may thereby be assured of salvation The like is to be said of him that purposeth not by fits and flashes but steadfastly to forsake all sin and to walk in all godliness For seeing the heart that is the will tanquam Regina as a Queen commandeth all the inferior faculties of the soul and members of the body It is certain therefore that if a man be not diverted from his purpose * If he be constant in his purpose I say for many times sensual affections do rebel against the will and do lead it away captive with them Act. 11.23 Heb. 13. Psal 119.6 but be constant in it he will perform it whilest he is not letted by outward violence which the soul or the conscience in working holiness never is And hereupon it was that Barnabas when he saw the grace of God which he had bestowed upon the Brethren at Antioch exhorted them that they would with purpose of heart cleave unto the Lord. And the Apostle speaking of himself saith We know we have a good Conscience in all things willing that is resolving to live honestly And hereby also did David assure himself of Gods favour when he said Then shall I not be confounded when I have respect unto all Gods Commandements That which he alleageth to impeach this Object is frivolous and of no weight to wit that the Scribes and Pharisees had a purpose
Covenant do bind our selves to believe in Christ and to glorifie him and his Father for the work of our Redemption That the Covenant of the Gospel is thus made not only with Christ our head and our surety but with us also that are his members is most evident from those words of the Lord wherein both the persons with whom the Covenant is made and the form thereof is related and expressed This is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel Jer. 31.34 32 33. Heb. 8.8.9 10 11 12. saith the Lord with the spiritual Israel of all Nations not the carnal Israel after those dayes I will put my Lawes into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people c. We see here with whom this new Covenant of the Gospel is made with the house of Israel now the house of Israel is not persona singularis one individual person as Christ is sed totum aggregatum but a multitude united together as the Church of God is 2. The Lord also Ezech. 16.8 9. telleth us that he entred into Covenant with the Israelites when he found them defiled in their filthiness which cannot be spoken of Christ and then washed their blood from them which must be understood of the Covenant of grace not of works The Covenant of grace therefore was not made with Christ only but with all his members also who in their natural condition are such as were the Israelites here described 3. We read also Gen. 17.7 Gen. 17.9 That the Covenant of grace was made with Abraham and all his seed It was not made therefore with Christ only Yea which is more God said unto Abraham Thou shalt keep my Covenant thou and thy seed after thee in their generations This Coâ—enant therefore was not only a gratious promise of salvation on Gods part but Abraham and his seed were also bound by it to do something that is Gen. 17.1 to believe in the promised Messiah and to glorifie God for their salvation by him But here it will be said Object the Covenant which Abraham and his seed were commanded to keep was that all their males should be circumcised the eighth day It is true Answ but that outward circumcision did bind them inwardly to circumci e their hearts for the Circumcision of the flesh was not commanded for it self barely but in regard of the mystical signification thereof whereupon the Lord spake unto the Israelites who were circumcised in the flesh and said Circumcise therefore the fore-skin of your heart and be no more stif-necked Deut. 10.16 Where this spiritual Circumcision was neglected the Covenant whereof it was a token was not kept but broken as that complaint which the Lord taketh up concerning the carnal Israelites plainly sheweth All these Nations to wit all the Heathen Nations there reckoned up are uncircumcised and all the house of Israel Jer. 9.26 are uncircumcised in their heart The Apostle also telleth us that that is not circumcision which is outward in the flesh but which is in the heart Rom. 2.28 29. 4. When David also saith All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies Psal 25.10 And again The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his righteousness Psal 103.17 18. justitia promissionum his righteousness in fulfilling his promises unto Childrens Children To such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his Commandements to do them I would know of what Covenant and of what testimonies and commandements it is that David here speaketh Doubtless not of the legal Covenant for that is not a Covenant of mercy but of justice that exacteth all that is required in it without remitting any thing or shewing any mercy unto those that do transgress it Deut. 27.26 It is of the Evangelical Covenant therefore that David speaketh when he saith that God will be merciful unto those that keep his Covenant Now I cannot conceive how we cannot be said to keep this Covenant and the Testimonies and Commandements thereof if the Covenant of the Gospel were made only with Christ and we were bound to nothing nor nothing were required of us by it as a part of this Covenant belonging to us For were it so then we could be said neither to keep it nor to break it no more then mankind can be said to keep the covenant that God made with Noah Gen. 9.11 that he would no more destroy the Earth with a Flood Gods absolute promise to Noah concerning this his mercy is here called his covenant It is God himself therefore who faithfully performeth and keepeth this covenant throughout all generations But it cannot be said to have been kept by Noah or any of his posterity who by this Covenant were bound to nothing 5. To these former Testimonies may be added those words of the Lord to the Israelites Exod. 19.5 where after he had told them what great things he had done for them he subjoyneth Now therefore if ye will obey my voyce indeed and keep my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the Earth is mine And ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests and an holy Nation Here the Lord hath promised great things unto his people but it is upon condition that they obey him and keep his Covenant If it be said That this was spoken to the carnal Israelites and therefore belongeth not to us I confess indeed That it was spoken not only to the Elect but to the whole Nation of the Israelites Answ but how verily as they typified or as they analogically repreâ—ented the spiritual Israel of God or the called of God of all Nations whence it followeth that believers now under the Gospel are confederate with God and therefore are to keep the covenant of the Gospel that they may be a peculiar people and a royal Priesthood unto God 1 Pet. 1.9 for so St. Peter applyeth this promise unto all true believers as unto those to whom all the blessings of the covenant do belong Nec enim alios quam faederatos faederis conditionem servantes decrevit Deus beatitudinis facere participes for neither hath God decreed to make any other partakers of blessedness than those that are confederate with him and that keep the condition of the covenant as saith the most learned and judicious Rivetus writing on these very words of the Lord unto the Israelites 6. I do also reason thus As the Law is the covenant of works or at least wise as the covenant of works is revealed in the Law So the gospel revealeth and maketh known unto us the covenant of grace or of salvation by the meer mercy of God through Jesus Christ As the Law therefore binding us to the perfect obedience thereof if we will
be saved and otherwise denouncing damnation if we transgress it doth hereby shew wherein the covenant of works consisteth So seeing the gospel doth not offer remission of sins and salvation by Christ unto all nor unto any absolutely but unto those only that do repent and believe the Gospel Mark 1.15 and obey Christ Heb. 5.9 It followeth therefore that the Gospel bindeth us to the obedience thereof as to our part of the covenant of grace yet so that we are to do the things which the Gospel requireth not by our own strength as the Law injoyneth Sed subsidio gratiae divinae à Christo pronobis partae but by the assistance of Gods grace which Christ hath purchased for us So that even in this regard the Gospel is a covenant of grace as well as in respect of our free justification and eternal salvation in Heaven because our salvation from the beginning unto the end thereof is of grace and not of nature or by any power or strength of our own free will For all the powers of our souls are in bondage to sin and Sathan until they be freed by Christ as our Saviour himself giveth us to understand when he saith If the Son shall set you free ye shall be free indeed Joh. 8.26 And St. Paul telleth us Col. 1.13 That it is not we our selves by any power of our own but God of the riches of his grace who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son Thus the very works or acts of Faith Repentance and new obedience which we are bound unto in the Gospel are effects of Gods grace in us We presume not therefore to do them by any power of our own but do covenant the performance of them by the grace of God in Jesus Christ diligently using the meanes that are prescribed us in the Gospel for the building of us up in grace and waiting upon God for a blessing on them 7. And lastly When the people of God in the old Testament had revolted from him by Idolatry and other foul sins We read that when they repented 2 King 23. they bound themselves by Covenant to walk after the Lord and to keep his Commandements and his testimonies and his Statutes Now shall we say that they renewed the legal covenant We have no reason to think so for they knew it was impossible for them to keep it They covenanted therefore to keep Gods Commandements evangelically whereunto they had before bound themselves when they were circumcised yea and not only so but were born under this covenant being descended from Abraham and the ancient Patriarchs with whom and their Seed the Lord entred into covenant It was this covenant of the Gospel for such was the covenant which the Lord made with Abraham as is to be seen Gal. 3.17 18. that the Israelites when they repented and returned unto the Lord from Idolatry renewed with him These things which I have thus alledged do make it manifest both that the covenant of grace is properly a covenant and that it is made not only with Christ our head but with every one of us that are his members who by this covenant are bound to faith in Christ and new obedience that so we may glorifie God and be saved eternally through his rich mercy in Jesus Christ Against this that I have said Answ Mr. S. undertaketh to prove that the covenant is made with Christ only for so St. Paul saith To Abraham and his seed Gal. 3.16 were the promises made He saith not to seeds as of many but as of one And to his seed which is Christ But how he can prove hence Object that the covenant of grace was made only with Christ and not with any other I cannot see The contrary rather may be concluded and deduced from these words for the Apostle saith That the promises were made to Abraham and to his seed which is Christ To Christ indeed only as to the Mediator in whom the covenant is confirmed of God as the Apostle explaineth himself in the next words but otherwise to Abraham the Father of the faithful and consequently to all that tread in his steps as to those to whom forgiveness of sins and the other benefits and blessings purchased by Christ and promised in the covenant do appertain and belong This will be the more manifest and evident unto us if we do consider what St. Paul meaneth by the promises which were made to Abraham and his seed The words indeed are difficult and therefore diversly understood by the learned The most common exposition is that by the promises are meant that promise of the Lord to Abraham In thy seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed And that the Apostle speaketh numero plurali in the plural number because this promise was at several times repeated and made unto Abraham Now it is evident that the seed here spoken of is Christ for in him only it is that all the Nations of the Earth are blessed But it doth not hereupon follow that the covenant is made only with him For from these very words we may infer against Mr. S. that all Christs members are comprehended in the covenant as well as he though after another manner and in another sort For the promise is made unto Christ only that he shall be the Authour of blessedness unto all Nations but unto them that they shall be blessed in him Now I would know how all Nations shall be blessed in Christ verily not so as if no one person of any Nation were to be excluded for then all the World should be saved and none should be damned The meaning therefore of this gracious promise must needs be that all Nations should be blessed in Christ not absolutely but according to the conditions expressed and laid down in the Gospel wherein the covenant of grace is fully opened and unfolded Or that Elect who are to be gathered out of all Nations shall be blessed in Christ who only fulfil the conditions of the covenant There is another exposition of these words of the Apostle and that is that by the promises of which St. Paul here speaketh we are to understand the promise which the Lord at several times made unto Abraham that he would give unto him and to his seed the Land of Canaan for an everlasting possession as a type of the eternal inheritance of Heaven whereof it was an assurance unto them That whereby Estius and other learned men are led and induced to renounce the former exposition and to imbrace this latter is because St. Paul without any necessity doth twice repeat this word And saying to Abraham and his seed were the promises made He saith not and to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed For the sense would have been as compleat and full say they if the word And had been left out and he had said he saith not of seeds
as of many but as of one to thy seed They think therefore that St. Paul hath no reference to that promise In thy seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed where this word And is not found but to these words To thee and to thy seed will I give the Land of Canaan unto which St. Paul by repeating this word And there expressed seemeth to relate But if we shall admit of this Exposition it will no way advantage Mr. S. For Piscator and those that follow it as also St. Augustine as Estius telleth us by Abrahams seed do understand not Christ in propria persona sua in his own person only sed Christum mysticum Cor. 12.12 but mystical Christ as Piscator speaketh that is Christ and his members as St. Paul also doth when he saith As the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ that is to say Christ and his members Piscator giveth two Reasons why these words of the Apostle which seed is Christ are not to be understood properly to wit of Christs person only First saith he the Apostles scope is against it which is to prove that eternal life is given unto believers for Christs sake and that according to the promises which he made unto Abraham as appeareth from the fourteenth Verse Again This absurdity is against it that eternal life should be given to Christ only I have thus laid down the several expositions of these words of the Apostle that it may appear the more evidently that it cannot from hence be collected that the covenant was made only with Christ and not with his members For otherwise if I shall speak what I think I am fully perswaded that St. Paul in saying To Abraham and his seed which is Christ were the promises made hath reference to that gracious evangelical promise in thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed This is the promise or the covenant as St. Paul speaketh in the foregoing words which the Lord made with Abraham as S. Peter plainly giveth us to understand in those words of his unto the Israelites Act. 3.25 Ye are the children of the covenant which God made with our Fathers saying unto Abraham And in thy seed shall all the kinreds of the Earth be blessed Where you see St. Peter expresseth the word And even in this promise as it is also set down Gen. 22.18 where the Lord speaketh to Abraham and saith In blessing I will blesse thee c. And in thy seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Thus the foundation of the latter Exposition before spoken of is removed and falleth to the ground Now from these words of St. Peter it may also be plainly proved against Mr. S. that the covenant of salvation is not made only with Christ For wherefore doth he say unto the Israelites Ye are the children of the covenant which God made with the Fathers but because this covenant belonged unto them and they were comprehended in it SECT III. Christ did not repent and believe for us but we must perform these conditions our selves LEt us now see whether Christ have fulfilled all the conditions of the covenant of the Gospel for us Whether he hath believed repented and was mortified and obeyed the Gospel for us We acknowledge with St. Paul that Christ is the end of the Law Rom. 10.4 for righteousness unto us and that we are justified before God by his obedience We acknowledge also that the spots of sin that adhere to our works of sanctification are washed away in his blood and so not only our persons but our works also become acceptable to God not for any merit or intrinsical holiness or worthiness of their own but as St. Peter saith by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 Rev. 7.14 in whose blood the Saints of God have washed their Robes of righteousness and holiness and made them white All this we do willingly grant but that Christ should perform for us those very duties of faith and repentance and mortification which are required of us in the Gospel seemeth to me very strange For as we are discharged from fulfilling the Law to be justified thereby because Christ hath thus fulfilled it for us so if Christ have believed and repented for us will it not follow hereupon that God will not require these duties of us or that he will not condemn us though we neglect and omit them no more than he will because we transgress his Law and do not perfectly fulfill it to be thereby justified When the Scripture saith that Christ died for us is not the meaning hereof that he died nostra vice in our stead and so by his death hath redeemed us from death and damnation everlasting so when David said Would God I had died for thee my Son Absolon his meaning was that he desired to have died in Absolons stead that he might by his own death have freed Absolon from death In like manner therefore if we shall say that Christ believed repented and was mortified for us the meaning hereof will be that he performed all these duties in our stead and so hath freed and discharged us from them What other construction these words will bear I know not but sure I am that many are imboldened by them too much to neglect the practice of repentance and the duties of sanctification and holiness But not to stand any longer upon this I would know how it can be justified that Christ either believed or repented or was mortified for us For first When Mr. S. saith that Christ believed for us he speaketh not of the legal faith or confidence in God for thus Christ believed for us seeing for us he fulfilled the whole Law nor of the faith and confidence that Christ had in God his Father that he would uphold and strengthen him to perform the great work of our Redemption but of justifying faith which is that whereby we rely on Christ for the pardon of our sins Now this justifying faith est in nobis subjectivè non in Christo is in us as in its proper subject not in Christ And this both the Prophet Habakuk Hab. 2.4 and the Apostle St. Paul do teach us when they say Justus fide suà vivet the just shall live by his own faith and not by the faith of another Gal. 2.16 The true believers therefore say not Christ hath believed for us but we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the Law But if it should be granted that Christ believed for us that we by that faith of his might be justified how shall we salve that other saying of his how shall we make it good that Christ repented for us for repentance alwayes presupposeth sin it is a turning from sin unto righteousness Such is the repentance which
risen though perhaps that might not be the very first moment of the rising thereof when this was spoken and the Suns shining upon the wall is made a sign or an evidence and manifestation thereof And even so in like manner when our Saviour saith Her sins which are many are forgiven her his meaning was that they were really forgiven though not at that instant onely but from the first moment of her conversion And he maketh this manifest by his next words from her abundant love which she so many wayes shewed and expressed towards him saying For she loved much I know Mr. D. will not here say with the Papists that her love to Christ was the cause that he pardoned and forgave her her sins but that he drew an Argument from thence to prove and to evidence that her sins were forgiven And so this conjunction causal for est causa consequentiae non consequentis is only the cause of the consequence in his Argument or in his reasoning but not of the thing it self whereof he speaketh that is of the pardon of her sins He would prove also from the judgement of Protestant Interpreters that our Saviour speaketh not of remission of sins really but of the manifestation thereof because when we pray in the fifth Petition of the Lords Prayer Forgive us our trespasses they make this to be the meaning hereof that the Children of God whose sins are already pardoned do pray for more assurance thereof But I have shewed already Quest 9. that they make this to be the meaning thereof only in part and not the full sense of that Petition as Mr. D. would have it Recon of God to man pag. 43. Another place of Scripture which he perverteth and corrupteth by a novellous and strange Exposition are those words of St. Paul 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God The meaning hereof he will have to be that they shall not enter into the Kingdom of God here on Earth which is his Church But in expounding these words thus he commeth far short of the meaning of the Apostle for albeit it is most certain that the unrighteous are no true members of the Church though they be in it for a time yet the Scripture when it speaketh of the inheritance which Christ hath purchased for his Saints from which the unrighteous are excluded referreth the possession thereof not to this World where we sojourn for a time as Pilgrims in a strange Country but to that happy life that is to come Thus our Saviour at the day of judgement will say unto his Elect people and righteous Servants Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world St. Paul also telleth us that flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15. neither shall corruption inherit incorruption Which words it were absurd to refer unto the Kingdom of grace or to say that the Apostle excludeth all such out of the Church here on earth who carry about them corruptible flesh and blood St. Peter also in plain words so speaketh of the inheritance of Heaven as of a thing the possession whereof is not to be had in this life but in the World to come Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you who are kept by the power of God 1 Pet. 1.3 4 4. through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time When St. Paul therefore saith that Fornicators Adulterers and such unrighteous persons shall not inherit the Kingdom of God his meaning is that they shall never enter into the glorious Kingdom of Heaven but be excluded thence and be cast into Hell 3. As strangely doth he expound those words of the Apostle Heb. 12.14 Recon of God to man p. 43 44. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord that is saith he with spiritual eyes or with the eyes of faith whereas the Apostle speaketh not here in praesenti of that Vision or seeing of the Lord which is to be had in this present World but in futuro of our seeing of him hereafter to our endless comfort in his Kingdom and in his glory in the same sense as St. John doth 1 Joh. 3.2 We know that when Christ shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Most false therefore it is which Mr. D. saith To see God and to inherit the Kingdom of God are nothing else but to believe in God and in his Son Jesus Christ When we come to Heaven faith in Christ shall cease and yet we shall not cease then to see God Another place of holy Scripture 1 Cor. 13.13 Confer with a sick man pag. 7. 1 Ioh. 3.14 which he grosly perverteth with a false Exposition and so goeth about to deprive the godly of the comfort which they take from it are those words of St. John We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren Many good souls have acknowledged that when all other grounds of comfort have failed them or at the least when in time of temptation they have not been able to apprehend any comfort from any thing else yet these words of the Apostle have upheld them from despairing of their Estate because their Consciences did testifie unto them that they did unfainedly love and ardently affect all that are godly Now this comfort also Mr. D. denyeth them * Confer p. 9. I do saith he for the present believe that St. John doth principally speak of our assurance whereby we know one another to be the Children of God And Conf. p. 8. He telleth us that it is before man that our love beareth witness to our Faith For he saith that St. Johns meaning is not that a man may know by his love to the Brethren that he himself particularly is in the state of grace but that the faithful in general by means of the love which they professed and shewed one to another were well perswaded one of another and believed by the judgement of charity that they were all the Children of God But this Exposition of his crosseth the main scope and drift or the purpose and intention of the Apostle in writing this Epistle which was to comfort the faithful by shewing them what signes and tokens and particular evidences they had of the forgiveness of their sins and of their salvation by Christ for so he saith Chap. 5.13 These things have I written unto you whereof their love to the Brethren was one that believe on the name of