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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97232	Chonoyterion he Sion. The refinement of Zion: or, The old orthodox Protestant doctrine justified, and defended against several exceptions of the Antinomians, methodically digested into questions, wherein many weighty and important cases of conscience are handled, concerning the nature of faith and repentance, or conversion to God: of his eternal love, and beholding of sin in his dearest children: of justification from eternity, of of [sic] preparations to the acceptance of Christ, of prayer for pardon of sin, and turning to God: of the gospel covenant, aud [sic] tenders of salvation, on the termes of faith and repentance. For the establishment of the scrupulous, conviction of the erroneous, and consolation of distressed consciences. By Anthony Warton, minister of the word at Breamore in Hampshire.	Warton, Anthony.	1657 (1657)	Wing W987; Thomason E914_2; ESTC R207476	171,315	250

that time to w●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 ●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

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

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

to 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

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 Chi●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 Chasti●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