s a conjecture that they came with a may be or as Mr. Cobbet well sayeth a faith grounded upon a possibilitie of Election separated from the Covenant that is secret and the Covenant revealed and so this not election abstracted from that can be the ground of faith Deut. 29.29 and when Christ saith Math. 18.4 10. that little ones Angels behold the face of his Father and the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 1.13 that Angels are Minstring Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For these that shall by heritage or lot injoy salvation It s clear infants have their share of salvation and by Covenant it must be As also the blessed seed is promised to Adam before he have a child and to his seed To Seth Japhet Isaac Jacob Abraham when Cainan Cham Ishmael Esau Abrahams Idolatrous house to David when his brethren are refused and to these as heads of Generations when contrare Generations and the houses of Cainan Cham Ishmael are rejected Hence the house of Israel the seed of Israel the seed of Jacob and there shall be added to the Gentiles Isa. 49. who shall bring in to the Church their sons and their daughters upon their shoulders 22. Isa. 54.1 Sing O barren for moe are the children of the desolate then of the maried wife saith the Lord Isa. 60.4 Lift up thine eyes round about and see all they gather themselves about they shall come to thee thy sons shall come from far and thy sons shall be nourished at thy side Israel marying and Israel according to the flesh is the holy seed Neh. 7.61 Neh. 9.2 the holy seed have mingled with the heathen 1 Chron. 16.13 O ye seed of Israel his servants ye children of Jacob whom he hath chosen be mindfull of his Covenant And this holinesse by externall Covenanting is extended to the Gentiles 1 Cor. 7.14 But now are your children holy and its holinesse the Jews to be called in Rom. 11.16 If the first fruit be holy the lump is also holy and if the root be holy 〈◊〉 also the branches So it is prophecied Isa. 61.9 Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles and their off-spring among the people All that see them shall acknowledge them that they are the seed that the Lord hath blessed 6. But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord holy by Covenant as was Aarons house because in Covenant visibly with God men shall call you the Ministers of our God Ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles and in their glory shall ye boast your selves Isa. 62.2 Thou shalt be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord hath named v. 12. And they shall call them the holy people the Redeemed of the Lord And thou shalt be called Sought out A City not forsaken Isa. 65.22 As the dayes of a tree are the dayes of my people and mine Elect by calling shall long injoy the work of their hands Sure he Prophesies of a visibly Covenanted people under the New Testament For he adds v. 23. They shall not labour in vain nor bring forth in trouble for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their off-spring with them Now to any Godly Reader there is here 1. ◠Prophesie to be fulfilled of the Gentiles brought in as is clear Isai. 6◠1 2 3 4. Christ Luke 4. applyes that Text to himself And 9. Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles Isa. 62.2 The Gentiles shall see thy Righteousnesse And for Chapter 65.1 2 3 4. Paul expounds it of the in-coming of the Gentiles Rom. 9.24.26 Rom. 10.20 Eph. 2.12.13 Rom. 15.20 2. He speaks of a Visible Church and of their seed known among the Gentiles all that see them shall acknowledge them that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed Isa. 5◠9 But they did not see the white Stone the seal of their election and a new Name which none can read but he that receives it Rev. ◠1◠And they see them a seed and off-spring of the Covenanted people of God Isa. 62.12 They shall call them the holy people then they must judge them a Visible Church But a Church of such as are predestinate to glory they cannot see them to be 3. Isai. 55. They are a Visible Church 21. They shall build houses and inhabite them 22. They shall not build and another inhabite They shall not plant and another eat And the reason is 23 Because they are they shall be it s a Prophesie under the New Testament the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their off-spring with them Jer. 23.22 As the Host of Heaven cannot be numbred neither the sand of the sea measured so will I multiply the seed of David What seed The visible seed And the Levits that Minister unto me will I multiply He alludes to the promise made to Abraham of multiplying his seed Gen. 13.15 Gen. 15.5 Gen. 2.17 And this promise made to Abraham saith Calvin belongs to them all and he would have them not to doubt of the restitution of the people to their own Land Now the people and Levits and house of David were never so multiplied in the Jews after the deliverance from Babylon and therefore must be extended to the New Testament And if God establish Davids seed for ever Psal. 89.4 And the seed of his people shall possesse the gates of their enemies Gen. 24.60 And if he powre his Spirit upon the seed of Jacob Isai. 44.3 and Circumcise the heart of the seed of his people Deut. 30.6 and put his words in the mouth of the seed of his people and their seeds seed for ever Isai. 59.21 And the seed of the righteous be blessed on earth Psal. 37.26 not simply because they are a seed for the whole seed of man should be blessed if so but because they are the seed of his servants Psal. 69.36 of the Jews Esther 6.13 the Children of his Servants Psal. 102.28 See Jer. 31.35 35 37. Isa. 6.13 because the seed of Abraham and in the Covenant made with Abraham Exod. 2.24 2 Kings 13.23 Psal. 105.8 9. Psal. 111.5 9. Gen. 17.2 7 9. Lev. 26.42 45. Ezek. 16.60 Luke 1.72 Exod. 6.4 Deut. 8.18 c. Then must the Covenant be established under the New Testament with the Visible seed and if there were an abridging and contracting of this favour to the Elect only it would have been shewed and the Charter of reservation and exception must have been penned in the Old or New Testament 2. Otherwise the seed of all Gentiles called in to Christ by the Preached Gospel must be visibly cursed of God cut off from the people of God separated from the Lord from the Congregation of his people not to the tenth Generation only as the Ammonite the Moabite the Bastard Deut. 23.1 2 3. and Excommunicated out of the Camp as unclean nor should Christians marry or Covenant with them As Deut. 23.14 Lev. 13.43 44 45 46. Deut. 7.1 2 3. Exod.
THE COVENANT OF LIFE OPENED Or A TREATISE of the COVENANT OF GRACE Containing something of And especially of The nature of the Covenant of Works The Soveraignty of GOD The extent of the death of CHRIST The nature properties of the Covenant of Grace The Covenant of Suretyship or Redemption between the LORD and the Son JESUS CHRIST Infants right to JESUS CHRIST and the Seal of Baptisme With some Practicall Questions and Observations By SAMUEL RUTHERFURD Professor of Divinitie in the University of S. Andrews ZECH. 6.12 And speak unto him saying Thus speaketh the LORD of Hosts saying Behold the Man whose Name is the BRANCH and he shall grow out of his place and He shall build the Temple of the LORD 13. Even He shall build the Temple of the LORD and He shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon His Throne c. EDINBVRGH Printed by Andro Anderson for Robert Broun and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Sun ANNO 1655. CHRISTIAN READER MAny have written to the edifying of the Godly of this excellent Subject It s not much I can do in this but have added some thoughts to what is said intending a more Practicall way of the last Points in another Treatise to wit of the application of Covenant-Promises and of the influences of the Spirit under the Covenant of Grace of which especially of the latter of these two few have practically written And it is of much concernment to make ouâ— the Union of our Duty and the breathings of the LORD and what can be done under deadnesse to either fetch the wind or to be put in a spirituall condition that the soul â—ay ly fair for the receiving of the influences of GOD. I desire in this to speak for Truth not either for or against persons of whom I am silent concealing the names of any Contradicent judging Truth so much the more desirable when it may possibly be had with peace and as little blowing or stirring of the fire of contradiction as can be What is here said in a way of Disputing the Moderate Reader who is not taken with that way may passe by and read what is practicall The Author hath been lest Truth should suffer by him a little darkned as report bears with the name I know not what of a Protester as one who hath deserted the Government and Discipline of the Church of GOD in SCOTLAND But my humble thoughts are the same they were before though I can adde nothing to the Truth I look on these men the world so names Protesters Schismaticks Separatists as sinfull men who stand in need of a Saviour and as such as desire to fear GOD and love His Name and would gladly have our practise and walk come a little more near to the Rule of the Gospel and that our Land might mourn for all the abominations committed therein which I desire to be spoken without any reflection upon any of the Godly in the Land who in that point are of another Judgement It is my desire to the LORD that he would let us hear experienced by the reality of that Thus saith the LORD As the new wine is found in the cluster and one saith Destroy it not for a blessing is in it so will I do for my servants sake that I may not destroy them all The LORD JESUS be with your Spirit Yours in the Lord Jesus S. R. Contents of the I. PART CHAP. I. and II. THe four particulars of the Treatise pag. 1. Propositions touching ADAMS state p. 1 2. ADAM was predestinate to life eternall in Christ and how pag. 2. CHAP. III. What is the intent and sense of the threatning Gen. 2.17 and Gen. 3.20 Dust thou art c. p. 3 4 5. Threatnings of the Law reveal what the Law-giver may jure inflict by justice and Law deserving not what shall come to passe p. 4. Except it be both a threatning and a Prophesie p. 5. What is carnall security ibid. What Adam was to believe in that threatning p. 5 6. How the promises and the threatnings differ in this p. 7. How Law threatnings to the Elect are Evangelick p. 8. CHAP. IV. The Elect before Conversion bear no part of the Law-curse nor is the Law-curse devided between them and Christ. p. 10.11 Faith is too near to be made a cause of satisfaction for sin by all who hold that Christ gave a satisfactory ransome for all and every one of mankind p. 11. Accepting or not accepting satisfaction is before faith and so believing or not believing can be no ground of the sufficiencie of the price payed for the Reprobate or of the laying of the sins of all upon Christ. p. 11 12 13 God may accept the satisfaction of Christ without any condition required on our part p. 13. CHAP. V. God intended a Law-dispensation but for a time 2. Adam how he was ordained for a Law life 3. How predestinate to Glory how not 4. That the heathens have no more universall grace then Divels 5. No ground for such grace p. 13 14 15. CHAP. VI. It was condiscension in the Lord to enter in Covenant with man 2. Temptâ—tions in fearing we are not chosen discovered 3. Beings and not-beings are debtors to God 4. Self denyall required in sinlesse nature as in sinfull 5. Man considered three wayes How faith layes hold upon conditionall promises and temptations of unbelief thereabout p 16 17. Oâ— the Covenant of nature p. 18 19 20. CHAP. VII It s not written in the heart of man by nature that God should promise life Eternall to man upon condition of obedience 2. The debt of justice cannot ty God 3. God punisheth not sin by necessitie of nature 4. Nor defends he his own declarative Glory by necessitie of nature 5. Nothing can be given to God All sufficient 6. No meriting of the creature 7. We are to have humble thoughts of free-Grace 8. Low thoughts of our selves 9. Promises make no strict justice between the Lord and us p. 20 21. God falls in no sort from his naturall dominion though he impose not penal Laws upon the reasonable creature p. 25 26. God loves his essentiall Glory by necessity of nature but not his declarative Glory by any such necessity p. 28 29 30. In every Covenant there is some out goings of Grace p. 35. The passage 1 Chron. 29.11 12. cleared and why none can give to God p. 37 38. Our vain boasting of self my and such proud pronoumes p. 39 40. How excellent to obey p. 45. Sanctified reason is not soft p. 45 46. How near are wee to justification by Works and to be sick of love for proud I. p. 46 47. CHAP. VIII What place death hath in the Covenant 2. What Reprobates and the damned are to do p. 47 48. What Adam was to do in the intervall between the fall and the publishing of the Gospel p. 48. How the Lord is Adams God p. 49. What life is
by the payer no more a satisfaction for that man nor for Devils Is too near to the nature and to being a part of the satisfaction If one pay a summe that fully exhausts the debt of such a broken man upon condition the broken man say Amen to the paying thereof otherwise it shall be as not payed he must take up the summe again if the broken man refuse to say Amen to it for if he take it not up again but it be payed and fully satisfie for and exhaust the debt the mans debt is payed and the Creditor in justice cannot exact one farthing from the broken man Now nothing given to the Justice of God by way of satisfaction for the sins of unbeleevers was ever repeated or taken back again by Christ. Nay but say they the ransome was not payed at all for Judas but only upon condition that he beleeve but he never beleeved and therefore it was never payed for Judas Answ. This is that we say that Christ gave no reall ransome at all for the sins of Judas by way of satisfaction But they say that there is as well a ransome payed for all the sins of Iudas finall unbeleef excepted to free him in justice from eternall stroaks as for all the sins of Peter to free him only it is not accepted of by the Creditor because Judas by faith assented not unto the bargain But assenting or not assenting accepting or not accepting that are posterior to the payment are nothing up or down to the compleatnesse and perfection of the satisfaction made for the exhausting of Justice for Justice receives not two satisfactions or ransomes for Judas one upon the Crosse from Christ another in Hell from Iudas yea and it must follow that reall payment was made to Justice for all the sins of Iudas upon the Crosse and that he suffers for none of them in Hell but for only finall unbeleef which is no sin against the Covenant of Works and the Justice thereof but only and formally against the Covenant of Grace so that as yet satisfying of Divine Justice for sins must be halfed and parted between Christ and Iudas which the Scripture teaches not Also the Father either accepts the ransome of Christ because it is intrinsecally and of it self sufficiently satisfactory or because Iudas does beleeve it is so The latter cannot be said for beleeving adds nothing to the intrinsecall sufficiency of the satisfaction as not believing diminishes nothing from the sufficiency thereof Yea and so the Fathers formall reason of accepting of the satisfaction of Christ must be terminated upon our poor act of believing whereas the formal ground of the acceptation thereof is the intrinsecall excellency and worth of the Sacrifice being an offering of a sweet smelling savour to God Eph. 5.2 And because he offered the ransome of the blood of God-man of the Prince of life Act. 20.28 1 Cor. 2.8 and offered himself to God Eph. 5.25 26. Heb. 9.14 Mat. 20.28 1 Tim. 2.6 Rev. 1.5 nor is there any sufficiency in his death from the worth of beleeving And the reason why he accepts it for Peter not for another is the election of grace It is true the blood is a price refuseable but it is this way refuseable because the Lord might have followed a Law-way with Adam and all his sons and have denyed to give his Son a Ransome for us but it is not refuseable because of any insufficiency in the Ransome Now faith is to satisfaction as the approximation of and the laying on of dry fewell to the fire which is only a condition of burning but the fire is the formall cause of burning Yea if we speak properly faith is not so much as a condition without the which offended Justice is not satisfied nor is it a condition by any Scripture of the world without the which God laid not our iniquities on Christ for whether we beleeve or not God laid our iniquities upon him and made him sin for us Isa. 53.6 2 Cor. 5.21 Therefore by necessity of Justice he must accept that Ransome intrinsecally so sufficient which did restore more glory to God then the sins of all for whom Christ died took from him Nor is it imaginable to say that any act of obedience or beleeving can perfect the satisfaction of Christ and make it sufficient yea or causatively make it ours For God by no necessity of Justice but of his own free pleasure requireth faith as a condition of our actuall reconciliation for beside that he might have required any other act of obedience as love he might have accepted the Ransome without inquiring any act of obedience on our part as the Lord bestowed a calme Sea and deliverance from shipwrack upon the Idolatrous Sea-men upon the very act of casting Ionah in the Sea without the intervention of any saving faith on their part As a gracious Prince may send a pardon to free a condemned Malefactor from death and may command that it be valid in Law for him without the mans knowledge and far more without his acceptance thereof upon his knees especially since by a speciall paction between the Father and the Son he restored abundantly more Glory to God by suffering for all for whom he died then they took from God by their sins and that restitution was made to Justice without the interveening of any act of the creatures obedience But the truth is it is much to be doubted whether they who hold such a satisfaction to be given of God for the sins of all Elect and Reprobate but so as it shall not be valid in Law nor effectuall to quiet Justice but they must all suffer eternall vengeance and perform personall satisfaction in Hell to Justice except there interveen an act of obedience of the creature to make it effectuall do really and sincerely acknowledge against Socinians a reall satisfaction and compensation made to offended Justice by Christ For how is it reall and not rather scenicall and formall which may and should be null and in vain if the creature make it not reall by beleeving And especially if God out of his grace which is absolutely free work in us the condition of beleeving Can God give his Son as a Ransome for us upon condition that we beleeve if he himself absolutely work the condition in us They will not admit this CHAP. V. God intended a Law-dispensation but for a time 2. Adam how he was ordained for a Law-life 3. How predestinated to Glory in Christ how not 4. That the Heathens have no more Universall Grace then Devils 5. No ground for such grace IT is apparent that God intended not a Law-dispensation in Paradise to stand for ever For 1. nothing is spoken of Adam after the fall but of his procreating of children of the Patriarchs of Adams dying and of his actings before the fall the place of Paradice being scarce well known which sayes the Lord had a farther design to lay aside
the Lord had followed Adams obedience with no reward at all For man as a creature owes himself to God and as sweetly and pithily Anselme saith as a redeemed one I owe my self and more then my self to thee because thou gave thy self who art so farre more then my self for me and thou promises thy self to me Now God who is more and greater then Adam promised himself to be enjoyed by Adam if he should continue in obedience For what can the highest goodnesse sayeth he give to one that loves it but it self 3. If God of justice give Adam life Adam might compell God to pay what he oweth him else he should be unjust But the creature can lay no necessitie on the Creator either to work without himself nor can he cause him to will 4. The proper work of merite saith great Bradwardine and of him that works must go before the wages in time or in order of nature And if the worker receive its operation and working for wadge from God first and by his vertue and help continue in operation and working he cannot condignely merit at the hand of God but is rather more in Gods debt after his working then before his working because he bountifullie receives more good from God then before especially because he gives nothing proper of his own to God but gives to God his own good But no man first acts for God for God is the first actor and mover in every action and motion As that saith Who gave first to the Lord and it shall be recompensed him 5. If this was yesterday just that life eternall is due to Adam for his work before God made it just and due then from Eternitie and before any decree of God it was just and due Certainlie God upon the same reason was debtour to make such a Covenant that was just before he made it just And this is no Covenant of God for God not making the justice of the Covenant and the juâ—t connexion between work and wadge he cannot be the Author of the Covenant But neither is Adam the Author of the justice nor of the just Covenant Upon the same ground it was then an everlasting justice without and before God from Eternitie Non datur justum prius primo justo 6. If God did more for Adam then he can recompence God for it as the Father hath done to the Son then he could not merit at the hand of God But God did more to Adam in giving to him being faculties mind will affections power habites his blessed Image then Adam can never be in a condition in which he can recompence God or give him more annuall and usurie in his acting of obedience then the stock was he received in proportion As the Son can never give the Father in recompence so much or the captive ransomed from death can never give to his ransome payer who bought him so much as the one and the other shall no more be under an obligation and debt of love and service to father and ransomer then to a stranger that they never knew Nor could Adam thus be freed of God so as he should be owing nothing to him If any say God may freely forgive all this obligation and debt To which Bradwardine Answers well 1. The forgiving of the debt when the debtor hath nothing to pay is a greater debt taken on 2. God saith he may forgive so in regard of actuall obligation that he is not oblidged ad aliquid faciendum sub poena peccati to do any thing under the pain or punishment of sin as the hireling is obleiged to work when he hath made a Covenant to work and so we are not oblidged to do as much as we can for God But in regard of habituall obligation God cannot forgive the debt that the reasonable creature owes to God for so he might dispence with this that the reasonable creature owe no obedience to God suppose he should command it which is impossible They seeme therefore with eyes of flesh to look upon God who say that God by necessitie of justice must punish sin yea that the most High cannot be God except he punish sin and that he should not be God if all his Lawes imposed upon men were only promissorie and void of all threatnings What could not God have said eat not of the tree of knowledge for if ye eat not your obedience shall be rewarded with life eternall and no more might he not have laid aside all threatning What Scripture or reason teacheth to say that God if he create a reasonable creature and under a morall dependencie which it hath and must have of God then must God by necessitie of nature punish the sinner yea so as if he punish not he should not be God nor just but must fall from his naturall dominion except he make penall laws and so he should not be God except he say to Adam if thou eat thou shalt die or shalt be punished for eating but this is not proven by one word except this the reasonable creature is not nor cannot be subject to God Creator except God punish the sinner But that is denyed Adam should have had a Morall dependance upon God and God should have been God and essentially just if sin had never come into the World and if God had kept Adam under a Morall Law as he did the Elect Angels who never felt or knew the fruit of a Morall Law broken and transgressed And God if he imposed any penall Law upon the Elect Angels as penall which shall be an hard work to prove yet had a naturall dominion over the Elect Angels and suppose no Law but only a rewarding and remunerative Law had been over their heads should God be no God in that case and if any deny that God hath a perfect dominion over the Elect Angels he is not worthy to be refuted 2. Shew me in all the Old or New Testament any penall Law of active obediencâ— as penall imposed upon the man Christ or where is it written If the Man Christ sin he shall eternally die I tremble at such expressions Is the Lord therefore not the Lord and hath the Lord fallen from his naturall dominion over his Son the Man Christ Or 3 will any man deny but the Lord might justly have laid upon all men and upon the Elect Angels a Law only remunerative not penall at all a Law only with the promise of a reward and void of all threatning of death first or second or any other punishment and yet he should have been the Lord and had a naturall dominion over Angels the Man Christ and all mankind 3 Suppose the Lord had never imposed the Law penall forbidding the sin against the Holy Ghost upon the Elect beleevers nor any other penall Law but by vertue of the most sufficient ransome of the Blood of God payed for man he had made them now after the fall as the
Creation and so God shall be a naturall agent in all his works without himself not a free agent in Creating and Redeeming 4. The Scripture sayes he works all things according to the counsell of his will for his Glory and therefore he intends not his own declarative Glory as he loves himself For by necessitie of nature he loves himself and cannot but love himself But he might if so it had pleased him never have intended to shew forth his own Glory and does not show it forth by necessitie of nature as he loves himself Yea he might never have created the world never have acted without himself For he was sufficient within himself and stood in need of no declarative Glory Gen. 17.1 Acts 17.25 5. Yea if by necessitie of Justice God cannot but punish sin especially this justice shall cary him to follow the Law of Works without any Gospel moderation which is that the same person that sins and the same soul Ezek. 18. and no other should die for sin for all these Thou shalt destroy all the workers of iniquitie Thou art of purer eyes then that thou can behold iniquitie and the like are expressions of a pure legall proceeding in the Lord against such as are out of Christ under the Law not under the Gospel to wit the workers of iniquity whom the Lord in justice shall punish in their person not in their surety And if there be such a connexion objective ex naturâ rei between sin and punishment it must be between punishment and the very person and none other but the same that sinned For among men this is justice Noxa sequitur caput so that by necessitie of nature God shall not be God nor essentially just if he punish not eternally Adam and all mankinde in their own persons and so by necessitie of justice he cannot punish Christ And it cannot be denyed but there is a dispensation of free Grace and that it is no act of Justice but of Grace that God make Christ sin i. e. a sacrifice for sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 And that the Lord laid upon him the iniquities of us all Isa. 53.6 and made him our surety Nor let any man object how could God make Christ a propitiation for sin to declare his righteousnesse Or how could such justice by that action be debarred since justice did not exact such an action If without violation of justice it might have been omitted if God should have been infinitely just from Eternitie if he had done no such thing Shall a Prince get himself glory in the name of justice by doing that which by his absolute Soveraignety he may leave undone without hurt of justice It is Answered this is to measure God by mortall men Shall an earthly father freely for no reall good to himself beget hundreds of children when he needs not and yet he foresees the largest number of them shall perish eternally and the eldest must die and be made a curse to save the rest The Lord punished Christ for us to declare the glory of his Justice in punishing sin in his own Son who was the sinner by imputation for out of the depth of infinite wisedome the Lord freely imposes a law upon his creatures He might have imposed no such law under such a punishment By no necessity of nature did the Lord threaten death for the eating the fruit of that tree prove that God should not have been God except he had threatned death for the eating of that fruit and except he had punished that eating with death either to be inflicted upon the eater or his surety Quid haeres Prove that by the Word of God it is sin to eat when God forbids but the Lords soul hates sin True but does the Lords soul hate sin naturally as he loves himself and by necessity of his essentiall justice as contradistinguished from his immutabilitie and his truth and faithfulnesse according to which attributes he decreed and said that the soul that sins shall die and he that eats shall die and he cannot change nor alter what he hath decreed and cannot but be true in his threatnings But the Question is whether laying aside the respect of Gods unchangeablenesse and truth there be such a connexion internall between eating and dying or between eating forbidden of God and punishment as God cannot be equally and essentially just nor can he be God except he punish forbidden eating for sure eating of that fruit is not of its nature sin but it is sin from the only forbidding will of God for the Lord had been no lesse essentially just had he commanded Adam to eat of the Tree of Knowledge Ergo it is punished from the forbidding will of God for say that to be punishable or to be punished be essentiall to sin if eating of such fruit be sin from the forbidding will of God the essence thereof must be from the same forbidding will then must it follow that God hates not all sin by necessity of nature And that he hates such eating only conditionally if he forbid it but 〈◊〉 from his meer free will did forbid it So the Question shall not be whether God in justice punished Christ and made him a propitiation to declare his justice but what the relative justice ad extra is by which God punisheth sin and whether God should leave off to be God hallowed be his high Name if he should not make first penall Laws to threaten all sin with punishment 2. Whether he should not be God if he should not punish all sin even the eating of the forbidden tree 3. What can be said that is more weak and watrie to enervat the glory of free Grace then to confound the Glory of Gods Justice in giving Christ to die for sinners and this glory as manifested and declared For sure the manifestation of that glory is a work of free Grace and most free if God do any thing freely he must freely and by no necessity of Justice Mercy Omnipotency Patience Grace c. manifest the glory of all these to men and Angels and these attributes and the internall splendor beauty or to speak so the fundamentall glory of all the attributes of God is essentiall to God and his very Nature And they deny the Lord who teach that any attributes or such glory are in God freely or contingently if I durst so speak for then might we say these may go and come ebbe and flow in the Lord and he should be God though Mercy Omnipotency Gloriousnesse Graciousnesse were now and then wanting in him as he punishes not alway◠and yet he is eternally just he saves not alwayes and yet he is eternally mighty to save and abundant in compassions but as to the manifestation of Power Mercy Justice that is freely in God He sent his Son and gave his Son to death for us out of love Iohn 3.16 But it is against common sense to infer Ergo God sent
his Son by necessity of love and mercy and free Grace So that he should not have been infinitly loving mercifull gracious if he had never sent him And it is as poor Logick to say because of grace and free-love he sent his Son and so might not have sent him as to say he loved where there was no need it is in vain to shew the glory of Justice saith the Author when God can take away sin out of free-pleasure and why should he expose his Son to shame death and a curse whereas he might have taken away sin freely because it is his pleasure This is the very thing that Socinians say there is no need of blood and satisfaction by blood if God out of his absolute Soveraignty can take sin away without blood and so there was no need of reall satisfaction This is against the Holy Ghost and we may hear it All the Scriptures cryes that out of free grace the Lord sent his Son and delivered him to death By the grace of God He tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 Shall we infer there was then no necessity that he should die It is safest to say the only wise God decreed that sin should be 2. That the glory of his Justice should appear in taking away sin not in our way but in the way of God to wit in a way of justice of mercy of free grace in incomparable love of mighty power and in all these so acts the Lord as he should not leave off to be the Lord but acts most freely though he had not taken that course But far be it from the godly not to adore him in this as the admirable way beyond the thoughts of men and Angels It were safest to draw holy practises by way of use from this In all pactions between the Lord and man even in a Law-Conant there is some out-breakings of Grace It s true there was no Gospel-Grace that is a fruit of Christs merite in this Covenant But yet if grace be taken for undeserved goodnesse There are these respects of grace 1. That God might have given to Adam something inferiour to the glorious Image of God that consists in true righteousnesse knowledge of God and holinesse Gen 1.26 Eph. 4.24 Col. 3.10 It was a rich enough stock this holy Image to be so badly guided And who looks spiritually to their receipts It s either too much of grace and holinesse that another hath and too little that I have so arises virtuall sighing and grudging at the dispensation Or 2. a swelling that it is so much as if it were not receiving I am holier then thou Isa. 65.5 a miskenning of him that makes me to differ 1 Cor. 4.7 A blecking of others Luk. 18.11 A secret quarrelling at God as too strick and hard in his reckoning Mat. 25.24 And what pride is this because I am a meer patient under gifted holinesse to usurpe it as mine own As if a horse should kick and fling because he wears a borrowed sadle of silk for a day 2. Being and dominion over the creatures is of undeserved goodnesse Who looks to a borrowed body and a borrowed soul yea and to self and to that which is called I as to a thing that is freely gifted So that though thou be in an high opinion of self self is self and what it is from God And when thou rides whence is it that I am the rider and the wearied horse the carrier but from God 3. The Covenant of Works it self that God out of Soveraignty does not command is undeserved condescending that God bargains for hire do this and live whereas he may bide a Soveraign Law-giver and charge and command us is overcoming goodnesse Law is honeyed with love and hire it is mercy that for our penny of obedience so rich a wadge as communion with God is given 4. The influences to acts of obedience come under a twofold consideration 1. As congruous and suitable concurrences of God to Adams acts of obedience And so they were free gifts to Adam not promised as we shall hear in the New Covenant 2. As such influences by which the standing Elect Angels who were under this Covenant as well as Adam were differenced from the Angels that fell and were confirmed that they should not fall in this latter respect Absolute Soveraignty shines in Adams fall so if a Sparrow cannot stir its wing without God Mat. 10.29 nor a hair fall from our head ver 30. far lesse could Adam fall and all his without a singular providence And farre lesse could Adam go on and act without influences from God And if strong Adam and upright created in holinesse could not then stand his alone Shall our clay legs now under the fall bear us up What Godly trembling is required in us 5. The gift of Prophesie Gen. 2.23 seems to be freely given besides the Image of God and Adams knowledge Gen. 2.19 of every living creature according to their nature may be proven but it appears to be naturall and he is a lamentable example to us of abusing the Image of God and good gifts But no habite without the continued actings of God can keep us in a course of obedience There is no ground to make habits of grace our confidence 3. There can be no giving and taking between the creature and the Creator Elihu pleads well for him Job 35.7 If thou be righteous what gives thou to him Or what receiveth he of thy hand v. 1. Thy wickednesse may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousnesse may profite the Son of man Job 22.2 Can a man be profitable unto God as he that is wise may be profitable to himself Is it pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous Or is it a gain to him that thou makest thy wayes perfect So Eliphaz And David Psal. 16.2 My goodnesse extendeth not to thee Acts 17.25 Neither is the Lord worshipped with mens hands nor with their spirits as if he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all life breath and all things What then is the glory of the creatures obedience to him It is some shining of the excellency of God upon men and Angels from the works of God and our obedience to him But suppose there were no creature to pay the rent of this glory to him is the Lord a loser therefore Hath he need of our songs of glory Or that creatures should be Heraulds of his praise Or needs he the workmanship or structure of Heaven Sun and Moon to be a Printed Book to spell and sound his glory If he need not the Book as he needeth nothing created Who sayeth I am the Lord Al-sufficient he needs not one letter nor any sense of the Contents of the Chapters of that Book There is a secret carnall notion of God in us when we act and suffer for God that brings a false peace and some calmes of mind
we have pleased him once and beside that peace a scumme and a froath smoakes up unsensible in the heart we are profitable to God it would be the worse with him if he wanted our prayers and service but had the Lord any missing of Heaven and of Angels and Men in these infinite and innumerable ages of duration that went before any created being When he was upon these infinite and self-delighting thoughts solacing himself in that infinite substantial fairenesse and love his Son Christ Prov. 8.89.30 2. You can give nothing to God Creator of all but it must be either an uncreated God-head but he who perfectly possesseth himself will not thank you for that or your gift most be a created thing But how wide is his universall dominion can you give to one that of which he was absolute Lord before all the Roses are his all the Vineyards all the Mountains he is the owner of the South and the North of the East and the West and infinite millions of possible Worlds beyond what Angels and all Angels can number for eternitie of ages are in the bosome of his vaste Omnipotencie He can create them if hee will And what ye give to another it was out of his dominion but all things are in his dominion for who spoiled him of what he had David blessed the Lord when the people gave for the Temple excusing himself and the people that they took on them to give to the great Lord-giver 1 Chro. 29.11 Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glorie and the victorie and the majestie for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine thine is the Kingdome O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all vers 12. Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest and in thy hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all 14. But who am I and what is my people that we should be able so willingly to offer after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee Hence none can give to Gd. 1. Because he is JEHOVAH the Eternall God then he gives all and nothing can be given to him 2. Because of the greatnesse and infinitenesse of God Giving is an adding to him to whom we give But nothing can be added to him for thine is the greatnesse the power and the majestie 3. Nothing can be given to him who is universall and full Lord and Possessour of heaven and earth and all things therein for all that is in the heaven c are thine 4. Nothing can be given to him who is so Lord that he is exalted as Head Prince and King above all created Kings and their dominions over their own 5. But all the goods of the Subjects are the Princes or the Commonwealths The Jurists distinguish as the Schoolman Theod. Smising Tom. 1. de Deo tractat 3. disp 4. q. 5. fig. 65. a two-fold jus jus altum jus bassum The Prince and Commonwealth have a sort of eminent right to the goods of the Subjects to dispose of them for the publick good as they may demolish a castle belonging to a private man in the frontiers of the enemies land because it hurts the country and may be better made use of by enemies against them for the countrey And they may compell him to sell it but this hinders not but every Subject hath a dominion and right to his own goods to use them at his pleasure which the Prince cannot do Ahab the King hath no right nor dominion over the vineyard of Naboth to compell him to sell it or give it against his will to his Prince For the earthly Prince nay the man himself the just Proprietor before men cannot bear that so as it may be said of God vers 12 both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all For God created the being of gold and of every thing that we can give to God which no earthly Prince can do 6. Nothing can be given to him in whose hand is power and might and to make great and to give strength For 1. Riches and things we give are of him 2. Power might and strength to give either Physicall to bear a burden to his house Or 2 Morall a willing mind and heart to give is in his hand Or 3. A mixt power the being of the act of giving is his v. 7. Of thine own we give thee Can we give to any that which is his own already Can ye give to a Crowned King over such a Kingdome his own Crown Can ye give to the righteous owner of his own lands his own Garden and his own vineyard in gift but every being created is the Lords 8. Saith David v. 15. We are strangers before thee and sojourners as all our fathers were And that saith the Lord is the only Heritor and we but Tennents at will and strangers both fathers and sons though for five hundreth or a thousand years fathers and sons have lineally and in heritage before men possessed such lands yet before thee saith he we and our fathers have but Tennent-right and are strangers from thee And what can a meer stranger to life and being give to the just Heritor and Lord of life and being 9. And our dayes saith David on the earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding life and being is a shadow of being and God is the only first excellent being and suppose we should give life and being to and for him it is but a borrowed shadow that we give him And we are not lords of our own being we have not absolute right over our selves to give our selves to him If Doâ—g will not give himself to God and act for God Psal. 51.2 God shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the land of the living Job 27.21 the east wind of God carrieth him away and as a storm hurleth him out of his place Ye shall bestow life and being worse then upon God God shall make morter of thee O fool who makes a god of borrowed I great I and poor Nothing-self Nay if there be a Pronoun in thee O let it be this Oh if my separation from Christ and the blotting â—f my name out of the Book of Life and my heaven might be a footâ—tool to heighten the glory the high glory of the Lord in the salvaâ—ion of many 2. This Pronoun self and mine is a proud usurper against God Was he not an Atheist or a churle and his name folly who said 1 Sam. 25.11 and breathed out so many my's Shall I take my bread and my waters and my flesh which I killed for my hearers and give it to men whom I know not whence they be And he was as madde a fool who thus speaks Isa. 10.13 By the strength of my hand have I done it and by my wisdom
for I am â—rudent I removed the bounds of the people 14. And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people and as one gathereth â—ggs that are left so have I gathered all the earth and there was â—one that moved the wing or opened the mouth or peeped This 〈◊〉 the fool-axe boasting against him that heweth with it And anoâ—her fool said Make an agreement with me by a present and come out to me Isa. 36.16 And this mad-nothing is above God chap. 37.10 Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee The Tyrant of Egypt the great Dragon that lyeth in the midst of the river said My river is mine own and I have made it for my self Ezek. 29.3 God made the Sea and all the Rivers There be three Pronouns in the mouth of another proud Monarch Dan. 4.30 And the King spake and said Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdom by the might of my power and the honour of my Majesty So soon as there falls from the great Lord of being a chip or shadow of created being especially where being is rationall and under a Law there follows and results the Lord withdrawing a proud supposed I and a vain conceit of self and a dream of God-head comes in with borrowed being And therefore created sinlesse self is to be denyed Adam denyed not himself and thought in his sick imagination he should be like God knowing good and evill Gen. 3. Christ the more excellent Adam pleased not that noble self Rom. 15.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He denyed himself as man as a gracious meer man to be God or more then a man And this self-deniall is in elect Angels who blush and are sinlesly ashâ—med of self and cover their faces with wings before shining Infinitnesse of Glory and proclaim him thrice Holy holy holy Isa. 6.2 3. And who knowes not we owne grace as our own my prayers my faith my holiness my tears as if grace had a relish from self not from God but Paul 1 Cor. 15.10 Not I but the grace of God not my grace in me that was with me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. But is there no paction between GOD and the creature Surely we must say that the covenant between GOD and Adam is of another nature yea and promises also then these that are between man and man for there is proper giving and taking betwixt the creature 2. The proper covenants between man and man require that both parties be free and independent one of another there may interveen a jus a right and a debt upon the promissor to him to whom the promise is made Omne promissum ex ore fideli cadit in debitum Jurists say there is no proper binding Covenants between the father and the son the lord and the servant for the son and the servant are not lords of themselves nor sui juris The father by no paction can remove the foundation of the debt of nature that the son oweth to the father for impossible it is but if such a man be son to such a man but he owe to his father as to an instrument quod sit vivat being and living and the son can not satisfie by paying the father for that summe and the father can not cancell the band nor give him an acquittance Far lesse can any recompence the Lord for life and being The fallen Angels and damned in hell and all wicked men are in the Lords Compt-book everlasting debters to him for being But God who is more then a Father to whom men are but painted fathers may thus farre loose the bond as he may command the son to sacrifice the father as well as once he commanded the father Abraham to offer up his son to God But God cannot resigne his right that he hath over the creature to a creature because he cannot leave off to be Creator and so cannot lay aside or make over Creator-right jus Creatoris to any 2. Say that a creature had a jus or right over the Creator it is either an uncreated right or a created right so to pursue God by Law as to cause him do him justice it cannot be an uncreated right for that were near to blasphemie For no created head can bear the royall Crown of the King of Ages If it be a created right this created right must be under the dominion of him who is universall Lord of all then may the Lord make use of it at his pleasure then may not the man make use of it at his pleasure for an absolute dominion of one and the same thing cannot be in the hands of two absolute Lords who may have contradictory desires concerning the same thing such as the holy Lord and sinfull men often are Let us correct the bold pleadings and the daring charges that our vain hearts put upon the Lord Why dost thou strive against him saith Elihu Job 33.13 for he gives not account of any of his matters Men dare say when they are under the vengeance of ordinary sufferings The wayes of the Lord are not equal Ezek. 33.10 If our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them how shall we then live But upon whom should sins and transgressions and the punishment thereof be if not upon the carcases of the Authors Will ye raise letters to summond him Where is the judge Where is the Tribunall But he promised so and so But this is not the Question of strict justice that saith something against the veracity and faithfulnesse of God but nothing against the justice But neither doth a promise as a promise raise a plea of unjustice against the holy and glorious Lord suppose he should not fulfill his promise For 1. A paction by promise creats no equality of justice between thing and thing between wage and work otherwise he that is called to the Vineyard and labours from the third hour hath a just plea for he should have more wages then a penny which he gets who labours but one hour But the Lord makes not the equality or proportion between much labouring for many hours and the quantity and degree of the wage his râ—le But the Lord pleads the free Covenant for his standing rule Mat. 20.13 Friend I do thee no worng didst thou not agree with me for a penny And vers 15. Is it not lawfull for me to do what I will with mine own Hence read our sickly queroulus nature 1. Naturally we argue from much working and would conclude God much running long sweaâ—ing and pains in keeping the Covenant of Works should binde God except he be unjust to give me as many ounces and pound weights of Glory everlasting as I have fasted moments and told over prayers upon beads and uttered sighs Wherefore have we fasted and thou seesâ— not We work and keep the Covenant of Works but God payes us not our wage Though
separate not the Word and the Spirit the Father of Spirits loves to work with his own tools and sow with his own seed the Word of God these three agree in one 1. The Spirit acting 2. The habite of Grace acted upon by the Spirit who blows away the ashes and 3. The word of exhortation nor doe we extoll dead letters and livelesse formes as Libertines say for we take in with the letter the quickning sense and convincing meaning of the Word and its considerable that the Spirit drawes sweetly after him the nature faculties of will minde and affections and they need no other allurement but the Word the Spirit and the new nature But when they barbarouslie slew their children and made them passe through the fire they must put out of their ears and hearts the crying and howling of the murthered Babies with the noise of the beatting of drums nature serves the Divell often weeping and Sathan deadenes nature Grace so mortifies as the consent of delegation goes alone Psal. 1.2 Psal. 119.72.97 CHAP. XIII There are two sorts of Covenanting on externall professed visible conditionall another internall reall absolute and the differences betwixt them 2. Infants externally in Covenant under the New Testament 3. Some Questions touching infants PErsons are two wayes in Covenant with God externally by Visible profession and conditionally not in reference to the Covenant but to the thing promised in Covenant which none obtains but such as fulfill the condition of the Covenant For consent of parties promise and restipulation whether expresse by word of mouth Deut. 5.27 We will hear and do Josh. 24.24 And the people said unto Joshua the Lord our God will we serve and his voice will we obey Or yet tacit and implicit by profession I will be thy God and the God of thy seed makes parties in Covenant The keeping or breaking of the Covenant must then be extrinsecall to ones being confederate with God And 2. Infants born of Covenanted Parents are in Covenant with God because they are born of such Parents as are in Covenant with God Gen. 17.7 I will be a God to thy seed after thee 2. The Covenant choise on Gods part is extended to the seed Deut. 4.37 And because he loved thy Fathers therefore he choise their seed after them Deut. 10.15 Only the Lord had a delight in thy Fathers to love them and he choise their seed after them even you Fathers and Children above all people as it is this day And the Covenant choise of seed is extended to the seed in the New Testament Act. 2.39 For to you and to your children is the promise made He speaks in the very tearms and words of the Covenant Gen. 17.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one of you be baptized he saith not every one of you old and young Parents and Children repent For that command of Repentance is given only personally to them who moved the Question What shall we do Men and Brethren 37. For we are under great wrath and crucified the Lord of Glory The Answer is you aged Repent 39. True But ah we prayed his blood be upon us and our Children He Answers to that every one of you be baptized Why that must be every one of you who are cōmanded to repent No. It must be every one of you to whom the promise is made but the promise is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Observe the very two Pronouns that are Gen. 17.7 Deu. 4.37 Deut. 10.15 to thee and thy seed To you and your seed and children Now the Answer had been most impertinent if he had mentioned their children except in order to their Baptism and their being in Covenant For 1. their Children crucified not the Lord Jesus Nay by Anabaptists grounds their Children not being visibly in Covenant with their Parents and not capable of actuall hearing the Word of actuall mourning for and repenting of their sins as Zech. 12.10 Mat. 3.8 9 10. they were not concerned either in the evill of their Parents who crucified the Lord of Glory nor in the good of their Repentance more then stones So that every one of you be baptized for the promise is to you and to your Children should be impertinent and also false for Covenant promises are no more made to Children then to stones say the opposites of Infant Baptism Yea also as the Lord in the Old Testament calls Israel his people My people old and young Saul shall be Captain of my people David shall feed my people old and young and shall punish with the sword the murthering of Infants 2. Because he choise with a Covenant choise the Jews and their seed Deut. 4.37 Deut. 10.15 Gen. 17.7 then he must be the God of their seed But he choiseth with a Covenant choise and calling all the Nations Isa. 2.2 3. All the kindreds of the earth under the New Testament Psal. 22.27 All Egypt and Assyria under the New Testament Blessed be Egypt my people and Assyria the work of my hand Isa. 19.29 All the Kingdomes of the world are the Lords and his Sons and he reigns in them by his Word and Gospel as the seventh Angel soundeth Revel 11.15 All the Gentiles are his Isa. 60.1 2 3 4. Mal. 1.11 All the ends of the earth and the heathen Psal. 2.8 9. Psal. 72.7 8 9 10. Now if they be not his by visible and externally professed Covenant they must be the Lords Kingdoms only because some in these Kingdomes 1. Are come to age 2. Professe the truth 3. Give a signification that they are converted and chosen and so baptized But so infants and all the rest of these Kingdomes who fixedly in a Church hear the Word professe they are followers and by so doing are witnesses against themselves that they have chosen the Lord to be their God and have consented to the Covenant as Joshua saith Josh 24.22 must be under the New Testament cut off from the Covevant and a place must be shown where God hath now under the New Testament broken the staves of beauty and bands and hath laid this curse upon all the Infants of Egypt Assyria of all the Kingdomes of the earth that the Lord is now no God to them and feeds them no more and therefore that which dies let it die and that which is cut off let it be cut off as it is Zech. 11.9 And the like must be said of all that are come to age and not baptized or as good as not baptized And Covenant promises are not to the Children of Beleevers contrair to Acts 2.39 nor to the aged untill they be converted visibly and Baptized This then hath never yet been fulfilled that the Gentiles and Heathen are become the Lords people Sure it is 2. and was a mercy for the seed to be in Covenant Exod. 20.6 I am the Lord shewing mercies unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandements Psal. 89.28 My mercy will I keep with David
invisibly in Covenant and do make no profession of Christ at all are not warrantably by the Church to be baptized Only these whether old or young that are tali modo visibili federati such as professedly and visibly in Covenant and called Acts 2.39 are warrantably baptized Hence they must be so in Covenant as they be called by the word of the Covenant for they cannot be baptized against their will Luke 7.29.30 Q. What warrand is there Act. 2.39 for Infant Baptisme Ans. I shall not contend for the actuall baptizing of them at that instant But every one of you be baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 father and sons Why the promise is to you and to your children break the Text into an hundred pieces and blood it as men please the Genuine Thesis which cannot be neglected is These to whom the promise of the Covenant does belong these should be baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the promise of the Covenant is to you and to your children Ergo you and your children should be baptized The assumption is the expresse words of Peter and the Proposition is Peters Every one of you be baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for to you is the promise of the Covenant Calvin Bullinger Brentius Gualther clear it 2. Who they are who are in the nearest capacity to be baptized he explaines when he showeth that the Covenant promise is made to these who are far off to the Gentiles whom the Lord shall call then all that are under the call and offer of Christ in the Preached Gospel as Prov. 9.1 2 3 4. Math. 22 bid them come to the wedding Luke 14.16 17 18. c. are externally in Covenant and such to whom the Covenant is made and should be baptized it s presumed they give some professed consent to the call and do not right down deny to come else they should be baptized against their will 3. Calvine showes Acts 2.39 that the Anabaptists in his time said the promise was made to Believers only but the Text saith it is made to you and to your children to infants to the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant made with the fathers Acts 3.25 Now what ground doe Anabaptists give that all infants believe or that some believe since to them their children were as Pagans without Christ without the Covenant if to the children when they come to age and shall believe but what need to adde and to your believing Children for these are not children but men of age their fathers and they both being believers Now Peter sets down two ranks the aged who heard the word with gladnesse and were pricked in heart v. 37.41 and the children and to both the promise is made and what ground is their to exclude sucking children for the word Acts 2.39 is Math. 2.18 1 Cor. 7.14 where sure the word is taken for sucking children of whose actuall faith the Scripture speaks not 2. The promise is to you and to your children can have no other sense then the promise and word of the Covenant is preached to you and to your children in you and this is to be externally in Covenant both under the Old and New Testament If it have another sense it must be this the Lord hath internally Covenanted with you the 3000. who have heard the word and with your children and you are the spirituall seed and sons of promise predestinate to life eternall as Rom. 9. they expone the seed in Covenant But 1. Were all the 3000. Ananias and Saphiâ—a and their children the spirituall and chosen seed for he commands all whom he exhorts to repent to be baptized And 2. Now to Simon Magus and Demas and numbers of such Peter could not have said the promise is made to you and to your children if it be only made to reall and actuall believers as they say Peter therefore must owne them all whom he exhorts to repent as the chosen seed But if the former sense be intended as how can it be denyed to wit the word of the Covenant is preached to you an offer of Christ is made in the preached Gospel to you Then it cannot be denyed but the promise is to all the Reprobate in the Visible Church whether they believe or not for Christ is preached and promises of the Covenant are preached to Simon Magus to Judas and all the Hypocrites who stumble at the Word to all the Pharisees as is clear Math. 13.20 21 22 23. Acts 13.44 45. Acts 18.5 6. Math. 21.43 1 Pet. 2.7 8. 3. The promise I will be your God and ye shall be my people must be one way expounded in the Old Testament to wit you are externally only in Covenant with God But in the New Testament it must have this meaning I wil be your God 2 Cor. 6.16 that is you are all predestinate to life and the sons by promise and the spirituall seed to whom I say I will be your God But so it may well be said there were no internall Covenanters in the Old Testament and there be none but only internall Covenanters in the New Testament so that when the Lord sayeth Rev. 11.15 The Kingdomes of the earth are mine and my sons He must say the Kingdomes Egypt Assyria Tyrus Ethiopia c. are chosen and the spirituall seed and these Covenanted Nations and the Kingdomes of the Gentiles are all internally and effectually called and there are no Visible Churches in the New Test. but only all invisible and saved 4. If these words The promise is to you and to your children be limited to as many as the Lord shall effectually call either fathers or children But Mr. Stev Marshel judiciouslie observes there is no more a Covenant-favour holden forth to their children then to the children of Pagans for the children of Pagans if God effectually call them have the promises made to them 5. It s clear that externall Covenant-holinesse is to these men ceremoniall holiness now out of date and then externall calling the only means of internall and effectuall calling Math. 22.14 1 Cor. 1.18.23 24. Luke 15.1 2. and the fixed Church-hearing of the Preached Gospel is a ceremony 2. That God should be the God of Infants of the seed of the Jews a mercie to fathers and sons coming from free love Deut. 10.15 Gen. 17.7 Deut. 7.6.7.8 and Prophesied as a mercy to the Gentiles by all the Prophets was a ceremony removed now in Christ. Yea 3. externall Covenanting and adopting and choising of Israel is no mercy except that a Pedagogie of the Law is a mercy for a time 4. The promise is to you and to your children must be in a contradictorie way expounded to wit the promise is no more made to your children so long as they are Infants then to Devils Yea fathers and children not beleeving though chosen to life are excommunicated from Visible adoption calling hearing the Gospel promises for there is no Covenanting now under
6.12.15 Heb. 8.6 Heb. 9.14 1 John 5.1 is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to your children of the New Testament to your Infants if they beleeve say they 1. Can Infants actually beleeve 2. Is not the promise so made to Turks if they beleeve But it were an easier way to Anabaptists to say infants under the New Testament are externally in Covenant where as Parents beleeve and members of the Church are followed with Covenant mercy only because they understand not and the administration is more spirituall under the New Testament and faith more urged God requires not the dipping of Infants in Rivers a ceremony more onerous more truely in women with child virgins diseased persons in winter in cold countreys against the word the second Command the third the fourth the sixth the seventh then that it needs to be refuted it being only a ceremony which they may well want But now Infants of beleevers are casten out for no fault of the Covenant of Grace 2. From Covenant mercy to the thousand Generation Contrair to Gen. 17.7 Exod. 20.5 3. From Covenant-prayers and Church-prayers Contrair to 1 Sam. 12. Ps. 28.9 Ps. 67.1 2. Ps. 103 4 5. 4. From the blessing of the Lords Covenant-presence who dwels in the Nation in the Kingdom Ps. 135.21 Ps. 132.13 14. Rev. 11.15 Isa. 19.25 Isa. 2.1 2 3. 2 Cor. 6.16 I will dwell in them and walk in them and be their God and they shall be my people 18. And I will be a father to you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty Though this be spoken to all the Covenanted people of God yet are Infants casten out of the bosome of a Covenant Father and God 5. Infants are debarred from Covenant-calling and gathering in under the wings of Christ Contrair to Matth. 28.19 20. Matth. 23.37 Psal. 147.19 20. and excluded from Gods Covenant-choise Contrair to Deut. 7.6 7 8 9 13 14. Deut. 10.15 and left being heirs of wrath a prey to Satan 6. They are Excommunicated from Covenant-blessings earthly and the Tabernacle-protection promised in the Old and New Testament Contrair to Deut. 28.4 Lev. 26.6 7 8 9. Psal. 37.18.22.25 26. Psal. 92.10 Psal. 112.1 2 3. Ezech. 34.24 25 26. Ezech. 36.29.35 36 37. Ezech. 8.7 8. And in the New Testament Matth. 6.27 28.33 1 Tim. 4.8 Heb. 13.5 6. which were nothing if our Heavenly Father provide bread protection safety dwelling in the land and our houses to the fathers but the children had no charter but to beggery to the sword to be devoured by wilde beasts and the diseases of Egypt And the Infants have nothing from the Covenant but what Infants of Amaleck and Babylon 1 Sam. 15.1 2. Ps. 137.5 and of Sodom have Gen. 19. 7. They are members of Satan of the Kingdom of the Prince of darknesse not members of Christs Body since there be but two Kings two Gods Satan 2 Cor. 4.4 Eph. 2 1 2. Eph. 6.12 Matth. 12.29 and Christ the King and Head of his body And it is known that Infants within the Visible Church suffer incursions of Devils dreadfull diseases death and being without the Covenant as Pagans these evils must either be acts of revenging justice and preparatorie to the judgement of eternall fire or blessed in Christ But if the former they are damned if the latter what blessing is there without Christ 8. Being without the Covenant 1. Infants cannot be chosen and predestinate in Christ to salvation as Eph. 1.4 Rom. 9.11 nor given to Christ to be saved Covenant-wayes as John 17.2 John 6.39 nor loved from eternity nor in time as Arminians teach and so must be carried in Christ to Heaven or Hell or rather to a mid place without God or providence or decrees or fore-knowledge or counsel of God 2. They being without the Gospel-Covenant cannot be redeemed by Jesus Christ his Blood but some other way Contrair to Acts 4.12 3. If Infants be born without sin as Anabaptists teach they die and go either to Heaven and so Christ took not on him their nature and is not their Saviour or they go to everlasting torment and yet never sinned which is repugnant to Divine Justice Or to some third place of which the Scripture speaks not And yet the word saith Rev. 20.12 that the dead small and great shall stand before God and shall be judged And the Scripture saith Infants are capable of punishment and of being cut off and the Parents punished in them and they bear Covenant-wrath in their Parents As is clear in the seed of Jeroboam of Achab of others Ezod 20.5 Gen. 17.14 4. Neither remission of sins Justification nor life eternall nor Sonship nor Adoption in Christs suffering death and in the Blood of the everlasting Covenant can belong to Infants if they be without the Covenant 9. Nor can children be capable of being blessed of Christ or of his laying on of hands As Mark 10. if they be not under the N. Test. capable of Covenant-grace And it is to be minded that Covenanting Parents Luke 18. 1. Such as came to him to be cured of their diseases and beleeved him to be the Messiah the Son of David as the blind call him Mat. 20. and the woman of Canaan Mat. 15. Luk 18.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brought to him little Children as Mat. 8.16 Mat. 9.2 Luk. 4.40 they brought the sick 2. The children were not diseased nor possessed And the Parents being desirous they might be blessed as the event proved it is clear they were not children of heathen but members of the Visible Church 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of such is the Kingdom of God Luk. 18.16 we cannot think that his meaning is of such as such is the Kingdome of God as if all Infants of Jew and Heathen belonged as subjects to the Visible Church for then the Infants of all Heathen should be Covenanted members of the Visible Church and yet their Parents are without the Visible Church and when they grow to age they should without any scandall be Excommunicate which were monstruous nor can the Invisible Kingdom of God be of such as if all Infants because Infants were saved Nor 4. Can the taking of them be a meer Embleme that such were blessed for so beside that Doves and Lambs for meeknesse are capable of being taken in the armes of Christ and blessed Christ bids them in all times coming be suffered to come and not forbidden v. 16. which saith he desired the whole spece of Infants of the Visible Church to be brought to him Nor doth Christ make acts of Emblems ordinary but he will have children at all time to come to him forbid them not He once cursed the fig tree that was an Embleme and did but once wash his Disciples feet and that was an Embleme And 5. He could not mean that only Infants predestinate to glory should be suffered to come For he saith indifferently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
faith of Paul saves Rom. 4. Rom. 5. purifies the heart Acts 15.9 2. A dead faith is no saving and living faith no more then a dead corps is a living man v. 17. 3. A faith that cannot be shown to others in good works as this v. 18. is no faith for it hath no motions of life 4. A faith of the same nature with the faith of the Devils who beleeve and tremble v. 19. 5. A faith which a vain empty professour imagines to be a living faith when it is dead without works as this v. 20. can have no joint influence of life to justifie and save with good works all which saving influences contrair to this saving faith hath 2. It is to be observed that James maketh mention of two sorts of faiths ch 2. which the Adversarie confounds 1. All alongs v. 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. he gives vive characters of a dead painted faith which is in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the vaine empty boaster ver 20. 2. He showes us of a lively faith of Abraham which wrought with his Works now it is a lewd error to make Abrahams faith and the faith of believing Rahab of the same nature with the faith of the vain empty Hypocrite who 's faith is nothing but fair words and with the faith of Divels So the Papists Lorinus Estius Stapleton Mavochius Bellarmine make it an Hypocriticall and dead faith and lively faith as Abrahams was a vitall receiving of Christ and a believing the Lord so as believing is counted for righteousnesse to differ not in nature and essence from the faith of the Devils whereas in the faith of sound Believers there is a Godly submitting and leading captive of the understanding to the obedience of Christ because it is the Lord that speaks and so a receiving of the Word as the Word of God 2 Cor. 10.5 1 Thes. 2.13 Math. 22.32 which is not in the faith of Divels 3. There is in it a receiving of Christ Joh. 1.11 a fiduciall resting of the heart upon God in Christ. And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to confide to betake himself to a luâ—king place where one may be safe from a storme Psal. 2.12 Psal. 11.1 Psal. 31.2 Deut. 32.37 Psal. 118.9 Judg. 9.15 come and 〈◊〉 under my shaddow And this is contradistinguished from the Divels and Hypocrites who cannot seek their lodging nor a hiding place against wrath in the Lord. 2. It is to lean and rest the body 2 Sam. 1.6 Saul leaned upon his spear and by a Metaphore it is to cast the burden upon the Lord Isa. 50.10 Psal. 55.22 hence the word that notes a staffe 2 Sam. 22.18 Isa. 3. the Lord hath broken the stay and the staffe of bread Isa. 30.1 and this is to be done often when there is no present duty to be done nor any work required of us but only a fiduciall relying upon the Lord alone as at the Red Sea Moses and the people were to leane upon JEHOVAH only not to act which cannot be said of the faith of Divels and Hypocrites 3. It is to look with delight and confidence Isa. 17.7 as oppressed servants Psal. 123 1 2. 4. There is a word that notes to be silent not to speak not to move Josh. 10.12 1â— the Sun was silent it moved not It notes a Godly submission that the soul dar not speak against God Psal. 37.7 rest in the Lord file Jehovâ— LXX sub ditus esto Domino Psal. 62.6 whence faith teacheth us to submit and hold our peace and lay the mouth in the dust as a spirit dantoned of God Lev. 10.3 Job 1.21 Lam. 3 28. Ezek. 16 6â— which is far from Hypocrites â— To believe is to cleave to God from a root that signifies to adhere as thingâ— glewed together with pick or glew Psal. 63 â— Josh. 23.8 Deut. 11.22 so we become one Spirit with the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 6. It is a word of near adherence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lean firmly upon any with hope of securitie 2 King 18.5 hast thou leaned upon this reed Hos. 10.13 Psal. 13.6 Psal. 31.7 Deut. 12.10 Thou shalt dwell safely confidently it places the soul under the Rock of Omnipotencie 7. It is to roll thy self upon God and is borrowed from heavy bodies Josh. 10.18 Roll great stones to the mouth of the cave Genes 29.3 Psal. 22.9 he trusted in the Lord rolling himself on the Lord. Prov. 16.3 commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established Cartwright sayeth it is a Metaphore from men who being oppressed with a burden transfer it off themselves upon one who is mightier and stronger it is excellent when the heart rolles all its cares upon the Lord and disburdens it self upon him 8. There is a word that noteth to leane to stay or stablish to strengthen Isa. 48.2 2 Chron. 32.8 the people rested themselves upon the word of Ezekiah Cant. 2.5 stay me with flagons Psal. 71.6 I have leaned upon thee from the womb and it notes to draw near Ezek. 24.2 so it is to strengthen and make strong the heart that is trembling and shaking if it be not stayed upon God And shall all these excellencies of faith be in the faith of Divels and Hypocrites and therefore it is most absurd to make the faith of Abraham all one in nature with the faith of Divels and Hypocrites and to make the difference only in having Works and no Works as if there were the same heart leaning soul rolling and cleaving to the Lord by faith in Abraham and in Hypocrites and Divels who tremble 3. That Scripture Abraham believed and it was counted to him for righteousnesse Is not Gen. 22. when he did justifie himself by the work of sacrificing Isaac But it is Gen. 15.6 when the son of promise Isaac a type of Christ is promised to him at which time there was no work at all required of Abraham but only believing the promise for what should Abraham act or do to further the fulfilling of that promise for he believed that Gospel promise in the mean time with a faith lively and having with it as a concomitant a resolution to walk before God and be perfect 〈◊〉 then the Text shall say Gen. 15.6 Abraham resolved to be fruitfull in good works when he heard the promise and that resolution of good works was counted to him for righteousnesse which is most violent 4. Who so are justified causally and in the sight of God by Workes as James saith to him workes are counted as the formaâ—â— cause for so James from Scripture ver 23. Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 believed God and it was counted to him for righteoâ—â—nesse Which sayeth by that faith he was declared or by that 〈◊〉 was justified which was imputed to him for righteousnâ—â—â—e But his beleeving or his faith living and working like the â—ody quickened with the Spirit was counted to him for righteâ—â—snesse
Frustrà fit per plura quod aequè benè potest fieri per pauciora There 's no need of reall satisfaction 2. Faith imputed doth well bear the sense of the object that faith layes hold on as our righteousnesse Rom. 3.21 Now the righteousnsse of God without the Law is manifested What righteousnesse of God ver 22. Even the righteousness of God through faith of Jesus Christ unto all Now if the righteousnesse of God is manifested without one Law to wit of works why not without another Law of faith and of inherent Gospel-righteousnesse And what need that Christ should die if the act of beleeving should be that precious righteousnesse of God and that according to the Law of faith This by the way As hope is put for the object hoped for As Rom. 8.24 Hope that is seen is not hope that is the thing possessed the salvation which we have in present possession is not hoped for Col. 1.5 For the hops sake laid up in heaven that is the thing hoped for For the grace of hope is not laid up in heaven ver 27. Christ in you the hope of glory So faith here put for the thing beleeved so saith the Martyr my love is crucified that is Christ my loved or beleeved one is crucified So by faith in his name is this man made whole It were strange to say by faith and repentance and mortification is this man made whole And it must be said if so be that faith includes repentance Now Peter denies Acts 3.12 this why marvail ye as if we by our power and holinesse had made this man to walk It s not our holinesse but Jesus Christ hath done it even God the God of Abraham c. ver 13. hath done it And yet ver 16. faith in his Name hath made him strong That is faith or beleeving in his Name that is in his Power Authority God-head hath made him strong Ergo faith is put for the thing or righteousnesse beleeved So Heb. 11. By faith the walls of Jericho fell that is by love the soul and form of faith say Papists and by repentance and new obedience which is all one with faith say Socinians the walls of Jericho fell So by faith they subdued Kingdomes stopped the mouths of Lions What influence reall or physicall had faith in slaying men in refraining the hungry Lions to eat Daniel None at all But thus the mighty God beleeved in by these men subdued Kingdomes stopped the mouths of Lions if it be replyed there is not alike reason of justifying faith which is dead as touching the influence and causality to justifie as there is of the faith of miracles in these points it is replyed there is every way the same reason For as Abrahams dead faith if it had been dead could no more have justified and saved him then the hypocrites dead faith can save and justifie him as James saith 2.14 15 16 c. So could not these worthies recorded Heb. 11. have casten down the walls of Jericho subdued Kingdomes stopped the mouths of Lions by faith if that faith had been as dead in its nature as the faith of the vain Gnostick and Hypocrite who saith to the brother oâ— sister naked depart in peace be thou warmed and filled and yet gives him not these things that are needfull to the body Jam. 2.15 16. And this we must say except we admit that the fancied faith of the Hypocrite can remove mountains nor is it place to dispute whether Reprobates as Judas have saving faith in working miracles it is sure their faith of miracles cannot be a Hypocriticall faith such as is Iames 2.14 15 16. 3. The Scripture differenceth between faith and love and faith and repentance As 1. we are not once said to be justified by faith but are never said to be justified by love repentance almes deeds It s easie with an active ingine to labour to prove how faith includes love And so doth hope and love include many other works and gifts of the Spirit but the Holy Ghost distinguisheth them As 2. by faith as from a saving principle Abraham sojourned in the Land by faith Noah builded an Ark Iacob blessed the sons of Ioseph Moses would not be called the Son of Pharaohs daughter yet to build an Ark is not to beleeve in God we pray in faith hear in faith yet these are not the same 3. Mar. 1.15 Repent and beleeve Act. 20.21 Testifying repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Iesus Heb. 6.1 Not laying the foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God 1 Tim. 1.5 Love and a good conscience and faith unfained Phil. 5. Love and faith 1 Thes. 1.3 We thank God remembring your work of faith and labour of love Heb. 6.10 Labour of love 11. The full assurance of hope 12. Faith and patience We beleeve in Christ but do we repent in Christ 4. Faith is a leaning on God Isa. 10.20 Isa. 26.3 Isa. 50.10 love is not so Faith is a coming to God by way of affiance Ioh. 5.40 Matth. 11.28 Ioh. 6.37 a receiving of Christ Ioh. 1.11 an eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood Ioh. 6.54 55 56. not any of these can be said of love of repentance of new obedience 4. If to beleeve in Christ as Lord and Law-giver be formally for effectively and practically we may with that Learned and Pious D. Prestoun say it is a consenting to Christs Dominion and Government over us to obey him though to consent at the Corronation and to swear an oath of loyaltie to a King be widely different from obeying his Laws as unbeleef is a rebellion against his Government Luk. 19.17 then well may Adam in the Covenant of Works be said to be justified and saved by faith for if to beleeve in God Redeemer be to give our selves to obey him as Lord Redeemer and if this surrendering be the obedience of works by which we are justified and saved and perfectly righteous before God upon the same reason to beleeve in God Law-giver and Creator in the Covenant of Works and for Adam to surrender himself Covenant wayes by a legall faith shall be the Law obedience of works by which Adam is justified and saved and so he is saved by Law-faith as we are by Gospel-faith And this is to be remembred that for one to give himself to Christ as his Lord to be governed and commanded and to be willing to obey him is neither formally faith though it may be conjoined with beleeving nor obedience but an intention or purpose to obey And 1. shall we then be justified by works that is by a purpose and intention to work 2. There are in us May resolutions and purposes like May blossomes that wither before Harvest as some are willing but not obedient Isa. 1.19 One saith he will go work in his fathers Vineyard it may be he purposes to work but yet he works not Mat. 21.30 nor is a practicâ—ll
In the Covenant of Works as a sufferer for the breach of it It s said by Learned Davenantius one is said truely and properly to die for another who dies to procure his good though the other by his own fault get no good of his dying for him But there is not such a Question as this whether one may truely and properly die for another but whether Christ in the sense of the Holy Ghost died verè propriè truely and properly the just for the unjust to procure good to the unjust and yet these unjust may eternally perish and reap no good by Christs dying through their unbeleef 2. Will it not follow that Christ 1. died truely and properly for all and yet non obstante morte Christi notwithstanding of the Lords dying all the world may eternally perish as say Arminians and Socinians 3. It shall follow that the immediate yet the compleat effect of Christs death is not actuall but possible saving of all And Christ hath verè propriè truelie and properly died for them Nor 4. is it enough to say that Christ had a speciall intention in dying for the Elect to give them faith but he had no such intention in dying for the Reprobate But hence it follows that Christ as properly and truely died for the Reprobate as for the Elect as touching the nature and intention of his dying and that he offered as sufficient a ransome for the one as for the other and that is a meer possible ransome but as concerning the intention to apply effectually or no effectuall intention to apply the death there 's the difference But 1. we aske for Scripture where it is said CHRIST dying as dying for the world had these two contrair intentions The Scripture saith Christ died to gather his scattered children Joh. 11.5 to bring to God 1 Pet. 3.18 these for whom he died that they might have life Joh. 10.11 live to God 2 Cor. 5.15 die to sin 1 Pet. 2.24 be redeemed from their vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 be delivered from this present evill world Gal. 1.4 Here is our effectuall intention where is there a place for his dying with no effectuall intention to bring any to God and yet he dyed for all good and evill to make salvation possible say they It is not enough to coyn two intentions in Christ-God-Man dying and give us Scripture for one of them only and bid us take the other on trust 2. Nor is it enough to say all these places speak of Christs effectuall dying for his Elect only For 1. it is not truely nor properly said that Christ effectually died for the Elect only for he effectually died for no man by this way because he died only to make salvation possible to all so as they might perish for ever notwithstanding of his dying for them So the efficacy of dying is in Christs intention and application Now efficacy of intention and efficacy of application are both extrinsecall to his laying down his life 2. The place 2 Cor. 5.15 cannot be expounded by them of only the effect For it speaks as they expone it of Christ dying for all that were dead as v. 14. and these they say are Elect and Reprobate 3. Nothing is said whether Christ on the Crosse did sustain the person of all for whom he died Elect and Reprobate and whether he sustained two persons for he was cut off but not for himself Dan. 9.26 one for the Reprobate another for the Elect And whether he finished the transgression and made an end of sins as Daniel saith 9.24 that is of all sins and transgressions finall unbeleef and all others For except he did that hee cannot finish the transgression make an end of sins make reconciliation for iniquity and bring in everlasting righteousnesse to these for whom he died Except either he bring in half a righteousnesse or at least imperfect and never make an end of some sins and transgressions because men will not have it so and set bounds to the infinit sufficiency of Christ Oâ— because he puts an end of sin and brings in everlasting righteousnesse conditionally and is gracious and mercifull as men will and decrees to show mercy not upon discriminating rebellion or upon unbeleef which separateth a Reprobate from an Elect if so it seems good to men and if man shall have mercy on whom he will and harden whom he will or which is all one if man shall have mercy upon himself because he will or harden himself because he will harden himself Yet may it be disputable to some whethâ—r grace by which one is effectually drawn to Christ rather then another be the grace of predestination continuated and so before Christs death or a fruit of Christs death and so after But it may well be sâ—id that every created saving grace is a fruit of Christs death and that we receive the habit of saving grace out of his fulnesse and the saving habit infused separateth an Elect from a Reprobate For it is peculiar to Beleevers and the Elect to be gifted with one heart Ezek. 11.19 and a new heart in the habit Ezek. 36.26 and with the spirit 〈◊〉 grace and supplication to beleeve and mourn Zech. 12.10 and the Spirit and blessing that is powred on the thirsty ground and the seed Isai. 44.3 And so must we say that the same habit as actuated by the Lords Spirit and as it makes one to beleeve and draws him effectually to the Son actually and efficaciously and draws not another is a fruit of Christs death but this way must glory be a fruit of the death of Christ but not habituall saving grace 2. The death of Christ for all is as common a means of salvation as the Preaching of the Gospel And both must be made effectuall by efficacious grace which is not the fruit of the merit of Christ by this way and since grace to actually apply the death of Christ is not given to Pagans and millions for whom Christ died as these Authors teach how unsufficient must the death of our Lord be For it leaves faith as impossible to the reprobates as if he had never died for them for neither habituall nor actuall faith is purchased to them by this death Only the Pelagian application is left to them which they should have had suppose Christ had never died for them 2. It is to be considered how many wayes CHRIST may be said to give himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransome for us or in our place 1. Christ hath sufficiently died for all in their room to redeem them For pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for men noteth ever the decree and intention of Christ dying for men but the sufficiency and worth and intrinsecal dignity of Christs death depends not upon the decree intention of God for the worth of the death and the blood of him who is God Act. 20.28 1 Cor. 2.8 and the Lord of Glory
want of money mortifies a man to drunkennesse he drinks not excessively not because the heart will not dare to sin but because he cannot The Word backed with influences from the death of Christ strongly mortifies to all sins 8. And the soul is not easily deadned to an office or place of a Prince a Ruler a Master a Prophet a Teacher Abishai 2 Sam. 16.9 Why should this dead dog curse my lord the King Let me go over I pray thee and take off his head David standeth not much upon cursing the lord the King He is so mortified to that stile as he forgets it and v. 10. he saith Let him curse because the Lord hath said unto him Curse David He saith not the Lord hath bidden him curse the lord King David Answers thou the high Priest so It s a great word Christ was the Messiah that is a great office of King Priest and Prophet but he was willing to forget his office by way of taking much on him that he might fulfill his office by way of suffering As Rulers and such as are in place must so far be dead to their office and place as they must be willing to bear in their bosome the reproaches of all the mighty people and to have their footsteps even as Rulers reproached Psal. 89. v. 50 51. Places and office too often have an influence and strong enough on our unmortified hearts But there are some providentiall sufferings that befall Rulers as Rulers against which they should be hardned knowing that the Lord suffers in them 9. It should be our work to be deadned to pleasure I have married a wife and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I can not come This is the most lively lust There is a mortified eye Job 31.1 I have made a covenant with mine eye why then should I look on a maid Mortified eye-looks call for mortified heart-looks It s an old sin Gen. 3.6 And when the woman saw the tree that it was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes she did eat Mortified Joseph saw sin ingraven on pleasure Gen. 39.9 How then can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God 10. There must be a deadned heart to all the three to the world 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the world nor the things of the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 16. For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world Jam. 4.4 There is some life between the friends of the world and the world and James doubteth not to call that enimity with God and the three great Idols of the world gain glory and pleasure cannot make any happy which Heathens Plutarch Cicero Seneca saw and therefore they pressed a contempt of the world For strength is the glory of the Elephant or the Bull rather then of man and plucked away by age and time And beauty is no lesse uncertain being made up of quantity and colour and the Rose and the Lilly hath more of it then man Riches have wings and render not the owner happy Nobility is a borrowed good and the Parents glory not ours And honour is the opinion and esteem of men and we yet cannot be dead to nothings to shadows to emptinesse and to vanity and fair buildings are well ordered dead stones 11. They are not rightly mortified who are not deadned to creature-comforts to father and mother for they forsake and the mother may forget the fruit of her own womb but the Lord cannot forget his own Psal. 27.10 Isa. 49.15 My friends Job 19.19 2. All my friends 3. All my inward and dearest friends 4. Abhorre me Forsaking is hard but abhorring is most sad Yea even in the Cause of God Paul is put to this 2 Tim. 4.16 At my first answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me 2. So must the Church be dead to forraign forces Hos. 14.3 Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses and the people must be dead and sit still from help from Egypt Isai. 30.7 For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose therefore have I cryed concerning this Your strength is to sit still Sitting still is a ceasing from relying upon the Chariots and strength of Egypt as being dead to them For thus saith the Lord the holy One of Israel in returning and rest shall ye be saved in quietnesse and in confidence shall be your strength and ye would not And 4. his people must cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of Isai. 2.22 and be dead to multitude for Psal. 33.16 No King is saved by an host a mighty man is not delivered by much strength 17. An horse is a vain thing for safety The help of the creature substitute in the room of God having the lustre of blue and purple or cloathed in scarlet riding upon horses Young men of desire Ezek. 23.23 doe easily dazle our eyes and when we are not renewed in the spirit of our mind unsanctified hearts are weak in apprehending and more weak in discerning of things 5. So must there be a deadning of the husband to the wife Job 19.17 to servants Job 15.16 to sons 2 Sam. 16. v. 11. of the mother to the daughter of the daughter in law to the mother in law Mic. 7.6 to blood-friends 12. All the godly and zealous Prophets said Amen to the word of the Lord even Christ with sighs and tears to the extream desolation and ruine of Jerusalem Luk. 19.41 Math. 23.37 38. and Jeremiah Ezekiel Isaiah Micah Hosea c. to the plowing of Zion as a field to the sword captivity to the laying wast of the land without inhabitants Isa. 5.9 Isa. 6.10 11 12. Jer. 9.1 2 3 4. Jer. 16.1 2 3. c. Mic. 3.12 Hos. 4.3 Hos. 5.6 9 c. There must be a deadning to our Country and Mother-Church that the glory of justice may shine yea to our fathers grave our own bed our own fireside 13. The Lord will have Isaiah and the godly dead to Lawes and Government to vision and prophecying when Judge and Prophet shall be taken away Isa. 3.2 and children shall be their Princes and babes shall rule over them v. 4. and the vineyard broken and the hedge spoiled And he will have the godly dead to King and Priest and Law 2 Chron. 15.3 Now for a long season Israel had been without the true GOD and without a teaching Priest and without law Hos. 3.4 Hos. 10.3 And now shall they say We have no King because we feared not the Lord what shall then a King do to us Hence we must be mortified to every thing created which the Lord may take from us 14. And upon this account there is required a deadning of our hearts to shipping and trading
but then there should never have been such a thing known to the generations to come as that Ark of glory that huge and boundlesse all fulnesse of the indwelling Godhead in the Man Christ. Sure had there been none sick such a suffering Physician to heal us had never been none lost would have said there is no Saviour none dead in sin would say there is no need of such a Lord and Prince of life by whose swelling wounds we are healed Isa. 53. 4. Nor was it fit that this should never be known to Angels and men that the Lord honours so many redeemed sinners with a grant and licence to love so high so precious a Redeemer and as it were to marre and black his fairnesse and desirable excellency with our feeble and sinfully weak love he being so far above our love or faith or praises 5. The Gospel-wonders should not be an eternally sealed book to men and Angels as Revel 12.1 that wonder in heaven A woman cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve Stars should be known And what was shewed to John was to be shown to the Churches Rev. 21.10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and shewed me that great City the holy Hierusalem descending out of heaven from God 11. Having the glory of God I mean here the wonders of grace mercy declared justice as that the most High should empty Himself and the Godhead be united to clay that there should be such a high Bridegroom so low and sinfull a Spouse that death should conquer death that Nothings of clay should sing their debts eternally cast down their crowns being made of sinners glorified Kings and not be ashamed to cast down their crowns before him that sits on the throne Nor should the gifts and graces of God be hidden Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son how should he not with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give us all things begrace to us all How should he not make heaven and earth free grace to us and all a masse of grace to us Eph. 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath begraced us all over in Christ. 1 Tim. 1.13 But I obtained mercy as dipped in a sea of mercy Luk. 1.28 Hail Virgine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filled with free grace Let us forgive one another Col. 3.13 as Christ begraced pardon to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That we might know 1 Cor. 2.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that are freely given us And what a debt must that be the forgiving of ten thousand talents more then to forgive millions and tuns of gold Hence the Question whether Law-innocency and never sinning or Gospel-repentance and rising again in Christ be most excellent It is answered 1. Simply to us It is better and morally more excellent never to fall never to be sick then to rise in Christ and be healed by such a Physician But sinning and falling being considered in relation to a more universall good there is more excellency in Gospel-rising then in Law-standing As 1. There is more feeling deeper sense in the woman which did wash Christs feet with her tears and wipe them with the hair of her head then in some who never so fell And Christ may hold forth something of this Luk. 15.7 Likewise I say unto you saith Christ there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more then over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance True it is our Saviours scope is not to compare repentance and Law-innocency together or to show that the Pharisees needed no repentance as if they were not in a lost condition but to show what joy was in heaven with the Lord the father of the forlorn son and in the Angels at the home coming of repenting sinners And is not a Jewell of ten thousand millions of more worth then a Diamond that is not worth the eighth part of that summe Adams innocency and never sinning should have been by the common influences of Law-love and the same may be said of Angel-innocency But Gospel-repentance is the gift procured at a dearer rate Christ was exalted a Prince to give repentance Acts 5.31 Neither should there be sense and such loving sense of free grace in the forlorn son had he never fled away from his father and never been so received with a welcome of grace which he beleeved before he felt it CHAP. VI. Q. 11. Whether there be any such thing as a Covenant of Suretyship or Redemption between JEHOVAH and the Son of GOD That there is such a Covenant is proven by 11. Arguments NO doubt Christ God-Man is in Covenant with God being a person designed from eternity with his own consent and in time yeelding thereunto and yet he stands not in that Covenant-relation that we stand in as we shall hear 1. Arg. What Argument does prove that there is a people in Covenant with God who call the Lord their God as Zech. 13.9 Jer. 32.38 Isai 25.9 the same shall prove Christ to be in Covenant with God As who can say he is my God he must be in Covenant with God As Jer. 31.33 I will be their God and they shall be my people Ezek. 11.20 Ezek. 34.24 25 30. Now this is clearly said of Christ Psal. 89.26 He shall cry unto me thou art my Father my God and the Rock of my salvation The Son the only begotten of the Father saith thou art my God Heb. 1.5 And again I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son It is expounded of Christ but was first spoken of Solomon the Type 1 Sam. 7.14 My mercy that is my Covenant-mercy to the Son of David and his seed shall stand sure as the dayes of heaven Psal. 89.28 29 34 35 36. 1 Chron. 22.10 He shall build a house for my Name he shall be my Son and I will be his father Then follows the Covenant-promise And I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom over Israel for ever which is expounded Psal. 89.28 29 c. of Christ a Covenanted King as long as the Sun and the Moon indures 34 35 36. and cannot agree to David whose Kingdom is now gone As also Christ flees to this Covenant in his extream suffering my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Psal. 22.1 Mat. 27.46 So Psal. 40. it is Christ who saith v. 8. I delight to do thy will O my God And it is a Covenant compellation my God and spoken by him v. 6. Mine ears thou hast opened who removes all sacrifices and offers himself a sacrifice Heb. 10.5 A body thou hast prepared me So also Ps. 45.7 Thou lovest righteousnesse and hatest wickednesse Therefore God thy God a Covenant word hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladnesse above thy fellows See glorified Christ glorying in this Rev. 3.12 Him that overcometh will I make a
pillar in the house of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the Name of my God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of heaven from ny God Four times he calls him his God The Lord speaks in his Type Psal. 118.28 he who comes in the Name of the Lord and is made the head of the corner Thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art my God I will exalt thee Christ is a noble example in this teaching us to ride at this â—nchor of hope thou art my God by Covenant Mic. 5.4 Christ shall feed in the Name of the Lord his God Isa. 55.4 2. Arg. Is taken from the Lords way of calling of Christ to his Office of Mediator So he who is the Lords chosen called and sent servant is either ingadged in the service by necessity of nature so that God cannot choose but he must choose and call him and he must by the same necessity of nature be chosen and called to that service or he is the Lords chosen and called servant by free agreement and consent of the Lord who calls and of the partie called which is a Covenant between Master and Servant the Lord and the sent Ambassadour who is sent the Lord the Messenger who comes with such news Now of Christ it is said Isai. 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold my chosen in whom my soul delights And of meer grace and free-love both God sent him and he came Joh. 3.16 1 Tim. 1.15 for by no necessity of nature was Christ sent to preach glad tidings to the meek to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives Isai. 61.1 to say to the prisoners go forth Isai. 49.9 For Isai. 42.6 I the Lord have called thee saith he in righteousnesse 7. To open the blind eyes to bring out the prisoners from the prison and them that sit in darknesse out of the prison-house Nor can we say that any thing but the good will of the Lord did conclude or determine him to send 1. To save men not Angels Heb. 2.16 2. Some men not others Joh. 15.13 14. 3. So ill deserving men as lost ones Luk. 19.10 sinners â— Tim. 1.15 Rom. 5.6.8 3. When the Lord speaks of the Covenant of grace Ezek. 37.23 he addes a word of this Covenant I will cleanse them so shall they be my people and I will be their God 24. And David my servant the son of David Christ for David was dead shall be King over them and they all shall have one Sheepherd Ezek. 34.23 I will set up one Sheepherd over them and he shall feed them even my servant David he shall feed them and he shall be their Sheepherd 24. I the Lord will be their God And Zecha 13. JEHOVAH ownes Christ as this Sheepherd as one of his hireing v. 7. Awake O sword against my Sheepherd Mal. 3.1 The Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts Hence this David is the Servant Sheepherd and Messenger of the Lord either by nature which cannot be said for the Man Christ is by Nature his servant but Christ-Mediatour God-Man is not so his servant or he is so by free consent on the Lords part who hires and sends him and on Christs part who graciously condescended to be hired and undertook for us which all along must be understood of no servile reward 3. Arg. Christs voluntary yeelding to the work proves this if Christ God Man willing to empty himself and take on him our nature did offer his service to God saying Sacrifice and burnt-offering thou didst not desire Psal. 40.6 Heb. 10.5 a body thou hast prepared me 7. Then said I loe I come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will And if Christ-God-Man did willingly lay down his life of his own goodnesse and no man could take his life from him against his will Joh. 10 11 18. Joh. 18.5.8 Joh. 14.31 Luk. 9.51 Then is Christs free consent to be our surety and Redeemer to seek and to save us clear Matth. 20.28 Luk. 19.10 And if it pleased the Lord to bruise him Isa. 53.10 and of love to give him to the death for us Joh. 3.16 Rom. 8.3.32 Matth. 21.37 then the Lords consent that he should be our Surety Saviour and Redeemer is no lesse evident Now a mutuall agreement between JEHOVAH and the Son for one and the same undertaking is a compact and Covenant to have us saved 4. Argument is from the agreed upon giving and taking between the Father and the Son where there is a free giving of some to the Son to be ransoned and keeped upon the Fathers part and a most free closing of the Son to own and answer for the given and to lose none but to raise them up at the last Day There certainly is a Covenant gone before as Jacobs reckoning with Laban Gen. 31.39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee I bare the losse of it of my hand didst thou require it whether stolen by day or stolen by night 40. Thus I was in the day the drought consumed me and the frost by night and my sleep departed from mine eyes This evidently speaks a Covenant upon Labans part delivering his flock to Jacob as to a servant and sheepherd saying I contract with thee I deliver my flock to thee answer for them make an account to me of dead and living And on Jacobs part a taking burden Covenant wayes to take care of them and a Covenant-yeelding require thou at my hand old and young weak and strong of the flock I bind my self to keep them So Christ hath delivered and given to him of the Father so many by head and name Joh. 17.2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternall life to as many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as thou hast given him 12. Those that thou gavest me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have kept and none of them are lost Joh. 6.37 All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the comer to me I will in no wise cast out 39. And this is the Fathers Covenant will that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and beleeveth on him may have â—â—verlasting life and I will raise him up by Covenant and Gospel-promise at the last day And what speaketh stronger consolation then the Father gave me to the Son Christ to be saved and the Son undertook for me hath given a written band under his hand to keep me O what happinesse that I am not mine own keeper but that Christ hath given it under his hand and the Father and the Son have Covenant-wise closed and stricken hands the one having given and the other received me a-keeping 2. My soul enter thou not into their secrets who lay all peace comfort assurance of
him in the bush This is Christ the Angel 38. of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 Whom they tempted 1 Cor. 10.9 Of whom the Lord said Exod. 23.21 Beware of him and obey his voice and provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my Name is upon him And this Angel saith I am the God of Abraham the Omniscient God that sees the afflictions of his people 3. Hears their prayers 4. Delivers them out of Aegypt Exod. 20.1 2 and so the Author of the Covenant and of all the promises It is much for weak beleevers that God stands ingadged in Christ by Covenant with him to give us to beleeve and to beleeve to the end Hath the Lord given himself Surety for the standing of a tottering beleever Is there not ground to beleeve that Christ shall make good his undertaking Also if all the promises be made to Christ who is the Author of the Covenant and upon condition that Christ do his part and lay down his life then sure Christ is under a Covenant to injoy his reward when he hath done his work And to have a beleeving seed is Christs reward heaven and earth can make no â—urer binding for faith and salvation 8. As the former Argument is from the promise made unto Christ and fulfilled to him so this is from the Predictions Prophecies and Promises of him as he of whom such glorious promises are foretold and may claim the thing promised by faith he hath some word of promise for suiting these things which is a Covenant if he shall do what is required of him and fulfill the Commandement Joh. 10.18 But such Prophecies and Promises there be of CHRIST Isa. 22.22 The key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder so he shall open and none shall shut and he shall shut and none shall open 23. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place and he shall be for a glorious Throne to his fathers house 24. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his fathers house the off-spring and the issue all vessels of small quantity from the vessels of cups even to all the vessels of flagons Zech. 3.8 For behold I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH Zech. 6.12 Speak unto Joshua saying Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts saying Behold the man whose Name is the BRANCH and he shall grow up out of his place and he shall build the Temple of the Lord 13. Even he shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon his Throne Mic. 5.4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord in the Majesty of the Name of the Lord his God and they shall abide For now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth 5. And this man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land So Psal. 72.7 In his dayes shall the righteous flourish c. Hence as Christ prayed in faith Joh. 17.5 to be glorified with the glory he had with the Father before the world was because he finished the work though he was not yet crucified but he had a mind fixed to suffer So may Christ pray in faith to Govern right and to bear the glory and to feed in the strength of the Lord and to have a conquished people since he was to fulfill all the work that was laid upon him And this supposes a Covenant Hence Arg. 9. from the suite he bids his Son aske which he will grant Psal. 2.8 Aske of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession Psal. 89.26 He shall cry unto me thou art my Father my God and the Rock of my salvation 27. Also I will make him my first-born higher then the Kings of the earth 28. My mercy will I keep for him for ever c. If God say to us call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee This argues a Covenant that God shall hear if we pray Then it sayes if Christ the Mediatour shall pray he shall be heard and prospered with successe in his work 10. Argument from the work of Christ and the wages which a Covenant calls for Christ complains Isa. 49.4 Then I said I have laboured in vain I have spent my strength for nought and in vain there 's work Shall he have nothing for his work He adds Yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my work with my God v. 6. He receives an answer of a full reward for his work And he said it is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou may'st be my salvation unto the end of the earth Which words are cited true of Christ by Luke Act. 13.47 when Christ is Preached to the Gentiles And as one who laboured for us so he craves his wages though the Jews pay him unworthily Zech. 11.12 Then I said if ye think good give me my price and if not forbear pay me or pay me not Yet the Lord payed him Phil. 2.7 He made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and became obedient to the death the death of the crosse Here is work followeth his wages call it merit or what else it s a reward and the end of his suffering which Christ both desired and intended as the fruit of his labours v. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore God highly exalted him and gave him a Name above every name Act. 5.21 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and Saviour Isa. 53.10 When he shall make his soul an offering for sin which was work hard enough he shall see his seed which was his souls desired wages he shall prolong his days the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in hand 11. He shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoyl with strong that is an ample reward Follows his work because he hath powred out his soul unto death and he was numbred with the transgressours and bare the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressours Hence his care to finish the work of him that sent him and to do his will Joh. 4.34 Joh. 17.4 Joh. 8.29 and as the Father loved so he rewarded the obedience of his Son not by necessity of nature but by a voluntary compact but he loves his obedience Joh. 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again Joh. 15.10 If ye keep my Commandements ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandements and abide in his love Nor can it be denied but
a redeemed and saved people was much in the heart of Christ and much in his desire and intention Joh. 10.10 I am come that they may have life and have it more aboundantly And if to finish the work especially of saving lost man was his meat and drink Joh. 4.34 and he prayed for the ransoned ones Joh. 17. to sanctifie them 17. That they might he where he is 24. There must be always in the heart of Christ a design of love in that he made redeemed ones his end his work his souls satisfaction Isa. 53.11 And O how worthlesse were we that the desire of God should be toward us How far below the price that love put on us Was man a Crown and wager for God for God for such a God to run for to work for and to win Was there not a more fixed seat in Angels then in clay for so high a love as the Love of God Is there room in so low a peece of created Nothing for so high and deep so broad and long a design so high an aime as nothing could be the last and the least result of transcendent love but great Immanuell God with us Reason might say a lesse price may buy poor man a lower design may compasse sinners But love said no lesse could do it and this love is not capable of a mistake in buying infinite love cannot erre in designes of free-love 11. Argument is from the Oath of God Christ is made a High Priest another way then other Priests Heb. 7.21 For those Priests were made without an oath but this with an oath by him that said to him the Lord hath sworn and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec Psal. 110.4 No man enters to an office by an oath to be faithfull or to be for ever in such an administration but he enters also to the office by Covenant And this oath is sworn by the Lord JEHOVAH to Christ The Lord hath sworn thou art a Priest It s a more excellent Priesthood which is confirmed by an oath then that of Aaron which is confirmed by no oath Psal. 89.35 Once have I sworn by my Holinesse that I will not lie unto David the Messiah my Anointed the son of David 36. His seed shall endure for ever Act. 2.30 Therefore being a Prophet and knowing that God with an oath had sworn to him that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit upon his Throne 31. He seeing this before spake of the Resurrection Psal. 1â—2 11 The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David he will not turn from it of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy Throne 12. If thy children shall keep my Covenant and my Testimony that I shall teach them their children also shal sit upon thy Throne for evermore They shall sit so and so by Covenant blessed in Christ. And so the stability and certainty of the decree and oath is not to make the children of David secure but watchfull in their duty But this is not a condition without the which the Messiah should not reign but without this he should not reign to their comfort and everlasting good But otherwise the truth of the Lords Covenant-faithfulnesse depends not upon mens unbeleef Rom. 3.3 and for the certainty of this promise and oath which made good Christ his reign which shall not cease see 2 Sam. 7.12 1 King 8.25 2 Chron. 6.16 Luk. 1.69 Gen. 21.17 18 Hence there is no Covenant made with Christ that the Covenant of Works made with Adam should stand for ever 2. No oath in that Covenant 3. No promise or oath to give perseverance and the Spirit and influences of grace for that effect And the oath of God that Christ shall be King of my will to reign over the heart to give repentance as a Prince Acts 5.31 and that God hath sworn him to be an eternall Priest who offered himself a sacrifice to deliver me from the present evill world Gal. 1.4 to ransome me from my vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 to bring me to God 1 Pet. 1.18 that I should being dead to sin live to righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2.24 Eph. 5.25 26 27. Heb. 13.11 12. Rev. 1.5 6. is somewhat more comfortable then the doctrine of Papists Arminians who say that any tempted Saint may be a justified Saint to day and an Apostate a limme of Satan and a child of perdition to morrow as Judas was as if Christ were not a sworn Advocate in the nick and hour of temptation to help in the act of winnowing and had not made promises of actuall grace to actuall temptations when they come Luk. 22.31 1 Joh. 2.1 Math. 10.19 And if Christ be sworn a King Advocate an high Priest to overcome the rockinesse and flinty and stony rebellion of will providing that will shall first yeeld and not play the King against Christ for any thing I see the Covenant of grace is looser the corruption of the Covenanter being ten times stronger to evill then the will of Adam was then the Covenant of Works and the Gospel an infinitely more plain path to a more fiery hell then the Law And it speaks much of free grace that the everlasting salvation of the Elect is in such a castle as the oath of the Omnipotent and infinitely faithfull Lord. Lastly the Argument is the more considerable that every Priesthood even that of Levi is imposed by Covenant Mal. 2.5 My Covenant was with him of life and peace CHAP. VII The Covenant of Redemption is explained in three eternall acts 1. Designation decree or ordination and delectation in the work 2. Mercy and peace truth and righteousnes are agreed in this Covenant 3. The designed sending of the Spirit cannot be a Covenant as this was 4. The twelfth Argument 5. The thoughts of eternall love THe Covenant of Redemption is two wayes considered 1. As transacted in time between Jehovah and Christ in his actuall discharge of his office of King Priest and Prophet 2. As it is an eternall transaction and compact between Jehovah and the second Person the Son of God who gave personall consent that he should be the Undertaker and no other And these three acts are considerable in the Persons in this latter consideration 1. Designation of one 2. Decree and destination 3. Delectation in the work As to the first There must have been a Person either the Father or the Son or the Spirit 1. By God from eternity set apart separated and designed And 2. This person must have given an actuall consent from eternity to the designation Now the person designed was the Son only this lot eternally to speak so fell upon only him who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lamb fore-ordained before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1.20 And because Christ-God equall with the Father does not begin to consent and agree to the designation
in time nor can Christ-God will any thing in time which he did not will and consent unto from eternity therefore he was present with the Father and consented unto the designation and closed the bargain from eternity upon which account Christ had the glory of a designed Saviour with the Father before the world was and prayes that he may God-Man be glorified as touching the manifestation of that glory to Angels and men with the glory that he had with the Father before the world was Joh. 17.5 and here is an eternally closed Covenant between JEHOVAH and the Son with the consent of parties And who sees not our debt of love for a foresight and providence of pure grace Behold a designed Physician before we be sick and Christ with his own consent writing himself the repairer of the breaches before the house fall and the healer and binder up before the bones be broken 2. Christ is chosen and predestinate the head the first born of the house and of the many brethren and sayes Amen to the choise and we are chosen in him as our head and he was fore-ordained the Mediator and the Lamb before the foundation of the world was laid to be slain for our sin Hence 2. offended Justice by the breach of the Covenant of Works in all the three Persons pleads that man should die and that pleading is most just and the Law cannot be broken nor repealed The soul that sins must die Ezech. 18. the threatning Gen. 2.17 must be fulfilled 2. Mercy pleads not having a Throne higher then justice as Arminius saith that so many chosen ones may find mercy and peace calls for reconciliation to sinners 3. Infinite wisedome also requires that justice and righteousnesse under the name of mercy we comprehend free and rich grace may meet and peace and righteousnesse may kisse each other Psa. 85.11 Hence all these Attributes of glory must come forth that a Throne may be set up and a Psalm may be sung Rev. 5.12 and the thousands of thousands may cry Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisedome and strength and honour and glory and blessing 13. And every creature which is in heaven saith John and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing honour and glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Hence 1. there is no conflict between mercy and justice as Arminius saith nor any naturall desire in God to have all Angels and men saved which is hindered by justice Job sayeth truely c. 23. v. 13. He is of one minde and who can turn him from this end which he intends as if he could not compasse it to another end and what his soul desires in saving or destroying even that he doth 14. For he performeth the thing that is decreed for me and all creatures and his decrees are most free Eph. 1.11 and many such things or many the like things are with him Therefore it pleased his most free soveraign and absolute Counsell to bring forth to Angels and men to heaven and earth to sea and to all creatures the glory of justice truth mercy peace grace power wisdom Rev. 5.13 and in Christ the decreed and appointed Mediator the Lamb foâ—e ordained as Peter 1 Pet. 1.20 to be slain and who agreed to the decree and in an eternall compact took the burden upon him to fulfill that of Psal. 85.10 Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousnesse and Peace have kissed each other 11. Truth shall spring out of the earth and Righteousnesse shall look down from Heaven So that in this transaction the Father and the Son and Spirit let out to men for their salvation the glory of all thâ—se Attributes Obj. Did not the Holy Ghost also from eternity say Amen and agree to be sent by the Father and the Son to lead the Saints in all truth to sanctifie to comfort them And did not the Father and the Son from eternity decree to send the Spirit And did not the Spirit also consent to the decree before the world was And so shall there be also a Covenant between the Father and the Son sending the Spirit Joh. 14.26 Joh. 16.13 14 15. and the Spirit who is sent Ans. Every mutuall agreement between the blessed Persons concerning their actions without cannot be called a Covenant nor need we contend about names What if we say that there is some Oeconomicall and dispensatory agreement of sending and being sent yea even in the Works of Creation Redemption and Sanctification though two things stand in the way to hinder us to call such an agreement with the name of a voluntary compact or Covenant 1. It seems naturall and not voluntary that there is such an admirable order of working as the Father creates by the Son as by his eternall wisedome but yet a person a suppositum different from the Father and by the Spirit as his mighty power a third Person 2. The Son is decreed with his own consent to be the Person to empty himself to be in time cloathed with our nature and to put on the state and legall condition of a Covenant-Obeyer of God to the death the death of the crosse and is made a little lower then the Angels and this may well be called a Covenant-transaction and a course of Covenant-obedience in the Mediator which condition the Holy Ghost comes not under And what should man say when the votes of the Three carries it that our iniquities should be laid on the Son Isa. 53.6 and the Son should be sent Gal. 4.4 and he from eternity should step out Lord send me here am I to do thy will Joh. 3.13 No man no person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven even the Son of man which is in heaven These votes of love fell not upon Angels but upon man And how should it break my rockinesse that Christ spake for me undertook for me took all my diseases upon him before I was and before my disease had being We reckon it great favour Such a man pleaded kindly and boldly for you in your absence when you was not to speak for your self As its love to provide a rich inheritance for the child not born and to fight for the sleeping child that he may not be killed when we had neither being action nor vote in Christs undertaking Obj. Such as are chosen in Christ such are foreseen beleevers when they are chosen Ans. Justly learned and pious M. Bayn denies that for God choised the noble royall Family Christ the Head and all the Branches in Him Love eternall love begins at the head descends to the off-spring But not because they are in Christ by faith and actually are foreseen believers for that is all one We were in Christ
as the tree is in the seed as all the Rose trees and the Vine trees are in the first Rose tree and the first Vine tree created of God virtually For because God choosed us therefore shall we be in Christ by faith yea and he choosed us and ordained us to be in Christ by faith when He gave us to the Son to be keeped by him The third considerable act here is an act of delectation and the place is observable Prov. 8.22 The Lord Chanani possessed me It s not Bara created me It s not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the LXX have it but as Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning of his way as Cartwright before he had created any thing 23. I was set up from everlasting Tremellius inuncta fui I was anointed Aben Ezra Electa fui I was chosen The vulgar Latine I was ordained from the beginning or ever the earth was 24. When there were no depths I was brought forth when there were no fountains abounding with waters 25. Before the mountains were setled before the hills was I brought forth c. In all which the authority of Christ saith Cartwright is proven from his eternity antiquity immortality c. and all this time He was with God as is fully v. 30. cleared Then I was by him as one brought up with him Chald. Para. I was nourished up as à maid at his side He will not want his Son out of his eye I was daily his delight rejoicing alwayes before him The Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 die die from day to day Rabbi Solomon annorum myriades myriads of years The Father and the Son from eternity delighted one in another and were solacing themselves in the works without themselves and the ratio formalis as it were that which took up the love delight and thoughts of God when as yet there was no world no mountains no depths c. is Christ as Redeemer delighting himself with the sons of men 31. I was with him rejoycing in the habitable part of his earth Heb. Sporting or playing with the sons of men both because of all his works as Ambrose saith he most longed for man and made heaven and rested not and made the earth and rested not and made the Sunne Moon and Stars and rested not there and made man and then rested as having found the choisest peece of work he so much delighted in So the Father and the Son were taken and as it were love saith Bernard triumphed over God and they solaâ—ed their heart in that great design of love and from eternity passed over that long and sweet age of myriads of ages in the pleasant and delighting thoughts of that boundlesse and bottomlesse Ocean of love to wit God is to be made sick and to die a love for the sons of men Love being above and in a maner not stronger then the grave only and then death and hell but some way with reverence to his holinesse mightier then the most High and brought God down to sick clay that you may saith Bernard see if you take heed joy sadned faith feared salvation suffering life dying strength weakned and this wisedome was hid up and kept secret since the world began Rom. 16.25 Hidden wisedome in the heart of the Lord from eternity which God ordained before the world unto our glory 1 Corinth 2.7 the like whereof the eye hath not seen nor the ear heard nor hath entered in to the heart of man v. 9. to conceive So that this mystery of the Covenant between Jehovah and the Son of God was as it were little enough to busie the thoughts of the infinite understanding of of the highest Lord God Father Son and Spirit as containing the unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3.8 Say there were millions and ten thousand millions of Globs of new whole earths of all gold mines perfect and purest gold yet should they not all come near to the borders of this riches and these all were in before there was a Creation and he lets out of this fulnesse to us and we are sinfully poor beside Christs gold mines and dry beside the rivers of wine and milk and dead a thousand times being under the flowings and outlettings of life and of such a life Hence the 12. Argument If Christ the Son was designed and fore-ordained with the Father the Spirit and his own consent to be the person should pay the ransome of satisfaction and to be satisfied in his soul with the getting and injoying of the bought and well payed for and ransoned yea the over-ransoned sons of men who ravished love and heart of Father and Son before the mountains were brought Prov. 8.22 23 c. 30 31. forth and when as yet there were no depths then was that bargain of love closed and subscribed before witnesses from eternity For could the heart of Christ be cold and indifferent to undergoe suretyship for the sons of men Who warmed and kindled a fire of Redeemers love in his heart from everlasting Or was his consent to the Covenant but as late and young as since Adam fell or Abraham was called to leave his countrey and his fathers house Gen. 3. Gen. 12 Ah! it s an older love then so A yesterdayes love time-mercy a grace of the age with the world could not have saved me Nor were our Charters and Writtes of Gospel-grace first drawn up in Paradice Nay but copies and doubles of them only were given to Adam in Paradice The love of God is no younger then God and was never younger to sinners and woe to us if grace and mercy to redeemed ones should wax old and weaker through age and at length die and turn in everlasting hatred I desire to hold me fast by that Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love He meets as Calvin well observes with a blasphemous temptation of Sathan that the people had in their mouth Ho the Lord appeared to me of old but that is a love from one year to another and it s out of date now the Covenant-love to Abraham is dead and away and the Lord is changed No I have loved thee not for a year or a summer The Covenant-love is older then thy poor short time-love Obj. But I may leave off to love God and he loves me no longer then I love him Ans. Where is then everlasting love and because he loves us we shall not leave off to love him Night and overclouding of the Sun is not a perishing of the Sun out of the world his love quickens my fainting love CHAP. VIII The differences between the Covenant of Suretyship or Redemption made with Christ the Covenant of Reconciliation and of Grace made with sinners 2. The conjunction of the Covenants 3. How the promises are made to the Seed that is to Christ the meaning of the place Gal. 3.16 4. Christ acted and suffered alway as a publick head IT
is not the same Covenant that is made with Christ and that which is made with sinners 1. They differ in the subject or the parties contracting In this of suretyship the Parties are Jehovah God as common to all the three on the one part and on the other the only Son of God the second Person undertaking the work of Redemption In the Covenant of Reconciliation the Parties are God the Father Son and Spirit out of free love pittying us and lost sinners who had broken the Covenant of Works 2. Hence the Covenant of Suretyship is the cause of the stability and firmnesse of the Covenant of Grace It s true Psal. 89.19 David is meant when he sayes I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the people 20. I have found David my servant For the grace of election made David mighty in the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and made him mighty to execute his office But this is so to be understood saith Mollerus and others of David as it is also to be referred to Christ upon whom the strength of our salvation is laid and the strength laid Covenant-wayes upon Christ is the cause why David and his seed stand sure in an everlasting Covenant of reconciliation Though the Covenants of Suretyship and of Reconciliation differ yet must they not be separated but faith principally must be fixed upon the most binding Covenant-relation between JEHOVAH and the Son of GOD. Eye Christ alwayes in the Covenant else it s but the sheath or scabbard of a Covenant and a letter to us 3. There be two parts as it were of the Covenant of Redemption 1. A Covenant of Designation 2. Of actuall Redemption The former is eternall for the Lord does not begin in time to dâ—signe Covenant-wayes the Son to be the Consenter to be our Surety nor doth the Son in time begin to consent But the Covenant-consent in 1. Designing of one Person the Son and no other Of 2. Decreeing and fore-ordaining of Him 3. Of mutuall delighting in love and in eternall thoughts in the sons of men to be redeemed 1 Pet. 1.20 Prov. 30.31 Was closed and concluded in an ended bargain from everlasting for the Parties were coexistent and together and rejoicing in one another and in the common work to borrow that expression thinking long till the day of marrying of God and man and untill Immanuels day should dawn Joh. 8. Abraham rejoiced to see my day But as touching the other part the Man Christ untill he should be Man and have a mans will he could not in two wills close with the Covenant of actuall Redemption But the Covenant of Reconciliation is no more eternall then the creation which is eternall in the Decree of God as are all things that fall out in time But this Covenant was made in Paradice though it was decreed from everlasting yet it had no being as a Covenant nor could have any so long as the Covenant of Works did stand But it came in due time the physick and the Physitian Christ the blessed seed not few hours after Adam was fallen came to his sick-bed or rather to his death-bed Blessed be his love who redeemed us in our low condition for Adam had no faith to receive nor hope of a Redeemer Christ came not sought for not sent for not so much as desired by us For how could we desire a thing impossible to our knowledge Or could we thirst for a ransome of the blood of God unknown to Angels or Men This is preveening grace indeed 4. They differ in the subject matter The Covenant of Redemption is 1. who shall be the surety of Redemption to undertake for man Here am I saith the Son thy fellow Zech. 13.7 2. What shall be his work What shall be his wage He shall lay down his life that shall be his work he shall be obedient to his Father to the death even the death of the crosse And his wage shall be He shall see his seed and God shall give him a name above every name But no such work is laid on us nor such a reward to be expected by us in the Covenant of Reconciliation Only here life and forgivenesse is promised to us upon condition of beleeving in Christ and fit it is that Christ be alone none under such a Commandement as He Joh. 10.18 5. The Covenant of Redemption hath different commands 2. Promises 3. And conditions from the Covenant of Reconciliation The Commands of the Covenant of Suretyship are of two sorts 1. Some common 2. Some proper and peculiar The former is that Christ fulfill all righteousnesse Matth. 3.15 obey the whole Law being made under the Law Now the command of being under the Law is two wayes considered 1. As laid upon the Son of God so it is no command but a voluntary desire And so his consenting to take on our nature is a consenting to empty himself and to be under the Law but no act of obedience because he was under no commanding obligation to take on him ouâ— nature But 2. as it is laid upon him now God-Man and the Word made flesh he is under a necessity to give perfect obedience Heb. 10.5 Therefore coming into the world The Son being to enter into the world and to take on our nature speaketh to the Father thus Sacrifice and offerings thou desirest not as expiations to take away sin for they cannot expiate sin A body thou hast framed to me which is the only one sacrifice of the true Lamb of God which taketh away sin Joh. 1.29 and that once for all And there are not any sacrifices ever to come after Heb. 9.26 28. And perfect obedience with all the heart was tendered by Christ from a holy nature he being full of the Holy Ghost from his Mothers womb so as none could accuse him of sin Heb. 4.15 Heb. 7.26 Joh. 8.46 and this obedience had influence in Christs obedience To the 2. to wit to that proper and peculiar command of suretyship that never man was under but only Christ. Joh. 10.18 This Commandement to lay down my life for sinners received I and I only from my Father Psal. 40.6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire mine ears thou hast opened 8. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Now thus we are not either wayes under the commands of the Covenant of Grace Who in heaven and earth but Christ could have come under baile and an act of suretyship for us 2. There were promises of an higher nature made to Christ in his Covenant then are made to us in our Covenant of reconciliation to wit dominion from sea to sea A Throne at the right hand of God is not made to Angels Heb. 1.8 13. nor to us nor is there remission and pardon promised to him as to us of this hereafter 3. The
were of truth and righteousnesse But it may be said if Christs dying for sinners remove as a satisfactory punishment the guilt and obligation to eternall wrath what way is the reall and as it were the physicall inherency and essence of sin removed Ans. The obligation to wrath is removed only in a legal way by suffering of punishment due to sin which Christ hath done But the essence reall of sin is only removed as every other contrair is removed by the expelling of sin out of its subject and by introducing the contrair form to wit inherent righteousnesse and the perfect habit of Sanctification and holiness Now for this Christs dying and suffering wrath due to us suppose Christ should die a thousand thousand times for us his dying cannot as a satisfying cause or as a punishment remove this For 1. a punishment suffered by our Surety can but exhaust and remove the punishment due to the sinner for whom the suretyship is undertaken But 2. Christs dying cannot as a punishment remove sin as sin and as contrair to the holy Law and make us defiled wretches and servants of sin holy as the paying of ten thousand Crowns for a forlorn waster cannot make him to be no waster and a man that hath obeyed the Law only it makes that in Law the payment cannot be charged upon him 3. Christs transacting with God as our Surety is not only then meerly to remove eternall punishment but to purchase by the merit of his death the healing and sanctifying of our nature Heb. 10.10 By the which will we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all Then our Sanctification is procured to us by the will of God not simply as his commanding will for then should all and every one whom the Lord commands to be holy 1 Pet. 1.16 be sanctified which we see is not done but by the will of the Father commanding Christ to die Joh. 10.18 Joh. 14.31 and the will of Christ offering himself once for a sacrifice for sin is the will which sanctifies us So Pareus well saith it is the will with its correlate for in the willing passive obedience of Christ are we sanctified really by the merit of his death though this be wrought by degrees 2. Since the Father consents and wills that Christ die and the Son willingly offers himself a sacrifie the number as judicious and Godly M. Dickson hath well observed on the place and these all for whom Christ offered himself were condescended upon betwixt the Father and the Mediatour God knew those whom he gave to the Son to be ransoned and Christ knew those whom he bought And the necessity of this Covenant appears in this that the comfort cannot be solide if a child of God never have any assurance of his being gifted of the Father to the Son in particular For two things are clear here 1. That the Lord knows who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 and that if God gave some to the Son as Joh. 17. then the Son received them in a certain number And if Christ bought them by Covenant he must know how many As one who buyes a flock but he knows the quality and number of the flock 2. The knowledge sometime shall be this distinct that I was by name among them who loved me and gave himself for me And as the offering of every Priest is by way of Covenant and promise so if a sacrifice in the faith of the great sacrifice be offered to God then will God accept it here is a Covenant so is the Body of Christ offered by the Covenanting-will Heb. 10.10 And any doubt that may or doth arise concerning your self by name 1. It may as well be moved in some respect against the whole number and no wise man will say that the bargain betwixt the Father and the Son was so blind as the number was not agreed upon For since all the bought are sinners and so inclined to sinfull doubting of the bargain that which as a doubt is moved by one may be moved by all severally and all severally denying themselves to be the men for whom Christ bargained By this sinfull questioning of the transaction none at all were agreed upon 2. Every doubting of Gods love to me once justified and who have once fled to Christ for refuge is grounded upon sin and unworthinesse now none were given by the Father to the Son from eternity upon respect of either faith or unbeleef or holinesse or bad deserving It s true it is not known to me but by beleeving that I was given Covenant wayes to the Son But the Question is if sin be any ground why one justified should cashier himself out of the number of the gifted ones to Christ and committed to the Mediatour It s true it should be mourned for as a thing that doth not a litle hinder Sanctification in its progresse but should not brangle Justification nor the faith of our interest in Christ. 4. The necessity of this Covenant appears in that salvation is taken off free-will and the slippery yea and no of free-will in the Covenant of Works and laid upon one that is mighty upon David to govern Israel as their King but Psal. 89.19 upon Christ as excellently M. Dickson in all respects more eminently then David a stronger help mighty to save appointed of the Father in all cases he is one of our kind taken out of the people acquainted with our condition c. The lesse of the creatures will and the more of Gods will if gracious as here be in a Covenant the better Because the more grace and stability even the sure mercies of David that is of Christ Is. 55.3 Eze. 34.23 Eze. 37.24 must be here 5. The well-head of salvation for meer free-will and good pleasure in God instituted this dispensation must be here And most eminent freedome of grace made the bargain so that the Magna Charta the great Charter of the Gospel I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy is here eminently for mercy and free-love began at the head man For the Covenant of Grace as notably M. Dickson is consolidated in Christ our head and he hath the first right as man to say unto the Father that which is here said as Intercessour and Mediatour for the Elect he shall cry unto me thou art my Father my God and the Rock of my salvation As a father binds for his heirs and children A King subscribes articles of peace and seals them for the land and subjects The Ambassadour for the Prince and State that sent him makes answer So Christ acts in the Covenant of Redemption for his heirs seed subjects people and if the comparison might be made Gospel-free-grace as Covenant-mercy is more in the Covenant of Redemption then in the Covenant of Reconciliation for principally they are here as waters in the fountain Hence in this Covenant is fountain-love
fountain-grace all the satisfaction that the Lord craves of sinners begins at this spring the old and eternall design of love in the heart of God toward his Son his everlasting delight the bosome darling and beloved of the Father is the designed Prince upon whose shoulder is the Government Here was mutuall love-delight acted by the Father and Son Prov. 8.31 My delights were with the sons of men even before the fountains of waters were created v. 24. O what everlasting out-goings and issuings of eternall love came from the heart of the Father and the Son in their eternall Covenant-delights towards the sons of men here was the eternall marriage of the Lamb the Kings eternall Son and of the not as yet created Bride first written and sealed by the King and his Son and our not knowing of this and Gods delighting in us when we little knew or dreamed of his eternall love highnesse his grace Should the heart of God be taken and to speak so be sick of love for so many Nothings whom he was to make heirs Far more being reconciled and justified we need not fear we shall be saved Here in this Covenant were first drawen the lineaments and draughts of the free and gracious interest of Jesus Christ to the sons of men And who should not wonder here at the purest fountain-grace that is in Jesus Christ which did set on work eternall wisedome to frame such an eternall peace of God Covenanting with the Son of God and love eternall hiring love eternall with the reward to speak so of the certain hope of enjoying a soul-satisfying seed and a numerous off-spring of Redeemed ones if love should die and triumph over justice which was done by love 6. There is here much of the eternall interest of JEHOVAH to the Son and of the essentiall love of God to his only begotten Son Prov. 8.24 When there was no depths I was brought forth 30. Then I was by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight rejoycing alwayes before him And they may that have been verified Jer. 30.21 And their noble One shall be of themselves and their Governour shall proceed from the midst of them and I will cause him to draw near and he shall approach unto me for who is this that engadged his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord The love eternall here in JEHOVAH loves and wonders that Christ his Son layes hands upon his own heart to take upon him the Office of Redeemer and Priest and the Lords saying Who is this is a note of love and wonder as Psal. 24.8.10 Isa. 63.1 Cant. 6.10 and that his heart closes with the Covenant-designe Obj. But Arminius himself also teacheth that there was â— Covenant betwixt the Lord and Christ. God required of Christ our Priest that he would lay down his life for sin give his flesh for the life of the world and he promised if he should so do he should see his seed and be an eternall high Priest after the order of Melchisedeck and by the exercise of his Priestly Office he should be exalted to a royall dignity Christ our Priest closed with the condition and said Behold here am I to do thy will c. And Socinians who hold him to be a divine Man only will agree that Christ was under an obedientiall Covenant to God Ans. Arminians and others may yeeld to a Covenant between the Father and the Son but it is a far other thing then such as we hold for Christ did close with the condition of laying down his life for sinners But when Christ hath ended his work and payed the price of Redemption laid down his life for Pharaoh Cain for Aegyptians Syrians Persians Chaldeans and all in whom ever was the breath of life yet cannot the Lord promise to Christ that he shall have any seed or one redeemed one nor can the Lord either promise or pay wages to Christ For a promise if sincere is of things that are in our power to do even among men Can a King promise that to morrow he shall cause the wind for seventy dayes to come blow out of the North-West It s not in his power Now Arminians Socinians and all of that Family teach that God hath no forceable antecedent dominion to bow and determine the free-will of any one man The Lord then no more can promise nor give the reward of a seed to Christ for his work of laying down his life for man then he can ingage that the Serpent with reverence to our blessed Lord shall see his seed For when Christ hath wrought the same work payed the same very ransone as these Sophists teach for millions that perish through their own free-will eternally What seed hath he of them Where is his wage Were not all and every one of mankind promised in the Arminian Covenant to be the gifted seed of Christ upon condition that they should repent and beleeve But Arminians deny that God doth promise faith or that he is so Lord and Master of the free-will of any as indeclineably and unsuperably he can make good his promise and cause them beleeve and persevere therein to the end and that is it by which they are his seed It s but said in vain that God promises they shall be Christs gifted seed providing they be willing to beleeve that is but to say the Lord promises all shall be his seed providing they shall be his seed For willing beleeving makes them his seed 2. By this also the Lord promises what is in mens power to perform and it might fall out that all and every one should do the like that multitudes do who perish eternally and so shall Christ do his work and injoy no seed at all But the Covenant of suretyship which we teach makes not the truth of God to depend upon our faith or our unbeleef Yea the Lord promises that Christ without all fail shall undeclineably see his seed yea and shall be the restorer of the Tribes of Jacob and a light to the Gentiles and the salvation of God to the ends of the earth Isa. 49.6 Isa. 54. He shall be King and Lord of the Iles Isa. 42.6 7. Isa. 60.9 Psal. 2.8 9. A Prince and a sheepherd over his people Ezek. 34. Ezek. 37.24 25. Psal. 89.25 not upon condition they be willing over whom he is set but to meet with the temptation Ah! my iron and rockie will shall still resist the Lord and he shall be King of the Nations if the Nations shall determine their own will to submit to him and vote that he be Crowned King Nay but the Covenant-promise saith he shall be King of thy will This is a part of his raign Psal. 110.2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion rule thou in the midst of thine enemies 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power Deut. 30 6. Ezek. 11.19 20. Ezek.
36.26 27. Jer. 31.31 32 33 34 35. Jer. 32.39 40. Neither can there be confidence and faith in God through the sure mercies of David nor peace nor solide consolation nor warrand to pray for the Lords gracious bowing of the will to be his seed except it be beleeved Covenanted that God shall be the God of his people and their King not over the element of the sea only to rule it and over the mountains and the stones and rocks but also over the particular wills and the willing and nilling choosing of good and refusing of evill in the men of the Iles. And how could the Son pray Father give the inheritance of the Heathen to me according to promise Ask of me and I will give thee c. Psal. 2. If the Father could answer nothing but what Arminians and Socinians say he answers as also the beleever out of the fleshes weaknesse must dictat this return of prayer Son with good will I grant the Heathen and the ends of the earth to thee in heritage and possession so they be willing to submit to thee But what if they refuse to obey either me or thee I did never Covenant with thee Son to do more then I can try thy strength and force their free-will if thou can if they be willing well and good it is there is a bargain My approving and commanding will is that they be thy seed and thy willing people but my decree is not to Lord it over their will that is a fundamentall act of Government that all my subjects have liberty of conscience to will or nill as they please Nay but the Covenant of Suretyship includes the sure mercies of David and the Lord gives band word and writ and seal of blood and the Oath of God to the Son Psal. 110.4 Heb. 7.21 for the will Isa. 53.4 Behold I have given him for a witnesse of the people a leader and commander to the people But what if they will neither lead nor drive Yea the Lord promises they shall not need to be driven they shall be willing and run 5. Behold thou shalt call a Nation that thou knowest not and Nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God and of the Holy One of Israel for he hath glorified thee And a strong reason of this is given the Gentiles run Whence comes this forwardnesse of the Gentiles who knew not God Because saith Isaiah of Jehovah thy God of Christ Mediatour in Covenant with thee Psal. 22.1 Joh. 20. â—0 because of thy God the Holy One of Israel the running saith Calvin notteth the efficacy of the calling and they run to Christ because of Jehovah and the mighty power of God in the Man-Christ â— Noteth because saith Piscator And another reason because he hath glorified thee O Christ he hath declared thee to be the Son of God by thy rising from the dead ascension to heaven given thee a Name above all names Rom. 1.4 Phil. 2.7 8 9 10. So Musculus Piscator Marlorat Gualther Diodati So the running of the Gentiles to Christ is the glorifying of Christ and a part of the reward it s Christs glory that he hath a seed that runs after him Then And M. Dickson upon these words Ps. 2. Aske of me after Christs resurrection and declaration of his formerly overclouded Godhead he should continue in the Offiâ—e of his Mediation and Intercession and by vertue of his payed ransone of Redemption call for the inlargement of his purchased Redemption among the Gentiles for this is the Fathers compact with the Son saying aske of me and I will give thee the Heathen so that both by free Covenant and by merit Christ challengeth a seed and it were unjustice in the Lord with reverence and glory to his Holines to deny to Christ that for which he hath given a condign ransone and price But he hath payed a condign Covenantâ—ransone of his own precious self and offered blood for hâ—s seed Hence 1. though a weak beleever cannot by merit suit a bowed will and a circumcised heart from the Lord Yet 1. may be suit it by the band of the Covenant of Redemption between Jehovah and the Son and a Redeemed one may say it was an Article of the Covenant of Redemption that my stony heart should be taken away and a heart of flesh given to me and faith hath influence to be supported that God articled Covenant-ways such a wretch as I am to Christ and look as the book of life called the Lambs Book of Life contains so many by name head and in all their individuall properties Jacob Paul c. that are written and inrolled for glory so are all and I by name in a Covenant-relation given of the Father to the Son Joh. 17.3 9.11 Joh. 6.39 and that is surer then heaven or the fixed ordinances of nature Jer. 31.35 36. Psal. 89.37 38. Happy such as can ride at this anchor Though I mean not that the decree of election and the roll of the Mediatour to me or the gracious Suretyâ—Covenant between Jehovah and the Son as relating to me by name must be the nearest object of faith or that alwayes a beleever doth read this roll but his faith often is and ought and may be supported thereby 2. Christ may suit by vertue of both the Surety Covenant and by the justice of God his condign merite to me a fixed will to run the way of his Commandements Christs appearing with blood Heb. 9. and his prayer as high Priest Joh. 17. prove that in Christs Bill for us there is justice the merite of blood and that his Advocation is 1 John 2.1 grounded upon justice and he stands there as Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the righteous without sin now imputed not now made sin nor made a curse but by order of strict justice justified and righteous and the act of Suretyship taken off and as the hand-writing against us is cancelled upon the Crosse Col. 2. So the hand-writing of oblidged punishment due to Christ as our Surety is removed and he now justified in the Spirit without sin Heb. 9.28 Such a one as cannot die Rom. 6.9 Rev. 1.18 and cannot die a death satisfactory for sin because as beleevers cannot die the second death Christ having died for them neither can Christ suffer the second death again or be twice a curse for once he died for all But our faith is so supported not a little in this I darre not put merit or justice in my suits to God but I beleeve it is and must be in Christs bill and that bill is for me mercy and only mercy is in the sinners bill but the justice of a condign ransoner is in Christs suits and so faith looks to Christ As 1. having the first Covenant-right to heaven as the great Lord receiver of the promises And then we have a second right in him 2. Faith looks to Christ as having
more right to us because he hath the right of justice then we have to our selves for its free-graces title which we have to our selves for we gave no ransone for our selves and we gave no ransone for eternall life and therefore all the doubtings and acts of unbeleef in order to the Surety of the Covenant do resolve upon some apprehended breach between the Father and the Son that either the one or the other or both have failed to each other and have broken the Articles of the Covenant which is a reproaching of both the Father and the Son So that nothing is more necessary then to beleeve firmly the Covenant-faithfulnesse of God 3. What strong bands of beleeving and holy living have we from this Surety Covenant When 1. good-will and freegrace is become the ingadger of the faithfulnesse of God as he is true God and with a Covenant-tye to keep sure our salvation as he will be true to his Son and so to himself and to his own Holy Nature that we shall be saved yea and not that only but by Office as King and High Priest he hath laid bands upon himself and made it the duty of his Office to save us So that any good man thinks his office of a King and a Prophet or a Priest lays bands upon him to acquit himself faithfully in the charge So that Christs sworn Office of High Priest lays bands upon him to compassionate as a feeling head all his own and to be touched with their infirmities then must unbeleef in these particulars say we judge that Christ will not do his duty in his Office and that he shall break his faith of Suretyship and fail under his band of Suretyship How needfull then must the firm perswasion of compleat qualifications and fulnesse of anointing of Christ for the compleat discharge of his duty be O! beleeve him to be the faithfull High Priest who expiats and heals you in all the measure kinds degrees circumstances of time place of the particular transgressions you are guilty of Psal. 103.3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases And if a man judge himself ingaged to go about such duties as his surety and ransone-payer in his name hath promised far more are we to walk as the redeemed of the Lord since there was an eternall Covenant-undertaking between Jehovah and the Son of God that we should fulfill the undertaking And sure it is Law-faith or beleeving of Law-threatnings cannot have such influence upon our spirits to cause us obey the Law as the motives of a concluded act of suretyship and closed compact between the Father and the Son that we shall obey him And indeed it is a meditation that morally and spiritually should obtain from us that we be holy as he is holy and strongly melt the rocky heart When we remembred that JEHOVAH as a designed Surety gave band for the heart of a sinner from eternity and enters himself Cautioner for our rebellious will it should put us to beleeve so much and morally lay bands on our will Q. How are we to conceive of the act of Suretyship A. Jehovah from eternity decrees that the Son be the designed person who shall take on our nature and lay down his life for sinners The Lord promises he shall have a redeemed seed for a reward In this offer Jehovah ingadges that we shall be Christs seed and so shall be by the immortall seed born again and shall beleeve and be gifted to Christ as saved here Jehovah undertakes that we shall beleeve 2. Christ agrees to the designed person It is written of me and so decreed of God from eternity I delight to do thy will I shall lay down my life for these given to me And here the other party Jesus Christ coming by his own consent to die does also undertake 1. In dying to ransone us from hell and merit life to us and make us his purchase So 2. he being a Saviour by merit he by his death purchaseth the Spirit and meriteth the new heart and so undertakes for us in this regard both parties undertake for us And the Spirit being the same very God with the Father and the Son also is by his own consent designed comforter and actor in his way by the anointing without measure that he puts on the Man Christ and the grace given to his members But the only formall parties in the compact are the Lord Jehovah and the Son party consenting before time and his Manhood in time becoming one who imbraces the Covenant of Suretyship and calls the Lord his God Ps. 22.1 Joh. 20.17 Rev. 3.12 Isa. 55.5 Hence if we imploy faith and hold out to the Lord the undertaking for us in the Covenant there is an answer framed to all our temptations from our own frailty As Adam and the Angels fell and how can we stand But God said never of them as Psal. 89.19 I have laid strength upon one that is mighty and Christ was no designed undertaker for Adam nor was Adam to beleeve such a thing Therefore it is fit to observe that not only the Head Christ and the body changes names as the body is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 and Christ called David Isai. 53.3 Ezek. 34. Ezek. 37.14 David my servant shall be King over them So also many things in one Psalm are spoken of David both in an Historicall and Typicall truth as Psal. 22. But there are some things Psal. 16. so spoken of David that they are true only Typically of Christ and spoken Prophetically as David saith Ps. 16.10 Thou will not leave my soul in grave neither will suffer thine Holy One to see corruption And the Apostle Peter denies that this can be exponed of David for Acts 2.26 27 28 29 30. and Paul Acts 13.34 35. And as concerning that God raised him from the dead now no more to return to corruption he said on this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David Wherefore he saith also in another place thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption 35. But David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on sleep and was laid unto his fathers and saw corruption And it is not to be doubted that the Prophecie Psal. 22. They divided my garments they pierced my hands and my feet is only a Prophecie of Christs being crucified Nor was ever David crucified To say in another case David was crucified will not help for it might be said in another case David saw no corruption for all beleevers are delivered from the dominion curse and sting of death Hence it may well be said that same Psal. 89. must prove both the Covenant of Suretyship and the Covenant of Grace v. 3. I have made a Covenant with my chosen I have sworn unto David my servant thy seed will I establish for ever and build up thy Throne to all Generations Though it be
but takes not away Covenant-mercy from the seed of Christ And the reason is from the nature of the Covenant v. 34. My Covenant I will not break c. If then the elect and chosen of Christ should fall away God should break and alter his Covenant but impossible is the latter Hence 1. the questioning of the stability of our state being once internally in Covenant with God is a reproaching of God and to make him a liar v. 35. Once have I sworn saith he by my Holinesse that I will not lie unto David Though 1. we seem to reproach our selves in questioning our state being once in Christ yet the truth is the plea is against God and his Truth and Holinesse 2. It s easier to beleeve generall truths then to beleeve particular truths in which our selves and our own actings are interested So spirituall and wilie a snare is unbelief that when we think we are unbelievly fearing our own treachery we are indeed charging treacherie and falshood upon the Holy Lord. 3. In our sinfull plea's with our own state Ah! I am casten out of his sight Psal. 31.22 Jona 2.4 we are overturning the whole Gospel and Covenant of Suretyship and Reconciliation and we say God lied to David and to his Son Christ contrair to that Psal. 89.35 Once have I sworn by my Holinesse I will not lie unto David 36. His seed shall endure for ever for the Lord once justified thee 4. We shall find our selves so selfie in contraverting with God in the matter of fact touching our selves am I in Christ Or am I an Apostate and fallen from Christ That we are more taken up with a hellish fretting for our falling in a state of condemnation then we are grieved for the injurie of unbeleef in traducing the Holy Lord with a lie There is a taste here of Judas his fierie unbelief for he complains more Mat. 27.4 I have sinned in betraying the innocent blood then that God is dishonoured and Christs love offended The grief is more for the interest of I of self that is entered in the borders of hell then that his glory who commands beleeving is overclouded It were good in such a case to go about two things 1. Be lesse moved that self is under these apprehensions lost and cast away then that the spotlesse glory of the Lord suffers What matter of me and of self in comparison of the dishonour done to God What though I and millions like me were tormented if God were not offended Now God 1. who hath bought me 2. Who hath accepted a ransone for me 3. Hath justified me 4. Hath witnessed all these is contradicted in all these and yet we complain only Ah I am fallen 2. Leave the Question concerning your self whether ye be cast away or no when you cannot come to a peaceable and quiet close about it and dwell upon the duty of fiduciall relying on Gods generall Covenant to Davids Son Christ his ingadging with him and Christ his gracious accepting of the condition 5. God sware to the Son of David for the seed that is for the whole race and gave them all to Christ and gave you among them and Christ closed with the condition though ye cannot come to application It s good to feed the soul upon the solatious thoughts I cannot apply but Christ whose egressions outgoings have been from of old from everlasting Mic. 5.2 did apply For Christs everlasting outgoings are not only his eternall generations from the Father but the decrees the sweet eternall flowings emanations and issuings of Christs holy thoughts of me of all the individualls by name of the seed given and received by Christ his eternall acts of soul-delighting thoughts of every redeemed son of man Prov. 8.30 31. Rom. 9.11 Eph. 1.4 1 Pet. 1 2. the eternall acts of love and love-thoughts to Jacob David Peter Mary c. his acts of designing you if ever you beleeved and can rub and blow up experiences under ashes Rom. 5.4 Ps. 77.6 and the thousands that stand before the Throne from eternity his actings of eternall love appointing and setting Chairs Throns Mansions and dwelling places for 〈◊〉 man and this man are so many applications of Christ to you Feed and feast upon these by beleeving the ancient Covenant and you cannot but come to quietnesse of peace in your apprehended estate CHAP. X. Christ procures the Gospel to be Preached to Reprobats but undertakes not for them A necessary distinction of the Covenant as Preached according to the approving will of God and as acted upon the heart according to the decree of God and the differences of the members The place Jer. 31. Heb. 8. This is my Covenant opened A Question it is whether Christ undertakes in the bargain with JEHOVAH for all visibly in Covenant for as is said before these in the Visible Church and their children that are baptized Magus Demas and others are in Covenant thus Act. 2.39 Ans Christ undertakes in his bargain only for the elect and undertakes that the Gospel shall be Preached to them but because many hypocrites are mixed with the Gentiles and Christ is given a light to the Gentiles Preached to a visible multitude as is foretold Isa. 49.6 Isa. 55.4 5. fulfilled Act. 13.46 47. Rom. 15.8 9 10 11 12 c. Therefore he procures to many hypocrites for whom and for whose Redemption he undertakes not that the Covenant shall be Preached by concomitancy because they are mixed with the elect not as an undertaker for them but for Church Discipline Christian Societies and to render such unexcusable Hence a necessary distinction of the Covenant of Grace The New Covenant must be considered 1. As Preached according to the approving and commanding will of God 2. As it is internally and effectually fulfilled in the elect according to the decree and the Lords will of purpose There must of necessity differences be holden forth between these two For Antinomians and legall Justitiaries miserably erre in both extremities The former will have no New Covenant in the days of the Gospel but that which is made with the elect The latter will have no New Covenant but such as is made with the whole race of mankind Pagans not excepted So Socinians Arminians Papists 1. They differ in the parties contracters The parties contracters in the Covenant Preached are God and all within the Visible Church whether Elect or Reprobate and their seed they professing the Gospel Mat. 28.19 20. Act. 2.39 40. Act. 3.25 Ye are the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made to our fathers c. and they were not all the chosen of God This is against the Anabaptists also and against these who will have the Gospel-Covenant to be made with all the world But it s a rich mercy that Professours are dwelling in the work-house of the Grace of God within the Visible Church they are at the pool side near the fountain and
dwell in Immanuels land where dwels Jehovah in his beauty and where are the Golden Candlesticks and where there run Rivers of Wine and Milk such are Exspectants of Grace and Glory to such the Marriage Table is covered eat if they will But the parties contracters of the Covenant in the latter respect are Jer. 31. Heb. 8. only the house of Judah the taught of God the people in whose heart the Law is ingraven for as God teacheth not all Nations his statutes nor sends the Gospel to them Ps. 147.19 20. Act. 16. So neither is the promise of a new heart made to all within the Visible Chuch 2. A great difference there is in regard of the Covenant of Suretyship or Mediation that Christ undertakes not for such as are only visible Covenanters and shall never beleeve As he prayes not for such as High Priest so he dies not for them nor came as a designed Covenanting Saviour from eternity under an act of Cautionry for them How then cometh the Gospel to them Ans. It comes to them 1. Not from Christ as their Surety since he prays not for any Mediation of his own toward them But 2. for the Elects sake so Paul Act. 13.26 Men and brethren children of the stock of Abraham and who among you feareth God to you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word of salvation to you and for your cause that ye may be saved is the Gospel sent 2 Corin. 4.15 For all things our suffering our dying are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for your sake 2 Tim. 2.10 Therefore I indure all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Elects sake that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Jesus Christ with eternall glory Hence there is no salvation but that which is in Christ Jesus our Lord the Author and Cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and meriting Procurer of eternall salvation Hebr. 5.9 Now though salvation be offered yet the salvation that is in Christ Jesus and merited by the ransone and price of his blood can be decreed and intended in the Preached Gospel to none but to the elect except they say that Christ did undertake to lay down his life and to save by his death and blood by Covenant-ingaâ—gment all the Reprobate within the visible Church for whom he refuses to pray John 17. But Christ undertook from eternity for the fulfilling of the Covenant of Grace and bestowing salvation upon them for whom he is Surety for it is he who makes the new Covenant Jer. 31.31 32 33 34. Heb. 8.10 11. 3. There is a twofold consideration of Gods will One is called his approving commanding and forbidding will when God reveals to us what is our obligation and duty and what is morally good and to be done because he commands it and what is morally evill and to be eschewed because he forbids it Now whether this good or evill shall come to passe or never come to passe it is all one as to the nature of the approving will of God for though the repenting of Cain and saving faith of the traitour Judas never came to passe yet it is the duty of the one and the other to repent and beleeve and the Lord commands and approves their obedience as good though he never decreed by his good pleasure that the obedience of Cain and Judas should come to passe But his will of pleasure his discerning will or his counsell purpose or decree is his pleasure and appointment of things not as good and evill or as agreeable unto or repugnant and contrair to an equal and just command of God but of things as they come to passe or shall never come to passe Hence in a premissive decree God appointed the crucifying of the Lord of Life the not breaking of a bone of Christ but he did never will the crucifying of his Son but forbids and hates it as execrable murther as touching his approving will in a word his commanding will is of things lawfull or unlawfull what we who are under a Law ought to do or not to do His will of pleasure is of things fixed and resolved upon what he purposes good or evill shall come to passe or not come to passe And by the way we may make good use of the foul sinnes that fall out for holy and clean is that hand and counsell of the Lord Act. 2.27 28. which determined what Herod and Pilate should do Yet did the Jews with wicked hands slay and crucifie him Act. 2.23 And O what beauty of wisedom and mercy do they see here who make that foul work of the slayers of Christ the subject matter of a fair Psalm Rev. 5.12 The thousands before the Throne sing worthy is the Lamb that was slain But were they worthy who slew him was it a worthy fact in the murtherers of the Lord of Glory No but grudge not at the beauty of his work who over rules all but adore and praise Let us not wrestle with his holy dispensation and say Ah! What an untoward Government of the world is it that God should suffer Angels and Men to sin and overturn the whole fabrick of Heaven and earth by sin Nay he hath by their fall brought in a more glorious order When he that sitteth upon the Throne saith Behold I make all things new Rev. 21.5 and it s said 2 Pet. 3.13 Neverthelesse we according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new earth wherein dwels righteousnesse Peter and the Disciples were to pray that they should not enter into temptation Mat. 26.41 and were oblidged not to be offended and scattered by the sufferings of the Lord but they were not to blame and grudgingly to judge that holy decree Prophecied by Zechariah and revealed to themselves Zech. 13.7 Mat. 26.31 I will smite the Sheepherd and the Sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad His part is clean and holy even when he throwes the wicked in hell and they are oblidged to sing the Psalm of the glory of his spotlesse Justice and that eternally as these who are before the Throne are to hold up for all ages the new song of the glory of his mercy and free-grace This ground being laid down the Holy Ghost speaks of the New Covenant two wayes in Scripture 1. According to the approving will of God as it stands of promises precepts threatnings and showes both what God doth by promises and what we are oblidged to do in point of duty Act. 2.39 The promise is to you and to your children Act. 3.25 Ye are the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our fathers 2 Cor. 6.17 Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord And I will be a Father to you c. This is the whole New Covenant holding out our duty ordaining those that professe to be baptized received members of the Visible Church the body to be edified as a visibly Covenanted people This
end in all the Articles of the Covenant of Redemption so fear not JEHOVAH cannot break off the Treaty with his Son nor can Christ be left unsatisfied 6. The Lord promises help to Christ against his enemies Psal. 89.21 With him my hand shall be established mine arm also shall strengthen him There be many against Christ but he hath a divine furniture of strength Hence protection is promised to him in the discharge of his Office Isai. 49.2 In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me and made me a polished shâ—fâ— in his quiver hath he hid me The outlettings and manifestations of strength and furniture that is in the â—ead redoundâ— to a seasonable supplie of all his afflicted ones that they shall not be overwhelmed 7. Victory is promised to Christ over all his enemies The Lord will not leave his soul in grave Psal. â—6 10 Therefore saith the Lord speaking Covenant-wayes Isai. 53.12 will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death He shall triumph over principalities and powers Col. 2.15 Luk. 11.22 and shall make all his enemies his footstool and subdue them so that he shall fill the pits with the dead bodies Psal. 110.1 6. and plague all his enemies Gen. â—â— 3 Psal. 89 2â— I will beat down his foes before his face and plague them that hate him It supports not a little our faith that when we tremble before temptations from Satan and the mighty of the world the Lord hath written Covenanted to Christ all his and our enemies destruction Our turning away our eye from the Covenant is the cause why we succumb Christ under his sorest assault with hell and hels pursevants and officers devils and the felt anger of a forsaking God dowbles his grips on the Covenant my God my God Psal. 22.1 Mat. 27. O my Father Mat. 26. Psal. 89.26 He shall cry to me my Father my God A Covenant is as it were more then a promise being a solemn promise in condiscension of mercy So the Church Psal. 89.38 39. and Jer. 14.21 and the afflicted people Isa. 63.16 and Dan. â— 9.4 5 6. Ezra 9.6.10.15 Hezekiah in a day of rebuke Isa. 37.16 20. the slain Church Psal. 79.9 Psal. 80.1 flee to this shoar in their stormes and the Lord professes he will be broken intreated and holden by his Covenant Lev. 26.41 42. 8. There is a promise of glory of a Name above all names made to Christ for his sufferings Psal. 16.9 10 11. Isa. 53.12 Act. 5.31 and to such as suffer with him and overcome Luk. 22.29 30. Rev. 3.21 Rev. 2.10 As also he shall bear all the glory of his Fathers house Isa. 22. Zech. 7.13 9. The Lord promiseth forbearing mercy to the children of Christ if they sin he will correct them in measure and in a Fatherly way give them repentance but not remove the Covenant-mercy So hath the Lord Covenanted and articled in the writ with his Son a rod to children to difference them from bastards Heb. â—2 And â—e that hath hiâ— fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem writes this up as a Covenant-mercy that he will not suffer them to perish with the world Hence the rods of the wicked stand booked in the Covenant of Works among the curses of the book of the Law Lev. â—6 Deut. 28.15 16 17 c. our rods are Covenanted mercies in the compact between the Lord and Christ and written in the Gospel-book of the Covenant of Grace 10. All the promises of the Gospel are first as it were promised to Christ the Gospel is put over in his hand Jesus is the Angel Rev. 10.1 châ—aâ—hed with a Cloud and a Rain-bow on his head v. 2. And hath in his hand a little book open the Testament and the book of all the promises to dispense them to such as the Father hath given to him to give his Spirit to his own to interceed and advocate for them to ratifie and seal them with his blood 11. There is promised to him an head-ship and power of judgment over man and Angels with an oath that to him all knees shall bow Rom. 14.11 Isa. 45.23 Phil. 2.10 and that he shall adde his seal to Gospel-hell and vengeance inflicted upon the despisers of the Gospel Luk. 19.14 Mat. 26.64 The threatnings against Gospel unbeleef are put in the hands of Christ not as Redeemer and Surety but as a refused Surety and King whom unbelievers will not have to raign over them 12. Adam brake the whole frame of heaven and earth and to the Second ADAM the whole broken and marred lump of the Creation is promised that he may be the repairer of the waste places Isa. 49.8 I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people to establish the earth to cause to inherite the desolat heritages Ps. 72.16 Under the raign of the Messiah There shal be an handfull of corn upon the top of the mountains the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon Jer. 31.12 Therefore shall they come and sing in the height of Zion and shall flow together for the goodnesse of the Lord Christ for wheat and for wine and for oyl and for the young of the flock and of the herd 1. The Lord made all things at the beginning very good Gen. 1.31 Heaven Earth Sun Moon Beasts Birds c. being all made servants to man were in a manner fellow-Covenanters in their kind with man in the Covenant of Works As a King covenants with a great Family his servants and dependers have the benefite of the Kings Covenant-peace all obeyed Adam without jarring but when Adam sinned war between the Lord and between the Master and the servants is denounced the earth is cursed for his sake Genes 3.17 18. and Lions and wild Beasts rise against him like loose borderers But in the Covenant of Grace Hos. 2.18 19 20. the beasts of the field the fowls of the heaven the Sun which shall not smite by day nor the Moon by night Ps. 121.6 are by the Surety of the Covenant brought in a new league yea the stones of the field Job 5.23 are compartners of the peace and Christ the King takes off the forefaultry upon all and looses the arrestment of vanity that by sin was laid upon the Creation which was made sick like a woman travelling in birth Rom. 8.20 21 22. Hence are they blessed in Christ to the Saints Deut. 28.4 5. Levit. 26.4 5 6. and the Angels come in under their Head Christ Col. 2.10 and serve the new restored heirs Heb. 1.13 for their Heads sake 2. God hath appointed Christ the Heir of all things and Heb. 1.2 hath given a Charter to Christ and put in bread garments houses and all to the Believer in Christ the first Heir his great evidence is 1 Cor. 3.21 All things are yours 3. He makes all things new Rev. 21.5
break and the smoaking flax shall he not quench He was most compassionate to sinners inviting them to come Mat. 11.28 29. crying and shouting with a loud voice to the thirsty Joh. 7.37 journeyed from heaven to seek and to save the lost Luk. 19.10 came to serve them with his heart blood Mat. 20.28 his bowels were turned with compassion to perishing souls that wanted the feeding Pastors Mat. 9.36 He sighed deeply in his Spirit at the perverse unbeleef of his deadly enemies the Pharisees Mar. 8.12 wept and shed tears at the foreseen destruction of Jerusalem Mat. 23.37 Luk. 19.41 42. and yet that City slew him Loved as the tender Physician to be much in company with sick sinners Mat. 9.11 12. Luk. 15.1 2 3. Luk. 19.1 2 3 9 10. O what rejoicing when he layes the lost sheep on his shoulder Luk. 15.5 When v. 20. he sees the home-coming sinner he ran fell on his neck and had compassion upon him and kissed him and made a feast and sang and danced for joy There is no humility like his to wash the feet of his servants there is no patience like his who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2.23 As a lamb dumb before the shâ—arer Isa. 53. How gaining of souls was he who preached in the Temple in the Synagogues in the Villages in the Ship at the Sea side at every Table he came to at every Feast at every confluence of people at every way side and stood still and talked with a woman and wanted his dinner upon that occasion And thought he dined well when he gained to the Lord the soul of a woman and of them of Samaria who hated him and refused to lodge him How faithfull and free in rebuking the Pharisees and Rulers and in declaring the truth of the Gospel that he was the Son of God though they attempted to stone him for his free Teaching None mortified to honour as he that refused to be a King Joh. 6.15 and was willing to be worse lodged then birds and foxes Mat. 8.20 and being rich for our cause became poor 2 Cor. 8.9 and endured the crosse despised the shame suffered the contradiction of sinners Heb. 12. and did run and fainted not And was he not a patern of love who laid down his life for his friends Joh. 15.10 even when we were enemies Rom. 5.10 He pleased not himself Rom. 15.3 honoured his Father Joh. 8. sought not his own glory v. 49.50 and saith true Job 5.30 I seek not mine own will but the will of him that sent me Joh. 8.29 I do alwayes these things that please him He faithfully expounded the Law Mat. 5. refuted heresies Mat. 22. glorified God with his miracles he was subject to his Parents Luk. 2.51 payed tribute to the Prince himself Mat. 17.27 and taught others to obey lawfull Governours Mat. 22.21 would not usurpe the place of a Judge Luk. 12. v. 13 14. and witnessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate 1 Tim. 6.13 and was for that cause born and for that end came he into the world that he might bear witnesse unto the truth Joh. 18.37 none so self-denied he pleased not himself sought not his own glory nor his own ease nor his own will but submitted to the will of God In all which we are 1. to look upon Christ who went about doâ—ing good Act. 10. as one who 1. was Covenant-wise designed of God and anointed with the Holy Ghost and power to do what he did and to be what he was for our good and it s much for the establishing of our faith that Christ was all this for our salvations sake by counsell and Covenant These gracious qualifications Christ-God undertook to have for our good and they were not given to Christ as personall and proper for himself but as head for we may here distinguish the grace of the person and the grace of head-ship though they must not be divided But as the light and heat of the Sun is not if we may so speak private or personall for the Sun it self but for the earth and all that live and grow out of the earth that need the influences of the Sun and have eyes to injoy the light thereof The water of the fountain is not for that hole or cave of the earth from whence the fountain doth issue but it is very often to 〈◊〉 in streaâ—â— to be a river for the use of the whole land All these excellencies and graces are in Christ not as his to speak so personall induements but as the publick treasure that we may receive of his fulnesse We should think it a strange exorbitancy in nature if all the trees flowers herbs on earth should refuse to receive influences and growing from the Sun and deny to be oblidged to the Sun for light and heat and our unwillingnesse to receive from Christ the publick grace that is made his by Covenant when a publick conâ—ignation by compact is made for our good proclaims our unbeleef and our wicked estrangement from Christ as if we had said let Christ be gracious for Christ only I shall not be his debtâ—r Nor is it from the naturall connexion between head and members or because simply Christ is man as we are though the humanity be ground thereof nor is it because Christ simply is anointed with the fulnesse of the Spirit for he is head of the body and Lord Generall Captain of his people noâ— by nature only not because of grace simply but by Covenant-purchase Rom. 14.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living There 's a Covenant between the Father and the Son that Christ should die not simply but for and in the name of the heirs of glory such as are designed friends for his dying is a relative and a legall binding and buying by Covenant of so many certain persons and upon this he is made Head and Prince and exalted to give of his fulnesse to give repentance and forgivenesse of sins to the house of Israel Act. 5.30 31. Ah! how do we love to be beholdâ—â— to nature to self for Heathen and Pagan vertues by education and morall exercise which is but wild corn and we seâ— not how unwilling we are to trade with Christ or to buy from him fine gold yet it was given to him without measure as to the universall fountain and head for all his 2. All these are in Christ that he should be a living coppie which we must follow And he is a more lively example then the Gospel it self for Christ is the acted Gospel And if ye look on Christ loving beleeving hoping praying there comes more life and warmnesse from his actions then from the word when we consider that as God would have the
humane nature a chariot to convey to us the fulnesse of merite by satisfaction so must it be the mean of carrying to us the fulnesse of grace by sanctification and then when God Covenants with the Man Christ that love faith hope meeknesse humility and 〈◊〉 shall live speak and act in Christ out to us we are more strongly convinced to follow the footsteps of so blessed a guide Christ is a living glasse in which we see the beauty of grace As also his meeknesse and humility is the meeknesse and humility of God and all these graces have a seat and lodging in our Immanuel God with us they have a drawing and an alluring desirablenes from the Person the Lord Jehovah our King the mighty God the Father of ages in whom they reside The properties of the Covenant of Suretyship are 1. Freedom 2. Graciousnesse 3. Eternity As to the first Nothing could compell nothing could hire Christ for eternity to ingadge his Name in such a band since he well knew what it should cost him how dear it should stand him and saw what indignity shame pain curse and all these conditions before him And what could move the father since he might have followed the Law-course of Works 2. The first draughts of free-grace and the Lords unsearchable riches appears in the sure mercies of David in an everlasting Covenant Isa. 55.3 and Ps. 89.1 I will sing the mercies of the Lord. 2. For I have said mercy shal be built-up for ever Why v. 3. I have made a Covâ—nant with my chosen I have sworn unto David my servant 4. Thy seed will I establish for ever c. The giving of the Covenant 2. The design of a Redeemer 3. The sending 4. Anointing 5. The consenting of Christ. 6. His coming 7. Dying are all acts of grace God was no debter to the Man Christ or to any of his kindred and blood-friends more then he was to David and his seed but God would act grace in Christ and make him a samplar and the first coppie of free-grace to all his brethren that they might share with him therein But though he made Christ also a coppie of his Justice Rom. 3.25 and spared not his Son Rom. 8.32 yet Mal. 3.17 the â—ord deals not so with us And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him And of Christ it is said Ps. 72.13 He shal spare the poor and needy And O what riches of grace and mercy and plenteous Redemption hath he manifested to us and therefore the more grace he shews to us the more freely and sonly should we serve him with lesse hirednesse and servile disposition If we could love God and Christ with a heart abstracted from heavens hire at least the pleasure of it for pleasure makâ— not any conform to God but holinesse doth and the heart not legally fearing the burning torment of hell it were good for since Christ hath freed us from the Law-wrath he takes it not well that we darre approach too near to the mount burning with fire nor does Christ allow our affections of fear and sorrow sadnes to act upon feared everlasting wrath we being justified by faith any other way then in a Gospel-consideration being casten down for our Law-deserving but so as we highly value our ranson-payer and serve him with godly fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word Heb. 12.28 must note a difference between the fear and trembling and terrour upon devils for the torment of hell Mat. 8.29 Jam. 2.19 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the godly fear of believers Heb. 12.28 which is also given to Christ Heb. 5.7 in whom there was no fear of hell torment and therefore the fear of him that can cast both soul and body in hell though it be another word Mat. 10.28 which Christ commands cannot be a servile fear legall for hell such as is in devils and men but a godly fear such as is consistent with the faith of deliverance from the wrath to come for Christ Mat. 10.28 commands that fear fear saith he to deny Christ before men Why fear him who can cast soul and body in hell And immediatly v. 31. Fear not therefore the same word that is v. 28. then he must forbid a fear opposite to servile fear and which stands with the faith of sons who are to beleeve the care of a father which is more toward his children then toward sparrows v. 29 30. And that the word noâ—â—eth a godly fear which is Heb. 12. beside other Greek Authors See Heb. 5.7 see Luk 2.25 Act. 2.5 Act. 8.2 Act. 23.10 and Heb. 11.7 Noah moved with fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 built and ark sure the fear of everlasting torment in hell moved not Noah to build the ark for by faith which is saving he builded it v. 7. 3. Eternity is a speciall property of the Covenant of suretyship For 1. the parties are eternall Jehovah the Lord and the Son of God never began to agree upon the designation of the Redeemer for that work it was a bargain closed from everlasting Only the question is when the Son shal render the Kingdom to the Father 1 Cor. 15. whether or not the Covenant shal then ceaâ—e For 1. Christ shal then end his work of Redemption and shal fully and finally have purchased what his soul desires and shall have received his wages and injoy with his conquished bride an eternal sabbath 2. He shall interceed no more for sinners for the sinning of his redeemed ones shall have an end 2. The Son saith Camero shall leave off to raign quod attinet ad regnandi actum according to the act of raigning but as touching the Kingdom it self there shall be no end of the Kingdome But it may appear as there was a time when it was said of Christ Phil. 2.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He emptied himself and took on him the form of a servant So there is a time opposite to that v. 9. Therefore God hath highly exalted him which is not fulfilled in his resurrection ascension and sitting only at the right hand of God but when all power friends and unfriends and the Man Christ shal be subject to the Lord yea even the Son not as God for Christ-God is equall with the Father not as man for so in the days of his flesh as man he ever was and is and shall be subject to God but the Son shall be subject as touching the Office of a formall Mediatour 2. Another distinction is here needfull as Augustine and Ambrose he shall render the Kingdom to the Father not that he shall leave off to raign but that he then shal declare that he raigns not of himself but that he hath his power of raigning from the Father and he shall professe this before men and Angels and so
shall glorifie the Father It s not to be rejected that Hilarius lib. 1. de Trinit 11. August lib. 1. de Trinit c. 8. he shall render the elect back to God as now saved and present to the Father his ransoned ones now perfected so Eph. 5.27 3. Taking the word of raigning for this to excell in eminency of power above all so Christ shall raign eternally but taking the word of raigning as it notes the exercise of royall authority so and so by gathering a Church by the Preached word fighting against enemies and overcoming them to make them his foot-stool untill which time he raignes Ps. 110. And so it may be and is said by some he raigns not after the day of the universall Judgement but these are but the second acts of a King and the not exercising of these acts proves not but Christ is a King actu primo and essentially for the exercise of such and such acts are often extrinsecall to the office But the question shall remain whether he be not for ever and ever a Mediatory King and does retain his headship over the Church so as the Angel say Luk. 1.33 He shall raign 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of his Kingdom there shalâ— be no end And as Dan. 7.14 Cameron and others say the meaning of that that his Kingdom shall have no end is only it shall not be destroyed by externall violence as worldly Monarchies that are made away and others rise in their place but that Kingdom say they may wellâ—be called eternall though the King leave off to raign when he leaves off to raign through no weakenesse and want of power but because he needs not raignâ— there being no need of laws because the subjects are perfected and there are no enemies to be subdued and the King hath obtained that eternall end a glorified people for which he was fighting But yet this seems not to satisfie 1. Circumcision and the Ceremonies and the Priest-hood Exo. 40.15 Lev. 16.29 the fast in the seventh month shall be a statute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever Lev. 6.18 All the mules of the sons of Aaron shal eat the remainder of the meat-offering it shall be a statute for ever in your generations so Lev. 17.7 Lev. 7.34 3â— Lev. 23.14 Num. 23.11 23. yet these Ordinances can hardly be called eternall as the Kingdom of Christ is And yet they cease when the body is come and they are not destroyed as humane inventions the hay and the stubble that are builded upon the foundation Christ. 2. These reasons prove that Christ shall not exercise such and such acts of royaltie upon such and such enemies for they shall be no enemies Yet we say not as â—amero that such a Prince leaves off to raign even as Mediatour Christs rendering of the Kingdome dispensatory or Oeconomick to the Father may well be a rendering of an account of his subjects and a presenting of them to God perfected Eph. 5.26 27. without spot and wrinkle Christ having brought them out of danger so as they need not Word Sacraments or a Temple And so 1 Cor. 15.24 He shal put down all rule all power and authority all Magistracy and Government that now is in either Church or State and so saith Parâ—us the Son shal be subject to the Father having subdued all the rebels as his Fathers Deputie he shall return to his Father the Kingdom now reduced to subjection and made peaceable and lay down his Mediatorie Commission and so be subject to the Father having ended the deputed and delegated charge And it is sure the Son as Mediatour is sent and is a Servant an Angel or Messenger of the Covenant Mal. 3. and the laying down of his written Commission is a sort of subjection and God doth not now actually raign in such a Mediatory way as in the days of Christs flesh he did raign in Christ but now after the last Judgement God is all in all that is not because he is not now all in all and is not the Lord of lords and King of kings but because it doth not so appear to be many now rise against him and contradict him and persecuting his Mysticall body do persecute Christ. 2. He shal be all in all by change of the Oeconomick Government then the Father Son and Spirit shal immediatly glorifie the Church Rev. 21.22 And I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb is their Temple 3. And the City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did inlighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof But that Christ shall leave off to be Mediatory King after the last Judgement I deny For there is a twofold Mediation one of uniting sinners to God and mediating between God and them This shall cease and all the royall acts thereof but these with reverence 〈…〉 second operations and acts of royaltie There is another Mediation substantiall by which our natures glorified stand in a substantiall union with God for ever for to what end shall Christ stand glorified in our nature in heaven but to be the substantiall 〈…〉 between 〈◊〉 and us glorified for ever If any say that Christ-God-Man after that day is no Mediatour of reconciliation because there shall be no sin then It s true Nay but even now in the intervall between his ascension and second appearing to Judge the world he acts not as Mediatour of reconciliation to expiate our sins and to satisfie for them for only he did upon the crosse by dying for us so mediate And we will not say he is acting the part of a Priest formally by sacrificing for us in heaven as Socinians teach for he can offer no expiatory sacrifice for us in heaven for he died but once that was on the earth only Obj. But now he Advocats for sinners 1 Joh. 2.1 therefore as now in heaven glorified he is a Mediatour for sinners Ans. True he is a Mediatour and Intercessour now applicatione non expiatione by applying his blood but not by shedding of it And he is an Advocat but called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus the Righteous and an Advocat as just and righteous supposeth a right and just cause and that sufficient satisfaction and payment is given to God for the sins of these for whom Christ interceeds the Advocation of Christ is not to plead that beleevers may sin or their sins may be excused as no sins But his intercession is to plead 1. that for his blood we may stand as accepted of God and freed from condemnation 2. That the Spirit procured by the death of Christ may be given to us that we may repent and beleeve But again after the last Judgement Christ stands as Mediatour not to apply his death nor to interceed for sinners when there shall be no sinners but Christ eternally shall appear for us as a paund of a
Christ died now this end is not possible in Pagans who never hear nor can hear the Gospel therefore Christ died not for Pagans These who teach that Christ died for all and every one and made a Covenant of Grace with all every one and sends no more of the Gospel to al every one make the way of salvatioÌ„ more impossible under the second theÌ„ under the first Adam Christs incarnation and death cannot be a fruit of the Mediators death We have not properly right to Christs satisfaction by faith CHRISTS death cannot be applicable to the Reprobate by faith except faith be merited to them by that death Davenantius dissert de morte Christi pag. 49. Respectu mortis Christi voluntas Dei aliter est comparata ad omnes singulos quam esset absque ea nam hoc ipso quod Christus passus est in natura humana sine alio ullo medio interveniente hoc saltem apud Deum effectum ut velit 〈◊〉 homini Caino credenti poenitenti reconciliari peccata remittere vitam aeternam conferre â— tolle respectum hunc mortis Christi promissionibus quoad non-eleâ—tos nihil serii nihil solidi aut veri subesset illud certum quemlibet hominem beneficio mortis Christi hoc juris sibi vendicare posâ—e Ergo hoc jus est impetratum morte Christi etiam reprobis We have not a new heart by beleeving Adams sin is ours not because Adam is our father by nature but because he is our father both by nature and by law Three parts of original sin The free-will of God the ground of the Lords imputeing Adams sin to us The difference between the imputation of Adams sin to us of the righteousnes of Christ to us Christs imputed righteousnesse cannot remove inherent sin or make us such as never sinned Davenantus de morte Christi c. 4. pag. 48. Ex solâ vi horum verborum Christus pro omnibus mortuus est non potest inferri Christum pro omnibus ita mortuum esse ut absolute decreverit hac sua morte omnium salutem efficaciter insallibiliter operari quia satis vere proprie pro aliquo mori is dicatur qui bono alterius procurando moâ—itur quamvis ille alter suo vitio nihil commodi inde percipiat Christ cannot be said to die for all if these all may eternally perish No Scripture warranteth us to say that Christ died for all with one intention to apply his death to the elect and with another intention to apply no death at all to the reprobate Christ sustained not two persons upon the crosse Christ was not cut off to put an end to all their transgressions for whom he died by their way who teach that he died for all without exâ—ception There is nothing purchased to the most part for whoÌ„ Christ dies but a pelagian power to apply which power all men have suppone CHRIST had never died according to these who teach that CHRIST died for all and every one How many ways it may be said Christ died in our room stead The sufficiency of Christs death depends upon the iâ—finitness of his person not upon the free decree of God Whether all beleeve and be saved or none believe or be saved its true that whosoever believe shal be saved but the truth of it dependeth not upon Christs dying for all and for every one None are saved by beleeving that Christ died for them except thâ—y also believe that Christ rose also ascended interceeâ—ded for theÌ„ God hath no intention to save all though he say all that believe shall be saved nor comes such an offer froÌ„ CHRISTS intention to die for all and every one One that hath the Tongues may preach the Gospel to the Nation he comes unto but that preachablnesse of the Gospel comes in in no sort from the Lords sending his Son to die for all and every one The Gospel is not preachable to all and every Nation at all and every age difference of time The conditionall promise either of life to all that shall keep the Law or of salvatioÌ„ to all that beleeve in Christ can inferre no intention or good-will â—n God to bestow the end the means upon either the one or the other or any good-will toward their persons Conditionall promises place nothing absolutely in persons but only the connexion of things means â—nd work reward If the Gospel of it self were Preachâ—ble at all times to all Nations it were the sin of the Prophets not to Preach to all Nations whether they can speak wiâ—h all Tongues or no. 2. And all Nations should be in a fit câ—pacity at all times to be the Churchâ—s of Christ and â—ll Natiâ—Ì„s should be Chuâ—ches in Covenant with God in Christ. It s false that Christ so died for us that is in our stead as that in our stead hee fulfilled the Law and performed all active obedience passive by doing and dying that God can require of us How Socinians will have Christ to die for us Socinus de Servatore l. 2. c. 8. dictio pro causam finalem notat Ioan Crellius advers Grotiam par 1. c. 5. Cateche Râ—ccovie c. 8. pag. 183 184. Loco vice peccatorum nostrorum mortuum esse nihil delutiâ—â— qui dat pendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro captis in fuga aut loco fugae id pendit Jac. Armin. Antiper edit Bertianae pag. 676. Quod si statuamus talem mediatioris rationem ut omnium electorum peccata actu ab ipsis ablaâ—a in Christum translâ—ta sint qui poenam pro illis passus illos actu ipso â— poenis liberaverit tum obedientia ab illis postulata fuerit qui illam praestitit vitam aeternam illa praestatione non sibi sed illis meruerit non â—â—cus quam si ipsi Mediatorem nostro loco constituissemus per eum DEO solvissemus debita nostra jam simul statuendum est secundum ipsum justitiae DEI legis rigorem electis deberi immunitatem â— peccaâ—is vitam aeternam eosque ista bona â— DEO postulare jure solutionis emptionis absque eo ut Deus postulare ullo jure fidem in Christum conversionem ad Deum possit One may in Law be a real and true satisfying surety for another thogh the debter neither request nor Covenant with him to undertake yea though he know no thing of the sureties willingness to undertake and so Christ is our surety Arminius sides with Socinus How wee satisfied justice in CHRISTS dying so that we caÌ„not suffer eternally in hell if CHRIST suffered for us on the Crosse without wrong to Divine justice Christ dies not so in our room and stead as that we cannot in justice die the second death except there be a breach of Covenant between the Lord and Christ. God demands not of us faith and repentance by necessity of divine justice for
suspendio vita se exuit Nequaquam aegre fero inquit Socrates nam in Theatro veluti in magno convivio verbis vexor 9. Deadnesse to an office or a place of authority 10. Deadnesse to pleasure 11. Deadnesse to all the world 12. Mortification to creature-comforts to multitude friends hosts armies chariots horse father son daughter husband to city to our mother-countrey c. 13. A deadnes to Captains stoutnesse and valour in warre to birth 14. A deadnes to youth pastime play laughter to hunger fulness 15. A deadnes to Ordinances There be twoâ—things in Ordinâ—nces 16. Deadnesse to prayer 17. To faith and hope we pray to our owne prayers 18. Deadnesse to coÌ„forts and feeling How farre we may be taken with feeling 19. Deadnesse to the habit stock of created grace 20. Deadnesse to the sweetnes of heaven 21. To the promises M. Isaac Ambrose prima media ultima life of faâ—th c. 9. Sect. 2. pa. 2â—1 22. Deadnesse to the out-shinings of God to take aright absence presence 23. Deadnes to fair providences of court Godly Princes miracles 24. To saplesse wil-worship Q. 1. How is CHRIST given as a Covenant of the people Is 49 6 Socinus de Servato l. 2. c. 16. Christ is not the coÌ„firmer only but the Author of the Covenant of grace The death of the Testator how it confirms the Covenant It is true that the death of the Testator to wit such a death of one who is more then a Testator or only man even God man procuâ—es as a meritorious cause life remission c but this it does not as the death of a Testator and dying friend but as such a so excellent so satisfactory a death which no Martyrs death can do There is a far other thing in Christs blood then power of sealing and witnessing the truth which is in the Martyrs blood The Socinian way quiets not the waâ—ened conscience by maÌ„â— works but by the blood of Christ apprehended by faith this is done Christ is upon both the Lords side of the Covenant upon our side the satisfactioÌ„ iâ— most 〈◊〉 Justice as justice seeks satisfactioÌ„ but Soveraignty of free-grace not justice determines how and who shall pay Justice is not the mediating and interposing attribute but free-grace Our glory was work and wadge to Christ but of free grace to us we bought it not Deep reasons in the depth of unsearchable wisedom why the Lord who can hinder sin to enter in the world thought fit it should be None sick speaks no Saviour no such PhysitiaÌ„ as Christ It is a deep of wisedom that the same men that now are fire-wood eternally in the lake of brimstone might have been if so it had pleased GOD proclaimers of the glory of his grace in heaven the now heirs of glory in their place God might have holâ—en up the lawâ—dispensation for ever but then there should have been no place for the Ark of glory J. Ch. The Gospel-woÌ„ders of grace should not eternallie have been biâ— Whether of the two be most excellent Law-innocency or Gospel-repentance Christ Man must be in Covenant with God Arg. 1. For the Covenant of redemption becaus Christ câ—lls the LORD his God 2. Arg. From the Lords calling of his Son to his Office 3. Arg. Christ his offering of his service to GOD proves this Covenant 4 Arg. The Fathers giving of the elect to Christ to be redeemed and the Son his willing receiving of theÌ„ proves this Covenant The persons being given of the Father to the Son speaks strong consolation it s no consolation at all to depend upon free-will 5. Arg. Christs receiving of the Seals of the Old New Covenant proves that there is such a Covenant Why Christ received the Seals 6. Arg. God might have followed a Law-way with al flesh not have sent his Son the Son might have refused to be sent 〈◊〉 Ergo by compact Christ came 7. Arg. All the promises how they are made to Christ. Christ is he who made the promises and the Covenant CHRIST is an ingadged Suretie for the standing of a weak believer 8. Arg. From the promises concerning Christ. 9 Arg. Christ is bidden aske a people froÌ„ God the Lord promiseth that he will hear 10. Arg. The relatioÌ„ of Christs working for wages and the Lords paying him his wages does prove this Covenant A design of love in the heart of Christ toward low man as his alme end 11. Arg. The Lords Oath â—o Christ when he is made Priest and King provs this Covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHRIST is a sworn Priest and Intercessour for the hour of temptation The most sweet providence of God in designing a Physician to us before we be sick Armin. de Sacerdatio Chri. pag. 14 15. The harmony of the Attributes of God in the declaration of mercy truth justice c. is sweetly made out by this Covenant The sending of the Spirit and the Spirit his free consent to come is not a proper Covenant Gods love in acting for man in time Paul Bayne Comm. on Eph. 1. v. 4. The Lord choosed us not in Christ because he saw us in him by faith The mutuall delights of love between the Father and the Son in their thoughts of the Covenant-love to man Ambros. hexa l. 6. c. 16. Deus fecit Coelum non lego quod requierit fecit terram nec lego quod sic requieverit fecit solem lunam stellas nec ibi lego quod requieverit lego quod fecit hominem quod tunc requieverit Bernard Serm. 64. in Cant. Quid violentius triumphat de Deo Bernard hom â— Super missus est videas si attendas in Christo tristari laetitiam pavere fiduciam salutem paâ—i vitam mori fortitudinem infirmari The strength of Gods love to man which we too little value No lesse everlasting love could save us There are different parties in Covenant of Redemption and Reconciliation Help layed upon Christ The Covenant of Redemption most to be eyed Two parts of the Covenant of Redemption one before time another in time How seasonable and timous the Covenant of Reconciliation was the Physick the Physicâ—an came both in time to the sicknesse 4. Differ The Covenants do differ in the matter work and wages 5. The Covenant of suretyship differeth from the Covenant of Reconcâ—liation in coÌ„mands 2. Promises 3. And conditions CHRISTS emptying himself was no act of obedience but a most voluntary free act beyond all obligation CHRISTS Covenant helps our Covenant he hath a place in our Covenant How the promise is made unto Christ Gal. 3. v. 16. Da. Pareus Comm. in Gala. 3.16 Hoc semen in quo benedicentur omnes Gentes Apostoâ—lus interpretatus erat non collective de multis vel omnibus Abrahamâ— posteris sed individue de uno Christo â— quo non â—am corporalis quam spiritualis benedicto hoc est justitia
vita eterna in fideles difluit The promise Gal. 3.16 is not made to Christ mysticall The Seed Christ Gal. 3.16 is neither meant of Christ as a private person nor of CHRIST Mysticall but of Christ as a publick person and Head the second Adam Christ always to be looked on as a publick person The right necessâ—â—ie we are in to buy Christ. He who took not on him to be Priest and King but upon the call of God must be made Priest and King by Covenant The sprinkling of the Altar with bloud The sprinkling of the Book with bloud How the Covenant iâ— a Testament We have right to the goods bequeathed to us in a Testament not simply as a Testament but as such a Testament in which the death of the Testator in the meritorious cause of the goods tested The Testament is confirmed by blood of some living creature slain Livius li. 1. Populus inquit Flecialis Romanus prior non deficiet Si prior defecit publâ—co consilio malo dolo Tu illo die Jupiâ—er populum Romanum sic ferito ut ego hunc porcum feriam tanteque magis ferito quanto magis potes pollesque Id uhi dixit pâ—rcum siâ—ice saâ—oque percussit Beza in Amitaque ut hoc planius fieret non dubitavi verborum collocationem mutare Christ justified in his cause coms out of the prison of the grave by paying of the ransome of blood Heb. 9.28 Christ is not a surety by nature but is made a surety by a Covenant-consent of Johovah and by his own consent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Christ was made a surety in a Capitall crime to die for us is suitable to the Law of nations M Thomas Goodwine Support of faith from Ch. Resur â— 111. How mercy calleth by a sort of need for a surety Justice suits not that the debter repay to the surety any thing in some cases See Andre Essenius in Triumpho Crucis de satisfact Chriâ—sti l. 2. Sect. 3. c. 1. pag. 468 469 500. Socin de Serva l. 3. c. 3. Vlpianus L. S. quis reum D. cust exhib reorum Vale. Maximus de Dionysior Siculo tametsi debita tot sacrilegiiâ— supplicia non exolvit dedecore tamen filli poenas rependit quas vivus effugerat Punishment suffered by a Surety can remove punishment from the guiltyman but cannot remove formally the inherent guilt and make him formally and physically and inherently innocent except the punishment of the Surety so excellent procure by way of merite the expelling of sin and the incoming of inherent holinesse in its room as Heb. 10 10. What will of GOD Heb. 10.10 sanctifieth us Mr. David Dickson Exposit. of the Epistle to the Hebrews cap. 10. v. 10. Solid comfort in knowing these number of these gifted to the Son I am one of them Sin is no cause why a justified one should doubt of his justification M. D. Dickson Psa. 89.19 Much of the Lord his gracious will is in the Covenant of suretyship M. D Dickson Ps. 89. v. 26. Christ the first heir of the promises undertaks for all his More grace if we may compare in the Redeemers Covenant then in ours Fountain-grace and fountain-mercy in this Covenant Gods essential love to the Son in this Covenant Jac. Armi. orat de Sacerdotio Chrsti pag. 16 17. Postulavit Deus ut animam suam poneret hostiam pro peccato c. The Covenant between the Lord and the Sonne that Arminius teacheth is not the true Covenant of redemption The Lord cannot promise by the Arminian way that Christ shall have a seed because the Lord by their way hath no dominion over the free will of any man The Lord King of the will The Son cannot pray for the heathen to be his inheritance by the Arminian Covenant betwixâ— Christ and the Father M. D. Dickson on Psal. 2. Christ both by free Covenant and by merit of condignity and justice may challenge a seed they are both promised to him and he gave a due price for them There is mercy in the bill of our suits merite and justice in the bill of the suits of Christ for us Christ was delivered from the act of suretyship Christ hath the first right of us by justice and more right then we have of our selves Our doubtings being once justified reflect upon the Covenant of Suretyship Christ hath laid bands by office upon himself to compassionate us It s needful to beleeve the sufficiencie of Christ to save The believed Covenant hath more influence on us then the Law-faith can have The eternall undertakings of Jehovah of Christ for us This Covenant answers our tentations In one Psalm some things spoken onely prophetically of Christ other things historically and typically both of David others That which is caled Davids thron is Christs throne The Covenant Ps. 89 must in the maine heâ—ds agree to JESUS CHRIST Athanas. Serm. 4. contra Arianos Cyprian l. 2. c. 1. Cyrillus Hierosolymit Catech. 7. 12. August de civit de l. 17. c. 9. Hieronim in Isa. 53. Calv. Com. in locum Vndâ— sequitur non posse constare vaticimi hujus effectum donec ad Christum ventum fuerit in quo solo demum reperietur vera Aeternitas The justified mans question of his state reâ—ecteth upon God his truth How selfie we are in the unbeleeving challenging of our Justification When ye cannot apply its good to feed the thoughts upoÌ„ Christs applyâ—ng himself the Covenant to you and to other single persons Christ undertaks that the Gospel shal be preached to the elect for themselves and to the reprobat only as mixed with the elect for other ends The necessary distinction of the Covenant as preached to many and as acted upon the heart of the few chosen God and all within the visible Church who hear the word of the Gospel are the parties contracters in the Covenant Preached but God the elâ—ct only are contracters of the Covenant as acted upon the heart The Gospel comes from Chrâ—st as undertaker for the elect for their sake The distinction of Gods will of approbation what is good or evill in poynt of our duty whether it come to passe or not and of his will of pleasure what the Lord hath decreed shall come to passe or not come to passe whether good or evill is of speciall consideration in this point We are to adore the Lord in regard of the beauty of his work even when the foulest works fall out We are to pray against the event of the decree of God in some cases and yet to submit unto the decree it self and to adore the Holy Lord therein The Lord speaks of the Covenant Jer. 31.31 32. Jer. 32. Ezek. 11. Ezek. ch 36. Isai. 59. according to his decree and what he works in our heart and not according to his will of command and what we ought of duety to do The mistake of Socinians and Arminians touching the places Jer. 31.