them verse 30. and 34. Likewise Chap. 14. as for afflictions and sorrowes which would befall them in the execution of their commission after his departure hee bids them quiâ—t their hearts by beliefe of God and also in him with promise to send the comforter to them c. from verse 1. to the 32. verse And Chapter 15. he compares himselfe to a Vine with branches for that 's implyed and his Father to a Husbandman pruning some and cutting off some Verse 2. and vers 3. he applyes this doctrine to the 11. Apostles in particular Iudas being absent Now saith hee yee are cleane and then shewes them how they came so to be saith hee through the (a) If Christs Word then not Christs washing their feete made them cleane onely it was a signe of Christs love which did effect it wherefore if Peter had refused it so propounded hee had rejected Christ in his love as did Iudas although he suffered him to wash his feet because the outward signe not received by a right beliefe of truth leaves mans sinne in the guilt and attracted habit unweakened and unremoved as here in Iudas although Christ extended this externall signe of his love to him at his corporall departure from this world as to the other eleven word which I have spoken unto you implying their justification and sanctification by union with him as the object of faith wherefore saith he abide in mee and I in you and then gives them a reason why they should so doe because saith he the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can yee except yee abide in mee Verse 4. He then applyes the point more close unto every of them saith he I am the vine yee are the branches hee that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth much fruit for without mee yee can doe nothing whereupon hee gives them a fourefold reason why they should so abide in him The first is drawne from the danger which will insue if any of these 11. doe not abide in him namely perishing from him for ever for saith he if any (b) That is any of you eleven or any other man which is ingraffed into me the true Vine as now are you being clean through the word which I have spoken man abide not in me hee is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned in eternall wrath for that 's implyed so that this first reason expressely proves the point namely that the Saints shall receive according to what they have done in the body for their evill workes of crucifying Christ to themselves by a totall apostasie from him as the object of faith The second reason to abide in him is intermingled with a direction how to abide in him the reason it selfe is drawne from the contrary good which would redound to these eleven Apostles if they did so abide in him the direction is this that hee by his Word of truth should abide in them and they by beliefe of it must abide in him the good which will redound to them they then shall have their hearts desire and both comprehended in these words If you abide in mee and my words abide in you yee shall aske what yee will and it shall be done unto you The third reason is also double partly respecting God partly respecting themselves and both comprehended in these words herein is my Father glorified in that you bring forth much fruit for so shall yee be my Disciples that is for so shall you come and be established to continue my Disciples as now yee are wherefore he further saith Abide in my love if you keepe my Commandements you shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandements and abide in his love The fourth reason to induce them to abide in him as the object of Faith is drawne from that remaining tranquillity which wil redound to them from him as the fountain opened wherefore saith he these things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remaine in you and that your joy may be full Verse 11. All which arguments to inforce these eleaven Apostles so to abide in him implyes what formerly is exprest in the first reason namely that they other wayes will come to fall totally by their remissenesse and come to a finall separation from Christ by Gods justice Likewise the Apostles themselves rightly taught the same doctrine both of themselves and of the Saints in generall as for instance Saint Paul to the Romanes chap. 11. saith thou standest by faith be not not high minded but feare for if God spared not the naturall branches take heed lest also he spare not thee verse 20 21. Againe he saith the just shall live by faith but if any man draw backe my soule shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10.38 and saith Saint Paul I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any meanes when I have preached unto others I my * And those Scriptures which seeme to speake contrary to this point see them cleaâ—ed in these pages in the margent pag. 122. 123. 137. 142. 144. 145. and from 118. to 120. 134. Also see those Scriptures expounded in point of electioÌ„ on which the Saints stability is thought to be grounded as from pag. 85. to 87. and pag. 65. and from p. 72. to 77. and see the reasons why Salomons and Peters fall was not totall nor finall and also the utmost line of Gods mercy to miserable man see the second Objection in the 12. chap. selfe should be a Cast-away Hee further saith it is unpossible for those which are once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and of the powers of the world to come if they should fall away to renow them to repentance seeing they crucifie to themselves the Sonne of God afresh and put him to open shame 1 Cor. 9.27 Heb. 6.4 So much for the proofe of the third Reason that God loves to glorifie his Justice by the distribution of his Mercy even to the members of Christ without any personall respect therefore much more to all mankinde and to all alike as hee preached to Cain in the first modell if thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted if thou doest not well sinne lies at the doore Hence observe all mankinde none excepted ever since Adam was cast out of the Garden of Eden are and so shall be to the end of the world in one of these three conditions or estates first either in the universall grace and favour of God by Christ Jesus and this is before the gift of justifying faith or secondly in the speciall grace and favour of God in Christ Jesus and this is when man by beliefe of truth is knit to God in Christ as hee
First because here was Conditions betweene God and Adam for life and death I say for life and death to Adam and all mankinde comprehended in generall under the names of good and evill good to be rendered if hee did obey the Rule of the Covenant evill if he did disobey it Secondly those conditions were agreed on by Adam with a full consent he being then not only in the perfections of the second Table of the Law as to love his Neighbour as himselfe but also in the perfection of the first Table of the Law namely in the truth and utmost extent of his love to God with all his Soulâ— and with all his Strength therefore hee readily concluded this Covenant with God for the world in this different Estate from the former But for the cleare opening of this Second Estate I will propound foure things First what this Garden was 2 What its signification was 3 What Adams obedience in it was 4 What was the end God intended by Adams obedience in this Covenant First this Garden was but a part of the Terrestriall Globe for saith the Text The Lord God planted a Garden Eastward in Eden therefore but a part Gen. 2.8 This Garden was planted by God with Plants some for Adams delightfull consolation and some for his nutrimentall sustentation for saith the Text Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree pleasant to sight and good for food Verse 9. In the midst of the Garden God planted two trees distinguished by two significant names implying some further use for saith the Text God caused to grow the tree of life also in the midst of the Garden and the tree of knowleâ—ge of good and evill Gen. 2.8 Into this Garden came a River to replenish it in fruitfulnesse and comming in but one there God divided it into foure and from thence it did run downe the terrestriall Globe foure wayes as saith the Text And a River went out of Eden to water the Garden and from thence it was parted and came intâ— fâ—ure heads c. Gen. 2.10 This Plantation or Garden being thus finished Adam by God was thither conveyed and the perfections thereof was to depend upon his operations for saith the Text. The Lord God tooke the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dresse it and to keepe it Verse 5. And so much for what this plantation was Certainly this was for some further end and use then was the perfections of the whole terrestriall Globe for all the trees of this Plantation or Garden were vegetables in their perfections as were those on the whole terrestriall Globe Therefore this Garden as a plantation by sequestration and signification made the onely difference between it and the world And the signification in generall was but this that as in future time the land of Canaan with all it 's fruitfull splendor did prefigure the celestiall Canaan As to the second Adam as appeares Chap. 8. So this to Adam in the beginning of time did prefigure the same Angelicall felicity of Divine glory in the Heaven of heavens From this ground God made the Garden to excell the glory of the whole terrestriall globe that by faith Adams soule might be raised to worke by love to God feeding on Angells food by beliefe of truth So much for the generall signification Againe more particularly First whereas God did not commit the whole terrestriall globe but onely this part as the glory of the world to Adams dressing and keeping This figuratively implies that now by vertue of Gods Ordinance the creation had it's dependence for it's good naturall and supernaturall or for an evill equivalently contrary upon Adams operations in this Covenant And here came in the onely ground how by Adam the creation could be raised higher or lose it's supernaturall perfections and become subject to vanity Rom. 8. Whereas God caused to grow up in the midst of the Garden a naturall tree naming it the Teee of life this figured to Adam that he to his naturall posterity in obeying the worke of the Covenant by beliefe of truth should from Divine Justice be as a tree in his branches of naturall perfections growing up to a celestiall life or as a flourishing tree of eternall life But now this tree of life is onely in Christ Jesus the second Adam to all right believers Rev. 2.7 This River running downe it's chrystall streames foure severall wayes from this Paradise of terrestriall pleasure as from the Throne of God prefigured to Adams faith Gods justice as pure streames of waters of celestiall life for his obedience according to the Covenant should successively run downe to render eternall life first by faith and secondly by fruition to his posterity through all generations to the last of mankind that was to descend of his loynes but now this River onely issues from the second Adam in the doctrine of truth and mercy conveying Gods gift of his imputed righteousnesse as the tree of life Rev. 22.12 The other tree which God caused to grow in the midst of the Garden naming it the tree of Knowledge of good and evill prefigured to Adams faith summarily all contained in the Covenant that is the Knowledge of good equivalent to Angels or the knowledge of evill equivalently contrary in either as he did obey or disobey And the ground why God instituted this Garden thus in all these prefigurations and significations was this Because the heavenly glory to Adams terrestriall perfections was supernaturall for it is one thing for Adam to kâ—ow by the perfections of the creation that God was able to create a supernaturall glory he appearing by it Infinite in Wisedome Power and Goodnesse And another thing that hee had created it and would bring him to it if hee did obey the rule of the Covenant for the perfections of the creation did demonstrate to Adam that God was able to doe such a thing but no more but the Covenant by God Word was exprest for a contrary evill And all those prefigurations and significations from the agreeablenesse of the type with the antitype did make knowne to Adam that the supernaturall glory was made and in being also from the word knowledge of good that he should ascend to enjoy it to all eternity if hee did obey the rule of the Covenant or an evill equivalently contrary if he did disobey and therefore because supernaturall all was needfull to strengthen Adams faith to withstand the temptation in point of triall See this point cleared to the 13. Objection in Chap. 12. for God doth nothing in vaine And so much for what the Garden or Plantations signification was with respect to Adams worke in the Covenant Thirdly now Adam was to obey two rules in the Covenant one affirmative the other negative The affirmative was to this end namely to continue his naturall being to be a meanes to a supernaturall end by eating the fruits of this Garden for as in the precedent estate of
to dignities and glory in the government of this world for saith the Text Iesus called them unto him and said yee know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority over them but it shall not be so amongst you Mat. 20. vers 25. Likewise by a remarkeable fact he condemned the pride of the priests and others of this elect Spouse in their proud apostasie after the flesh couched under a pretence of the celestiall doctrine the worship and the Temple for the eternall Son of God rides upon an Asse in a contemptible manner into Ierusalem the Metropolis of this Nation and so despised the vanity of all that glory yet this fact tended to the consolation of the meeke in Sion by beliefe of truth as was fore-prophesied behold thy King commeth unto thee meeke and sitting on an Asse and a Colt the foale of an Asse and the common people and his Disciples gave him high praise and glory at which the proud apostate Priests Scribes and the like their hearts did rise for to him they said Hearest thou this but hee repelled this lying Satanicall spirit in evidence of truth and answered and said If these should hold their peace the stones would cry Also hee fore-prophesied the destruction of all their supposed present felicity Mat. 21. from verse 4. to the 16. Luke 19.36 and 42. So much for the second point his witnessing the truth against the spirit of Satan in sinners Thirdly Christ witnessed this truth hand to hand with Satan himselfe for when hee had denyed himselfe not the fruit of one tree as Adam was to have done but all food forty dayes together dedicating himselfe to the great worke of the Redemption of the world in obedience to his Father so mediating for mercy to the world he afterwards was an hungry then came Satan to him and said If thou be the Sonne of God command this stone that it be made bread and Christ by the word of truth repells his assault For Iesus answered him saying It is written That man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God implying that as mans temporary life is maintained by an influence from God in bread so his life spirituall here by faith is in every word of God from the influence of his spirit Likewise then the Divell taking him up into an high mountaine shewed him all the Kingdomes of the world in a moment of time and the Divell said unto him All this power will I give to thee and the glory of them for that is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will I give it if thou therefore wilt fall downe before me all shall be thine Iesus answered and said unto him get thee behind me Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve implying that himselfe was personally God-man and ought therefore to be worshipped by him Likewise he brought him to Ierusalem and set him on a pinacle of the Temple and said unto him if thou be the sonne of God as thy words import then cast thy selfe downe from hence for it is written He shall give his Angells charge over thee to keepe thee and in their hands they shall beare thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone And Iesus answering said unto him it is said Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God implying what he had said before was his answer Luke 4. So that although the first Adam believed a lye to the destruction of all yet the second Adam was constant in Gods truth dissolving Satans lies for the restauration of all and Satan saith he hath nought in me He likewise discovers to the world what Satans operations was and is for Iohn 8. he saith Saâ—an was a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because no truth is in him when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for hee is a lyar and the fâ—ther thereof verse 44. Fourthly Christ now witnesseth Gods truth against Satans lyes by faith and flames of love to God under Gods most dreadfull wrath so offering himselfe as a whole burnt offering to God yet not but that Gods truth may be witnessed under divine justice and not under wrath likewise under mercy and not under wrath Also under Justice in exceeding great wrath The first was Adams estate in the Covenant before his fall The second is the Estate of the Saints witnessing Gods truth in some conformity to Christ in which respect hee which sanctifieth and they which are sanctified are one Hebr. 2.11 The third was the estate of Christ as the Redeemer of the fallen world for as hee was for our sinnes in Adam and for the Iewes and Gentiles apostasie a sinner imputed Hee therefore in this respect was a man as hated of God as himselfe saith reckoned amongst the transgressors And the truth is so it was with him from his conception to the expiration of his life for although his conception and birth was not in sinne but * Christ partaking mans nature as do children viz. seminally in the womb is a twofold pledge to us first that it was to destroy the workes of Satan in our behalfe secondly after man believeth truth to free him from the feare of death to which precedently all his life long hee was subject Hebr. 2.14 conceived and borne an holy thing the Sonne of God yet his conception and birth was from her in whom was sinne the seed of the Serpent wherefore shee rejoyced in him as her Saviour and salvation So likewise no sooner was he borne but Satan in Herod attempted to bruise his heele Likewise his breeding under his supposed father was but meane a Carpenter Likewise with his kindred which nationally was his Spouse he was reputed but a meane fellow a friend of Publicans and sinners a mad man a conjurer an impostor a blasphemer of God a Divell Therefore rightly doth the Apostle incourage the Saints to undergoe the hatred of the world to consider him that indured such contradiction of sinners against himselfe Hebr. 10.13 Againe the first Adam by the justice of the Covenant in point of triall against Satans lyes was estated not onely in the sweet perfections of the glory of nature but also in the splendor of the Garden relatively drawing him by faith to enjoy God in the heavenly glory but the second Adam not onely under wrath but under exceeding great wrath as appeares in two particulars First by his feares of the neere approach of that wrath Secondly by what it was when he was directly under it first when this houre and power of darknesse did draw neere although it was a thing greatly by him desired as his aspired end to his fathers glory for when he commeth into the world he saith Sacrifice and offrings thou wouldst not have but a body hast thou prepared mee then said I
not for the Covenant required faith in truth and love to God in that relation hee stood but with all his heart and all his soule and all his strength and no more Therefore though hee was at the foresaid brink of desperation yet he sinned not Againe the strength of his humane nature being not able to keepe up from desperation under that vast and dreadfull separation yet hee in his unfained cry why hast thou forsaken mee as the second Adam witnessed Gods truth namely that God really intended death that is this twofold separation as it was said in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt certainly die the death (a) This death of the second Adam proves that God really intended the same to man wâ—th the fi st Adam and so dissolved that lie of Satan who said yee shall not die at all for he being personally God-man and so more powerfull then any meere creature therefore justice required his personall power so farre as need was and therefore although as a meere creature he cryed out Why hast thou forsaken mee yet in the power of his personall operations hee cries out My God my God and so Faith mightily (b) Christ descended not locally into the place of the damned because his faith and love to the full sati faction of divine justice wrought up to God through all interposing difficulties therefoâ—e it was unpossible hee should be held of the sorrowes of death and so hee triumphed over all the enemies of his Fatheâ—s glory which was to result to him out of the good of mankinde Psal 16.8.11 working by love reached the power of an endlesse life from under the most vast depth of separation in an endlesse death I say this was by Faith in Gods truth and Gods righteous justice to him in that relation in which he then stood for his eternall blessednesse for saith hee to God I set thee ever before me and thou wilt open to me the way of life and so with a loud voyce hee renders his soule saying Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Luk 23 46. And so by the eternall Spirit as saith the Apostle Hee offered himselfe to God without spot to purge our consciences from dead works to sâ—rve the living God he so (c) But now to this point there are three which beare witnesse in heaven namely the thâ—ee persons in the one God in their severall order by upholdâ—ng and maintaining that created Angelicall glory for the members of the second Adam to all eternity which God from time to time here on earth hath promised them and still doth evidence it by three witnesses on earth namely first by Christs blood-shed as the seale of the satisfaction of divine justice which obtained that eternall life Secondly by water namely the worke of Reâ—eneration cleansing mans Spirit in Faith and love to the mystery Thirdly by the Spirit in the ministeâ—y of the word and Sacraments most eminently witnessing the purchase and free gift of that glory to man through aâ—l ages 1 Iohn 5.7.8 witnessed that other truth of Gods against Satans lie namely that God really intended to man the knowledge of good in the glory of Angells by his Covenant with Adam and in the righteousnesse of the second Adam and so dissolv'd that other lye of Satan that God only pretended it but never intended it and to the same end he gave himselfe also a ransome for all men in the fourth estate of man to redeeme them from their Apostacie And for conclusion to this Chapter observe these five particulars First that when in common speech we say that Christ fulfilled the Law we may rightly understand it only of the Morall Law because he by perfect love to God and his Neighbour did fulfill all Lawes that is not only the Covenant as it was with Adam but also as upon these two did hang all the Law and the Prophets with respect of mans fourth estate as before is proved Secondly is it so that Christ rais'd his Soule (a) The first Resurrection of Iesus Christ our Lord. by beliefe of truth and perfect love from that vast depth of death and that that was his first and great resurrection as the second Adam Hence observe that the raising of his body was his second resurrection and most properly by the glory of the Father (b) The second Resurrection of Iesus Christ our Lord. and from Divine Justice his first step to his eternall happinesse for so great a worke as the redemption of the world Phil. 2.9 in this fourth estate of man Thirdly is it so that the works of the Sonne of God was so potent in beliefe of truth to that blessednesse which was set before him Heb. 12. as that it wrought up to God from under so vast a separation in flames of burning love to Gods glory by the redemption of the world Hence observe that to put any worth upon any other mans works as to affirme they can deserve by their obedience to God that he should free them from eternall death or render them the reward of eternall life yea and that they can supererogate for others also I say observe that any of this Doctrine is not only a blasphemous derogating from Christs workes but also against the guift of God imputing it arrogating to man that which is not his also it overthroweth the foundation of mans salvation and that fundamentally for it not only makes voyd the object of Justification but cuts off mans worke of Faith to that object in a justifying relation as before is observed against the Iewes pag. 78. Fourthly is it so that God estated the Covenant with Adam that if it were by him fulfilled God by him should then receive the praise of his justice to all eternity in the foresaid twofold respects as Chap. 2. pag. 12.13 And likewise if the second Adam did fulfill it that by him under divine justice hee also might receive the praise of his justice to all eternity and that Christ accordingly did render him his justice to every tittle and pronounc'd it finished Hence observe that God never intended nor needed to make a personall reprobation of most men to unavoydable destruction to the everlasting praise of his justice For if the Covenant had bin fulfilled by either Adam it it was to the praise of his justice to all eternity as here we see and the Covenant of grace is so full to this point that all mankinde may ascend to eternall life by Christ if they will but apply themselves in what they have received and to what they might receive in him yet by Christ Gods justice is eternally glorifyed as is proved Therefore God never made in vaine such a personall reprobation to passe upon the most of mankinde Fiftly observe that when I say Christs righteousnesse is imputed to all mankinde in generall or to man beleeving truth more speciall as is described I meane not Christ his righteousnesse essentially as God nor