consists in the Fruition of God as he is Love although super-abundant yet are they not superfluous There is no wast there is nothing poured out from one which shall not be received in the same measure or manner by another But wherein do these Concomitant or Accidental Joyes consist Especially in these Two Particulars First In the Glorious Beautie of the Place which is called Sedes Beatorum the Seat or Mansion of the Blessed Secondly In the Society or companie of such as are so seated and made partakers of that Essential Blessedness which consists in the sight and vision of God as he is Happinesse it self For Visio amati est fruitio This is that which the Schools call The Fruition or enjoying of Gods presence Now that either the Place or the Societie of Saints and Angels can add or conferre any thing to our happiness this proceeds from Gods special presence in Both. 2. To begin with The Place or Seat of the Blessed How pleasant soever our Seat on earth may be yet this world it self is but Vallis lachrymarum A Valley of tears wherein some ruful spectacles are daily presented to our eyes wherein some woful news or unpleasant sounds possess our ears To hear and see what we now daily hear and see though we were Spectators only but no Actors would abate our Joy would be an Alloy to our present happiness Hence it is that St. John describing the Accidental Joys of the life to come saith Rev. 21. 1. I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more Sea And again verse 4. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are past away His meaning is not only That no man there shall have occasion to cry or that no sorrow or pain shall breed there But that there shall be no sorrow no cry there by way of Sympathie that is no ungrateful sound or spectacle shall approach their dwelling in the holy City which he describes at large in the same Chapter verse 11. unto the end The Compass and Form of it you have verse 16. It lyeth four square the length as large as the breath twelve thousand furlongs and the building of the wall of it was of Jasper and the City was pure gold like unto clear glasse Verse 18. c. Thus he describes The Beautiful Materials of the Place by the most glorious and most precious materials which this world affords And yet that is true of this Description which the Apostle saith of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Law The gates of pearl and the streets of gold transparent as glasse are no better then shadows of the good things to come which are treasured up in that heavenly Kingdom for all such as love Christ Jesus and the glory of his coming Now though it be true that in Gods house there be many Mansions Yet is not the Beautie or Glorie of them appropriated to one nor divisible amongst some few but alike Common to all One hath not the less comfort There because another hath more Those Two quarrelling Pronounes Meum and Tuum shall be excluded thence as common Barretters One cannot say to another This part of this glorious Kingdom is mine That is yours for every one that shall be accompted worthy to be an heir of that Kingdom shall be as Intire an Heir as if he were sole Heir So it is not amongst the Kings of the earth the greater Dominions one hath or the further he extends them the less he leaves unto his neighbors There is some small Resemblance of the Condition of the Blessed Ones in Heaven to be found in our Hearing sight and knowledge of things which we have here on earth A great multitude may hear a speech and every one hear all No man hath less comfort from the light or heat of the Sun by anothers injoying it unless he purposely stand between the Sun and him No man is prejudiced but rather furthered by another mans extraordinary knowledge specially of matters heavenly and not divisible into parts Howbeit here is a vast difference whilst we live on earth even when there is no matter of prejudice to any other but rather of benefit or advantage to many yet there is matter too much of envy for that breeds within mans self it comes not by infection from without But so it is not in the place of blisse in the heavenly City into which no unclean thing no unclean thought specially no envie no uncharitablenesse shall enter 3. As is the Place so is the Company or Societie Every one is Loving Every one is Lovely All be Sons of Peace their Love and Peace is mutual Ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the Living God the heaveniy Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels To the general Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling Heb. 12. 22. c. There is no Question at least there ought none to be but that the Essential Ioy or blessedness of the life to come shall not be Arithmetically Equall that is the measure of it shall not be one and the same in all for every man shall be rewarded according to his wayes The Eternal Life which is the Gift of God is the Award not of Commutative Justice nor of Distributive though if so it were it should be awarded according to Geometrical Proportion But it is an Act of mercy or bountie and being such there is no Question but he that loved God more in this world then others shall have a greater proportion in his love No Question but he which hath received a greater Talent and hath imployed it as well or better then he that hath received lesse shall have a greater reward And he which hath been more faithful in his Masters service or he in whom the Kingdom of Grace hath entred further in this life shall enter further into his Masters Ioy shall partake more fully of the Kingdom of Heaven And according to the lesser or greater measure of Essential happiness shall the measure of their expressions of joy or thanksgiving be And yet the Joy which amounts from their mutual expressions shall be equal and the same to all For though every one cannot so fully expresse his joy or thanksgiving as another doth yet he that comes short of others in this expression shall joy even in this that God is more or better glorified by another then by himself and such is the disposition of these heavenly inhabitants that so Gods name be truly glorified by all they respect not by whom it be comparatively most
free Pardon for all shall be excluded from it that are Unworthy of it But the grievous and most patient sufferings of the Apostles themselves are here adjudged by our Apostle to be altogether Unworthy of the Glory that shall be revealed in respect of Gods Justice Or if he should enter into Judgment with them after these three branches of Grace Faith Hope and Charity had fructified in them But have they no Answer to this Objection Yes Cardinal Bellarmine the only man which ever that Church had for traversing the Testimonie or verdict of Scriptures alleadged by our Writers hath Two in store or rather two branches of one and the same answer His answer in General is this That our Apostle in this place Rom. 8. 18. doth speak of the Substance of works done by just and holy men not of the absolute Proportion between them and the glory which shall be revealed If we respect the Substance of their works they are not equal for the one is momentany or temporal and the other eternal to the reward or gift of God which is eternal life or glory yet saith he there is a true or just Proportion between them 9. To put a Colour upon this Distinction he gives Instance First in the sufferings of our Saviour which were but temporary and no way comparable for duration of time with the everlasting pains of hell which without his sufferings we all should have suffered and yet his temporary sufferings did make a full and just satisfaction for the sins of men which deserved everlasting torments For what was wanting to the duration or continuance of his sufferings was supplyed by the dignity of his person which suffered them In like sort as he would have it the worth or dignitie of that charity from which the sufferings of Martyrs or other good works of just and holy men do proceed may make up that defect which they apparently have in respect of their short duration or continuance His Second Instance is that the pleasures or contentments of sin are in no wise comparable to the everlasting torments of hell which yet these momentary pleasures justly deserve for the contempt of God and his commandements and thus as he would have us believe the good works of Saints though but few and short may through the vertue of Grace or Charity as justly deserve eternal glory 10. But as his Answer in General is Sophistical so the Instances which he brings to prove it are most impertinent and if they be well scanned most pregnant for Us against him To the First we reply as all Divines agree That Christs sufferings though but temporary for duration and for quality not infinite did make a full satisfaction for the sins of mankind because the Person of the sufferer was truly and absolutely infinite his satisfaction or the value of his sufferings were truly infinite Non quia passus est infinita sed quia passus est infinitus Not because he suffered infinite pains but because He who suffered those grievous and unknown pains was truly infinite But neither the persons of the Saints which suffered martyrdom nor any pains which they suffered or good works which they did had any just Proportion to Infinity and therefore could not be Meritorious of eternal Glory which is for duration infinite either in respect of their persons or of their charity which questionless was much less then Christs love and charity towards us as man though this was not so absolutely Infinite as the love and charity of his Godhead So that this Instance is not only impertinent but altogether unadvised and the Reader may well wonder how such gross and somnolent incogitancie could possibly surprize so wary a man so great a Scholar as Cardinal Bellarmine was His Second Instance though it include no such gross incogitancie as the former nevertheless it is involved in an error too common not only to the Romanist but to many in reformed Churches For the pleasures of sin though but temporary deserve eternal death betwixt which and them in themselves considered there is no just proportion But the True Reason why they justly deserve this death is because men by continuing in sin and by following the pleasures of it do reject or put from them the promises of Eternal Life betwixt which and everlasting death there is a just proportion And when Life and Death everlasting are proposed unto us the One out of Mercie the other out of Justice it is most Just dealing with God to give such as chuse the pleasures of sin before the Fruits of Holiness the native issue of their choice But it could not have stood with the Justice of God to have punished our first Parents transgression with everlasting death unless out of his Free Bounty and liberality he had made them capable not of a temporal only but of an everlasting life But now that Adam hath sinned and made himself and his posterity subject unto everlasting death doth not this Original Sin or every Actual Sin which issueth from it deserve everlasting death Yes they do and would inevitably bring death upon all without intervention of Gods Mercy or Free Pardon made in Christ But this free Pardon being presupposed and being proclaimed unto the world it is not Sin Original or the Positive sins of men in themselves considered which bring everlasting death upon them but their wilful neglect or slighting of Gods mercy promised in Christ or of the means which God affords them for attaining this mercy which leaves them without Excuse or Apology or which makes up the full measure of their iniquity This is our Saviours Doctrine John 3. 17. God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved From what original then doth the condemnation of the world proceed Our Saviour tels us ver 19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse more then light because their deeds were evil It is not then the works of darkness in themselves considered but considered with mens love unto them or delight in them that doth induce a neglect or hate of light which brings condemnation upon the world Now if the works of darkness or pleasures of sin which are but momentany do not in themselves procure everlasting death albeit they proceed from Sin Original much lesse shall the good Works of Gods Saints albeit they proceed from Grace procure or deserve everlasting life For the Grace by which we do them is from God not from our selves but the evil works which we do are our own God hath no share in them So that the Height or Accomplishment of sin consists in the neglect or contempt of Eternal Life and the neglect hereof could not be so heynous if this life could be deserved by us or if it were awarded to us out of Justice not out of meer Mercie and Grace 11. This difference betwixt the Title
that continue in well doing But that Good Works should deserve Eternal Life Only upon supposal of Gods promise some of the greatest Scholars I will not say of the best men amongst them will not yield But to take them at their Best As when they say that Good works do merit as much as God hath promised to Reward them with This is too bad For to merit in their language is a great deal more then to be Rewarded it includes a Reward due unto the works wrought not meerly given out of the mercie or bountie of him that promiseth The Rule is General Whatsoever any man hath Interest in by promise it must be expected sued for and accepted upon the same Terms that it is promised unlesse between the promise made and the performance of it we can oblige the party promising by some real service that may be profitable unto him more then was included in the Conditions to which the promise did tie us To do more then is Covenanted and promised so it be behoof-ful for either party especially if it be profitable to the Rewarding party deserves a Reward in Equity though not in Law at his hands to whom it is behoof-ful If the party which promiseth us a good Turn receive any thing from us in lieu or consideration of what he promiseth he is tyed in Law to perform his promise and is a debter till he perform it The performance is not a meer courtesie or bountie but an Act of Commutative Justice The Assuming of a shilling may bind a man to the payment of many pounds Wheresoever there is Quid pro quo or Ratio dati et accepti something as well given as taken upon mutual promise there is an Act of Commutative Justice And wheresoever there is not Ratio dati et accepti Somewhat given as well taken there can be nothing due in Justice From this ground some great Schoolmen in the Romish Church deny Justice commutative or that branch of Justice which is the Rule of all matters of bargain or sale to be properly in God because there cannot be Ratio dati et accepti any mutual giving or taking between God and his creatures For he gives us all that we have or can have we cannot possibly give him any thing which he hath not And for this reason albeit he were purposed to bestow the greatest measure of Grace upon us that any creature is capable of this could not include any Grace of merit for still the more place Grace hath in our hearts the less room there is for Merit True it is that our Lord and Saviour did merit heaven at his Fathers hands for us but the ground or foundation of this His merit was not only the fulnesse of Grace in him as man but that he being in the Form of God the Son of God equal to his Father did humble himself and become man for us and did his Father service as man he therefore did merit all graces for us because he was the Son of God not by Adoption or creation but by Eternal Generation To be the Sons of God by Adoption or to be made his sons by Grace is a blessing bestowed on us for the which we become Debters to God the Father and servants to God the Son so deeply indebted to both that albeit we should do ten times more then we do we should still be unprofitable servants we could not make the least Recompence for that which he hath done for us The manner of the Apostles Interrogation Rom. 11. 35. Quis prior illidedit who hath first given to him includes an universal negation No man hath given ought to God No man can give any thing unto him And if none can give any thing unto him none can receive any thing from him by way of merit or valuable consideration but of meer mercy and free Bounty 7. If we would scan the Tenor of all Gods promises made unto us in Scripture with such accurateness as Lawyers do Tenures of Land we should find that he only promiseth to be merciful and bountiful unto us whether we limit his promises to the First Grace which we receive from him or extend them to All after-increase of Grace or to the accomplishing of all blessings promised in this life by our admission unto life eternal in the world to come Now if Mercy and Bounty be the Compleat Object of all his promises then may we not expect performance or accomplishment of his promises as a Just recompence or merit for any service which we do him but only as the Fruit or effect of his mercy or loving kindness If a loving earthly father should allot his son a liberal Pension before he could in modestie ask it or in discretion expect it and promise him withall that if he did employ this present years Pension well he would allow him more liberally for the next year following in this case how well soever his son did either demean himself or use his present Pension yet seeing the whole profit did redound unto himself not unto his father the more bountifully his father deals with him in the years following the more still he is bound unto him An ingenuous or gracious son would not challenge the second or third years Pension as more due unto him by right or merit then the First albeit he had his fathers promise for these two years which he had not for the first For the fathers promise was only to be good and bountiful unto him so he would be dutifully thankful for his bountie Now to expect or challenge that by way of right and merit which is promised meerly out of favour or loving kindness and upon condition of dutiful demeanour is a transgression of duty an high degree of unthankfulness especially from a son unto the father For every son by the Law of God and nature owes obedience and respect unto his Father and though there be no mutual bond of Obedience yet is there a bond of mutual dutie between an earthly father and his son at least the father as well as the son owes obedience unto Gods Law and Gods Law enjoyns every father unto kind usuage of his son so he challenge it not by way of debt or merit but in love humilitie or obedience But on our heavenly Father no bond of Obedience of debt or dutie can be laid what good soever he doth unto us it is meerly from his Free Mercy and loving kindness It was his meer goodness to Create us to give our First Parents such Being as once they had This First Being could not be merited nor doth any Romanist affirm it could Having lost that goodness wherein we were created it was more then meer Goodness the abundance of mercy to make us any promise of Restauration to our First blood and Dignitie And after this promise made it is but the continuation or increase of the same abundant mercy to bestow the Grace of Adoption upon us and no more
final sentence is the true cause why the wicked are excluded from all benefit of it The performance of the same works as feeding of the hungry visitation of the sick c. is the Instrumental cause or means subordinate to the Principal cause why Christs sheep are suffered or admitted to enjoy the benefit of the same free Pardon but no cause at all why the Pardon was proclaimed or why the Kingdom of Heaven was prepared for them For that was prepared for them from the Foundation of the world before they had any Actual Being before they could merit any thing at the hands of men much lesse at the hand of God either de Congruo or de Condigno For all merit supposeth some precedent work and every work or operation presupposeth Actual Being 7. But how freely soever the General pardon be issued out or the Kingdom of Heaven be either promised or really bestowed and it is as freely bestowd or given as it is promised the free gift or bestowing of it is so far from excluding all Qualifications in the parties on whom it is freely bestowed that it necessarily requires a sincere performance of those good duties which are specified in the Final sentence Come ye blessed of my Father for I was an hungry and you gave me meat c. Now if to suffer stub born malefactors to enjoy the benefit of a gracious Pardon cannot stand with the Majestie of an earthly Prince much lesse can it stand with the infinite Majestie of the Eternal Judge to permit impenitent sinners to enjoy the benefit and the full redemption purchased by Christ or to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Both because no unclean thing can enter there and because as the Redemption is a Redemption from the service of sin to the service of righteousness so the Pardon is only a Pardon to such as repent and forsake the Sin Pardoned This answer to their later Topick or Frame of Arguments for our Admission into Eternal Life drawn from the Causal Form of speech will bring forth a punctual Answer to the other General Head or Root of Arguments taken from those places of Scripture wherein is said that We are accounted worthy of Eternal Life For in all the places alledged by them This Phrase or form of speech To be worthy includes no more then then to be so qualified as we shall not be accounted Unworthy of Gods mercy or free Pardon through Jesus Christ All that shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven must be such as Deus dignabitur that is such as God shall vouchsafe or deign to accept in mercy or not accompt altogether Unworthy of his Free Pardon purchased by the merits of Christ or of the benefits of it which are alwayes actually bestowed not only For Christs merits but in Christ and through Christ that is as freely bestowed without any merits of ours as they were first promised The Greek writers especially their Ecclesiastick writers who most accurately follow the true sense and Character of the New Testament which was first written in Greek accurately distinguish betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To this purpose there is an Ecclesiastick Canon in the Greek Church which commends the ingenuity of such as shall acknowledge themselves be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as we say not worthy of the dignities whereto they are preferred But if any man should say he were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Unworthy of such preferment the Canon takes it as a presumption that he is not to be admitted unto it or as a part of Conviction that he deserves to be deprived of it Now to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the language of the Holy Ghost is somewhat more then to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to be in no wise worthy of the preferment which he seekes for or enjoyes This is the phrase which Paul and Barnabas use unto the stubborn Jews Acts 13. 46. But seeing you put the word of God from you and Judge your selves to be Unworthy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of eternal life Lo we turn unto the Gentiles These Jews then to whom they spake were unworthy that is altogether Uncapable of Eternal Life whereof the Gentiles were in this sense thus far Worthy that they were not altogether Uncapable of that free mercy and Pardon which was first tendred to the Jews And this exclusion of the Jews and admission of the Gentiles unto everlasting life or unto the means or pledges of it was but the accomplishment of our Saviours Parable Matth. 22. ver 8. Then saith He to his servants the wedding is ready but they which were bidden were not Worthy And it is worth your nothing that in Two of Cardinal Bellarmines forecited Allegations the One Luke 20. ver 25. The Other 2 Thess 1. 4. is said not such as are Worthy but such as shall be or are accompted Worthy of everlasting life that is such as shall be so accompted or accepted not for their own sake or for their merits but so accompted and accepted for and through the merits of Christ or for his imputed righteousness for to say That Christs righteousness is imputed to us is all one as to say his righteousnesse shall go upon our accompt or that we shall not be uncapable of his Merits For the word to Impute is as much in strict propriety of speech as to be admitted upon an accompt Thus much of the Objections made by the Romish Church and of the Answers unto them which was the First General proposed 8. The Second was The Confirmation of the Doctrine joyntly maintained by all reformed Churches which for the present we shall confirm from One place of Scripture only besides the Words of the Text Rom. 6. 23. and that is Rom. 8 18. I reckon saith the Apostle or I give it up as upon an account that the sufferings of this present time are Not Worthy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us If any Works of men Regenerate were Meritorious or Worthy of Eternal Life These by our adversaries confession should be the sufferings of Holy Martyrs specially of such Glorious Martyrs as St. Paul was Yet These he saith are not Worthy to be compared unto or are of no Worth in respect of the glory that shall be revealed in us But if the precious names of those in Sardis that is the Saints there were to walk with God Because they were Worthy how shall the sufferings of St Paul or of St. Peter be held Unworthy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in no wise Worthy or most unworthy of the glory which was to be revealed in them For this includes as much if not somewhat more then to walk with Christ The Answer is ready The Sufferings of the Saints were not Unworthy in respect of Gods Free Grace or Mercie not Unworthy of enjoying the benefit of his
more then the Pharisee confest when he said Lord I thank thee that I am not as other men are nor as this Publicane Here was a true acknowledgement that he received this Grace by whose good use he thought himself better then other men freely from God But in making this Comparison he gloried as if he had not received it or as if having received it he was not so great a Debter unto God as the Publicane was nor liable to the same Account for his sins past or present Questionlesse this Pharisee had been partaker of better Grace at least of better means of salvation then the Publican had been And if this conceit of his own worth in comparison of other men had not polluted his works there is no Question but that he had been more righteous then the Publican yet the Publican went home more justified then the Pharisee not for the worth of any good works which he had done but by unfeigned acknowledgment of his own Unworthiness if God should have entered into Judgment with him That Form of Prayer or acknowledgment which the Publican made would at this day well beseem even those which have received a greater measure of Grace then either he or the Pharisee had done even those which have been more fruitful in Good Works then both of them were Or if the Publican be no fit person for sanctified men to imitate certainly the Prophet Daniel is a fit one and yet his confession of his own unworthiness if God should have dealt in Justice with him was more pathetically humble then the Publicans was Dan. 9. 8 9. Oh Lord to us belongeth confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes and to our Fathers because we have sinned against thee to thee O Lord our God belongeth mercies and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against thee He placeth no part of his Confidence in the Merit either of his prayer or fasting which yet were both excellent works proceeding from charity and excellently performed by him but how excellently soever these Duties be performed by him or any they neither can Merit ought for their own worth in themselves nor from the vertue of Gods promises for all his promises are promises of Mercie and he that seeks for mercie though promised by God must sincerely and seriously renounce all works even the best works which he hath done that is he must disclaim all Merit or confidence in works otherwise he cannot take hold of Gods promises of mercie but solliciteth God to deal in justice with him 10. And yet here I must request the Reader to call that to mind which hath been often inculcated before that whensoever our Apostle excludes all works from Justification or Election he is to be understood only of Confidence in Works or Conceit of Merit He excludes not their Presence but necessarily requires it to our Justification as to the making of our Election sure He only denies any Causal Efficiencie in them for procuring these or the like blessings of God least of all for obtaining of eternal life unto which Good works are most necessary For our Apostle takes it as granted that we must deny our selves before we can do any good works but we must do good works before we can renounce them and we must renounce them in all our suits and pleas specially for those blessings which God out of his Free Grace and mercie promised us A Doctrine which would to God some late Writers of Reformed Churches had taken into serious consideration whilst they earnestly pleaded for the Free Grace of God in our Election For so they would never have taught us as to my apprehension they do that our Election to Eternal life is a more free grace of God then the donation of Eternal life it self then which as no blessing of God is more Great so none can be more Free But the absolute Freedom of the Gift doth no way exclude but rather require some Qualifications in the Donee and for this Reason it is that the practise of Good works is in special sort required for the attaining of Eternal Life Because That is the greatest and most Free Act of Grace which The God of Mercie hath to bestow upon us in respect of it our best deeds are most unworthy and the lesse worthy they are the more unfeignedly they are to be renounced And seeing our Apostle when he excludes works from any plea of mercie doth only exclude Confidence or Conceit of Merit in them in whatsoever sense he excludes them from Election or Justification he excludes them in an higher degree of the same sense from the Donation of eternal Life Otherwise that could not be as our Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Free Gift of God 11. But as in all other points of Controversie betwixt Us and the Romish Church so in this specially concerning Merits I am alwayes jealous of both Readers and Hearers lest whilst they hear one Error refuted they take occasion to run into the Contrary For preventing this inconvenience in this present point I must Request all in the First Place to Observe that Both of us fully agree in this General that God is a Rewarder of them that seek him and no man can truly seek him but by a true and lively working Faith The Question betwixt us is only this Whether God Reward such as seek him according to the Rule of Justice or according to the Rule of his boundlesse Mercy or whether our works his Grace and promise presupposed be worthy of his Reward or only make us not altogether unworthy or not uncapable of his Mercie The Second Point which I would commend to all mens Consideration is This that as our Apostle in the fore-cited place Heb. 6. doth not ground his hope of those Hebrews recovery upon Gods Justice so he doth not ground it upon the Infallibility or immutable estate of their Election He doth not so much as intimate that they could not possibly fall because their persons were Elected for this was more then either he or they knew more then most men can possibly know more then any man in their Case may safely perswade himself He that makes his personal Election the only Anchor of his Faith in such temptations as these Hebrews at that time were overtaken with shall fall into as bad perhaps a worse Error then if he held That his Good works formerly done might merit his Recovery unto his former estate so he will but address himself to do the like This Conceit of merit though we take men in their best estate or when they are least conscious of grosser sins is a Symptom of heathenish pride or ignorance For the Heathens thought they could make the Gods or divine Powers beholding unto them But to stay our selves in the consciousness of grievous sins lately committed upon perswasions of our personal Election is the most dangerous root of Hypocritical Pride that can be planted in our corrupt
of them are but Unprofitable servants 2. It was free then for God to create or not to create man but as it was his pleasure to create him so it was necessary that man being created by him he should be created good and righteous Suppose then the First man had continued in his First Estate that is righteous and good his righteousness could have merited nothing of God much lesse Eternal Life It was as free to God to have annihilated him or to have resolved him into nothing as it was to make him of nothing Indeed to have punished him with everlasting death unlesse he had wilfully and through his own default lost his Orginal righteousness could not have stood with the righteousness or goodness of God There was a morall necessity that his Creator should not punish him with everlasting death unlesse he had transgressed his Law and made himself unworthy of everlasting life But the First Man did wilfully and freely that is without any necessity transgresse the Law of his God and make himself and his posteritie unworthy of eternal life That God upon this transgression did not instantly punish him with everlasting death this was An Act of the Free Grace and mercy of God thus he might have done without any impeachment to his Justice without any disparagement to his Goodnesse That unto man thus ill deserving he made A Promise of Redemption and of Restitution to a better Estate then he lost this was An Act of his Mercie and gracious goodness a more Free Act then his first Creation For that was not deserved and therefore Free But not so Free as the Promise of his Redemption after he had justly deserved the contrary to wit condemnation unto everlasting death But this Promise of Redemption through the Womans Seed being freely made is not the performance of it on Gods part necessary Is he not bound by promise to bestow his Grace on all them to whom he promised Redemption Though he be Debter unto no man yet he is Faithful in himself and cannot deny himself or not perform what he hath promised It is true if the parties to whom he promiseth do so demean themselves as they should or as by the Second Covenant they stand bound But who is he can make this Plea with God Who is he that can truly say there was any necessity at that time when the promise was made to our first Parents in the Womans Seed that he should be begotten or born or that he was such a child of promise from the time of Adams Fall as Isaac was And if there were no necessity then that he should be born what necessity is there that he should be partaker of Grace after he is born Or what necessity is there that after the Grace of Baptism received he should come to be of the number of the Elect No man can plead any worth or merit in himself for the receiving of Grace or any necessity whereby God is tyed by promise or otherwise to bestow Grace or perseverance in Grace upon him in particular These and the like Favours must still be sought for by the Prayer of Faith that is by unfeigned acknowledgement of our own unworthinesse and of Gods Free Mercie not only in making the First Decree concerning mans Redemption but in continual dispensing the Effects of the same Decree or the means of our Salvation This is the only way To lay hold upon the General Promise 3. It was no Contradiction in Cardinal Bellarmine as some conceive it after he had strongly disputed for Merit of Works thus to conclude Tutissimum est It is the safest way to place our Confidence in the Merits of Christ This Resolution of his will truly inferre that albeit the Question concerning Merits were doubtful yet we Protestants take the more useful and safer way and the way which Cardinal Bellarmine himself in his Devotions and as I hope on his death bed did take Yet admit his Doctrine concerning Merits had been true indefinitely taken There had been no Contradiction between his Premisses and Conclusion For many things which are unquestionable in Thesi or in the General are doubtful or vncertain in Hypothesi when we come to make particular Application This Doctrine is most true in Thesi That God is faithful in all his promises that he cannot deny himself or falsifie his promise Yet is it not safe for Thee or Me thus to infer that God cannot deny eternal life to us in particular because he hath promised it as sincerely to Thee or Me as to any others The absolute and unchangeable Fidelity of God will not inferre how strongly soever we believe it That either Thou or I are faithful for the present or shall continue faithfull unto the End or until our finall victory over the divel the world and the flesh which is the True Importance of this Phrase To the End in many places of Scripture Now Gods promise of eternal Life is not immediately terminated To any mans Person or Individual Entity but unto such as continue faithful unto the End or unto such as overcome as you may observe in many places of Scripture especially in the second and third Chapters of The Revelation of St. John Now it is a great deal more easie for a man to assure himself that he is faithful for the present or victorious in respect of instant temptations then to assure himself that he shall continue victorious in respect of temptations that may befal him And yet in respect of the deceitfulness of our own hearts it is not safe for most men to make it as an Article of their Faith or point of Absolute Belief that they are so faithful for the present as that God cannot deny Eternal Life unto them though not in respect of their Merits yet in respect of his Promise if they should instantly depart this life So that such as have as full and perfect Interest in the Promises of God as others have may forfeit their Interest as well by Immature Perswasions or Presumptions that they are of the number of the Elect as by conceit of Merit or Confidence in works Both perswasions are dangerous because both prejudice the Free Mercie and Grace of God in bestowing eternal Life or in dispensing the means required unto it The Romish Church saith it was Free for God to give us Grace or ability to do the works of Grace or not to give it but this Grace being Freely given and the works performed it is not Free but Necessary in respect of Gods Justice to give eternal Life as the Reward of Works Others opposite enough to the Papists say that it was Free for God to Elect or not to Elect us unto eternal Life but being Elected it is not Free for God to deny eternal Life unto us For this in their language were to deny himself or falsifie his promise Yet by their leave If we were thus Elected from Eternity it was never Free
for God to Elect or not to Elect us and so eternal Life should not be the Award of Gods Free Merrie and Grace as now present but an Act of his Fidelity or promise past before we had any being before the world was made But if God had not the same Free Power at this day to Elect or not to Elect any man now living or not the same Free Power to shew mercie on whom he will and to harden whom he will which it is supposed once he had he should not have the same Power over us which the Potter hath over his Clay which is at his free disposal not only before he works it but while it is in working I may conclude this Point with Cardinal Bellarmines Tutissimum est It is the safest way the only way absolutely to rely all our life time upon Gods Free mercie and Grace and to make continual supplications unto God the Father through Christ that as he hath prepared a Kingdom for us from the foundation of the world so he would prepare and fit us for it For without preparation or fit Qualification we are not capable of it and thus we come unto the Second Point proposed 4. The Second Point to which the Third is annexed or sub-joyned was That the Absolute Freedom of this Gift doth not exclude all Qualifications in the parties on whom it is bestowed but rather requires better qualifications in them then can be found in others which exclude it or make themselves uncapable of it The Truth of this Assertion you may easily conceive by this one Instance or Example Suppose you that are Governors of this Corporation should Found as God put it in your hearts to do a Goodly Hospital or Almes-house at your own proper cost and charges the Gift would be most Free a Gracious Gift or Foundation and yet no man would conceive that the doors of that house though most Freely Founded should be as open or the good things belonging to it as Free for theeves and robbers for Bands or Panders for sturdy and lazie Beggars as for the halt and lame for the aged and impotent or as for men of decayed estate by Casualties as for Widdows or Orphans not so free or open for persons so qualified but otherwise haughty and proud as for Widdows or for decayed persons that were pious humble modest and ingenuous He should wrong you much that should conceive that you did intend only to have the number filled up though it were by such as the Poet describes but in a verse somewhat better Qui numeri essent fruges consumere nati That is by persons good for nothing but only to devour Gods Blessings To admit all sorts of people promiscuously into such a Foundation without respect of any Good Qualification would be an Act of Prodigality or impiety rather then of Free Bounty or Gracious Charity And can you imagine or suspect that the most just and righteous Judge the only wise immortal God who requires no more of us then that we should be perfect as he is perfect that we should be bountiful as he is bountiful and merciful as he is merciful doth not more constantly observe the Rules of his eternal Equity Bountie and Mercie then we can observe our Saviours Rules which are but the Copy of them albeit we made this our chief care and only study Thus to do is natural unto him not so unto us we cannot imitate the paterns which He sets us without much difficulty and many interruptions We may Freely bestow our Alms or Rewards but we cannot qualifie the parties that are to receive them we may prepare good things for them but we cannot prepare their hearts to receive them well or worthily But God doth not only prepare the Kingdom of Heaven for us but must also prepare us for it otherwise as our Apostle speaks Heb. 4. 1. We shall come short of the promise which is left us for entring into his rest And no man can come short of the promise or of the blessing promised but he that had a true Interest in the promise or he for whom the blessing promised was prepared 5. What shall we say then That any for whom the Kingdom of Heaven was prepared from the Foundation of the world shall finally miss of it or be excluded from it at the end of the world so our Apostle in the fore-cited place evidently supposeth Was it then prepared for all or for a Certain number A curious and ticklish Question Yet about which if any Contention have grown or may grow this cannot arise but only from the malice ignorance or incogitancie of the men which dispute and handle it For between these two Propositions themselves The Kindom of Heaven was prepared for all The Kingdom of Heaven was not prepared for all there is no Contradiction if men would not look upon them through some imperfect Logical Rules which hold true only in some Cases or Subjects If we should say That the Kingdom of heaven was prepared for the self same man Saint Peter for example from Eternity And The kingdom of heaven was not prepared for the same Saint Peter from Eternity we should say no otherwise then the Holy Ghost hath taught us There is no more Contradiction between the Affirmative and the Negative then if one should say The inhabitants of this town are rich The Inhabitants of this town are not rich but poor The Rule is generall that Betwixt an Indefinite Affirmative and an Indefinite Negative there is no Contradiction Now though Saint Peter were all his life time One and the same Individual man for Person if we consider him only as he stands in the Predicament of substance yet he was not all his life time One and the self same Object in respect of Gods decree of mercy or Judgement or for the preparation of Eternal life To affirm this were to contradict the Holy Spirit whose unquestionable Maxim it is that God renders to every man according to all his wayes Now if Saint Peters wayes and works were not at all times the same he was not at all times the same individual Object of Gods Decree God had One Award for him whilst he denied his Master or disswaded him from under-going the Crosse for us and Another Award for him whilst he resolutely confest Christ before Princes though certain to undergo the Crosse himself for so doing 6. But where doth The Spirit of God teach us this Logick or thus to distinguish Matth. 20. ver 23. Mark 10. 40. The story is plain save that the one Evangelist saith It was the mother of Zebedees children The other saith that the sons themselves to wit John and James came with this Petition unto our Saviour that The one might sit on the right hand the other on his left hand in his Kingdom And it is plain out of Saint Matthew that the Petition was as well exhibited by the sons as by the
deep touch of Pity or Compassion would raise our spirits to an higher point of service unto Christ then any relief or supply of their bodily wants can amount unto You may if you will for Christs sake be pleased to do it distribute so unto their bodily necessities as you may lay a necessity upon their souls of coming to the ordinary knowledge of Christ and of Gods mercies in him towards man You may by authority put the Precept of our Apostle in execution Such as will not work let them not eat or such as will not work the ordinary works of God that will not labor to be instructed in his fear and in his Laws let them not be partakers of your Bounty and Pity To constrain the poor the halt and lame to enter into the Lords house were a matter easie if as the Law of God and man requires none were permitted to remain amongst us but such as were confined to some certain dwelling or abode where they might live under the inspection or cure as well of Civil as of Ecclesiastick Discipline And consider with your selves I beseech you how either the Civil or Ecclesiastick Magistrate will be able to answer the great King at the last day through whose default whether joyntly or severally many children have been by Baptism received into Christs Church and yet permitted after to live such a roving and wandring life that no Tie can be laid upon them to give an account of their Faith or Christian conversation to any Church or Embassador of Christ But as Bodies while they are in motion are in no place though they pass through many so these wandering Meteors are of no Church though they be in every Church If I should in private perswade You Magistrates to seek some Redress of this Enormitie and blemish to the Government of this place I doubt I should be put off with the Exception to which I could not easily replie That you have better experience then I or others of my opinion or profession have And out of that experience see greater difficulties then we can discern But now having express warrant from our Saviour's words and this Fair opportunitie of Time and Place You must give me leave to reply unto you as an ingenuous and learned Scholar once did to a Christian Emperour which pretended greater difficulties in a good work which he commended to his Princely care then you can do in this Yet a work not all together so necessary nor so acceptable unto God as this work would be In rebus pijs aggrediendis nefas est considerare quantum tu potes sed quantum Deo fidis qui omnia potest Think not when you are about works of Pietie so much of your own Abilitie or weakness but examine how much you relie and trust in Almightie God who is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we conceive or think CHAP. XXXI MATTH 25. 34. 41. Come ye Blessed of my Father FOR I was hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirstie Go ye Cursed FOR I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirstie Jansenius his observation and disputation About merit examined and convinced of contradiction to it self and to the Truth The definition of Merit The State of the Question concerning Merit Increase of Grace no more Meritable then the First Grace A Promise made Ex mero motu sine Ratione dati et accepti cannot found a Title to Merits Such are All Gods promises Issues of Meer Grace Mercy and Bountie The Romanists of kin to the Pharisee yet indeed more to be blamed then He. The objection from the Causal Particle FOR made and answered 1. AGainst such as denie the merit of humane works Thus much saith Jansenius an ingenuous and learned Bishop though a Papist is diligently to be observed That Christ in this place deputes this Kingdom to the righteous FOR their works sake hereby giving us to understand that Life Eternal is bestowed upon them FOR their works by which the righteous Merit Life Eternal even as the wicked by their evil works Merit everlasting punishment The only ground or reason of this Assertion is For that our Saviours Form of speech in both Sentences is the same and Causal in both As he saith unto the wicked Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire FOR I was an hungred and you gave me no meat c. ver 41 42. So he saith unto the righteous or them on his Right-hand v. 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you FOR I was an hungred and you gave me meat c. Yet least any man should except against him as dissenting from the Doctrine of Christ elsewhere delivered and from the Apostolick and Catholick Church By which Our salvation is ascribed to Gods Grace and mercy he adds this salve to the wound which he had made Non tamen Sic merit is nostris putetur dari vita aeterna c. Let no man think that life eternal is So bestowed upon our merits as All may not be given to the mercie of God from which we have our good works or merits He grants withal That the salvation of the Righteous depends upon Gods Blessing and Predestination upon which likewise their Good works depend Lest any should glory in himself A sin forbidden by Gods Prophet Jer. 9. ver 23. That All then is to be attributed to Gods mercie that no man may glorie in himself or in his works is true Our enemies in this Point being Judges is confessed by our Adversaries even in this place from which they seek to establish Merits And This we may conclude is A Point of Catholick Doctrine taught by Christ Prophets and Apostles stedfastly imbraced by all Reformed Churches and expresly in words acknowledged by the Romish Church With this Point of Catholick Faith we mingle no Doctrine no Opinion which may but questionably pollute or defile it We avoid all occasions of incurring the least suspition of contradicting it and for this cause We abandon the very name of Merit as now it is used or rather abused by the Romish Church Although in some Ages of the Church it were an indifferent and harmlesse Term Mereri importing no more as was shewed Chapter 27. then to Get or Obtain But Merit in the language of the modern Romish Church Est actio cuijustum est ut aliquid detur is An action or work to which something or any thing is due by Rule of Justice Yet doth the Romish Church not only Enjoyn the Use or Familiarity of this Name in this Sense or signification but Require the Assent of Faith unto the Reality Expressed by it 2. The Points then which lie upon that Church to prove if she will acquit her self from polluting the holy Catholick Faith are Two The One That this Doctrine of meriting heaven by works doth not contradict the former part of Catholick doctrine acknowledged by her to wit that
matter at least to the Prophets foresight of question But that the Lord would repent him of the plagues denounced so they would pray in faith was Iuris liquidi a point whereof he never doubted Nor is it possible our hearts should ever be throughly pierced with the right conceit either of our own or of our Countries sins without this undoubted Perswasion of Gods infinite love towards all and every one of us Impossible it is for us his Embassadors to be armed with such indefatigable Courage and diligence as the times require either for discharge of our duty in denouncing his plagues against the impenitent or in averting men from impenitency and exciting them to true repentance until our souls be firmly possessed with the Prophets Doctrine Of Gods immutable Facility to repent him of such plagues as without our repentance are eternally and immutably decreed against us These Alternations of Gods loving kindness and severitie towards the Same People yea towards the same Individual Persons are as the Tropicks under which the Messengers of Peace must constantly run their contrary courses sometime exhorting with all long-suffering to embrace his mercies otherwhile sharply reproving and powerfully threatning his fearful Judgements Constancy in truly observing and duly entertaining the just occasions of this contrariety in the matter of our message is as the Centre on which our souls being throughly setled the whole Frame of our affections whether of love unto their persons or of hate unto their sins over whom he hath made us over-seers becomes parallel to the Almighties Will who though he punish the impenitent with death temporal and eternal yet doth he not will their impenitencie but useth all meanes possible to bring them unto true repentance 12. It is I confess A matter hard for flesh and blood to conceive so much as may satisfie this desire of knowing the manner how Omnipotency should for many generations be possessed with an eager longing after a peoples safety which in the end must be destroyed How the great Creator of Heaven and Earth which gave Being to all things by his Word and made our souls immortal by his breath should be as it were in a continual childbirth of sinful men seeking to fashion and quicken them with the Spirit of Life and yet they after all this travel prove but abortive and mis-shapen like the untimely fruit of a woman which never saw the Sun never to be seen amongst the living But no marvel if we poor Worms of the earth blind and naked perceive not the force or nature of those burning flames of eternal and unchangeable Love such is the very nature of our God seeing they are seated in that glorious inaccessible light Yet of that eternal and glorious Sun whose brightness no mortal eye may look upon and live we may behold a true and perfect Module in the Ocean of mercy and compassion in the watry eyes of the Son of God with sighs bewailing impoenitent Jerusalems woful Case If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Luke 19. 42. And elsewhere O Hierusalem Hierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not Matth. 23. 37. If Christ Jesus as truly God as man did thus thirst after Ierusalems peace after Ierusalem thus glutted with the Prophets blood did thirst most eagerly after his farre be it from us to think his loving kindness is utterly estranged from us albeit our sins have made a great separation betwixt him and us Let us not then trifle out the time with Curious Disputes concerning the manner of his Decree but rather seek him with all speed and diligence whilest he may be found laying sure hold on his mercie before the swift approach of his iudgements violently haled down each day more than other by the grievous weight of our sins remove it without the reach of Ordinary Repentance 13. It is a truth most delightful and comfortable to Contemplate That The Immensitie of our God is as full of mercy and compassion as the Sea is of water or the body of the Sun of light But let us withall consider That the more abundant his loving kindness towards us the more sweet and fragrant his invitations have been the more grievously have we provoked his fierce wrath and indignation by our continual wilful refusal to be gathered under the shadow of his wings daily stretcht out in mercy for our safety Be we sure God knows his own as well as we do ours and will not be over-reached by us The longer we deferre the renewing of his wonted favours the dearer we must account it will cost us our suit at death will be more difficult Those prayers those tears those sighs or other attendants or concomitants of true repentance which in times past would have gone for currant will hereafter be esteemed light or counterfeit And yet alas Who is he in Court or Country in the City or in the Village in the Academy or among the Ignorant or illiterate that layes his own or others sins to heart as he should Or poures forth such fervent prayers and supplications unto his God as our Predecessors have done upon lesse signification of his displeasure and fewer fore-warnings of his judgements then we have had continually these divers years past Yea who is he amongst all the Sons of Levi that with Jeremy and Baruch hath utterly disavowed all care or study of his own advancement or contentment that he may entirely consecrate his soul his thoughts and best imployments to his Masters will to take away the precious from the vile to be as Gods mouth to cause others to conform themselves to him not to conform himself to them To set himself as a wall of brass for this rebellious people to fight against whilst he thunders out Gods judgments against great and small without all respect of persons Nay doth not Nobility Gentry and Commonalty Clergy and Laity yea I dare say it as well singula generum as genera singulorum so mightily set their minds on great matters and so stretch their inventions either for getting more or for improving what they have gotten to the utmost value as if we would give God and men to understand that we had no inheritance in that Good Land wherein The Lord placed our Fathers But only a short Remainder of an expiring Estate which we despere to renew or as if we would have it proclaimed in Gath or published in Askalon that the fear of them is already fallen upon the natural Inhabitants of this Land now labouring only to prevent them in gathering up the present commodities or to defeat them of their expected spoil We demean our selves just as the manner is when Enemies more potent then can safely be forthwith
shall live Hence it is that this people of God in their distress make The Confession of their fore-fathers sins as Essential an Ingredient or Condition of their prayers as the confession of their own Dan. 9. Ezra 9. Nehem. 9. Psal 106 6 7. For this the Lord himself had expresly taught them Levit. 26. For your transgressions the Land of your enemies shall eat you up And they that are left of you shall pine away for their iniquitie and for the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them also Then they shall confess their iniquity and the wickedness of their fathers Ver. 38. Thus doing I will remember saith the Lord my Covenant with Jacoo and my Covenant also with Isaac and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember and will remember the Land You see then it is evident that as Adam's-sin remaines in his Posterity until it be taken away in Christ so doth Gods wrath abide upon a Land for the former Inhabitants sins and passeth from the Dead unto the Living unless the Attonement be made by the sweet incense of prayer and fervencie of spirit which is to be in every Christian and spiritual Priests heart as ready upon this occasion as fire from the Altar was in Aarons hand when he stayed the Plague by standing betwixt the dead and them that were alive Numb 16. 46. It is not the sacrifice though of the calves of mens lips without an humbled and contrite spirit and fervent zeal of blessing Gods Name by Contrary good deeds that can stay the plague and divert the wrath gone out from God against a Land for her former Inhabitants their Predecessors sins 3. From these Principles we may easily gather How Gods Mercies may be abridged towards a Land or People less sinful perhaps then others formerly have been for actual transgressions if we consider the sins only of the present time From the same Principles we may likewise clearly discern how the full measure of any Lands or Peoples iniquity may be accomplished then when to mens seeming their out-rages be nothing so greivous as others before them have been or when their Princes or Rulers are more then ordinarily religious First Where the transgressions of Predecessors have been many and greivous and the Reformation of their Successors but slight or imperfect the wrath of God procured by the former may remain still and light heaviest upon the Third Generation following who shall procure it further if they follow their Grandsires sins notwithstanding their immediate Parents or Predecessors did in part repent or in some sort renounce their Fathers wayes For the fruits of such repentance seeing it is not Total and proceeds not from a perfect and unfeigned heart do but as it were for a time put off the Fit or Extremity of Gods wrath they take not away the disease it self which therefore returns to its course again As the Psalmist excellently describes the effects of such repentance When he stew them they sought him and they returned and sought God early And they remembred that God was their strength and the most high God their Redeemer but their heart was not upright with him Neither were they faithful in his Covenant The fruit of this was that oft-times he called back his anger and would not suffer his whole displeasure to arise This stayed the Course or Motion of his wrath It did not minish the Inclination or Propension of the same But when the former sins burst out again either in them or their posterity His judgments drew nearer unto them then before and his vengeance was more fierce and sudden Secondly Where the Reformation of Religion and turning unto the Lord is on the Princes parts perfect and compleat yet the people do not inwardly repent and with a perfect heart abjure their fore-fathers wayes the wrath of God due unto their fathers sins comes upon them and is executed by taking away their good and giving them Princes alike minded to themselves And so by little and little they fulfil the iniquity of their fore-fathers 4. To give you a view of these General undoubted Truths in the succession of this Kingdom Righteous David had left Gods Mercie towards this Land and People so farre over-ballancing his Justice that all the Idolatry which Solomon his son had set up albeit idolatry be a most greivous sin did not any more then bring his Mercie to an Equipoize with it again But Rehoboam following his Fathers footsteps in evil not his religious Grandfathers paths in good puls down Gods judgments upon his head and first bears the rod of his transgression having more then one half of his Kingdom rent from him by his servant Jeroboam and afterwards both he and Judah which had remained with him bear the strokes of their iniquity by the hand of Shishak King of Egypt who forraged the Land and took away the treasures of the Temple of the Lord. But in this God did but shake his sword over their heads These beginnings of plagues and judgments are but the Motions of His wrath which abides not for his Mercie presently retired unto the same Point where it stood at Jeroboams revolt Of an unwise father there sprung up immediately an unrighteous son Abijam who though he had sometimes good success against his enemies yet as the sequel of this Story intimates 1 King 15. 3. he had almost brought Gods fierce wrath upon the Land by following his fathers footsteps but that the Lord as yet drew back his punishing hand for Righteous David his great Grand-fathers sake For David 's sake did the Lord his God give him a light in Jerusalem and set up his son after him and established Jerusalem ver 4. This was Asa in whose dayes the Land had peace for he followed the footsteps of his Father David yet was there no perfect Reformation wrought in his raign for the High places were not taken away And he himself after good success in victory was infected with the Fatal disease of Kings and Princes To begin to trust too much to secular Policie and grew impatient of the Lords Prophets reproof But by his carriage and good example such as it is and the righteous reign of his son Jehosaphat is the Current of the Lords former wrath stopped yet so as it is ready to overflow the Land with greater violence in the next succession wherein the like iniquity as had reigned in former times should burst out afresh again Although Jehoshaphat's heart was upright yet did he work no perfect Reformation For the high places were not taken away And as it is 2 Chron. 20. 23. The people had not yet prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers Neither so penitent as that they could recal Gods wrath or bring his mercie back again unto its former stay Nor yet so extream bad and forward in sin as that the Lord would not spare the Land and be merciful to
which Bad works have to Death and the Want of Title which the Best works have to Life Everlasting is most significantly exprest by St. Paul Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sin is death saith He and wages are merited are never detained without some interruption of the course justice But Eternal Life is not the wages of holiness but the Gift of God And if in any sort it might be deserved or merited the Apostle questionless would have said it had been if not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wages yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Reward of Holinesse But in as much as this word Reward sometimes includes Rationem dati something given as well as taken not alwayes a Reward of meer bounty therefore the Apostle doth not say it is the Reward of Holinesse or the Reward of God Nor doth he say it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies A Gift for Gifts though freely given in kindness and not by Covenant may be mutual and may include a kind of merit de congruo as we say One Kindnesse requires another like but our Apostle to prevent this conceit of Merit useth a word which in its true and proper signification is incompatible with the conceit of Merit he calleth life eternal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as the vulgar Latine renders it Gratia Del the Grace of God CHAP. XXVIII ROMANS 6. 23. But the Gift of God or The Grace of God is Everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Whether Charismata Divina that is The Impressions of Gods Eternal Favor may he merited by us Or whether the Second Third Fourth Grace Life Eternal it self may be so About Revival of Merits The Text Heb. 6. 10. God is not unjust c. expounded The Questions about Merits about Justification have the same Issue The Romish Doctrine of Merit derogates from Christs Merits The Question in order to practise or Application stated betwixt God and our own souls Confidence in merit and too Hasty perswasion that we be The Favorites of God Two Rocks God in punishing Godly men respects their former Good Works 1. THe Gift or Grace of God This word Grace is sometimes taken for The Favour of God which in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes it implyes the Stamp or Impression of this Favour in us and this in the Greek is exprest by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used here by St. Paul That The Favour of God cannot be merite by any works of man is out of Question For it was the Favor or Free Grace of God which gave our First Parents Being which continues their posterity here on earth And neither our first Parents nor any of their posterity could deserve or merit their Being This Favour of God is as he is without Beginning without Change But so is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the Impression or Effect of this Eternal Favour in us It hath no Being in us before we Be And after it be inherent in us it admits of Alteration or Change in us The Question then is Whether the Effects or Impressions of Gods eternal Favour to us may be deserved or merited by us Or seeing the Degrees or Parts of Grace inherent be many it is Controversed between the Romish Church and us Whether any parts of this Grace can be deserved or merited by us That the First Grace that is The first stamp or impression of Gods Favour towards us cannot be merited by us They grant For the First Grace as some of them say is Fundamentum meriti The Foundation or ground-work of all Merits Et fundamentum meriti non cadit sub merito Every Merit is precedent to the thing merited But there can be no Merit-precedent to the First Grace which is the Root the Ground or Original of all Merits But the Second Third or Fourth Grace or Degrees of Grace may in their divinity be merited through the Virtue or Excellencie of the First Grace or First Degree of Grace so we use that as we should Between the First Degree or Seed of Grace sowen in our hearts by the finger of God and the Full Growth or increase of it there is as Cardinal Bellarmine alleadgeth a True proportion though no Equalitie And therefore there may be some Ground of Merit for the increase of Grace though not for the first beginning of it Indeed if Grace did grow in us as trees or plants do from the first seed without any great care or operation of him that plants them and if it did thus grow without any interruption or default on our parts there might be some pretence for merit or some probabilitie at least that the fruits of Grace so growing should be Ours or so far Ours as we are our selves because we are the soil wherein the first seeds of Grace were sowen But if it be God not we our selves that gives the increase if it be God that sends Paul to plant and Apollos to water the seeds which he hath sowen in us if it be He that made us and not we our selves All the fruits of Grace are his by proprietie not Ours but only so far as he shall suffer us to enjoy them by continuance of the same Gracious Undeserved favour by which he hath made us and by which he sowes the first seeds of Grace in us 2. But Grace being sowen or planted in us by his immediate hand without any Co-operation on our parts non Crescit ecculto velut arbor aevo doth not grow up in us as wel-thriving plants out of their proper seed without ceasing or interruption though by degrees unsensible for sometimes it decreaseth oft-times it suffers many interruptions in its growth by our default or negligence And is it possible that we should deserve or merit the increase or fruits of that Grace whose growth in spring is oft-times blasted or hindred through our negligence or wilfull default This They do not say This in congruity of Reason They cannot say Who deny that Grace once implanted in us cannot be displanted can admit no intercision in its substance or Being however it may admit interruptions in its growth or some decay or waning But the Romish Church with her Advocates willingly grant That Grace truly inherent in men and inherent in such perfect measure as inables them to fulfill the moral Law of God may be utterly lost may be expelled by mortal or deadly sin and yet may be recovered again but lost or expelled it cannot be without the default or negligence without some mortal default or negligence of him who had it in his custody And yet being so lost they hold the like Grace may be gotten again and the Grace so gotten and recovered they call The second Grace and if it be twice lost and so recovered it is The third Grace The Question then is How the second third and fourth Grace is or may be recovered by us whether by way of Merit or