of their Repentance for the quitting of their sinne and for their righteousnesse thereby before the Mediator the Man Jesus Christ and before all men And upon this great grace considered It was that the same Father in the Church of Christ saith Our righteousnesse is more in Repentance and Forgivenesse of Sinne then in righteousnesse of deeds and performances Although our worke of the Law and Command bee no righteousnesse before God yet our Worke of the command and our Repentance of the fayling our mercy and forgivenesse is righteousnesse before Men This is Christs Law to Men for the order and Government of his Church upon Earth And this is worke enough for Gods people for righteousnesse before Men to the good and profit of men although they presume not to build up unto Heaven unto God in Heaven which is onely Christs Worke as David said my Goodnesse and Wel-doing Psal 16. 2 3 extendeth not to thee O Lord but to the Saints that are upon the Earth Quest How are repenting Believers upon their repentancy unto satisfaction before Men acquitted from their sinne and transgression of the Law and the penalty thereof before Men when as Sorrow Confession Amendment and Proportionable satisfaction for the Transgression is as much as the Law requireth in the penalty Answ As Repentance before men hath place in the Law of Christ So saith Forgivenesse and Mercy before Men place in the Law of Christ If thy Brother Trespasse against thee and if hee repent forgive him and though hee sinne against thee seaven times in a Day and seaven times in a Day Mat. 17. 3 4. turne againe to thee saying It repenteth mee Thou shalt forgive him And so saith the Law of Christ Hee that confesseth and forsaketh his Sinne shall have Mercy And to whom belongeth Prov. 28. 13. this Forgivenesse and Mercy certainely to the penitent Believers as Christ saith If hee repent forgive him hee that confesseth and forsaketh his Sinne shall have Mercy yea and CHRIST saith further Forgive and it shall bee forgiven you Luke 6. 37. If you doe forgive Men their Trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you And if you forgive not Men no more Mat. 6. 14 15. will your Heavenly Father forgive you And againe Judgement Jam 3. 13. mercilesse shall bee to him that sheweth no Mercy and Mercy rejoyceth against Judgement And if hee that sorroweth godly for his Sinne before Men confesseth ingenuously amendeth righteously and bee willing to satisfie before Men for the Trespasse before Men hath Mercy and Forgivenesse before Men of his Transgression before Men Is not this a sufficient acquittance unto the repenting Believer of his sinne and the penalty thereof before men And againe the Law of Christ bindeth as much to Mercy and Forgivenesse to the penitent before Men As it doth to the penalty of Transgressors thereof and to Repentance before Men. Againe the true penitent Offender is acquitted from the Transgression before Men and the penalty thereof by his true Repentance although hee by hard-hearted and mercilesse Men bee holden to the extreame penalty of the Law for his Transgression contrary to Christs Law of Mercy and Forgivenesse For that hee suffereth hee suffereth willingly and rejoyceth in his Tribulation as the Apostle speaketh now hee that suffereth willingly and rejoyceth in his sufferiâ—g by the comforts of the holy Spirit in him hath not the paine of him that Suffereth unwillingly and forced to suffer for the comforts and joy that hee hath of the Spirit of Christ doth slake quench and take away the Sting of the paine That hee may say O Death where is thy Sting as the Apostle saith of such through which comforts and joy of the Holy Ghost many that have suffered Death in the Lord have dyed rejoycing in the Lord and in appearance to Men without paine Whereby they have manifested themselves acquitted of their transgression and the penalty of the Law in the paine And the Repentance of Believers wrought up in them by Christ doth not onely acquit them of the Sinne and the penalty of the Law before Men But it also testifieth to their owne Soules and to other Men also that they are living Branches in the Vine Christ Jesus For saith Christ The Branch cannot beare Fruit of it selfe except it abide in Joh. 15. 4 the Vine No more can yee except yee abide in Mee No Man can repent except hee be a living Branch abiding in Christ and Christ in him Hypocrites may counterfet Repentance and not repent truly And hee that liveth in Christ and Christ in him by his Spirit hath the witnesse of his Adoption that hee is one of Gods children through Christ and so quitted of all Sinne not onely before Men but also by the performance of Jesus Christ of all Sinne before God So the Apostle saith Wee Joh. 8. 15. 16. have received the Spirit of Adoption And the same Spirit witnesseth with our spirits that wee are children of God So that although Repentance acquitteth not of sinne before God as it doth before Men yet it by the Spirit of Christ whereby it is wrought up in Believers witnesseth acquitance before God to the Soules of the penitent yea and holdeth forth great hope and manifestation to others that the same penitent Man is the child of God and is quitted of his sinne before God And even so it is of Obedience Mercy and Forgivenesse wrought up by the Spirit of Christ they also witnesse evidence and testifie the same Quest The Apostle saith of Believers The Body is dead Rom. 8. 10 because of Sinne And Paul saith of himselfe I am carnall sold under Sinne I finde no meanes to performe that which is Rom. 7. 14. Verse 18 Psal 14. Isa 64. 6 good And David saith There is none that doth good no not one And the Prophet I say said of himselfe and other like himselfe All our righteousnes is filthinesse I will bee their God and they shall bee my people I will never forsake them and I will put such a feare into their hearts that they shall never depart from me Jer. 32. 40. Can therefore Believers doe the Commandements of the Law of Christ in singlenesse of Heart before Men and before Christ the Governour of his Church which knoweth all as Râ—penting Forgiving Loving Obeying Praying Praysing Thanksgiving and the rest how it is faithfully done Answ By the same power they did and doe believe in singlenesse of Heart They can and may Repent Forgive Love Obey Pray Praise and give Thankes and the rest in singlenesse of Heart But indeed corrupt and carnall dead Men in Sinne cannot doe these or any of these or the like in singlenesse of Heart whose Heart is corrupt carnall and dead in Sinne sold under Sinne as Paul was as hee saith in his best Estate Indeed Man can Believe Repent Obey Love Pray Praise and give Thankes Carnally and Fainedly by the power of corrupt nature As the
be without feare of the power doe well then So thou shalt have praise of the same that is not judgement of penalty but reward For he is the Minister or Instrument of Christ for thy wealth but if thou dost evill feare the penalty For hee beareth not the Sword for naught For hee is the Minister of God that is Christ that ordained him to take vengeance on him that doth evill Wherefore yee must bee subject not because of wrath onely but also for conscience sake For for this cause yee pay tribute for they are Gods that is Christs Ministers applying themselves for the same thing So that wee may see this Law given in grace in the hand of the Mediator the man Christ Jesus the bringer of his people out of all bondage manifested to his Church of Believers the Israelites with Thunder and Lightning Smoake and Fire and the sound of the Trumpet to incite the people to heare obey and doe the same in singlenesse of Heart And which was by Christ himselfe written in Tables of stone to shew the continuance thereof to men And was delived to Moses by Christ himselfe as his principall chosen and fitted Minister and instrument that hee as Christ the Mediator did indite and guide him might as the pen of Christ draw the branches of the whole body of the Law into such particulars and so many as were behovable and usefull for cleernesse and easinesse of understanding and doing thereof to weake and corrupted man And that Moses should call Aaron and his Sons and the seaventy of the chosen Believers of Israel to joyn and bee assistants to him in the Ministry thereof in the severall branches thereof for worship to God for Safety Society and Comfort of the people among themselves That is the Law Gal. 6. 2. Rom 3. 27 called the Law of Christ The Law of Faith The new Commandement love of one another Joh. 13. 34. This Law manifested then to this people by Christ to bee Ministred in his Church of Israel by such instruments as hee 1 Joh. 3. 8. 2 Joh 5. then particularly named was after held on in the Ministration thereof by and in the time of Joshua the believing Judges Kings Priests Prophets Yea and by and in the time of the Apostles of Christ still to be ministred heard and obeyed before men in singlenesse of heart and conscious eyes as before Christ himselfe of the whole Church of Christ upon Earth upon proportionable temporall praise and reward to bee certainly had of the conscionable observers And upon proportionall temporall penalty to bee certainly inflicted unlesse there be true Repentance upon the failing therein before men by the successive ordained powers instruments and Ministers of Christ for prayse and vengeance according And this Law to believers the Apostle Paul most cleerly holdeth forth for continuance thereof in his Epistle to the Church of Christ at Rome from the beginning of the twelfth Chapter to the end of his Epistle both for the duties therein and Ministry thereof but most cleerly in thirteenth Chapter It was onely the Church of Christ upon Earth that Paul had respect unto and a care of and not of those which were without the Church Neither did Christ intend and give his Law in grace but onely to those and in respect to those which the Father had chosen in him and given to him to redeem not to the least children of wrath Quest Hath repentance of the Elect place and power in the Law given in grace by the hand of the Mediator the man Christ Jesus to quit the transgressors thereof before men from the temporall penalty of that Law Ans Repentance which is true and Faithfull Repentance hath place in this Law and also power to quit the Believers which are transgression thereof before men as their transgression was transgression before men This is plaine and evident by the expressions of Moses in many branches of this Law indited by Christ himselfe where Restitutions Satisfactions and the like are admitted to quit the offender against the Law and respect thereof before men And the Prophets especially in the Prophet Ezechiel his 18. Chapter And John Baptist Mat. 3. 2. and Christ himselfe Mark 1. 15. and the Apostles all shew that Repentance hath place in this Law of Christ and power to quit offending believers from the transgression and the penalty of their transgression before men But this true and faithfull Repentance must alwayes have these foure a juncts godly sorrow for the Fault confessing amendment of Life and restitution with satisfaction to men before men Therefore the Apostle saith godly sorrow causeth-Repentance unto salvation or safety and the Apostle saith confesse 2 Cor. 10. Mat. 3. 8 your faults one to another And John Baptist preaching Repentance saith amend your lives And the Law of Christ was Luke 3. at large for restitution to the acquitting of the Theefe or like offenders Exod. 22. 3. 5 6. 12. And Zacheus when hee believed in Christ presently tendered restitution to all hee had taken any thing from wrongfully And who can thinke there can be true repentance without sorrow Luke 19. 8. and griefe for the offence whether it bee be in word or deed fore men who will thinke that hee repente th that goeth on still in his sinne and amendeth not at all and if Repentance would quit Theeves Deceivers and Robbers c. without Satisfaction and Restitution proud greedy Enemies and corrupt man would thinke Robbing Theeving Deceiveing yea Treason Murther Slandering and the like a good Trade But the good and gracious Law of Christ is cleer that although hee graciously admitteth of Repentance of sinnes in Believers to quit them of their sinnes before men yet it must be not onely with godly Sorrow Confession and amendement of Life but also with proportionable restitution and satisfaction to men to the uttermost of their abilities And to this purpose Augustine a renowned Father â—in Christs Church said non dimititur peccatum nisi restituatur oblatum That is sinnes not forgiven unlesse restitution be made And againe without satisfaction there is no salvation which is true thus If Christ hath not satisfied God for thy sinne Thou canst not have salvation before God And if thou doest not satisfie men their Trespasse Debt and Due to thy power Thou canst have no salvation or safety before men Thy repentance otherwise is not good but thou art liable to the proportion able penalty still And as it was a great Love and Grace of God to his Elect to admit of and to be pleased with his Christs performance and satisfaction for their acquittance of sinne and for their righteousnesse before God which they could no way have made or done and where Repentance had no place The Law being doe this and Live doe it not and Die Eternally So was it a great Love and grace yea great Mercy of Christ to his Elect Believers to make a way for and to admit
Scribes and the Pharises did and as Christ saith the Heathens and Publicanes doe the same but not in singlenesse of heart without dissimulation Therefore note the command of Christ to Reprobates is as he is God and commander his command to the Elect Believers is as hee is Undertaker to performe all righteousnesse impossible to them by his Spirit in them promised and sent to them to performe all The Mediatour betweene God and Man the Man Christ Jesus our Saviour Undertaker and God that worketh in us Phil. 2. 〈◊〉 the Will and the Deede of his owne good pleasure as the Apostle speaketh doth all in us which the same Apostle saith worketh all in all It is hee that worketh in Believers Believing Loving Repenting Forgiving Mercy Obeying Praying Praising and Thanksgiving and the 1 Cor. 12. 6. rest In singlenesse of Heart and sincerity farre otherwise how and wherefore should hee bee said to worke in Believers the Will and the Deede and to worke all in all if it were not that hee worketh these and such like things of his owne good pleasure in them which their owne corrupt power they have cannot worke and doe in singlenesse of Heart unfainedly and without dissimulation The Deed is Christs Deede of these things according to his owne good pleasure in Believers Therefore Christ himselfe tells his Disciples That hee is the Vine and they are the Branches and that they without him can doe nothing The Grapes and Fruit that are borne of the Branches are not usually nor properly called the Grapes of the Branches the Fruit of the Branches but the Grapes Joh. 15. 5. of the Vine and the Fruit of the Vine which Grape and Fruit of the Vine are by the Spirits and power of the Vine wrought up in the Branches which are onely the instruments of the Vine fitted to beare them as Christ saith Every Luke 22 18. Branch that beareth not Fruit in Mee speaking to his Disciples of professing Believers Believers onely are the Branches and the Instruments of Christ whith hee hath fitted to beare the Fruits of True Joh. 15. 2. and Good Believing Obeying Repenting Praying Praising Thanksgiving and Loving c. Which Fruit which Worke and Deed is Christs by his holy Spirit wrought up in their Hearts And of grace by Christ being made and fitted the Branches and Instruments to beare the same Fruits of grace also hee imputeth to them and accounteth to them the sinne and therefore calleth them his Elect ones Believers Obeyers Repenters Prayers Thanksgivers and Lovers c. And calleth the Fruits theirs which are but the Branches as if they were the Vine whose the Fruits are in Truth The Apostle saith speaking of himselfe and all Believers Wee know not how to pray as wee ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh Rom. 8. 26. request for us Corrupt Man knew not to pray as hee ought nor to Believe Repent Obey Praise or Love as hee ought but the Spirit sent to him of Christ doth all for him And this was the cause and reason why CHRIST did ever sithence his Church was upon Earth give his Spirit to the Elect of God for whom hee had undertaken of Grace and Love to doe such things of the Holy and Good Law for the Government of his Church as is commanded therein to bee done before men which hee knew themselves not able to doe as hee pleased And therefore the true Faith Peace Obedience Repentance Praise and Love are called Spirituall gifts Spirituall things Spirituall Sacrifices and 1 Cor. 12. 1. 1 Cor. 14. 12. 1 Cor. 9. 11. 1 Pet. 2. 5. why so certainly because they are the Deeds of the Spirit the fruit of the Spirit as so the Apostle calls them Gal. 5. 22. And upon this same ground That renowned Father in Christs Church said Fac Domini quod jubes jube quod vis O Lord doe thou that which thou commandest and command what thou wilt And let no man marvell that Christ should bee the Law-giver and the Law Keeper for his Elect. The commander and the doer of the Commandement for them whereas the Scriptures hold forth his Grace to bee the Judge and the Advocate The Priest and Sacrifice Hebrewes 2. 17. 5 6. 7. 3. Eph. 5. 2. 9. 26. And thus much of the Error of those which hold forth no Law remaining to the 1 Joh. 2. 42. Elect. And I take it the Errour of those which hold forth that Christ is not the End of the Morall Law and all Law for Righteousnesse before God to Believers but onely of the penalty and condemnation of the breaches thereof is much dishonourable to Jesus Christ and unrighteous to his undertakings and performances and to the Apostle of Christ called to set forth the truth of his Performances and Merit and most of all to the Great Just and good God the Covenant-maker of Workes upon Life and Dâ—ath with Mankinde in generall and on remembrance of Mercy The Covenant-maker of Grace and promise to his Christ for all his Elect. For where all Mankinde having transgressed against the Covenant of Workes before God were in the state of eternall Death the God of Love Mercy and Free-grace having elected some of them in his Christ with a covenant and Promise of Grace that upon his Christs fulfilling of the Law of Workes And the paying of the whole Transgression of the Law by his Death Passion and Bloudshedding for them his Elect to satisfaction Those his Elect should have eternall Life the condition and promise of the covenant of Workes as if themselves had performed the same to the full and should bee also freed from the penalty of Eternall Death into which all Mankinde was fallen And Christ hath done and fulfilled the righteousnesse of the Law and paid the full Debt of the Transgression thereof to God by his Passion Death and Bloud-shedding for the Elect even to the full so much as the Law and covenant of Workes required in Justice either for righteousnesse before God or for payment of the Trangression to full satisfaction of God for those Elections for ever for past and to come Now then why should the Law and covenant of Workes remaine still binding the Elect Believers to righteousnesse of Workes before God which they cannot in the least doe and for that in respect of their utter unablenesse CHRIT undertooke and performed all for them And if CHRIST God being so pleased have fulfilled the whole Law both for performing the righteousnesse thereof before GOD and payment of the transgression thereof Why should not Christ bee the end of all Law Morall and the rest for righteousnesse before God to Believers as they say hee is the end of and for the penalty and condemnation for the transgression thereof to them Seeing the full is performed of the righteousnesse required as the full of the Debt of transgression is paid Will these lay such cruelty upon God and charge God with such oppression and wrong as to
much if it be fervent Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for Righteousnesse Moses prayed and Gen. 15. 6 Rom. 4. 3. Israel overcame the Amalekites Elijah prayed and God sent rain God promiseth to do good to them that love him and perform the duties of love and hath shewed love and requited much good to them which have performed the duties of love unto him Therefore say they the Scriptures hold forth that the love of the Elect to God and their performance of the duties of love to God in this world do cause move and incite God to love them and do them much good c. Answ These seem to know the Scriptures in the history But they know them not yet in the mystery of God and Christ and in the mystery of faith and godlinesse as the Apostle speaketh Colossians 2. 2. Eph. 3. 4. 1 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Tim. 3. 9. I find the continual practise of Antichrist is by his instruments alledging the history of the Scriptures to advance the honour of man and to abate the honour of God and his Christ And this is the certain note and mark of this deceiving Spirit as the Apostle expresseth to the Thessalonians and elsewhere This is a great advancement of mans honour to teach that being 1 Thess 1. 2. 4. the Elect of God he hath power to do that which shall cause move and incite God to love him and do him good and others yea and doth so by his believing praying and the rest of his performances of his love and service to God Were it not a great honour to that poor subject which for his fidelity love and performances to a great Potent and rich King should have the assurance of love assistance and good he would request and desire of the King and that he by his performances to the King could cause the King to do such things for him when he would Surely any man that were not envious would praise and honour the happinesse of this subject So they which teach that the love of men to God by their love do cause and make God to love them and by their Faith do cause God to justifie them and by their asking and praying do cause move and incite God to grant and give them that they desire and by their repentance do cause God to forgive them and by their other performances to God do cause God to do them good do much advance and honour men and their performances Whenas the very Elect although they be elected in Christ c. yet as the Apostle saith in themselves are nothing unto Epâ— 44. good before Godâ— If any man saith he esteemeth himself to be somewhat when as he is nothing he deceiveth himself in his own imagination Gal. 6. 3. No they can perform nothing that is good before God so Paul said of himself I find no means to perform that which is good Rom 7. 8 26 21. when I would do good saith he evil is present with me and the evil which I would not do that I do So that it is clear from hence that the faith or believing the praying and repentance and all the performances of the very Elect in themselves to God are evil and sin which is a mystery indeed unto such as the Gospel is hid And therefore they cannot cause move and incite God to love them justifie them give to them assist them or forgive them by their love faith prayer repentance or any other performances to God which are evil in themselves and the advancing and honouring of man for such his performances to God as shall and can so prevail with God as to cause him to do men good for the same is the work of the deceiving spirit to the greatest abasement of the power of Christ or a share of that which is onely Christs which as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 12. 6. Phil. 2. 13. Hâ—b 12 2. worketh all in all yea which worketh in us the will and deed of his own good pleasure The work of all is the work of the Work-man which is Christ Christ is the Author and finisher of our faith and the rest the honour of all is his due it is Christ and his performances that onely causeth moveth and inciteth God to love to give to the Elect to assist and forgive not any performance of their own and it is Christ that covereth the sin of their performances and therefore to Christ the whole prayes and honour of procuring the love and the goodness of God to man is due and it is extream sacriledge to rob our God Christ of his honour and to give it to another and these of God and his Christ are great mysteries unto those which are lost to whom the gospel is hid the thing wrought doth witnesse the work-man but not that it self was the workman Object But they say God hath promised to love them and to shew mercy on them that love him and to justifie and save them that believe and to give to them and assist them that pray to him and ask him and to do them good that do obedience to his commandements Therefore God hath bound himself by his promise to be a debtor to those that love him believe pray and obey his commandements As promise is a debt if the condition be performed And therefore the love of man to God the Faith Prayer and Obedience of man to God must needs cause move and incite the just God in his promises to love them save justifie assist and do them good the work being done is enough to cause move and incite every just man to pay the work-man his promised wages much more doth the same the great God Answ This Objection is spread with the deceit of of the deceiving spirit for the promise was to Christ as Gal. 3. 16. Not to the seeds as speaking of many but to thy seed as of one which is Christ saith the Apostle The promise was not to the Elect as they are the corrupt man in themselves but to Christ and to them onely as they are elected in Christ It was and is Christ onely that is able to perform the condition and not man corrupted whereas it is said the promises were such made to Abraham the Apostle meaneth they were repeated and clearly manifested to Abraham which we made before to Christ who was before Abraham although of Abrahams seed is manifestation according to the flesh If the promise had been made to corrupt man as Abrahams also was it had been in vain for there was never any man that was able to have performed the condition nor hath done but in Christ which performed it for him If a great Emperor should bind himself by promise to a poor Begger to give him a Kingdome if he did pay twenty hundred thousand pounds which was not able to pay him one pound were not this a vain promise and bond or could this Begger look for this Kingdome
man in himself of free grace chosen of God in Christ and given to him of God to undertake and perform all for unto life which they do when they teach and say that they by their Inherent holinesse and righteousnesse have power and free-will to do and can do themselves the works of righteousnesse such as please God are accepted with God and do move and cause God to do them good which all are the works of Christ and no part thereof mans but by account and grace of imputation therefore the same and the rest of that sort are no better then robbery sacriledge and idolatry Those which hold forth Inherent holinesse and righteousnesse in man do boast themselves to be in a better estate and condition for life then Adam was ever in to have more power then Adam had in innocency unto holinesse and righteousnesse and the work of the holy and righteous commandement of God for life which saith do this and live then Adam ever had for Adam in innocency had no power to repent if he fail'd that he might live by repentance if he failed of life by obedience and words nor had Adam power to pray for mercy and forgivenesse to move God by repentance and prayer and to obtain the same of God by prayer For if Adam had had this there had been no need of the provision of a Christ for falne man for Adams repentance and prayer for mercy and forgivenesse had been enough to have prayed with God for forgiveness of the transgression But they say they have not only power and free-will to doe the righteousness of the command through their inherent holiness and righteousness but also such a sanctified will that their will cannot fail or hinder their power as Adams did to do the work They have power to repent and convert themselves unto life if they fail in the righteous work and power to pray and so to prevail with God by their prayer that they shall obtain mercy and forgiveness of all by vertue of their inherent holiness and righteousness in themselves Oh sure they must needs be as proud of this inherent holiness and righteousness in themselves by the santification of the Spirit and be as thankfull to God also that they are not as other men are as the Pharisee was for his righteousness that he had in himself of the Spirit of God in his own account for which he thanked God that he was not as other men Luk. 18. 11. were unrighteous sinners And herein the late upholder of inherent holiness and righteousness in man by the sanctification of the Spirit go beyond the Papists which were the founders thereof in exalting that Idol For the Papists wil not allow every man that hath the same to be inabled thereby to convert himself if he have failed in the work of holiness and righteousness and to satisfie with the repentance of his own frame but he must be ordered and injoyned penance by the Pope or other his Substitutes Confessors to men offending which must be obeyed and all performed accordingly by the Delinquents for absolution and recovery of life and safety to themselves And they must not pray as they will themselves to move God to mercy and forgiveness and to bestow good things upon them but they must be ordered and appointed of those Agents and Confessors how many Pater-nosters and Ave-Maries they must say for the same c. But these conclude that by his own power that every man hath of his inherent holiness and righteousness he is not only inabled to do the work of holiness and righteousness acceptable to God but also if he fail to convert himself to repent at will to move God to mercy and forgiveness and to do him needful good when he will intentionally and devoutly pray for the same And to this purpose for manifestation of the premises to be so as is said the upholders of inherent holiness and righteousness in man teach and exhort all men to do the works of holiness and righteousness commanded upon eternall gain and pain and to repent of their fallings that they may not perish but live thereby to pray intentionally in publike and private to do duties commanded and to do all these to please God to pacifie God to move God to do them good by these their performances without any doubt of going well with them so doing as if all men assembled had this their supposed holiness and righteousness and thereby power in themselves to do the works of holiness and righteousness to repent pray and prevail with God to obtain all good at Gods hand thereby and divert the wrath and judgements from them as if they had God in a bond When as the Prophets of God and the Apostles of Jesus Christ themselves do acknowledge that they had no such inherent holiness and righteousness in themselves by the sanctification of the Spirit whereby they were inabled to do the works of holiness and righteousness before God and do acknowledge that themselves did no such works of holiness and righteousness before God nor had any such power in themselves The Prophet David saith God looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God but saith he they were all gone out of the Psa 5 3. 2. 3. Rom. 3. 10 11. way they were altogether corrupt there is none that doth good no not one And the Apostle Paul joyntly with him saith the same The Prophet Isay saith of himself and the rest like him We are all as an uncleane thing all our righteousnesse is as filthy rags And Paul saith There is none righteous no not one there is none that understand and seek God all are become unprofitable there is Rom. 3. 10 11 12. Mat. 19. 17 none that doth good no not one and Christ saith there is none good but one and that is God And again when you have done what ye can say we are unprofitable servants And Paul saith of himself in his best estate I am carnall sold Rom. 7. under sin in me that is in my flesh the corrupt man dwelleth no good thing And if any man saith he is somewhat whereas he is nothing Gal. 6. 3. he deceiveth himself in his own imagination and Paul saith further when he would do good evill was present with him and the good which Rom. 7. he would do he did not and the evill which he would not do that he did Where was the power and inablement of these to the works of holiness and righteousness or the deeds of these of the holiness and righteousness of the command above Adam or indued in innocency in themselves which deny all and any such thing to be in man and in themselves And again the Apostle saith If it be of grace meaning that Rom. 11. 6. God is pleased pacified moved to do man good it is no more of works and if of works
his precious Blood to have shed it for a Ransome and Redemption of those which his Father had not Elected in him and given him to Ransome and Redeeme and which he knew his Father hated to be Elected and Redeemed And which he knew would not receive but reject the benefit of his Bloud Who is it that knew the Scriptures that will not acknowledge that mankinde â—n generall upon the generall fall of Adam were judged and condemned of God to be the Children of Gods wrath and everlasting death And that God of love free grace and mercy was pleased to Elect some of those in Christ which were the Children of wrath as well as the other out of whole Eph. 2. 3. company of the Children of wrath to be adopted the Children of God through Jesus Christ that is by his performing the righteousnesse of the Law of workes for them and by giving of himselfe unto death for them and shedding of his precious bloud for them for a full satisfaction to God in his justice for the Ransome Redemption Justification eternall life and glorification And this for them onely and not for the least ones in their hardnesse and refused ones of God Surely to say hold forth that Christ gave himself for a Ransom of these to shed his blood to redeeme these is to lay upon God and his Christ inconstancy indiscretion prodigality and folly to the great dishonour of God and his Christ and to say that Christ did Ransome and Redeeme them with his death and bloud is unrighteousnesse and salsehood We finde and read in the Scripture that Christ redeemed the Elected of God in Christ as Paul saith of himselfe and all other Elected of Christ God hath Elected us in Christ before the Eph. 1. 4. world and Christ hath redeemed us from the curse But we finde no Gal. 3. 13. where in the Scripture to be said expresly that Christ redeemed reprobate ones which were not Elected in Christ The greatest power of their assertion is in the word all or all men which word they stretch forth to Elect and Reprobate good and bad as we say But it is cleare that where this word all in such manner and matter importeth onely all the Elect. So Paul to the Romans As by the offence of one the fault came on Rom. 5. 18. all men to Condemnation So by the justifying of one the benefit abounded to all men to justification of life meaning all the Elect beleevers I thinke these men will not say that justification of life is to all men Elect and Reprobate in generall by Christs justifying them So Paul to the Corinthians saith As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive meaning as all mankinde being then in 1 Cor. 15. 22. Adam when he transgressed and dyed then dyed so all being Elected in Christ shall be made alive I hope these will not say that all men Elect and Reprobate in generall shall be made alive in Christ then none must be damned and if these will have these to be confined in the Scriptures to that why may not they admit of those also to be likewise confined to the Elect they being in the like expresse of the same matter But they say by Preaching that Christ hath given himselfe for all men in generall Elect and Reprobate that he hath shed his blood for the peace of all men with God they procure great honour and the hardest harted men will be moved to relent when they heare that Christ hath had such pitty and mercy on them as to give himselfe to death for their life to shed his most pretious blood to make their peace with God This will move the worst of men to imbrace Christ to thirst after Christ and to beleeve and close with Jesus Christ Yet I wish these to consider that the Apostle of Christ saith We may not doe evill that good may come thereof whose damnation is just We may not preach falsehood that Christ may have honour Rom. 3. 8. thereby This was the great sinne of Saul that brought upon him his woefull destruction He spared the best and fattest Beasts of Amilech contrary to the command of God to offer up in Sacrifice to the honour of God but Samuel told him he had done wickedly to obey was better then Sacrifice 1 Sam. 15. 19. It is to be well observed which the Apostle saith That in that excellent Sermon which Paul preached at Antioch As many as Act. 13. 48. were ordeined to eternall life believed No doubt but there were many which heard that Sermon did not believe for the Apostle saith that onely so many as were ordeined to Eternall life believed And what was the reason that the rest of the hearers did not believe Certainly by the part of the Apostles words it was because they were not ordeined to eternall life they were not elected in Christ before the world to be holy and without blame Eph 1. 4. 5. before God in love nor predestinate to be adopted the Children of God through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will as the Apostle saith but were the reprobate and the left of God in their owne hardnesse God being bound to none but to have Rom. 9. 18. mercy on whom he will and whom he will to harden That is to leave them in their owne hardnesse as the Apostle saith for God leaving them they grow into more hardnesse Man hath no power in himself to close with Christ or to believe as he ought nor more then to pray as he ought but the Apostle saith of himselfe and other the Elect We know not what Rom. 8. 26. we pray for as we ought but the spirit helpeth our infirmities that is doth it for us and maketh request for us c. It is God our Christ Phil. 2. 13. that worketh in us the will and the deed of his owne good pleasure The praying believing and the rest of that sort are the works of our God Christ Jesus by his spirit in us they are none of mans works Christ Jesus is the Priest and the Sacrifice which said Lo I come to doe thy will O God See 1 Chron. 29. 14. The Apostle saith they were ordeined to eternall life before Eph. 10. 9. they believed They had their ordination to life that is their election in Christ and the life also which is Christ for Christ is our life saith the Apostle Christ is the way the truth and the life before they believed a dead man can doe nothing and Joh. 14. 6. Christ saith without me you can doe nothing Faith followeth after election ordination and life Faith is Joh. 15. 5. onely the manifestation of election ordination and Christ to those which God hath elected in his Christ when and as he pleaseth to worke the same in them to his glory and their comfort Heb. 11. 1. Reprobate men which have not
have now full possession of that Life purchased and procured by Christs love and performance in your self Ans I believe that I have full possession of that eternall Life in Christ which I lost in Adams transgression purchased and procured by Christs performance And therefore I do believe that I am quite freed and discharged from that Eternall Death which I had in Adams transgression through Christs performance But I finde and feele a resemblance and shadow of that corruption and death in my selfe which came by Adams and mine as one in Adam and the more because I finde not that my eternall Life in my selfe which is hid from me in Christ as the Apostle speaketh to the believing Colossians you are dead but your life Coloff 3. 3 is hid with Christ in God And it is to be observed that Christ saith who so believeth in Joh 6. 16 me shall not perish but shall have eternall Life He saith not doth not perish or die in present and hath in present eternall life but saith shall not perish and shall have eternall life For when this corruptible hath put on incorruption and this mortall hath put on immortality Then indeed saith the Apostle Death shall be swallowed up into victory And when Christ which is our Life shall appeare 1 Cot. 25 then shall yee appeare with him in glory then shall eternall Life appeare in your selves saith the Apostle Neither doth Coloff 3 4 the Apostle say as in Adam all die so in Christ are all made alive 1 Cor. 15. 22 But saith all shall be made alive when the appointed and fulnesse of time is come then shall all the chosen of God in Christ whose Life have been hid with Christ be made alive in themselves in manifestation As all died not in themselves in manifestation which were in Adam by nature untill the appointed time of their so being in manifestation So all live not in themselves in manifestation which are by Mercy and Grace chosen of God in Christ untill their appointed time so to live in themselves in manifestation Object All men in the World are said and seeme to live here in themselves and to die in themselves The same condition saith the Preacher falleth to all to the just and wicked to him that sweareth and to him that feareth an Oath Quest Is that Life which all men live here any part of that Life Eccleâ— 9. 2 3 which Christ purchased to the chosen of God in him which is as the Apostle saith yet hid with Christ in God to be manifest in themselves in the appointed and fulnesse of time Ans No that Life which all men are said and do seem now to live here in themselves is not any part of that eternall Life which Christ purchased by his performance and merit for the chosen of God in him For the children of wrath reprobate and forsaken ones of God are partakers of this Life And Christ was not given of God to purchase and merit any part of eternall Life nor any of the losse in Adam for them But onely for the chosen ones of God ordained to eternall Life before the World Quest From whence is this Life of Mankinde in generall when as all died in Adam Answ All died in Adam touching eternall Life and touching the good of temporall Life all this was lost in Adams transgression But temporall uncertaine Life to man at Gods Will by his sufferance and patience naked and void of all good accompanied with corruption and misery the shadow of Death remained still to Adam and all Mankinde in generall Adam being dead according to Gods Word when thou shalt eate thou shalt die had naked temporall Life Hee having sinned in present saw himselfe naked and was ashamed So that this Life of Mankinde is Adams naked Gen. 3. 7 Life in Death a dying Life Quest Did not Christ by his undertaking and performance take away from you and discharge you and all the chosen of God from the whole curse of the Law and sinne Is there remaining any part thereof yet to them in this their miserable corruption and Dying Life Answ Yes Christ by his undertaking and performance hath taken away and discharged me and all Gods chosen People from the curse of the Law and sinne So the Prophet affirmeth God Esay 53. 6 hath layed the iniquities of us all upon Him and the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 33 who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that justifieth being chosen of God wee are justified of God nothing can be laid to our charge Yet it is the Pleasure of God and his Will That this miserable corruption and dying Life in themselves before men should remaine to all Gods chosen People for a time as to the children of wrath to these to shew his wrath and make his power to be known and to the others to declare the riches of his glory prepared for them And no man ought to question Gods Will herein as the Apostle adviseth what saith Rom. 9. hee If God would to shew his wrath and make his power known Rom. 9. 22 suffer with long patience the Vessells of wrath prepared to destruction And that hee might declare the riches of his glory upon the vessells of mercy which hee hath prepared unto glory All this is done of God in wrath to the Vessels of wrath to shew his wrath and power and to the Vessels of mercy to declare his glory prepared forthem Quest Is not the corruption misery miserable and dying Life which remaine to Gods chosen People a part of the curse of Adams transgression not yet taken away of Christ Answ No it is no part of the curse for the Apostle saith Christ hath redeemed us from the curse being made a curse for us dying Gal. 3. 12 Life and Death it selfe is no part of the curse to Gods chosen People now being chosen of God but a blessing a good and a benefit to them we know saith the Apostle that all things work together for the best unto them that love God It is good for mee that I have Rom. 8. 28 Psal 119. been in trouble saith David The Apostle saith Our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth unto us a farre more excellent and an eternall weight of Glory Although the affections of the chosen 2 Cor. 4. 17 of God be heavy and grievous for the present as the Apostle saith yet they bring the quiet fruit of righteousnesse unto them that are thereby exercised and the Apostle Iohn saith Blessed are they which die in the Lord for they rest from their labours Death to them is advantagious And againe David saith of himselfe as one of Gods chosen yet in this miserable Life Thy Rod and thy Staffe they comfort me in the midest of my troubles thy comforts have refreshed Rev. 14. 13 my Soule and the Apostle saith of himselfe and the rest We
Tim. 3. 8. will or can make better But unto those which are chosen of God in Christ ordained to Eph. 1. 4. Acts 13. 48. eternall Life and to believe the Gospell of Jesus Christ It is the meanes of Christ to make them not to trust in themselves or in any gifts or performances of their own thereby to gaine or have any favour of God or their salvation at Gods hand nor to despise others which have not such gifts and performances in themselves Mat. 7. 1. as they have not to judge and condemn them as Christ warneth Judge not that ye be not Judged And it is a great help of Christ to those which are weak in Faith incumbered yet with unbeliefe as the man in the Gospel which said unto Christ I believe Lord Lord helpe my unbeliefe For they hereby seeing the Mercy Goodnesse Wisdome Power of the Father of Grace in his choosing of men in Christ and Ordaining them to eternall Life That it was his Will that his Christ which hath power to give gifts unto men as he pleaseth and the same in measure and weight as hee pleaseth may also see that the Lord Jesus Christ which came to doe the Will of his Father doth bestow Faith and Believing the gift grace and fruit of his Spirit here in this life in manifestation to themselves to witnesse that they are Gods children upon whom of those chosen ones hee pleaseth that in what measure hee pleaseth not to all alike to their great comfort in their weaknesse in Faith and believing And I my self know it is the Commandement of Christ in grace to his Church and People to believe as also to do before men the rest of the duties of his Commandements and to be carefull to use the meanes of Hearing and Praying for Faith and the rest And I my selfe have been carefull of the same commanded of Christ for the government of his Church upon earth for worship to God peace and comfort amongst men themselves which all ought to do that beare the name of Christians and professe themselves to be Subjects unto Christ their King and Law-giver to his Church and may and will doe so although they be but naturall Men and Hypocrites for formality and reputation and the rest in the outward performance thereof before men But the government of his Church upon Earth was not all for which Christ gave his Commandement to his visible Church but also to shew unto those thereof which hee was pleased to inlighten by his holy Spirit what Christ hath done and performed for them before God in the righteousnesse thereof for their peace with God which they themselves were not able to do in the least before God That Christ himselfe hath been Meek Humble and Lowly of Spirit believed the Promise loved and done the Pennance for their whole sinne and transgressions paid the whole debt and satisfied God And to shew them that the worke of the same his Comandement inwardly in their Hearts and Soules manifested before Men wrought by his Spirit sent unto them as hee pleaseth is Rom. 8. 16 their witnesse that Christ is in them and they in Christ that Christ hath done all things for them willed of the Father and undertaken of the Son before God and that they are Gods children chosen in Christ out of the children of wrath ordained to eternall Acts. 13. 48 Life before the World of the Mercy and Free-grace of the Father and through the gracious performance and redemption of his Son Jesus Christ And this was that which did move mee before to say and doth now that my believing in Christ his performances for me wrought up by his Spirit in mee doth witnesse to mee that I of Gods Mercy Love and Free-grace am chosen of God in Christ to be one of his children ordained to eternall Life through the performances of Jesus Christ for me and in this Faith by his grace I hope to live and die But there are many in these dayes in the visible church of christ that professe themselves to be Christians and Teachers which say that they of Mercy Love and Free-grace were not chosen of God in Christ before the World out of the children of wrath to be holy and without blame before God in love to be Gods children that they were not ordained to eternall Life and to believe before the World that they were not loved of God before they were borne or had done good or evill that they when they were borne were still the children of wrath and were so after they were borne untill they believed and should have gone to Hell if they had died before they believed And they teach all men that this is their condition which I thinke is a woefull condition to all that are borne considering that none have the power of their own Life nor any certainty of Life untill they believe And they teach all that God yet so loved the whole World of men being the children of wrath that he gave and sent his onely begotten Sonne to die that whosoever believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting Life shall be loved justified and saved And they teach that his Sonne Jesus Christ died upon the Crosse in manifestation before men and then the Plaister of his Blood and Death was made and not before to heale all the wounded children of wrath in the World that would by Faith apply the same Plaister of his Blood and Death unto their wounds And they deny that Christ died before God from the beginning and that this Plaister of his Blood and Death was made before God from the beginning for the healing of any of mankinde dead and gone before it was made upon the Crosse in manifestation to Men and then and after this applied by the Faith of men which I must needs say hath seemed harsh and uncharitable to me that all beeing as they say the children of wrath untill the Plaister of Christs Blood and Death made upon the Crosse before men and applied by their Faith afterwards so made up to themselves And so consequently that all dead and gone before Christs Death died in Gods wrath and must needs be gone to the Devill and Hell there being manifested in the Scriptures no other redemption from the wrath of God but Christs Blood and Deâ—th And they teach further that the mercifull Father so loved the World of the children of wrath that he did not only give his only Son to die shed his blood and redeem all pay the ransome for all the whole World of the children of wrath which he hath performed for all sufficiently But also of Love and Free-grace hath sent Preachers of the same to all that desire and will Heare believe and receive the same Gospell of Jesus Christs precious Bloud Death and Redemption And they teach that God hath left unto all men being the children of wrath Free-will and power in their corrupt nature to desire and will
workd to their everlasting Peace and eternall Life and to the honour and glory of his grace in the mercy and love of the Father and the undertaking and performing of his fullnesse only But hee commandeth not to goe and teach all Nations to rob the Father of Mercy Love and Free grace of his eternall power Almightinesse Liberty Will and Pleasure and of his Honour Praise and Glory of all the same and of his honour and glory of his Purposes Decrees and Acts eternall with himselfe evidently manifested in his Testament to be his Purpose Decrees and Acts of his power Almighty Liberty Will and Pleasure As they do which teach all they can teach That 1. Although God did fore-know that mankinde would transgresse and become the children of wrath yet hee did not give his Sonne Christ before the World to redeeme them by his Death all or any of those of Mankinde which hee fore knew would transgresse and become the children of wrath notwithstanding Rev. 13. 8 that the Scriptures saith Hee was the Lambe slaine from the begining before God and that Iob saith I know that my Redeemer liveth Job 19. 25 that is is now in being and hath already performed my Redemption before God and that David said The Lord was his Psal 19. 14 strength and his redeemer long before Christ was slaine and died before men upon the Crosse And the Prophet saith long before his Death before men upon the Crosse God hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all meaning the chosen of God and yet all this was Isa 53. 6. done of the Father in Mercy Love and grace and all undertaken saying Loe I come to doe thy Will O God and so performed of Heb. 10. 9 the Sonne Christ in Mercy Love and Free-grace before the World to the satisfaction of God for the transgression of those Isa 53. he pleased for Election Is not this teaching all Nations the robbing and the teaching all Nations to rob the Father of Men and his Sonne Christ of the honour of his almighty Power Liberty in Gods Pleasure graces and gracious Decrees and Acts plainly expressed and manifested in the testiment of our God Secondly in that they teach all Nations that God neither could nor did choose in Christ any of these hee fore knew and fore-see to become the children of wrath before the World to be his children to be holy and without blame before him in love None of them to be ordained to eternall Life before the world None of them to be predestinate to be made like to the Image of his Sonne to be called his Children and Saints to be justified and glorified before himselfe in his own sight and acceptance before the world although these not so yet but in appointed and fulnesse of time to be manifested to the created Notwithstanding our God saith in the Scripture by the Apostle of his Testament Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which hath blessed us with all spirituall blessing in Heavenly things in Christ as hee hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him in love and thâ—t those which he knew before he also predestinate to be Gods children through Christ to be made like to the image of his Sonne to be ordained to eternall Life that he might be the first borne among many Brethren And whom hee predestinated them also he called his children Eph. 1. 3. 4 and Saints by calling And whom hee called them also he justified and whom he justified them also he glorified and although hee saith nothing shall be laid to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that justifieth them And although hee saith God loved Jacob and hated Esau before they were borne or had done good or evill that the purpose of God might remaine according to Election not by Workes but by him that calleth and in many other places the like Is not this Robbery and the teaching of all Nations to rob the Father and his Sonne Christ of the honour of their allmighty Power Liberty Will Mercies Free grace Purposes Dâ—â—crâ—es and Acts eternall within and all unchangeable as the Apostle saith the gifts and calling of God are without repentance which is Rom. 11. 29 so of his eternall spirituall Gifts and callings not of temporall as the calling of Judas was and the gifts that Iob spake of where hee said The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Job 3. 21 Name of the Lord. Thirdly in that they teach all they can teach that it is in their own will power and deed to please God to pacifie the wrath of God the Father of mercies for their sinnes and offences to obtaine forgivenesse of their sinnes by Repentance Prayers Devotions and to obtaine good things deliverance from the evill that they have deserved at the Hand of God the Father by their performances and humiliations by their willingnesse and endeavouring to heare the Gospell preached to get Faith And by and for their Faith and believing to be justified before God and to have Life before God in themselves yea to be Saints in themselves and righteous in themselves by these their performances before God That they are not as other men are Extortioners unjust Drunkards Adulterers or as the Publican that looketh upon See Luke 18. 10 11. nothing but Mercy and Forgivenesse of his sinnes and the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ imputed unto him for his peace with God for his justification eternall Life and Salvation Notwithstanding the Testament of our God written by his Pen-men commanded to be taught is contrary The Prophet of God David saith my weldoing extendeth or Psal 16. 2 is nothing to thee O Lord nothing to please thee to obtaine any thing of thee to justifie one before thee And hee saith Blessed is the Man whose iniquity is forgiven and Psal 32. 1 whose sin is covered And the Prophet Esay saith we are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse as filthy ragges nothing in our selves or of our Isa 64. 6 selves to please God to obtaine any good of God justifie us before God And the Apostle of Jesus Christ Paul saith It is not in him Rom. 9. 16 that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth Mercy And againe blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without workes And Christ himselfe saith when yee have done what yee can say we are unprofitable servants Christ saith He Luke 17. 10 that climeth up any other way to the Father to the Sheepfold then by him is a Theife and a Robber These would please the Father Joh. 10. 1 obtaine of the Father to bee justified of the Father and get to Heaven by their own Prayers Devotions Humiliations by their own Faith and performances and teach others to doe so Is not this to teach Thee
asmuch as all men sinne And so is the word world sometimes taken in the same generall for all men in the World Rom. 5. 12. one and other that are savid and perish as the Apostle saith Sinne entered into the World of all men and death by sinne into the World of all men And so in other places And all men is held forth in the Scripture for all that God hath chosen in Christ and given him to retract and performe all things for to the satisfaction Joh. 6. 37 Joh. 6. 45 Joh. 18. 9 of Gods Justice for their peace with God for their justification and salvation as Christ said all that the Father giveth mee shall come to mee and them that commeth to mee I will in no wise cast off All shall be taught of God of all those men which thou hast given mee I have not lost one And the word all or all men is sometime put for all the reprobate and forsaken ones of God So David said The Foole hath said in his heart there is no God they have all corrupted and done Psal 14. 1 2 3 abhominable workes there is none that doth good God looked downe upon the children of men to see if there were any that would understand all are gone out of the way all are corrupt So doth Beza note upon the place the same to be spoken of the reprobate And the word World is put in the Scriptures for the whole continent sometimes And sometimes for the continent and all conteined therein And sometimes for all men in the World that are chosen of God in Christ that God was pleased of Love and Freegrace to have Mercy upon foreknown to fall and to give his Sonne Christ to redeeme by his performance and to satisfie his Justice for to their everlasting peace and salvation as the Apostle saith God Rm. 11. 2. 16. 5. 19. 1 Joh. 2. 2 was in Christ and reconciled the world to himself not imputing their sinnes unto them And that he is a reconciliation not for our sinnes only but for the sinnes of the whole world And sometime the world is taken for the reprobate and forsaken ones of God in the World as now you have not received the spirit which is of the World but the spirit which is of God c. The Saints shall Judge the World and againe I pray not for the World but 1 Cor. 2. 12 1 Cor. 6. 2 Ioh 17. 9 for them which thou hast given me for they are thine So that you may see if the Lord open your Eyes that giveth sight to the blind How you wrong our God mistaking his written Will and Testament and deceive the People when you teach that Christ dyed for all men one and other that are saved and perish That hee shed his bloud paid the price and ransome and redeemed and made the reconciliation to God for the sinnes of the whole world of men one and other that are saved and damned Elect and reprobate when as it is cleerly shewed to be of those all men of the whole world of those which the testament say are chosen of God in Christ given to Christ to redeeme and performe all things for to their Life justification and salvation onely and that which you teach is great dishonour to the Father and the Sonne If a rich man should with a great sum of money buy all the beasts in a great Market for his service there being abundance to be bought And when hee hath bought and paid for all a like price he should after not regard many or most of them by his power provision and meanes to be guided drawne and conveyed to his house and pastures and there kept for his service and thier safety which hee knew would move but suffer them as soone as hee had bought them to stray wander transgresse and trespasse till they were imprisoned and starved to perish so and decay would not all others account this prodigality folly indiscretion yea wickednesse uncharitablenesse to the beasts for a good man is charitable to his beast saith Soloman Pov. 10. 12 Will you charge our God the Father and his Christ with such folly and wickednesse You say the Father hath given his Sonne Christ to pay the great price for all men one and other to redeem all that are saved and that perish to buy all men for his service and foreknow the straying and wandering condition of all to be alike that none could come home to his house and pastures to doe him service without the helpe guidance and convenience and keeping of his grace yet hee regardeth not to send and give his grace to the most part of them hee had bought and paid deare for to convey them and keepe them but let them wander trespasse being wounded and imprisoned starved and perish in Hell for ever Is not this a heavy charge of folly wickednesse and injustice upon the Father and his Sonne Christ Jesus Is not this greater blsphemy then that of Rabshakah Object But it may bee you will alleadge the Scriptures of the Testament God will have mercy upon whom hee will shew mercy and Rom. 9 hee will have mercy upon whom hee will have mercy and whom hee will he hardneth therefore he suffereth whom hee will suffer Answ This Scripture of the Testament you mistake as you doe other for this Scripture hath reference to the will purpose and act of God the Father in his Election in Christ of those hee pleased of mankinde in generall faine and become the children of wrath in Gods sight before redemption Indeed then of those the Father had mercy upon whom hee would have mercy and whom hee would hee hardned that is left in their hardnesse but it hath no relation unto those which Christ redeemed after his redemption of them which Christ had undertaken for to doe the will of the 〈◊〉 for theâ— juâ—â—fication aad salvation If you should 〈◊〉 a Sessions hire lay down money for a servant or servants time of servâ—ce for a year or years which you know would runaway and â—ander If after you had so done you did not regard them but let them runne away lie in Ditches and Hedges with you knowledge till they came to decay are not you culpable in Law and Justice for the same This blame you would lay upon Christ which hath laid down the great price for such as hee knew to be such and might by his power and grace have kept them but will not nor doth but let them perish Christ against you saith hee hath lost none that his Father hath given him to pay for and pray for Object It may be you will say Christ after hee hath bought men doth feede men and attend them with his Ordinances and Ministers it is their selfish fancy that they perish Answ If you say Christ is at more charge with them then paying the great price for them and hee let them stray and perish which hee knew would
rest noted in the Scriptures to be Gods chosen people A. Yes it was given of Christ to his Church upon Earth in all generations although not so gloriously as when it was written of him to them in tables of stone but it was written in their hearts by Christ or otherwise as he pleased for the Government of his Church was ever upon his shoulders and he as a King governed not without a Law And this his Law and Government among Isal 9. 6. them appeareth plainly in that they brought offerings to the Lord as Abel the best of his flock and for that it is said Noah and Lot preached righteousness repentance mercy and forgiveness upon repentance in that it is said Abraham taught his family Q. Had not the Gentiles which were not Gods chosen people this Law of Christ written in their hearts which he writ in tables of stone to his Church of Israel for the Apostle saith Although they had not the Law written in tables of stone yet they did by nature the things contained therein before men although not all things so shewing the effect of the Law written in their hearts Rom. 2. 14 15. A. The Law and righteousness of the Law of Works made of God to man in power is corruptly remaining in the hearts of the Gentiles being not Gods chosen which is partly in this Law of Christ given to his Church of Gods chosen in grace but as it is the Law of Christ in grace it is not written in the hearts of the Gentiles Therefore David said Neither have the Heathen knowledg of his Ps â—47 â—0 Laws His Law or Commandment of Faith in Christ of Self-denyal of Repentance unto mercy and forgiveness and of mercy and forgiveness one to another upon Repentance was not written in their hearts Q. Do all the chosen people of God having corrupt reason understanding and will left them of doing the Law of Christ as it is outward in appearance to men perform the same in righteousness before men in the power that they have left A. No For first we see recorded in holy Scripture One to have gone beyond another therein Secondly We see recorded in holy Scripture The best in appearance of Gods chosen ones to have transgressed and committed the contrary to that holy Law before men much more we must think omitted the performance thereof in righteousness before men Sometimes we read of Noahs drunkenness of Lots drunkenness and incest of Abrahams teaching his wife Sarah to dissemble to call her self his sister not his wife of Jacobs dissembling with his blinde father Isaac saying that he was Esau the Patriarchs transgression Aarons and Moses and Davids transgression Solomons closing with Idolaters Ezechia's Josia's Manasses transgression yea Peters lying swearing and forswearing all contrary to the Law of Christ in appearance before men and what can we think of our own and the rest the incumbrances ignorance blindness and frailties of the flesh The tempters and temptations to the chosen of God are such and so many that the performance of this holy Law of Christ as it is outward in appearance before men hath been and is in all not without transgression as the Apostle saith in many things we offend all James 3. 2 Q. What is the danger of this transgression of Gods chosen people A. Temporal proportionable punishment before men an eye for an eye tooth for tooth breach for breach measure for measure These David call'd troubles and punishments these the Apostles call'd afflictions corrections and chastisements Q. Is there no way provided of Christ for Gods chosen people having so transgressed this his Law to escape the proportionable punishment A. Yes in great grace he hath provided and granted Repentance to be their refuge for mercy and forgiveness before him their Head King and Magistrate or Governor and before one another And therefore he saith At what time soever a sinner repent from the bottom of his heart he will put all his wickedness out of his remembrance Ezek. 18 And again If thy brother sin against thee seven times yea seventy times seven times and saith It repenteth me forgive him Mat. 18 21 22 Q. Is there no difference of the outward performance of this Law of Christ in Gods chosen people and in Hypocrites in appearance to men A. Yes there is much difference in appearance to men For first the chosen of God have the work of the Spirit in their souls and hearts when it pleaseth the Lord Jesus Christ sanctifying and sweetening the outward performance with humbleness meekness and otherwise in appearance to men Secondly They do it simply in submission and obedience to the command accounting the same good and fit to be â—one before men without the command pressed Thirdly They do not think that the doing of the work of this Command of Christ before men reacheth unto God to please God to move and pacifie God as David said My well-doing extendeth not to thee O Lord but to the Saints upon the earth for their good and profit that they seeing the same may glorifie their Father in Heaven Psal 16. 3 before men Fourthly They do it not for their own profit glory and reputation among men as a merit of their worl in their own esteem but they wait and rest upon the promise of the reward in his Law made to the conscionable performers thereof in the gracious judgment of Jesus Christ before men giving Christ the Commander and Law-giver King and Governor of his Church the honor of all their performance But the performance of hypocrites first have not the face of the sanctifying and sweetening Spirit in humbleness and meekness self-denyal and otherwise for although the Pharisee went up into the Temple to pray yet his performance had the face of pride and self-conceit not of true humbleness and self-denyal Secondly They do it but not simply in submission to the Command as good and worthy to be done without the former Command but they do it being commanded for company formality and avoyding of penalty and other danger Thirdly Hypocrites do the work of the Command often zealously herein thinking in their hearts that their performances thereof reach unto God to please God to pacifie and move God thereby to do them and others good which is onely the work of Christ to Gods chosen ones wherein they would convey the honor of Christ to their performances Fourthly Hypocrites are strict and precise in this as it is outward none going beyond theâ—â— therein not for the honor of Christ the Lawgiver but for their own honor and reputation among men for their own ends for their own gain profit and advantages seeking the same often unjustly to the damage of one for the benefit of another to their own praise and glory among men Q. May not Gods chosen people neglect and omit the outward performance of this Law of Christ before men A. No for Christ hath given it to them
people of Israel to be blessed of God Gods chosen people yet for wages and gain he would have done them any mischief he might The perishing and destruction of Corah was his slighting and gainsaying of the Ordinance of Christ in the Ministry and Ministers thereof called and sent by his Ordinance for the gain of honor and the rest to himself His woe was not against Cain Balaam and Corah but against those and such in the last days that walk in their ways who in pride and covetousness of the riches and honors of this world trample under foot the Son of God his Laws and Ordinances for the government of his Church upon Earth his worship and honor among men c. and for righteousness peace society and safety among men themselves Q. Is not this Law of Christ given to his Church of Gods chosen people Iustification before God and eternal Life to the keepers and doers of that Law and Commandment for or by the keeping and doing thereof before men and condemnation before God and eternal death to the neglecters and breakers thereof before men for neglecting and breaking the same A. No that cannot be so for the holy Scriptures shew plainly the contrary in many places First Paul saith of himself and all Gods chosen people He hath chosen us in Christ before the World to be holy and without blame before him in love which must needs be understood thus God foreseeing and foreknowing before the world all men to become the children of wrath by transgression he of love and free grace was pleased to chuse some of them then before himself to be his adopted children through Christ to be holy and without blame before him in love and being chosen are justified and have eternal life in Christ So the same Paul which saith God hath chosen us in Christ before the world c. saith We were all the children of wrath as well as others before God before that of Gods love and free grace we were chosen in Christ out of the general company of the children of wrath to be the children of God but now being chosen in Christ to be the children of God we are not nor can be the children of wrath again for Christ loseth none chosen in him none taketh them out of his hand that the Father hath given him Now to affirm and hold forth that Justification and eternal Life cometh to man for or by his keeping and doing of the Law and Commandment of Christ given to Gods people and in Tables of stone written long after Gods Election of them before the world manifested in the Scripture and that condemnation and eternal death cometh to them for the breaking and neglecting thereof before men is to disable dishonor and nullifie the gracious act of Gods Election in Christ of those he pleased before the world to be his loved children and to leave the rest in the condemnation of their own transgression Secondly The Apostle saith Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that justifieth them being chosen of God Rom. 8. 33 they are justified of God none after they are chosen of God shall or can lay any thing to their charge therefore their Justification before God or condemnation eternal life or eternal death doth not depend upon their keeping or breaking the Law of Christ given for the government of his Church upon Earth although indeed it may manifest the same Thirdly The Apostle saith If Iustification before God and eternal life be of the Works of the Law they are not of Grace But the Apostle affirmeth That Gods chosen are justified freely by grace and not by the Works of the Law Fourthly The Apostle citing other Scriptures saith Before Iacob and Esau were born and had done good or evil that the purpose of God might remain according to Election not by works but Rom. 9. 11 13 by him that calleth God loved Iacob and hated Esau It was because God of love and free grace had Elected Iacob in Christ before the world that God continued his love to Iacob and because Esau was left in the wrath of his transgression in Adam that God continued his wrath and hatred to Esau Fifthly If mans Justification before God should depend upon his keeping and doing of the Law and Commandment of Christ there were no man could be justified and saved for the Apostle saith In many things we offend all and his repentance that is finite and temporal could not satisfie the trespass done before and against the infinite God which it must do in justice if Christs Law were with condition of everlasting life and everlasting death for keeping and breaking of the Commandment Q. Is there no good nor benefit to Gods chosen people by keeping and doing the Law and Commandment of Christ carefully and in singleness of heart nor no damage nor danger to them by breaking and neglecting the same before men A. Yes Gods chosen people have two special benefits by the keeping and doing of the Law and commandment of Christ before men in singleness of heart and carefully First They have the temporal reward in the condition promised and held forth in the holy Scriptures In keeping of them there is Psa 19. 11 58. 11 great reward saith David And again Doubtless there is a reward for the righteous And they have much more then is manifested prepared of Christ for their reward of grace The things which eye hath not seen neither ear hath heard 1 Cor. 2. 9 neither came into mans heart hath Christ our God prepared for them that love him saith the Apostle Secondly They have the evidence of the Spirit of Christs work in their hearts for the carefulness and singleness of heart is the work and fruit of the Spirit which they as branches of the Vine Christ do onely bear and bring forth of grace as instruments wherewith the Spirit doth the work and imputeth it to them of grace as Paul said It was not I but the grace of God with me And the Spirit by 1 Cor. 15. 10 Rom. 8. 16 such evidence received doth witness to their Souls that they are Gods children And the damage and danger to Gods chosen people is great by breaking and neglecting this Law and command of Christ For first they lose the said reward of keeping and doing the same when they break it and neglect it they forsake their own mercies Secondly They are liable to the temporal penalties and are sure thereof without repentance of their offences before men And hereupon it is that Christ our God shaketh his rod of Judgments so often in the Scriptures against the chosen people of God which he knoweth in themselves are frail weak and subject to temptations to keep them from transgression and the danger thereof Q. What is the good and benefit of the Gospel and the preaching thereof unto Gods chosen people Is it beyond and more then the Law and
preaching of the Law of Christ for the Government of his Church upon Earth unto them A. Yea the Gospel and the preaching thereof by those that are sent is for their everlasting comfort and good That setteth forth unto them the everlasting love mercy and free grace of God in his chusing them in Christ before the world unchangeably their ordination to eternal life their predestination to be the children of God for ever their calling thereto in the Image of his Son â—esus Christ their justification and glorification then before God to be manifested in fulness of time to the creature And clearly sheweth the way and work of all these by Christs undertaking with God to his satisfaction of justice in doing of his Will as the Lamb slain before him from the beginning and taking flesh upon him came into the world and performed the full righteousness of the Law of God in doing and suffering before men whereby they have deliverance from all sin and death by sin before God and are made coheirs annexed with Christ Jesus of all his riches triumph and glory in heavenly places And that Christ hath promised and sent his holy Spirit to them to do the spiritual work of the Law in them as he pleaseth for witness and comfortable assurance to them that they are Gods chosen children and therefore is called the Spirit of Adoption because he witnesseth the same Rest to the Souls of Believers GOd hath revealed himself unto man to be one eternal invisible incompr 〈…〉 ible essence in whom is all foreknowledg and will as he pleaseth all love almighty power wisdom justice goodness and mercy and in three persons in this one essence Father Son and Holy Spirit according to which eternal qualities of his eternal Deity he hath in his foreknowledg and foresight purposed predestinated and decreed all things according to his will and according to his Will Purpose and Decree made Heaven Hell Earth and all Gen. 1. Isai 30. 33 things therein And with his purpose to make man he also purposed to make a Covenant of works with man which works if he did he should have the promise and assurance of life for ever But if he did fail in the work and break the Covenant he should dye presently And God foreknowing that man would break the Covenant of his great and meer love of his free grace compassion and mercy to mankind did provide purpose and decree to give to mankind in Christ a Covenant of Grace or promise of grace which was to give his own only Son to be made of a woman by taking mans flesh upon him to be born and brought forth of a woman to take upon him the form of a servant to be of no reputation among men yet as a general person and undertaker for all intended of the Father in acceptance to full satisfaction to do and perform the full righteousness of the Covenant of Works Law and commandment therein and to pay the whole and uttermost debt of and for the transgression made or to be made by those of mankind which he purposed to make choyce of for the glory of his grace to be performed by his Son Christ Jesus and to be preserved by the power of his Spirit until Psa 37. 18 19 1 Thes 5. 17 Eph. 1. 4 they were presented blameless at his coming to Judgment And according to the purpose of the Father he did Elect some of mankinde before the foundations of the world were layd to be his vessels of honor life everlasting and immortal inheritance in and with his Son Jesus Christ which had undertaken in acceptance and to full satisfaction of God leaving the rest to the merit and punishment of their own transgression And having made Heaven and Hell he made also the Earth and all creatures therein in their kind And placing man his creature in Paradise there made and manifested his purposed and decreed Covenant of Works with man with condition of life and death when man was endued with full power and free will to stand or fall And mand did fall and break the Covenant of Works which in duty as the creature he ought to have kept and performed to the Creator having of him power and free-will given to him to hve performed and done same And although God did foreknow that man would fall and break the Covenant yet God did not decree that man should fall and destroy himself by falling neither having given unto him power and free-will to stand or fall had he resisted the Will of God if he had stood but by falling and so destorying himself he resisted the Will of God that would not the death of a sinner For there was Ezek 18 32 one and the same end in the intention of God of both the Covenants purposed towards man which was the life of man yea in his Covenant of Works he intended the life of man This do and thou shalt live saith God to man although he set before him life and Gen. 42. 18 Rom. 7. 10 death in that Covenant of Works And after mans fall and loss of all he was endued with all of God being yet in Paradise God manifested to his Elâ—ct of mankind his purposed Covenant of Grace in his Son Jesus Christ to be performed of him without any condition of any performance by man but in Christ now being without power of believing as appears in the words of the Promise or Covenant of Grace The seed of the woman shall break the Serpents heaâ— The seed of the woman was freely promised to do and perform all that was to be done and performed for mans salvation to the end to break the serpents head and to destroy the works of the Devil as the Apostle speaketh and all this grace to be manifested in time to those in particular which should 1 Joâ— 3. 8 in manifestation receive the Spirit of adoption and bear the fruits of the Spirit the believing in the Son of God Jesus Christ so that in the righteousness of his Son Christs doing the work of the Covenant in himself as an undertaker for and a representative of all his Elect in acceptance to the full satisfaction of God all the Elect might have this righteousness accounted imputed and so made theirs of God as if themselves had done the full work of the Law and Covenant of Works And by his paying of the full debt and price for their transgression they might be assured of the forgiveness of their sins past Isai 53. 6 1 Pet. 2 24 1 Joh. 1. 7 and to come as if there had been no transgression at all in them of the Law and Covenant of Works And that they thus being justified fully by the obedience and performance of Christ before God and freed by the full payment of the price and debt with Christs precious blood Gods Elect might know themselves to have an absolute discharge from the Law and Covenant of Works before God and
performance of Jesus Christ and preserved through his performance and grace in them until they be by him presented 1 Thes 5. 23 blameless at his coming Q. Doth not God require good performances of his Elect to further their Salvation A. God knoweth that his Elect as themselves are able to perform nothing that is good not to will or think any thing that is good Rom. 7. 18 Phil. 2. 13 2 Cor. 3. 5 So saith his Apostle Paul I find no means to perform that which is good It is God that worketh in us the will and the deed of his own good pleasure We cannot think any thing of our selves that is good Therefore God will not require of his beloved Elect ones that which he knoweth they cannot dâ— No man will require him which he loveth to do and perform that which he knoweth he cannot do No man will lay a burthen upon his beast which he knoweth he cannot bear God did never require of his Elect performance of his Law and Commands before himself after the had lost the power of performing but of his love and grace provided a power to perform for them a Christ and Redeemer which undertook to do hath done and doth all and those great things in them and for them by his wisdom and strength as how and when it pleaseth him making them and their members of soul and body instruments of his righteous works which of his great grace he calleth their works and performances For which reason Paul which said he found no means meaning in himself to perform any thing that is good or to will or Phil. 4. 13 think any good of himself saith also I am able to do all things through the help of Christ which strengtheneth me that is through Christs power his members were Christs able Instruments of doing all things righteous as he pleaseth of Christs grace accounted his righteous doings as Paul saith David declareth the blessedness of man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works that Rom. 4 6 is when God imputeth Christs righteous works unto man whereby he is onely satisfied and pleased with man without mans own works Q. Hath Christ undertaken to perform and doth Christ perform all things for the Elect before God that they have liberty of idleness to do nothing to live licentiously A. The Elect of God are least idle having in manifestation received the Spirit of adoption they are no less idle then the Spirit can be idle in them which in them is as the tree of Life yielding forth fruit continually The fruit of the Spirit is faith love joy peace Apoc. 22. 2 Gal. 5. 22 meekness goodness righteousness c. The Spirit which as a King ruleth in them maketh their members instruments as it pleaseth of all such righteous works and performances so that the righteousness of Christ will shine in them Q. Why doth Christ in the Evangelists and the Apostles of Christ in their Epistles and writings give so many precepts and exhortations to the people and Churches of the faithful for performances to be made by them as to believe to love to deny themselves to pray to obey to do justly and forbidding them to do the contrary yea and further upon penalty for not doing the precept and doing the contrary that they shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven but shall be cast into utter darkness which is Hell A. All such Precepts and Exhortations of Christ and his Apostles are not to charge the Elect with performances of duties before God by those precepts which they are in no part able to perform sithence man lost his power of performing but to shew and set forth to the Elect and Reprobate the power that Adam and all mankinde then in Adam had to perform all those Precepts and Exhortations before is Fall in the sight of God and to shew the authority justice and righteousness of the Command in commanding those holy and good duties and the justness of God in the fearful and miserable penalty of the transgression to be certainly executed upon the reprobate such as are without Christ the Redeemer and Performer of those precepts for them having by their own fault when they had power lost their power of performing And to shew that as the transgression of the reprobate encrease and multiply so the penalty and misery encreaseth and multiplyeth dayly and that by such terrors continually proclaimed by the Ministers of God the reprobate may be abated of their envious and mischievous transgression to the greater safety of Gods Elect. And yet further these precepts were written that the Elect of God finding in themselves no more power left to perform them then the very reprobate have which is only before men may behold their blind eyes being opened by Christ the unspeakable love mercy and grace of God towards them in their Election in the promised seed to them and for them in the performances of Jesus Christ the promised seed of those holy precepts first and last for them which themselves neither had nor have any power to perform sithence the general fall and loss Further yet Christ in his Evangelists and Apostles writings doth hold forth these precepts to the Churches that the faithful hearing and seeing these Precepts and Commandments which were ordained to life but are now unto death as the Apostle saith The same Commandment which was ordained unto life was found to be unto me unto Rom. 7. 10 death might in their infirmities and transgressions by Christ and his love be gathered together as chickens under the cover of his wings as Christ himself speaketh How often would I have gathered you together even as an Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings Mat. 23 37 that so their eyes being opened by Christ to see the goodness and love of Christ the love of Christ might constrain them to yield their hearts and members instruments of his love to God and man before men as the Apostle saith The love of Christ hath constrained us 2 Cor. 5. 14 Q. If it be so that the Commandment sithence it was broken by man be now unto the death of man and no way unto life which was first ordained unto life and was by ordination unto life to all men before it was broken by man in power to have kept it and done it and if man now have lost all power of doing the Commandment before God for ever by the first breaking thereof whether is it in the Office of the Ministers and Preachers amongst us now to read and preach the Law and Commandment to the people for they cannot hold forthlife or comfort to them from the Commandment or if it be in their Office how to preach the Commandment and to whom A. It is the proper Office of the Ministers of Christ as the fitted instruments of Christs Spirit to preach the Gospel of salvation and life and only occasionally to preach the Law and Commandment for the
so do without his holding and keeping you cast more folly and blasphemy upon Christ And you further teach all Nations that men that God hath had mercy on that Christ hath redeemed and bought that God hath given his grace unto and so he in the state of salvation may by their wilfull sinne fall away from grace mercy and the Love Heb. 12. 15 Rev. 2. 4 of God by forsaking their first Love and so become the children of wrath and destruction And by repentance may returne to God have mercy grace and love of God againe and be the children Ezech. 18 of God againe and may often rise and fall into these conditions which is not the teaching commanded of Christ It is Psa 12 1. 5 uncomfortable untrue and against the Scriptures of the Testament For there Christ is said to be the Keeper of his Israel which Joh. 18. 9 he bought and redeemed That hee loseth not one That none shall Joh. 13. 1 take them out of his hand That those that hee loveth hee loveth to the end and many like places 2 Tim. 2. 19 Heb. 6. Jer. 32. Indeed a man may fall away from grace and forsake his first Love that Christ hath redeemed before men in the sight of men and in the estimation of men c. but not before God in Gods Sight and estimation Gods Love is an everlasting Love to the end The foundation of God is sure the Lord knoweth who are his and Jesus Christ is the yesterday and to day And I will be their God and they shall be my people I will never forsake them and I will put such a feare into their Hearts that they shall never depart from mee Jerem. 32. 40. Another Meditation of the Law THe Law is good and holy and the use of the Law and Commandement appointed of God to be manifested and published to mee in the holy Scriptures is so evident both to the Reprobate 1 Tim. 1. 8 and to the Elect as the Apostle saith The Law is good to man if a man use it lawfully The reprobate and the Elect in their corrupted estate the one as the other hath remaining corrupted reason wisdome and knowledge of God in the corrupted nature of man whereby they have some corrupted sight of the righteousnesse of God in the common Law and the penalty of breaking thereof So the Apostle saith of the Church That which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto Rom. 9. 19 them For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and God head are seene by the Creation of the World being considered in his Workes to the intent that they should be withâ—â—t excuse which men though they know the Law of God how Vers 31. that they which commit such things are worthy of death yet not onely doe the same but also know them that doe them This righteous Law and command of God remaining in the corrupt Reason Wisdome Knowledge and Nature of men is called of the Ethnick Philosophers the Law of nature of the Lawyers the Law of Nations And of this Law the Law of Moses which temperate meeknesse was a plaine Exposition and manifestation of Yet this Law and righteousnesse of God remaining unto the corrupted nature of man was that which by Gods providence forced the Philosophers so called of the Ethincks to write many bookes of Ethicks to the people wherein wee see many notable Rules and directions for mans safety and society And likewise in the Lawes of Nations for civilizng and moralizing of men And no Nations of people that wee have heard of read of there are or have been but there have beene Rules and Lawes amongst themselves for some civility and morality according to their corrupt reason and understanding of God and God not to sanctâ—fie or justifie men before God for that is onely Christs Worke but to civilize and moralize them before men for the more safety of Gods Elect. And this was the use of the more cleare Exposition and manifestation of this Law of God remaining to man in his corrupt nature by a speciall providence of God written by Moses to the People of Israel and so remaining written to all people to whom it commeth as unto us to moralize and civilize men or as it may be said to sanctifie and justifie men before men in the sight of men in the estimation of men And that upon the proportionable temporall penalties to the breakers and like reward to the Keepers thereof for the good and society of men without which mans life would be miserable But not to justifie or sanctifie men before God by the worke thereof That being onely the work of Christ and onely in the power of Christ and his performance And the Acts 13. 39 Rom. 3. 20 Scriptures largely and plainly manifesteth that from all things which yee could not be justified by the Law of Moses by him that is Christ every one that believeth is justified By the worke Rom. 10. 6. of the Law shall no man be justified in his that is Gods sight saith Rom. 3. 24 the Apostle If it be of works it is no more of grace wee are justified freely through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus Christ Jesus is 1 Cor. 1. 30 made unto us Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption The Law saith the Apostle came by Moses but grace and truth by Jesus Christ Joh. 1. 17 If any Law and the marke of any Law of Moses might sanctifie or justifie before God then the Leviticall or Ceremoniall Law and the workes thereof might have done that as the Offerings Sacrifices shedding of Bloud Purifyings Clensing and Washing Sprinklings and the like which all figured Christ and his performances But the Apostle saith that all these were nothing to purifie and sanctifie men before God but onely outwardly touching the flesh in the sight and estimation of men as Heb. 9. 13. for saith the Apostle It is impossible the Bloud oâ— Bulls and Goats should take away sinne and againe in burnt Offerings sin Offerings thou hadst no pleasure therein said I that is Christ Loâ— I come to Heb. 10. 4 do thy will O God Man is not justified sanctified or purified before God by any of mans workes of the Law of Moses no God Heb. 10. 6 7 hath no pleasure in them but onely in his Christ and his workes And yet God was pleafed his Law and Commandements should remaine to corrupt man even that that Moses Law the more cleare exposition of the Law of nature should be added because of transgression as the Apostle saith to shew sinne more cleerly to Gal. 3. 19 man and the righteousnesse of God in condemning The transgressions of his Law first and last and to abate and shake the current of corruption in the reprobate to the more safety of his Elect among them as Wolves to them and for the mortifying