be suffered for sin by the sinner is the curse-everlasting of soul and body seing a meer creature cannot for ever satisfie for his rebellion how long soever we presuppose his duration under suffering And for obedience by way of doing perfectly what the Law doth crave it is utterly impossible because we are carnal sold under sin and cannot satisfie the Law and because we cannot satisfie the Law the Law becometh weak and unable to justifie and save us Rom. 8. 3. How the Covenant of works may be called the Covenant of nature ALbeit the Law written by nature in mens heart differeth from the Covenant for performance of the Law as hath been shown before yet the Covenant of works made with Adam before he fell tying him to keep that Law may be called the Covenant of nature First because the Covenant of works is grounded upon the Law of nature and doth exact nothing of man save that which God might require of him according to the Law of nature Secondly because when the Covenant of works was made with Adam it was made with all his natural posterity which was to spring of him by natural generation and so the obligation thereof did pass upon all his natural posterity by the Law of nature which maketh the child begotten to bear the image of the begetters Thirdly that the Covenant of works may justly be called the Covenant of nature appeareth by the force of the conscience being wakened from its sleepy security for it challengeth for sin according to that Covenant and pronounceth the sentence of God's wrath against the sinner For the conscience doth acknowledge the Judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death Rom. 1. 32. Fourthly because the conscience naturally inclineth a man to seek justification by his own works if it can any way find pretence for it as we may see in the Pharisee who in his speech to God doth judge himself a holy man because he is not amongst the worst of men and hath many good works above others to reckon forth and lay before God Luk. 18. 11. Fifthly the inclination of mans heart to expect a reward of every good work he doth whether it be in some part reall or only apparently such testifieth so much Iudg. 17. 13. Micah so reasoneth Now know I the Lord will do me good seing I have a Levit to my Priest And how miserably the conscience may be deluded in this case when men do dote upon their own well-deserving appeareth in Leah for Gen. 30. 18. Leah saith God hath given me my hire because I have given my maiden to my husband Sixthly this point is also made manifest by the natural ignorance of righteousness by faith and affectation to be justified by works which the Apostle finds fault-with in the Israelits Rom. 9. 31. They sought righteousness not by faith but as it were by works And Rom. 10. 3. being ignorant of the righteousness of God and going about to establish their own righteousness to wit righteousness by works according to the tenour of the Covenant of works they did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God Seventhly the same course followed by Papists and other erroneous teachers testifieth the natural inclination of men to seek righteousness by works according to the tenour of the Covenant of works and not by faith in Christ Jesus that righteousness may come by grace only And so are some mens hearts glued to this error that they do transform justification by faith in justification by one work in stead of all as if the work of faith were the mans righteousness and not Christ him-himself laid hold on by faith Not considering that to the man that renounceth all confidence in any work of his own and flieth to Christ by faith Christ is made of God unto that man wisdom and righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30. Last of all this natural inclination even of the regenerat to seek righteousness by works doth prove the Covenant of works to be naturally ingraft in all mens hearts as appeareth in the Galatians who being instructed in the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ without the works of the Law did easily upon a tentation offered look back with likeing to the way of Justification by works for which the Apostle reproveth them Gal. 4. 21. Tell me saith he ye that desire to be under the Law or Covenant of works and ver 9. But now after ye have known God or rather are known of God how turn ye again to weak and beggarly elements whereunto you desire again to be in bondage Obj. But the Galatians as it seemeth did not reject Justification by faith but did joyn with it Justification by the works of the Law thinking that the safest way was to joyn both together Ans. The inconsistency of these two wayes of Justification the Apostle sheweth Rom. 11. 6. For Justification by grace is no more by works otherwise grace is no more of grace and what Justification is by works is no more of grace otherwise work is no more works And therefore the Apostle makes the joyning of these two wayes of Justification to be nothing else but a plain seeking of Justification by the Covenant of works which cutteth a man off from any benefit by Christ Gal. 5. 2. and whosoever seeketh to be justified by the Lawâ— or Covenant of works is fallen from grace ver 4. For further clearing this matter we may distinguish two sorts of the Covenant of works The one is true genuine and of God's institution which God made with all men in Adam for perfect obedience unto God's Law out of mans own natural abilities There is another counterfeit bastard covenant of works of mans own devising which a sinner lying in his sins unable to do what the Law commands or to suffer what the Law being broken binds upon him of his own head devileth upon other conditions then God hath set and will have God to take his devised covenant in stead of perfect obedience to the Law that so he may be justified Such was the covenant which the carnal Israelits made with God in the wilderness and which their posterity did follow turning the Covenant of grace whereunto God was calling them into a covenant of works of their own framing For the grace which was offered to them in Christ under the vail of levitical types figures and ceremonies they turned into an external service of performance only of bare and dead ceremonies and into a ministry of the letter and death for they did not take up Christ to be the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believes in him but did think that both the moral and ceremonial Law was given unto them of God to the intent that they should do the external works of the moral Law so far as they could and when they transgressed the moral Law they should fly to the ceremonial Law and make amends for their faults by
cast out and were broken off the true olive tree So also the obligation of the baptized who turn the true covenant of grace in aâ—oâ—her of their own framing doth still stand tying them to perform the condition of the true covenant and their right to the external priviledges of the confederat doth remain still in some sort even when they are inter-dyted from the honourable possession thereof by excommunication For the Apostle teacheth us that the excommunicat remain as to their ecclesiastick state albeit not as to their present ecclesiastick condition citizens and members of the Church and subject to Jurisdiction ecclesiastick and to Christs discipline because when they are judged and are under censure they are said to be within the Kirk and not without it 1 Cor. 5. 12. What have I to do to judge also them that are without do not ye judge them that are within And these that were delivered unto Sathan as to their present external condition remained notwithstanding as to their external state the domesticks of God under the discipline of God's house and were pressed by the censure laid on them to learn to cease from their sinfull course and specially from these faults for which they were censured and corrected by their excommunication 1 Tim. 1. 20. Hymeneus and Alexander were given over to Sathan that they might learn not to blaspheme that is that being humbled and brought to repentance they might return to the acknowledgement of the truth and to a reverent speaking of holy things and so the right to be counted brethren and members of the Church albeit under censure restraint and dis-respect till they repented was not taken altogether from them even under excommunication nor yet were the private duties of charity due to brethren in that fearfull condition to be altogether denied unto them even when the possession of the former honour of blamelesse brethren was taken from them for the Apostle will have them albeit excommunicat to be esteemed still censured brethren and not looked upon as enemies â— Thess. 3. 14 15. If any man obey not our word by this epistle note that man to wiâ— by putting the censure of excommunication on him and have no company with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother and this is so much the more carefully to be observed that the constitution of the visible Church of such and such members and the use of excommunication may be the better understood least the excommunicat being over-burdened by the sharpness of the censure should seem to themselves altogether excluded from Church-society and so despair of returning to the full possession of their priviledges but might know that the right of citizens of the city of God was reserved unto them and was to be restored by way of possession after their repentance and that they were not cut off from the Christian charity of the brethren no not when they were lying under the sentence that they might so much the sooner return to repentance and to the possession of their Ecclesiastick honour Obj. But here there ariseth a greater doubt and objection how and upon what reason God doth require the condition of faith which men cannot perform except it be given of God as the Apostle testifieth Ephes. 2. 8. you are saved of grace by faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Ans. The equity of the duty required doth not depend upon mens present power or strength of whom the condition is required but upon this ground that ability was given to Adam and to his posterity in him for all injoyned service and so the duty of believing in Christ is founded upon mans naturall obligation to obey the morall law for by vertue of the first command Adam was bound and we in him not only to believe the word of God already revealed unto him but to believe also every word of God to be revealed and he was bound to give unto God the glory of all his attributes not only of these which already did shew forth themselves in his works but also of these attributes which as yet did not put forth themselves in actuall exercise for as it cannot be denied that man was bound to give God the glory of his avenging justice upon his threatning to inflict the punishment of death in case man should sin albeit he could not see the execution of it before he fell So also it is manifest he was bound to give God the glory of his goodnesse and mercy albeit no object of shewing mercy was yet to be found and that partly because it was his duty to give the glory of all perfections unto God whereof mercy is one and partly upon the experience he had of Gods manifested goodnesse in his creation and Gods making a covenant with him about eternall life upon so easie and equitable tearms upon the same ground even after the fall Adam was bound not to despair nor flye nor hide himself from God from whom it was impossible he could escape It cannot then be reasonably denied but man by the law of nature is bound to give credit to God when he speaketh and bound to trust in God when He offereth himself as a friend and a father to him and when God bids him seek his face he is bound to obey him and seek his face and to follow after more and more near communion with him It is true indeed that Adam in his integrity could not formally and actually believe in God as a Redeemer partly because this mystery was not yet revealed partly because he not having yet sinned had not need of a Redeemer or of remission of sin but yet the power and ability of believing in God according as God should let forth his will and the power to adhere unto God and rest on his goodnesse and good-will was given to man in his creation for this perfection was a part of the image of God wherein man was created even as the habit of shewing mercy on the miserable though such an object was not to be found while man continued in the state of innocency was a part of that original holinesse in him and if this ground hold not sinners by their sinning once should make themselves free to sin for ever after and exempt themselves from all the duties of the morall law upon this pretence that they were unable to give obedience to it which is most unreasonable And 2. Because the hearers of the Gospel esteem themselves able to perform the condition of the covenant of grace offered and to believe in Christ yea and to give credit or not to what is preached unto them as they see reason is it not equitable then to put all men to it who judge themselves able to perform what is required to the end that after experience and tryall taken of themselves they should either acknowledge their naturall inability to believe in Christ and so go
Redemption concerning the prudent way and maner of Christs singling forth his own elect from the rest of the world But this doth no wayes import or infer an universall conditionall Redemption or any conditionall decree of God for there is a vast difference between a conditionall decree of God and a decree for bringing about Gods purpose by offering peace unto men upon a condition A conditionall decree presupposeth that God is not resolved what to do about them to whom he shall make offer of peace upon condition but that he doth suspend the determination of his own will till the offer be made and the man hath refused or accepted of the condition propounded unto him which sort of decree cannot be in God to whom are known all his own works and all mens works from the beginning Acts 15. 18. and who doth all things according to the determinat counsell of his own will Ephes. 1. 11. But a decree to offer peace upon condition of believing in Christ is a wise mean both of hiding and executing his own secret decree and puting the persons to whom he makes the offer unto tryall that after the drawing forth of the naturall enimity and backwardnesse which is in all men to come unto Christ till they be drawn by God He may have mercy on whom He will and take the refuse at the hands of others for the glory of His justice and grace according as He hath determined in Himself The one way determineth man as God willeth the other way determineth God as man willeth Moreover such a conditionall decree concerning all the rest of mankind beside the elect is inconsistent with the Scripture and the way of Gods dispensation toward the most part of mankind for it was not Gods purpose to make the offer of grace upon condition of believing in Christ to all and every man Psal. 147. 19. 20. He sheweth his word unto Iacob His statutes and His judgments unto Israel He hath not done so with any nation And as for His judgments they have not known them This same doth Moses insinuat Deut. 4. 7 8. and for his dispensation experience in all ages sheweth that the grace of the Gospel is not offered to all and every one and so they cannot be said to refuse the condition who never have the offer of grace upon condition for our Lord giveth us ground so to reason speaking of them who should refuse the offer of the Gospel Iob. 15. 22. if I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin to wit the guiltinesse of rejecting the offer made in the Gospel but now they have no cloak for their sin Wherein also he giveth a reason wherefore the offer is made to them whom he knew would refuse the offer to wit that they may be rendered inexcusable and be without the cloak or pretence of this alleageance that if they had gotten the offer then would they have believed and repented for this is the pride of Adams posterity they conceive they can believe and obey God if he shall be pleased to reveal His will to them And this is sutable to the covenant of Redemption which because it was not made for the saving of all and every man therefore it was not Gods purpose to reveal his Gospel and make offer of his grace to all and every one but out of all sorts of men to call effectually the elect sending the Gospel where they live or bringing them to the place where the Gospel is preached that the predestinat might be of purpose effectually called and justified and sanctified and saved Rom. 8. 28 30. and because the elect and predestinat were to live in the civil society of the rest of the world it was agreed and decreed that the offer of the Gospel should be made to all indifferently where God should send his messengers because God had determined to bring about the salvation of the elect so wisely and holily as none of the hearers of the Gospel should be stumbled or hindered from embracing the offer made to all the hearers indifferently without letting any man know of his election till he have received Christ offered to him and other self-condemned sinners or declaring any man reprobat in particular to whom he maketh offer of grace Obj. But except we grant an universal redemption and the universal grace as they call it of the power of free-will to all and every man how shall we satisfie our selves about Gods dispensation toward them who live without the Church strangers and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel Ans. As for the elect among them either they shall be brought to the hearing of the Gospel where it is preached or the Gospel shall be sent unto them where they do live and for the rest the Lord dealeth with them on the terms of the covenant of works the power of keeping whereof albeit they have lost in Adam yet they are not loosed from the obligation and penalty of violating thereof and even they have not laid aside the proud opinion of their ability to follow vertue and â—shew vice as they please And the course which God followeth concerning them the Apostle sheweth us Rom. 2. 12 13 14 15. As many as have sinned without the written law saith he shall perish without the law c. for when the gentiles which have not the law to wit the written law given to the Church do by nature the things of the law these having not the law are a law to themselves Obj. But if the doctrine of redemption of the elect only unto life be maintained and power of free-will to believe and obey the Gospel be not given to every man specially of these that have the offer of the Gospel and that without any speciall operation of the holy Ghost how can it be said that God dealeth justly in earnest and fairly with miserable sinners when he exhorts requests and obtests all that hear the Gospel to come to Christ and persevere in obedience of the faith when he knoweth that none of them have power to believe or obey and that to many of them he hath no purpose ever to give grace to repent and believe that they may be saved Ans. First what can the patrons of the power of mens free-wil speak against the justice and goodnesse of God when they hear his complaint against Israel Psal. 81. 8 9 10. c. Hear O my people and I will testifie unto thee O Israel if thou wilt hearken unto me there shall be no strange God in thee neither shalt thou worship any strange god I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt open thy mouth wide and I will fill it but my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me So I gave them up to their own hearts lust and they walked in their own counsels What can they say against Gods justice and fair dealing when he having drawn forth
comparing the words of Ieremiah and the commentary thereupon by the Apostle For Ieremiah saith that they did transgress the Covenant albeit God did shew himself a husband unto these un-believing Fathers that is they changed the covenant of Grace in a covenant of Works of their own framing and transgressed that Covenant also And the Apostle saith they did not continue in that covenant because they changed it to themselves in a covenant of Works according to which Covenant God did deal with them for in stead of being a husband to them he exacted of them the penalty of the broken covenant of Works and Lorded it over them and did not regard them Heb. 8. 6. For they sought after the righteousness of works and not to have righteousness by faith and therefore did he despise them and dealt with them after the tenor of the covenant of Works And it is observable that the words of Ieremiah do comprehend the Apostles meaning for the words may bear both that God was a husband unto them to wit in making a covenant of Grace with them and that he dealt with them as a Lord over them by exacting of them the penalty of the broken covenant of Works and of the rejected covenant of Grace As â—o the covenant of Grace the Apostle speaketh of it in express termes first by Gods promising that he would make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and Iudah Secondly by his setting better promises before them then these were which were made to the Fathers in the wilderness Thirdly by his giving no other cause of bestowing so great blessings on them but his own good-will and pleasure Fourthly by his requiring no other condition of them but saith that they who feel in themselves the want and need of the promised blessings and are convinced of their own unworthiness might give credit unto God that maketh the promise and so embrace the promises and apply them to their own use As to the external dispensation of the Covenant it is certain first that it was common to all that were externally called to all the members of the visible Church for the covenant made in the wilderness with the elect Fathers and reprobat with the believers and un-believers with those that rejected the covenant of Grace and the offer of Righteousness by faith and with those who looked through the vail afar off to Christ coming and were saved was one and the same 2. It is certain that the external form of the covenant of Grace was more obscure and vailed over by the types and figures of the levitical ceremonies before Christ came but after his coming it was propounded in clearer and better promises 3. A day is set to wit the fulness of time when these shadows and typical figures should be abolished and the grace of God should be set before his people to be looked upon with open face 4. And yet the grace of God was not so hid and obscurely propounded to the Church before Christs coming as it could not be taken up by the children of God for in the midst of the shadows and dark typs the star-light of gracious promises did shine and the doctrine of the new Covenant was in substance holden forth by the Prophets and one instance thereof doth appear in this place of Ieremiah As to the internal covenant of Grace first these things which are promised in that Covenant do declare in what state God doth find men whom he doth convert and draw into covenant with himself for when the Lord taketh in hand that he will write his law in their heart that he will teach them himself to know him by the teaching of his Word and Spirit and that he will forgive their sins he pre-supposeth that lawless rebellion did reign in them with blindness of mind and hardness of heart and that the Elect by nature are without law without God without faith before he reform them according to the Articles or tenor of the covenant of Redemption 2. Albeit by nature the law be written in mens hearts as to the knowledge of sundry moral duties and so far as is sufficient to make them inexcusable for their contraveening these sparks of light Rom. 1. â—0 and 2 14. 15. Yet the writing of the law here promised is spiritual and super-natural inlightning their minds by the light of Gods Spirit and renewing their heart and in effect the thing promised is actual conversion of them 3. And seing conversion is here promised by Christ the Testator absolutely he hath taken in hand absolutely to effectuat it for it is not said I will put my law in their heart if they please to suffer me but determinatly I will put my law I will write my law in their heart and inward parts that is I will make them willing who were averse and obedient to my law who were rebellious 4. Christ the Testator doth in all this not satisfie himself by promising the illumination of the mind and the inclining of the heart for a time but promiseth also to make a solid and permanent work of it by making them persevere which is imported in the words I will put and I will write it for to write it is as much as to fix and ingrave it that it may remain 5. The chief head of the Covenant and which in substance doth contain all blessings is set down in these words I will be their God and they shall be my people for by this promise right is granted unto the true heartconvert and confederat first unto God himself then unto all his benefits whereof he hath need in order to righteousness and eternal life for they whose God the Lord is they do live and shall live for ever as Christ saith God is not the God of the dead but of the living Matth. 22. 32. And all particular promises what are they else but explications of this great and first promise and applications thereof to his childrens cases in particular Gifts of the Spirit are promised here and induements whereof disciples have need whereof pilgrims going home to that heavenly city have need yea the Spirit himself is promised to them who is to remain with them to the end of their life as a directer and leader They shall all know me saith the Lord that is as Christ doth interpret it They shall be all taught of God Joh. 6. 45. 7. The Lord sheweth here that he will deal with men in their regeneration and reconciliation as with reasonable creatures by preserving and not destroying them in their simple naturals by maintaining and not over-turning the liberty of their free-will I will make a Covenant saith he with the house of Judah Now a Covenant is a free and voluntar Contract 8. He sheweth that he is Lord and Over-ruler of mans will who can turn it about as he pleaseth and that he is not hindred nor impeded to execute and bring to passe whatsoever he hath purposed to do by the
to invocat his holy name for the right use-making of his affliction The ninth question is how remission of sin may be said to be granted in respect of sins to come IT is commonly said that the convert in his justification hath the remission of sins by-gone and sins to come whereupon the question is moved how this can stand with daily renewed remission of daily sins on the one hand daily renewed remission seemeth not necessary first because we believe that remission of all sin is the priviledge of all believers in Christ and the abridgement of the special articles of faith set down in the Apostles Creed as it is called holdeth this forth 2. Because it is certain that Christ in his death did compleat the payment of the price of redemption from all sin as 1 Ioh. 1. 7. The blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins 3. We are said to be not under the law but under grace and so fred from the curse of the law 4. Because if daily remission of sin be necessar to be granted then it presuppones that both original sin and every actual sin flowing forth from it daily must be taken notice of reckoned for and repented of daily which is impossible On the other hand the convert seeth that every transgression of and disconformity to the law is sin and the Apostle 1 Ioh. 1. 8. speaking of himself and other converts saith If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us And Christ hath taught us as oft as we pray for our daily bread to pray also for the remission of sins The question is how the doubt of the convert may be cleared 2. For answer We must grant to the convert that original sin remaineth in the believer and is not only an exceeding sin as the Apostle calleth it Rom. 7. 13. but also is the fountain of all actual sins which doth pollute the conscience and sometimes also the outward man 2. We must grant also that there cannot be an actual and properly called remission of sins which are not yet committed for no man is guilty of that fault wherewith he cannot be charged for such a remission were a dispensation and licence to sin such as the Pope granteth to his slaves to gratifie them in allowing their vile lusts for inriching himself with the price of that iniquity 3. If such an actual remission of sins were given in justification the once justified person could never become a daily debtor by his daily transgressions contrary to the declaration of Christ in one of the articles of the Lords prayer 3. For solving the doubt then we must distinguish the significations and acceptions of remission of sin For 1. it is taken for remission purchased by Christ by virtue of the covenant of Redemption in favours of the elect but not applied unto the elect before the mans conversion Heb. 10. 12 13 14. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his foot-stool For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified 2. It is taken for remission promised by Christ to all that shall believe in him to be bestowed on them so soon as they shall turn to him Act. 26. 18. Thirdly it is taken for the sentence of absolution judicially applyed and adjudged to the actual believer Eph. 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace 4. For the actual remission of all sins past before his conversion Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God 5. For a constant right to daily remission of sin and accesse to the fountain opened up in the house of David that is to all the children of the houshold of faith in Christ Zech. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness 4. So then the convert hath first the actual remission of all sins preceeding his conversion and withall his state changed from being a child of Sathan to be a child of God Secondly he hath right unto daily remission of sins as they fall out after conversion for Christ speaking of the remission had in the time of conversion calleth it a washing of the whole man Joh. 13. 10 He that is washen needeth not to wash save his feet but is wholly clean to wit for the state of his person accepted in Christ and for the application of his right unto daily remission Christ teacheth all his disciples daily to pray for it which Christ calleth the washing of the believers feet Joh. 13. 10. 5. For answer to the objections made against the necessity of daily renewed remission of sin let it be remembred that the article of our Creed is so far from making daily remission of sin not necessar that of necessity it must be extended not only to the remission of sins past before conversion but also to the right made unto us for daily remission of the sins which run daily from the relicts of corrupt nature not fully mortified for otherwayes the believer could not have quiet consolation in the daily exercise of renewed repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. 2. As to the second objection concerning the perfect purchase made by Christ of remission by-past and to come It doth prove indeed that there is no other sacrifice for sin nor price of redemption from sin save that which was compleated on the crosse but it doth not prove that we must only once make application of this purchase for Christ keepeth the full purchase in his own hand and doth let forth the application thereof as we stand in need in his own order and by degrees till he perfect us in sanctification and glorification also 6. As for the third objection we must not think that when we are loosed from the Law as a covenant of Works we are loosed also from the commands of the Law for the covenant of Works prescribed in the Law is posterior both in order of nature and time to the natural writing of the Law in mans heart Rom. 2. 15. And therefore when the covenant of the law of Works is taken off the authority of the Law to direct and command all moral duties doth remain and can no more be dissolved then the obligation of the reasonable creature to be obedient to the Creator can be abolished and therefore when the believer falleth in a transgression he meriteth death and destruction as the wages of sin But Christ our Advocat who liveth for ever to make intercession for us holds off the execution of deserved wrath and giveth to the believer the grace of renewed repentance
due to us in full measure but also because that which Christ suffered in the point of torment and vexation was in some respect of the same kind with the torment of the damned for in the punishment of the damned we must necessarily distinguish these three things 1. the perverse disposition of the mind of the damned in their sufferings 2. the duration and perpetuity of their punishment and 3. the punishment it self tormenting soul and body The first two are not of the essence of punishment albeit by accident they are turned into a punishment for the wickednesse vilenesse and unworthinesse of the damned who neither will nor can submit themselves to the punishment and put the case they should submit are utterly unable to make satisfaction for ever do make them in a desperat dolefull condition for ever though obstinat sinners do not apprehend nor believe this but go on in treasuring up wrath against themselves pleasing themselves in their own dreams to their own endlesse perdition Of these three the first two could have no place in Christ Not the first because He willingly offered Himself a sacrifice for our sins and upon agreement payed the ransom fully Not the second because He could no longer be holden in the sorrows of death then He had satisfied Justice and finished what was imposed on Him and His infinit excellency made His short suffering to be of infinit worth and equivalent to our everlasting suffering The third then remaineth which is the reall and sensible tormenting of soul and body in being made a curse for us and to feel it so in His reall experience And what need we question hellish pain where pain and torment and the curse with felt wrath from God falleth on and lyeth still till Justice be satisfied Concerning which it is as certain that Christ was seased upon by the dolours of death as it is certain in Scripture that He could not be holden of the sorrows of death Acts. 2. 24. Quest. But what interest had Christ God-head in His humane sufferings to make them both so short and so precious and satisfactory to Justice for so many sins of so many sinners especially when we consider that God cannot suffer Ans. Albeit this passion of the humane nature could not so far reach the God-head of Christ that it should in a physicall sense suffer which indeed is impossible yet these sufferings did so affect the person that it may truly be said that God suffered and by His blood bought His people to Himself Acts 20. 28. for albeit the proper and formall subject of physicall suffering be only the humane nature yet the principall subject of sufferings both in a physicall and morall sense is Christs person God and man from the dignity whereof the worth and excellency of all sort of sufferings the merit and the satisfactory sufficiency of the price did flow And let it be considered also that albeit Christ as God in His God-head could not suffer in a physicall sense yet in a morall sense He might suffer and did suffer for in as much as He being in the form of God and without robbery equall to God did demit His person to assume humane nature and empty Himself so far as to hide His glory and take on the shape of a servant and expose Himself willingly to all the contradiction of sinners which He was to meet with and to all railings revilings contempt despisings and calumnies shall it seem nothing and not enter in the count of our Lords payment for our debt Obj. But how could so low a downthrowing of the Son of man or of the humane nature assumed by Christ consist with the Majesty of the person of the Son of God Ans. We must distinguish in Christ these things which are proper to either of the two natures from these things which are ascribed to His person in respect of either of the natures or both the natures for infirmity physicall suffering or mortality are proper to the humane nature The glory of power and grace and mercy and superexcellent Majesty and such like are proper to the Deity but the sufferings of the humane nature are so far from diminishing the glory of the divine nature that they do manifest the same and make it appear more clearly for by how much the humane nature was weakned depressed and despised for our sake by so much the love of Christ God and man in one person toward man and His mercy and power and grace to man do shine in the eyes of those that judiciously look upon Him Obj. But seing Christs satisfaction for sinners doth not stand in any one part of His doings and sufferings but in the whole and intire precious pearl and compleet price of His whole obedience from His incarnation even to the death of His crosse how cometh it to passe that in Scripture the whole expiation of our sins is ascribed so oft to His passion and particularly to His blood Ans. This cometh to passe 1. Because the certainty and verity of His assumed humane nature and the certainty of His reall suffering and the fulfilling of all the leviticall sacrifices did most evidently appear unto sense in the effusion of His blood 2. Because the expression of His sufferings both in soul and body appeared in the effusion of His blood for in the garden while His body was not as yet touched or hurt by man from the meer pains of His soul drops of blood fell down out of all His body to the earth 3. Because His blood-sheding and death was the last act of compleeting the payment of the ransom to the Father for us which payment began in His humble incarnation and went on through all His life and was compleeted in His bloodshed and death whereof our Lord gave intimation on the crosse when He cryed as triumphantly victorious it is finished The use of this article of the covenant of Redemption WE have at some length spoken of the price of Redemption and of Christs defraying the debt by His passion 1. That hereby the merit of our sins may the more clearly be seen 2. That the sublimity and excellency of divine Majesty offended by sin may appear 3. That we may behold the severity of Gods justice till He have satisfaction and reparation in some sort of the injuries done to Him 4. That the admirable largenesse of Gods mercy may be acknowledged and wondered at For in the price of Redemption payed as in a mirror we may see how greatly the Lord hateth sin how great His love is to the world in sending his Son Christ amongst us how heavy the wrath of God shall lye upon them that flee not to Christs satisfaction for their delivery how great the dignity and excellency of the Lord our Redeemer is for whose cause reconciliation is granted to all that take hold of the offer of grace through him how great the obligation of believers is to love God and serve him and how
cannot submit themselves to the truth yet this doctrine is found to be most true for Christ the Redeemer teacheth us Math. 22. 14. that many are called and few are chosen And the Apostle teacheth us the same for Rom. 9. 15. he citeth Moses to prove the point I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion and ver 18. God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom â—e will he hardeneth And the Evangelist Ioh. 12. 37 38 39 40. teacheth us that there is a number to whom God hath decreed not to give grace to believe in Christ albeit they shall hear him preached unto them from Isa. 6. 9 10. but to the Elect only ver 13. And chap. 53. 1. he teacheth that few shall believe in Christ yea none save the Elect to whom the arm of the Lord shall be revealed And our Lord Jesus teacheth the same Ioh. 6. 37 44. that all the Elect shall come to him and that no moe then the father shall powerfully draw unto him can come unto him Obj. But there is another forged way of propounding this covenant which sundry learned men hold forth who have made many disciples and followers of their opinion because of the seeming plausibleness of their doctrine wherein they teach that Christ Jesus hath died not only for all sorts of men but also for all and every man as well for them that perish as for them that are saved and that albeit he hath not purchased righteousness and life eternal determinatly to any man yet he hath purchased by this universal redemption power to every mans free-will to believe in Christ and persevere in his obedience without any speciall operation of the holy Spirit in one more then another And this power of mans free-will wherewith every child of Adam they say is born they call by the name of universall grace albeit in effect it is nothing but universall unrenewed nature common to every man Ans. We answer how learned soever the teachers of such doctrine seem to be yet in this doctrine they are not taught of God Over such mens learning and wisdom Christ doth glory Math. 11. 25. saying I thank thee O father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight Therefore of such doctrine we say that it is false and contrair unto Scripture how plausible so ever it seem to proud sinners yea it is a mocking of Christ and an hinderance of mens repentance and conversion unto God 1. Their doctrine is contrair to Scripture because contrair to the covenant of Redemption wherein the Father and the Son Mediatour are agreed upon the persons to be redeemed to wit the elect only given unto the Son to be redeemed and agreed upon the price of their Redemption to wit the obedience of Christ even to the death of the crosse and agreed upon the graces and gifts to be given to the elect to wit all saving graces as faith repentance perseverance and whatsoever belongs to righteousnesse and eternall life and agreed upon the means and way of gathering in the redeemed out of all tongues and kindreds and nations prudently and prosperously as is proven from Scripture Chap. 4. and shall be more confirmed in the next following chapter 2. Their doctrine it mocketh Christ because it chargeth Christ with folly in His making covenant so as neither Gods justice nor mans common wisdom would allow to lay down the price of his blood and not be sure who should be saved by his blood to pay as much for Iudas as for Peter to redeem all and every man and yet put the disposing of the benefit of Redemption and fruit of his death out of his own hand into the hand of mens free-will to make of it something or nothing as they pleased to buy a possibility unto men to save themselves actually without the speciall grace of the holy Ghost and to cut himself off from having the glory of the actuall conversion of sinners as far as he is from the blame of mens remaining in sin and infidelity for they say he hath purchased alike power to all and every mans free-will to beleeve or remain in infidelity as they please if they use it ill bear they the blame if they use it well they have the praise They make him to lay down his life for all and every man and to purchase unto all and every one power to believe in him and yet never to purpose to make offer of the Gospel to the thousand part of men These and many moe blemishes they cast by their doctrine upon the wisdom and power and grace of our Lord Jesus who is infinitely wise and holy in all his doings 3. This doctrine is a great hinderance of mens repentance and conversion unto God and to the exercise of all holy duties for whosoever believeth this their doctrine he cannot renounce nor deny his own wit worth and ability that he may come humbly unto Christ and follow him but he must stand to this conceit of himself which this doctrine teacheth him yea such a man cannot say to God in humble and hearty prayer open mine eyes that I may behold the wonders of thy Law and teach me thy statutes he cannot in earnest say with David incline my heart to thy testimonies and not unto covetousnesse for he hath in his conceit this power of free-will in himself by common gift to every man he cannot heartily thank God if he seem to himself to do any good for giving him both to will and to do of his good pleasure for this he hath in his own hand as this deceitfull doctrine perswadeth him Obj. But some there are who maintain the decree of Redemption and covenant between God and Christ which in substance is one with the decree to be absolute concerning the powerfull and invincible conversion perseverance and salvation of the elect but concerning the rest of the world they tell us of a conditionall decree of saving every one who shall believe in Christ Jesus which doth make some difference from what is said before Ans. There is indeed an offer to be made to all the hearers of the Gospel to whom God in his providence doth send his messengers who are appointed to make offer of peace and reconciliation through Christ upon condition of hearty receiving it even to such as the Lord knoweth will reject the offer altogether against whom his sent messengers are to shake off the dust of their feet for a witnesse against them Matth. 10. 13. 14. 15. which accordingly was done by Paul and Barnabas Acts 13. 46. 51. and our Lord made offer of himself to his covenanted people the Jews who did not receive him Ioh. 1. 11 12. and this is to be done according to one of the articles of the covenant of
his lamentation for his short-coming in duties unto God by prayer for this is the way to make progresse in faith and repentance and humility and submission of his will unto God in the use of the means and let him thank the Lord that from day to day he is keeped from scandalous out-breaking CHAP. XVII Wherein is solved the converts doubt whether he be regenerat because he seemeth to himself to follow religion and righteousnesse from the common operation of Gods working by morall swasion and not from the special operation and impulsion of the holy Spirit THere are some true converts who have profited so far in the amendment of their life and conforming their conversation unto the rule of Gods Word that the yoke of Christ is become easie to them and their delight is to be frequently about the exercises of religion and works of righteousnesse and yet sometime they are troubled with suspicion whether the work of regeneration in them be solid because any thing they do may be done as they conceive by temporary believers in whom no sound renovation of corrupt nature will be found I find nothing in me saith one of the effectual motion of the holy Spirit but all by way of morall swasion by imitation of others by education as may be found in the unrenewed disciples of morall philosophy for as they by frequent actions do acquire habits wherewith being indued they discharge moral duties more easily and with delight So I by discharging acts of religion and acquainting my self with them daily do seem to my self to have acquired a facility and delectation in religious actions and works of righteousnesse toward my neighbours 2. This case we grant is very perilous and subtilely coloured by Sathan to deceive and weaken the true convert for it is true what power hath been seen in morall philosophy among Pagans to put a luster on mens civil conversation must be also granted to Theology among professed Christians because divine threatnings and promises for procuring outward reformation of a mans life are more apt to prevail with a man then all morall philosophy and it is true also that education by parents and imitation of good men is of great force morally to perswade a man to the following of the outward duties of religion and to a civil conversation Wherefore it is no wonder to see a true convert doubt of his own regeneration when he compareth external duties discharged by himself with the external duties discharged by others whose heart he cannot see but must judge charitably of them and yet can neither be clear determinatly to affirm all such to be true converts nor to affirm himself to be a true convert so long as he suspecteth that as some others reformation So also his own reformation may prove no better then from morall swasion which may be â—ound in a man unregenerat 3. For lousing of this doubt and strengthening of the faith of the true convert let him examine himself whether in the conscience of his natural sinfulnesse and sense of his own unworthinesse and inability to deliver himself from the power of sin wrath and misery he hath fled and from time to time doth flye to Christ according to the tenor of the covenant of grace to be justified sanctified and saved by him and doth follow the exercises of religion and righteousnesse in obedience to the commands of God If his conscience answer him that so he doth then first let him look upon his doubting of his state as the subtile tentation of Sathan and that he may be strong against this tentation let him renew the acknowledgment of his sins and sinfulnesse of his weaknesse and unworthinesse and renew also his consent to the covenant of grace in Jesus Christ and his purpose to obey the commandments of God in the strength of Christ for by this means he shall gain the entry into his refuge where-from Sathan was drawing him by furnishing doubts and weakening his faith Secondly having casten his anchor within the vail and setled his faith on Christ Jesus let him now maintain his former course so far as truth will suffer that his former course of life in following with delight the exercise of religion and righteousnesse did proceed from the holy Spirit and let him consider that it is not a sufficient reason to call in question the infused habits of saving grace because supernatural habits infused immediatly by the Spirit of Christ are entertained augmented and confirmed by frequent acts and daily exercise no lesse then natural or morall habits are which are acquired by exercise And this is clear from Scripture wherein are many exhortations to put faith love repentance patience c. in frequent exercise that these gracious habits may grow strong as the Apostle Peter doth speak 2 Epist. 1. chap. ver 5 6. c. Thirdly let him put a difference in judging of his own conversation and the conversation of others of whose principles and ends of outward godly carriage he cannot judge as he can do of his own for a man in nature unregenerat or a temporary believer may make profession of true religion and outwardly go on in a blamelesse conversation with this opinion that by his works he shall please God and procure salvation to himself But the true convert shall be found a renouncer of confidence in his own works a man sensible of his own sinfulnesse and imperfections who hath fled and resolveth still to adhere to Christ for righteousnesse and salvation through him the finding whereof in any measure after examination may solve the converts doubt for a man in nature cannot so hate sin and follow holinesse as to renounce confidence in his holinesse and slve unto Christ for righteousnesse Fourthly let the afflicted convert consider that the Lords dealing with his children both by morall motives and by effectual perswasion unto the obedience of faith may and doth very well concur and agree together neither is the special operation of the holy Spirit with any reason to be suspected because he sweetly leadeth on his child by way of counsell without the childs observation of any notable impulse making him to overcome strong tentations unto sin whereunto he is naturally inclined for the more victorious grace is over corruption the efficacie of the Lords grace is the more conspicuous and that obedience is most pleasant to God wherein corrupt nature maketh most opposition Therefore in this case here presupposed let him stand to the defence of his faith in Christ and go on cheerfully in the way of righteousnesse against Sathans tentation solliciting him to doubting and discouragement which counsell if he follow he shall find by experience that he hath made use of the shield of faith and gotten the victory not without the special operation and impulse of the holy Spirit CHAP. XVIII Wherein is solved the true converts doubt whether he be regenerat because he findeth not self-denyal in the measure which is requisite in converts