we are gifted with a life of more worth then many acres of Vineyards They declare therefore that there is much of the first Adam in them little of the second Who would conquesse again the many lands that our first father Adam sold and joyn house to house and lay field to field till there be no place and disinherit all others as if they were bastard heirs and themselves the only righteous heirs of Adam that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth Isa. 5.8 And the more spiritual any be the more are they above the nothing world Mortality may be called supernaturall to the earthie part of Adam since it is not naturally due to a body of earth to claim life for ever Though immortality be due to whole Adam consisting of soul and body and endued with the image of God For the soul cannot die But if we speak of such a life to wit of a heavenly communion with God as Adam was a comprehensor or one who is supposed now to have runne well and won the Gold and the Crown such a life was due to Adam not by nature but by promise Adam in his first state was not predestinate to a law glory and to influences of God to carry him on to persevere Nor could he blesse God that he was chosen before the foundation of the world to be Law holy as Eph. 1.3 What Was not then Adam predestinated to life eternall through Jesus Christ He was But not as a publick person representing all his sons but as another single person as Abraham or Jacob for Gospel predestination is not of the nature but of this or that person Therefore were we not predestinat to life eternall in him but in Christ Rom. 8.29 30. Therefore Adam fell from the state of Law-life both totally and finally but not from the state of Gospel election to glory For the Lord â—ad in the Law-dispensation a love designe to set up a Theatre and stage of free grace And that the way of works should be a time-dispensation like a summer-house to be demolished again As if the Lord had an aime that works and nature should be a transient but no standing Court for righteousnesse Hence it is now the reliques of an old standing Court and the Law is a day of assyse for condemning of malefactors who will acknowledge no Tribunall of grace but only of works And it is a just Court to terrifie robbers to awe borderers and loose men but to beleevers it is now a Court for a far other end CHAP. III. What is the intent and sense of the threatning Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eats thou shalt die And Gen. 3.20 Dust thou art c. WE must distinguish between the intent of the threatner and the intent and sense of the threatning Law-threatnings may be well exponed by the execution of them upon persons against whom they are denounced As 1 King 11.30 compared with 1 King 12.15 16. Ten Tribes are taken from Davids house according to the Word of the Lord. Because therefore the threatning of death was executed upon Christ 1 Pet. 3.18 Gal. 3.10 11 12 13 14. then must the threatning Gen. 2.17 Deut. 27.26 have been intended against the Man Christ and because beleevers die as all do Heb. 9.27 the threatning must have been intended against them also for that they sinned in Adam and because it is out of question that the reprobate die the first and second death the threatning must also have been intended against them And therefore in the intent of the threatner the threatning was mixed partly Legall partly Evangelick According to the respective persons that the Lord had in his eye He had therefore in his heart both Law and Gospel It is therefore to no purpose to aske what kind of death and whether purely legall which the Lord threatned to Adam For the Question supposeth that the Covenant of Works was to stand and that the Lord was to deny a Saviour to fallen man But we may say what death the Lord actually inflicts that death he intended to inflict nor did the Lord decree to inflict a meerly legall death personall first and second upon Adam and all his race Obj. Adam was to believe he should certainly die For so was the threatning Gen. 2.17 if he should sin or then we must say that Adam was to beleeve he should not actually die the latter cannot be said for then he was to believe the contradicent of the Lords true threatning which was the lie of the Serpent Gen. 3. Ans. He was to beleeve neither of the twain according to the event for there are two sort of threatnings some pure and only threatnings which reveal to us what God may in Law do but not what he hath decreed and intended actu secundo quoad eventum to do and bring to passe These threatnings contain some condition either expressed in other Scripture or then reserved in the mind of the Lord. 1. Because the Lord so threatned Adam as he remained free and absolute either to inflict the punishment or to provide an Evangelick remedy even as Solomon 1 King 2.37 saith to Shimei in the day thou passest over the brook Kidron thou shalt surely die that is thou shalt be guilty of death reus mortis Yet it cannot be denyed but Solomon reserved his own Kingly power either to pardon Shimei or to soften or change the sentence 2. The words of the Law do reveal what the Magistrate may do jure and what the guilty deserves by the Law but do not â—eveal the intention and absolute decree of the Law-giver and what punishment actually quoad eventum shall be inflicted upon the guilty and what shall come to pass as a thing decreed of the Lord So Gen. 9.6 the Murtherer shall die by the Sword of the Magistrate and Exod. 22.18 19 20. the Witch the man that lyes with a beast he that sacrifices to a strange god shall die the death jure merito and by Law-deserving but it followeth not but such as commit these abominations do live as is clear in the Kings of Assyria Chaldaea and many of Israel who were not put to death but lived quoad eventum though contrary to the Word of God 3. The expresse Precepts of the Decalogue Thou shalt have no other gods before me c. Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal c. do shew what in Law we ought not to do but not what actually shall come to passe For there be not a few who do actually quoad eventum worship strange gods kill and steal But there are other threatnings which are both threatnings and also Prophesies and these reveal both the Law and the fact and what the Law-giver may jure and in Law inflict and what shall actually come to passe upon the transgressours if they continue in impenitency Rom. 2.1.2 3 Rom. 1.18 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Obj. Then in
suitable to mans intire nature to love God yet to love him so and so by obeying the command of not eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and some other Commands is not so connaturall but God might have commanded the contrair without any thing done contrair to mans nature Yet from this it followes no more that these are two Covenants then that there be two Covenants of Grace Because faith in God and the Morall Law in an Evangelick way are therein commanded and also some duties touching the seals by a positive Law are therein contained CHAP. VII It s not written in the heart of man by nature that GOD should promise life eternall to man upon condition of obedience 2. And that the debt of Justice can not tye GOD. 3. GOD punisheth not sin by necessity of nature 4. Nor defends he his own declarative Glory by that necessity 5. Nothing can be given to GOD Al-sufficient 6. No meriting of the creature 7. We should have humble thoughts of free-Grace 8. How low thoughts of our selves 9. Promises make no strict justice between GOD and us SUre it is not repugnant to the yet innocent and intire nature of man to know that God may reward all such as seek and serve him but that he must reward obedience either in the generall or so and so is neither written in mans heart nor hath it any truth For it were nothing against justice or bounty or any attribute of God not to reward his creature which is obliged to serve him and though there be a sort of quietnesse of conscience which is the naturall result of obedience in Adam and of all men yet it cannot inferre that there is an intrinsecall connexion ex naturâ rei between our obedience and a reward to be given of God Therefore nor will it be a good inference because there is disquietnesse in the conscience after sin and that it is naturall to a sinner to apprehend a revenging power pursuing sin committed that therefore it is naturall anâ— essentiall to the Lord to pursue sin with punishment in generall For a naturall conscience may and does know that God doth freely create the world and that he might not have created it that he doth good freely to his creatures and that he is not a debtor to his creatures Will it follow by any Logick that God creates the world by any naturall obligation And because by force of a naturall conscience all know that God is good and bountâ—full to his creatures in giving and doing good to them we cannot therefore infer that actuall beneficence is so essentiall to the infinite Majesty as he should not be God if he did not extend that goodnesse to them Common sense will say no more followeth but goodnesse and bounty intrinsecall are essentiall to God and these attributes are essentiall to him and were from eternity in him and are his good and bountifull nature Though not either man Angel or any thing else had been created to which he doth actually extend his goodnesse Ergo this actuall extension of goodnesse is not essentiall to God so neither is the actuall punishing of sin essentiall to God but free though Adam apprehended God would punish his eating of the forbidden tree Yet if he apprehended that he should not be God if he did not punish it his apprehension was erroneous And this only followes that there is an intrinsecall and internall Justice in God naturall and essentiall in God but so that the out-goings of his Justice the egressions are most free and that is said by some without all reason because the apprehensions we have naturally of God that he punisheth sin Vniversales apprehensiones nequaquam sunt eorum quae Deo vel adesse vel abesse possunt pro liberrimâ voluntate Universall apprehensions therefore they are not apprehensions of such things as may be or not be in God according to his free pleasure if the apprehensions of Gods doing good to Angels to men to all his creatures freely be in all by nature and cannot be rooted out and be universall then these apprehensions cannot be of such things as are in God according to his most free will and may be in the Almighty or not be in him But the conclusion hath neither reason nor sense for there are universall apprehensions in all men and they canot be rooted out that God does good to Angels men and creatures freely Ergo by this Logick the doing of good freely to Angels men and creatures is not a thing that is in God according to his free-will and may be in the Almighty or not in him Then the so doing must be in God essentially 2. Then must God not be God if he do not good freely to them 3. Then must God not be God except he create men Angels and creatures 4. But since he is God everlasting he must from everlasting have created men Angels and the creatures and from everlasting he must punish sin Life may be considered 1. As life 2. As such an excellent life to wit a communion with God In the former consideration life is either considered as the end or secondly as a free reward In the former respect To live an intellectuall life in obeying God was to Adam so created a connaturall end as to burn is to fire and to give light to the Sunne And God may put the respect of a reward upon any obedientiall end But that Adam should have such an eminent life for the reward of his obedience as a communion with God which is farre above his obedience is the free donation of God nor is there any necessary connexion between Adams perfect obedience and so high and eminent a life nor can this Covenant as touching such a promise be written in his heart God then never loved to make any Covenant yea even that of Works without some acts and out-goings of grace and the hyre was grace how is he not to be served who loves to hyre and allure us to be happy Arminius saith the reward of keeping the Covenant of Works cannot be spirituall nor can the punishment be spirituall because you teach saith he that the obedience is naturall Ans. It followeth not for the reward is spirituall yea and supernaturall from the free promise of God It was that God should recompence our naturall obedience coming from connaturall principles with so eminent a Crowne as communion with God Creator in a life of glory And this came from no innate proportion between a naturall work and supernaturall reward Otherwise we must say first that there is such an intrinsecall connexion ex naturâ rei between Adams work and so high wages as that glorious communion was as the Lord could not but in justice so have rewarded his obedience except he would be unjust but there is nothing in the creature that can conclude limite or determine his will 〈◊〉 wisdome who is infinite 2. It had been nothing against justice if
to the necessitie of good works but the followers of Flaccius Illyricus dissented The Authors of the book of Concord condemne these of Flaccius their way and deny a necessity of efficiency in works to deserve salvation but yeeld a necessity of their presence that the work of salvation be not hindered 3. These distinctions are necessary 1. There is a jus and right to Gospel life eternall And 2. there is actuall possession of life eternall 2. There is a twofold jus One by the purchase of merit and the payed ransome of blood There is a right secundary by promise every promise giveth a right in a manner but its unproper 3. There is promise of life formally federall 2. There is a promis◠of life consequentèr federall 4. There is an order of things one going before the other as the Antecedent and the Consequent and in order of cause and effect 5. Law-obedience doth much differ from Gospel-obedience as Law-commands from Gospel-commands 6. GOD sent his Sonne to justifie persons but not to justifie works not to make inherent obedience perfect or our righteousnesse before God Asser. 1. If the new Covenant be considered strictly and formally in its essence he that beleeveth whether his faith be weake or strong is justified and saved Joh 3.18 36. Joh. 5.24 Act. 15.9 10 11. Rom. 3.16 Rom. 4.1 2 3 4 5. Rom. 5.1 for faith justifieth as lively faith and not as great or small Otherwise none should be justified and saved but the strong beleever whereas Christ died for the weak in the faith Rom. 14. Hence Mr. Sibs excellently Know that in the Covenant of Grace God requires the truth of Grace not any certain measure and a spark of fire is aswell fire as the whole element thereof we must look to Grace in the sparkle aswell as the whole flame all have not the like strong yet the like precious faith whereby they lay hold and put on the perfect righteousnesse of Christ a weak hand may receive a rich Jewell a few grapes will shew that the plant is a vine not a thorne There is a roome in heaven for thee who judges thy self for the number of lambes and babes weak in the faith in this Kingdome do far exceed the number of the strong and aged in Christ for the Scripture names the whole flock little ones babes his sheep they are not a flock of fathers and strong ones Asser. 2. There is a right to life by promise he that beleeves shall be saved Promissio facit jus creat debitum Godlinesse hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come And because a promise as a promise cannot create an equality betwixt the work and the wages as is proven this is an unproper right and not proper debt and takes not away the nature of a free gift This is no consequence at all the performing of the condition of the Covenant of Works doth justifie Adam by Law-works so as he is no sinner hath fulfilled the Law hath right to life eternall Ergo to beleeve to the end and fulfill to the end and fulfill the condition of the Covenant of Grace doth justifie the beleever by Evangelick works make him no sinner but a perfect fulfiller of the Covenant of Grace and one who hath due right by working to life eternall Certainly then 1. doing Evangelick gives us as good right to eternall life without the price and ransome of blood as doing legall gives to the same life 2. When we sin and fall in atrocious offences Adulteries Paricide Robbing we have as good right to Justification by works and life eternall by Evangelick works suppose he be a robber all his life as was the repenting theef as Adam suppose he had perfectly fulfilled the Law Now though believing be the condition of the Covenant of Grace it is of a farre other nature then perfect doing to the end and constant fulfilling of the whole Law in thought word and deed with all the heart and the soul and mind and all the strength For there is no sin here and so no place for punishing justice or wrath none can so believe but he sins and so deserves everlasting wrath If it be said that by the Covenant of Works he doeth deserve it but not by the Covenant of Grace for Christ hath merited to him life eternall Ans. 1. We speak now of the right that a Believer hath by Evangelick works to justification and life as contradistinguished from the merits of Christ this opinion saith that a man is justified by Evangelick doing because God hath made the like promise and the like jus and right by promise to doing Evangelick that he made to Law-doing if Christs merits be added to qualifie Evangelick works to adde to them the worth that they have then Christs merits must give life eternall by way of merit or a vertue of meriting condignly to our Evangelick doing as Papists say and so Christ hath made us saviours and redeemers of our selves and this is a right to life ex condigno more then Adams most perfite Law-obedience had 2. The Covenant of Grace commanding faith doeth by this opinion command all that the Law of Works doeth but in an Evangelick way that they be done sincerely Ergo it must forbid all sin which the Law forbids But the Law forbids not only unbelief finall unbelief but all the works of the flesh Also Christ must come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to louse and dissolve the Law which he denyes Math. 5. for if the Covenant of Grace condemne nothing but finall unbelief Christ in this Covenant must dissolve the Law but Christ sayeth he that breaks or teacheth men to break these is the least of the Kingdome of God But there is an other jus and right to life eternall by which Christ dying hath satisfied the Law expiated our sins restored as much and more glory to God by passive obedience by his sufferings as we had taken glory from God by our evill doing and so merited to us life eternall If any say abusing that place Rev. 22. 14. that we obtain this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and right to the Tree of Life and to Christ our life and everlasting glory which is our only right the only Charter of blood by keeping the Commandements Evangelically he must say that we first may keep the Commandements Evangelically before we have right to life to Christ and so before we beleeve 2. That we merit Christs right or merite by doing and that by Evangelick works we buy right to Christ and Christs merits and so Christ hath not merited to us a jus and right and title to life everlasting by dying and grace and a gracious right to do his Commandements by his death but that we by doing his Commandements do earne and sweat for a right to Heaven which is to say that we by doing merite and deserve the price of Redemption and that we merite Christ to our selves
and every one and such persons by head name birth c. Yet it is not the justifying of me or John or Paul for I nor no man can know that Christs satisfaction stands for you or me by name and person while first I or you beleeve because it is the hid Decree of God 3. Nor is this legall imputation beleevable nor is it revealed as â—t is terminated to single persons to me or to you untill by faith we apprehend it 5· But the imputation of application is that in which our justification standeth And the faith by which as by an instrument we are justified presupposeth three unions and maketh a fourth union It presupposeth an union 1. Naturall 2. Legall 3. Federall 1. Naturall that Christ and we are not only both mankind for CHRIST and Pharaoh Judas the traitour and all the sons of perdition are one specie naturâ true men but one in brotherhood He assuming the nature of man with a speciall eye to Abraham Heb. 2.16 that is to the elect and beleevers for with them he is bone of their bone and is not ashamed to call them brethren Heb. 2.11 12. Ps. 22.22 2. It presuppones a Legall union between Christ and them that God made the debter and the Surety one in Law and the summe one in so far as he laid our debts on Christ Isa. 53.6 â— Cor. 5.21 3. It presuppones an union Federall God making Christ our Surety and he was willing to be our Surery and to assume not only our nature in a personall union but also our state condition and made our cause his cause our sins his sins not to defend them nor to say Amen to them as if we might commit them again but to suffer the punishment due to them And our faith makes a fourth union betwixt Christ and us whether naturall as between head and members the branches and the Vine Tree or mysticall as that of the spouse and beloved wife or artificiall or mixed between the impe and the tree Or 4. Legall between the Surety and the Debter the Advocate and the Client or rather an union above all is hard to determine for these are but all comparisons and this Christ prayes for Joh. 17.23 I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one 6. Now to the Question as the Law condemns not a man but him who is first a sinner and an heir of wrath by nature in the first Adam for the Law is essentially just So God justifies not a man but the man who by order of nature is first by faith in CHRIST Rom. 5.18 Therefore 〈◊〉 by the offence of one judgement came upon all men unto condemnaâ—â—â—n even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon aâ—l men in Christ as the other were in the first Adam unto the justification of life and so we must say that all ere they be justified and before God impute faith to them that is Christs believed righteousnesse to be theirs must have faith and so believe and so be one with Christ. And this imputed righteousnesse is ours because we believe and not untill we first believe and the other imputation goes before faith So the faith of Gods speciall mercy is two wayes so called 1. As it leaneth upon and apprehendeth God in Christ for the obtaining of mercy and remission of sins and imputed righteousnesse So faith goes before justification and we believe that our sins may be pardoned and that our sins may not be imputed and that we may be justified and freed from condemnation so by the act of believing righteousnesse is imputed to us And thus justification and remission i. e. relaxing of our persons from a state of eternall condemnation as is meant Rom. 8.1 are not the object of faith but the effect and fruit of faith 2. The faith of speciall mercy to me is considered as it apprehendeth and believeth or rather feelingly knoweth speciall mercy imputation of Christs righteousnesse now given to me and as Christ hath payed a ransome for me and satisfied justice for me and so imputed righteousnesse and justification are the object of faith Or rather the object of the sense of faith which is most carefully to be observed To answer Bellarmines unsolide Argument we either believe remission of sins past or to come c. But remission is liberation from punishment eternall or temporall but justificatâ—on is freedome from the fundamentall guilt-deserving punishment and remission is a consequent thereof Q. Whether or not is Justification taken one and the same way in the Old and New Testament Ans. The Apostle is clear Rom. 4. where he proves both Jews and Gentiles are justified as Abraham and David But 2. Justification by Grace hath not in iisdem apicibus in the same points the same adversaries 1. Moses and the Prophets contend most with Ceremoniall hypocrits who sought righteousnesse much in Ceremonies Washings Sacrifices New Moons and also their own inherent godlinesse Deut. 5. Deut. 7. Deut. 10. Deut. 11. Isai. 1.10 11 12 c. Mic. 6.6 7 8. Psal. 50.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. Ps. 4.2 3 4 5. 1 Sam. 15.22 23. Isa. 66.1 2 3 4 5. Jer. 7.1 2 3 21 22 23. 2. Paul had other Adversaries Rom. ch 3. ch 4. ch 5. ch 9. ch 10. especially Antinomians who drew the Doctrine of free Justification by Grace to licencious loosnesse then we may sinne if so and so we be justified said they then is the Law of none effect Rom. 6.1 But his chief Adversaries on the other extream were men that stood much for Justification by the works of the Morall Law And Paul Rom. 3. proves that all Jews Gentiles David Abraham could be justified neither by works of Nature nor of Grace and casts down the Jews righteousnesse by Law-doing Rom. 9. Rom. 10. 3. There were a third Classe of Adversaries to free Justification Galatians seduced and false Apostles who contended for Justificatication by Circumcision and the necessity of keeping the Ceremonial Law if they would be saved Act. 15.1 2 3 4 c. Gal. 2. Gal. 3. Gal. 4. Gal. 5. ch 6. Who mixed the Gospel and Moses his Law and Paul proves Gal. 3. that we are not justified by the works of the Morall Law for that Law Deut. 26.27 involves all that omit the least duty of the Law Gal. 3.10 11 12 13. under a curse and Christ was made a curse for us And Paul proves in the generall we are justified by neither the works of the Morall nor of the Ceremoniall Law 4. James had to do with another gang of loose livers the Gnosticks who contended for justification by a bare nominall faith without love or good works And James proves that we are justified before men and to our selves by faith working by love and not by a dead faith 5. John contends much for reall and speaking marks of justification and conversion against dead Professours void of
the Church Eph. 1.22 Col. 1.18 And whereas the Head hath merited faith to the Reprobate and that absolutely for a condition is not possible he should bestow it absolutely else there is no seriousnesse in the command of beleeving And since faith is no meritorious cause of right to remission and life eternall nor a cause in part or in whole of our compleat and actuall reconciliation it may well be said that they all are compleatly reconciled pardoned justified washen in Christs blood when nothing is wanting that compleats the nature of remission and justification for faith is only a condition applying not a cause buying nor satisfying for us and no cause giving in part or in whole any new right 3. Conclus Should we by faith have right to the promise of a new heart by beleeving we should have a new heart before we have a new heart for none can beleeve savingly any promise and so neither can he beleeve that promise that God shall give a new heart untill the habit of faith which is a speciall part of the new heart be infused For actuall faith must flow from habituall faith Therefore right to that promise must be absolutely purchased by the death of Christ to the elect before they beleeve Quest. How is it that not only penally but intrinsecally and formally we sinned in Adam and are inherenter sinners in him but we are righteous in Christ only imputativè and why should not Christ be named formally the sinner since he is made by imputation the sinner As Adams sin is ours by imputation and we formally and inherently are sinners in Adam Ans. How we sinned in Adam is a point of greater difficulty For this first sin the tottering and reeling of the specifick common nature in Adam is ours not because he is our father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by nature though that be a ground of the imputation also but because he is such a father by Covenant and Law the Law and Covenant of Works being laid in pawnd in his hand There be three parts of Originall sin A partaking of the first sin of Adam we all sinned in him Rom. 5.12 14 15. 2. The want of the Image of God called the Glory of God Rom. 3.23 3. Concupiscence and a bentnesse of nature to sin Rom. 7.7 14 17 18 23 24. As to the first Adams sin is ours really and truely not so much because it is ours as because it is imputed to be ours by God who so contrived the Law of Works as it should be made with Adam not as a single father but with Adam as a publick person representing all man and having our common nature as a father both by nature and Law which came from the meer free-will of God 1. Who might so have contrived the first Covenant of Works that sin should only have been Adams own sin not the sin of his posterity For by no necessity of nature which is antecedent to the free decree of God are all mankind legally in Adams loins though naturally they be 2. But children are as naturally in their nearest fathers loines as we are all in the loines of Adam and all men are equally of that same specifick nature with their nearest Parents as with their first Parents Yet the sins of the nearest Parents by no necessity are alwayes charged upon the children but now all have sinned in Adam Rom. 5.12 18. 3. Where a sin is inherently and personally there is no need of imputation which is a free Act of God had Christ been inherently and personally the sinner God needed not make him or impute our sins to him as Isai. 53.6 2 Cor. 5.21 and if we had been intrinsecally sinners in Adam his sin had been ours as intrinsecally as it was Adams and as Adam was not the first who sinned by imputation but personally and intrinsecally so neither should Adams sin have been our sin by imputation but intrinsecally and personally now the Scripture saith Rom. 5.19 By one mans disobedience many were made sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then they were not intrinsecally sinners before they were made that is before they were reputed sinners in Adam or before Adams sin was imputed to them as we are not intrinsecally righteous in Christ before we be justified and made or reputed righteous in Christ When therefore our Divines say wee are as guilty of eating the forbidden fruit as if our hands were there and our teeth and we did eat in him the speech cannot be taken physically personally for we were not then born but morally and legally but our nature was legally there But when the Elect does sin Christ is not said to have been in our loines legally but he was made sin he was punished so as if he had been the sinner though there was in Christ no formall guiltinesse no reatus culpae but reatus paenae But we are deprived of the Image of God and inclined to all sin not by imputation as the young Lion and the young Serpent have not the bloody and the stinging nature of the old Lion and the old Serpent by imputation but by naturall and intrinsecall inherencie Now our holie harmlesse and undefiled High Priest hath no sin in him by inherencie 3. A legall satisfaction and paying of a summe yea more then the debter was owing can never take away a morally inherent guiltinesse nor inherently justifie and make innocent the sinner and make him one who hath never borrowed the money and wasted it or one who hath never sinned in Adam and who hath never sinned in his own person Yea the Law of Works standing as it is most spiritual and holy It is 〈◊〉 impossible that he who hath once broken the Law though he be made inherently most holy and perfectly sanctified can be made righteous which requires there shall never be one the least sin committed and what is done cannot be undone 2. The suffering of another as of the Man Christ may well stand for what we should have suffered but cannot remove the inherent blot of sin and remove fundamental guiltinesse The paying a thousand Crowns for him who borrowed five hundreth Crowns and spent them on harlotry and drunkennesse may free the debter from being in Law lyable to pay the five hundreth Crowns but can never free him from being an unjust borrower and a profuse waster 3. The two Covenants of Works and of Grace standing its impossible that the active obedience of Christ can make us actively and inherently righteous or restore to us our lost innocency CHAP. III. How Christ suffered for us in our roome and place 2. He died not for all and every one 3. How many wayes Christ is said to die in our stead 4. The Lords so dying for all makes not all saveable nor the Gospel Preachable to all Nations 5. Christ died in the stead of the Elect. THe Lord Jesus hath a roome in each Covenant of Works and of Grace
or to hearken to conscience which craves in the name of mistaken Law well payed debts and this is but Sathan abusing the Law and feigning Letters of Caption in the name of the Law to trouble the quieted conscience of a beleever But its safest to say I stand to what Christ hath done and suffered to fulfill the Law and I believe I was crucified in him judged and condemned legally in Christ and what can you seek more of an ill-doer He is condemned crucified hanged on a tree and so is justice quieted Some raise the devill and a storm in the soul and cannot calm it again It is not good to provoke irritate and waken a sleeping dogge There is quietnesse and peace of beleeving what Christ hath done as well done and comfortably to rest on his deed by faith Hence a case of some who because they are under deadnesse and security desire a wakening of conscience and Sathan hath taught some to commit some hainous guiltinesse that they may fall in the hand of justice and so be wakened and Sathan gives them their fill of it Hence we had rather take a Law-way which is not Gods way as ly under deadnesse there may be a legall looking upon deadnesse whereas it is a Gospel-sin that we should be humbled for and in which we should not please our selves but no man freed from the Law and brought out of prison should be willing or desirous to return to the dungeon again We should let God guide us under a feaver and not be our own Physitians but be quiet at Christs part if he be pleased to cure by contrairs and to quicken me by deadening me or to make a soul humble by smiting with a spirit of pride its good we are to submit Obj. How could we be in Christ as in our surety for saith Arminius we did not give nor appoint Christ to be our Cautioner or Surety Ans. It s evill arguing of Arminius or Sathan who would make the union either naturall or legall betwixt us and Christ weak far off generall and such as is betwixt Christ and Pagans and all the world But this reason is nought for we sinners were not born and very nothing when God made the first Adam our father and head in Law as in nature nor had we any hand or action in substituting the first Adam in his place and yet we sinned in Adam and his sin is ours by divine imputation But can any deny but Christ on the Crosse did act the cause of many beleevers not born This is peculiar to this dispensation that the creditor not the debter appoint both the Law-head and the Evangelick Surety The Surety had from us a Cautionary sponsorie and deputed nature but no subscribed commission from us it was in the heart of the Creditor by grace efficacious to obtain our consent and to make a sort of legall marriage assuming our nature before we either knew our husband or gave consent to the marriage-Covenant As the Advocat speaks in the person of the Client absent and sleeping and when the Client hears and sees how his cause is promoved he both assents unto and renders thanks and praises to the Advocat and so the absent and far off Client not knowing any thing does act in the Advocat And how many answers doth our Advocat in Heaven make for sinners on earth in his pleadings of which we know not in particular any thing Nor doth Christ speak or plead for beleevers as a privat man nor appear in his Name as it were but in our person Neither is there a faining of a person here or a borrowed and fained redemption there be these five here 1. A Redeemer Christ. 2. Persons redeemed sinners 3. A Lord from whom we are redeemed the Lord Jehovah not simply as God he is the partie from whom we are redeemed but God as the offended Law-giver who had us lyable to eternall punishment 4. There was a price the life and blood of God which though not profitable to God for that is extrinsecall to satisfaction reall yet an aboundant compensation to justice for declarative glory taken from God which is the nature of reall satisfaction 5. There is here a God just true holy unchangeable to whom the price is payed Nor does Christ sustain the person of the enemy Satan from whom we are redeemed for he is but the lictor who then had no right to detain us we are redeemed from evils of sin and punishment Nor doth Christ in suffering sustain the person of God Hence from our being crucified with Christ crucified something is to be said in a practicall way of our mortification for mortification flows originally from Christs death we being crucified in him and with him Gal. 2.20 Q. What is mortification A. It is a deadning of the whole powers and inclinations of the soul in their bentnesse and operations in order to things forbidden by the Law of God or in things indifferent and commanded Hence not the affections only but the understanding and mind must be deadned And therefore this is no mortification untill sin originall be subdued in its damnation by Christs death and in its dominion by the Spirit of Sanctification A tree is not withered while standing on its root bulk and branches are green and flourishing It s much to know the withdrawing of sap and life from the root and the vitall parts of old Adam The ebbing of a River is not the drying up of it the new birth only is mortification Q. 2. Since mortification comes only from Christs death what is the influence of Christs death herein Ans. The influence is reall ad modum causae physicae the merit of blood hath bought us from our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 Christ dying doth merit by blood the Spirit and infused grace which deadens the whole life of sin Evangelick Arguments from ten heavens from ten Gospels working morally and in a swasory way cannot more work mortification then touching can make a reall change on a dead corps we was legally dead and crucified in Christ and with Christ when he died many not being born then But in the infusing of the life of God Christ applyes the reall principle of mortification Now the redemption from a vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 from the present evil world Gal. 1.4 is as reall and proper a bargain except we follow Socinus as redemption from the wrath to come 2. Christs death hath an influence morall and swasorie to work mortification As 1 Pet. 1.16 Be holy 17. Passe the time of your sojourning in fear For ye are bought with his blood from your vain conversation And 1 Pet. 5.1 2. Christ hath suffered in the flesh therefore be mortified to your lusts and serve them not as the Gentiles do So Col. 3.1.5 But the action morall of the Gospel doth not work upon the naturall man for like works upon the like carnall reason upon a carnall spirit and
acts of saving faith p. 16â— 162 James must speak of two sorts of faiths p. 162 163 The Arminian Argument to prove that James speaks of declared justification answered p. 165 166 How faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only justifies p· 170 171 The Socinian and Arminian faith and Papists formed faith includes new obedience and repentance p 172 173 Contrarâ— to the Scripture which differenceth between faith and new obedience p. 174 175 176 Right to life eternall and possession of life eternal differ in their nature and causes p. 176 177 The necâ—ssity of Works p. 177 178 Possâ—ssion of life and right to life differ p 178 179 180 And contrare objâ—ctions removed ib. CHAP. XX. Whether or not suffered Christ for any sin against the Gospel only suâ—h as finall unbeleef which is conceived to be the only sin against the Gospel That Christ died not for all without exception The unwarrantablenesse of that Doctrine how the Law commands justifying faith and repentance how not p. 181 182 c. Sins against the Gospel are also sins against the Law p. 188 189 CHAP XXI Whether the Lord Mediator as Mediator command the same good Works in the Covenant of Grace which are commanded in the CovenaÌ„t of Works p. 192 193 Christ layes one way Evangelick commands upon the Elect and another way upon the Reprobate p. 198 How the Reprobate are still under the Covenant of Works how not p. 192 CHAP. XXII No promise of perseverance to Adam p. 194.195 Nor any promise to him of influences of Grace p. 195 196 4. Classes of obediences considerably compared among themselves p. 196.197 198 Christs obedience most perfect most of his own p. 196 Most undue or least of debt coming from God man so most meritorious p. 197 Angels obedience 2. Of their own but not so as Christs of his own and so lesse meritorious p. 198 3. The obedience of Adam more of his own then that of Angels yet lesse obedience ibid. 4. Gospel-obedience hath least of the nature of obedience p. 198 199 CHAP. XXIII The Law of Works râ—quired not simplie doing but doing to the end p. â—00 208 CHAP. XXIV Whether faith as true or faith as continuing to the end be the condition of the Covenant of Grace p. 201 202. Faith which endures to the end but not quatenus as it indures to the end is the condition of the Covenant of Grace p. 201 202 Faith in the first lively acts saves and justifies p. 202 203 CHAP. XXV Whether is Christs righteousnesse imputed and made ours because we believe and apprehend it ours or do we believe because it is ours because we believe p. 206 207 Faith presupposeth three unions 1. Naturall 2. Legall 3. Federal and maketh a fourth p. 208 209 There be four or five sundry Adversaries against whom the holy Ghost in Scripture contends in the point of justification p. 210 211 The dominion of the Law p. 211.212 What is meant by the oldnesse of the letter p. 213 How we are freed therefrom ib. A threefold bondage of the Law ib. Of the dignitie of the Gospel above the Laâ— p. 213 214 CHAP. XXVI Of the perpetuity of the Covenant of Grace and the considerable differences between it and the Covenant of Works p. 214 215 216 217. How it continues with these that are asleep in the Lord Mat. 22. Exod. 3.6 p. 216 Of the graciousnesse thereof p. 216 217 CHAP. XXVII Of Law-fear and Gospel-fear p. 217 218. Of the Law-fear of falling away and the Gospel faith of persevering p. 218 219 Why feelings of sin seldome wants unbelief and should have the faith of a payed ransome p. 221 222 CHAP. XXVIII Christ died not to blot out all sense of sin but rather to quicken a godly sense thereof p. 221 222 223 Contents of the II. Part. CHAP. I. Christs roome in both Covenants p. 225 Of Christs active and passive obedience how they concur as one satisfaction p. 229 230 CHAP. II. WHerein stands our right to Christ and the satisfaction made for us by Christ 2. Faith is not the cause of our right 3. Christs incarnation and dying are not favours meâ—ited by Christ. 4. How Adams sinne and Christs righteousnesse are ours p. 230 238. CHAP. III. How Christ suffered for us in our room and place 2. He died not for all and every one 4. How many wayes Christ may be said to die in our stead 4. The Lords so dying for all makes not all saveable in Christ nor the Gospel preachable to all Nations 5. Christ died in the stead of the elect p. 236 237 238 239. Though we did not substitute him in our place p. 249 250 The differences between Chrâ—sts dying and the punishment due to the Elect p. 250 251 252 The legall oneness between Christ and us p. 251 To die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for us is to die in our stead in all eminent languages p. 253 Christ died not for sins and in the stead of sins as he died for sinners p. 256 CHAP. IV. How we are in Christ dying and crucified in him 2. A twofold crucifying of us with Christ. 3. A discourse of mortification 4. The actings of the mortified 5. That we are to be mortified in our affections p. 257 258 259. Though we die personally yet we died in Christ legally p. 259 We are not to desire a Law-wakening p. 259 â—60 What mortification is p. 261 The influence of Christs death on mortification p. 262 Four sorts of actings in mortification p. 265 266 We must be mortified to all sort of created things p. 268 269 270.271 Forbidden desires p 270.271 CHAP. V. The Covenant of Suretyship or of Redemption between God and the Mediator Christ. 2. Christ is not a meer witnesse but the Author of the Covenant 3. The Socinian way of Wâ—rks cannot quiet the conscience 4. Christ is upon both sides of the Covenant 5. Justice mediates not 6. Reasons of the entrance of sin CHAP. VI. That there is a Covenant of Suretyship between JEHOVAH and the Son is proven by 11. Arguments p. 290 291 292. Christ calling to the Lord his God proves this 291.292 2 Christ is a Servant Messenger Shepherd not by nature but free compact and agreement p. 292 3. Ar. Christ offered his service freely p. 293 4. Arg. There is giving and taking between God and Christ. p. 293.294 5. Arg. Christ received the seals whither he needed seals or not p. 29â— 296 6 Christ with the Father dispensed with the Law p. 296 7. Ar. Rich promises that speak a Covenant made to Christ. p. â—96 8. Ar. The Prophesies of Christ and the promises of and to him p. 298 9. Ar. Ask of me Ps. 2. 10. Arg. The work and wages of Christ prove it p. 299 And O how low a wager and how high a designe p. 300 11. Arg. Christ is admitted by an oath and the use of it against Apostacie of Believers p. 300.301.302 CHAP. VII The
should otherwise bear this sense my glory of revenging justice only I will not give to Idol gods and creatures But the place of Isa. ch 42.8 should not conclude but they might ascribe the glory of salvation and mercifull deliverances and victories over Judah the Temple the Sanctuary to their idol gods the contrair whereof is intended by the Prophet But if the Lord by necessity of nature love his declarative glory as he loves himself then he must love glory of one attribute as well as of another and so as his Nature not freedome or soveraignty puts him to it to defend the glory of justice when man sins Yea so as he cannot be God and essentially just except he vindicat his glory of justice Yea so he must love the glory of saving and pardoning mercy as himself for the one glory is no lesse essentiall to God if it be essentiall at all then the other And by this means God by necessity of nature to preserve safe the glory of saving mercie must send his Son and by the like necessity by which he loves himself he must redeem man Now the Lord does not love himself of free grace for he every way for the infinite excellency of his Nature is love-worthy and there is no interveening of freedome or free grace or soveraignty in the Lords loving of himself and his own essentiall glory There is a declarative glory which is not essentiall to God of which the Scripture Prov. 16.4 The Lord made all things for himself that is for his glory to be declared Eph. 1.6 He hath chosen us to the praise of the glory of his grace v. 11. In Christ we have obtained an inheritance 1â— That we should be to the praise of his glory Rom. 11.36 All things are to him to his glory Isa. 43.21 This people have I formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise All these are to be understood not of the essentiall glory of God but of the declarative glory of God that shines ad extra And this glory is not essentiall to God as so declared for he was infinitly glorious from eternity and should eternally be essentially glorious though neither world nor man nor Angel had been created And the meaning of that Isai. 42.8 is mistaken the length of the Heaven toto Coelo It is not this as I love my self so by necessity of nature I will and desire that my glory due to me as God be not given to idol gods and creatures 1. What by necessitie of nature God wills that certainly and by necessitie of nature is and existeth as he loveth himself and his Son by necessitie of nature and begets his Son by necessitie of nature so also by necessitie of nature God is loved and the Son of God is loved and the Son is by necessitie of nature begotten of the Father But it is most untrue that by necessitie of nature the Glory of God is not transferred to Idol gods and creatures The Scriptures cry the contrare When ever Idolatrie is committed Isa. 40. and 41. Isa. 46. Rom. 1. Acts 17. his Glory declarative is given most sinfully to another against his approving will 2. What ever sin God forbids he forbids the existence of it by his approving will not by necessitie of nature for if God essentially and by nature willed that sin and Idolatrie should never be he would efficaciouslie hinder it But what God wills by his commanding will we see he does not efficaciouslie hinder the existence thereof For then sin and Idolatrie should not be at all nor have any existence which is contrare to Scripture and experience And surely if God love his declarative Glory essentially as himself he must essentially no lesse love to keep this glory when Angels and men do obey him and to hinder the taking away of this Glory by sin then to revenge the taking away of this glory by punishment for every sin against a positive Law to eat of the tree of knowledge or for the Jews to eat swines flesh before Christ abolished such Lawes as well as sins against the Law of nature are contrare to the Glory of God and so contrare to that essentiall love that God hath to his Glory and to the Glory of the Lord the Law-giver himself Ergo by necessitie of nature because he cannot but love himself he should preserve his legislative Glory it is as properly and essentiallie the Glory of God which he requires of us in doing his will as the Glory of suffering punishment for sin committed is his Glory therefore by necessitie of nature because God cannot but love himself he should essentially hinder sin And if God absolve the guiltie where is the Glory of his justice True it should be lost so when God suffers the Angels to fall and Adam to sin where is the Glory of his legislative Majesty it is lost so far God is oblidged to defend the Glory of his Justice say and prove that he is oblidged by necessitie of nature to defend the Glory of his Justice more then by the same necessitie he must defend his legislative Glory 3. God must defend all his Glory with the same necessitie except the Scripture make some exception of some Glory which he must preserve as dearer to him then some other Glory which is unwarrantable to say and if God must by necessitie of nature and as God because naturally he loves himself and his own Glory defend his own Glory then by necessitie of nature he must defend the Glory of all his Attributes of Holinesse Graciousnesse Greatnâ—sse Omnipotencie Eternitie Infinite knowledge c. that the Glory of not one of these be taken from him by sin And because the Lord maketh and worketh all that he doth without himself in the creature for his own Glory Prov. 16.4 Rev. 4.11 Rom. 11.36 in all that he doth he must by necessitie of nature love his own Glory quoniam seipsum non potest non amare because he loves himself Ergo by this ground the Lord doth nothing freely without himself and so the Lord makes not the rain to fall the tree to bud the sea to ebbe the wind to blow the fowls to flee the fishes to swim for the declaration of the Glory of his goodnesse or his power or his mercy his holinesse with any freedome but all these he must do for Glory to himself by necessitie of nature which Glory he loves as himself for his Glory in all he doth without he loveth by necessitie of nature as he loves himself saith the Author And therefore as he cannot preserve the Glory of his Justice but by punishing sin and that by necessitie of nature so he cannot preserve the Glory of the rest of all his Attributes which Glory also he loves as himself but by doing all without himself in like maner by necessitie of nature which utterly destroyes the libertie and freedome of God in all his works of Providence and
his Son by necessity of love and mercy and free Grace So that he should not have been infinitly loving mercifull gracious if he had never sent him And it is as poor Logick to say because of grace and free-love he sent his Son and so might not have sent him as to say he loved where there was no need it is in vain to shew the glory of Justice saith the Author when God can take away sin out of free-pleasure and why should he expose his Son to shame death and a curse whereas he might have taken away sin freely because it is his pleasure This is the very thing that Socinians say there is no need of blood and satisfaction by blood if God out of his absolute Soveraignty can take sin away without blood and so there was no need of reall satisfaction This is against the Holy Ghost and we may hear it All the Scriptures cryes that out of free grace the Lord sent his Son and delivered him to death By the grace of God He tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 Shall we infer there was then no necessity that he should die It is safest to say the only wise God decreed that sin should be 2. That the glory of his Justice should appear in taking away sin not in our way but in the way of God to wit in a way of justice of mercy of free grace in incomparable love of mighty power and in all these so acts the Lord as he should not leave off to be the Lord but acts most freely though he had not taken that course But far be it from the godly not to adore him in this as the admirable way beyond the thoughts of men and Angels It were safest to draw holy practises by way of use from this In all pactions between the Lord and man even in a Law-Conant there is some out-breakings of Grace It s true there was no Gospel-Grace that is a fruit of Christs merite in this Covenant But yet if grace be taken for undeserved goodnesse There are these respects of grace 1. That God might have given to Adam something inferiour to the glorious Image of God that consists in true righteousnesse knowledge of God and holinesse Gen 1.26 Eph. 4.24 Col. 3.10 It was a rich enough stock this holy Image to be so badly guided And who looks spiritually to their receipts It s either too much of grace and holinesse that another hath and too little that I have so arises virtuall sighing and grudging at the dispensation Or 2. a swelling that it is so much as if it were not receiving I am holier then thou Isa. 65.5 a miskenning of him that makes me to differ 1 Cor. 4.7 A blecking of others Luk. 18.11 A secret quarrelling at God as too strick and hard in his reckoning Mat. 25.24 And what pride is this because I am a meer patient under gifted holinesse to usurpe it as mine own As if a horse should kick and fling because he wears a borrowed sadle of silk for a day 2. Being and dominion over the creatures is of undeserved goodnesse Who looks to a borrowed body and a borrowed soul yea and to self and to that which is called I as to a thing that is freely gifted So that though thou be in an high opinion of self self is self and what it is from God And when thou rides whence is it that I am the rider and the wearied horse the carrier but from God 3. The Covenant of Works it self that God out of Soveraignty does not command is undeserved condescending that God bargains for hire do this and live whereas he may bide a Soveraign Law-giver and charge and command us is overcoming goodnesse Law is honeyed with love and hire it is mercy that for our penny of obedience so rich a wadge as communion with God is given 4. The influences to acts of obedience come under a twofold consideration 1. As congruous and suitable concurrences of God to Adams acts of obedience And so they were free gifts to Adam not promised as we shall hear in the New Covenant 2. As such influences by which the standing Elect Angels who were under this Covenant as well as Adam were differenced from the Angels that fell and were confirmed that they should not fall in this latter respect Absolute Soveraignty shines in Adams fall so if a Sparrow cannot stir its wing without God Mat. 10.29 nor a hair fall from our head ver 30. far lesse could Adam fall and all his without a singular providence And farre lesse could Adam go on and act without influences from God And if strong Adam and upright created in holinesse could not then stand his alone Shall our clay legs now under the fall bear us up What Godly trembling is required in us 5. The gift of Prophesie Gen. 2.23 seems to be freely given besides the Image of God and Adams knowledge Gen. 2.19 of every living creature according to their nature may be proven but it appears to be naturall and he is a lamentable example to us of abusing the Image of God and good gifts But no habite without the continued actings of God can keep us in a course of obedience There is no ground to make habits of grace our confidence 3. There can be no giving and taking between the creature and the Creator Elihu pleads well for him Job 35.7 If thou be righteous what gives thou to him Or what receiveth he of thy hand v. 1. Thy wickednesse may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousnesse may profite the Son of man Job 22.2 Can a man be profitable unto God as he that is wise may be profitable to himself Is it pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous Or is it a gain to him that thou makest thy wayes perfect So Eliphaz And David Psal. 16.2 My goodnesse extendeth not to thee Acts 17.25 Neither is the Lord worshipped with mens hands nor with their spirits as if he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all life breath and all things What then is the glory of the creatures obedience to him It is some shining of the excellency of God upon men and Angels from the works of God and our obedience to him But suppose there were no creature to pay the rent of this glory to him is the Lord a loser therefore Hath he need of our songs of glory Or that creatures should be Heraulds of his praise Or needs he the workmanship or structure of Heaven Sun and Moon to be a Printed Book to spell and sound his glory If he need not the Book as he needeth nothing created Who sayeth I am the Lord Al-sufficient he needs not one letter nor any sense of the Contents of the Chapters of that Book There is a secret carnall notion of God in us when we act and suffer for God that brings a false peace and some calmes of mind
for I am â—rudent I removed the bounds of the people 14. And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people and as one gathereth â—ggs that are left so have I gathered all the earth and there was â—one that moved the wing or opened the mouth or peeped This 〈◊〉 the fool-axe boasting against him that heweth with it And anoâ—her fool said Make an agreement with me by a present and come out to me Isa. 36.16 And this mad-nothing is above God chap. 37.10 Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee The Tyrant of Egypt the great Dragon that lyeth in the midst of the river said My river is mine own and I have made it for my self Ezek. 29.3 God made the Sea and all the Rivers There be three Pronouns in the mouth of another proud Monarch Dan. 4.30 And the King spake and said Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdom by the might of my power and the honour of my Majesty So soon as there falls from the great Lord of being a chip or shadow of created being especially where being is rationall and under a Law there follows and results the Lord withdrawing a proud supposed I and a vain conceit of self and a dream of God-head comes in with borrowed being And therefore created sinlesse self is to be denyed Adam denyed not himself and thought in his sick imagination he should be like God knowing good and evill Gen. 3. Christ the more excellent Adam pleased not that noble self Rom. 15.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He denyed himself as man as a gracious meer man to be God or more then a man And this self-deniall is in elect Angels who blush and are sinlesly ashâ—med of self and cover their faces with wings before shining Infinitnesse of Glory and proclaim him thrice Holy holy holy Isa. 6.2 3. And who knowes not we owne grace as our own my prayers my faith my holiness my tears as if grace had a relish from self not from God but Paul 1 Cor. 15.10 Not I but the grace of God not my grace in me that was with me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. But is there no paction between GOD and the creature Surely we must say that the covenant between GOD and Adam is of another nature yea and promises also then these that are between man and man for there is proper giving and taking betwixt the creature 2. The proper covenants between man and man require that both parties be free and independent one of another there may interveen a jus a right and a debt upon the promissor to him to whom the promise is made Omne promissum ex ore fideli cadit in debitum Jurists say there is no proper binding Covenants between the father and the son the lord and the servant for the son and the servant are not lords of themselves nor sui juris The father by no paction can remove the foundation of the debt of nature that the son oweth to the father for impossible it is but if such a man be son to such a man but he owe to his father as to an instrument quod sit vivat being and living and the son can not satisfie by paying the father for that summe and the father can not cancell the band nor give him an acquittance Far lesse can any recompence the Lord for life and being The fallen Angels and damned in hell and all wicked men are in the Lords Compt-book everlasting debters to him for being But God who is more then a Father to whom men are but painted fathers may thus farre loose the bond as he may command the son to sacrifice the father as well as once he commanded the father Abraham to offer up his son to God But God cannot resigne his right that he hath over the creature to a creature because he cannot leave off to be Creator and so cannot lay aside or make over Creator-right jus Creatoris to any 2. Say that a creature had a jus or right over the Creator it is either an uncreated right or a created right so to pursue God by Law as to cause him do him justice it cannot be an uncreated right for that were near to blasphemie For no created head can bear the royall Crown of the King of Ages If it be a created right this created right must be under the dominion of him who is universall Lord of all then may the Lord make use of it at his pleasure then may not the man make use of it at his pleasure for an absolute dominion of one and the same thing cannot be in the hands of two absolute Lords who may have contradictory desires concerning the same thing such as the holy Lord and sinfull men often are Let us correct the bold pleadings and the daring charges that our vain hearts put upon the Lord Why dost thou strive against him saith Elihu Job 33.13 for he gives not account of any of his matters Men dare say when they are under the vengeance of ordinary sufferings The wayes of the Lord are not equal Ezek. 33.10 If our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them how shall we then live But upon whom should sins and transgressions and the punishment thereof be if not upon the carcases of the Authors Will ye raise letters to summond him Where is the judge Where is the Tribunall But he promised so and so But this is not the Question of strict justice that saith something against the veracity and faithfulnesse of God but nothing against the justice But neither doth a promise as a promise raise a plea of unjustice against the holy and glorious Lord suppose he should not fulfill his promise For 1. A paction by promise creats no equality of justice between thing and thing between wage and work otherwise he that is called to the Vineyard and labours from the third hour hath a just plea for he should have more wages then a penny which he gets who labours but one hour But the Lord makes not the equality or proportion between much labouring for many hours and the quantity and degree of the wage his râ—le But the Lord pleads the free Covenant for his standing rule Mat. 20.13 Friend I do thee no worng didst thou not agree with me for a penny And vers 15. Is it not lawfull for me to do what I will with mine own Hence read our sickly queroulus nature 1. Naturally we argue from much working and would conclude God much running long sweaâ—ing and pains in keeping the Covenant of Works should binde God except he be unjust to give me as many ounces and pound weights of Glory everlasting as I have fasted moments and told over prayers upon beads and uttered sighs Wherefore have we fasted and thou seesâ— not We work and keep the Covenant of Works but God payes us not our wage Though
eternall condemnation as Arminius disp pub 7. th 16.3 and the Scripture saith infants are guilty of this sin Eph. 2.3 Rom. 5. Psal. 51.5 Job 14.4 As also Christ must not have died for the sins of Infants if there be no sin in them they need not the ransome of Christs Blood The other bastard ground is the naturall antecedent desire and love of God to have all saved moved him say they to make this Covenant of Grace with all But this makes away free-grace and changes God as the blind Talmud which saith God hath a secret place in which he afflicts himself because he burnt the Temple and delivered the Jews to captivitie As also the Lord remembring the captivity of the Jews and their desolation he powres out two tears every day in the Sea or Ocean and for grief smites his breasts with both his hands And the Alcoran saith that God and the Angels wish well to Mahomet but cannot free him from death So made the Heathen their Jupiter to deplore the destinies which he could not amend And what is this but to say God hath passionate desires to have all Elect and Reprobat Men and Angels to obey and be eternally saved but he cannot help the matter and therefore must upon the same account be sorrowfull and mourn that he cannot get all saved which destroyes the power of grace and restrains the out-goings of free-love CHAP. XI The three-fold Covenant considered 2. The Law pressed upon Israel was not a Covenant of Works but a darker dispensation of Grace 3. The three-fold Covenant of Arminians refuted 4. Diverse considerations of the Law and the Gospel THere be who hold that there be three Covenants 1. A Covenant of Nature whereby God as Creator required perfect obedience from Adam in Paradice with promise of life and threatning of death 2. The Covenant of Grace whereby he promises life and forgivenesse in Christs Blood to believers 3. A subservient Covenant made 1. With Israel not witâ— Adam and all mankinde 2. For a time with Israel not for ever as the naturall Covenant 3. In Mount Sinai not in Paradice 4. To terrifie and keep in bondage the other from an inward principle required obedience 5. To restrain Israel from outward sins to prove the people that the fear of God might be before their eyes that they should not sin So they expound Exo. 20.20 the other Covenant was to restrain from all sin Yea and so was that on Mount Sinai to do all that are written in the Book of the Law Deut. 27.26 Deut. 28.1 2 3 4. c. to that same end to love God with all the heart and with all the soul Deut. 10.12 Deut. 5.1 2 3. Deut. 6.1 2 3. Deut. 5.29 Deut. 6.5 With all the heart with all the soul with all the might which is expounded by Christ Mat. 22.37 Luke 10.27 in as full a hight of perfection as ever was required of Adam 6. It was written to Israel in Tables of stone The naturall Covenant was written in the heart so was there a circumcised heart promised to Israel Deut. 30.6 though sparingly 7. It was say they given by the Mediator Moses as that of nature was without a Mediator Yea Moses was the Typical Mediator of the young Covenant of Grace The differences between the subservient Covenant and that of Grace 1. In the subservient God only approves righteousnesse and condemnes sin in that of Grace he pardons and renues Ans. Acts 15.11 We beleeve through the Grace of the Lord Jesus we shall be saved even as they under that Covenant Acts 10.43 To him gave all the Prophets witnesse that through his Name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins Abraham and David were justified in that sin was not imputed to them not by works Rom. 4.1 2 3 6 7 8 9 c. Gen. 15.6 Psal. 32.1.2.5 I said I will confesse my transgression and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Isa. 4325. I euen I am he that blots out thy transgressions for my own sake and I will not remember thy sins So David was a man according to the heart of God So Asa Josiah Jehoshaphat Samuel Baruch Gedeon Daniel the Prophets under that subservient Covenant except they be under a fourth Covenant were renued justified saved by faith Heb. 11. as under a Covenant of Grace 2. The former was do and live this was believe and live Ans. Doing and living was but a shuting them up under the Law that they might flee to Christ in whom they beleeved else the fathers must be saved and justified by works contrair to Rom. 2. Rom. 4. Heb. 11. 3. In antiquity the former came in as added 430. years after the promise of grace Gal. 3.17 Ans. True but he speaks of the Covenant in Sinai according to the strict Law part which could not save and so its different But that proves not two Covenants 4. In the former is compulsion and the Spirit of bondage in this heart inclining freedom and the Spirit of Adoption Ans. Yet the differences are accidentall there was a legall awing of the hearts as if they had been Servants yet Heirs and Sons they were Gal. 4.1 2. The whole Book of the Proverbs spake to the Godly as to Adopted Sons They were beleevers Heb. 11. Rom. 4. Acts 10.43 and so Sons as touching a spirituall state John 1.11 12. In regard of Oeconomie it was somewhat more rigid and legall they were restrained as servants Yet it was the Covenant of Grace by which beleeving Jews were justified and saved Acts 15. v. 11. Acts 10.43 5. In the former man is dead in this man is humbled for sinne Answ. Legally dead except they would flee to Christ and legally condemned but there was true humiliation for sins under that Covenant As David Josiah Hezekiah and all beleevers then as now were pardoned and justified 6. In the former there are commands not strength but here there be promises and grace given Ans. The full abundance of grace and of a new heart was reserved untill now And the Law could not make perfect nor give pardon in the blood of beasts as touching that legall dispensation But both grace the Spirit pardon righteousnesse and life were received and beleeved by looking on Christ to come 7. In the former Canaan was promised in this Heaven Ans. Canaan is promised only but sacramentally and that was a poedagogicall promise for the infancie of that Church but a type which was then in that Covenant and is not now make not two Covenants one then and another now Except ye say there was then a Lamb in the Passeover which was a Type of Christ to come and there is now no such Type because the body is come and Christ the true High Priest offered himself Therefore there are two Christs one then to come another now who hath come already The Lords dispensation with Israel is often called a Covenant now
you are debters to keep the whole Law perfectly as the only way to life and by no other Covenant can you be justified and saved now Abraham was not circumcised that way circumcision did bind Abraham to keep the Law as a Ceremonie and Seal of the Covenant of Grace commanded of God But the Law as a Covenant of Works doth command no Ceremonie no Sacrifice no Type of Christ Mediator at all It s true that first Covenant had Moses for its mediator but as he was a Type of Christ so Christ yesterday and the day was the reall Mediator but vailed The New Covenant hath better promises Heb. 8.6 Heb. 7.22 it s a better Covenant Heb. 7.22 hath a better reall not a Typicall suretie a better Priest who offered himself through the eternall Spirit Heb. 9.14 a better Sacrifice because of the plainenesse Iohn 16.29 2 Cor. 3.18 because the reall promises are made out to us because of a larger measure of Grace 2 Cor. 3.1 2 3 4. And the first Covenant is faultie Heb. 8.7 not because there was no Salvation by it the contrare is Heb. 11. but that is comparatively spoken because the blood of beasts therein could not take away sins Heb. 10.1 2 3 4. because forgivenesse of sins is promised darkly in the first Covenant but plainly in the other because Grace is promised sparingly in the former but here abundantly the Law being written in the heart John 7.39 Esa. 54.13 And it is true Gal. 4.22 23 24 c. they seeme to be made contrare Covenants But Paul speaks Gal. 3. of the Law as relative to that people and so it pressed them to Christ and keeps them as young Heires under nonage 2. He speaks of the Law absolutely as contradistinguished from the Gospel Gal. 4.21 so it is a Covenant of Works begetting children to bondage 2. Who come short of righteousnesse and the inheritance and shall not be saved 3. Who are casten out of the Kingdome of Grace 4. Who persecute the Godly the Sons of promise so is the Law as it was in Adams dayes and is now to all the Reprobate so the Godly are not under the Law and the Covenant of Works The Covenant urged upon Believers is to prove them when they stand afar off and tremble Exod. 20.20 Fear not saith Moses God is come to prove you not to damne you and therefore Calvine solidely observeth that Paul 2 Cor. 3. speaks with lesse respect of the Law then the Prophets do for their cause who out of a vain affectation of the Law-Ceremonies gave too much to the Law and darkned the Gospel and sayeth the one was 1. Literall 2. Written in stone 3. A Sermon of death and wrath 4. To be done away and lesse glorious whereas the Gospel is Spirituall 2. Written on the heart 3. The Ministrie of life 4. And glorious and praises put upon the Law agree not to it of its own nature but as it was used by the Lord to prove them Exod. 29.20 and chase them to Christ. The Arminians also especially Episopius make three Covenants 1. One with Abraham in which he requires sincere worship and putting away strange gods Beside 2. Faith and Universall obedience and promised Canaan to his seed and Spirituall blessings darkly 2. One in Mount Sinai in these three Laws Morall Ceremoniall and Judiciall with a promise of Temporall good things but to no sinners promise of life Eternall 3. A Covenant of Grace with a promise of pardon and life to all that believe and repent to all mankind but he denyes 1. All infused habits contrare to Isa. 44.1 2 3. Isa. 59.20 21. Zach 12.10 Joh. 4.14 Joh. 7.37 John 16.7 8. 1 John 3.9 he sayeth that 2. all commands are easie by Grace 3. That the promise of earthly things in their abundance is abolished in that we are called to patient suffering 4. That there is no threatning in this Covenant but that of Hell fire But the Covenant made with Abraham is that of Grace made with all the Seed Deut. 30.6 Deut. 7.5 6 7 12. Lev. 26.40 41. and made with all Believers who are Abrahams children Gal. 3.13 14 18 19. Rom. 4.1 2 3 4. Luke 19.9 yea with the whole race of man without exception 2. The second Covenant which promiseth only blessings is made rather with beasts that well fed then with men contrare to Psal. 73.25 Isa. 57.1.2 3. Psal. 37.37 and it must build some Chalmer in hell where the fathers were before Christ a dreame unknown to Scripture The third Covenant makes the Covenant of Grace a Covenant of Works and holds out life and pardon upon condition that free-will repent and believe and stand on its own feet for there is neither faith nor a new heart nor repentance promised contrare to Deut. 30.6 Ezek. 11.19 20. Ezek. 36.26 27. Isa. 59.19 20 21. Isa. 44.1 2 3 4 5. Zech. 12.10 CHAP. XII 1. All are to try under what Covenant they are 2. Threatnings under the New Testament are more spirituall 3. Desertions under both are compared 4. Considerable differences of such as are under the Covenant of Works and such as are under the Covenant of Grace 5. Of legall terrors 6. Of convictions compelled free legall c. Quest. 1. WHether should not all try under what Covenant they are Answ. Self-searching is a reflect act upon the state and such acts are more spirituall then direct acts and therefore it should be the work of all to try under what reign they are whether of the first or second Adam And whereâ—s Angels cover their faces and their feet with wings Isa. 6. before God and are full of eyes as without so also within Râ—v 4.8 We may hence learn such come nearest to the nature of these pure and heavenly Spirits who have eyes within to see what they are and their blacknesse of face and feet when they compare themselves either with the Holy God or his Holy Law 2. The Carnall man is a beast Psal 49.20 and beasts have no reflect acts upon their own beastly state 3. The more of a spirituall life is in any the more stirring in communing with their own heart the Law makes the more of life that is in the worme when tramped on the more stirring it makes deadnesse and stupiditie in not being versed and well read and skilled in our selves and our own heart argues little of the Spirit and estrangement to a spirituall Covenant nor can any lay hold on the Covenant of Grace in a night dream Quest. Whether are there rarer threatnings of Temporall evils under the New Covenant then under the Old Answ. It cannot be denyed except the threatnings of the Sword Famine Pestilence on Jerusalem and the desolation upon the Jews Math. 23. Math. 24. but in place of all the diseases of Egypt Levit. 26. and the long Roll of dreadfull judgements and curses temporall Deut. 28. denounced against the transgressours of the former
bare commands without any Gospel strength given to obey and so they are legall commands in the letter oboblidging all visible Covenanters to obedience and so all Letter all Law no Gospel strength to performe speaks poor unmixed Law In this case God repeats and craves back again from broken men a sound heart which they sinfully lost in Adam and may justly seek heart conformitie to his holy Law from all men Or then these commands are backed with Gospel strength to obey and so they are both commands and blessings promised as Jer. 31.33 This my Covenant a Covenant and something more shall bee I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts 34. Ezech. 11.19 Ezech. 36.26 Heb. 8.6 10 11.12 so the more strength promised the more Gospel Neither is there any inconvenience to say that the Reprobate visible Covenanters are not thus as touching the speciall promises of a new heart and perseverance of the Saints really in the Covenant of Grace Q. Who are they who are to believe God shall give them a new heart Ans. No man is positively to believe it while God work it in him for no man is to believe that he is predestinated to Glorie while he first have the effects thereof in him the hid Manna the white Stone the new Name But no man is to despare or to create fatall inferences that he is Reprobate since God begins kindly with him with a Gospel call CHAP. XIIII Considerations of the Arguments from Gen. 17. Mark 10.15 16. Luke 18. Math. 19. Rom. 11. for Infant Baptisme IF God be the God of Abraham and of his seed Gen. 17. therefore every male child shall be entered in the Covenant by the initiall seal of Circumcision and so women also who eat the Passeover which the uncircumcised might not do and Peter was sent to the Circumcision that is to all the Jews men and women and so the women is some way in the men and they might be circumcised in them upon the same gound because the same promise is made to fathers and to children must infants be baptized Acts 2.39 1. This is the Lords own Argument Gen. 17.7 there were multitudes of differences between Circumcision and Baptisme as we grant but in the substance nature and Theologicall essence and in the formall effects they are the same We grant that Christ revealed in Types Sacrifices to come darkly offered may differ from Christ as clearly offered Preached without these already abolished shaddows and who is now come Yet he is the same Saviour to them who believed in him then and now Act. 10.43 Act. 15.11 And we 2. argue not simply from the letter of the Covenant I am your God Ergo be baptized for one might reply I am your God Ergo offer such beasts to me it shall not follow But I am your God and the God of your seed offering to you the same Christ and righteousnesse that was offered to Abraham in the same Covenant Ergo all of you be baptized who are under the same Covenant For 1. Circumcision of the flesh was a seal of the Circumcision of the heart promised in the Covenant of Grace Deut. 30.6 and of the cutting of the foreskin thereof Jer. 4.4 Jer. 9.26 Ezech. 36.26 27. and baptisme is the same Col. 2.11 12. Tit. 3.5 2. Circumcision is a seal of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4.11 so is baptisme as 1 Pet. 3.21 Rom. 4.24 3. Circumcision is a seal of the Covenant and by a metonymie called the Covenant of God in the flesh Gen. 17.7 13. so is baptisme a solemn installing of all Samaria Acts 8. in the Christian Covenant and so Acts 2.39 4. Circumcision is a solemne way of instituting any in the Church of Israel so we are by one Spirit baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.12 13. 1. The command of Circumcising is as large as Covenanting but that is with Abrabam the father and his seed Acts 2.39 make the command of being Baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one of you be Baptized as large as the promise of the Christian Covenant and call For the promise is to you and to your children and to as many as the Lord shall call 2. The command supposes that all the Circumcised the males of eight dayes old understand not the promise of the Covenant the nature use signification and end of the seal and the command to be baptized supposeth that the children to whom the Covenant promise is made do not understand the same as touching baptisme and the Covenant promise Acts 2.39 3. If the positive command be generall that all these in Covenant should be marked with the initiatorie seal of the Covenant As Gen. 17.7 8. I am thy God and the God of thy seed Therefore old and young be Circumcised then there was no other command in particular to baptize old or young but the institution of Baptism in place of Circumcision needfull As touching the application of it to persons old or young except the ground of externall Covenanting stand as warranting to administrate the seal to all so Covenanted Yea and if there be a positive command and warrand in the New Testament to tender the Seal of Baptism to none but to the aged that can give an account of their faith and do actually beleeve then should there be an expresse command in the New Testament concerning Baptism as concerning the Lords Supper that every one before they be Baptized try and examine themselves whether they savingly beleeve or not before they be Baptized otherwise they receive their own damnation as in the Lords Supper for self judging and self examination if actuall beleeving and being internally in Covenant as these in whose heart and inward part the Law of Grace must be ingraven be the necessary condition required in all these to whom the Church can warrantably tender Baptism as the seal of the Covenant And we require a positive command in the New Testament see that ye Baptize none though they professe they be in Covenant except such as can try and examine whether they savingly beleeve or not and here Anabaptists must flee to the consequences of the Word and reasons drawn from the Covenant of Grace as well as we and an express command they cannot flee unto nor is it in Old or New Testament It should not move us that Infants understand neither command nor seal nor Covenant for the Argument is against the Holy Ghost and they are oblidged to answer it for Infants are as ignorant of the promises the speciall mysteries of the Gospel as of Precepts of the Gospel And yet the promises of the Covenant of Grace are expresly to Infants of the New Testaments Acts 2.39 promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gospel promise made to Abraham Gal. 3.16 The Gospel and promise of righteousnesse of the Spirit of Life Gal. 3.17 18 22 29.23.28 Gal. 6.2 Rom. 4.13.16.20 Rom. 9.8 1 Tim. 4.8 Heb. 4.1 Heb.
4. Fol. 15 16. Et de officio hominis Christi Cap. 5. Smalcius on Joh. 1. Hom. 3. Give to us manwhole sound sinlesse as he came from the first Adam 2. That man can do all that Cod commands him with little help of God 3. It s an errour saith Smalcius that a man hath no strength in spirituall things there is no need of the inward gift of the Spirit of God to beleeve saith the Raccovian Catechism for we read not that such a gift in Scripture is bestowed upon any but upon beleevers such as are born of Adam saith Socinus are all born in the same condition and nothing is taken from such a man which he naturally hath or was to have Ostorodius Justi Relig. Christ. cap. 21. Praedicatio sola Euangelij potest hominem absque interná Spiritus illuminatione operatione à peccatis convertere The only Preaching of the Gospel without the inward illumination by the Holy Spirit and his working is able to convert a man from sin All which is Printed and taught and many other abominable errours to us To this Objection against universall grace as I judge unanswerable Corvinus Answers that all the places of Scripture brought to prove mans inability to beleeve in Christ and to worship him conclude well that a man hath not strength of himself without Christ and his grace but this is but to cloud the truth and to mock the reader for if all and every man even the Infants of Pagans be in Covenant through Christ and be made able by a gifted grace common to all within and without the Church by which they are able by degrees to do all that the Gospel requires what avails it to discourage them and to tell they are not masters of a good thought without grace for they are no lesse masters of good thoughts and good words and of good actions then Adam was for they are not hearers of the Gospel by nature but as gifted with universall grace they are hearers and before their conversion and before they receive the Spirit of Regeneration can please God and prepare themselves for Regeneration Yea there is no animal and naturall Pagan de facto existing in the world by their way who cannot receive the things of God and cannot come to Christ except he be drawn for all Pagans and others are drawn and by this it might have been said Adam as wanting supernaturall grace and as a naturall man for the Image of God was supernaturall grace to Adam as Arminius and Corvinus teach so was not able to think a good thought as 2 Cor. 3.5 nor able to receive the things of God as the naturall man 1 Cor. 2.14 and Adam so was also dead in trespasses and sins and must come to Christ the same way to wit drawn by the grace super-added to nature as we fallen sinners do CHAP. XVI Cases from the former Doctrine 1. The differences betwixt such as are externally visibly and conditionally and such as are internally and personally in Covenant with God 2. Gods esteem not mens make Nations Visible Churches 3 The first and prime subject of speciall Church-priviledge 4. Gods command to receive seals no warrand to all members to challenge them Q. 1. IF multitudes and people externally Covenanted with God though not internally whom the Lord calls his people and chosen by him Deut. 7.6 Deut. 10.15 be the rightly constitute and Visible Church as Mr. Thomas Hooker granteth then Kingdoms must be his Visible Church Answ. No doubt Egypt Assyria all Nations all the ends of the world all the Kingdoms of this world are Prophesied to be the Kingdomes and Covenanted people of God and the Lord challengeth them as his Isa. 19.25 blessed be Egypt my people Isa. 2.1 2 3. Psal. 22.27 Rev. 11.15 Psal. 96. Psal 97. Psal. 98. Isal. 42.10 Isai. 49.7 8.20 21. Cant. 8.8 Act. 13.46 47. Rom 15.8 9 10 11 12. must be the visible Covenanted Churches of God to whom the seals of the Covenant are due But that none in Aegypt Assyria of all the called Gentiles though visibly and professedly in Covenant and affirmed by the mouth of the Lord to be his people the Sister of the Jewish Church and his Kingdoms are members of the Visible Church or hath right to membership and seals except men judge them to be reall converts sound beleevers and so internally called and chosen is to preferre the judgement of men to the Word of God And since he saith that Kingdomes fathers children are his in Covenant and chosen to be his people in regard the Lord calleth them by his Word as he did Israel Deut. 7.6 Deut. 10.15 Psal 147.19 20. they must be all Visible Churches in Gods esteem except he say they are not Visible Churches except men also esteem and judge them not only externally but really and internally justified and effectually called 2. These we are to judge in Covenant visibly whom the Lord so calls and to these the seals do belong Ecclesiastically though we see not signes of their inward conversion Except we say that our judgement is surer then the Lords But the Lord calls Nations the Gentiles so and so must Paul and Church-members judge all the Kingdomes and all the Gentiles reall converts Else the seals are not due to them 3. If we must judge them all really redeemed and sanctified who are fed by Pastors as Mr. Hooker teacheth from Acts 20.28 feed the flock then are we to esteem all the fathers who were baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea and did eat the same spirituall meat and did all drink of the same spirituall Rock Christ 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. to be really redeemed reall beleevers and the whole world to be really redeemed and yet the world is not the Church yet they were Idolaters murmurers visibly known to be such And John Baptist was oblidged to esteem the multitudes all Judea who were baptized of him Mark 1.5 Luk. 3.7 Matth. 3.2 3 4. really sanctified and redeemed yea and since there be Prophesies under the Messias that all the Kingdomes of the world Rev. 1◠15 Aegypt Assyria Isa. 19.25 all Nations Isa. 2.2 all the Gentiles Isa. 60. shall be the confederate people of God we must believe that all these Kingdomes are visible Saints chosen to life as the Corinthians and Ephesians were 1 Cor. 1.1 Eph. 1.4 So argues M◠Thomas Hooker from confederacie 4. Let one word in Old or New Testament be given of a Judicature giving judicially sentence on earth of a number that professedly are hearers that so many are to be admitted as due members of the Church because conceived of men to be regenerated and so many rejected because conceived to be non-converts or what word of Christ there is that doth regulate the judiciall sentence as touching the time how long the Church-member hath been so 2. What motives or inducements led Simon Magus and the generation of vipers
whole and need no Physick 3. Ye loath Christ but knows it not Luke 7.44.45 ye love Christ as a supposed Prophet and loath him as a Redeemer One may deadly hate Christ and not know it 4. Ye cannot compare the two states together the state of nature and the state of Grace as 1 Tim. 1.13 ye idolize your own choise to bear down Achabs Idolatrie but choose not the will of God to oppose Ieroboams Idolatrie 5. Ye want Christ and ye were not born with Christ in the heart 2. Yea ye are eternally lost without him and know neither the one nor the other Quest. 4. Whether or not are beleevers the parties of the Covenant of Grace Ans. These are parties to whom the Covenant-promise is made not these who already have the benefit promised in the Covenant but beleevers must have a new heart and consequently faith already therefore they cannot be parties with whom the Covenant is made As because the Image of God is not promised to Adam in the Covenant of Works but presupposed to be in him by order of nature before God make with him the Covenant of Works else he could not be able to keep that Covenant which we cannot say for God created him right and holy Gen. 1.26 27. Eccles. 7.29 Eph. 4.24 Col. 3.10 Therefore Adam in his pure naturalls as not yet indued with the Image of God cannot be the partie with whom the Covenant of Works is made for then the Image of God must either be a reward which Adam by his pure naturalls and strength thereof must purchase by working which the Scripture and nature of the Covenant cannot admit or then the Image of God must be promised to Adam in the Covenant of Works which is no lesse absurd And if faith be promised in the Gospel the Covenant of Grace must be made with some Israel and Judah as predestinated to life eternall and yet wanting a new heart For God cannot Covenantâ—ways promise a new heart to such as have it but to suchÌ„ as have a stony heart and beleeve not Ezek. 36.26 Deut. 30.6 Ezek 11.19 nor can he promise faith to such as have faith this way Quest. 5. Who are these that have the new heart and so are personally and really within the Covenant of grace Ans. Because the new spirit is given when the new heart is given Ezek. 36.27 Ezek. 18.31 Make you a new heart and a new spirit and many in our times boast of the spirit it shall be fit to speak of the new spirit and who are spirituall Hence these Questions of the new spirit Quest. 1. What is the seed of the new spirit Ans. The word of the Gospel therefore before Adam could have the Gospel-spirit the Lord must reveal the Doctrine of the Gospel the seed of the woman must tread down the head of the serpent Gen. 3. So the word and the spirit are promised together Isa. 59.21 Isa. 30.21 Thy teachers shall not be removed and thine ears shall hear this is the inward teaching a voice behind thee saying this is the way walk ye in it Isa. 51.16 17. Mat. 28.20 Go teach that is the word Loe I am with you to the end of the world that is the Spirit to make it effectuall by my Spirit Joh. 14.16 17. Object But Adam when he heard first the Doctrine of the blessed seed could not try the Doctrine or speaker by any new Doctrine Ans. The first Doctrine can be tryed by no other rule because it was the first rule it self nor can these principalls written in the heart naturally That God is God is just holy c. be tryed by any other truths because they are first truths As the sense of seeing cannot try whether the Sun be the Sun by the light of some other Sun that is before this Sun which is more lightsome For there is not another Sun before this the Gospel it self hath God shining in it to these who are enlightened as Adam was a Rubbie doth speak that is a Rubbie Obj. How then should Adam know what God spake to him and nâ—t to another are we not to try all spirits that speak Ans. There is a word immediatly spoken by the Prophets and Apostles that is to be tryed partly by the first Preaching the Lord made in Paradise partly by the effects that it converteth the soul Psal. 19.7 and smells of that same Majesty and the divine power of another life which is in the first Sermon Gen. 3.15 this is Verbum Dei immediatum But when God himself speaks in his own person to Adam to Abraham Gen. 22. to Moses Isaiah the Apostles that is Verbum Dei immediatissimum the fountain-word neither word nor speaker is to be tryed The Patriarchs and Prophets are never bidden try the visions of God for when God speaks them himself he makes it evident that it is he and only he who speaks and we read not of any in this deceived Angels or men cannot counterfeit God Obj. There have after the Canon of the Scripture is closed been some men who have Prophesied facts to come that fell out as they foretold just as Isaiah Elias and other Prophets then something is to be beleeved that is not written and such may have the Spirit and yet no word of Scripture goes along with it Ans. 1. Such men may have I confesse a Propheticall spirit but first they were eminently holy and sound in the faith and taught that the Catholick Church should beleeve nothing nor practise nothing but what is warranted by the Word Such as boast of Spirit or Prophesie and reject the word are therefore not to be beleeved 2. What these men of God foretold is a particular fact concerning a man what death he should die or a Nation or a particular such a man shall be eternally saved but no dogma fidei nor any truth that lays bands on the Catholick Church to believe that to the end of the world as all Scripturall truths do and a doubt it is if we are to beleeve these in the individuall circumstances of fact sub periculo peccati upon hazard of sinning against God we may I judge without sin suspend belief and yeeld charity to the speaker 3. If any object the Prophets did foretell particular facts concerning the death of Ahab the birth of Josiah which concerned particular persons I but they so were the maters of fact as the crucifying of Christ was a mater of fact as also they did by the intent of the Holy Ghost contain Historicall Morall and dogmatically divine Instructions so that the whole Catholick Church must believe them with certainty of divine faith they being written and spoken for our Instruction and they sin who believe not Quest. 2. What are we to judge of these truths revealed to Professors when they are in much nearnesse to God and the Lord is pleased to shine upon them in some fulness of manifestation of himself to their
satisfactory passions For satisfaction is defined a voluntary restoring of the equivalent and as good in the place of what is taken away and the good restored must be 1. Undue 2. The proper good of the restorer which agrees to the active and passive obedience of Christ. Obj. Then Christs very weeping and praying being the weeping and praying of God-Man might have been a perfect satisfaction for our sins for Christ was God-Man in all his holy actions in the state of humiliation as in his being crucified and in his suffering Ans. This doth not follow Because the punishment of the breach of the Law and not that only but such a speciall punishment by dying the first and second death according to the threatening of the Law Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thou shalt surely die was required in the Law and except the threatening of the Law be fulfilled the Law is not fulfilled And Paul Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written cursed be every oâ—e that hangeth on a tree Now Christs suffering the death of the crosse the cursed death is that which makes him under the Law Ergo there is a Law-righteousnesse in suffering death So Gal. 4.4 God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law For what end 5. To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of sons How are we redeemed from under the Law By blood purchasing to us Justification Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins past And redemption from the curse of the Law and remission is ever ascribed to the blood of Christ dying Rom. 3.24 25. Ye are bought with a price 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called a ransome of Christs blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 20.28 1 Tim. 2.6 Eph. 1.1.7 In whom we have redemption in his blood the forgivenesse of sins Col. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sins Rom. 5.9 Being justified by his blood 1 Pet. 1.18 Being redeemed by the blood of the Lamb unspotted and undefided 1 â—oh 1.8 The blood of Jesus Christ purgeth us from all sin Rev. 5.9 And they sang a new song to wit the four Beasts and the four and twenty Elders for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood 1 Pet. 1.18 By his stripes which he suffered in his death Isa. 5.3 we are healed Rev. 1.5 To him that hath loved us and washen us from our sins in his blood For though all Christs actions of God-man from the worth of the infinite person be meritorious yet are they refuseable yea a satisfaction by Covenant which was the death of God-Man must be also 2. The word also never speaks of Christs dying for all but it mentions Justification in his blood Ro. 3.24 25. Rom. 5.9 Yea the Scripture adds another end of Christs death to wit forgivenesse Col. 1.14 Eph. 1.7 intercession at the right hand of GOD 1 Joh. 2.1 that we may receive the Adoption of sons Gal. 4.5 To make us Kings and Priests to God Rev. 1.16 dying to sin living to him 1 Pet. 2.24 That he might bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 The glorifying of God in our bodies 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Redeeming us from our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 From this present evill world Gal. 1.4 Sanctifying the people Heb. 13.12 Heb. 10.8 9 10. All which the Lord must intend in Christs death to Pagans old and young to all and every one of mankind to whom the Gospel could not come And what authority have men to devise a redemption generall universall from hell and not from sin 2. For life eternall and not for the giving of the Spirit and for redemption from a vain conversation and for sanctifying of the people also 3. A redemption in Christs blood but no forgivenesse of sins in his blood not any non-imputation of sin nor reconciliation of the world 2 Cor. 5.15 18 4. A dying of the just for the unjust but not to bring them to God a redeeming of them but not a redeeming of them out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation for these People Nations and Tongues were redeemed by this way as well as they and a washing of them in his blood but no making of them Kings and Priests to God a dying for all but no living to him contrair to 1 Pet. 1.18 Rev. 5.9 Rev. 1.5.5 6. 2 Cor. 5.15 5. Christs blood did something and it is not any thing to make all saveable to pacifie Justice satisfie the Law to merite Heaven but did nothing to soften the heart mortifie and sanctifie the will mind affections to remove unbeleef to renew the mind But it is sure the Lord had not intended to commit heaven and hell any more to a sanctified will but mutable and lubrick in Adam but to commit all to Christ to a better Covenant better promises to a way of free-grace not of nature Yet these men commit the salvation and damnation of all and every one to an unsanctified corrupt rebellious will Gen. 6.5 Gen. 8.21 1 Cor. 2.14 Joh. 6.44 Job 14 4. Psal. 51.5 Jer. 17.9 10 c. except they say Pagans and all mankind are regenerated sanctified justified yea to a worse Covenant then that Covenant of Works to an universall Covenant of Grace That 1. never came to their ears 2. By which they are in a worse condition then Adam was who had the Image of God in his soul and a full power to stand and a clearly revealed Covenant But all mankind for whom Christ is supposed to die are born heirs of wrath but they are born in more miserie in the bondage of sin of a blind heart of a corrupt will their chains heavier their furnace hoter in hell helps fewer And yet the absolutenesse of Soveraignty under the freedom of the Grace of Christ by this way of Vniversalists shines no more now nay not so much now as in Adams state for more is laid upon free-will and lesse help to heal the will then was in the Covenant of Works And if all die in Adam and the Second Adam die for all he must die to loose the works of Satan in all Now if a weaker course be taken to destroy Sathans kingdom now then in Adams state and all be laid upon a weaker will Sathan is stronger now then before And if Christ do not purchase by his death grace to bow indeclinably the will of all these for whom he dyed to cause them live to him die to sin to make them Kings and Priests to God c. but leave their will in a more weak and wicked condition then it was under in the first Covenant Sathan is in this stronger
this the conscience is quieted As I sinned in the first Adam legally so I satisfied in the second Adam Obj. But justice saith The same person that sinned the same must suffer and satisfie and no other Ans. Justice saith so but that part of justice by the graciousnesse and mercifulnesse of the Justâ—God is and may be dispensed withall So as Justice as Justice seeks payment the Creditor as the Creditor seeks recompence and restitution But by whom Justice determines not whether payment and satisfaction be made by the same very person who offended or by a fit surety in the person and place of the offender as it determines not whether as much or far more be restored then was taken away so there be a compact and voluntary agreement between the satisfier and the satisfied Hence Justice being 1. offended is not to speak so the interposing and the mediating attribute of God but Soveraignty of Free-grace and mercy interposeth 2. Justice may seek payment from the only offending partie and from no other from Adam and his posterity only but Justice doth not indispensably and by necessity of nature exact payment from the only offender and from no other 3. The conscience of the beleever may with sweetnesse of admiration and peace rest upon satisfied justice and adore interposing grace and be quickened from looking unto and loving interposing grace to obey and take on the labour of Gospel-love to run the wayes of his Commandements 4. It is not an act of Law nor of Justice to give or find out a satisfier but an act of love grace and infinite wisedom Q. 3. A third case is how can the beleever look upon life eternall as a gift if it be sold at so condign a price as Christs blood Ans. It is not fit to speak of this mysterie but with holy reverence life eternall is bought to us and we are said to be bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.19 1 Pet. 1.18 1 Tim. 2.6 Matth. 20.28 Now it is unworthy of Christ that the fruit of his death should be only grace not glory and such a grace as is lubrick uncertain renders us indifferent but much weaker to beleeve or not believe that is as Socinians say to earne and win the wager of Glory by a new Gospel-working which is our righteousnesse and merit to glory For sure Pagans are more sinfully weak in the Second ADAM who died for them as Socinus will then mankind were in the first Adam The Scripture saith that Christ gave himself for his Church that he might present her a glorious Church Eph. 5. 25.27 1 Thes. 5.9 For God hath not appointed us for wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. 10. Who died for us 2 Tim. 2.10 Therefore I endure all things for the elects sake that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternall glory Jude 21. Looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternall life Rev. 5.9 Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood c. Act. 20.28 Feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his blood 11. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance We are not afraid to call eternall life a fruit of Christs death that is of the merit of his death See Joh. 10.10 11.28 Joh. 3.14 15 16. Q. 4. A fourth case Many stumble some in that God permitted sin to enter which he might have hindered knowing he should be thereby under a necessity either to torment men in hell or torment on earth his most innocent Son Christ Ans. Socinians Arminians yea Pagans and all enemies to Christian Religion are burdened with the same seeming reason For if God or their gods may hinder wickednesse and yet do not hinder it they bring themselves or the true God that they must be necessitated to torment the sinners 2. There be reasons unanswerable why if we yeeld and it is a shame to deny that God is able to hinder sin to enter in the world or that he is not infinitly wise and so that he hath not most weighty reasons why he suffers sin to be As 1. if sin come freely in the world without the will of God either the Lords dominion over sin must be none at all or the creatures dominion of free-will must be dependent upon the dominion of grace and Soveraignty 2. The out-goings of free-grace must eternally be hid if sin had never been As there had been no field for the expressions and blossoms of eternall flourishing revenging justice As also the creatures armes are short and could not reach the eminent degree of manifesting the glory of free-grace and pardoning mercy but the Lord aimed at this And 1. the relation of a Saviour and a sinner of the Physician and the sick must be known Now a Physician hath not relation actuall to all sick all the world over but only to his own patients his own sick ones who by Covenant feeling their danger have laid the weight of life and death of righteousnesse of salvation over upon that one only Saviour and live dyet apply salves medicine only by the direction of this Physician and do receive medicine and recepts from no other 2. Infinite wisedom made choise beside other infinite possible wayes of this only way of redeeming and here glorious Soveraignty shines he wailles out Judas Magus Pharaoh to be fire-wood and coal to the River of fire and brimstone and made so many sinfull peeces of sick brittle clay overgilded with the habit of grace of free righteousnesse of glory to be the eternall harpers and proclaimers of the glory of his grace whereas he might have made these stones and worms for he created Angels and worms and all out of the Mother Nothing by his good pleasure And it must be a wonder of unsearchable Soveraignty that should not for eternity have been concealed such a number of Angels and men whom he set up in the heaven of heavens as heirs of glory to be everlasting Heraulds and Trumpeters to sound out experienced grace and mercy might have been if so it had pleased him lumps of everlasting vengeance in the eternall lack and all that are condemned and suffer the vengeance of eternall fire both devils and men are chips and peeces of beings hewen out of the same rock if so we may speak of that huge and vast Nothing and might have been up before the Throne filling the Chairs and rooms of the now heirs of glory thou beleever might have been in the seat of Iudas scorched in his furnace in hell and Iudas might have had thy Throne and thy Crown up with him eternally who sits on the Throne and with the Lamb. 3. He might have keeped all the sons of men and all the Angels in a sinlesse condition to be courteours to proclaim the glory of Law-goodnesse and of the never broken Covenant of Works
This Christ mends the broken gold ring which was broken by the first unattentive and rash Heir Adam So that now Heavens Earth Mountains Isai. 49.13 sea trees fields Psal. 96.11 12 13. are commanded to sing a Gospel-Psalm of joy because Christ the new King and Restorer of all is come to the Throne yea let the stoods clap their hands Psal. 98.9 and he purposes to purge with fire the great Pest-house infected with sin and under bondage of corruption Rom. 8.21 2 Pet. 3.10 11. that he may set up the new world in Gospel-beauty the new heavens and the new earth 2 Pet. 3.13 Isai. 65.17 Isai. 66.22 Rev. 21.1 Oh what a life to have a cottage and a little yard of herbs in that new World and how base to be but Citizens of this World CHAP. XII The condition and Properties of the Covenant of Redemption Q. WHat need is there of any condition to be performed by Christ or of any Covenant Ans. The same Question may be of the need of an oath to Christ Psal. 110. The Lord hath sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest c. 2. The same necessity in regard of infinite wisedome that our Redeemer should be obedient to the death of the Crosse Phil. 2.8 and be under the Law Gal. 4.4 and keep his Fathers Commandements and abide in his love Joh. 15.10 requires also a Covenant of obedience upon the part of Christ-Man for all men being born under the Law and Covenant of Works Christ-Man also must be under the same And then Christ the Mediator was to give obedience to a particular Commandement of laying down his life for sinners and this required an ingadgement by way of Covenant and so a condition of obedience to perform what this peculiar Law of Suretyship required of him to wit to lay down his life 3. It s not a condition of indifferency which is required of Christ such as is required of Adam in which there is a hazard of failing and coming short of the reward Adams Covenant had both threatnings and promises and so hath our Covenant of Reconciliation though in another way see Psal. 89.30 31 32. But the Covenant of Suretyship hath promises most large that are made to Christ but no threatnings are laid before the Man-Christ that are to be read in the Scripture There was no hazard nor possibility in regard of the Personall Union that Christ could sin yea in regard that Christ from the womb was both a Traveller a Viator and an enjoyer and Comprehensor and had the Spirit above measure from his birth as Man he had gifted to him the confirming grace which is now given to the Elect Angels in their Head Christ And therefore there was somewhat like a condition necessary and as the members enter to glory through obedience so also the Covenanted Head Luk. 24.26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter in to his glory Q. 2. What was the speciall condition of the Covenant of Suretyship Ans. The Covenant being a bargain of buying a people to God then the payed price and ransone must be the duely formall condition As for obedience to the Morall Law it was the condition of the Covenant of Works to which the Man Christ as Man was oblidged that he might have right to Law-justification and life eternall jure merito foederali operum by the Law and federall merite I mean merite by paction and faithfull Law-promise not of condignitie of the Covenant of Works that he might be saved But this Law-holinesse had influence in that most solemn act of obedience in offering himself a sacrifice to death for our sins And the Law-holinesse of the Man Christ did not exclude supernaturall grace as the Law-holinesse of Adam for it was the perfect conformity of Christs nature his soul understanding will affections and all his actions internall and externall with the holy Law of God Hence the heart and inclinations of Christ stood ever right and stright to the Law He exercised no affection in puris naturalibus his anger came not out in pure naturall anger and no more but it came out in acts of zeal Nor his joy in pure naturall joy though sinlesse but in joy of the Holy Ghost And in the whole Man Christ was a perfect masse and as it were a compleat body of all gracious qualifications Isai. 11. He received the Spirit of knowledge and was ignorant of nothing he ought to know Disputed with the Doctors being of twelve years old The world knew not his School or Teacher Hence his wisedome and practicall understanding of the Law of God and practicall conclusions He had the Spirit of counsel as the greatest of Statesmen for Government Isa. 52.13 Behold my Servant shall deal prudently And so when we are in perplexities and know not what to do he can lead the blind in a way they know not Isai. 11.1 2. He hath the Spirit of might and courage an undantoned Spirit yet conjoined with counsell no fool hardinesse but the resolute ventoriousnesse of faith Isai. 42.4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged Heb. broken till he have set judgement in the earth Our softnesse of unbeleef at the blowing of a feather or stirring of a leaf brings on falling of Spirit and swooning He hath the boldnesse of faith to beleeve victory before the battell Isa. 50.9 Lo they all shall wax old as a garment the moth shall eat them up He hath hope from the womb Psal. 22.9 Thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make me hope when I was in my mothers breasts And for the joy set before him he endured the crosse and despised the shame Heb. 12.2 And the Spirit of the fear of the Lord made him quick in understanding that is the high and reverent apprehensions of God made him quick to smell or sent so the word imports the snares and temptations in the work of Redemption plotted by men and devils So excelled he in righteousnesse which as a girdle went about his loines both in judging and in discharging the trust put upon him by the Lord who laid the key of David and the Government upon his shoulder his obedience to his Father and continuing in his love Joh. 15.10 and thirsting to do the will of the Father Joh. 4.34 His zeal to his Fathers house should be a fair coppie for us to follow He was meeknesse it self Isa. 53.7 1 Pet. 2.23 24. much in praying beleeving rejoicing in spirit Luk. 6.12 Psal. 16.9 10 11. tender to the weak of the flock Isa. 40.11 He shall feed his flock like a sheepherd he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosome and he shal gently lead these that are with young Isa. 42.2 He shall not cry nor lift up a shout nor cause his voice to be heard in the street 3. A bruised reed shall he not
act of the free-will grace and infinit wisdome of GOD be added to make good the assumption How the promises are to be beleeved and how in them we are to beleeve both the equity and event of the promises if the condition be performed and how the difference must be made between them and the threatnings The promises as annunciated and as made The Gospel promises to the Reprobate are legal how The Law-threatnings to the Elect are Evangelick and how The elect non-converted how they are not under Law-wrath The Elect non-converted bear no part of the Law-curse but CHRIST bare all Remission of sins and life eternal under the Old Testament Faith is made a cause of satisfaction for sin by all who hold that CHRIST gave a satisfactorie ransome for all and every one Elect and Reprobate Conditionall payment made for the sins of Judas is no payment at all Accepting or not accepting assenting or not assenting to the payment are not causes of the sufficiency of the payment made to justice The formal reason why God accepts of CHRISTS satisfaction is the intrinsecal sufficiency of it and why he accepts it for Peter not for another is the free election of grace How the satisfaction of Christ is refuseable how not Faith a condition of applying the satisfaction only God may accept the satisfaction of Christ without any condition required on our part The conditionall decree of Adams living if he should doe the Law was not predestination to eternall glorie How Adam was chosen to glory in Christ how not The heathen have not universall Grace The high and deep Soveraignty of God is against universall Grace Gods Covenanting with us is a gracious condiscension The errors in temptations which wee create from surmises that we are not chosen to life eternall Better faith view God Christ as self Unbelief quarrels at God and but pretends self sinfulnesse How to beleeve conditionall promises Beings and not beings are debtors to the glory of God All not beings are under the positive decree of God Our pains and sufferings are debters to the glory of God There is more self-denyall in the lifeless and unreasonable creatures in their Covenant of nature theÌ„ in man A threefold consideration of man in reference to a Covenant The Covenant naturall the Covenant in its positives of diverse considerations God neither by necessity of nature either rewardeth obedience or punisheth 〈◊〉 A naturall conscience may and doth know that GOD doth good freely to his creature but it followeth not that God doth good to his creature for that by necessity of nature Communion with GOD in Glory is a reward not due by nature but by the free gift of GOD to the most perfect law-obedience Arminius in Colla. cum Francis Junio ad propos â—2 pag. 547. Anselmus de redemptione certe Domine quia me fecisti debeo amori tuo meipsum totum imo tantum debeo amori tuo plus quam me ipsum Quantum tu es major me pro quo dedisti teipsum cui promittis teipsum Anselm Monolog 40. quid enim summa bonitas retribuet amaâ—ti desideranti se nisi seipsum No merit can wone God for he is greater nor our work Bradward de causa Dei lib. 1. c. 39. p. 343 lit E. It is not just that God shuld reward Adams obedieÌ„ce with life before God made it just Man can never come from under an obligation to his Creator and Redeemer God falls in no sort from his natural dominion though he punish not sin by necessity of nature God should have a perfect dominion over maÌ„ though he had imposed no penall but only rewarding or remunerative lawes upon him The Lords dominion over man is without Scripture or reason restricted to penal Laws Si enim lex talis non seratur necessariò possibile esset ut vel Deus jure suo naturali Dominio in creaturas caderet sic non esset DEVS vel stabilito isto jure creaturam ci non esse subditam Quod implicat contradictionem nam intercisâ obedientiâ quod fieri potuit factum est dependentia moralis creaturae rationalis à Deo illa nullo modo continuari potest nisi per poenam 〈◊〉 Jam verâ— egressus necessarios constituentes non negamus Deum tamen eam libere exercere It s not feazable without a contradiction to say God punisheth sin by necessity of nature and yet in the way measure and time of punishing he is free Suarez in opusc de justit Dei Sect. 2. 〈◊〉 9. fig. 352. God loves defends by necessity of nature his essentiall but not his declarative glory God loves defends the glory of his pardoning mercy no less then the glory of his revenging justice and if he love the one by necessity of nature he must also love the other The place Isa. 42.18 I will not give my glory to another vindicated The Scripture speaks for the most part of the Lords declarative glory God by necessitie of nature should procure his declarative glory and so by that necessitie create the world redeem man if by that necessitie he should love and defend his declarative Glory God must by necessitie of nature hinder the existeÌ„ce of sin and by the same necessitie seek his legislative Glory if he love it as he loves himself by necessitie of nature God might never have intended his glory declarative because if so it had pleased him he might never have made the world If God punish sin by necessity of justice hee must punish Adam and all his sons in their persons by necessity of justice deny them a Saviour The necessitie of declaring the righteousnesse of God in either punishing the sinner Adam or the surety Christ makes not God to punish by necessity of nature The glory of God the manifestation of his glory to Angels and Men are much different Declared glory and fundamental glory are different Qualis enim amor iste esse potest quem in ea re qua nihil opus fuit DEVS ostendit The freedom of punishing sin is objected by Socinus as contrair to the necessitie of reall satisfaction Grace and the measure of it is to be humbly looked on Being life and self are undeserved favours It is mercy that GOD rewards our obedience An admirable soveraignty in the standing of Angels and in the fall of man Gifts and habits of saving grace cannot keep creatures on foot The humbling thoughts that God needs not men nor their service nor any creature shuld take us up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secret in us after actings of Grace No creature can give to God Reasons why none can give to GOD from that excellent passage of David 1 Chro. 29 1â— 12. What dominion the state or communitie hath over private men Such as refuse to give self for God shall be plucked out of their place The unity of such as boast of the proud pronouns my and self Created
scripture The dying for all and every one cannot be coÌ„ditional The promises are so made to all within the Visible Church as all are in Covenant conditionall The unbeleef of justified persons is against the Covenant of Grace and diverse other sins beside finall unbelief are the causes of condemnation All sins against the Gospell even finall unbeleefe are also against the Law and against God Redeemer Immanuel Dicique beatus ante obitum nemo supremaque funera debet How the Covenant of Grace is everlasting yet brokeÌ„ by men The Law commands repentance but not with a promise of life or as a way to life How finall unbeleef is the onelie cause of coÌ„demnation and to whom and how not For whom Christ died he died for their sins and for all their sins There is a world reconciled to whom God imputes no sinne and therefor all the world of Pagans Infidels cannâ—t be such as Christ died for and whose final unbelief he satiâ—fied for The Law the Covenant of Grâ—ce doe not one the same way command faith and forbid unbeleef How the reprobate are under the Covenant of Works Christ one way layes EvaÌ„gelick commands upon the Elect another way on the Reprobate Conditionall perseverance was not promised to Adam The considerable differences betwixt the influences of God given to Adam for his standing in obedience and these influences given to us in the second Adam The obedience of Adam only a duty not a promised benefite our new obedience is both a duty and a promised benefite Four kinds of obediences The excellency of the obedience of Jesus Christ how it was his own properly meritorious The obedience of CHRIST debtfull not dâ—btful in diverse respects Properlie so cal'd satisfactâ—oÌ„ is performed by Christ. Angels obedience properly obedience that â—s of grace and not their own Grace diminisheth of the nature of meriteâ— from the obedience Of Adams obedience how proper it was Gospel-obedience hath less of the nature of obedience then Adams obedience The Law is made as it were Gospel to elect beleevers the Gospel Law to reprobates Obedience from Law and from love how differenced Gospel obedience from grace how excellent and how far above civiliâ—ty in its fairest lustre Tremellius Trostius in Syria Ver. Gal. 3. Qui non fecerit omnia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hyeronâ— Maledictus qui non permanet LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chald. Para. Qui non permanserit Syria Versio Maledictus qui non perâ—â—iceriâ— Arab. Versio Qui non confirmabit Bâ—za Gal. 3.10 Qui non firmarit Magna vis Verbi Jakim Pagnâ— Ari. Montanus Qui non statuerit Faith as lively not as induring to the end the condition of the new Covenant Faith in the first lively act saves justifies How boasting is excluded by grace Boidius Comment Eph. 2. How faith saves not according to the dignitie of its act 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shindlerus notat in cum propter Calv. com Ezek. 20.11 Nulla igitur est in eo absurditâ—s si homines viâ—ant hoc est mereantur ex pacto vitam â—ternam Sed â—i quisâ—legem servat sequetur eum non opus habere Christi gratia Toletus Rom. 3. Adverte fidem non habere ex se officaciam ullam ut actus quidam noster est remitten di reconciliandi sed virtutem totam procedere ex objecto ipso nempe Christo cujus virtutem meritum disposuit Deus per fidem in ipsum applicare peccatori ad justificandum The Adversaries exclude not Law-boasting A twofold imputatioÌ„ of Christ one legall another Evangelick The mistake of Antinomians Obedience to the surety Christ is by a speciall Law Faith presupposeth three unions maketh the fourth We believe that Christs righteousnes may be made ours because it is ours we believe it to be ours also Four or five sort of adversaries who caused various coÌ„siderations of the question of justification in the Old and in the New Test. Of the dominion of the Law Ambro· Mori legi est vivere Deo quia lex dominatur peccatoribus cui ergo dimittuntur peccata is moritur legi boc est liberatur a Lege per corpus Christi hoc consequimur beneficium 〈◊〉 tradens enim corpus suum Servator mortem vicit peccatum damnaviâ— Christ Mystical Christ believers are freed from the law-dominion The Antinomian objectioÌ„ charged upon is answered by him There is a twofold dominion of sin The oldnesse of the letter and the newnes of the Spirit No gifts nor grace can be given by the Law How the Covenant of works is eternall How the Covenant of works is not eternal There is more of the Covenant of grace in the life to come then of the Covenant of works Other differences between the Covenant of Works and that of Grace The perpetuitie of the Covenant of Grace in the life to come Every thing in this Covenant is free Grace How fear of law-fear acts upon a beleever * So the faith of Joseph Mary that Christ their Son shal be great shal sit in the Thron of DAVID his father shal raign over the house of Jacob for ever Luk. 1.32 33. did wel consist with that holy and obedientiall fear of fleeing into Egypt for fear that Herod shuld murther that hopefull young King in his cradle Math. 2. What is to be done under tentations What way a fixed peace is in the children of GOD. A beleever ought not to coÌ„plain of a state of non justificatioÌ„ but ought to complain of a state of non sanctification Why feeling of sin seldome wants unbeleef OfteÌ„ when the believer complains of his own sanctificatioÌ„ because of guiltines lately acted he also unbeleevingly coÌ„plaines of Christ his performed satisfactioÌ„ as if it were weak Christ by his death removes not sense of sin CHRIST died not to remove Gospel sense or any sense of sin flowing from a naturall conscience The room of Christ in both Covenants The first Adam marres all the second ADAM mends all How the Law doth oblidge to both doing and suffering The righteousnesse of Christs person and of his merit Christs active obedience how it is meritorious for us Epist. David Parel de justi ch activa passivâ— 186 Satisfactio est redditiâ— voluntaria equivalentis alioquin indebiti 〈◊〉 alii ex propriis bonis non debitis No satisfaction could be at all except Christ had died because all the satisfaction of a surety might in Law have been refused and the Lord might have eternally punished Adam all his in a Law-way in their persons therefore there was need of a punishment agreed upon between God and the Mediator by a special Covenant this punishment must be satisfactory to the Law which required death Gen. 2.17 and so must Christ-God-man dâ—e The Scripture never speaks of Christs dying but it speaks of this intrinsecall end that they should die to sin and live to God for whom
Christ died now this end is not possible in Pagans who never hear nor can hear the Gospel therefore Christ died not for Pagans These who teach that Christ died for all and every one and made a Covenant of Grace with all every one and sends no more of the Gospel to al every one make the way of salvatioÌ„ more impossible under the second theÌ„ under the first Adam Christs incarnation and death cannot be a fruit of the Mediators death We have not properly right to Christs satisfaction by faith CHRISTS death cannot be applicable to the Reprobate by faith except faith be merited to them by that death Davenantius dissert de morte Christi pag. 49. Respectu mortis Christi voluntas Dei aliter est comparata ad omnes singulos quam esset absque ea nam hoc ipso quod Christus passus est in natura humana sine alio ullo medio interveniente hoc saltem apud Deum effectum ut velit 〈◊〉 homini Caino credenti poenitenti reconciliari peccata remittere vitam aeternam conferre â— tolle respectum hunc mortis Christi promissionibus quoad non-eleâ—tos nihil serii nihil solidi aut veri subesset illud certum quemlibet hominem beneficio mortis Christi hoc juris sibi vendicare posâ—e Ergo hoc jus est impetratum morte Christi etiam reprobis We have not a new heart by beleeving Adams sin is ours not because Adam is our father by nature but because he is our father both by nature and by law Three parts of original sin The free-will of God the ground of the Lords imputeing Adams sin to us The difference between the imputation of Adams sin to us of the righteousnes of Christ to us Christs imputed righteousnesse cannot remove inherent sin or make us such as never sinned Davenantus de morte Christi c. 4. pag. 48. Ex solâ vi horum verborum Christus pro omnibus mortuus est non potest inferri Christum pro omnibus ita mortuum esse ut absolute decreverit hac sua morte omnium salutem efficaciter insallibiliter operari quia satis vere proprie pro aliquo mori is dicatur qui bono alterius procurando moâ—itur quamvis ille alter suo vitio nihil commodi inde percipiat Christ cannot be said to die for all if these all may eternally perish No Scripture warranteth us to say that Christ died for all with one intention to apply his death to the elect and with another intention to apply no death at all to the reprobate Christ sustained not two persons upon the crosse Christ was not cut off to put an end to all their transgressions for whom he died by their way who teach that he died for all without exâ—ception There is nothing purchased to the most part for whoÌ„ Christ dies but a pelagian power to apply which power all men have suppone CHRIST had never died according to these who teach that CHRIST died for all and every one How many ways it may be said Christ died in our room stead The sufficiency of Christs death depends upon the iâ—finitness of his person not upon the free decree of God Whether all beleeve and be saved or none believe or be saved its true that whosoever believe shal be saved but the truth of it dependeth not upon Christs dying for all and for every one None are saved by beleeving that Christ died for them except thâ—y also believe that Christ rose also ascended interceeâ—ded for theÌ„ God hath no intention to save all though he say all that believe shall be saved nor comes such an offer froÌ„ CHRISTS intention to die for all and every one One that hath the Tongues may preach the Gospel to the Nation he comes unto but that preachablnesse of the Gospel comes in in no sort from the Lords sending his Son to die for all and every one The Gospel is not preachable to all and every Nation at all and every age difference of time The conditionall promise either of life to all that shall keep the Law or of salvatioÌ„ to all that beleeve in Christ can inferre no intention or good-will â—n God to bestow the end the means upon either the one or the other or any good-will toward their persons Conditionall promises place nothing absolutely in persons but only the connexion of things means â—nd work reward If the Gospel of it self were Preachâ—ble at all times to all Nations it were the sin of the Prophets not to Preach to all Nations whether they can speak wiâ—h all Tongues or no. 2. And all Nations should be in a fit câ—pacity at all times to be the Churchâ—s of Christ and â—ll Natiâ—Ì„s should be Chuâ—ches in Covenant with God in Christ. It s false that Christ so died for us that is in our stead as that in our stead hee fulfilled the Law and performed all active obedience passive by doing and dying that God can require of us How Socinians will have Christ to die for us Socinus de Servatore l. 2. c. 8. dictio pro causam finalem notat Ioan Crellius advers Grotiam par 1. c. 5. Cateche Râ—ccovie c. 8. pag. 183 184. Loco vice peccatorum nostrorum mortuum esse nihil delutiâ—â— qui dat pendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro captis in fuga aut loco fugae id pendit Jac. Armin. Antiper edit Bertianae pag. 676. Quod si statuamus talem mediatioris rationem ut omnium electorum peccata actu ab ipsis ablaâ—a in Christum translâ—ta sint qui poenam pro illis passus illos actu ipso â— poenis liberaverit tum obedientia ab illis postulata fuerit qui illam praestitit vitam aeternam illa praestatione non sibi sed illis meruerit non â—â—cus quam si ipsi Mediatorem nostro loco constituissemus per eum DEO solvissemus debita nostra jam simul statuendum est secundum ipsum justitiae DEI legis rigorem electis deberi immunitatem â— peccaâ—is vitam aeternam eosque ista bona â— DEO postulare jure solutionis emptionis absque eo ut Deus postulare ullo jure fidem in Christum conversionem ad Deum possit One may in Law be a real and true satisfying surety for another thogh the debter neither request nor Covenant with him to undertake yea though he know no thing of the sureties willingness to undertake and so Christ is our surety Arminius sides with Socinus How wee satisfied justice in CHRISTS dying so that we caÌ„not suffer eternally in hell if CHRIST suffered for us on the Crosse without wrong to Divine justice Christ dies not so in our room and stead as that we cannot in justice die the second death except there be a breach of Covenant between the Lord and Christ. God demands not of us faith and repentance by necessity of divine justice for
Commandement of love Q. 2. Doth the Lord Mediator in the Covenant of Grace command the same good works to all thâ— same way Ans. Rom. 3.19 The Lord in the Law must speak one way to these that are under the Law that is under the jurisdiction and condemning power of the Law and a far other way to these that are not under the Law CHRIST speaks to reprobats in the Visible Church even when the matter of the command is Evangelick as to non-confederates of grace in a Law way and in a Law intention For he cannot bid them obey upon any other ground then legislative authority not upon the ground of Redemption-love bestowed on them or that he died out of love to save all and every one For we disclaim that ground or because he died out of a speciall design to save them as his chosen ones For there is no ground for that untill we beleeve But they are to obey upon the ground of Redemption-love so they first beleeve and fiducially rely upon Christ the Saviour of all But he commands Law-obedience to his chosen even as Mediator 1. Upon a Gospel intention to chase them to Christ Gal. 3.23 2. When they are come to bâ—dge them in with Law-threatning to adhere in a Godly fear more closely to Christ. But the Lord commands no beleever to believe hell in the event to be their reward but to beleeve perseverance and life but hell in the deserving Hence that 1 Tim. 1.9 The Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not made for the righteous to condemn them as if God thereby opened up to them their doom but for the lawlesse c. to let them be damned and see their damnation CHAP. XXII The differences in the promise of the Covenants Quest. WHat is the speciall difference of the promise of the two Covenants Ans. It is known that only life eternall is promised in the Law if a right to the things of this life was promised to Adam it is like he behoved to compleat his course of obedience and merit a right legall to the herbs and fruit of the earth beside the right he had by gift of Creation ex dono Creatoris non jure operum But 2. There was no promise made to Adam of perseverance and so no promise made to him of influences to work in Adam to will and to do so the influences by which he obeyed was purum donum Creatoris a meer gift of the Creator not a gift of either the grace of Christ or a promised grace though in a large sense it may be called a grace or donum gratis datum For God gave that influence upon no obligation Now that it was not a grace promised is evident by Adams fall for God who is true fulfills his promises 2. Augustine and our Divines teach Dedit Deus posse ut vellet non velle ut posset a power to stand but not the gift of actuall perseverance If any say that the Lord promised to Adam perseverance conditionally which in one sense is true in another false if he pleased in that he gave to him all necessaries required for actuall standing Ans. 1. This is to teach that perseverance was promised the same way in the Covenant of Works that Arminius saith it is promised in the Covenant of Grace and that the free-will was absolute lord of standing and falling and to deny God to be the nearest cause of our standing and persevering in either the one or the other and to bid us first and last sacrifice to our own free-will 2. Willing perseverance actuall cannot be promised conditionally for the question should be Upon what condition doth the Lord promise to work in Adam actual perseverance if he should be willing to persevere But the question shall remain whether that willingnesse to persevere since it is the greatest part if not whole perseverance be promised or not If it be not promised the contrair whereof they hold if it be promised conditionally the question shall recur what shall be the condition and another condition then the willingnesse of the will to persevere cannot be given and so the argument shall rise against it self and the issue must be God gave to Adam actuall perseverance if he should be willing to persevere that is he gives to Adam perseverance if he give him perseverance for willingnesse to persevere is perseverance or a very large part thereof 3. But persevering grace and so influence of grace to persevere is promised in the Covenant of Grace Jer. 31.35 that they shall continue in Covenant more sure then the night and the day Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me The meaning cannot be I will give them a power never to depart from me if they will For so nothing is more promised in Christ to the second Adams heirs then to Adam and the Angels that fell for the like say they was promised to them And 2. If notwithstanding of that fear both promised and put in the heart and in the will yet lubrick free-will may stand or fall and remain indifferent to either then the sense shall be thus I will make an everlasting Covenant I will put my fear in their heart by which they may either depart from me and turn apostates or not depart from me but persevere But so the Covenant made with Adam and the fallen Angels should be an everlasting Covenant and yet it was broken For the Image of God of it self inclined Adam and the fallen Angels never to depart from God For sure Adams fear being a part of that Image which sanctified his affections inclined him but not undeclinably and immutably not to depart from God and not to hearken to the lying Serpents suggestions But it is not that new Covenant-fear promised and given in the second ADAM Ier. 32.39 40. 4. That these influences were purchased by Christs death is clear because they are the nearest causes of our actuall believing and coming to Christ of faith and perseverance that are given freely and repentance and faith are given of Christ Acts. 5.31 Zech. 12.10 2 Tim. 2.25 Phil. 1.29 Ephes. 2.1 2 3. Ezek. 36.26 27. Eph. 1.17 18 19 20. John 6.44 45. 5. So obedience to the Covenant of Works was Adams own 2. And came from his concreated self the Image of God that was his own by a common influence and neither was the Image of God nor the influences of God acts of free grace or the purchase of grace properly so called 2. Adam had a Law-claim to the Crown without sin if he had continued in obedience and did merite ex pacto life eternall our new Covenant obedience in habituall and actuall performance is so a duty that it is also promised and a benefite merited to us by the death of Christ whereas Adams obedience was purum officium non officium promissum as our Gospel-obedience is 6. Hence in obedience distinguish two
1. The nature of obeence 2. The worth and excellencie of obedience The more the obedience be from our selves the more it partakes of the nature of obedience Hence four kinds of obedience are to be considered 1. Christs obedience was the most legall obedience and also the most perfect for he obeyed most of his own of any from his own will purely Ioh. 10.18 Mat. 26. â—9 42 44. His own blood Hebr. 9.14 Rev. 1.5 My blood saith he Matth. 26.28 He gave his life a ransome Matth. 20.28 He gave himself a ransome 1 Tim. 2.6 By himself he purged our sins Heb. 1.3 Gave himself for his Church Eph. 5.25 Offered himself Heb. 9.14 And therefore the satisfaction that he made was properly his own It s true the life flesh and blood which he offered to God as common to the three Persons was equally the life flesh blood of God by way of Creation and efficiency For God as God created His Man-hood and gave him a body but that Man-hood in abstracto was not the offering but all these in concreto and the self including the value and the dignitie was not the Fatâ—ers not the Spirits but most properly his own and the Sons only by way of personall termination and subsistence 1. There are contradictory tearms affirmed of this holy self the Son and of the Spirit and the Father The Son was God incarnate 2. The son offered himself his own life his own blood to God for our sins Neither the Father nor the Spirit at all is God incarnate neither Father nor Spirit offered his own life his own blood to God Neither the Father nor the Spirit hath to speak so a personall or terminative dominion over the flesh and blood of Christ. 2. Christ was in no sort oblidged to empty himself and cannot be under a jus or obligation to the Creator or the creature Of free love and his own will he became Mediâ—â—â—â— God Man and being creaâ—ed man and having said here am I to do thy will having stricâ—en hands with God as Surety of the Covenant none more oblidged being holy and true And therefore though Christ-Man was most strictly tyed to give the Father obedience yet he was not oblidged to give him such and such obedience so noble so excellent from a personall Union for Christ God cannot properly come under any obligation Hence the obedience of Christ is most meritorious because maximè indebita in regard of the God-head most undebtfull and yet obedience most debtfull in regard of the Man Christ. 3. Most from his own will personally considered the affection love the bended will highest delight to obey lay personally near to the heart and holy will of Christ God With desire have I desired to eat this Passeover He went foremost in the journey to Ierusalem when he was to suffer Much of the internall propension of the will makes much and as it were heightens and intends the nature of obedience so that Christs and our obedience have scarce an univocall definition 4. He gave and restored more glory to offended justice by such a noble incomparably excellent death then Adam and all his Sons took of glory from God therefore against impure Socinus it is a most reall satisfaction and compensation where glory by obeying and suffering is restored in liew of the glory taken away All that Socinians say that God cannot be a loser and needs not glory and nothing can be taken from him and nothing can be given to him proves nothing but that it is not such a satisfaction as one creature performs to another nor is it a satisfaction that brings profite to God For can a man be profitable to the Almightie Nor such a satisfaction as eases a disquieted minde Which proves not Christ to be a Saviour painted in a meer coppy to us and only a godly Martyr who saveth onely by preaching and witnessing and not by a most reall and eminently clear satisfaction 2. The Elect Angels next to Christ gave obedience in their Law course but not so properly of their own as Christ for some discriminating and strengthning grace they had from Christ Mediator their head Col. 2.10 that they should not fall and something from the Election of Grace which do not necessarily agree to the Covenant of Works which they performed without sin and the more extrinsecall help from grace the lesse merit so farre is grace from being as Jesuites say the essentiall requisite of merit that the work is lesse ours and so the lesse meritorious that it hath grace Let not any say then Christs obedience that came from the fulnesse of the Spirit without measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must so be lesse meritorious which is absurd for the reason why grace in Angels and men who are meer creatures diminishes the nature of merit is because grace is not their own nor their proper due but supernaturall or preternaturall and so hurts the nature of the merit but to the meriting person Christ-God-Man nothing is supernaturall nothing extrinsecall nothing not his own Grace is his own as it were by a sort of personall dominion not to say that the Man Christ as man did not merit yet as man he was born sinless and with the full Image of God 3. Adam gave more faintly obedience more indeed of his own but it was lesse obedience and lesse will in it then the obedience of Angels and had he continued his obedience had been proper obedience but this is to be observed none did ever actu secundo and by the only help of simple nature attain Justification and Salvation by the simple Covenant of Works but men and evill Angels fell under both though that was a possible Covenant and holy and spirituall yet God set it up to be an inlet to pure Justice in the reprobate Angels and so to free grace in elect men 4. The obedience of faith or Gospel-obedience in the fourth place hath lesse of the nature of obedience then that of Adam or of the Elect Angels or that of Christs It s true we are called obedient Children and they are called the Commandements of Christ and Christ hath taken the Morall Law and made use of it in an Evangelick way yet we are more as it were patients in obeying Gospel-Commands not that we are meer patients as Libertines teach for grace makes us willing but we have both supernaturall habits and influences of grace furnished to us from the Grace of Christ who hath merited both to us and so in Gospel-obedience we offer more of the Lords own and lesse of our own because he both commands and gives us grace to obey And so to the elect beleever the Law is turned in Gospel he by his Grace fulfilling as it were the righteousnesse of the Law in us by begun new obedience Rom. 8.4 and to the reprobate the Law remains the Law and the Gospel is turned in the Law for all conditionall