Estates and may forfeit the one sometimes without the other 7. There is a Priority in Justification to Adoption tho' not in Time yet in Order of Nature this follows consequentially from all the rest John 1.12 The right to Sonship follows Justifying Faith Tit. 3.7 being Heirs follows being Justified Rom. 8.17 We are first Children then Heirs and a Spirit of Prayer and Divine Conduct for a Holy Life answers Adoption First Life then Estate in Order of Nature The Arguments brought against it by the Learn'd Forbesius are answerable First To Adopt is the Act of a Father and the Acts of the Father in the Trinity are before the Acts of the Son and Spirit Resp That Order holds more in their Concurrence to one Act than in distinct Acts for Justification is the Act of the whole Trinity so is Adoption 2. That Order holds more in Antelapsarian than Sublapsarian Actions for in the latter Redemption which is Christ's Act is first for there Actions flow not from God immediately as God The Second What is first in Christ is first in us but Christ is a Son first before Justified as a Redeemer Resp This is true in the Order of Intention for we are first design'd Sons to be the Companions and Fellows of that only begotten but 't is not true in Order of Execution 3. We are Christs Brethren by Adoption Resp He is a Brother by Incarnation and fitted for being our Redeemer by it It is not our Brotherhood by Adoption fitted Christ for Redemption but his becoming our Brother by Incarnation The relation of the absolute Blessings Regeneration Sanctification c. may be understood by the following head A Second Help for more distinct Knowledge of this Blessing is what supplies the room or place of the Justificatory Sentence By Virtue of what Act of God upon the Arraign'd Person doth he become formally free from the Curse of the Law By what doth he publickly manifest such a particular Person pardon'd Resp There are four apparent Competitors for this place 1. The Voice of the Gospel declaring all that believe are justified Act. 13.39 but the Voice of the Law and the Voice of the Judge are of distinct Natures The Gospel is in room of the Law it 's the Constitution of Christ's Kingdom and it is also in room of the Records of a Court it shews in general what is Constitutive of Justification Rom. 5.19 By the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous and is Decisive of them that are Justified or to be Justified and them that are not or shall not be Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath Life and he that believeth not shall not see Life But the Judg's part is to make an Authoritative Application of this Law or Constitution to an individual Person this the Scripture doth not All that Christ dy'd for are Justifiable by the Gospel Constitution but they often live a considerable time before they be actually Justified 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but you are sanctified but you are justified Mr. Baxt. Confes p. 40. There is a treble Pardon constitutive by God as a Law-giver declarative by God as a Judge determining our Right and Executive in not inflicting the Poenalty The Gospel doth the first the second is that in question There are others such as the Testimony of the Spirit in a Person 's own Conscience and the solemn Sentence at the Day of Judgment which I referr to the several Courts our Cause is try'd in That which I shall conclude on as bearing nighest resemblance to it is God's Act of Regeneration his first Gift of Saving Faith and Sanctifying Grace that beside its absolute Nature in Conforming the Soul to Christ and raising his Image in it it has a relative signification of Divine Favour that is better than Life God by that Deed or speaking Action says All thy sins are blotted out thy Iniquiâ—ies forgiven thou art a Freeman in the State 1. 2 Cor. 3.17 Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty Rom. 6.7 He that is dead is freed Orig. justifi'd from sin 2. As soon as ever man sinned Gen. 3. he became guilty and as soon as guilty the Punishment of spiritual Death followed so if as soon as sinn'd condemn'd as soon as Christ's Righteousness applyed he is justifi'd the receiving such a blessed Fruit of it as the Spirit is a sure Application of it there is as present and effectual Vertue in the Medicinal Potion for Life as there was in the Poyson to Death 3. Eph. 1.14 The Spirit of the Lord is an Earnest of the Inheritance wherever he is and since he ensures Adoption much more he ensures Justfication 4. Regeneration makes us Sons and the Priviledge of a Son is more than that of a Subject 5. Rom. 5.10 11. Whenever we are reconciled we are justifi'd for they are but different representations of the same Priviledge and Sanctification takes away the Enmity 6. When the Spirit is given to us we receive a great Trust many Talents and called to a great Office in Christs Kingdom to praise and glorifie him to propagate his Kingdom created unto all good Works Sir Walter Raleigh and with him all Lawyers judg'd his being put in a place of Office and Trust did virtually contain a Pardon in it It implies much weakness in Government or Governours to employ Traytors Rebels and Criminals in places of Trust who must strive for their Lives to hinder the just administration of the Government which would take away their own Life 7. Mat. 9.2 When Christ the Judge of the World verbally pronounces Forgiveness he signifies all imports one thing Arise and walk Eyes be ye open Be thou healed Or Thy sins be forgiven thee His gifts are in a comprehensive Cluster there is a strong Chain of connexion among them and he may name what is most easie hence are they so united and involved into one another by Scripture Titus 3.5.7 1 Cor. 6.11 Rom. 8.30 Act. 5.31 And 8. There is not only the Example of Christs Justifying but the Example of his being justify'd Who was justified in the Spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 All the Works of the Spirit on him and by him were God's justifying him His Resurrection was his declared Justification Rom. 4.25 It was the Pattern of ours besides other great Influences on ours By it was he taken from the Prison of the Grave and acquitted from the Judgment where try'd therefore our spiritual Resurrection Rom. 6.7 is call'd Justification 9. Ancient Custom shews that Authority did intimate their Sentence by symbolical Actions and things as well as words Ovid. Albis atrisque Lapillis The White Stone was sent as a Symbol of Absolution to the Person whose Name they wrote upon it Pierius in his Egyptian Hierogliphicks gives this Account of the Rights of a Slaves Manumission That he was Cloath'd in White Raiment and his Patron 's Ring put upon his Finger and did eat at his Master's Table The Scripture
has an influence upon it all and yet the Scripture tells us this is the manner of Grace's influence viz. To renew the Will by enlightning the Mind 2 Cor. 3.18 3. Obj. Stat pro ratione voluntas that we often have no other Reason of our acting but our meer Will or as some say I will because I will Resp That saying either is the saying of a Polititian who means he will Conceal his Reason or of a Fool that knows not what he says 4. Obj. Ignorance much excuseth a Fault but if our Wills did always follow our Intellects then all our Sins would be Sins of Ignorance and so not so full of Aggravation as otherwise Resp The Scripture calls all our Sins Errors Heb. 9.7 Which he offered for himsâ—lf and the Errors of the People And both the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thâ— Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie to Mistake or Err and the very first sin of Man is called a being deceived 2. There is an Ignorance that aggravates as well as an Ignorance that excuses for he that has given Diligence and Pains to know the Will of God and State of his own Soul he that has attended upon Ordinances for encreasing the Knowledge thereof is less guilty than he who remains Ignorant of what the other knows by his Negligence I shâ—ll conclude this with these two Inferences 1. That there then was an Error or Mistake in the first sin of Angels as well as Man tho' they had no Outward Tempter yet their own glistering Beauty and glorious Excellencies appearing in their own Mind were too abstractly Considered and too precipitantly doted upon 2. That the great Object of our Prayers and Diligence should be to attain true Knowledge Wisdom is the principal thing we ought daily to Watch at her Gates that the Eyes of our Vnderstanding may be enlightened that we may know what is the Hope of his Calling and what is the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance to know more of God's Love and Power toward them that believe to know more of the Beauty of Holiness Vileness of sin and Vanity of the Creature The fourth Proposition is That the Will of Man is not free to all things Every thing is Confin'd to its own Sphere the Carnal Man to Carnal things the Spiritual Man discerneth all things yet that is Confin'd to spirituals here below for neither Peter nor Paul could Converse rationally about Heavenly things This necessarily follows from the former Proposition viz. That the Will of Man is confin'd to the Understanding Indeed the Appetite is in this sense larger that it Craves a greater Good than the Eye of the Mind can point out to it but in particular Choice and Prosecution it can only seek after such as the Mind demonstrates to it Ignoti nulla cupido and it will be further prov'd under the last Topick viz. Man's Impotency The third Topick or General Argument for our Humility is our Guilt This is the Argument the Apostle insists so largely upon to prove by it that we are not justifi'd by Works or to render the Gospel which brings the Tydings of a Justification by Faith more acceptable First We are Naturally guilty Eph. 2.3 and we are by Nature the Children of wrath even as others a Child of Wrath is one liable to Wrath or guilty of Wrath as Judas is called a Son of Perdition Joh. 17.12 And so we read of a Son of Hell Mat. 23.15 and Children of the Curse 2 Pet. 2.14 Deut. 25.2 a Child of beating is translated worthy to be beaten But the great Controversie is What is meant by being thus liable to Wrath by Nature There be two ways that they who deny Original Sin explain it First some say it signifies only truly Children of wrath as in Gal. 4.8 By Nature were no Gods Resp 1. We grant they are truly so but where doth ever the word Nature signifie no more For these Gods wanted a Divine Nature Spirituality Independency c. and the Rule of interpreting Scripture is to let every word signifie as much as it can 2. The obviated contrary would be such as none ever pretended viz. and were in Opinion the Children of Wrath even as c. the Jews were not in their own Opinion thus Gal. 2.5 A second way is By Custom Children of Wrath they found their Interpretations on these two things The Context speaks of their Conversation 2. The word Nature signifies sometimes Custom 1 Cor. 11.14 Nature teaches that if a Man have long hair it is a shame unto him Resp 1. He mentions two kinds of Sins beside Conversation viz. Flesh and its Lusts Wills or Desires by way of Genealogy succeeding one another 1. Flesh 2. Lusts 3. Conversation or Fulfillment of them There are two things here to be proved That we are Flesh Antecedent to any Custom 2. To be Flesh is to be sinful For the former see John 3.3 every thing born of flesh is so 1 Cor. 3.3 it 's common to Man as Man in this State are ye not carnal and walk as men For the latter see Rom. 8.6 7 8 9. The Apostles design is to prove that the Jews were not only as guilty as the Gentiles in Conversation but in Lusts and fleshly Dispositions and so naturally Acts are before Custom but a natural Principle before Acts. It 's Nature before Custom teaches that Lesson which brings forth longer and more Ornamental Hair in Women than Men Rev. It s a Natural Character of distinction of Sexes 2 Custom is called second Nature Like Nature or acquired Nature not Nature simply and teaches nothing of this Matter for in some Countreys Men nourish and dress it in others not but Nature constantly distinguishes and these distinguishing Characters are called Nature Rom. 1.26 27. Two Ways Nature is most usually taken 1. For the Internal Causes the Principium motus the Disposition or Constituti of a thing Rom. 2.14 The Gentiles do by Nature the things of the Law Or 2. for Birth as Rom. 2.27 The Gentiles are the uncircumcision by Nature in opposition to the Jews who by Birth had the priviledge of Circumcision belonging to them Gal. 2.15 Both these are here comprehended the Arguments for it are these 1. Flesh and Nature here seem to be one thing for the reason of our being Children of Wrath is because we had our Conversation in the lusts of the Flesh By Flesh in Scripture is understood that Natural byass and tendency to Carnal things that is in every Man from his Birth Hence it 's call'd a fleshly Mind a Carnal Mind and in my flesh dwells no good thing and this fleshly Disposition is Nature to us for whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh There is substantial Flesh of which we are born and then there is this fleshly disposition that is the property As it is said That what is born of the Spirit is Spirit The one is the Holy Ghost the other a Holy Habit
in the Mind So as the Seed of Grace in a Regenerate Man is called the Divine Nature So this Flesh or Carnal Disposition it is our Corrupt Nature and it is called Flesh from its opposition to the Spirit for as Substances Flesh and Spirit are opposite in the Scripture so also Spiritual and Carnal Disposition untill a Man hath a higher principle he only can converse about Carnal things Carnal and Earthly things are equivalent they did partake of your Carnal things So Galat. 6.12 2 Cor. 5.16 Phil. 3.3 The strength of the Argument lies thus That since by our Birth and by our Natural Disposition we are Carnal therefore by our Birth and Natural Disposition we are liable to Wrath. By our Birth we are Flesh John 3.3 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and the Text says this Flesh renders us liable to Wrath. 2. We are liable to Wrath from all the successful Temptations of the Prince of the Air for all the results saith the Context are Disobedience Now Satan both can and doth act us before any acquired Custom or Habit and according to the Common Notions of the Soul there is no apparent repugnancy why his suggestions may not be thrown into the Soul and succeed too before we are born 3. Nature and Grace here are opposed as Comprehending the two entire States of Man by Nature you are the Children of Wrath but by Grace you are saved So Nature comprehends the whole of a Mans Life before Grace else he may be sav'd without Grace except Nature were taken in this sense his Argument would be in two considerable Points defectible 1. In shewing as to Eternal Concerns that by Birth and Nature the Jews and Gentiles condition were alike as well as by Conversation 2. In depressing the Jews false grounded Pride who reckon'd all the Seed of Abraham in a sinless Condition untill adult Gal. 2.15 Is it supposable that when the former is so true and the latter so dangerously false and both the Apostles design in the very place that there should be nothing in his Argument to signifie them or that when no word more proper than this word Nature could be thought on that that word should be us'd in a most improper sense I might add four more to enforce this 1. Authority Austin and Prosper did interpret this Text of Original Sin 2. Etymology the word Children is changed it is not the same that in the second is called Children of Disobedience but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies our Birth 3. The other Texts of Scripture Psal 5. and Job I was conceived in Sin and born in Iniquity Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean 4. Matter of Fact Infants dye suffer Miseries Pains that are the Effects of Wrath in Scripture Language if they were not lyable to them how should they generally and frequently suffer them 2ly We are personally guilty To prove that all Men are guilty is because the Scripture describing the Heraldry of our Sinfulness doth not derive it from our Actions but derives the Evil of our Actions from our Persons We are Corrupt trees and therefore bring forth Corrupt fruit That which cometh out of a man defiles a man and Satan like when he speaks a lye speaks his Own John 8 44. If God from a Man's Birth do determine his Will and so sanctifie him it may stop this Course but being left to himself he cannot but sin for Nature will follow its own Course For the Wicked drink in Iniquity as the fish do the water they go astray from the Womb speaking lyes and being left to himself as soon brings shame as Wise Solomon observes Mat. 12.3 4. being evil ye cannot speak good An evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things Tit. 1.15 Vnto them that are defil'd every thing is impure Prov. 21.4.27 the plowing and praying of the Wicked are Sins Hag. 2.12 they defile whatever they touch the dead Carkass and other defiling things under the Law did typifie them The Nature of God is the Rule of ours antecedently to his Will being the Rule of our Actions and the want of Conformity to the Rule is a Sin and where the want of his Image is there is the want of a Likeness or Conformity to him this may be called a Personal Guilt antecedent to our Guilt by Actions and is a Confirmation of the former and much of the same Nature with it 3dly We are universally Guilty This is the Apostles great and demonstrative Argument to prove that we are not justified by Works 1. He supposes Salvation possible attainable 2. That a Righteousness was necessary to it for the Judge could not be just in justifying the Unjust 3. This Righteousness must be inherent or imputed a Righteousness to be believ'd or a Righteousness to be done by us a Righteousness by Works or Faith by our own Righteousness or anothers by a proper Righteousness or Vicarious what Soveraign Authority in Justice might accept in its room the former is by the Law the latter is by the Gospel the former is that the Apostle rejects with most industrious pains and strenuous proof For it 's a disjunction that admits of no Medium if guilty by the Law only sav'd by the Gospel 4. He proves that we are universally guilty as to the Law 1. The Gentiles are from Chap. 1.18 to Chap. 2.17 Because they knew God but did not glorifie him they detain'd the truth in unrighteousness they condemn'd in others what they did themselves their Conscience accus'd them for transgressing the Law wrote on their minds 2. He proves the Jews guilty and that in measure above the Gentiles from Ch. 2.17 to Ch. 3. From their having more Knowledge and worse Lives by which they made the Gentiles blaspheme their Religion and the Author of it 2. By doing the same things or things of like Nature they taught from the Law of God was not to be done After the obviating of an Objection against that Argument from Ch. 3. to v. 9. he there begins a New Argument to prove all guilty to v. 20. by the Authority of the Old Testament the Jews and Christians only owns the strength of the Argument but it 's Conclusive Universality doth not only prove the Jews are guilty but all v. 9. both Jews and Gentiles v. 10. None righteous no not one v. 19. All the World guilty before God The Citations are so interwoven as to guard against all Exceptions Negatively None righteous Positively All gone out of the way Subjectively understanding none understandeth Will none seeketh after God Words v. 13.14 Their throat is an open Sepulchre c. Works v. 15. Their feet are swift to shed blood Objectively against Men v. 16. Destruction and misery are in their ways Against God viz. There is no fear of God before their eyes Which may sufficiently discover the unreasonableness of their Opinions who to limit this Guilt and make some room for Works in
gratefull or ungratefull to our Taste according to the Disposition of our Palat. Our Will is our Spiritual Appetite and according to its Natural Disposition its Sympathy or Antipathy arises We are a Generation of Vipers there is Poyson in our Constitution and being evil we cannot speak good Mat. 7.18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit This Indisposition is granted both by Arminians and their Antagonists but the Dispute between them is Whether 't is a Sin or no. The Divine Nature in Holiness Righteousness and Knowledge is as much the Measure and the Rule of the Disposition of the Mind of Man as the Divine Law which is the Copy of that Holy Nature is the Rule and Measure of Mans Actions and therefore since Sin is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Want of Conformity to the Law there is a sinfulness in our very Natures though undoubtedly it wants much of the Sinfulness and Guilt that our actual Transgressions have the one is our Misery and our Grief the other is Matter of our Repentance and Amendment It seems to receive a Diminution in that 5th of Romans that they have not sinned after the similitude of Adam The Scripture elsewhere aggravating the Sins of Adult Persons says They have Transgressed like Men but the Original hath it like Adam This Moral Impotency is as unconquerable as Natural Antipathies Mark 10.25 It is easier for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle than for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of God The Text represents a Penetration of Dimensions which is beyond a Miracle to be easier than for an Unregenerate Man to mortifie his Earthly Inclinations Transubstantiation is easier to be Believed than that a Man can Convert himself when he will tho' receiving all External Helps for in this young Man here was a good Natural Disposition Jesus loved him here was a good Education All these have I observed from my Youth here was an excellent Preacher Jesus Christ himself here was a Carefull Attention for he went away grieved at the Proposal of the Choice Christ offered him Treasure in Heaven for parting with Treasure on Earth but that he could not do Lastly Because the Scripture asserts that we are made Willing by Divine Power John 6.44 No Man can come to me except the Father draw him Psal 110. Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power 1 Thes 1.5 Our Gospel came not to you in Word only but also in power Secondly There is a Natural Impotency as well as a Moral 1. Because this Impotency is in our Natural Constitutions Psal 51.5 I was shapen in Iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me Neither the Grammar nor Sense gathered from the Context will allow David to be bemoaning here his Parents Transgression for that could not make up a part of his Repentance and here David doth oppose it unto that Truth that God desired in the hidden and inward Parts of Man Job 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean If the First fruit be Holy so is the Lump if the Root be Holy so are the Branches We are by Nature the Children of Wrath read Mat. 7.18 and 12.34 Since this Averseness is born with us Universal to all I think it may be call'd Natural tho' in the Will so the Moral Impotency is Natural 2. The more Moral Impotency that a Man is under the more Guilty he is But there is an Impotency in Man to good that in some part tho' not wholly doth excuse Guilt as the Infants in Nineve It is said All dye because all have sinned but none can be so Uncharitable towards Poor Infants whose Impotency is greater than the Adult's to think that therefore they are more guilty Rom. 5. 3. The Invincibleness and Unconquerableness of this Impotency being represented under such an utter Impossibility doth manifest a Defect in all the other Powers as well as the Will as impossible as for a great Camel to go thorough the Eye of a Needle it requires as great a Power as Creation and the Resurrection of one from the Dead doth Eph. 1.19 it requires the exceeding greatness of his Power the Energy of his mighty Power If all the other Faculties were fitted for their Office especially the Understanding it might and would sway the Will since the Will follows its Conduct as is prov'd before for the Gospel proposes such Objects with such a Certainty that would surely Captivate and Conquer the Will if there were no Defect in discerning it and Paul the Apostle complains of the Defect of other Powers To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not Christ blames the Disciples for the Weakness of the Flesh when the Spirit was willing Suppose our Wills intire our Animal Spirits would not serve us to Obey the Law of Innocency and this Incapacity is from our sin so a Man is as Guilty by this Impotence as in Omissions of Duty thorough Drunkenness and I cannot think but a Man is Guilty of Blood that Kills his Neighbour in Drink or doth not deliver him sinking in the Water because his Drunkenness has made him uncapable the Impotence is voluntarily Contracted Gal. 5.17 The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit so that ye cannot do the things that ye would Was there no Sin in the Impotence since they were willing 4. The Understanding is a distinct Power from the Will and antecedent in Manner of working and there is an Impotency ascrib'd to it 1 Cor. 2.14 The Natural Man cannot know spiritual things The Contrivance of our Salvation which is the Effect and Glory of Divine Wisdom appear'd to the Grecian Philosophers seriously Studying the Case a ridiculous Dream of a weak Brain Act. 17.19 The Epicureans and Stoick Philosophers tho' they heard him again and again and tho' his Speech was Divine yet the Conclusion was Laughter and Mockery Resurrection of the Dead was a strange and incredible Doctrine to Pagans Heaven and Hell a Day of Judgment and Destruction of this World were Chimera's and Fancies Caecil the Philosopher thus O wonderful Foolishness and incredible Boldness they Contemn present Torments and yet fear future Pains they fear not Death but fear to dye after Death their Fear is foolish and their Hope fallacious of Comfort at the revival from Death for they are not Contented with the furious Opinion of the Dissolution of the World threatning the very Stars with Fire but they tell old Fables of a Birth after Death from the Cinders and Ashes Epictetus said the Galileans were Melancholly Persons who willingly chose Death from Hopes of good things afterward Christianity appears as foolish to Politicians the spiritual Kingdom of Christ is to them a Castle in the Air When Pilat John 18. heard that Christ's Kingdom was not in this World he thought it was not worth his Attention some imaginary Business Nor had the Vulgar
1. It is a Righteousness from God as the Author of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it 's expressed in the third of the Philippians it is the Gift of his Grace the Contrivance of his Wisdom and the Effect of his Power It is the Gift of his Grace Rom. 5.17 Much more they which receive abundance of Grace and of the Gift of Righteousness 2 Tim. 1.9 It is a Grace given us in Christ before the World began but is now made manifest By this Righteousness of God Death is abolished and Life and Immortality brought to light God that so loved the World as to give his Son for them gave all things with him and this none of the least of the Gifts which is as freely given as any other for we are Justified freely by his Grace It is also a Fruit of the depth of the Riches of the Knowledge of God the Angels stand amazed at the Contrivance the most Sagacious of them would have been non-plus'd if asked by what Righteousness a Sinner could be justified It 's one of those things God hath prepared that neither Eye hath seen nor Ear heard nor ever Heart considered it is also an Effect of Infinite Power what Power less could have united Divine and Humane Nature in one Person What Power less could have made a Virgin Conceive What Power less could have brought a Clean thing out of an Unclean and Caused one to be born of a Woman and partake of Humane Flesh and Blood and yet be Sinless It is a kind of Generation none can declare What Power less could have done that great Work and Service he was appointed by this Law The Angels that excell in Strength being all put together could never have performed a thousand part of it the restoring of all things to their Primitive Beauty and Order What Power less could bear the Burden of Guilt the weight of one Sin is an intolerable burden to a Soul No Man were able to stand if God should mark Iniquity but this sure Foundation Stone bore the guilt of the whole World but never did yield nor give way did neither shrink split or flinch he is a tried Stone and found to be a sure Foundation he could rise again from the Grave notwithstanding the weight of this Grave-stone of Guilt 2. It 's the Righteousness of God Subjectively because the Righteousness of that Person who is God as the Blood of the Humane Nature is called the Blood of God to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood All the Works of his Person by Reason of their Conformity to the Mediatorial Law are called Righteousness Rom. 10.3 Have not submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God for Christ is the end of the Law So we see the Righteousness of God is the Righteousness of Christ ◠Person in whom the Law gained all its ends for he obeyed all its Precepts he suffered all its Threatnings and he purchased all its Promises too 3. It 's the Righteousness of God in Opposition to all Humane Righteousness it 's his in Opposition to our own he is Jehovah our Righteousness not Adam's or Mans Righteousness 4. It is the Righteousness which alone God can accept a Sinner for he cannot be Just and yet justifie a Guilty Person for any other Righteousness but this he is the Lamb that takes away the Sins of the World This was the Sacrifice God was well pleased with God is pleased with the Sacrifices of a broken Spirit for part of Duty being Sincere but for no part of the price This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Isa 42.21 The Lord is well pleased for his Righteousness sake Act. 13. For all that Believe by him are justified from all things By the Obedience of one many are made Righteous Rom. 5.19 Secondly It is without Law 1. As to its Existence obliging us it was not directed or regulated by Ceremonial Judicial or Moral Law for tho' it may be call'd the Natural Law of a Mediator because one cannot be a Mediator without performing such Duties yet it 's distinct from any other Law Moral or Natural taken in its whole Latitude these are distinguish'd as a part from the whole 2. It was manifested without the Law now for tho' the Ceremonial did represent it that Dispensation was at an end it was now more perspicuously Taught the Moral never taught it 3. We are interested in it without Law we cannot be interested in any other Righteousness without obeying the Law Directing and Commanding it but we are interested in this by Believing Thirdly It is witness'd to by the Law and Prophets Isa 2.2 Out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Prucknerus thus This is the Law of Faith Rom. 3.27 The Hearing of Faith Gal. 3.2 The Word of Faith Rom. 10.8 This is the Gospel the Gospel is the Narration of all Christ has done for us with the offer of it to us and all he did was ordered by the Mediatorial Law and therefore is called a Law Hackspanus thus Jalkut on this place says All the Consolations which God is to give to Man shall arise out of Sion for it is said Out of Sion shall go forth a Law Hence the Jews did expect their Salvation as well as we and they bear Testimony that it is no new Law but a new Doctrine and the Text it self calls it the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem to wit that Word which was the Subject of the Apostolical Sermons which Rom. 1. was the Gospel Another Testimony we have from the 19th Psalm where it is said The Law of the Lord is Perfect Converting the Soul that by this is meant the Apostolical Doctrine may be seen from Rom. 10.18 where it 's cited that it was Prophesied their sound should go to the Ends of the Earth that the Gospel Light should be as Vniversal as that of Sun and Moon The Papists pretend to prove the Corruption of the Original Text because what the Hebrews calls Lines both the Version of the Seventy and the New Testament translated Sound their sound went unto all the Earth but in Sence they are agreeable For the Sun and Moon have their Course by Lines which Lines do Tipifie the Travels of the Apostles and their Followers or the spreading of a Voice by Lines in the Air Bellarm. Capell and Grot. think the Word was formerly read Kolam and by Corruption turned into Kavam but the Masora Marks it to be an once read Word whereas Kolam by their marks is read fifteen times As the Prophets bare Testimony to this Law so they do to its Righteousness Jer. 23.6.33.16 This is the Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness Abravanel reads thus This is the Name whereby the Lord shall call him to wit the Messias our Righteousness wherein he grants the Office of the Messiah but denies his Divinity but the Accent joining Lord and
The Goodness of God would not suffer our Justification to be sooner for he would not keep us out of Possession of what is our Right if as a just Judge he Justified us as a Merciful Governour he would Treat us as such and let us have the Common Priviledge of Free Subjects which is his Spirit Not the later for his Justice could not give to a condemned Criminal without the Imputation of Mediatorial Satisfaction the greatest of the Favours and best of the Blessings of his Kingdom but whatever Arguments proved the former Proposition proves this As for the Antinomian Notion of Justification from Eternity it seems more absurd than the Eternity of the World There is a Threefold Use this Doctrine affords of Tryal to the Doubtfull of Support to the Dejected and of Conviction to the Carnal secure Person As to the First Whatever doth prove the Sincerity of a mans Faith the Reality of his Regeneration may be to him a sure Index and Token of his Pardon since Regeneration it self is the Justificatory Sentence As to the Second Whether the dejection or despair of Mind arise from the greatness of Sin the Violence of Temptations the strength of Lust the multitude of Backslidings or long continuance in that comfortless State or from such speculative Doctrines as the Fewness of the Chosen and fixedness of the Number of them for whom Christ died yet this one thing may support the Soul and fill it with the Joy of a pardon'd Criminal that if there be the least dram of Grace though small as a Mustard-seed Mat. 17.20 thy State is secur'd whatever come of others or however uneasie our present Condition be For the Third It is a vain thing for that man to live in Hopes and trust in Gods Mercy and Christs Satisfaction without any inward Change in the Temper of his Mind for the Sentence of Justification is never pass'd upon him untill he be Regenerate Thus the Apostle argues Rom. 6. obviating that Objection If Grace be glorified in the Pardon of Sin let us continue in sin that Grace may abound He answers How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein He that is dead is justified from sin These two are inseparable a Justification from the Guilt of sin and a Mortication from the Power and Pollution of sin I come now to the other Term of the Proposition Works which I shall first Explain by several distinguishing Characters and then secondly come to the Proposition and shew in what sense the one is deny'd Of the other how far Works are excluded from Justification For the first 1. They are Good Works neither Jews nor Gentiles ever pretended that God would justifie us for bad Works that the same should be matter of Condemnation and Justification that what needs a Pardon should deserve a pardon 2. Not meerly Good in Mens Opinions the Pharisees thought their Works better than they were Luke 16.15 they did highly esteem what God did abominate and justified themselves for it for Paul might then and should have brought Arguments to prove they would be Condemn'd for their Works And 2ly would have Corrected their Error as Christ did Mat. 5. by shewing their Works were not good they came not up to the Extent and Spirituality of the Law 3. The Apostle argues against the Works of the Law Rom. 3.20 and the Law it self v. 27. and 4.13 not against a misinterpretation of the Law Christ calls that Mat. 5. said of old and said of them the Opinion and Tradition of Rabbins not the Law and Works of the Law It 's a sandy Foundation which some lay for their Comments Systems and Sermons that only the works here meant are Mosaical in the Pharisaical sense of them without one word of proof for it for then the fault or defect would be in the Law not in the Works by the Law for this Law say some of them had only Temporal Rewards and Punishments 3. All Humane Actions works in general not as Grotius only External Works Aristotle and his Followers distinguish between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Works and Actions But Divinity that has only the Morality of Actions for its formal Object cannot exclude Internal where all Morality lyes The External works of the Apostles are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Acts as their famous and Sacred History is entituled and 1 Thes 1.3 Faith and Love are styl'd Works Besides we find Obedience Righteousness and Works of the same import through the Scripture and especially in this Epistle Rom. 6.16 of Obedience unto Righteousness and without Works and without a Man 's own Righteousness are of the same import 4. Good Works are the Fruits of the Spirit Ephâ—s 5.9 The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness rigbteousness and truth Galat. 5.22 5. Good Works are wrought by a Righteous Man Mat. 7.18 A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit neither c. Ephes 2.10 The Apostle proves that we are saved not of Works because Good Works follow our being God's Workmanship 6. Good Works must be according to Divine Command for that is the Rule and Standard between Good and Bad as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 John 3.4 is the formal Nature of Sin so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the formal Nature of Good Works Deut. 4.2 Good Works are call'd Righteousness because according to the Law that is the measure of the Creators right to his Creatures and of the fellow Creatures to one another Hence we are always sent to the Law and to the Testimonies if not according to these there is neither Truth nor Goodness in them Johannes Agricola the Ring-leader of Antinomians is usually condemn'd amongst Divines and it s said was Converted by Luther from this Error That Repentance was taught by the Gospel and not by the Law for the Law is the Rule of all Obedience the Gospel is a Doctrine of Joy Luke 2.10 A word of Grace Acts 20.29 because it brings the tydings of pardon to guilty Persons The Law teaches Man's Righteousness but the Gospel teaches God's Righteousness Rom. 1.17.3.21 And hence our State being mixed of Law and Gospel no Works are truly good and acceptable to God by the Law alone Not from a defect in the Law but a defect in us that cannot fulfill it Hence 7. No work is good without Faith Heb. 11.6 Rom. 14. last There is some deformity in every action by reason of some defect or want of its Conformity to the Law And 8 Its action needs a Pardon as well as every Person and therefore are only acceptable in the Name of Christ Coloss 3.17 Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus The doing in Faith and the doing in his Name are all One so 't is a Justifying Faith that 's needed to justifie every action and this Composition makes the Actions truly good and as acceptable to God as those that were no ways deficient
of Days Hours and Minutes The second Difference is between the Eternal Duration of God and that Duration of Creatures Psal 102.27 They shall be chang'd but thou art the same and thy Years shall have no End The one is founded in an Immutability the other in Change the Infinite God possesses his whole Essence Independently and most perfectly at once in Time there is Past Present and Future the Eflux of a â—â—ing from Past to Future by the present Minute this agrees not to Him whose Nature is I am that is In me nothing â—ast in me nothing Future This alone has great Matter of Humiliation in it of what awe would the Presence of a Sâ—ge Angel that hath been since the Creation to such a Mushroom as Man a new start-up in the World we suffer not Children to speak in the Presence of Men how much more should mans Mouth be stopp'd before the Ancient of days who has ten thousand Times ten thousand ministring before him and charges the Angels with Folly 5. Man is an Imaginary Being rather the Picture of Being than the Reality and this is not a Dignity that every Creature attains to be called the Image of God they are his Workmanship Rom. 1.20 And so are proofs of an Eternal Powerful and Wise Being and they bear some Prints of his Being upon them 2 Tim. 2.13 He cannot deny himself neither in Word nor in Deed he cannot do any thing but what must represent him to be such as he is though there are vastly different Degrees of Representation The Common Properties of Creatures seems to be their Reality Durability Goodness and Beauty but Man alone of all Earthly Creatures bears the Name of an Image because there is some Representation of all the Divine Attributes in him either Subjectively as Spirituality Knowledge Reason Will or Objectively as he possesses an Idea of the Divine Nature impressed upon him 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face behold as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord and are changed into the same Image Or Qualitively as Righteousness and Holiness Or Reflexively and thus the incommunicable Attributes of Soveraignty Independency and Alsufficiency are represented by our Submission Emptiness and Dependency as the Wax doth represent the Seal Or Deputatively as he is Governour of the World but as this is Mans Dignity above other Creatures to be Gods Image so it is the most excellent thing in it self and this is our great Misery the loss of this Image and our Happiness lies in its Restauration so that Man at his best who is the best of the Creatures is but an Image 6. A meer Passiveness Matter is a very Passive Object to work upon yet through the Disposition of its parts hardness or softness it is fitter for one thing than another and more easily wrought into that frame but nothing is equally Passive for all equally fit to be an Angel and an Atom of Dust and whatever Activity the Creatures may now have on one another yet with respect to God they are Passive Beings 7. Creatures are more Nothing than Being Isa 40.17 We are Nothing and less than Nothing Nothing Naturally and less than Nothing by Debt and Obligation owing the Being we have received but far more by our Guilt and Transgression for what is worse than Nothing is less than Nothing A Marble Statue formed in the likeness of a Man is more a Stone than Man because the one by Art the other by Nature So Man by Nature he is nothing by Divine Art he is God's Image We are from Nothing that is our Original for we are brought into being by the Force and Violence of Omnipotent Power If God's proper Name is Jehovah Psal 83.18 and of him only can it be said Exod. 3.14 I am or He is then properly is it said of the Creatures They are not Philosophers usually grant that Ens or Being is not a Genus Vnivocum when applyed to God and Creatures there is no Generical Oneness in it When we say the Creature is Being and God is Being it is not one thing that is meant by that word Being for the one really is the other is the Image as we call the Picture of a Man a Man Since any one of these affords matter of Humiliation how much more all being put together and if they afford matter of Humiliation for Angels how much more matter of Humiliation for Man If an Angel be but a Contingent Dependent Unprofitable Temporary Passive Imaginary Being a Being more Nothing than Being in Comparison of God how little a thing must Man be in Comparison of him and how much less a sinfull Man I come to the second Topick of Arguments for the Proof of this Doctrine That Man has nothing to Glory in before God which is the Form he was made in and by which he Excells other Earthly Creatures and is called an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord of his own Actions a Self-powered Creature or as Cicero says a Power of Living as he will The Common Title for it is Free-will Liberum Arbitrium which Amyrald thinks to be better Translated a Free Judgment The Apostle Paul calls it the Prevailing Will Rom. 7.17 If I do that I would not it is not I but Sin I as that which denominates the Man I shall insist the more largely on this because it is that which the most part of the World are proud of The former Argument is more commonly granted That Man cannot be Proud of his Being but therein still he would be Equal to the Angels and the Pride of Man can hardly aspire higher but for this Argument that Man has no Matter of glorying from his Free Will is not so easily Complyed with whether we View Men's Professions or their Practices 1. The Pagans they commonly ascribed all Virtue all their Heroick Actions and the Praise of 'em to themselves Upon this Account Cicero De Natura Deorum says We may thank God for Riches or Fortune but not for Virtue that is our own for that we are Praised for the want of that we are blamed We may glory of our Virtue which we could not do if it were God's Gift Seneca Ep. 53. A wise Man in some things is preferable to God for the one is Wise by the Benefit of Nature the other by the Benefit of Virtue Ep. 20. Be Content with thy self and the Goods brought forth by and of thy self so thy Happiness shall be next to Gods 2. The Jews especially the Pharisees on this account were as Proud as the others for they reckoned the External Administration of the Law which gâ—ve Occasion to their Merit by Free-Will to be the principal difference between them and the Pagans Maimonides says this is one of their Fundamentals That they had such a perfect Free Will and sufficient Power for Virtue and Goodness that they only needed the Law to exercise their Power about Rab. Gaon Saadia says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are in
Law of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith So where-ever there is place for Works as the Condition of our Justification there is place for some boasting but the Scripture every where stops Man's mouth Rom. 3.19 That every mouth may be stopped and all the World may become guilty before God And it ascribes all the Glory to him Psal 115.1 Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give Glory for thy Mercy and for thy Truths sake Eph. 1.6 To the praise of the Glory of his Grace 7. All kind of Works affords some Plea and pleading is a Glorying for it is a standing upon our own defence and this is another way of addressing God than either the Example of the Saints or the Rules of Holy Writ teach us Petition and Confession Deprecation and Lamentation with Praise and Thanksgiving on the Receipt of Mercies are the only ways we are taught to approach God The lowest kind of pleading is one of these four First By way of Comparison as when a Man can say I must have either done that or worse either to have neglected a Parent or a Wife either to have fled or suffered the Army to be cut off there was no room for this Excuse in Adam's Sin Secondly Relation when we throw the fault upon them that accuse us this did but aggravate Adam's Crime and add to the Sin when he said The Woman whom thou gavest me Thirdly When we remove the Evil of the Fact upon some other Person as Eve did the eating of the Apple upon the Serpent and Adam upon Eve Lastly A Purgation when we acknowledge the Fact but diminish it thrô some necessary Circumstances or Ignorance We do not find any of these ways usual or acceptable at the Throne of Grace but rather an aggravating of our own Guilt like Poreus when he was Converted from the Pelagian Error to the Catholick Truth What I shall first condemn in my self I know not wherein to excuse my self I know not Petition or Deprecation says the Learned Vossius out of Cicero is no pleading except for a Person whose former Actions have highly merited and therefore it becomes not a Court of Justice as Cicero for Ligarius before Caesar O Caesar I have brought many Pleas and that before thee when in Court where thy Honour and Authority was concerned but never as now when privately and before a Parent then I pleaded the Crime is a Fiction the Witnesses are false he never did it he never thought it But now O Father he has erred he has fallen he will never do the like But a Justifying Defence must be made before Authority Juridical I shall conclude this with Answering some Objections briefly that are brought as Arguments to prove that since no Works are excluded but what affords occasion of Glorying then some Works may have room for an Interest in our Justification For instance 1. God may freely first give Grace to work give Faith and Repentance and then justifie us for the Exercise of them whereof we cannot Glory because the Grace is receiv'd and they are the Fruits of Grace 2. God gives a Gracious Law a New Law the Law of Faith Rom. 3.27 that excludes Glorying and therefore we may be justified by the Works thereof 3. These Works come not in as the Meriting Cause of Justification but as the Condition of it Resp. In general this Contrivance of the Method of Justification is such a Fruit of Divine Wisdom that it is the special Glory thereof and therefore there is no wonder that the feeble Beam of our Light cannot show us the depth of it or pierce into all the Harmonies and Connexions of it's parts or their mutual Relations and Influence and consequently no wonder Divines do not agree about such things and the Disagreement ought to be born with Meekness Patience and mutual Endeavour to instruct one another I profess my self a Seeker and a Learner in many of these mysterious Points and I am never satisfied with a Sermon except I receive some Edification to my Understanding by it And if Divisions and bitter Language unbecoming Christians Scholars or Men were not the sad Fruits of these Disputants not the Disputes they ought to be encourag'd I bless God for the Sparks I have already receiv'd from them and I hope to receive more and that my Heart is as much united in Love to both Parties as ever and I am as much at a Loss as the poor Children when ask'd whether they Love Father or Mother best But in particular I shall begin with the first Objection Resp. 1. It is inconsistent with what I have before prov'd viz. that the Gift of absolute and distinguishing Grace the Spirit a New Heart c. that beside its absolute and sanctifying Vertue it is of a Relative Nature both to signifie and entitle as the Ring in Marriage or other Earnests and entitling Symbols Phil. Melanct. in his Annotat. on this Epistle in Comparison of which Luther says that Jerom and Origens Commentaries are but Merae nugae Ineptiae says Deus solus Justificat transfundens in nos Spiritum suum p. 17. We must either reckon him a Papist who was the first Protestant this Book I have is Printed 1522. or else say that Gift was the Sentence or its declarative Sign Mr. Baxter says When a Person is Converted the Angels rejoyce and therefore have some Notification of it and they who know our Conversion cannot be ignorant of our Justification which they cannot know without some Divine Manifestation A second part of the express'd or declar'd Sentence of our Justification he says is the illustration of our Minds with the Holy Spirit althò often obscure I think there is great Reason to unite these two in one thus The Angels who are so well acquainted with our Minds and the Language of Divine Operations know our Justification from the ruling of the Spirit in us after such a special manner Eph. 1.17 Who is the earnest of our Inheritance and so the Earnest of total and Compleat Pardon Now if Absolute Grace bear the Nature of a Title or Sentence the Exercise cannot be the Cause tho' it may be the Condition that is orderly Connexion for tho' it procure it 's own Confent it is not receiv'd except complyed with and yielded to Our Confession of Faith says We are not justifyjd until the Holy Spirit apply Christ to us and confirms it from Tit. 3.6 7. which Text seems to shew a greater Connexion between them than that of Time By the renewing of the Holy Ghost that being justified c. Resp. 2. All Glorying of boasting is not excluded by this half-workers should receive half-wages and half Credit Now when Grace is exercised the Work is ours Believing Repenting c. Tho' this is not Pelagian it is Popish Suppose a Man have a broken Arm or Leg and do some great or Heroick Act after it's Cur'd he will not ascribe the Glory of the
or Vertue in a Mans Conversation towards God or Man is natural as to the Principle for what are Principles of Action in a Man by common Gift of Knowledge or Honest Inclinations are natural Principles Before the Law given to Moses we may find footsteps of all the Ten Commandments for Abel believed in God which is the Duty of the first and Sacrificed which is the Duty of the second and in the third Generation when but very few Families on the Earth and not above three to wit Adam Seth and Enos's that were Worshippers except we Charitably Hope some were Proselites of the Cainitish Race publick worship was established for then Men began to call upon the Name of the Lord This was Obedience both to the second and third Commandment which did suppose Obedience to the fourth to wit a sanctifying some publickly known Time for Worship whose Determination God by Positive Command had fixed though from a natural Reason to wit the Seventh-day in which God had rested from the greatest and best of Works he had yet done in the World The fifth and the seventh Command is manifest in the Practice of Marriage for therein was the Period of Subjection to Parents terminated in leaving Father and Mother and an Aera of faithfulness to the Wife begun express't in cleaving to her and it is probable that last and crowning Duty of Childrens Subjection to their Parents is taxed as broken by these Sons of God who took unto themselves Wives according to their own Choice Gen. 6.7 The sixth and ninth Command were both broke by Cain who murdered his Brother and then not only denied it but denied the Knowledge of such a Fact Gen. 4.8 9. The eighth and tenth Command are thought by some especially the Quietists to have been neither Commands nor broken because there could be no Coveting of enlarging Property but rather of Men to share of the common good and Sin gave occasion to particular Commands though of such a General Nature But we find Adam guilty of both in coveting of a Diety and robbing God of his Property when but one Tree was reserved in all the World for an acknowledgment of Gods having the Primitive Right And we find Gen. 6. that the abounding Lusts of the Heart was the cause of the Deluge and all Lust is coveting The Ordinance of Circumcision was appointed to be a Monument and Conviction of the Lusts of the Heart and the Necessiâ—y of Mortification the Sweat of the Brow and toil of labour were appointed as the means of our Maintenance and the Nimrodical Hunting was a robbing men of what God had blessed their labour in So we find the Moral Law in this Law of Nature The next Enquiry is about the Evangelical Law whether any Prints of that is to be found under it yea or not and taking the natural Law most properly and as here the Apostle explains it in his Discourse for a Sign of Divine Will about our Duty as revealed in Nature or by Creation and Providence we may find footsteps of it here 1. For the Duties of it here are both Faith and Repentance rendred concludable from Divine Forbearance and Goodness Rom. 2.4 Not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance but after thy hardness and impenitent Heart c. 2. As there are Evangelical Duties so Evangelical Influence Chap. 1.18 Who hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness here was a Truth preserved alive against their Wills and as Gen. 6.3 the Spirit of the Lord was said to strive with men and 1 Pet. 3.20 Those Souls that are now in Prison had once the Spirit of Christ dealing with them and also Evangelical Acceptance If the Vncircumcision keep the Righteousness of the Law shall not his Vncircumcision be counted for Circumcision for Circumcision is not that which is outward in the Flesh but in the Man whose Praise is of God Therefore the Law of Nature being excluded there is an Evangelical Law excluded which Suarez calls the Con-natural Law and Gratian says Jus naturale est quod in lege Evangelio continetur and Mr. Baxter says It is the first Edition of the Covenant of Grace which two ways was published to all the World 1. By Natural Light discovering God Merciful in his Nature 2. By External Proclamation 1. Once to Adam that there should come a Seed of the Woman who should tread down the Head of the Serpent 2. In Noah and 3. In Christ For altho' none comes to the Father but by the Son and there is no other Name given under Heaven by which men might be saved yet it doth not follow that particular and distinct Knowledge of the Messiah was absolutely Necessary for that many Infants who were saved have not and the Disciples who lived with Christ were doubtful about it yea Peter forbid him to yield to Death when he was very nigh to suffer for it The Third Law excluded is the Moral Law whereof the Decalogue qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receives all things is the Summe To take the Moral Law according to common Sentiments there is by it these three things added to the Natural Law 1. A Positive Institution with great Solemnity from Mount Sinai with several Positive Determinations that are not immediately concludable by the Light of Nature 2. The Spiritual Extension of the Moral Law is manifested through Corruption much of the Law of Nature was obscur'd as whether Fornication or Usury were Sins or Thoughts of the Mind before Formal Consent or latent Inclinations to Unlawful Things A third Edition is of Life and Authority to the Sanction men very much Question whether a Man was liable to Eternal Death for evil Inclinations Yea or No but this Law is added because of Transgression that is both to discover it as the Apostle says Rom. 7. I had not known Sin if the Law had not informed me so the Conviction of Sin was weak until the renewed Sanction of the Law has made it more terrible Sin gets many fair Colours Covetousness gets the Name of Frugality until the Spirit discover both the Sin and the Curse doubtful Duties are establish'd weak and faint Notions reviv'd corrupt Thoughts are corrected the need of a Saviour more Manifested and the Jewish State settled in a more perfect Condition than any State in the World Now we find this Law is excluded for Rom. 3.20 For by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin there is no Law discovers Sin so as the Moral The Natural Law discovers Sin but neither so powerfully nor so plainly the express Word of God discovers the Malignity of Sin the Root and Original of Sin and the dreadful Issue and Event of Sin more plainly and clearly and removes all those Fogs and Mists that created many doubts by which we were apt to think great Sins small small Sins none and no Sins so hateful in the sight of God as they are The Ceremonial Law discovers Sin but by Accident its Primitive Intention
true I am under a Guilt and made a Curse but I call thee to Witness from whose sight nothing is hid that the least of 'em is not mine not the smallest Sins of Folly and Infirmity I restored that which I took not away I never contracted the debt I paid others robbed thee of thy Glory and the World of its Harmony and Beauty but I have restored it all again thô they were mine by Imputation they were never mine by Inherency 4. He has Divine Approbation bearing Testimony that he did so tho' he was condemned in the Flesh yet he was Justified in the Spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 The Deity justifi'd what Man condemn'd Isa 50.8 He is near that justifieth me who will contend with me All the Miracles wrought by him were Divine Testimonies but especially his Resurrection Rom. 1.4 And declar'd to be the Son of God with Power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the Resurrection from the Dead Then he was visibly discharg'd out of the Prison of the Grave having satisfi'd Divine Justice and paid the Price of Redemption to the utmost demand Never was there such a Miracle as a Man having the Iniquity of us all laid upon him and yet compleatly give Satisfaction and receive an Acquittance He was rais'd again for our Justification all the Elect virtually rose in him Hence Eph. 1.19 it is reckon'd one of the greatest Effects of Divine Power that ever was 5. By this Work he receives the Title of a Servant and Surety 1. He was a Servant Isa 49.6 It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my Servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob his Service is describ'd to Enlighten the Gentiles to be a Salvation to the ends of the Earth c. It was hard Service Soul Travel Isa 53. It was great Service to bring them that sate in Darkness to the Glorious Light of Heaven and the Chain'd Prisoners to the Liberty of the Sons of God 2. He was a Surety and this is evident from the other Title Heb. 7.22 By so much was Jesus made a Surety of a better Testament 6. His Service bears all the Denominations due and Properties that a Law uses to what is regulated by it It 's call'd Work I must work the works of him that sent me it was to him a Law of Works tho' to us a Law of Faith Obedience Rom. 5.29 By the Obedience of one shall many be made Righteous and Righteousness often his temper of Mind under it is call'd fear Heb. 5.7 And was heard in that he fear'd and Phil. 2. The Form of a Servant 7. The Rule of his Life and Offices is call'd a Law Gal. 4.4 He was made under the Law and Command Joh. 10.18 This Commandment have I receiv'd of my Father He was under the Mosaical Law He was Circumcis'd He was under the Evangelical for He was Baptiz'd He was under the Moral for He was Holy Harmless and Vndefil'd He was under the Sanction of that Law as well as its Precept Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeem'd us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us And all this was but a part of his Subjection to the Mediatorial Law There is a Noble Criticism on 2 Sam. 7.19 The English has it thus And is this the Manner of Man O Lord God But it may be translated thus This is the Law of the Man the Lord God as Dorscheus says on the 2d Psal O Wonderful O all together wonderful Law by which God and Man should be united and according to which an unexpected Divine Dispensation should make that this should be the Prerogative of some individual of the Posterity of David that he should be the Lord God! Oseander inferrs a Reason out of the Context the sence of which he renders thus I understand thee to have spoken of that Messiah whose Law requires that he should be God and Man And it does not want Reason for what is said in the 12 13 14. vers agrees best to this Messiah for it is spoken of a Seed that should rise up after his Death which should proceed out of his Bowels but Solomon was both Born and set upon the Throne before David died yea 't is particularly noted in the 19. ver That this Prophesie was of his House a great way off Secondly It is said vers 13 16. That this Kingdom should endure for ever which is expounded Psal 89.7 by the Duration of the Sun Moon and Heaven Thirdly He shall be to me a Son vers 14. he notes his peculiar Subject as Psal 2.7 12. Heb. 1.5 Gods first born Psal 89.28 This is the Interpretation of Calovius Gerard Thilo and Piscator Secondly As to the Nature of this Law and its Righteousness 1. For the Law it differs much from any other Law 1. In Subject Meer-man and God-man differ very far 2. In the Precept the principal thing it requires is Suffering Joh. 10. I have Power to lay down my Life this Commandment have I receiv'd of my Father Suffering is but in Case of failure in other Laws to make them obey annex'd by Sanction to the Law 3. In the Work it is the greatest Work that ever was commanded by Law Isa 61.1 To bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim Liberty to the Captive and open the Prison-doors to them that are bound Act. 3.21 To restore all things to reconcile such Enemies as a Holy God and his Creature become his Enemies to Justifie the Guilty Adopt Aliens to turn an Hell into a Heaven an extensive Work Earth Heaven and Hell he is to be employ'd about he is to Rehead or Recapitulate all things which are in Heaven and Earth a Work of the greatest Trust ever any was in Isa 22.14 They shall hang upon him all the Glory of his Fathers House the Off-spring and Issue All Vessels hang on that Nail that is a Glorious Throne to his Fathers House 4. In that it has no Legal Sanction no Threatnings there was no need of any since he was so sufficient and faithful nor no possibility for the greatest Penalty was the Duty of the Precept 5. The Promises a Name above every Name at his Name every knee must bow Angels Adore and Worship him he is at the Right Hand of the Throne of God 2. * There is a Distinction of Christs Righteousness by Divines us'd 1. Into Divine Righteousness as he is God his has no Law but the Divine Nature to act becoming 〈◊〉 Official proper to the Office of the Mediator 3. Is â—carious common to Men 〈◊〉 Men and therefore shall 〈◊〉 treated under the Head of â—â—putation but I think both â—ay be Comprehended under 〈◊〉 Law of Faith As to the Works or Righteousness of this Law Rom. 3.21 22. It is describ'd to be 1. Righteousness of God 2. Without the Law 3. Witness'd to by the Law and Prophets 4. It is by Faith As to the first Character of it it is on a fourfold account the Righteousness of God
and ten Years after Christ oh the 12th Chap. 3. he cites Deuteronomy 29.1 These are the Words of the Covenant and thus expounds it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Covenant is nothing else but a Law and the Midrash on Leviticus distinguishes thus between Statutes Judgments and Laws in Chap. 26.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrine Learning and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Statutes are Midrashoth Glosses Expositions and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judgments are Hadaenin Decisions of Cases in Law and Aben Ezra on psal 19.8 gives this Etymon of it the Law is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Law because it shows the Right way and Converts Souls by taking away their Doubts and Fears But since they mean by Doctrine of Faith the Gospel and the Gospel being regulated by this Mediatorial Law Law of Faith and Doctrine of Faith are the same things and it is usual in Scripture to use a Law and its Works of Righteousness promiscuously Hence without the Law and without Works are the same and so the Law of Faith and the Doctrine of Faith are the same for it 's a Doctrine of what was done in Conformity to this Law Thirdly The Opposition between the two Members in this Text doth Confirm it for Law of Faith cannot be here understood a Law requiring Evangelical Faith as a specifical distinct Duty from the Works the other Law did require For first Faith it self is a Work 2 Thes 1.11 The Work of Faith with Power 1 Thes 1.3 Remembring your Work of Faith and in John To Work the Work of God is to Believe For thus there would be no Distinction betwixt the Law of Works and Law of Faith for the Moral Law required Faith in God and the Ceremonial Law required Faith in him that was Typified by their Sacrifices But to come nigher to this Opposition as it is explained by the Socinians and Arminians it must either lie in the Object or in the Precept or Duty but in none of them As to the Object God and Christ there is no Essential difference there for either it must be between the Persons and then there must be three Faiths specifically distinct Or it must be between the Office and Nature and we cannot say there is any greater Distinction there between God and Mediator than between God and Creator God and Preserver or Governor or Sanctifier all which are Incitements and Motives of our Faith or Love or as Mr. Durham calls it Objectum Considerationis or as Cloppenburgh Objectum Formale sub qua but not Ratio formalis quae vel propter quam and such distinct Formalities make no distinct Worship or Faith We see the Lords bringing the People out of Egypt is set down as an Incitement to their Observation of the Moral Law I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt it is far from making a new Law distinct from the Moral so Gods becoming our Redeemer and delivering us out of the Regions of Darkness and Prisons of Bondage is the strongest Motive that ever was and this Sinning against such a Motive which is a Sin against the Gospel is the greatest Sin and as there is no specifically distinct Object in the first Table so there is none in the second to render our Evangelical Obedience to it distinct from our Moral For the Sympathizing with our Neighbour under Adversity as it s said Bear you one anothers Burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ it is no farther remote from Loving our Brother being only Charity denominated from his Condition than not stealing of his goods from him killing of him bearing false Witness against him or those other Precepts are but it 's called the Law of Christ because that kind of Love was the Spring of all his Obedience to the Mediatorial Law the principal part of his Work was to bear our Burden but the Socinians are in a greater difficulty here than others who deny the Deity of Christ and yet do Religiously Worship him Their Work should be how to find out a new Table not how to find out a new Law to place a kind of Obedience in that is neither proper to God nor Man nor are they altogether free of this Task who thô they own the Mediator to be God yet as such talk of a specifical distinct Law of Duties to him from what we owe to God as to Repentance the Ability to perform it and the Acceptance of it being interrupted and imperfect Duty flows from the Gospel yet there is a Necessity that the Law it is regulated by be the same Law that was broken It was Mans Duty to Love God to fear him to have Faith in him and to obey him he has now by Sin omitted these Duties what is else the Essence of his Repentance but the repeating and renewing of it again that he that broke the Law now keep it If he observe not the Law he did violate it is no Repentance Repentance and Primitive Obedience differ no more than the Image of God that Man was created in and Regeneration which is a renewing of him to the same likeness of Knowledge Righteousness and Holiness as the Divine Nature is the rule of this Image both in one and the other else it were no Image so that Holy and perfect Law of God founded on what is his due from what he has been and is to the Creature called the Moral Law is the same Rule to our Actions distinct Formalities in Objects make distinct Sciences and Arts and may occasion distinct Precepts or Acts for it is an imperfect Law if it reach not to every Condition of the Subject Hence Suarez says The Law of Nature before and after the fall differ only as the Acts of the same Law in Time of Peace and War The Law says one thing to a Married Man and another to an Unmarried it has distinct Statutes to every Condition but the Law is one A Law meets with many changes and yet remains the same as a Man doth and is yet the same Man in Essence 1. In Use it may serve for directing the Obedient convincing and condemning the Guilty and be the same Law still So the Moral Law was that we were to be justified or condemn'd by in the Primitive State that use of it ceases when the Soveraign Prince Pardons then the Dignity of the Intercessor or his own Bowels of Mercy is his Measure So God now proceeds with us according to what our Mediator has done for us that is the Law of Faith not according to what we have done It is strange to say Faith in a Mediator will justifie and not Faith in God or that Faith in God belongs not to the Moral Law or that it s now having a Pardon for its Object and before a Reward brings it under another Law the Angels have many a new Duty and new Object of Faith but their Law remains the same 2. The