those other places already opened that it avails nothieg to any Mans acceptation with God or to his Justification and Salvation as the Judaizers of those Times thought it did But then the keeping of the Commandments of God will avail to these ends For that I conceive was intended and ought to be understood by the opposition that is made between Circumcision and keeping the Commandments 6. Faith it self is an act of Evangelical Obedience this as well as Love is an act of Conformity to our Lord's Commands and therefore a Man cannot be justified by Faith but in being so he must be justified by Evangelical Obedience 1 John 3.23 This is his Commandments that we should believe in the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandment This by our Saviour is called a work Joh. 6.29 This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent And there is so much of the nature of Evangelical Obedience in Faith it self as that to Believe and to Obey are promiscuously put one for another and so is Unbelief and Disobedience Accordingly you have in many places the one reading in the Text and the other in the Margin as Acts 5.36 Rom. 11.30 31. Ephes 5.6 Heb. 4.11 and 11.31 And Belief and Disobedience are in Scripture opposed to each other as direct contraries Rom. 10.16 1 Pet. 2.7 2 Thes 2.12 So that since Faith is an act of Evangelical Obedience it follows that to say the Works of Evangelical Obedience do justifie does no more derogate from the Grace of God or the freeness of his Grace in justiying than to say Faith justifies First Because other acts of Evangelical Obedience are the effects of God's Grace and produced by it as well as Faith It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 And secondly Because it is meerly of the Law of Grace that Faith and other Acts of Evangelical Obedience are made the condition of the Promise of Salvation Ephes 2.8 By grace are ye saved through Faith in Christ Jesus and that not of your selves it is the gift of God As Men do not Believe or Obey of themselves without supernatural Assistance so neither is it of themselves that they are Justified or Saved upon their Believing but both the one and the other is the Gift of God It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy It is by virtue of God's New Covenant that a promise of Pardon is made to Repentance or to Faith for the primary Law the Law of Nature promised no such thing upon Repentance And it is by virtue of the same Law of Grace that a Promise of Justification and Reward is made to sincere Obedience in other Acts of Obedience as well as those of Faith and Repentance That which hath made many afraid of interessing Evangelical Obedience with Faith in justifying Men hath been an Opinion that so to do would derogate from God's Grace and attribute too much to Man But you see there is no ground for such an Opinion It 's true indeed the proper merit of Works and God's Grace are inconsistent And therefore are opposed to each other in Scripture But Evangelical Obedience and Grace are no more opposite or inconsistent than Cause and Effect or than Causes principal and subordinate And as it doth not follow that because we are justified freely by God's Grace that therefore we are not justified by Faith So neither doth it follow that because we are justified by Faith that therefore we are not justified by sincere Obedience For these and the Blood of Christ do all concur in producing many of the same Effects though not in the same respect 7. By Evangelical Obedience Christians come to have a right to Salvation Revel 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments â—hat they may have a right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the gates into the City This is left on Record as a special Memorandum â—or Christians in closing up the Canon of the New Testament and therefore is to be taken special notice of This right to the Tree oâ— Life and of entring into this blessed City upon keeping the Commandments is from a New Covenant or Law Act or Grant from God For otherwise Man that had transgressed the first Law hâ—â—as put under would have been far from having any right to such Happiness upon the terms here mentioned viz. of sincere though imperfect Obedience But seeing that a Right to Salvation doth accrue to Men upon a sincere keeping of God's Commandments notwithstanding their forfeiture of their first Right by Man's first Fall it evidently follows that Evangelical or Sincere Obedience is part of the condition of the Promise of Blessedness in the New Law or Covenant and is here put for the whole of it as at other times Faith is put for the whole of the Condition And that Moses David Solomon Nehemiah and Daniel received it in this sense and understood all along that sincere Obedience flowing from Love was the condition of God's Covenant of Mercy when they stiled him a God keeping Covenant and Mercy with those that Love him and keep his Commandments Deut. 7.9 1 Kings 8.23 Neh. 1.5 Dan. 9.4 I have before shewed If it shall be here said that sincere Obedience is indeed a condition of Salvation but not of Justification and that it is so made here in this 22d of the Revelation I have I think sufficiently answered this Objection in the former Chapter but shall here add That such as thus say are more curious and nice in distinguishing between Justification and Salvation than St. Paul was For he calls Justification the Justification of Life Rom. 5.18 Whom he justified them he also glorified Rom. 8.30 and proves that Men shall be justified by Faith because it is written that the Just shall live by Faith Gal. 3.11 Thus with him to be justified and to be blessed are all one Gal. 3.8 9. Rom. 4.7 8 9. And to confirm this Righteousness or Justification and Life are used by him as Synonimous terms Gal. 3.21 For if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law And Justification and Condemnation are but in direct opposition to each other Rom. 5.18 and 8.33 34. And to be freed from Condemnation which is Justification and to be Saved are as much one as not to Dye is to Live In short Salvation as well as Justification is promised to Believing Joh. 3.16 Act. 3.31 Heb. 10.39 And therefore Salvation as well as Justification must needs be the immediate effect of Faith if we take Salvation as begun here in this Life as the Scripture represents it to be Joh. 5.24 1 Joh. 3.14 and 5.12 From all which we may conclude That what is absolutely necessary to Salvation must needs also be necessary to Justification Add we
in a Way of Sincere Obedience according to the Tenour and Import of such a Declaration p. 17. What Faith as Evangelical and Christian is p. 17. The first reason why Faith is made the Condition of the Promise is that the Grace of God to Man might the more shew it self The Second Reason because it best answers God's Design in this Covenant p. 18. 19. 20. Sect. 8. What we are to understand by God's counting Abraham's Faith to him for Righteousness p. 21. Two things make up the Righteousness of the Law of Grace First the Righteousness which consisteth in the Forgiveness of Sins Secondly the Righteousness of Sincere Obedience p. 22. This cleared p. 23. CHAP. II. For what ends the Law was added to the Promise not to cross or confront it p. 24. A Question wherefore then serveth the Law ibid. Answer it was added because of Transgression until the Seed should come And that in many respects first to discover Sin that it might be known to be Sin Secondly to set it out in its own Colours Thirdly to set off the Beauty and Glory of God's Grace in the Promise of Salvation Fourthly because it serves as a School Master to Lead us to Christ and as a School-Master hath a double End respecting the present and future time The present use twofold First to Reclaim and Restrain them from Heathenish superstitions 2dly for Tryal of Obedience in lesser things p. 25. The use of the Law for the time to come was first to facilitate the knowledge of the mystery of their Redemption by Christ Secondly to facilitate and Strengthen their Belief in Christ Thirdly the Law was given to the Jews for the general Good of all the World p. 27. CHAP. III. Wherein is shewed by what Faith and Practise persons under the Law were saved That the Jews had not a clear and full Knowledge of all that was included in the Promise made to Abraham p. 28. and yet that they had the Promise of Blessedness to all Nations in Abraham's Seed They had the addition of several other predictions concerning the Messias p. 30. They had large Significations of God's special Favour above all People ibid. They had exprâ—ss Declarations from God of the Goodness of his Nature By all which they were induc'd to Love God and to endeavour to please him ibid. CHAP. IV. That the Law contained a Covenant different from that with Abraham p. 31. In what respect the Law of Moses is said to contain a Covenant of a different nature from the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham ibid. The Law of Moses under a twofold consideration first as in Conjunction with the Promise made to Abraham 2dly as given at Sinai in a stricter Sense as it was a Rule of Government in the Common-Wealth of Israel In the former sense is obscurely promised Eternal Life in the Latter temporal Blessings p. 32. This Covenant consisted first of Laws 2dly the Sanction of these Laws The Laws were of two sorts 1st the Law of Duty 2dly the Laws of Jndemnity p. 33. Laws of Duty what p. 33. Laws of Jndemnity what p. 34. The Sanction of these Laws consisted in Promises made to the observing them and a Curse denounced against the Transgressors ibid. The Promises considered negatively and Affirmatively p. 35. 36. 37. A five-fold difference in reference to remission of Sin between the first Covenant and the Covenant of Grace p. 38. 39. That more than a temporal Death was threatned for a Breach of the political Covenant as such p. 39. The temporal Evils threatned for a Breach of this Covenant were Personal Domestick or Nationall whereof in particular p. 39. and 41. CHAP. V. The Grand mistakes of the Jews about the Law and Promise and how St. Paul Counter-argues these Mistakes p. 41. First they held Circumcision of the Flesh to be the special Condition upon which God's Covenant-Blessings with Abraham did depend never Vnderstanding that Spiritual Circumcision which was primarily intended p 42. St. Paul's arguing against their Belief in this point p. 42. Secondly That the Promised Messias shou'd not by suffering Death become a Sacrifice for Sin ibid. and yet his Death was necessary how St. Paul â—onsutes their Belief in this point p. 44. Thirdly They held another Error that the Legal Sacrifices did expiate Sin ibid. This Error opposed p. 45 Fourthly That without Circumcision and observing Moses's Law the Gentiles cou'd not be saved ibid. This Error Refuted ibid. Fifthly they held that the Law of Moses was unalterably perpetual and this opposed p. 47. Another Errror of theirs was That they held the First Covenant alone together with the Covenant of Literal Circumcision which they made a part of their Law to be the Covenant of Salvation ibid. And to this they peremptorily adher'd ibid. and disprov'd ibid. CHAP. VI. How St. Paul's Doctrine of Justification by Faith and not by Works was then Mistaken by some The Mistake of those Jews who laid the stress of their Salvation upon Believing only without a virtuous and Holy Life p. 53. Neither did they discern Faith to be necessary in the operative and practical Nature of it p. 54. How the Doctrine of Justification by Faith without Works in the sense wherein the Apostles asserted it was understood p. 55. CHAP. VII That the Doctrine of St. Paul and St. James about Faith and Works in reference to Justification do not differ but are wholly one p. 60. Ten Considerations to prove this p. 61. First that Works of Evangelical Obedience are never in Scripture opposed to God's Grace ibid. Secondly That St. Paul in speaking against Justification by Works gives Caution not to be Vnderstood to speak against Evangelical Obedience p. 62. Thirdly Regeneration or the New Creature is opposed to Works of the Law as well as Faith ibid. Fourthly Evangelical Obedience as well as Faith is opposed to Works of the Law in order to Justification p. 63. Fifthly Evangelical Obedience alone is opposed to Works of the Law in reference to Salvation ibid. Sixthly That Faith is an act of Evangelical Obedience ibid. Seventhly That by Evangelical Obedience Christians come to have a Right to Salvation p. 64. Eightly That as the promise of forgiveness is made sometimes to Believing so it is to Obedience p. 66. Ninthly That Evangelical Obedience is a part of the Condition of Justification p. 67. Tenthly That Repentance is one Eminent Act of Evangelical Obedience ibid. FINIS A DISCOURSE ON FAITH MEN's Eternal Estate of Weal or Wo in another World and their Peace and Comfort in this being very much concerned in their right understanding or mistaking the nature and difference of that Faith which is Saving and of that which is not I shall here state the nature and difference of those two kinds of Faith with what brevity and perspicuity I can I cannot I confess think that the nature of Faith which is of absolute necessity to the Salvation of the meanest Christian is in it self hard to be
the several Points both Doctrinal and Moral How can it be expected any Minister should sufficiently discharge his Duties by thus instructing them without the Supplies of such Books written on the several Subjects both general and particular No it is not possible out of the mean Profits of most Parishes scarce sufficient to provide the mere Necessaries of Life he should be capable to buy himself such necessary Helps It was for these Reasons thought a great Work of Piety or Charity to the Souls of Men not the least wanted in this Nation where there are more Cures of Souls unprovided of necessary Maintenance than in any Establish'd Church perhaps throughout Christendom to furnish as many as possible with Parochial Libraries Some of which tho' slenderly provided of Books at first may probably in time become well replenish'd And as such Parochial Libraries are form'd in the main Part thereof the Didactical on the Plan of the Doctrine of the Covenant consider'd both in its general Nature and its particular Terms both Mercies on God's Part and Conditions to be perform'd on ours on the Means by which we shall be enabled to perform our Covenant Engagement On the Seals of the Covenant and on Repentance after Breach thereof And the first general Doctrine in such Plan being the Doctrine of the Two Covenants on which Subject Mr. ALLEN having written so judiciously in the following Tracts as not to be omitted in any one Library and is therefore so material an Ingredient in the whole Collection so it was thought not improper here to give some Account thereof and with what View it has been publish'd so as to appear Introductory as it were to all that follows As to the Discourse on Faith annext to his Discourse on the Two Covenants that also has its peculiar Excellency as coming from the Pen of so judicious a Person And being so stated by him as not to exclude Conditions in the Covenant necessary to be perform'd on our Part in order to our Justification through CHRIST is very requisite to be perus'd in order to the better understanding the Covenant it self and was therefore annex'd by the Author himself to his former Discourse on the Two Covenants A DISCOURSE OF THE Nature Ends and Difference OF THE Two Covenants THE mistake of the unbelieving Jews about the true import of God's Promise to Abraham and of the Law of Moses was a principal cause of the rejecting Christ and his Gospel and their own Salvation thereby To rectifie which mistake the Apostle St. Paul used various Reasonings according to the various Errors contained in it In which Reasonings of his there being some things hard to be understood there are others again which probably mistaking the Apostles reasonings against the Jewish Notion of Justification by Works ran into a contrary Extream thinking they might be Saved by Faith without Works as on the conrary the incredulous Jews thought they might be Saved by Works without Faith And if many in our days had not run into somewhat alike Extream through a misunderstanding also of the Apostles Writings labour and pains would not have been so necessary as now they are to rectifie their mistake and to prevent it in others To the end therefore that the plain Truth may the better appear touching God's Promise to Abraham touching the Law of Moses and the Apostles arguings about these I shall very briefly endeavour these seven Things I. To open the Nature and Design of God's Promise to Abraham And to shew II. For what end the Law was added to the Promise III. By what Faith and Practice the Iews under the Law were saved IV. That the Law contained a Covenant different from that with Abraham V. The grand mistakes of the unbelieving Iews and St. Paul's counter-arguings touching both the Law and the Promise VI. The Mistake of some pretended Christians in the Apostles days Touching the Doctrine of Justification by Faith without Works VII That the Doctrine of St. Paul and St. James about Faith and Works in reference to Justification do not differ I shall begin with the first of these CHAP. I. The Nature and Design of God's Promise to Abraham I Shall endeavour to open the Nature and Design of God's Promise to Abraham Which Promise is also called the Covenant Act. 3.25 Gal. 3.17 In doing of which these eight things will come under consideration 1. What the Nature of this Promise is in general 2. What the Design of it is 3. What are the special Benefits promised 4. What the Extent of it is 5. The Security given by God for the performance of it 6. That this Promise was Conditional 7. What the Condition of it was 8. What we are to understand by God's accounting Abraham's Faith to him for Righteousness Sect. 1. Of the Nature of it in general This Promise I take to be of the same nature with that which in the Gospel is called the New-Covenant It 's true indeed they greatly differ in the Administration the one being but general implicite and obscure and the other more particular express and perspicuous But though in this they differ yet in their general nature they agree in one and are the same For 1. This Covenant as delivered to Abraham was confirmed in Christ as well as the Gospel afterwards Gal. 3.17 and that 's a Character of the New-Covenant Mat. 26.28 2. The Gospel is said to have been Preached to Abraham in the Promise that was made him Gal. 3.8 3. He was justified by Faith which he could not have been but by vertue of a New-Covenant And it was by Faith in the Promise made to him by God by which he was justified Which two things supposed it necessarily follows That that Promise was of the Nature of the New-Covenant 4. St. Paul argues against the erroneous Jews in his Epistles to the Romans and Galatians the necessity of Evangelical Faith unto Justification now under the Gospel from Abraham's being justified by Faith and from God's setting him forth for a Pattern and Example to all after-Ages of his justifying both Jews and Gentiles upon the Condition of Believing The strength of which arguing seems to depend upon this supposition That the Promise by the belief of which Abraham was then justified and the Promise in the Gospel by the belief of which Men are now justified do both agree and are one in the general nature of them And upon these grounds and under this notion of the Promise to Abraham I intend to discourse of it But when I consider for what reason he that is least in the Kingdom of God is said to be greater than John the Baptist though not Abraham himself nor any of the Prophets were greater than he and when I consider likewise how ignorant the Apostles were for a time touching the necessity of the Death and Resurrection of Christ notwithstanding the many plainer Revelations thereof in the Prophets than we find Abraham had I cannot I confess think that Abraham had or
could have a distinct notion of all that was contained and implied in the Promise as now it is opened and unfolded in the Writings of the New Testament it does appear was wrapt up in it And therefore though I think I may well found a Discourse of the New-Covenant upon the Promise made to Abraham as it is now explained in the New Testament yet I would not be understood to suppose Abraham's apprehension or Faith to have then been commensurate to the Promise as it is so explained Supposing then the Promise to Abraham to be the New Covenant it self in a more imperfect Edition of it than afterward came forth I shall now a little farther consider what it was and what the New-Covenant is and ever hath been in the general nature of it since it first commenced And it is a new Law or Covenant made by way of Remedy against the rigour and extremity of the Law of Nature under which Man was Created For the Law of Nature the Law of God's Creation as well as his Instituted Law in Paradise being violated and impossible to be kept inviolable by Man in his Lapsed state by reason of his moral Impotency and the Pravity of his Nature derived from Adam he must inevitably have sunk and perished under the Condemnation of it unless there had been a new Law instituted to supercede the procedure of this Law against him in its natural and proper course If Salvation had been attainable by Man in his Lapsed state without this remedying Law of Grace there would have been no need of a New Covenant If there had been a Law given which could have given Life verily righteousness should have been by the Law Gal. 3 21. But there was no such Law given besides this New Law Nor could the Original Law be repealed for the relief of faln Man it being founded in the nature of God and the nature of Man as he was created after God's own Image and is no more changeable than the nature of Good and Evil are changeable And therefore as I said there was a necessity that Man must have Perished under the Condemnation of the Law of his Creation as the lapsed Angels did under theirs unless a Law of Indemnity had been Enacted But God whose tender Mercies are over all his Works to the end so great and considerable a part of his Creation as Man is might not be wholly lost and undone to all Eternity out of his infinite Compassion Mercy and Love did constitute a New Law or Covenant for Mans Relief which well may be called the Covenant of Grace against the rigour and extremity of the first Law Which new Law was in some degree though but obscurely made known to Man not long after Adam's Fall or else there would have been no ground for that Faith which we are assured was in Abel Enoch c. Heb. 11. But it was doubtless somewhat more fully declared to Abraham than to any before and at last compleatly established and published by Jesus Christ the Mediator of it who was given for a Covenant to the people And this new Law in the last Edition of it under the Gospel is variously denominated being called the Promise the New Covenant the Law of Faith the Law of Liberty the Gospel the Grace of God or the Word of his Grace And so we come Sect. 2. To consider what the design of God was in this New Covenant or Promise unto Abraham Next to his own Glory it was to recover the humane Nature from its degenerate state to a state of Holiness to that likeness to God in which Man was at the first made and therein and thereby to a state of Happiness both which were lost by the Fall Holiness Love and Goodness as they were once the Glory and Happiness of Man before he lost them so are still perfective of his Nature And therefore it is impossible in the nature of the thing to recover Man to Happiness without recovering his Nature to a conformity to God in these or for Man to be perfectly Happy whose Nature is not perfected in them Sin is the Disease and Sickness of the Soul and it 's as possible for a Sick Man to enjoy the pleasure of Health as it is for the sinful and corrupt Nature of Man while such to enjoy the pleasure which the humane Nature did naturally enjoy or was capable of enjoying in its Innocency and Purity But when the Nature of Man is once recovered to perfection in Knowledge Holiness Love and Goodness it will then be matter of unspeakable delight to him to love God Angels and Men and to do the will of God in every thing It is so to the holy Angels And it was so to our Blessed Saviour who counted it as his meat and drink to be doing the will of his heavenly Father And to what degree the Nature of Man is here in this World restored towards its proper perfection to the same degree it is matter of pleasure and delight to him to act holily and righteously and to be doing good It is joy to the Just to do judgment Prov. 21.15 It is a pain to a Man to act contrary to the bent and inclination of his Nature by compulsion or fear And therefore unless the corrupt Nature of Man were changed Heaven would not be Heaven to him in case he were there Those Divine and Heavenly Exercises which are there the unspeakable delight of Saints and Angels would be his Pain and Torment as being contrary to his Nature and the pleasures of that state as having not what will satisfie the unsatiable lust of Mans corrupt Nature would not be such to him but add rather to his anguish For as it would be a Torment to a Man to be in eâ—tremity of Hunger and Thirst and to be without Meat and Drink and all hopes of any to satisfie him So will it be a grievous Torment to the corrupt Nature of Men in another World to retain their lusts and the violent cravings of them and yet to be without all hope of having wherewith to satisfie them which yet is like to be the condition of Men in Hell Here Mens unnatural Lusts are not such a Torment to them because they can make provision to satisfie them or live in hopes so to do and in the mean while drown the noise of them by diversion But in Hell it will be quite otherwise And therefore it 's easie to imagine that the Torment which will arise from the corruption of Mens Natures there will be unspeakably great besides the piercing sence of the Happiness they have lost and the other intollerable pains which they must indure and therefore as whoever hath not his Nature renewed in this World is never like to have it renewed in another so without renewing of it it is impossible he should be happy there Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Joh. 3.3 That is he cannot enjoy it
of the subject-matter of their Epistles did differ just as the Errors they engaged against did differ The Errors of the unbelieving Jews consisting much in denying Justification to be by Christ and Faith in him and in placing it in their own Works of Circumcising Sacrificing and other Mosaical Observations And St. Paul designing in some of his Epistles to antidote the Christians against the Infection of them and to establish them in the saving Doctrine of the Gospel was led of course to bend his Discourse in great part against Justification by Works of the Law and on the contrary to assert it to be by Faith in Christ in his Death and in his Doctrine without those Works Whereas St. James having to do in his Epistle with such as professed the Christian Faith and Justification by it but erring dangerously about the nature of Faith as justifying thinking that opinionative Faith would save them though destitute of a real change in the moral frame and constitution of their Souls and of a holy Life Hereupon it became in a manner as necessary for him to plead the Renovation of Man's Nature and Evangelical Obedience to be some way necessary unto Justification as it was for St. Paul to contend for Justification by Faith without the deeds of the Law And therefore though their Doctrines in this respect did in great part differ yet they did not differ as Truth differs from Error nor as opposites but only as one Truth differs from another For otherwise when St. Paul had to do with the like Erroneous and Scandalous Christians as those were which St. James expostulated the matter with When he had to do with such as had a form of Godliness but denyed the power thereof he could and did decry a reprobate Faith and plead the necessity of a Faith that is unfeighned and of a holy Life as well as St. James as appears in part by what was said in the former Chapter and will I doubt not be made sufficiently evident in this In order whereto I shall recommend to consideration these ten things 1. That Works of Evangelical Obedience are never in Scripture opposed to God's Grace 2. That St. Paul in speaking against Justification by Works gives sufficient Caution not to be understood thereby to speak any thing against Evangelical Obedience in reference thereto 3. That Regeneration or the New Creature as including Evangelical Obedience is opposed to Works in the business of Man's Justification as well as Faith is and as well as the Grace of God it self is 4. That Evangelical Obedience as well as Faith and together with Faith is opposed to the Works of the Law in reference to Justification 5. That Evangelical Obedience alone is opposed to the Works of the Law 6. Faith it self is an Act of Evangelical Obedience 7. By Evangelical Obedience Christians come to have a Right to Salvation 8. The Promise of benefit by the Blood of Christ is made to Evangelical Obedience 9. Repentance And 10. Forgiving Injuries are both Acts of Evangelical Obedience without which a Man cannot be justifyed And if these things be made out they will I think amount to such a demonstration as that we cannot well desire a clearer or fuller proof that St. Paul together with others the Apostles taught Justification by Evangelical Obedience as the effect of Faith as well as St. James 1. The Works of Evangelical Obedience as the effects of Faith and Regeneration by Faith are never in St. Paul's Epistles or any other the holy Scriptures opposed to God's Grace in reference to Justification and Salvation Works and Grace indeed are opposed to each other But then by Works we are to understand either Works antecedent to Conversion or as they are denied to merit at the hands of God Or the Works of the Law of Moses as Erroneously contended for by the Jews Or the Works of the Law as Typical and as opposed to things Typify'd Or the Works of the Law as the Law is in its rigour opposed to the milder Oeconomy of the Gospel But the Works of Evangelical Obedience are never opposed to Grace no more than Faith it self is And there is no reason why they should because Evangelical Obedience is the effect of Divine Grace as well as Faith it self is and tends to the praise of it and is accepted and will be rewarded through Grace Contrary hereunto those words in Titus 3.5 Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us are wont to be alledged to prove that Works after Conversion as well as those before are opposed to the Mercy of God in the saving of Men. But whether this be duly collected from these words will best appear by opening the scope and meaning of the words with the Context The words in the 3 4 and 5 Verses are these For we our selves also were sometimes foolish serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost By their being Saved here is meant their being rescued and delivered from their sinful state mentioned vers 3. In that this is said to be done not by Works of Righteousness which they had done but according to God's Mercy The plain meaning I doubt not is that this change of their condition and deliverance from their sinful state was not effected or so much as begun among them by any Reformation of their own till the Gospel came to work it which is meant by the appearing of the Kindness and Love of God vers 4. and is of like import with that Chap. 2.11 12. which God of his Mercy and not of their Desert sent among them to that end And if this be the meaning of the words the Apostle was far from intending by Works of Righteousness in this place Works after Conversion I might rather well argue on the contrary from this place That Baptism which is an act of Evangelical Obedience in the Person Baptized and Regeneration which is Evangelical Obedience in the Root and Principle are together with the Mercy of God and as subordinate to it opposed to the Works of Righteousness here mentioned in the Work of Salvation For it is probable that by the washing of Regeneration here is meant Baptism as the Figure of Regeneration and by the Renewing of the Holy Ghost Regeneration it self By both which as subordinate to God's Mercy therein they were said to be saved and not by the Works of Righteousness which they had done before these There is another place in 2 Tim. 2.9 which is wont to be urged with this to Titus to the same purpose But it being of the same nature with this the same Answer may serve both with a little variation 2. St.
undoubtedly the way of Satan Whereas in Truth both their former ill Practices and their present evil Temper and Principles are the Children of the same Father tho' unlike to one another in outward Features So fatal a Delusion it is of the Devil 's to allow Sinners in performing a kind of Partial Obedience to God nay to further 'em perhaps in the throwing off some sensual and grosly scandalous Courses that he may more securely detain 'em Servants and Slaves to himself in the less discernible sins of spiritual Wickedness Secondly Another usual Policy of the Devil 's in corrupting of our Manners is to Put plausible Names upon the worst Sins and under that disguise to cheat Persons into a good Opinion of 'em and then to commit ' em II. By putting plausible Names upon the worst of Sins under that disguise he does cheat Persons into a good Opinion of 'em and then to commit ' em And he had the Impudence to Tempt even our Saviour himself in this manner He would have had him to throw himself headlong from the Pinnacle of the Temple alledging that God would give his Angels charge concerning him and in their hands they should bear him up Matth. 4.6 And this no doubt he would have him believe was a Trusting in God And in like manner by a Satanical Device the Presumption of some that they are the Elect is call'd their Faith by which they shall be Justified Rioting and Drunkenness is call'd good Fellowship and to be easily withdrawn into it the Effects of good Nature Covetousness Griping and Extortion is term'd a providing for One's own which he that does not do is worse than an Infidel And on the contrary to be Prodigal and Profuse is to be Hospitable and Charitable Spite Malice and Revenge is call'd a Hating of other Men's Sins And the most bitter and fierce Contentions nay the most cruel and bloody Persecutions a Zeal for God and true Religion and when that Temper is justly expos'd to Hatred and Abhorrence then a Lukewarmness and a meer Indifferency in matters of Religion whether Truth or Heresy prevails Gallio's caring for none of those things is styl'd the calm and sweet Temper and Spirit of the Gospel Thus does Sin pass in the World currantly under the mask of Vertue Vice appearing in its own Colours is so odious a thing that no one but must be ashamed to own it Sin in that disguise gets Reputation amongst Men. But being adorn'd by the Cunning of Satan with Titles of Respect and in the shews of Vertue it is lookt upon with no evil Eye but gets Approbation and Reputation amongst Men. But the Devil gets a Passport for several Sins into the World not only by giving 'em the Name of Vertues But Thirdly By changing the Nature of several Divine Graces and Vertues so that they degenerate into very great Sins III. By changing the Nature of several Divine Graces so that they degenerateinto very great Sins It being much the Devil's Policy to Transport Persons out of that Moderation wherein Vertue does for the most Part consist into that Excess which much resembles it but is really exceedingly sinful and hurtful to Men's Souls This we gather to be the Devil's Policy from 2 Cor. 2.11 where the Apostle advises the Corinthians to Forgive at the last that Incestuous Person amongst 'em whom they had deservedly Excommunicated and to receive him to the Communion of the Church being he had Humbled himself and Repented and that Mercy he would have 'em shew him lest Satan should get an Advantage over 'em For we are not ignorant of his Devices says he that is lest the too long continuance of the Punishments they inflicted upon the Penitent Offender might be made use of by Satan to the hurt and ruine of the Church by hightning their Zeal against Sin into an Irreconcilableness to the Sinner And indeed there are many Sins and Vertues so near in their Nature that the Passage from one to the other is hardly discernible insomuch that by the Art of Satan we easily slide from one to the other As Obstinacy in standing out against all Conviction concerning the Truth is easily mistaken for Constancy in the Faith and the Love of Our-selves for the Love of God But especially that Zeal for God's Glory now mention'd a most Excellent Grace in it self is often and that easily Transported into Cruelty as we see it was in St. Paul who out of a Zeal for the Law Beyond measure persecuted the Church of God and wasted it Gal. 1.13 Thus by changing the Nature of several Divine Graces and Vertues so that they become very great sins does Satan easily betray us into them And what is worse Sin thus mistaken for Vertue is hardly ever afterwards Repented of Sins thus mistaken are seldom Repented of for whereas Sin when it appears bare-fac'd and in its own Colours and is known to be so is an ugly Monster and is no sooner Committed but it scares the Conscience into Grief Anguish and Repentance when it is thus mistaken for real and true Vertue it is not only securely and without the least Reluctancy and Remorse committed but is confidently Glorify'd in and the Sinner grows Proud of those Villanous Practices for which he ought to Humble himself in Sackcloth and Ashes Fourthly It is a most destructive Policy of Satan To put New Beginners in the Spiritual Life upon greater Severities and Strictnesses in Religion than they are capable of on purpose that when they groâ— weary thereof and cannot go through with they may together with those their voluntary Severities throw all Religion aside as too burthensome and not at all practicable IV. By putting Novices upon undertaking Severities greater than they can go thro' with on design that when they grow weary thereof they may together with those their voluntary Severities throw all Religion aside as too Burdensom and not at all Practicable This we gather to be a Policy of Satan's from that Prudent Advice of St. Paul's 1 Cor. 7.5 which he gives to Marry'd People that Except it be with consent for a time that they might give themselves to Fasting and Prayer they should not prescribe to themselves too long Abstinences from one another lest Satan should Tempt them for their Incontinency so we Translate it but the Word in the Original signifies want of Ability to Contain or Abstain Which Inability or Weakness to go through any voluntary and undertaken Piece of Discipline is an occasion of Temptation and will be an Advantage to the Tempter by which when he does at any time Attempt such a Person he may probably enough Overcome Which Inability or Weakness I say to go through any voluntary and undertaken Piece of Discipline as of long Fastings and Watchings at such set Hours of the Night or the Performance of certain Vows which some do lay upon themselves these tho' they may be serviceable to promote a spiritual Life if
be less efficacious to the subduing the Temptations arising from the Flesh that is from our own Lusts and Appetites there being no Considerations of that force to oblige us to deny all Vngodliness and worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World as all the Articles of our Creed particularly the looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar People zealous of Good Works Tit. 2.12 13 14. A thorough Perswasion apply'd home to the Heart by serious Consideration that the Son of God did Himself descend from Heaven by wonderful and amazing Methods to rescue us from the Slavery of our brutish Lusts and Appetites and that he will again come in Glory to Judge and Reward us for the Victory we shall gain over 'em are enough to work upon all Reasonable and Thinking Creatures and nothing can prevail with us to abandon our Lusts if these will not And III. Lastly but above all 3. The Devâ—â— the great Power and the glorious Effects of Faith are seen in the Victories it will enable us to obtain over that Great Adversary the Devil We had need to put on the whole Armour of God that we may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil For we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood a contemptible Enemy in comparison but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against spiritual Wickedness in High Places Wherefore St. Paul does warn us to take unto us the whole Armour of God that we may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand But above all to take the Shield of Faith wherewith we shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil Eph. 6.11 12. The Temptations and Assaults of the Devil which the Apostle does here so solemnly rouze us up to resist are I suppose the terrible Persecutions that Satan does in all Ages raise against one part or other of the Church and these tho' dreadful indeed and most likely to over-power us yet are conquerable by a firm Faith Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the Shame and is set down on the Right hand of the Throne of God For if we consider him that endured such contradiction of Sinners against himself we shall not be weary nor faint in our Minds Heb. 12.2 3. So that in short the true and genuine Effects of Faith are constant and perpetual Victories against the World the Flesh and the Devil and an universal Obedience notwithstanding any of 'em to the Commands of God And therefore since so much depends upon a true Faith that he who believeth shall be saved Mark 16.16 And by the Grace of God we are saved through Faith Eph. 2.5 It does infinitely concern you to examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith and to prove your selves 2 Cor. 13.5 And the only way to prove the Sincerity of your Faith is by examining the fore-mention'd Fruits of it in your own Lives and Conversations and by seeing whether it produces a good Life For this we may assure our selves having the Authority of an Apostle for it Jam. 2.26 That as the Body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also So that except upon examination you shall find your spiritual Enemies in a great measure subdu'd and an Habit of Vertue rooted in your Souls your Faith is not sincere THE XXX Lecture I Believe HAving already explain'd and laid before you the Nature and Effects of Faith or Believing I might now proceed to the Consideration of those main Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity summ'd up in the Apostles Creed and which are to be Believ'd accordingly But since so great Weight is laid in the Covenant of Grace upon Faith that on Condition thereof we are said to be sav'd Sirs said the Keeper of the Prison to Paul and Silas What must I do to be saved And they said Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House Act. 16.30 31. since whosoever Believeth in Christ shall receive Remission of Sins c. 10 43. And which has most perplexed Persons Heads to understand the meaning of it and from the misunderstanding of which the most Fatal Errors have ensu'd since a Man is Justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law Rom. 3.28 And being Justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 And lastly since a true state of this Doctrine of Justifying Faith will above any other single Doctrine excepting that of the Covenant of Grace let you into the full Understanding of the Nature Texture and Constitution of the Whole Christian Religion For all these Reasons I think I ought not to dismiss this Subject of Faith without giving you a State of the Doctrine of Justifying Faith and without distinguishing betwixt it and other sorts of Faith which will fail us in the great Business of Justification and Salvation And in order to the Explication of so considerable a Point I. I will give you to understand what is meant by Justification II. I will then shew by what sort of Faith we are accordingly Jâ—nstified And III. And lastly in what sence we are said to be Justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law And I. I will give you to understand what is meant by Justification Justification defin'd And Justification is God's Adjudging us through Christ as Just and Righteous according to the Terms of the Covenant of Grace and his acquitting of such from the Punishment of those Sins of which according to the Terms of the First Covenant there was no place for Pardon To make this Description more plain to you I will a little enlarge upon it and prove the several Parts thereof And 1. There are Just and Righteous Persons since the Fall First I say there are those who even in this lapsed and fallen state of Man have the Testimony of God Himself that they are Just and Righteous Men. Thus Abel obtained witness that he was Righteous God testifying of his Gifts Heb. 11.4 And Lot is also mention'd in Scripture as a Righteous Man 2 Pet. 2.8 And Joseph Simeon Cornelius and others are said in the Gospel to be Just Men and at the end of the World the Angels shall come forth and separate the Wicked from the Just Matth. 13.49 Which supposes that all those who shall be saved shall be Just and Righteous Persons 2. It is according to the Terms of the Gospel that any are such Secondly Those who are thus Just and Righteous are such according to the Terms of the Gospel Justice and Righteousness are to be measured according to some Rule in conformity to which
Nature and the Law of Moses And St. Paul disputing with the Jews about the Invalidity and Insufficiency of any other Dispensation or Law to render us Just and Accepted by God besides the Gospel and the Necessity for all Persons that will be Justify'd and Sav'd to Believe and embrace the Gospel as the only means of both By Law he understood both the Law of Nature and the Law of Moses according to either of which if they would stand a Judgment he shews it was not possible for any to be Justified or accounted as Just because there was no Man living but had transgress'd and violated those Laws and fallen short of those Conditions prescrib'd in 'em according to which a Man was to be accounted Just and Righteous He had prov'd before both Jews and Gentiles that they were all under Sin and that therefore by the Deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be Justified in his sight Rom. 3.9 20. So that the whole of St. Paul's meaning when he denies Justification to be by the Law is this That according to the perfect Rule of Righteousness prescribed to Adam or by Moses no Man now in this our fallen State can be accounted reputed or Adjudged Righteous By Works and Deeds of the Law are meant both Moral and Ceremonial Duties as performed by the Power of Nature without Faith and as meritorious of the Reward Nor can any be Justified by the Works and Deeds of the Law for another reason for by Works and Deeds of the Law in the Jews meaning of those Words in that Dispute St. Paul had with 'em were meant the observance of the Moral and Ceremonial Works and Duties of the Law as performed by their own Natural Strength without the Supernatural Assistance of God's Grace and not consider'd as flowing from Faith and moreover these Works and Deeds of the Law they accounted as meritorious of the Reward they were Works upon which the Reward would have been reckon'd not of Grace but of Debt Rom. 4.4 and which would have given occasion for Boasting v. 27. And now this being the meaning of the Law and the Deeds and Works of the Law in St. Paul's Dispute with the Jews and the Jews Doctrine being this That by observation of the Law of Moses they could approve themselves as Just and Righteous before God and by the Deeds and Works of the Law perform'd by their own Natural strength they could merit the rewards of Obeying and could have good reason to Boast of their Righteousness which the Pharisees amongst 'em were so apt to do In opposition to which sence of the Law and Works St. Paul does plead Justification to be attainable only upon Gospel Terms as we see Luke 18.11 In opposition to this St. Paul does bend the Force of his Arguments as there was great reason to prove to 'em That since according to the Tenor of either the Law of Nature or the Law of Moses all both Jews and Gentiles are under Sin so that there is none Righteous no not one Rom. 3.9 10. That therefore we are Justified freely by God's 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 Righteousness that he might be Just and the Justifier of him that Believeth in Jesus v. 24 25 26. That is Christ has reveal'd this way of Justifying Sinners namely that he will accept and reward all those as Righteous Persons who shall Believe and embrace those Terms of Salvation propos'd in the Gospel and shall accordingly give themselves up to be rul'd by it And this is to be Justified freely by his Grace And this is to be Justified freely by God's Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ and does also sufficiently exclude Boasting This I say is to be Justified freely by his Grace for that we have this condescending Rule of Righteousness given us whereby we shall be accepted of as Righteous and Acquitted from Punishment upon our Practical Faith a sincere Obedience and unseigned Repentance is an Act of meer Grace and Mercy in God through Jesus Christ the Purchase of which cost Christ His BLOOD but cost us nothing And it is by the Grace and Assistance of his Holy Spirit that we are enabled to perform these Conditions of our Justification viz. Repentance Faith and Obedience And it does also sufficiently exclude all reason for And it does also sufficiently exclude all occasions of Boasting and occasion of Boasting For when all is done our Repentance Faith and Obedience hath nothing of Virtue or Merit of Natural or Moral Efficiency in it towards the purchasing of the Pardon of our past Sins and to render us Righteous were it not for his Mercy in Christ in giving us such gracious Laws and Terms of Righteousness as those contained in the Gospel All which Reasons sufficiently make it appear how we are Justified freely by his Grace notwithstanding the necessity of our inherent Righteousness to Justification and are far from having any reason to pride our selves in any of our most Holy and Virtuous Performances And by what hath been said in the Explication of this Part And from the same account it will easily appear how S. Paul and S. James may be Reconciled I hope it does also sufficiently appear that there is no real opposition between St. Paul and St. James when the former does assert That a Man is Justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law and the latter That by Works a Man is Justified and not by Faith only For it is not you see the same Law nor the same Works upon which their Discourses proceeded but quite different both Laws and Works and therefore there could be no Contradiction between ' em The Works and Deeds of the Law by which S. Paul denies we can be Justified are either an unsinning Obedience according to the Law of Nature or the Observance of Moses's Laws The Works by which according to S. James we shall be Justified are the Works prescribed by the Laws of the Gospel flowing from Faith The occasion also of these Discourses was different The Law St. Paul excludes from being a Rule of Justification was both the perfect Law of Nature and the Law of Moses and the Deeds and Works of the Law which he likewise excludes from being the Terms on which God will Justifie us were a perfect exact unsinning Obedience such as is requir'd by the Original Law of Righteousness or an Observance of all the Laws of Moses By neither of which Laws nor the Deeds and Works of such Laws could we at all be Justified since according to those Rules of Righteousness Cursed is every one that continues not in all things to do 'em Gal. 3.10 But the Works St. James c. 2.24 seems so carefully to interess in the Affair of our Justification jointly and equally with Faith are those Works prescribed by the Laws
Leaning and Rolling themselves upon the Promises of Christ for Salvation But for any to expect to be Justify'd and Accepted by God without forsaking their evil Ways and without working out also their own Salvation with fear and trembling that is without being extreamly careful themselves to be Obedient to God's most Holy Laws is gross Hypocrisie and will miserably deceive us Hypocrisie is with vain Shews and Pretences to deceive our selves or others and to be only Hearers or Believers of the Word and not Doers is to deceive our selves St. James tells us 1. 22. And a greater than he even our Blessed Saviour himself hath assured us Mat. 7.21 That not everyone who saith unto him Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of his Father which is in Heaven And as for the Pretence they have to live securely in unrepented Habits of Sin that the Grace and Mercy of Christ is more Magnify'd the greater Sinners they are I answer That the greater Sinners they have been the greater is the Mercy which Forgives 'em when they do repent according to that of the Apostle Rom. 5.20 21. Where Sin abounded Grace did much more abound that as Sin hath reigned unto Death even so might Grace reign through Jesus Christ our Lord. But to make the Magnifying of God's Grace a Reason for Security whilst Men continue in Sin this indeed was a false Conclusion that some in the First Times as well as now were apt to draw from St. Paul's Doctrine of Justification but which that Great Apostle rejected with the utmost Indignation and Abhorrence in the next Chapter v. 1 2. What shall we say then Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein No sure the Doctrine of Christianity tho' it lays aside the Original Law of Righteousness and the Law of Moses from being either of 'em a Rule of Righteousness in conforming to which we shall be Justify'd yet this Doctrine most strictly obliges us to a sincere Reformation from all former Sins and to a Newness of Life as the indispensible Condition of being Justify'd by God Nor is there the least occasion given us by this Doctrine to value our selves upon our own Righteous Performances when it is only of Grace that we are able to do any thing which is good and the Acceptance of the Good we do is owing to the Mediation of Christ who obtained such Gracious Terms and Conditions of Justification for us Which Considerations as I have already made appear do sufficiently shew that we are Justify'd freely by God's Grace in Christ and do exclude all Grounds and Occasion of Boasting A summary account of justifying Faith In a word and to conclude this whole Point the only Faith or Belief that will Justifie and Save us must be such a full Perswasion of the Truth of Christianity and all its Great Doctrines those I mean which are in a peculiar manner call'd the Articles of our Christian Faith it must be such a through Perswasion I say of those great and powerful Truths as will purifie us in Heart and Life and will effectually excite us to live up to the Rules of Christianity and make us sincerely and heartily to Obey God in all his most Holy and Righteous Laws And it must be such withal as will cause us to depend solely upon God's Mercies in Christ for the Acceptance of our imperfect Righteousness to our Justification And all those kinds of Faith call 'em what you will which are barren of unfruitful in Good Works or if they stir us up to encounter some Difficulties do not bear us up under all Temptations nor enable us to perform the more difficult Instances of Christian Duty and Obedience those which are most contrary to our Lusts and Interests as well as the more easie which are agreeable to our Profit or Pleasure The Faith that is not powerful enough to carry us through all Temptations is defective to the great Purposes of Justifying and Saving us The necessity of our often incalculating such a Faith And moreover I must acquaint you that the necessity of a working Faith to that end as it is the great Doctrine of Christianity so it ought to be throughly explain'd and often insisted upon by us Ministers of the Gospel for fear of People's Mistakes in this matter which will be most dangerous to their Souls And accordingly St. Paul lays a solemn Charge upon us Tit. 3.8 that we should in the same manner I have already done explain and inculcate the Doctrine of Faith unto you This is a faithful Saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have Believed in God might be careful to maintain Good Works for these things or these Doctrines are profitable unto Men. THE XXXI Lecture I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth I Have already shew'd you what it is to Believe that our Faith must be such as rectifies and renews our Corrupt Nature as moves us to the performance of the most difficult Instances of Christian Duty and such as after all causes us to relie solely upon the Mercies of God in Christ for the Acceptance of our imperfect Obedience to our Justification And now by the Divine Assistance I shall proceed to explain unto you all those sacred Truths contain'd in your Creed which are of such mighty Importance And there are not a few such powerful and practical Truths imply'd in this one Article I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth Towards the full Explication of which that it may effectually work a blessed Change both in our Hearts and Lives I will do these Things I. I will in some measure declare unto you the Nature and Infinite Perfections of that Divine Being which we call God I Believe in God II. I will prove to you that this Infinitely perfect Being out of his Infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness made the Heaven and the Earth and all Things both Visible and Invisible therein contain'd Maker of Heaven and Earth III. I will explain and prove that this same God who made the Heaven and the Earth does now exercise a most Wise Just and Good Providence over it and every thing therein contain'd which is the Importance of the Word Almighty in this Article as shall be shew'd hereafter IV. I might here demonstrate to you that there is but one God for so the Nicene Creed which is but a Paraphrase upon this does teach us I Believe in one God And Lastly that in the Vnity of the Godhead there is a Trinity of Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost I Believe in God the Father And the other two Persons are also mention'd in their proper place But because I would be as little guilty as possible in this Exposition of repeating hereafter what I have said before I shall referr the Doctrine of
CERTAIN SELECT DISCOURSES On those most Important Subjects requisite to be well understood by a CATECHIST In laying the FOUNDATION of Christian Knowledge in the Minds of Novitiates Viz. First DISCOURSES on I. The Doctrine of the TWO COVENANTS both LEGAL and EVANGELICAL And II. On FAITH and JUSTIFICATION By WILLIAM ALLEN SECONDLY DISCOURSES ON I. The COVENANT of GRACE or Baptismal Covenant Being Catechetical Lectures on the Preliminary QUESTIONS and ANSWERS of the CHURCH-CATECHISM II. Three CATECHETICAL LECTURES on Faith and Justification By THOMAS BRAY D. D. LONDON Printed by S. Hawes in the Year MDCXCIX TWO DISCOURSES The FIRST of the NATURE ENDS and DIFFERENCE OF THE TWO COVENANTS And the SECOND A PRACTICAL DISCOURSE ON FAITH SHEWING The Nature and Difference of that Faith which is Justifying and that which is Not and the Reason of that Difference By WILLIAM ALLEN THE PREFACE THE following Discourse upon the NATURE ENDS and DIFFERENCE of the TWO COVENANTS may be well reckon'd the Opus Palmare of the Judicious Mr. WILLIAM ALLEN though nothing came from the Pen of that very judicious Writer which may not be esteemed among the best in its Kind And even in his Polemick Discourses such was his Discretion and Temper that every Thing he spoke was very convincing but never provoking so that he had the Happiness which few Controvertists enjoyed that even his Adversaries wou'd not mention him without Expressions of Esteem But the Character I had from two most Excellent and Learned Bishops not many Years since deceased of the subact Judgment of this truly Great Man and particularly as it appeared in this Tract of the TWO COVENANTS were sufficient with me to value with a particular Regard whatever came from him and This in a more especial Manner The learned Bishop Williams who had been intimate with him said of him That though be was the most candid Person living and never heard him pass harsh Censures of Men and their Writings yet such was that Awe with Respect to him which the greatest Men in those Times as well as himself found upon their Spirits that whenever they gave Dr. Tillotson a Turn at his Tuesday's Lecture at St. Lawrence if they should happen to cast an Eye upon Mr. ALLEN in the Congregation they could not help being under some Concern lest an Expression should drop out of their Mouths which could not bear the Test And the Reverend Bishop LLOYD being ask'd his Opinion concerning the Reprinting this Discourse of the TWO COVENANTS He advis'd it with these Words By all Means It was that Tract of Mr. ALLEN made me a Divine I never met with the Person who did not easily allow this Excellent Prelate to be the greatest Scripturist perhaps of any Age. A Man indeed like Apollos mighty in the Scriptures And this Tract of Mr. ALLEN is a Key of excellent Use to the Opening of them as it discovers in the different Oeconomies and Dispensations of the Law and the Gospel the Aim of God in both to be the same Namely the selecting to himself a Church out of the wicked World and the tying the same in the closest Bonds of Allegiance to him by Covenant but yet by such as tho' different in Appearance and Circumstances according to the Difference of Times and Persons yet agreeing in the main Design of Erecting and Preserving a Church to God and the Salvation of Men thro' one Mediator Jesus Christ And that the Old and New Testament are but as distinct Editions of the same Covenant in Substance The Occasion of Printing it in Folio after a former Edition in 8 vo but before all his Works were collected in folio was to prefix it to the Lectures on the Preliminary Questions and Answers of the Church Catechism the Subject of the Baptismal Covenant to which this of Mr. ALLEN 't was thought wou'd be the best Introduction And that they would most naturally cohere together the one treating upon that great and comprehensive Subject the Doctrine of the Covenant in general the other of the Covenant of Grace into which we Christians are baptiz'd in particular And both Tracts were bound up together to be bestow'd into the Parochial Libraries then begun and which God be prais'd still continue to be dispers'd so far as the Stock of Books will reach in some of the poorer Livings throughout the Kingdom The Design of these Parochial Libraries is to supply the Ministers in such mean Cures as will not enable them to furnish themselves with Necessary Books To supply them I say with the Means whereby they may be enabled to declare unto the People both by Preaching and Catechising the whole System of Christian Doctrine so as to be able with St. Paul at their Departure whether by Death or Cession to call them to Record that they have not shunned to declare unto them the whole Counsel of God Acts 20 27. And as in a Scheme of such Libraries the Books ought to be adapted to the whole System and the several Parts thereof so they cou'd not be form'd upon a better Plan it was suppos'd than that of the Two Covenants and more especially the Covenant of Grace or Baptismal Covenant On the Nature Terms and Conditions of the same both the Mercies on God's Part and the Conditions to be perform'd on ours On the great Mediator and Mediation by which it was obtain'd for us by what Assistance and Means we shall be enabled to perform it under what sacramental Seals we entred into it and lastly on that Repentance after Breach of Covenant whereby alone we can be re-instated in the Divine Favour Under these Heads is comprehended the whole System of Saving Doctrine at least of Catechetical according to that best Plan thereof ever exhibited by any Church Antient or Modern the Catechism of the Church of England And the same in a more enlarg'd Manner ought to be the Subject of the Concionatory Scheme But tho' it be infinitely desireable with Regard to the Eternal Salvation of both Minister and People that the former should not shun both in the Catechetical and Concionatory Method thus to declare unto them the whole Counsel of God and in thus doing they will no doubt be judg'd to have duly fed the Flock of Christ which he purchased with his Blood and over which the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers Acts 20 25. yet how is it possible humanly speaking to do this without the Help of Books And those not a few as would appear when the several Articles of Christian Faith necessary to be believ'd included in the general Summary thereof call'd the Apostle's Creed come to be considered more especially when the vast Series and Chain of Duties of the Christian Life necessary to be practised shall be drawn out into a View of the Particulars Each of the former requires particular Explanations and Proof and of the latter particular States of their several Natures together with proper Application And as often entire Tracts are written upon
come short of it Sect. 7. I come now in the next place to shew What the condition of the Promise to Abraham was In short it was a practical Faith And under this Head I shall endeavour 1. To give some account of the nature of Abraham's Faith in general 2. To describe Faith And 3. To shew reason why Faith is made the condition of the Covenant 1. The condition of the Promise to Abraham was Faith and as I shall after shew a practical Faith For that was it upon which the great Blessing of the Covenant Justification was conferred upon him with the consequent benefits In Gen. 15.6 it is said of Abraham that he believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness But St. Paul reciting this Scripture faith Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for Righteousness Rom. 4.3 Gal. 3.6 If there be any difference between believing God and believing in God it seems to be this To believe God is to believe him upon his Word to believe all that to be true which he saith when he hath once spoken it But to believe in God is first to believe him to be such an One of such a Nature as neither will nor can at any time speak any thing but what is true It is to believe him to be a God that cannot lye For all true Faith as Abraham's was is founded in the Nature of God Abraham did primarily believe in God and consequently believed his Sayings of what nature soever they were And secondly To believe in God is to believe that he can and will perform whatever he promised how unlikely soever the thing in its own nature otherwise be And this was the nature of Abraham's Faith as appears by St. Paul's Comment upon it Rom. 4.20 21. He staggered not at the Promise of God through unbelief but was strong in Faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform He gave to God the glory of his Nature and Being of his Truth and Faithfulness in his Promises and of his Power and Ability to perform what he had promised notwithstanding its utmost improbability in Nature And therefore or for this reason his Faith was imputed to him for righteousness as we are told in ver 22. of Rom. 4. And so it should seem it is not the believing of any one particular or single Promise that is counted for Righteousness otherwise than as it is an instance of Faith in God in general in reference to whatever he doth say or shall declare Which may be the reason why Faith is said to be counted to Abraham for Righteousness as well when he had not the Messias in the Promise as the immediate Object of his Faith but somewhat else as when he had The Promise the believing of which was counted to Abraham for righteousness in Gen. 15.6 was a Promise of a numerous Issue So shall thy Seed be viz. as numberless as the Stars But that which produced a Belief of this particular Promise would and doubtless did produce in him a belief of the promise of the Messias and of every other Promise and Word of God and declaration of his mind so far as understood by him and that was an habitual belief of God's Truth and Faithfulness Wisdom Power and Goodness his fixed belief in God And so a believing God's Threatnings so as to use means to escape them is it should seem counted to one for Righteousness as well as the belief of the Promises as growing upon the same Root Thus Noah's Believing God's threatning to bring a Deluge upon the World and his Obedience to God's Command in the preparing an Ark for the saving of his House was that or at least one instance of that Faith by which he became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith Heb. 11.7 It was this general Faith in God that made Abraham so compliant with every intimation of his will and pleasure By it he forsook his own Country and Kindred at God's command to go he knew not whither but depended on God's after-direction in that case Heb. 11.8 By it he was ready to offer his Son Isaac in whom the Promises were made And he had such a firm Belief in God's Promise That in Isaac his Seed should be called that he concluded that God would raise him from the Dead when he had Sacrificed him rather than fail in the least of making good his Promise Heb. 11.17 18 19. He had such a confidence in God that is to say in his Wisdom Goodness Truth and Power as wrought him to an entire Resignation of himself to God's will and pleasure He believed God to be so Good and so Wise as not to put him upon any thing but what should be for his good in the issue And so True and Powerful as to promise nothing but what he could and would perform In a word this his Belief in God made him believe all his Promises and obey all his Precepts 2. Come we next to some description of that Faith which is the condition of the Promise or Covenant of Salvation Wherein I shall have respect to the nature of Saving Faith in general in reference to all Ages of the Church and also to the Christian Evangelical Faith in special Faith strictly taken is an assent unto the truth of any Proposition upon the credit of the Speaker But Saving Faith is of a more comprehensive nature than is a meer assent unto the Truth of any one Proposition And although Saving Faith is sometimes described by an assenting to the truth of one single Proposition yet then it implies the belief of many more and such a belief as draws in the Will to act according to the import and concernment of the thing believed As for instance The Belief of this Proposition That Christ Jesus is the Son of God by which Faith is sometimes described doth include in it a belief of the truth of his whole Doctrine both concerning God's Grace and Man's Duty and the Will 's concurrence as to its concernment in it For if he be the Son of God then he cannot lye or deceive in any thing he hath said And again the belief of this Proposition That God raised Christ from the Dead by which Faith is also described Rom. 10.9 includes in it a belief That all that Doctrine which he taught is undoubtedly true For if it had not God would never have wrought such a Miracle as to Raise Christ from the Dead to confirm it The belief then of such single Propositions include a belief of the whole Doctrine of the Gospel which is the proper Object of the Christian Faith and for that cause is frequently stiled Faith or the Faith in the New Testament But if we respect the nature of Faith in general as answering the different degrees of God's Revelation of his Will in several Ages of the World both under the Gospel and before I
practical Faith which I have described eyes as well the condition upon which the saving Benefits are promised through Christ as the Promise it self of those benefits and expects the enjoyment of those benefits upon God's Promise and Christ's Purchase no otherwise than as he with the assistance of God's Grace is careful to perform the Condition Which belief of his makes him as careful to perform the Condition in discharge of his own duty therein as ever he hopes to enjoy the promised Pardon and Salvation by Christ and to escape the Damnation threatned against those who perform not the condition So that a Man by this practical Faith belives one part of God's Declaration in the Gospel as well as the other and his own duty to be as well necessary to his Justification as the condition appointed by God as the Grace of God through Christ it self is upon another account And by this belief he is effectually moved as well to act in a way of duty to God as to expect mercy from him considering how his Happiness is concerned in both when he hath the whole of God's Declaration in all the parts taken together in prospect as the Object of his Faith When he hears that God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life When he hears that God hath set forth Christ to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood And when he hears again that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them he believes all this to be true as coming from God that cannot lye and accordingly is incouraged to hope in God's Mercy and is comforted thereby But then when he hears again that except we repent we shall all perish that except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God That without holiness no man shall see the Lord and that the pure in heart shall see God That not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of the Father which is in Heaven That the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angles in flaming fire to render vengeance to all those that know not God and which obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ But that he is the Author of eternal Salvation to all those that obey him I say when he hears all this he as verily believes this part of God's Declaration in the Gospel to be the faithful and true Sayings of God as he acounted the other to be And accordingly doth as seriously and sincerely set upon the Work of Repentance and as carefully useth God's appointed means for the changing of his Heart and renewing of his Nature for the purifying of himself as God is pure and doth as carefully obey all the Precepts of the Gospel as he hopes upon the account of Christ's Sufferings and God's Promise to be Pardoned and Saved as beliving that those Benefits are neither promised nor can be obtained but in this way of performing the Condition And I doubt not to say that this practical Faith as it respects God's Declaration touching Man's duty in conjunction with his own Grace in Christ is where the Gospel comes the only saving justifying Faith 3. Come we now to shew Reason why Faith is made the Condition of the Promise 1. It is of Faith that it might be of Grace saith the Apostle Rom. 4.16 It is that the Grace of God to miserable Men might the more shew it self For so it doth not only in promising unspeakably great things through Christ to Man who is not only undeserving but illdeserving also but also in that these are promised upon such a possible practical easie Condition as Faith is considering the means and assistance promised by God to work it And considering also that the Promise is made to the truth unfeignedness and sincerity and not to perfection of Faith Repentance and new Obedience in their utmost degree So that Christ might well say my Yoke is easie and my Burden light Matth. 11.30 Whereas the old way of promising the Inheritance on the Law-terms would have been to have promised it upon impossible conditions as the case now is with fallen Man And if God should have promised never so great things to Man in his impotent and miserable state upon an impossible condition he would have been so far from manifesting abundance of Grace Compassion and Love to him in that condition as that he would rather have seemed to insult over him in it And therefore if the Promise should have run upon the Law-terms and not of Faith it would utterly have frustrated God's design of manifesting his Grace to Man and of recovering Man's Love and Loyalty to him thereby Rom. 4.14 If they which are of the Law be Heirs Faith is made void and the Promise made of none effect But it is of Faith that it might be by Grace to the end the Promise might be sure to all the Seed not to that only which is of the Law but to that also which is of the Faith of Abraham ver 16. 2. This may be another reason why such a Faith as I have described is made the condition of the Covenant of Salvation viz. Because it best answers God's design in this Covenant of renewing the Nature of Man in Holiness and Righteousness and by that means restoring it to Happiness For by Faith Men are born of God or made the Children of God Gal. 3.26 Ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus Joh. 1.12 13. As many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to those that believe on his Name Which are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Now to be born of God or which is the same to be made the Child of God is to have ones Nature restored to the likeness of God in which Man was first made and is the same thing with that which is called Regeneration and a being born again and a new Creature Which new Creature or the Nature of Mâ—n renewed by Faith is also called the new Man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Ephes 4.24 To be born again is to have the Faculties of Mans Nature restored to a rectitude in their motions and operations in reference both to God and Man to be restored to their proper moral use for which they were made It is in a word that which is called a being made partakers of a Divine Nature For those which are begotten of God are begotten in or to his likeness Men can adopt those which are not their natural Children to inherit their Estates but they cannot adopt them to a participation of their Moral Endowments But God adopts his Children to a participation with him in the
Inheritance by adopting them to a participation of the Moral Perfections of his Nature that is to a consimilitude to him in them And this we say is done by Faith that is by Faith in God and by Faith in his Word For in order of Nature God is first believed to be a God of Truth before his Word is believed to be the Word of Truth And the creditableness of his Word depends upon the knowledge or belief or the fidelity of his Nature And this Truth of God and of his Word is the immediate Object of Faith By Faith a Man believes that to be true which God reveals or declares as his Mind and Will let the Import of it be what it will But then this Faith operates upon the Will and Affections according to the Tenour and Import of that which is Revealed If it be matter of sad import it works a hatred to him that threatens it and a fear of the thing threatned if it be apprehended to proceed from an enemy And this is the effect of the Faith of Devils who believe and hate God who believe and tremble Jam. 2.19 But if that which is Revealed by God and Believed by Man betoken unspeakable love and good-will in God to Man and matter of the greatest benefit to him as a proof of such love then it worketh love to him that expresseth such love for Faith worketh by Love Gal. 5.6 and a longing desire after the promised benefit And as the Soul grows more and more in love with God because of his love in love with his Blessed Nature and Divine Perfections such as are his Love and Goodness Truth and Faithfulness Purity and Patience Mercifulness and readiness to Forgive which render him altogether lovely so it contracts a likeness to God in these upon the Soul and so changes and renews the Moral habit and constitution of the Soul and consequently the whole Life There is an aptness and promptness in Men to imitate that in others and so in God for which they love them And frequent imitating Acts beget Habits Custom changing Nature And hence it is that through Faith we are made partakers of a Divine Nature We all with open face beholding as in a Glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord 2. Cor. 3.18 This beholding the glory of the Lord is by Faith For we walk by Faith and not by sight 2. Cor. 5.7 and by it Moses saw him who is invisible Heb. 11.27 And the medium by which this Prospect is taken is the Gospel by which the Lord in his lovely Perfections is now openly revealed And Faith being from time to time busied in beholding of and conversing with these Perfections it transforms the Soul into the same Image or likeness from glory to glory that is gradually as by the Spirit of the Lord that is through the co-operation of God's Spirit with Man's Faith To comprehend the breadth length depth and heighth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge is the way to be filled with all the fullness of God by transcribing all his imitable Perfections upon the Soul Ephes 3.18 19. And it is by virtue of their Relation to Christ and being thus begotten and born of God and made partakers of a new Nature conformable to God's that Men can with confidence call God Father This blessed effect of God's Spirit is the Spirit of Adoption by which they cry Abba Father And it is this new Nature that is the Spring and Fountain of a good Life of all pious and virtuous Actions As it is said of God Thou art good and dost good so it is true of all those that are born of him A good Man out of the good treasure of his heart thus renewed bringeth forth good fruit The Tree being good the Fruit will be good And as this new Creature groweth up to strength and maturity so doing of good and acting worthily will become natural and pleasant to him in whom it is To such an one the Commandments of God are not grievous but he will be able in some good measure to say I delight to do thy will O God yea thy Law is in my heart And for sin it being contrary to this New Nature there is a kind of Moral Impotency in him in whom it is to commit sin He cannot sin because he is born of God 1 Joh. 3.9 Or if such an one be overtaken in a fault it will work a disturbance in the Soul just as that will in the Stomach which a Man hath eaten against which he hath an antipathy in Nature But as for such as perform Religious Duties and do things materially good only by the strength of extrinsecal Motives and not from an inward Principle of this New Nature or love to the things themselves to such those Actions being unnatural become grievous and burdensome and will be continued in no longer than those Motives continue in their strength Sect. 8. The last thing I proposed to consider about God's Promise to Abraham is What we are to understand by God's counting Abraham's Faith to him for Righteousness And I take it to signifie thus much That God in a way of special Grace or by virtue of a New Law of Grace and Favour which was established by God in Christ Gal. 3.17 that is in reference to what Christ was to do and suffer in time then to come did reckon his Practical Faith to him for Righteousness that is that which in the eye of the New Law should pass in his estimation for Righteousness subordinate to Christ's Righteousness which procured this Grant or Law For otherwise Faith neither as it is the Condition of the Promise of Remission of Sin through Christ nor as it works Repentance for sins past or sincere Obedience for time to come is Righteousness in the Eye of the Original Law For that accounts no Man that hath though but once transgressed it to be Righteous either upon the account of anothers suffering for his sin or his own Repentance or sincere imperfect Obedience but Curseth every Man that from first to last continueth not in all things which are contained in that Law But it is as I said an Act of God's special Favour and by virtue of his New Law of Grace and as it is established in Christ that such a Faith as I have described comes to be reckoned or imputed to a Man for Righteousness and through God's imputing it for Righteousness to stand a Man in the same if not in better stead as to his Eternal Concerns as a perfect fulfilling of the Original Law from first to last would have done Christ's Righteousness being presupposed the only Meritorious Cause of this Grant or Covenant And thus indeed the Faith which I have described is a Man's Righteousness in the Eye of this New Law because it is summarily all that is required of him himself to make him capable
sin And when he delivered them his Law with the greatest terrour and astonishment to them yet even then he assured them That he would shew Mercy to Thousands of them that love him and keep his Commandments as in the Second Commandment And in ease of their miscarriage to the drawing down of God's Judgments upon them he bespeaks them thus When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter days if thou turn to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient to his Voice for the Lord thy God is a merciful God he will not forsake thee nor forget the Covenant of thy Fathers Deut. 4.31 and 30.1 2 3. Levit. 26.39 c. From all which grounds the Faithful among them had such a hope and confidence of pardon of Sin and of a future Happiness in another Life upon their Repentance and sincere Obedience as did effectually induce them to have good thoughts of God to love him and to endeavour to please him by having respect unto all his Commandments This made him say Psal 130.4 There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared And under this hope and confidence the twelve Tribes did instantly serve God day and night and grounded this Hope of theirs upon the Promise made of God unto their Fathers as St. Paul tells us Acts 26.6 7. And indeed it was the unanimous Faith of the most eminent among them from Age to Age that God had both made and would keep a Covenant to shew Mercy to those that love him and keep his Commandments or that walk before him with all their Heart For that they looked upon as the Condition of God's Promise of shewing Mercy This we may see in Moses David Solomon and in Daniel and Nehemiah Deut. 7.9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandments So David Psalm 103.17 18. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting to such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his Commandments to do them And thus Solomon 1 Kings 8.23 And he said Lord God of Israel there is no God like thee who keepest Covenant and Mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart So Daniel in his 9th Chap. 4th ver O Lord the great and dreadful God keeping the Covenant and Mercy to them that love him and to them that keep his Commandments And Nehemiah likewise Chap. 1.5 I beseech thee O Lord God of Heaven the great and terrible God that keepeth Covenant and Mercy for them that love him and observe his Commandments This we see was the serious and constant Profession of the Faith of the Servants of God in those Times And in this Faith and Practice doubtless it was that they lived and died and were saved CHAP. IV. That the Law contained a Covenant different from that with Abraham IN the next place I am to shew That the Law of Moses did contain a Covenant distinct and of a different nature from the Covenant which God made with Abraham and his Spiritual Seed Besides the general Promise which God made to Abraham respecting the Gentiles as well as the Jews In thee all Nations of the Earth shall be blessed he made a Special Covenant with him as a Reward of his signal Faithfulness to give unto his Natural Seed the Land of Canaan Nehem. 9.8 Thou foundest his heart faithful before thee and madest a Covenant with him to give the Land of the Canaanites to his Seed In order to the fulfilling of which Promise after he had brought them out of Egypt he united them under himself as Head in one Political Body by a Political Covenant Exod. 19. c. which is the Covenant I am now to discourse of In which discourse I would 1. Shew in what respect the Law of Moses is said to contain a Covenant of a different nature from the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham 2. Prove that it did contain such a different Covenant 3. For farther illustration consider it in its parts and their relation one to another 4. And in what respect this Covenant is called the first Covenant when as the Covenant of Grace was made before it 1. In what respect the Law of Moses is said to contain a Covenant of a different nature from the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham The Law of Moses comes under a twofold consideration 1. As in conjunction with the Promise to Abraham to which it was annexed it made up one entire Law by which the Israelites were to be governed and directed in the way to Eternal Life And in this conjunction the Promise was the Life and Soul as it were of the Body of the Mosaic Law properly taken And in this sense as the word Law signifies the Pentateuch or five Books of Moses which contain the Promise as well as the Law it is sometimes used in the New Testament Gal. 4.21 22. 1 Cor. 14.34 Luke 16. And in this sense doubtless we are to understand the Law upon which David bestowed so many glorious Encomiums as he did saying The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul c. Psal 19.2 We are to consider the Law of Moses as given at Sinai in a stricter sense as it was an Instrument or Rule of Government in the Commonwealth of Israel The Law in the former sense of it promised Eternal Life though but obscurely to those that did believe its Promises and sincerely obey its Precepts In the latter sense it promised only temporal Blessings to those that strictly observed it in all the parts of it and threatned those with temporal Calamities that did not The same Laws materially of this Political Covenant related to both the Covenants As Eternal Life was promised in the Covenant of Grace upon condition of sincere Obedience to those Laws as an effect of Faith in the Promise so those Laws in conjunction with the Promise were as I may so say Evangelical But as temporal Benefits only were promised in that Covenant upon condition of strict Obedience to those Laws and as those Laws were enjoyned under temporal Penalties as they were Commonwealth-Laws so that Covenant containing those Laws was Political and in this Political respect it was another Covenant If the Law of God and the Law of Man command or forbid things materially the same yet if the one command or forbid them under pain of Damnation and the other only under temporal Penalties these Laws are not formally the same The Commonwealth of Israel had no Commonwealth-Laws but what God himself gave them the which Laws they also Covenanted with him to observe by which Covenant they were united under him as Head of that Political Body And therefore when they would needs choose them a King like other Nations God told Samuel saying They have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not
there are some passages in the Law of Moses if you take the Law of Moses in a large sense which look somewhat like a renewal of the antient Covenant with Abraham to his Seed As when for instance God made a conditional Promise to the Israelites in Moses's time to be their God and that they should be his People as in Levit. 26.12 Deut. 29.13 Which form of words is interpreted sometimes to imply a future Happiness in another World Heb. 11.16 Matth. 21.31 32. And I do not deny but the Jews had by Moses as express a Promise of the Messias as Abraham had Deut. 18.15 19. But St. Paul doth not speak of the Law in this large sense when he opposeth the Law and the Promise the Law and Faith one to another But if we understand by the Law of Moses the Law as Political the Law of the Commonwealth so the Promises of it were not Promises of Eternal Life For Promises of this nature did pertain to another Covenant to wit that made with Abraham and his Spiritual Seed as such First Therefore St. Paul doth downrightly deny that the Promise of thâ— Inheritance which in Heb. 9.15 is called the Eternal Inheritance was by the Law which yet it would have been if by Law he had meant the Law in that large sense in which the Law and Promise to Abraham are conjoyned and not in that strict sense by which he means the Political Law distinctly And if the Inheritance had been promised upon the same terms as temporal Blessings were in the temporal Covenant the Inheritance might have been obtained by the Law as well as temporal Blessings were Rom. 4.13 For the Promise that he should be Heir of the World was not through the Law but through the Righteousness of Faith Secondly St. Paul evinceth the badness of that Opinion to think that Eternal Life was promised upon the Law-terms from the absurd consequence of it shewing that if it were that then it would make void the Promise of God to Abraham and the way of saving Men by Faith in that Promise of none effect Gal. 3.18 For if the inheritance be of the Law it is no more of Promise But God gave it to Abraham by Promise Rom. 4.14 For if they which are of the Law be Heirs Faith is made void and the Promise made of none effect It was altogether unreasonable to think that the Inheritance should be promised upon such distant and inconsistent terms as are Faith in the Promise and by Works of the Law Thirdly The Law saith the Apostle is not of Faith but the man that doth them shall live in them Gal. 3.12 meaning that what the Law promised it did not promise it upon condition of Believing but upon condition of Doing And Eternal Life is not since the Fall promised upon condition of Doing without Faith but upon condition of Believing For the Just shall live by Faith Vers 11. And therefore Eternal Life is promised by the Law Fourthly Wherefore else are the Promises of that better Covenant Heb. 8.6 said to be better Promises But because they are Promises of better things than were promised in the first Covenant which yet they could not be if Eternal Life had been promised in that Covenant because that is the best of all Promises To say they are better only in respect of Administration and clearness of Revelation will not satisfie such as shall well consider That if the betterness of the Covenant and Promises lay only in that the difference would not be so great as to denominate them two Covenants and two so vastly distant as the Scripture represents them to be The difference then would be but only gradual as that is which is found in the same Covenant of Grace in the several Editions of it to Adam to Abraham to David and now to all Nations since Christ's coming and not Essential as that between the two Covenants seems to be as it is represented in Gal. 4.24 Besides St. Paul represents the Administration of the two Covenants to differ as much as Righteousness and Condemnation Life and Death differ which sure is more than a gradual difference The one is the Ministration of Death and Condemnation the other the Ministration of Righteousness and Life 2 Cor. 3.6 7 8 9. The Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did Heb. 7.19 By which it appears again that the hope of the Gospel in which the things hoped for upon the Promises of the Gospel are not the least is better than what the Law promised the observers of it This is the Promise which he hath promised us even Eternal Life John 2.25 2. And Affirmatively It was then a long and prosperous Life in the Land of Canaan that was promised in the first Covenant Deut. 28.11 The Lord shall make thee plenteous in Goods in the fruit of thy Body and in the fruit of thy Cattel and in the fruit of thy Ground in the Land which the Lord sware unto thy Fathers to give thee Deut. 11.21 That your days may be multiplied and the days of your Children as the days of Heaven upon Earth A great variety of outward Blessings is promised as the Reward of keeping that Covenant And therefore Wisdom under that Dispensation is described as having length of days in her right hand and in her left hand Riches and Honour whose ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths peace Prov. 3.17 And as this Covenant was National so there were Promises of National Blessings such as was the setting them on high above all the Nations of the Earth making them the Head and not the Tail The giving them victory over enemies multiplying the Nation and bestowing on it Health Peace and Plenty Deut. 28. Lev. 26. When it 's said once by Moses thrice by Ezekiel and twice by St. Paul that the Man that doth them shall live in them Lev. 18.5 Ezek. 20.11 13 21. Rom. 10.5 Gal. 3.12 thereby Epitomizing the first Covenant I conceive that by Living is meant a long and prosperous Life in this World As on the contrary the condition of one greatly afflicted is in Scripture-Dialect a kind of Death and such an one said to be free among the Dead Psal 88. â— And that which inclines me so to think is not only the reasons already given to prove that no other Life was promised in the first Covenant but also the congruity of this sense with other passages in the Writings of Moses As Deut. 30 15. See I have set before you this day Life and Good Death and Evil. If you would know what is meant by Life here the next Verse will inform you That thou mayest live and multiply and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the Land whither thou goest to possess it The contrary whereunto is the Death he had set before them saying I denounce unto you this day that ye shall surely perish and that ye shall not prolong your
Paul's Doctrine touching God's Grace and Long-suffering and wrest several passages in his Epistles and other Scriptures to their own destruction we are told by St. Peter also 2 Pet. 3.15 16. And account that the long-suffering of the Lord is Salvation even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given him hath written unto you as also in all his Epistles speaking in them of these things In which are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures to their own destruction And after St. Paul in his 2 Tim. 3.2 3 4 5 verses had by many black Characters described a sort of Christians that had a form of godliness but denied the power thereof In ver 8. he further describes them by that which was the cause of the forementioned unsavoury fruits of the Flesh to wit that they were men of corrupt minds or understandings and reprobate concerning the Faith or void of Judgment concerning the Faith as the Margin hath it They were Men of corrupt Principles and injudicious concerning the Doctrine of Faith They did not discern Faith to be necessary in the operative and practical nature of it But as they did satisfie themselves with a form of Godliness without the power so they did likewise with a formal inefficacious and liveless Faith which made them so unsavoury in their Lives And St. John after he had in his first Epistle antidoted the Christians against the pretentions of the Gnosticks who held a bad Life consistent with Communion with God through illumination of mind and the Christian Faith deceiving themselves and labouring to deceive others in thinking they might be Righteous without doing Righteousness 1 Joh. 3.7 He towards the conclusion of that Epistle sums up his general scope in it in these words These things have I written unto you that believe in the Name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have Eternal Life and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God Chap. 5.13 His meaning is as I conceive that he wrote this Epistle first to the end they might be the better assured of Salvation by Christ upon their rightly Believing on him And secondly To the end they might not be drawn into mistakes in the point of Believing as if any Faith less than such as is accompanied with a constant adherence to Christ's Doctrine and Example touching a holy Life would give them that Assurance He wrote to them that did Believe that they might Believe that is that they might Believe yet more understandingly more groundedly and so perseveringly against all temptations to Apostacy from the profession of the Faith or to loosness in the profession of it St. Jude also ver 3 4. stirred up the Christians to contend earnesâ—ly for the Faith the Doctrine of saving Sinners in the way of Believing because as he told them there were certain Men professing Faith but of ungodly Lives that were among them that turned the grace of God into lasciviousness so understanding the Law of Grace the Gospel as if it had been a Proclamation from Heaven of a general Pardon for Christ's sake and through Faith in him of as many sins as Men had a mind to commit The which Error led them into those Monstrous Impieties charged upon them in that Epistle By reason of which the way of Truth the right Faith they pretended to was evil-spoken of in the World as St. Peter notes they being indeed Spots and Blemishes to the Christians and Christian-profession so long as they were admitted to their Feasts of Charity as owned by them to be of their Number This was indeed an ungodly Faith But the Faith which he exhorted them to contend for and to build up themselves upon as on a sure Foundation he calls their most holy Faith vers 20. such a Faith as is an Operative Principle of a holy Life And they were such Christians as St. James in his Epistle did expostulate with that did lean so much upon a meer Believing upon a meer Assent of the mind unto the truth of certain Propositions as that they were careless in the subduing of their Passions and bridling their Tongues and regulating their Actions as if these had not been necessary to Salvation But thought themselves safe upon account of their barren Faith though they were Proud and Conceited of their Knowledge and Attainments Censorious and Contentious Unmercifull and Uncharitable In a word they were such as were injudicious concerning the Faith that will Save and under mistakes of the Apostles Doctrine about it All this will easily appear to any that shall but with a competent measure of Understanding view and consider the scope and contents of that Epistle And thus you see how plainly it appears by the Epistles of the Apostles that the Doctrine of Justification by Faith without Works in the sense in which the Apostles asserted it was misunderstood by many Gnosticks carnal Gospellers or Solifidians The sense in which the Apostles did assert it was that Faith justifies without Works Antecedent to Believing and without Works as the Works of a literal observation of Moses's Law which was opposed by the Jews to Faith as having Christ Crucified for its Object and Repentance Regeneration and sincere Obedience in a holy Life for its inseparable Effects But these deceived Souls that deceived their own Hearts seem to have understood the Apostles as if they had taught Justification by Faith considered only as having the Death of Christ and the Atonement made thereby for its Object without respect to Regeneration and new Obedience as any part of the Condition And it had been much better for the Christian World if those corrupt Notions about the Doctrine of Faith as Justifying had died with those Men which in the first Ages of the Christian-Church were infected with them But alas it is too apparent that the same or much of the same dangerous and destructive mistakes have been transmitted to or revived in these latter Ages of the Church For we find by experience in this present Age that very many of those who are called Christians presume themselves to be Christians indeed and such as shall be saved by Christ though their Lives declare them to be far from being New Creatures from being renewed in the Spirit of their Minds Wills Affections and Conversations as those are that have been taught as the Truth is in Jesus Ephes 4.21 24. For they are confident they Believe all the Articles of their Creed and in doing so they are confident they shall be Saved and so they would if that Belief of theirs were but so effectual and operative as to produce such a change in Heart and Life as would denominate them New Creatures But the mischief is they deceive themselves in the nature of their Faith it being but an Opinionative Inoperative and dead Assent to the Truth of the Gospel such as is only an
Act of the Mind or Understanding and doth not powerfully influence the Will and so it is not a believing with all the Heart but is the act only of one such faculty of the Soul A Belief it 's probable may be found in the Devil himself And such a Belief was found in some who were so convinced by the power of Christ's Miracles in concurrence with his Doctrine and Life that they could not choose but believe him to be an extraordinary Person sent from God though their carnal Interest prevailed so much in them as that it would not suffer them to confess him openly because they loved the praise of Men more than the praise of God Joh. 12.42 43. And besides these Men deceive themselves about their Faith in this also that they do not heartily Believe the whole Doctrine of the Gospel but are partial in their Faith They in a sort believe Christ to be the Son of God and that he came into the World to save sinners and that he Died for our sins and the like But then they do not heartily believe his Doctrine touching the necessity of Repentance of being born again of denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts and of living righteously godly and soberly in this present world Or else they frame such Notions of these things unto themselves of Repentance and Regeneration as that they think they believe Christ's Doctrine touching them when they believe only the lying Imagination of their own Brains And there is too much ground to fear that many Mens ill managing the Doctrine of Justification by Faith hath not a little strengthened Men in this vain confidence For while Evangelical Obedience it self under the Notion of those Works to which Faith is opposed hath been decryed as Popish when interessed in Justification and Justification asserted to be by Faith alone in opposition to all Works whatsoever Inward and Outward as well Evangelical as Legal as well those after Conversion as those before yea and the disposition thereunto the Flesh and the Devil to help it hath got great advantage thereby to perswade Men against the necessity of a holy Life in such a sense of a holy Life as the Scripture makes absolutely necessary to Salvation For though it 's true that good Works have been acknowledged and pressed too as necessary to Salvation yet when withal they have been denied to be necessary to Justification and Men have been taught that when once they are Justified they can never fall away from a State of Justification they have easily been drawn to believe that good Works are not absolutely necessary to Salvation no more than to Justification but Faith only And upon supposition that the other two Points of Doctrine are true it would be but rational for them so to believe For if good Works be not necessary to Justification at all And if it is impossible but that those who are once justified should be saved how should Men chuse but infer from hence that good Works are not absolutely necessary to Salvation Unless it shall be said that Men are not put into an immediate capacity of Salvation by being justified Which to affirm would be to say Men are not freed from Condemnation by being freed from Condemnation which would be a contradiction in terms For to be justified is to be freed from Condemnation Rom. 8.33 34 and 5.16 18. and therefore Justification must needs put Men into an immediate capacity of being saved And as there is great reason to think that the Doctrine of Justification by Faith alone in opposition to the Works of Evangelical Obedience hath been a stumbling-stone unto many and a back-friend to the power of Godliness so there is another which hath been wont to be joyned with it that hath rendred it the more dangerous and it self no good friend to holy Living and that is the Doctrine of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness unto Justification in that way in which it hath been managed by very many For otherwise there is a sense as I have shewed in which it is a great and a comfortable Truth For when Men have been taught to esteem their own Righteousness but as filthy rags not only because of its utter insufficiency to justifie instead of Christ or as he justifies in which respect indeed it is no better but also as any part of a Condition of Justification or of our acceptance with God And when they have been taught also that upon their Believing only Christ's Righteousness in fulfilling the Law for them becomes imputed to them in it self and not only as the procuring cause of their Justification upon the terms of the Gospel so that they are looked upon as having themselves perfectly kept the Law in him it hath doubtless infeebled their endeavours after an inherent Righteousness and proved a temptation to them to think that so long as they have such anothers Inherent Righteousness essentially in it self imputed to them as Christ's is they have no great need to find it in themselves considering also that if they had it they must rather loath themselves for it than take any comfort in it But let no man deceive you saith St. John he that doth righteousness is righteous as he is righteous 1 Joh. 3.7 I do acknowledge that many of them have been worthy Men who yet have propagated these Opinions But that makes the Opinions never the better but have done more hurt in gaining thereby the more credit It is true also that those worthy Men have zealously pressed the necessity of Repentance Regeneration and a Holy Life Which proved indeed an Antidote against the Poyson of the other Opinions so that they did not become Mortal to many as otherwise they would have done And indeed they would have made mad work if they had not been yoaked with wholesomer Doctrine as we see they did among Antinomians Ranters and other carnal Christians that have followed the Ducture of those Opinions but have been shy of letting the Doctrines of Mortification and strict Living to have any power over them But then if the preaching of those sounder Doctrines of Repentance Regeneration and a holy Life have done much good notwithstanding they have been clogged with Opinions of another tendency it is easie to imagine that they would have done much more good if they had not been checkt by those unsound Principles But I shall say no more of this though more might be said because I hope I may say that most of those who have formerly imbibed these Opinions are now come to deliver themselves with more caution than heretofore And so I shall proceed to the last thing I propounded to touch upon and that is to shew CHAP. VII That the Doctrine of St. Paul and of St. James about Faith and Works in reference to Justification do not differ but are wholly one IT is true indeed though the Doctrine of St. PAVL and St. JAMES was in nothing opposite the one to the other yet the nature
in perfecting holiness in the fear of God And therefore there is great need for those that are Spiritual Guides to the People to insist much upon the necessity of Repentance Regeneration and a holy Life as well as Faith in order to their being justified and saved by Christ Jesus For the People yea the better sort of them stand most in need as of being well-grounded touching the Truth of the Christian Religion so especially of having the Doctrines of Morality inculcated upon them the Precepts of the Gospel being almost all of that Nature thought some speak diminutively of moral Preaching and tend to the perfecting of the Nature of Man in regulating the Internal Operations of the Soul and the External Actions of Life in reference both to God and Man our Selves and Others The recovering of Men to which is God's great Design by the Gospel in order to their being made perfectly Happy at last as I have shewed in Chap. 1. There is indeed an absolute necessity of Believing the Gospel in order to Christian Practice And therefore our blessed Saviour did not only Preach the necessity of Faith in him and his Doctrine but also wrought abundance of Miracles to beget this Faith in Men. And yet he knowing the great danger of Men's miscarrying in point of Morality in the disposition of Soul and actions of Life insisted chiefly in his Preaching upon Doctrines of that nature as you may see in his Sermon on the Mount and elsewhere He taught the necessity of being born again Of making the Tree good that the Fruit might be good And to inforce this Doctrine of his he was not wont to tell his Auditors that every Man shall be Rewarded according to his Belief but that when the Son of Man shall come every Man shall be rewarded according to his Works That those that have done good shall come forth to the resurrection of life and those that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation That by their words they shall be justified which are no more Faith than Works are and by Their words they shall be condemned That in the Great Day of the Tryal of all Nations every Man shall be Acquitted or Condemned according to the Good they have done or neglected to do Mat. 25 And that then not every Man that had Faith enough to Cry Lord Lord or to Prophesie cast out Devils or do wonders in his Name shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but such and such only as have done the will of his Father Great need there is therefore of Peoples examining themselves impartially and of being often admonished to take heed lest they mistake and decâ—ive themselves in the nature of Religion and in what is absâ—lutely necessary to be done on their part â—ecause Men are very aâ—t to flatter and deceive themselves in that and to think that whâ—n their Faith is right in the object of it as wâ—en they â—elieve in the true God and in his Son Jesus Christ and expect Salvation by him alone that then they are true Believers and such as shall be saved especially if therewith they joyn the frequenting of God's Ordinances and the paring off of some of the grosser Enormities of their Lives though in the mean while they make no Conscience of cleansing their Hearts and governing their Spirits of subduing their Passions and inordinate Affections and of bridling the Tongue For this cause it is that Christians are so often in Scripture cautioned to take heed lest they should be deceived Be not deceived God is not mocked For whatsoever a Man sows that also shall he reap Gal. 6.7 8. Little Children let no Man deceive you He that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous 1 Joh. 3.7 1 Cor. 6.9 Ephes 5.6 FINIS THE CONTENTS Of The Discourse of the Nature Ends and Difference of the Two Covenants INTRODUCTION THE Principal cause why the Jews rejected Christ and his Gospel To Remove which the Apostle St. Paul used various reasonings wherein some things are hard to be Vnderstood Which others mistaking ran into a Contrary extream The method which the Author proposes to remove mistakes CHAP. I. The Nature and Design of God's Promise to Abraham What is necessary to open the Nature of it Sect. 1. That it 's of the same Nature with the New Covenant tho' they differ in the Administration For First The Covenant delivered to Abraham was confirmed by Christ as well as the Gospel Secondly the Gospel was Preached to Abraham Thirdly he was Justified by Faith and therefore by a New Covenant Fourthly St. Paul Argues against the Jews from Abraham's being Justified by Faith That Abraham had not a distinct Notion of all that was imply'd in the Promise What the New Covenant is namely a New Law by way of Remedy against the Rigour and Extreamity of the Law of Nature under which Man was Created Page 1. 2. 3. This proved and Reasons for it p. 4. Sect. 2. God's design in the New Covenant or Promise made to Abraham next to his own Glory was the Recovery of Humane Nature from its degenerate State to a State of Holyness without which no Happiness p. 4. and 5. This proved p. 6. Sect. 3. The Benefits contain'd in the Promise made to Abraham First of sending the Messias and what a benefit this was p. 7. and 8. Secondly a Promise of Remission of Sin to all who would Believe in him Repent and become sincerely Obedient for the future ibid. Thirdly A Promise of Divine Assistance to Men in their faithful endeavours tho' tacitly ibid. Fourthly a Promise of Eternal Life tho' implicitly ibid. Sect. 4. The Extent of God's Promise to Abraham p. 9. That it did extend to all Nations of the Earth p. 10. Sect. 5. The Security given by God for the Performance of the Promise made to Abraham p. 10. The Reason why God gave such a Security ibid. Sect 6. That the Promise made to Abraham was Conditional ibid. That Repentance and Faith were to be performed by Man as his part of the Covenant p. 11. The Reason of this ibid. How God Works that change in Man's Nature designed in the New Covenant First by proposing important Truths to his Vnderstanding Secondly By proposing Motives to the Will to incline it to follow the Dictates of the Mind p. 12. Sect. 7. That the Condition of the Promise made to Abraham was a practical Faith p. 13. The Nature of Abraham's Faith p. 14 The difference of believing God and believing in God ibid. A Description of Faith in General ibid. Faith Strictly taken is an Assent unto the Truth of any proposiion upon the Credit of the Speaker ibid. Yet Saving Faith is of a more Comprehensive Nature If God 's Threatnings against Sinners be taken in the definition will be this Faith is such a hearty Belief of God's Declaration concerning his own Grace and Displeasure and Man's Duty as doth effectually cause a Man to expect from God and to act
understood were it not that the many Controversies about it about its Object and the Acts of the Soul necessary to it had puzzled Mens Minds and distracted their Apprehensions concerning it Things absolutely necessary to Salvation as they are not many so there are hardly any Doctrines delivered with more plainness than they that the Weak who are as much concerned in them as the Strong might competently understand them as well as they Men may multiply Notions about Faith as the Scripture useth various expressions about it But I doubt not but that the general sense of the Scripture hereabout may be summarily expressed in this plain Proposition That saving Faith is such a Belief of Christ to be the Son of God and of the truth of his Doctrine especially touching the virtue of his Death and Resurrection and the necessity of amendment of Life for the obtaining Remission of Sin and Eternal Life as causeth a Man to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to Live a Godly Righteous and a Sober Life This is so plain in Scripture as that there is no Christian so weak but may easily come to understand it and so evident that none who acknowledge the Truth of the Gospel can deny it That I may state the difference then between Effectual and Ineffectual Faith and matters relating to them with all the plainness I can I shall very briefly endeavour these five things I. To open the comprehensive Nature of Faith II. Shew wherein the defect lies of that Faith which is not saving III. Shew whence that defect proceeds IV. How and after what manner Faith in the Vnderstanding works savingly upon the Will V. Answer some few Objections CHAP. I. I. The Comprehensive Nature of saving Faith opened THat I may open the comprehensive Nature of Faith the better I shall first observe how variously the Condition upon which saving Benefits are promised is expressed in Scripture and then what actings of the Soul are thereby signified It is thus variously expressed in Scripture Sometimes it 's called a believing God Rom. 4.3 Gal. 3.6 a believing in God 1 Pet. 1.21 a believing on God Rom. 4.24 a believing the Record which God hath given of his Son 1 Joh. 5.10 Sometimes it 's called a believing on Christ Joh. 3.16 36. Acts 16.31 a believing him to be the Christ the Son of God Joh. 20.31 1 Joh. 5.5 It 's called Faith in his Blood Rom. 3.25 a believing that God raised him from the dead Rom. 10.9 Sometimes it 's called a believing of the Gospel Mar. 16.15 16. a believing of the Truth 2 Thes 2.15 a believing the testimony of the Apostles 2 Thes 1.10 Sometimes it is expressed under the Notion of Repentance Acts 2.38 and 3.19 and 11.18 2 Cor. 7.10 and sometimes of Obedience 1 John 1.7 Pet. 1.2 Heb. 5.9 The Condition of the Promise of saving Benefits being thus variously expressed can signifie no less than a three-fold Act of the Soul The first being the Act of the Understanding The second of the Will The third of the Understanding and Will conjunct 1. Such expressions of the Condition of the Promise as is the believing in God the believing his Record the believing the Gospel the believing Christ to be the Son of God do most properly signifie the Act of the Mind or Understanding in Assenting to the truth of what God testifieth or promiseth Which assent is grounded upon a knowledge or belief of God's Veracity his Truth and Faithfulness armed with All-sufficiency of Power Wisdom and Goodness to make good his Word to a tittle And although such expressions as aforesaid do most properly signifie the act of the Understanding yet whenever saving Benefits are promised and the Condition expressed in such a form of Words as doth most properly and primarily signifie the Assent of the Mind even then the act of the Will in Consenting to the Condition is implyed and ought to be understood as I shall fully prove in the next Particular And the reason why the whole of the Promise relating to the Consent of the Will as well as the Assent of the Understanding is frequently expressed in such a form of words as primarily and strictly signifie the Assent of the Mind is I conceive because such Assent of the Mind is the Principle from which all concurrent acts of the Will necessary to Justification and Salvation do proceed And it is of frequent use in Scripture to denominate the whole of Religion by some one Principal part which is a fruitful Principle of all the rest Thus the Knowledge of the true God and of Jesus Christ whom-he hath sent is said to be Eternal Life Joh. 17.3 And thus some times the Fear of God and sometimes the Love of God is put for the whole of Mens saving Religiousness and the same Promise of Blessedness made to one of these singly exprest is to be extended to the whole In like manner the whole of Christianity is frequently denominated by Faith and the Christians stiled Believers and the Houshold of Faith and the like and all because that Christian Life of theirs by which they differ from other Men flows from their Faith which is the first active Principle of it 2. Another act of the Soul essentially necessary to that Faith which is the Condition of the Promise is the Consent of the Will to Repent to receive Christ as Lord and King to be governed by his Laws as well as to own him for a Priest once Offering himself and ever making Intercession for us For the Condition of the Promise of Pardon and Salvation is expressed under the notion of Repentance and sometimes of Obedience as I shewed before And Repentance and Obedience are acts of the Will as renewed And that there is no Promise of saving Benefits upon meer Believing without observing that part of the Condition which consisteth in Repentance Regeneration and Obedience is most evident Because they are expresly excluded in Scripture from having any share in the saving Benefits of the Covenant Justification or Salvation who do not Repent Luke 13.3 who are not Regenerate Joh. 3.5 who Love not the Lord Jesus Christ and that above any Worldly Enjoyment 1 Cor. 16.22 Matth. 10.37 and who do not Obey him Acts 3.22 23. Luke 19.27 2 Thes 1.7 By all which we may certainly know that whenever there is Promise of Justification and Salvation made to Believing it is to be understood of such a Believing as doth at that instant in which a Man believes savingly produce a sincere Consent of the Will to Repent to Love Christ and to Obey him For otherwise those Scriptures and these would be inconsistent For if Men cannot be Pardoned nor delivered from the Curse nor be safe from Destruction until they have Repented are Regenerate do love Christ and Obey the Gospel as the forecited Scriptures do assure us they cannot then no Faith whatsoever is justifying or can entitle them to Pardon and Salvation according to the Tenour
of God's Promise until it hath produced that Repentance Regeneration Love and Obedience Which is a full and an undeniable proof of the necessity of such a consent of the Will as aforesaid to render Faith justifying and saving Now this Consent and resolution of the Will to Repent and Obey Christ and to forsake all for him is the Moral Change of the Soul and the New Life in its first beginning And so a Man's first effectual Belief is his whole Christian Life in its beginning And a Man's first Faith is perfected afterwards by Works Jam. 2.22 as a Child is perfected in his manly state as he grows up to manly actions or as the Seed is perfected when it grows to a full Ear. By this first Consent of the Will we restipulate and strike Covenant with God and not only so but we hereby begin also to keep and perform Covenant with him on our part When this Consent is first wrought in the Will then the Laws of the new Covenant are first put into the Mind and written in the Heart And by this we first begin to become savingly a People unto God to Believe in him to Love and Serve him as he by Covenant and Promise becomes a God unto us to make us Happy Heb. 8.10 This is the Covenant that I will make I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People 3. The other act of the Soul which I call the act of the Understanding and of the VVill conjunct is an Affiance in God through Christ a trusting in him or a relying on him for the fulfilling of his Promise of saving Benefits while we continue sincerely to Consent resolve and endeavour to perform the Condition on our part This is that or part of that which is called a Believing on God a Believing on Christ and a Trusting in him Noting the Souls dependence upon Christ for the saving Benefits which accrue to Men by his Mediation Office and Undertaking and on the Truth and Faithfulness Power VVisdom and Goodness of God to perform all that he hath promised them through his Son and upon the terms he hath promised and not otherwise For the Promise of saving Benefits being made but upon the Condition before-mentioned a true Believer or he that is Rational and Wise considers as well upon what terms the Benefits are promised as who hath promised them and what they are and expects the one no otherwise than as he sincerely resolves and endeavours to perform the other And therefore if any shall Rely on God and Christ for those Benefits in whom yet the qualifying Condition of the Promise of them is not found such a Reliance is but a groundless Presumption and not Faith or Affiance duly so called For such do not only rely on Christ for that for which they have no promise but for that which God hath expresly declared they shall have no share in whilst they remain destitute of that qualification which is the Condition upon which and not without it the promise of those Benefits is made These three acts of the Soul exercised on their Objects do make up that Faith which is justifying and saving And when justifying Faith in the compleat nature of it is spoken of in Scripture all these three acts of the Soul are to be understood and especially the two first though perhaps they are many times mentioned severally and apart Faith being described sometimes by one of them and sometimes by another As God himself is represented to us sometimes by one Attribute sometimes by another CHAP. II. Wherein the Defect lies of that Faith which is not saving BY what hath been discoursed touching the nature of that Faith which is saving it is easie to discern wherein the defect lies of that Faith which is not so And the defect lies chiefly in the Will in its not Consenting to perform the Condition of the Promise in Repenting and in receiving Christ as Lord to be governed by his Laws I will not deny but the defect in part may be in the Understanding when its Assent unto the Truth of Divine Revelation is so weak as that it can make but a too weak and faint impression upon the Will to procure its Consent unto the Condition of the Promise But then that defect in the Assent of the Understanding doth usually at least in great part proceed from the Will as I shall shew afterwards Now that the defect lies mainly in the Will 's not Consenting to the Condition of the Promise appears by this because unregenerate Men may assent unto the truth of God's Testimony and may trust that they shall be saved by Christ which contain the other two acts of the Soul but no Man truly consents to perform the Condition of the Promise but in doing so he is Regenerate in the first Act and Justified 1. Unregenerate Men may have the same Faith of Assent in the Understanding to a degree as the Regenerate may They may believe God to be the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth and Jesus Christ to be his only Son and the rest of the Articles of the Creed and they may believe in great part that to be their Duty both towards God and Man which is so indeed and yet hold that Truth in unrighteousness which they do believe Rom. 1.18 Many of the chief Rulers believed on Christ who yet loved the Praise of Men more than the praise of God and durst not confess him Joh. 12.42 43. As also did many others when they saw his Maricles who yet were such as Christ had no mind to commit himself to Joh. 2.23 24. And Simon Magus believed wondering and being astonished at the signs which were done by Philip who yet remained in the bond of iniquity Acts 8. Such as are resembled by the stony Ground believed who yet loved their ease and worldly Interest more than Christ and those that St. James expostulates with Chap. 2. were thus far Believers also 2. Excepting the Consent of the Will to the Condition of the Promise Unregenerate Men may hope to be saved by Christ and rely on him for Salvation as well as the Regenerate Only for want of their performing the Condition of the Promise their hopes and confidence are groundless and will deceive them But otherwise Men that are but carnal and live in some known sin may and oftentimes do perswade themselves that they shall be saved by Christ Jesus because they believe that he died for Sinners and because they ask God forgiveness and perform some acts of Religion Our Saviour saith Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord open unto us Have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and done many wonderful works We have eaten and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets To whom he will say for all that Depart from
me ye workers of iniquity Matth. 7.22 23. Luke 13.25 26. These had some kind of Faith in Christ by which they Prophesied in his Name and cast out Devils and did many wonderful Works They were such as were Hearers of his Word and Preachers of it too and had eaten and drunk in his Presence And because of this Faith and these Works they had a Hope and Confidence that Christ would open unto them and receive them into his Kingdom and would not be easily beaten off from this Confidence But the true reason why their Faith will stand them in no stead nor their Religious performances neither is because for all that they were workers of Iniquity they never heartily consented to the Terms of the Promise of Salvation by Christ in Repenting They did not first heartily resolve and after sincerely endeavour to turn from every known Sin unto every known Duty And in this very thing doth the defect of that Faith lie which is short of saving VVhich will yet farther appear in that St. James when he would state the difference between that Faith which is saving and that which is not fixeth it here The dead Faith is denominated such by him from its being alone without VVorks Jam. 2.17 Even so Faith if it hath not Works is dead being alone or by it self And again vers 20. But wilt thou know O vain Man that Faith without Works is dead And again ver 26. For as the body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also Meaning by its being dead that it avails a Man no more to his Justification and Salvation than a dead Corps avails to the producing the useful and serviceable effects of a Living Man or than a Tree that is dead avails to the bringing forth Fruit or than a few good words Depart in peace be ye filled and warmed will avail poor people when nothing is given which is needful to the body ver 15 16 17. In all this I do not deny but that there may be in such as do not savingly believe some Consent of the Will to do something towards performing the Condition of the Promise in Repenting and Obeying Such Men may Consent and resolve to forsake some sins and to do some yea many Duties who yet never savingly consent because they do not heartily consent and resolve to forsake All known sin and to do All known duties in which the sincerity of Repentance and Obedience doth consist to which the Promise is made Such Men may not be far from the Kingdom of God but yet must go farther if ever they would have any good ground of hope to enter into it But of this more afterwards CHAP. III. Whence this defect doth proceed I Have shewed before that there is the Faith of assent in the Understanding unto the truth of God's Testimony in some unregenerate Men as well as in the regenerate And in whomsoever the Faith of Consent in the Will to perform the Condition of the Promise is found it always proceeds from the Faith of Assent in the Understanding A Man always in order of Nature at least believes that the promised Benefits shall be made good to him in case he perform the Condition before he Consents to perform it and doth consent to perform the Condition in hope and confidence of obtaining the promised Benefits Now then the Question is whence is it and what is the reason that the Faith of Assent in the Understanding doth not always produce the same Consent in the Will in one as well as another and as it always doth when it becomes effectual to Justification and Salvation Why doth this Faith remain alone in some when as it is accompanied with Works in others I shall offer what I conceive to be the reason of this First in general and than more particularly The difference sometimes may proceed from the different measures and degrees of the evidence upon which the same Truth is believed One Man may have a clearer discerning of the evidence than another which causeth a stronger Assent in the discerning faculty and that stronger Assent in the Understanding may well cause a stronger Consent in the Will and a firm and lasting resolution As on the contrary a weak and partial Consent and resolution in the Will to the Condition sometimes proceeds from a weak Assent in the Mind to the Truth of God's Testimony or Promise and that from the weakness of the faculty in the discerning the evidence of that Truth which is the object of Faith But the reason most commonly why the Assent in the Understanding unto the Truth of God's Testimony doth not work a Consent in the Will to the Condition of the Promise is to be taken I conceive from the opposition which the lower faculties of the Soul the Will and Affections assisted and influenced by the sensual Appetites make against the superiour Faculty the Mind or Understanding so that they do not hearken to its Notices nor obey its Dictates The Will which is the Spring of Action is a middle Faculty between the Understanding and the sensitive Affections or Appetites and is solicited by both As the Understanding calls upon it to obey its rational Dictates in chusing the means which tend to the best end both which the Understanding represents to it from the Word of God so on the other hand the sensitive Affections solicite it to be on their side and to be active in making provision for the Flesh in chusing such things as tend to satisfie its Cravings and Lusts And because the Will hath usually been pre-ingaged to the Flesh and had a share in its Gratifications it 's not without much difficulty prevailed with to be consenting to and active in the crucifixion of those Affections and Lusts Which until the Will do and herein obey the enlightned Understanding the Faith of Assent in the Understanding abideth alone The Will 's obstinate adherence then to Mens fleshly Lusts and carnal Interests in opposition to that belief in the Understanding which puts it upon destroying them as absolutely necessary to the Man's Salvation as believing God touching the necessity of this as a means as well as it doth believe him touching the blessedness of the end this obstinate opposition in the Will I say is the true reason why the Faith which is in some Men is but a dead Faith How can ye believe saith our Saviour which seek honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only Joh. 5.44 Yes some of them could and did believe so far as to Assent in their Minds that Christ was no Impostor but one that came from God and that therefore his Doctrine must needs be true but they did not believe so as to be converted in their Wills to consent to part with their carnal interest of Honour and Reputation with their Party the Pharisees which they must have done as the case then stood if they would have confessed him
Condition of Repentance and new Obedience together with his Faith gives a Man hope and confidence of obtaining these great benefits upon the terms on which they were promised The hope of this Happiness causeth a Man to be willing to comply with the Condition upon which it is promised in order to the obtaining the Happiness itself There is a Principle of Self-love planted by God in the Nature of every Man by which he doth naturally desire and aspire after the happiness of his own Being And that will put a Man upon the use of such Means and the performance of such a Condition without which he believes and is verily perswaded he cannot be happy Now every Man in whom there is the Faith of Assent unto the Trutâ— of God's Testimony in the Gospel firmly fixed being verily perswaded that everlasting Happiness is not attainable without Repentance Regeneration and sincere Obedience because God hath declared this as plainly as he hath done any thing And it is the nature of Faith to acquiesce in his Testimony The love of the End which is Man's own Happiness makes him in love with the Means such as is Repenting Mortifying and Obeying without which he cannot attain his end in being Happy This Principle of Self-love under the conduct of a Man's Understanding and Reason enlightned and regulated by a Declaration of the Divine Will and influenced by a firm belief of it will work in a Man new Apprehensions of and new Affections to both Sin and Duty and will cause him to abandon the little pleasures of sin which are but for a season that he may come to the fruition of that fulness of joy and those Rivers of pleasure which are in the presence of God at his right hand for evermore when once he knows and firmly believes that they cannot otherwise be obtained Thus by Faith is the victory over the world obtained in all its Temptations from Honours Profits and Pleasures 1 Joh. 5.4 For by such a Faith a Man well perceives that the World offers him to his unspeakable loss though it should offer him all of these that it is able to confer upon him if it be upon condition of doing or omitting to do that by which he shall certainly deprive himself of that Glory Honour and Immortality which he is well assured of through Faith in God's Promise if he overcome We see Men are so commonly governed by a Principle of Self-love in parting with a lesser Good or Conveniency for a greater even in the things of this Life that they are worthily and deservedly counted Fools that do the contrary And therefore those are guilty of so much the greater Folly and Madness who deprive themselves of the Happiness of Heaven by a sinful seeking or possessing of the Honours Profits or Pleasures of this Life As the Happiness of Heaven exceeds the enjoyments of this World in kind and height of Satisfaction and in continuance and duration so Rational a thing it is to live and walk by Faith of unseen things and Unreasonable and Unmanly to be governed by the sense of present things in opposition thereunto 2 Thess 3.2 2. The Faith of Assent in the Understanding worketh a Consent in the VVill to the Condition of the Promise as the passion of Fear is awakened by believing God's Threatnings against such as do not observe and fulfil that Condition There is a Principle of Self-preservation planted by God in every Man's Nature by which he fears and abhors that which he knows and verily believes tends to the infelicity and misery of his Being and which puts him upon the avoiding of that which he believes hath such a tendency in order to the declining the Misery or Destruction itself VVhen a Man receives such sayings into his Understanding as threaten that if ye live after the flesh ye shall die that except ye repent ye shall all perish that without holiness no Man shall see the Lord and the like and doth Assent unto them as the true sayings of God which Assent is his Faith the fear of the Misery threatned and the Principle of Self-preservation work in him a desire and endeavour to have his sinful Inclinations and Appetites Mortified and a care to avoid the outward acts of sin as really and truly as he desires to escape Eternal Destruction itself as believing and knowing they tend thereto and that he cannot escape the one without a sincere desire and endeavour to destroy and avoid the other And in this way Faith is a Believer's Victory by which he also overcomes the World when it tempts him to sin by threatning him with Disgrace loss of Estate or Liberty or with enduring of corporal Punishment or Death itself For he believes the Punishments in the other VVorld to be of such a nature and duration as that the worst things which Man can inflict are altogether inconsiderable in comparison of them By which Belief he is so far guided that he chuses to suffer the less when his faithfulness to God and his own best interest doth expose him to it rather than to expose himself by unfaithfulness to infinitely the greater to avoid the less And thus Faith purifies the Heart of all inordinate Affection to Riches Honour Ease and Pleasures Acts 15.9 III. The Faith of Assent or Credence in the Understanding touching the exceeding greatness of God's Love to Mankind in the gift of Christ for their Redemption and in his great and precious Promises made in him upon a very gracious Condition works in the Will a love to God and so a love to please him in doing those things which he hath made the Condition of his Promise When once the Understanding represents it to the Will as a certain Truth upon clear Evidence that notwithstanding Mens Apostacy from God and Rebellion against him and the Condemnation they are under thereby yet God is Reconcilable to them yea willing and so desirous to Reconcile them to himself that as an Evidence and Proof of it he hath given his own Son Christ Jesus to become a Ransom for them and that he hath made a new Covenant declaring that upon account of his Son 's undertaking for them he is not only abundantly willing to pardon all such as shall unfeignedly Repent of their disloyalty and sincerely return to their Duty but that he will also bountifully reward their future sincere Obedience with perfect and perpetual Happiness I say when all this is represented to the Will as unquestionably true it will work in it a love to that God and Saviour that hath been so loving if it be but kept close to it A manifestation of such love and goodness to Man and that while yet in enmity against God so ill deserving and so obnoxious to the power of his wrath when he hath no need of him nor can be profited by him will create good thoughts of God and reconcile Man's Mind to him and work melting Affections in him to God when heartily
tell them the contrary That it is not the Eye alone by which a Man sees but that it is the Soul that sees by the Eye as its Organ The Eye sees not when the Soul is departed though it be not then alone I confess I cannot possibly conceive either how the Soul should not concur with the Eye in the Act of seeing when the Eye cannot see without it nor yet that Repentance should not concur with Faith in the Act of Justification so long as Men cannot be Justified by Faith it self without it or in the absence of it as they themselves grant 3. This lies in the way of some they cannot conceive how Justification by Evangelical Obedience as well as Faith should consist with the possibility of somes being justified by Believing who yet may not live so long after as to have an opportunity of doing good Works How rare Instances of this kind are I shall not dispute But doubtless whenever Men so believe God's Promise of pardon through Christ upon their Repentance and the necessity of their own Repentance for the obtaining of it as that they in VVill and a fixed and lasting Resolution become new Men then they first believe unto Justification And it is not impossible but that some may so believe that may never after they do so have opportunity to be much active in External Acts of Obedience But though this should so fall out yet such are not justified without Evangelical Obedience as well as Faith For 1. These Motions and Acts of the VVill are themselves Acts of present Evangelical Obedience 2. They are in the Root and Cause Evangelical Obedience future and to come First They are in themselves Acts of present Evangelical Obedience For by these Motions and Acts of the VVill Men do whenever they take place turn from Sin to God and their Duty out of Hatred to that they turn from and out of Love to that they turn to And these Acts of the VVill which consist in Affection and Resolution are proper effects and fruits of Faith in the Understanding and Acts of Heart-Obedience in the sight of God and a conformity of Soul to his declared VVill and Commandment And they may as well and as truly be called VVorks as evil Acts of the VVill may such as are a love to evil and desires and resolutions of perpetrating it VVhich evil Acts of the VVill are yet in Scripture called VVorks and a working of wickedness Psal 58.2 Ye work wickedness in your Hearts Micah 2.1 He that looketh upon a Woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Matth. 5.28 And envy wrath and hatered which are Internal Acts of the Soul are called VVorks of the Flesh Gal. 5.19 20 21. And if such inward fixed Resolutions in Men of obeying God in external Acts if ever they have opportunity and a Call to it did not pass in God's account for Obedience and were not accepted instead of the Deed when opportunity for the Deed is wanting the best Man in the World could be no Disciple of Christ who doth not actually forsake all that he hath and lay down his Life for him Whosoever of you forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my Disciple saith he Luke 14.26 33. Whereas Christ pronounceth the Poor in Spirit Blessed many of whom never became actually Poor for his sake as not being called to it But if they are Poor in Spirit if they firmly resolve to become Poor in forsaking all for Christ's sake when called to it these are capable of Blessedness in Christ's account as well as those that suffer the loss of all for Righteousness sake Matth. 5.3 Secondly Those Acts of the Will are in the Root and Cause Evangelical Obedience future and to come Because those Resolutions against evil and for good when they are of a fixed and lasting nature as they always are when together with Faith they make Men capable of Justification will certainly produce external Acts of sincere Obedience as opportunity doth occur When the Tree is made good it will bring forth good Fruit in the season of Fruit if it be not cut down before When the Heart is renewed in affection and resolution the course of a Man's Life will certainly be answerable to it if ever it have opportunity of shewing it A good Man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things Mat. 12.35 And God who knows the Heart doth judge of and estimate Men according to what they are in the inward frame of their Heart and prevalent bent of their Wills If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a Man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 We judge of the Cause by the Effects of the goodness of Mens Hearts by the goodness of their Lives to us the Tree is known by its Fruit But God who is greater than our Hearts and knows them better than we do judges of the Effect by the Cause and knows what a Mans Life will be by what his Heart is upon its first Conversion to him and so confers on him the benefit of Justification when the Foundation of a good Life is laid in the conversion and renewing of the Heart The Understanding of this Part of Discourse will serve not only to satisfy the foresaid Doubt but also to inform us what Evangelical Obedience is necessary to Justification in its beginning Not but that actual Obedience in Life is necessary to the continuance of Justification where Life is continued And therefore we find that Abraham was justified by his after-believing and after-obedience as well as by his first and so was Noah before him Noah was a Righteous Man and justified before he became heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith by his believing and obeying God in preparing the Ark Gen. 6.9 Heb. 11.7 It was by Faith in God's Promise that Abraham left his Country to obey God at the first and by that he was first justified Heb. 11.8 And yet his believing God's Promise so shall thy Seed be which was not made till some years after was imputed to him also for Righteousness Gen. 15.9 It was many years after that again that by Faith he offered his Son Isaac upon the Altar and yet by that he was justified as well as by his first Faith and Obedience Jam. 2.21 Pardon of sin is our Justification from sin Acts 13.39 And this we are directed by the Lord's Prayer to pray for daily all our days And the continuance of Justification is promised upon condition of continuance of Faith and Obedience to the Gospel Col. 1.21 22 23. and a discontinuance of it threatned in case of disobedience according to the Tenour of the Parable Mat. 18. from ver 23. to ver 35. By all which we may see what need there is for all Christians to work out to work through their own Salvation with fear and trembling to which they are
earnestly exhorted Phil. 2.22 and to run so that they may obtain 1 Cor. 9.24 IV. Some to evil affect their own and others Minds with prejudice against Discourses of this nature do suggest That the laying so great a stress upon Duty as to esteem any thing of it necessary to Justification save Believing only doth derogate from the Glory of Christ's great Undertaking in the business of Man's Salvation and that it is a trusting in our own Righteousness But it will appear far otherwise if they will but impartially consider in what sence and upon what account such stress is laid upon Duty which I shall open in two Particulars 1. They that rightly understand themselves in this matter do not look that any of their Duties of what nature soever should of themselves as such be available to their Justification or Salvation but that it is for the sake of Christ and upon account of his Undertaking for us that God accepts and imputes for Righteousness to us such Duty as Faith Repentance and Obedience is and that he doth make promise of Justification upon Condition of these Since the Fall we say all our Duties that are acceptable to God or available to us become so through Christ and for his sake And therefore so long as we attribute and ascribe the benefit we expect upon our Repentance and sincere Obedience or Belief unto Christ and to his great and worthy Undertaking for us we are far from derogating from the Glory of it and from trusting in our own Righteousness in that Notion in which Mens trusting in their own Righteousness is condemned in Scripture or any otherwise than as our Duty is made a Condition without which we shall have no part in Christ nor be qualified for Glory 2. When we lay such stress upon Repentance Obedience c. as a Condition or part of a Condition of the Promise of Justification and Salvation as without which we say we cannot be Justified or Saved by Christ's Undertaking for us yet then this stress is laid and depends upon the Will and Appointment of God by which these Duties are thus made the Condition and not on the intrinsick worth or value of the Duties themselves simply considered without reference to God's Ordination appointing them to that use For if God had not made a New Covenant promising pardon for Christ's sake to such as do Repent and Acceptance and Reward to such as sincerely Obey him they would have had no sufficient ground to have been confident of Pardon Acceptance or Reward though they should have Repented and so Obey'd And the reason is because Men are not Justified in the Eye of the Natural or Moral Law upon any such account as that is So that all the stress which is laid on Duty by them that rightly understand their Duty in this matter doth terminate partly in Christ's Undertaking for them and partly in God's Institution and Appointment who hath made his Promise of Justifying us for Christ's sake so as that he hath made our Duty of Repentance and sincere Obedience a necessary Condition of it And he that trusteth to be Pardoned Accepted and Rewarded for Christ's Sake upon his Repentance and sincere Obedience because God hath promised that he shall trusteth in God and in the fidelity of his Word and Promise And in doing so what more stress doth he lay upon Duty in this kind than they that trust to be Justified and Saved upon their Believing For their Believing is matter of Duty as well as their Repenting and Obeying And their Believing would no more have entitled them to the benefit without the Promise which gives them that Title than other Acts of Duty would do And other Acts of Duty do entitle to the same benefits as fully as Faith itself doth where there is promise of the same benefits annexed to them as Faith hath And that they have I have shewed before So long then as the stress which is laid on Duty terminates in Christ and in God's Will and Appointment in the New Covenant and is regulated by his Word and Promise there is no danger of overcharging Duty It 's true indeed if we should expect that Duty should do that for us which is proper only to Christ as to expiate our sin or the like we should sinfully overcharge it as the Pharisaical Jews did their Sacrifices and other Legal Observances in expecting remission of Sin by them without Christ's Atonement Which Righteousness of theirs is for that cause called their own Righteousness which was by the Law as being no method of Justification of God's appointment but of their own devising which in that respect was indeed but as filthy Rags and loathsome to God But this is not the case with Protestant Christians who lay no such stress upon Duty no not upon Faith itself but do acknowledge that all the power and virtue it hath to justifie depends wholly upon and is derived from the Will and Ordination of God in Christ Joh. 6.40 and 1.12 Ephes 2.8 And we say the same of Repentance and sincere Obedience also And a confidence of being saved in a way of Duty upon such terms is represented in Scripture as trusting in the Righteousness of God through Faith in opposition to ones trusting in his own Righteousness Phil. 3.9 so far is it from trusting in our own Righteousness or from derogating from Christ in the Glory of his Undertaking for us And now for a Conclusion It would be considered whether such as are educated in Christianity are not hardlier brought to live as becomes the Gospel in point of Practice than to believe that Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners and that he Died for them and Rose again And whether there is not cause to fear that very many more such do eternally miscarry through neglect of the former than for want of the latter And if there be as doubtless there is then Practical Discourses among such must needs be highly necessary however some of weak minds thirst more after Discourses Consolatory upon account of Believing only Which may serve instead of an Apology for writing this Discourse Saint Paul charged Titus to affirm this constantly that they which have Believed be careful to maintain good Works Tit. 3.8 FINIS 〈…〉 On the Preliminary QUESTIONS and ANSWERS OF THE Church-Catechism Giving an Account of the whole Doctrine OF THE Covenant of Grace And of the Nature Terms and Conditions of the same SHEWING ALSO By whose Mediation it was obtained for us by what Assistance we shall be enabled to perform it and our Obligations thereunto The Third Edition By THOMAS BRAY D. D. LONDON Printed by J. Brudenell for William Haws at the Rose in Ludgate-street 1703. TO THE Right Reverend Father in GOD WILLIAM LORD BISHOP of Coventry and Lichfield Lord Almoner to the KING MY LORD HAving your Lordship's Commands for the Publication of these following Discourses I have reason to hope my Readers will prove candid and
11.25 that is That it is the Seal of that Covenant which was Purchas'd by and Ratify'd in his Blood But such as have been throughly Catechized as they have been made to Understand the Terms and Conditions of the Covenant of Grace both the inestimable Priviledges made over to them on God's part and those very reasonable Conditions to be perform'd on their own so they have been also taught that One main End of Communicating in the Lord's Supper is to Ratify and Confirm and Seal this Covenant of Grace between God and Us. And then those that have been taught this cannot come Ignorantly to the Lord's Supper nor consequently are in such danger of coming Unworthily I. Of Receiving Vnworthily for Ignorance of the Nature and Consequence of that Blessed Ordinance is generally as much the cause as any thing that any do approach Unworthily to it Nor if the People of our Nation had been ever throughly Catechized II. Of not Receiving at all would so many Abstain as commonly do from ever coming at all for if all Men were throughly instructed in the Nature Terms and Conditions of their Covenant which it is the Business of Catechizing to do as they would then easily discern that it is the highest and most inestimable Priviledge in the World to be took into such a Covenant of Grace wherein they have God Almighty Engaging himself and putting his Seal to it in the Sacrament to make good to them the most inestimable Blessings Pardon and Happiness on the most reasonable Conditions Repentance Faith and Gospel Obedience So if they did rightly understand this they would then account it as it really is the highest Priviledge in the World to be Confederates with God in so advantagious a Covenant and would think they could never often enough Partake at the Lord's Table whereby the oft'ner they come they do more and more secure to themselves those inestimable Benefits made over to us by the Covenant of Grace and Engage as themselves more closely to God so God himself more inviolably as it were to make good those Blessings to them No surely if all Christians had been but Catechized in those Points both what a mighty Priviledge it is to be in Covenant with God and that Receiving of the Sacrament is the Rite of God's own Appointment of Confirming to our selves all the Benefits of this Covenant we should then have our People Daily crouding to the Lord's Table which they do now so profanely turn their Backs upon we should not then need so much to invite and entreat Persons to come but they would of their own accord Embrace all Opportunities of more and more Ensuring to themselves these most invaluable Benefits by often coming In a word A Man is no more fit to partake of the Lord's Supper that does not well understand the Nature and Terms of that Covenant which he does therein Ratify and Seal with God than he is fit to Seal to Covenants and Leases whose Conditions and Obligations he never had so much as Read over to him nor does he know them But Catechizing is the appointed and most proper Means of gaining a competent Measure of Understanding in the Nature and Terms of the Covenant of Grace Without having been Catechized therefore a Man cannot be well expected to partake worthily of the Lord's Supper And this is the Second Use to which Catechizing does therefore serve to prepare you that you may be sit and worthy Communicants at the Lord's Table Thirdly III. Catechizing is Requisite to Persons being Edifyed by Preaching Catechizing is very useful to render you Capable to receive Edification by the Preaching of the Word and to your Profiting by Sermons That is certainly the true and only edifying Preaching which does most plainly lay open before you the Meaning the Reasons and the Importance of any Article of your Faith whereby you may best know God and the Necessity of serving him and which does most clearly Explain to you the Nature and true Extent of your Christian Duties whereby you may know what it is you have to do and may be freed from all causless Doubts and Scruples about the way of your Happiness And lastly which does give you the most convincing Arguments and Reasons to move and stir you up faithfully to discharge your manifold Obligations to God your Neighbour and your selves Such as this is truly Edifying Preaching because this will if you do duly attend to it build you up perfect Christians in the Knowledge and Practice of true Religion And now One that has been Catechized so as to have a general Understanding in the Nature of his Covenant when such a One hears a Sermon upon any particular Point of that Covenant whereby he has more fully explain'd to him the Nature and Attributes of God and his Saviour's Mediation and of his own Duty than formerly in Catechizing could be done and when he hears any good Reasons and Motives given whereby he should seriously apply himself to live so and so as becomes the Servant of such a God and such a Saviour and one that professes to pay him such Obedience When a Catechized Understanding Person hears such Preaching is this he finds his Understanding more enlightned with Heavenly Truths and his Will and Affections more bent upon doing as he has been Instructed and so as in all reason he ought he accounts such a Sermon truly Edifying and himself Edify'd thereby But the Ignorant and Uncatechized part of the World when they hear a Sermon for want of Discretion to judge of its real Worth such look only at some such trifling Consideration as the Vehemence and Noise of the Speaker and if there be but enough of that as generally there is the greatest Shew where there is the least of Substance tho' they are made to know no more than they did before of the Importance of any Article of their Faith or of the Nature and Extent of any Duty of Religion they are however stunn'd into Admiration of they know not what utterly dis-regarding the most instructing and really edifying Preaching to the very great Prejudice of their Souls and the utter hinderance of their Improvement by our Ministry in all useful and substantial Knowledge Besides it is a mighty Help to the gaining Understanding in any Science whatsoever especially the Christian Religion to have a general View given one of the whole which it is the Business of Catechizing to do and to see how one Point depends upon another and do all sweetly agree together For not to mention other Advantages by this a Man shall be able to judge the better of the Usefulness and Weight of any Sermon or Religious Discourse on any particular Point as whether it does throughly Explain it or does not take in what does more properly belong to some other Matter And by this a Man shall be able also to judge whether the Preacher Builds upon the Foundation Gold Silver precious Stone or Wood Hay
Observe his different Policies at this Day And in learned and Philosophical Ages he is as shy in appearing lest he should destroy the prevailing Sadducism Now we live in a Learned and Inquisitive Age wherein Men are naturally very suspicious and not easy to believe what they do not see And therefore partly through such an incredulous Temper of Mind and partly through a Spirit of Atheism and Sadducism now Reigning many like the Sadducees of Old will Believe no Spirits And therefore now we do very seldom hear of any Apparition and the Atheist cannot not obtain One tho' he desires it and would go many Miles to see One. The Reason is plain Should the Devil appear to him it would convince him there are those Invisible Powers which now he denies and therefore Satan who is so Politick will be as backward to appear now as he was forward then Because it is as much his Interest to detain Men in Atheism and Sadducism in this as in Superstition in former Ages Fourthly IV. As to the skilfulness of the Seedsman Satan is wonderfully cunning in makeing choice of fit and proper Instruments and in furnishing those with the proper Arts of Deceiving and with suitable Qualities whom he employs to sow the Seed of corrupt Doctrine in the Souls of men And that there may be nothing wanting to compleat his Delusions Satan is wonderfully cunning in making choice of fit and proper Instruments and in furnishing those out both with all the plausible Arts of Deceiving and also with suitable Qualities whom he employs to sow the Tares of corrupt Doctrines in the Souls of Men. This the Holy Spirit is particularly careful to Inform us of and to Forewarn us against 'em especially 2 Cor. 11.14 where the Apostle tells us That As Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light which he is when under the plausible Appearance and Colour of Advancing God's Honour in some of his Attributes and of setting up Gospel-Truths as he would have 'em taken to be he does Introduce Heresies and Vile Practices into the Church that do most effectually undermine God's Authority amongst Men and wholly Overthrow all Reverence to him So that those Teachers his Agents who do Infuse any of his false Doctrines into Men's Hearts Are deceitful Workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ ver 13. They are deceitful Workers Teaching the Doctrines of Christianity by Halves sometimes Advancing Morality and a Virtuous Life with the Neglect if not with the Contempt of and in opposition to an Orthodox and sound Faith sometimes on the other side placing all Religion in Believing aright concerning God and Christ and decrying the Interest of Good Works in our Justification before God And to the End they may be the better fitted to Deceive he is not wanting to Furnish out his Instruments with all the most plausible Arts of Deceiving And their deceitful Working is usually in the very same manner as the Devil 's was That wicked Spirit would have Tempted our Saviour desperately to throw himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple and to presume upon God's working of a Miracle to preserve him in so doing And to Encourage him therein he quotes a Text of Scripture which is in Psal 91.11 12. For he shall give his Angels charge over thee and they shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy Foot against a Stone In the Quotation of which Place of Scripture you may observe he leaves out what makes against him which are these Words To keep thee in all his ways The Words entire are He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all his ways meaning That so long as a Man keeps himself in the Ways of God and in the Use of those due Means which he has prescrib'd he will not fail to Preserve him And in the very same manner do most Heretical Deceivers delude the World They will pretend the highest Veneration and Respect for Scripture and none are so apt to quote it for every Thing they say as they But then if you observe them they either leave out such Expressions as make against them or consider not the Scope and Meaning thereof with reference to the Context and Meaning of the fore-going and following words or they put some forc'd and violent Interpretation upon 'em not at all agreeable to the meaning thereof in that Place Thus they are Deceitful Workers And They will Transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ putting on the Garb and outward Appearance of Apostolick Vertues and Graces when they go forth into the World to disperse these their Errors Indeed Satan is careful to furnish those whom he sends out with suitable and agreeable Qualities according to the Nature of those Errors they are to sow in the World If their Business is to undermine the Faith of Christians to disparage the more mysterious Doctrines of Christianity of a Trinity of Persons in one Divine Nature Such as place all Religion in Morality shall be adorned with Humanity and of the Divinity and Satisfaction of Christ and to place the whole of the Christian Religion in Morality and a Good Life why then he will adorn his Agents with the fair and plausible Vertues of Humanity and Courtesy and Civility of Manners which are most taking amongst Persons of better Quality the likeliest Soil to sow Heterodox Opinions of that Nature in But on the other side Is it his Design to starve that Part of Christianity which consists in the Practice of moral Vertues and to Represent it all as Mystery Such as turn it all into Mystery shall be Gifted with Canting Why then his Agents shall have the Gift of Uttering themselves in Canting Phrases and obscure and dark Forms of Expressions that seem to have something of Mysteriousness in them And all they teach it shall look as if it were inspir'd being pour'd forth with mighty Noise and Vehemence accompany'd sometimes with Tremblings and Shakings as if under some strong Impulse from a Spirit within And yet to see the Crooked Windings of this Subtle Serpent And yet sometimes the Crooked Serpent by Men seeming Godly will propagate Principles extreamly Immoral you shall observe which is a wonderful Artifice of Satan even those very Persons whose Doctrines do directly tend to render an Honest and Upright Conversation very insignificant in Religion to be notwithstanding themselves very Demure and in outward Appearance Sanctify'd Persons no Swearers nor Riotous Livers and free from those gross and scandalous Immoralities which some of the Professors of a much better Religion are perhaps notoriously Guilty of insomuch that the undiscerning Part of Men do often Embrace those very Heresies which naturally and directly tend to Encourage Sin and Dishonesty and Unmercifulness And in a word To render Men secure in the Practice of any Wickedness meerly for the sake of the appearing Holiness of those Men's Lives who teach those Principles tending to
Immorality And this is an extraordinary Reach in Satan That impure Spirit is sometimes content that some of his principal Agents should not be immorally Wicked for by few such Men's seeming Godliness he Propagates those dangerous and destructive Principles which will make Multitudes become securely and without Remorse of Conscience Villainously Wicked And now there is not a greater Difficulty perhaps in the whole Christian Warfare The most difficult Part of a Christian's Warfare is to preserve One self untainted with Heretical Pravity colour'd over with the Varnish of Gospel-Truth But yet by Trying it by proper Rules it may be done viz. than to preserve One-self untainted with Heresies and the most poisonous Errors colour'd over with a meer Resemblance of Gospel-Truth But however as difficult as it is no honest Mind that will be careful to weigh those Poisonous Doctrines and the Persons who Propagate them in the Ballance of the Sanctuary that is by those Rules which the Scripture has given us But may be able to discover the Lightness and Vanity of both and so to Renounce both one and the other And that which every one is to do that he may Renounce them is not to be too easy in Entertaining 'em because Plausible at first appearance but impartially to Try and Examine by a true and infallible Touch-stone both their Doctrines and those who Propagate them whether they Be of God Thus we are directed 1 Joh. 4.5 Beloved Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World And how shall you do this Why the Scripture does give you Two most infallible and plain Rules whereby to do it The one Matth. 7.16 The other the Verse immediately following the now cited Place of St. John That in Matthew is this I. By its Tendency to an Ill Life You shall know them by their Fruits If their Doctrines are apt to infuse into your Minds any unworthy and undue Thoughts of God or any Seeds of Impiety Injustice Uncleanness Uncharitableness Sedition Rebellion in a word if they do Countenance any Immorality c. II. By its Taking off from our Dependance upon the Mediation of Christ for the Acceptance of a good One Let their Pretences and Carriage be never so fair and free from Scandal to be sure they are False Prophets and the Devil's Agents The Rule given us 1 Joh. 4.2 3. whereby to discover the Doctrines of Satan's infusing is this Hereby know ye the Spirit of God every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come into the Flesh is not of God By Jesus Christ being come in the Flesh is meant that Jesus Christ took our Nature upon him that he might be a Mediatour betwixt God and Us to Reconcile the Father to us by his Satisfaction and Intercession for us And whosoever shall teach contrary to this so as to take off our Dependance upon Christ let him seem never so Zealous for a Good Life his Doctrine is of Satan's devising The whole Design of Christianity is no doubt as appears from these Two former Rules to make us Holy in this World and yet withal to create in us such a Dependance and Reliance on Christ for Salvation as to expect it not on the account of our own Holy Performances which are so imperfect but in the Vertue of Christ's Mediation with the Father for us And whosoever will but carefully Examine the several false Doctrines so much Preacht up at this Day by our Enemies on either side by these Two Rules shewing the Design of Christianity I am verily perswaded will find most of them to thwart one Part or other of this Design and that either they discourage Holiness or if they seem to stand upon the Necessity thereof they decry the Necessity of our Dependance upon Christ's Mediation for God's Acceptance of it to our Justification and so by one or other of these Rules we may discover them to be Doctrines of Satan's infusing Most of the Doctrines of the Church of Rome do plainly tend to make Men secure in a Course of Sin and those Antinomian Tenets wherewith some of our Dissenting Brethren are too much in Love do also tend to the same causing us to depend so entirely on Christ's satisfaction as to make us neglect the Working out our own Salvation On the contrary the Socinian at the same time he pretends much for Morality and a Good Life denies the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ and that God the Father gave him to be an Attonement for the Sins of Mankind and in the Vertue of his precious Blood to intercede in Heaven for our Reconciliation so that he wholly takes off our Faith or Dependance on Christ for Justification Thus may the most dangerous Errors now in the Church of Christ with a little Watchfulness and Care to examine the Tendency of them be discover'd by you from whose Suggestions they proceed and that they are Tares of the Enemies that is the Devil 's sowing whilst the Husbandman was asleep But do you I beseech you carefully beware of such false Doctrines and deceitful Teachers both which are Satan's Temptations to draw you unwittingly to sin against and dishonour God And tho' his Agents seem never so Demure and appear never so Sanctify'd who do teach Men such Doctrines Beware of those Wolves who come to you in Sheeps cloathing you shall know them by their Fruits If they shall endeavour to instil into your Minds any undue Apprehensions of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost contrary to what you are taught out of the Scripture in the Doctrine of our Church or any pernicious Opinions that in their Nature and Tendency shall render an Holy Good Life unnecessary to our Justification assure your selves they are no Ministers of Christ but of Satan And are set on work by him to destroy God's Authority amongst Men and to set up his own Laws in their Hearts the Thing he aims at And so much for this Time THE Twelfth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh THE Point that we are now upon is to make as full a Discovery to you as here we can of that Great Work of the Devil his Tempting us to Sin A Work so eminently the Business and Employment of Satan and so dangerous and Destructive to Mankind and also manag'd in such manifold and cunning Methods that it ought particularly to be consider'd by us The Devil says a Father has nothing else that he does but Tempt us to Sin He neither Eats nor Drinks nor Sleeps nor does he any thing else but Tempt Deceive and Subvert us This is his Meat this is his Honour this is his Joy In this he is Indefatigable and if he could have his Will he would never cease Tempting us but that he is restrain'd by the Power of God
than throughly to understand both the Meaning and Importance of every Doctrine of Faith and the Nature and Extent of every Christian Duty And lastly since a good End can never be obtain'd without the Knowledge and Use of due and proper means the Nature therefore and Use of Prayer and the Nature and End of Sacraments must be a most necessary part of Christian Knowledge So much must our Appetites after Knowledge in the most Excellent of Humane Arts and Science be Renounc'd in comparison of our Desires after a competent Measure of Divine Knowledge But Lastly III. When out of Pride Prejudice and contradiction to all Sacred Truths we set up our own Carnal Imaginations Fleshly Reasonings against those Spiritual Notions and those Mysterious Articles of our Faith which are deliver'd to us in Scripture Above all we must Renounce that prevailing Appetite in such as are of most Depraved and Corrupt Minds viz. The setting up their own Imaginations and Fleshly Reasonings against those Spiritual Notions and those more Mysterious Articles of Faith which are delivered to us in the Scripture In the more depraved Nature of some Men there is a great deal of Untowardness and Difficulty to submit to the sacred Truths Revealed to us by Christ in the Gospel as to Matters of Faith or such Articles as are necessary to be believ'd One that is conceited of his own Wisdom strength of Parts or Improvement in Knowledge will not submit his Reason to entertain Notions which he cannot Comprehend and Penetrate The Carnal Mind which is Enmity against God Rom. 8.7 will disdain to have his Understanding baffl'd or puzzl'd with sublime Mysteries of Faith he will quarrel at any thing too high for his Wit to reach or too Knotty for him to unloose How can these things be What Reason can there be for this I cannot see how this can be true This Point is not intelligible And perhaps he finds fault with the whole Body of the Scriptures either because some things are obscure to him or the Phrase is not queint and fine enough Thus the Carnal Mind treateth the Dictates of Faith and the Word of God But far be it from Christians thus to indulge their own Carnal Reasonings and Self-Conceits in opposition to what God has Reveal'd to us as necessary to be Believ'd by us For certainly the Infinite Wisdom both knows what is fittest to be taught and reveal'd to us and in what Manner and Method he had best to express himself Those that did thus proudly despise the Wisdom of God measuring it according to their own Talent of Wit and Understanding did at first and do to this Day most fatally miscarry for it is written 1 Cor. 1.19 I will destroy the Wisdom of the Wise and will bring to nothing the Vnderstanding of the Prudent But our Duty is to submit our Understanding to Almighty God to be Inlighten'd by his infinite Wisdom Casting down Imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the Knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 There is a great deal of Vertue and Grace in an Obedient Understanding and therefore to the Disciples who were so dispos'd To them it was given as our Saviour tells us Matth. 13.11 To understand the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to them who are not prepar'd with an humble Mind it is not given Nor is this an hard Imposition upon Mankind to oblige 'em to believe what is above our Reason to Comprehend It is sufficient that the Holy Scriptures which do deliver such Articles of Faith as necessary to be Believ'd are sufficiently witnessed to be Divine Revelations and that there is nothing contain'd in the Articles or Mysteries themselves which is contrary or contradictory to that Reason which God has given to Man But that there should be any thing in an Article of Faith which though it be above our Reason to Comprehend especially in this its State of weakness must yet be Believ'd will not seem hard if we consider that there are many Appearances even in Nature it self which no Man has been yet found who could give a tolerable account for and yet the truth of their being so and so cannot be call'd in question This Humour of opposing Reason to Revelation proceeds from meer Pride In short this Humour of opposing our own Fleshly Reasonings against those Divine Revelations which we cannot now in this State of Imperfection so fully Comprehend proceeds meerly from the Pride of those Men who disdaining to own the Decays of our Reason as well as of other the Powers of the Soul ever since the Fall which every modest Man's Experience does make him too sensible of in a Thousand Instances do over-value their Talent of Wit far beyond what they ought And this therefore being such a proud Luciferian Temper it ought to be Renounc'd as the most Impious of all the Sinful Lusts of the Fleshly Mind And let this suffice to be spoke concerning our Renouncing of the Sinful Lusts of that sort The Corrupt Will what and how to be Renounc'd 2. Let us next consider the WILL and the Innate Corruption which Residing in that Faculty renders it Fleshly and tending in all its Choices towards the Creature and so the proper Matter of the Christian's Renunciation And as to this Faculty we are to consider how that God gave to Man a Righteous Law which was to be the Rule of his Will and while it was conformable to this it was conformable to the Will of God and consequently Beautiful and Regular but instead thereof there is now a Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8.2 And this Law subdues the Law of the Mind and brings the Soul into Captivity to the Law of Sin Rom. 7.23 And the Will being thus Captivated is made Carnal and filled with Enmity against God and that Law which he once planted in us to be the Rule of our Will so that it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be whilst we remain Unregenerate Rom. 8.7 But in its corrupt State being always Averse to the Directions of God's Laws and Right Reason it perversly chuses those things which please only the Senses and so becomes in the most proper and immediate Sence of the Word a Sinful and Fleshly Lust But as obstinately bent as the Corrupt Will is found to be against complying with the Laws of God which would guide our Souls upwards we must bring our selves to that Habit of Self-denial so as readily to submit our Wills to God's Laws to be Governed by 'em the reason is we are not our own and therefore our own depraved Wills ought not to bear Rule in us but we are God's Creatures and his Subjects and Servants and therefore his All-wise Will and Pleasure should be the Rule and Measure of and preside over all our Actions And this it must do in the most difficult Cases when his
the Articles of our Christian Faith In order to the Explication of which Point 1. I will declare to you the General Nature of those ARTICLES or Christian Truths which are to be Believed 2. I will shew you What it is to BELIEVE those Articles or Christian Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness And 3. I will shew you how we must Believe ALL the Articles of the Christian Faith And First I am to declare to you something in General Articles of Christian Faith of what Nature The whole Bible the Object of a Christian's Faith both concerning the Nature of those ARTICLES or Christian Truths which are to be Believed The whole Bible both Old and New Testament is the proper Object of a Christian's Faith and whatever we find therein Recorded or deliver'd down to us we are to believe as a Divine Certain and Infallible Truth because all things therein contain'd are the Word of Him who will not who cannot Lie who neither can be deceiv'd himself nor will he deceive others As to the Old Testament and the Writings of the Prophets the Old Testament and the Jehosophat in a solemn Assembly of the whole People upon a solemn Fast-day 2 Chron. 20.20 Proclaimed unto them stood up and said Hear me O Judah and Inhabitants of Jerusalem believe in the Lord your God so shall you be Established believe his Prophets so shall ye Prosper And let the Declarations of God Recorded therein be of what Nature they will the Truth of them is by no means to be called in doubt If you will not Believe surely ye shall not be Established Isa 7.9 And so likewise as to the New Testament New Our Saviour upon his Entrance to preach the Gospel did in the first place require of all Men to Believe it Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and saying The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand Repent ye and Believe the Gospel Mark 1.14 15. And when he was also leaving the World and Commission'd his Disciples to go into all the World and to preach the Gospel to every Creature He declar'd that he that Believeth shall be Saved but he that Believeth not shall be Damned Mark 16.15 16. So that both the Old and New Testament and every part and parcel of Scripture therein contain'd is firmly to be Believ'd as the Divine Certain and Infallible Truth of God And the reason thereof as to the Old Testament is Because Prophecy came not in Old time by the Will of Man but Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 And we are also firmly to believe all the parts both of Old and New indifferently because all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works 2 Tim. 3.16 All the parts of it are the Dictates and Word of God himself and are more or less Useful to our Edification and Improvement in Divine Knowledge Faith and Practice And therefore all Ranks and Degrees of Men and of every Age Young as well as Old ought diligently to Study and firmly to Believe the Holy Scriptures The Bereans did so and they were accounted the more Honourable for so doing The Bereans were more Noble than those in Thessalonica in that they Received or Believed the Word with all readiness of Mind and searched the Scriptures daily Act. 17.11 And it is Recorded to the Immortal Honour of Timothy 2 Epist 3.15 that from a Child he had known the Scriptures which were able to make him wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus Some Truths Revealed in Scripture of greater Importance and Concernment to us than others Well but tho' all Scripture as being the Infallible Word of him who neither can be deceiv'd himself nor will deceive others does Challenge the Belief of every Christian yet among the great multitude of Truths of various Kinds deliver'd in the Scriptures some are of far greater Importance and Concernment to us than others because they do more immediately and directly tend to give us due and worthy Apprehensions of God and to Instruct us in the only sure Method of Salvation by Jesus Christ There are some Principal Doctrines of Christianity which are in their own Nature apt to have a greater Influence upon our Lives and more powerfully to restrain us from a Course of Sin and to unite us to the Practice of Vertue and Holiness than others and when they have done this to send us to God the Father to seek for Acceptance meerly through Christ his Son And upon these and the like accounts therefore such Truths as these are more particularly necessary to be Believ'd by us in order to our Justification before God and to our Salvation in the other World And must therefore be distinctly Known and explicitely Believ'd and are therefore called the Articles of our Christian Faith being a Summary and Collection of such Doctrines out of the Holy Scriptures as are of a more Concerning Nature than the rest All those other Truths of what Nature soever contain'd in the Holy Scriptures are indeed necessary also to be Believ'd at least-wise Implicitely that is we are to be possest with a General Perswasion that they are all certainly true because God has Reveal'd them as such But these latter which we call the Articles of our Christian Faith must be positively and Explicitely Believ'd that is we must throughly understand 'em and be assuredly and distinctly perswaded of each single Truth contained in 'em as without which understanding and perswasion a Good and Christian Life will not be wrought in us nor a reliance on God's Merits in Christ for the acceptance thereof Created in our Souls Such for instance is the Belief that there is a God Some Instances of such Truths for this is the very first Principle of all Religion and must necessarily make us stand in awe and fear of offending him if we throughly believe and consider it Such is the Belief that he is our Father who Created us and all the World for this will make us love him who gave us our Being And such again is the Belief that he Exercises a just and wise Providence in the Government of the World for this will make us submit our selves to all his Dispensations as being the Appointments of One who knows better than our selves what is Best for us And to instance also in some which are the Truths purely of Reveal'd Religion Such is the Belief that the Son of God came down from Heaven to suffer Death for us to Redeem us from the Punishments of Hell for this as it shews us how Odious a thing Sin is when nothing less could satisfy God's Justice against it than the precious Blood of the Son of God and
consequently does extreamly tend to create in our Hearts an utter Hatred to all Sin So hereby we are taught that Christ has made a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice and Satisfaction for the Sins of the whole World And such lastly is the Belief for I need not now stand to mention every Artiticle that all our Bodies shall rise again at the General Resurrection that then we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to Receive a Just Sentence for whatever we have done in the Body whether it be good or bad for this will make us careful how to lead our Lives so in this World that we may not be Condemn'd in the next These now are some of those Articles of our Christian Faith and are such Divine Truths as are more particularly necessary to be Believ'd by us as containing in them the greatest reason in the World to restrain us from all manner of Sin and to encourage us in the Practice of all Religious Duties And yet are Doctrines withal of extraordinary force to remove all Conceit out of our Minds concerning our own Merits and to make us rely solely upon God's Mercies in Christ for the Acceptance of our most Holy Performances And let this suffice as to the first Thing proposed which was to declare unto you something in general of the Nature of the Objects or of those Truths to be Believ'd the Articles of our Christian Faith And now Secondly I will also shew you what it is to BELIEVE these Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness And if it be ask'd how we must Believe these things What it is to Believe those Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness why we must be so throughly and firmly perswaded of their undoubted Truth as to be accordingly Influenc'd as I have now said by the Belief thereof to the Practice of Good Works and then to betake our selves to Jesus Christ to Intercede with the Father for their Gracious Acceptance Our Belief thereof must be Operative Practical I say our Faith must be such as does Influence us to a Good Life for such is the Faith that St. Paul tells us is now required in the Christian Religion in order to Salvation Gal. 5.6 In Jesus Christ says he neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love Some render the words and that more rightly Faith that is perfected by Love which does more expresly signify the Apostle's meaning that that Faith which will save us must be such as is perfected by the addition of those Duties which we owe to God and our Neighbour And St. James does with great Industry shew that the Christian Faith which has the Promise of Justification and Salvation is a Powerful Practical Belief and that none other has any Promise What says St. James 2.14 doth it profit my Brethren tho' a Man saith he hath Faith and hath not Works can Faith save him Faith if it have not Works is dead being alone ver 17. and is no more than what the Devils have for the Devils believe and tremble ver 19. Such was the Faith of Abraham and of all the Saints And the Faith indeed for which the Holy Patriarchs and Saints were Renown'd of Old and are now so highly Rewarded in Heaven was a Powerful Practical and Working Faith indeed which excited them to the highest and the hardest Acts of Obedience that it was possible for Men to perform Thus Heb. 11.17 18. we read that by Faith Abraham when he was tryed offered up Isaac and he that had received the Promises offered up his only begotten Son and he a Son too in whom God had promised him great Blessings And yet at God's Command he readily Obeyed believing that God would be as good as his Promise to him tho' it was by Raising him again from the Dead By Faith Moses when he was come to Years refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh 's Daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt for he had respect to the recompence of reward ver 24 25 26. It was a great Temptation to Moses to be made a Prince if he pleased in which Estate he might enjoy the highest Pleasures this World could afford but he Believing that God would infinitely reward him for his Self-denial in refusing such Worldly Honours and Pleasures chose rather to be one of those mean Persecuted People the Children of Israel By Faith Thousands of Blessed Saints before us endured tryals of cruel Mockings and Scourgings yea moreover of Bonds and Imprisonments they were Stoned they were Sawn asunder were Tempted were Slain with the Sword they wandred about in Sheep-skins and in Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandred in Desarts and in Mountains and in Dens and in Caves of the Earth Heb. 11.35 36 37 38. They were terrible Sufferings which the Servants of God in former times have been put to undergo but as dreadful as they were being supported with a firm Belief that they should be infinitely recompenced for their Sufferings and Losses they thereupon chearfully underwent the severest that the Wit or Malice of Men or Devils could invent or inflict upon ' em Such a powerful practical working Faith indeed was that for which the Holy Patriarchs and Saints were of Old Renown'd and are now Rewarded in Heaven A Faith I say which excited them to the highest and hardest Acts of Obedience that it was possible for Men to perform And such a Powerful Practical Active and Working Principle is Faith And such an Operative and Practical Principle is Faith whenever the Things believed are of great Importance or Concernment to us whensoever the things Believed are of great Importance or Concernment to us Some things indeed as an Excellent Person does well observe are of such a Nature that the Belief or Knowledge of 'em goes no farther but rests in it self as the Knowledge or Belief of bare Speculative Truths that do not at all Concern us but some things again are of such a Nature as being once firmly and truly believ'd and known carry a Man out to Action Thus for Example If you should hear another threaten'd that he should certainly be Kill'd if he stir out of his House to morrow it would not hinder you from going Abroad tho' you firmly believe the Threatning because it is a Truth in which you are not Concern'd But the Person so threatned if he does throughly believe the danger will certainly not stir out of his House that Day because it is a Truth that he is very much Concerned in On the other side If you shall hear of a Promise made to another Person of a Thousand Pound if he will be at the Pains to go but to such
Waters of Baptism It imports that the Covenant which made Original Sin imputable to us is now Cancell'd and the Condemning force of it took away by our being admitted into another more Merciful and Gracious Covenant And this I say is a very great Happiness to Infants so that we may be sure of their Salvation whenever they dye in their Infancy having all the Forgiving Mercies purchas'd by Christ and held forth to them in the Covenant of Grace enstated on them And indeed if the thing were disputable whether there were any such thing as the Original Sin of Adam imputed to his Posterity however I should be very careful to have my Infant as early Baptized as possible It is at leastwise the surer side to be actually in a Covenant of Grace and Mercy than to remain under one where there may be the least probability of incurring Danger by being in it One cannot make too sure of a state of Salvation So that the being early Baptized into such a state is to be accounted a very great Happiness were it only on the account of those mighty Priviledges it instates upon 'em and insures unto ' em Secondly On account of their being engag'd thereby so early in the Service of God Secondly Nor is it less a Happiness to those Infants that have been Baptiz'd That they have thereby been so early engag'd in the Service of God It is happy for 'em that God has had the first Possession of ' em It will be like to prove a means of keeping out the Devil from getting any Interest in ' em They have been hereby already preingag'd and dedicated to the Service of their good God and it is to be hop'd their Parents and Sureties or it will be infinitely their fault will be continually minding 'em of it as they grow up and will instil by degrees into their Hearts an understanding and sense of the Terms and Articles of their Covenant with God watching withal that they swerve not away from their solemn Vows and Promises made unto him And besides by this early Dedication of Persons whilst Infants unto God it is provided which alone is a great benefit to them and the Church of Christ that so many shall not stand off so long out of the Pale of the Church by not entring into it through the Door of Baptism that so many shall not stand out I say through some unreasonable Fear or Scrupulosity lest if they Sin after Baptism it would be worse for 'em even as many as do now absent themselves upon some such pretences from the Lord's-Supper perhaps all the days of their Lives Many Thousands of these who are now happily within the Pale of the Church and Covenant of Grace by Baptism if they were not to be took into it till grown up to Years of Discretion 't is much to be fear'd least by reason of some Misperswasions or Delusions of Satan or Love to their Lusts which every Man naturally has they would defer it too long till the approach of Death perhaps before they 'd put themselves into a state of Salvation as some misperswaded Persons did in the Primitive Times to the very great Scandal of the Church and the infinite prejudice of their own Souls when many times they were snatcht away by Death before they could put themselves out of the State of Infidels But this Scandal to the Church of Christ and danger to their own Souls is happily prevented by Persons being Baptized into it in their Infancy So that I say it is a very great Happiness to those Infants that have been Baptized on this account also that they have been so early engag'd in the Service of God And now I hope what has been hitherto said may be sufficient to Justifie your having been Baptized into the Covenant of Grace in the time of your Infancy Each of these Arguments I have made use of to this purpose I do take to have sufficient force of themselves to prove the Point but I have endeavour'd so to range 'em one with another that besides that Native Strength there may be in each of 'em in particular like the Parts of a well-compacted Building they should be the stronger for being joyn'd together And tho' indeed it may require your more close Attention to carry the whole Train of Arguments along in your Minds than to apprehend one single Reason by it self yet the Conviction I am sure would be the stronger if you will take 'em all as I have laid 'em together But let this suffice as to the Circumstance of Time and to Justiâ—â—e our having been Initiated by Baptism into the Covenant of Grace in the Age of Infancy the thing imply'd in these words Wherein I was made Our next Consideration with reference to these Circumstances of the Covenant of Grace must be Who were the Persons who presented you to Baptism and Introduc'd you to the Covenant of Grace And it was your Godfathers and Godmothers who did it who did Promise and Vow three things in your Name But of this the next Opportunity THE XXXI Lecture VVhat did your Godfathers and Godmothers then for you They did promise and vow three things in my Name IN commenting upon these Words In my Baptism wherein I was made I have already consider'd one material Circumstance relating to the Entrance into the Covenant of Grace viz. the Time when you were initiated therein and I have justified your having been baptized into it even in the Age of Infancy And now I come to the like Consideration and Vindication of a Second Circumstance relating to the same Matter and requisite also to be consider'd by you viz. whom as your Proxies and Sureties considering it was at an Age you could not personally do it your selves did present you to Baptism and undertake for you this Blessed Covenant And it was your Godfathers and Godmothers who did promise and vow three things in your Name For the more full Explication and Justification of which Use of Godfathers and Godmothers I will enquire I. Into the Meaning and Importance of the Words Godfathers and Godmothers II. Into the Nature of their Office They did promise and vow three things in my Name III. I will shew what reason the Church had to appoint Godfathers and Godmothers both to represent and to engage for the Infant in Baptism IV. And lastly for the farther Justification of the thing out of Scripture I will prove from thence as a Power and Authority given by Christ to the Governours of the Church to appoint such reasonable Circumstances as they shall think fit for the better Order and Decency of Divine Administrations and the better Edification of the Souls of Men so that their appointing of Godfathers and Godmothers was a most excellent and useful Institution to this purpose And I. Let us enquire into the Meaning and Importance of the Words I. The Importance of the Terms Godfathers and Godmothers Godfathers and Godmothers And in the
Persons are much more subject to fall into these Violations of their Covenant by sinful Immoralities now than by Paganish Apostacies they were then Nor Lastly Is it at any time a hard and unreasonable Imposition upon the Godfathers and Godmothers to make 'em give Security for the Christian Education of other Peoples Children We are all of us to be helpful to one another especially to be assistant in those things which concern the good of their Immortal Souls and there is none but a cruel and murderous Cain would have said Am I my Brothers Keeper And if the utmost that the Sureties do Promise and Vow in behalf of the Infant does extend to no more than this to see that he shall be Train'd up in the Principles of Religion and Admonish'd to live up according to what he has solemnly Covenanted and openly and solemnly to confirm this his Covenant when he comes to an Age of Understanding and this only upon the natural Parents neglect Why this truly 't is confest will cost some Pains and perhaps too some small Charge but then let such a one consider he has an opportunity put into his Hands to save a Soul and let him withal consider what the Apostle says for his Encouragement therein James 5.20 that He which shall save a Soul from Death shall cover a multitude of Sins So that thus you see what reason the Church had to appoint Godfathers and Godmothers not only to represent the Infant but to engage for it in Baptism But IV. And Lastly For a further Justification of the thing out of Scripture I will prove from thence as a Power and Authority given by Christ to the Governours of the Church to appoint such reasonable Circumstances as they shall think fit for the greater Order and Decency of Divine Administrations and the better Edification of the Souls of Men so that their appointment of Godfathers and Godmothers was a most excellent and useful Institution to this purpose But this as it is a Point that must have a great deal said to the Proof and Enlargement of it so I shall defer the speaking to it till the next Opportunity THE XXXII Lecture Q. What did your Godfathers and Godmothers then for you Answ They did Promise and Vow three things in my Name IN order to the Explication of these Words and to the Justification and Proof of the Doctrine contain'd in them I have already led you I. Into the meaning of the Words Godfathers and Godmothers II. Into the Nature of their Office III. I have shew'd you what Reason the Church had to appoint Godfathers and Godmothers both to Represent and Engage for the Infant in Baptism And now Lastly For the further Justification out of Scripture of the use of Godfathers and Godmothers to Introduce you to Baptism I will prove from thence As a Power and Authority given by Christ to the Governours of the Church to appoint such reasonable Circumstantials as they shall think fit for the greater Order and Decency of Divine Administrations and the better Edification of the Souls of Men so that the Churches appointing of Godfathers and Godmothers was a most excellent rational and useful Institution to this purpose And I have reserv'd this Head of Discourse for the last and shall make one entire Discourse upon it not only to shew the Lawfulness and Expediency of Godfathers and Godmothers but withal with a design to lay such Principles in the Heart as will sufficiently Justifie our Church in all its other Rites and Usages in Divine Administrations and will enable you to oppose those that shall Gainsay To proceed therefore I say IV. Besides the reason of the thing IV. A further Justification of the use of Godfathers and Godmothers In order to justifie out of Scripture the use of Godfathers and Godmothers to introduce Infants to Baptism I will prove from thence as a Power and Authority given by Christ to the Governours of the Church to appoint such reasonable Circumstances as they shall think fit for the greater Order and Decency of Divine Administrations and the better Edification of the Souls of Men so that their appointing of Godfathers and Godmothers was a most excellent and useful Institution to this purpose I say besides the reason of the thing It is a sufficient Justification of any Ecclesiastic Institution that it be reasonable tho' not supported by any express Scripture It is a very unhappy Prejudice which some do labour under that the best reason is no proof with them without some express Scriptures to command that very Particular tho' it be not a Matter above Reason but left by Scripture to the Determination of it Now to come to a right Understanding of this Matter we must distinguish upon such Points as are not and such as are to be determin'd by meer Reason And 1. There are some great Points of Faith 1. The sole Authority whereon to ground the Belief of the Mysteries of Religion must be Divine Revelation such as the Mystery of the Trinity of the Incarnation Mediation and Satisfaction of Christ above the reach of Human Reason to have found out and now that they are Reveal'd beyond the compass of it fully to comprehend which Articles we call the Mysteries of Christianity And these we are bound to Believe according as they are Reveal'd to us without adding to or taking from 'em being fully assur'd that the Holy Scripture that Word of God which does Reveal these Truths to us is it self most Infallibly true as being the Testimony of him who is Infinite Wisdom and cannot be deceiv'd himself and is Infinite Justice and will not cannot deceive others And therefore with respect to these Sacred Truths it is the part of every Christian to Cast down Imaginations or Reasonings and every high thing that exalteth it self against i the knowledge of God bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ 2 Cor 10.5 Not but that Reason has its Use here in Judging of the sufficiency of those Proofs from Scripture which are produc'd to establish the Truth of any Article of Faith But as it is beyond the Power of meer Natural Reason to have discover'd God's Methods of saving us by Christ and the like so it wou'd be the highest Presumption to oppose our narrow scantling of Reason to God's Wisdom in his Dispensations towards us 2. In the next place there are other Points in Religion 2. Both Faith and Practice as to the Articles of Natural Religion and Moral Duties grounded both upon the Word of God and right Reason as well Articles of Faith as Moral Duties to regulate both our Belief and Practice in reference to which we are left to Scripture and Reason conjunctly with this difference that we must have our Eye upon Scripture as the only perfect Rule such are the Articles of Natural Religion as the Belief of God of a Providence of the Immortality of the Soul and of Rewards and
how far we must Renounce the wicked World with its Pomps and Vanity Three things here to be Explain'd and accordingly Renounc'd 1. The World 2. The wicked World and 3. The Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World The World a great Enemy to God's Glory and our own Happiness 141 It is to be consider'd both Generally and Particularly First By the World in general is meant that whole Frame of Nature which we behold and all that variety of Creatures which it contains and is given us by the Bounty and Goodness of God for our Use and Benefit The World in this sence is not in it self Evil but only accidentally by Man's Abuse of himself or it 142 Consider'd in it self it is very Good and convenient to us And as it is not absolutely in it self Evil so neither is it entirely to be Renounced but being Good in it self it may in some measure be desir'd and enjoy'd by us Nevertheless through our own Corruption whereby we abuse the good Things of the World it becomes accidentally the occasion of most of our Sins and of our Estrangement from God our sovereign Good How the World becomes so 143 In what manner it does Captivate us and draws us from God So far therefore as it engages our Affections too closely to it so as to make us Inordinately and Irregularly to mind it and to neglect our great Concern the Business of Religion it is to be Renounced and Rejected by us So long as we wear these Earthly Bodies about us we are permitted the Use and Enjoyment of worldly Things provided in Things lawful and in Degrees allowable But being our Souls our principal Part are soon to remove to Heaven we must chiefly set our Affections on things Above and mainly endeavour to attain ' em 144 Secondly Concerning the World consider'd in its Particulars and those Temptations result both from the Good and the Evils thereof The good Things of this World Riches Honours and Pleasures the Evils Poverty Disgrace and Afflictions And Things of a middle Nature are the different Callings Conditions and Cares of this World First As to Riches these are not in themselves Hurtful but Good and are bestowed upon us to good Ends and Purposes And those who enjoy 'em have great Advantages of doing Good therewith to others Comfort and the Benefit of their own Souls Nevertheless Riches are a mighty Temptation whether we consider Men as Getting Possessing or as Parting with or Losing of them 145 First In the over-eager Pursuit of Riches Men do run themselves into many grievous Sins As also into many miserable Snares so as to be hardly ever able to disentangle themselves but of ' em For as Restitution is necessary to Peace with God so it is extreamly difficult to be willing or able afterwards to make 146 Secondly And no less Temptations are those subject to who do possess ' em In the Possession of Riches Men are tempted to the highest Offences against God their Neighbour and themselves But lastly the great Sins of all are occasion'd by a Lothness to part with and a Fear of losing ' em 147 From a lothness to part with Riches arises Unmercifulness to Men. From the Fear of losing 'em Apostacy from God In what sence and how far Riches are to be renounced 148 In general being they are not Evil in themselves they are in Cases only to be renounced by us wherein we cannot without Sin Pursue Possess or Retain them As first Riches consider'd in the getting no Man must so put his Heart upon 'em as to Esteem 'em his cheifest Good and Happiness Nor must he labour after 'em with immoderate Care so as to neglect the great Duties of Religion and Devotion Especially he must beware of Enriching himself by unjust Means 149 Particularly not by Sacriledge Whoever has unjustly gain'd any thing must renounce it by making Restitution thereof Secondly Riches consider'd in the Possession are to be renounced by paring off those Superfluities which tempt Idleness and Luxury Pride and Insolence and an Idolatrous Trust in Riches and by bestowing it to Pious and Charitable Uses 150 And lastly By suffering the Loss thereof rather than Apostatize from the Faith 152 LECT XV. What is meant by the Honours of this World and in what Sence and how far they are to be renounced What is meant by Honour properly and strictly What in the general Meaning of the Word 153 First Nobility or Gentility The original Nature of Nobility or Gentility The Abuses it is subject to and in what Instances to be renounced First A Gentleman be he of what Rank or Quality soever must utterly renounce all that Honour which pretends to place him above the Laws of God or Man and beyond Reproof or Punishment when he has Violated either 154 Such a One is bound above others to be a strict and orderly Liver and upon his Failure is more open to Reproof and more liable to be severely Punished Secondly As also that which exalts Persons above their Brethren to that degree as to despise and oppress the rest of Mankind as if they were but a lower Rank of Creatures and had not the same God to their Father Bodies form'd out of the same Clay and Souls as Excellent in their Natures and as capable of Improvements as precious in God's sight and as much the Heirs of Heaven as their own 155 Thirdly Such ought even to renounce all Pretensions to Honour who have degenerated from those worthy Qualities which Ennobled their Ancestors 156 This the Determination of our Saviour and his Apostles in their Case Lastly and such ought to renounce all Pretensions to Honour amongst Christians at least-wise who despise Religion and its cheifest Vertues as Qualities beneath ' em But if such are accounted Honourable by vain Men they are Despicable in the Eyes both of God and of all wise and good Men. 157 The summ how far Paternal Honour is to be renounced Secondly In what sence and how far Civil Honour is to be renounced whether the Favour of Princes or the Effects of their Favour Posts of Honour 158 These kind of Honours and outward Glories are dazling and bewitching things But First A Prince's Favour tho extreamly Valuable when it can be had without Sin yet no Man must gain possess or retain it by wicked Arts or sinful Compliances Nor Secondly the Effects of their Favours high Places and Titles of Honour First In the obtaining of these no Man must grasp at that which is above his Capacities and Abilities to manage to the Publick Good 159 This Mischievous to the State This Mischievous to the Church Nor Secondly ought Persons of the best Capacities and greatest Abilities be over-eager and importunate in their Suits and Applications to those who bestow them 160 Thirdly How far and in what sence that Honour which consists in the highest Esteem and Reputation of the wise and vertuous part of Mankind is to be renounced This is what the Wise-man
at first created what 227 The Bent and Inclination of the Soul towards God what 1. In the Unregenerate Nature the Original Frame and Constitution of Man wherein he was created is broken 228 2. The Image of God wherein he was first created defaced Lastly the Tendency of all the Faculties both of Soul and Body are towards the Creature 229 1. To renounce the Flesh is to be renewed in the whole Frame and Constitution of our Nature after the Image of God The Image of God must be restored as far as it can in this Corrupt State It must be renewed to a perfection of Parts tho' not of Degrees 230 2. To renounce the Flesh is to be converted in the whole Bent and Inclination of the Soul towards God 231 LECT XXI The sinful Lusts of the Flesh what 232 The sinful Lusts of the fleshly Mind what 1. When we are curious to know Things which are either hurtful to be known or not proper for Man to know 233 2. When we do immoderately study to be exquisitely skilled in whatever Humane Arts and Sciences to the neglect or contempt of Divine Knowledge The Knowledge of our Christian Religion as it serves to nobler purposes so ought it to be prefer'd to any other 234 The necessary Points of Christian Knowledge 3. When out of Pride Prejudice and Contradiction to all sacred Truths we set up our own carnal Imaginations and fleshly Reasonings against those spiritual Notions and those mysterious Articles of our Faith which are delivered to us in Scripture 235 This Humour of opposing Reason to Revelation proceeds from meer Pride This corrupt Will what and how to be renounced 236 3. The Affections what and how to be renounced 237 1. As they are misplaced upon wrong Objects 2. As they are disproportionate to the Love Worth and Evil that is in those Objects towards which it is lawful to be well or evilly affected in moderate Degrees 3. The Lusts and Appetites are such sinful Lusts of the Flesh as are to be renounced 238 1. As they do desire undue Objects 2. As they desire them in immoderate Measures Lastly the inferior and bodily Powers viz. the Affections Lusts and Appetites to be renounced as they rebel against right Reason 239 The Business of Religion is to reduce Man as near as possible to his primitive State of Innocence and Integrity To this purpose of keeping under our fleshly Lusts it was that our Reason was given us 240 3. To renounce ALL the sinful Lusts of the Flesh what There must be no one fleshly Lust suffered to reign in us Our Business is particularly to oppose Lusts of Temper and Constitution This because it is a hard Doctrine to the Carnal Man is much evaded 241 The Objection from Rom. 7. clear'd We must renounce the Flesh and all its sinful Lusts so as to have an Aversion an Antipathy in our Hearts thereunto This the hard Part. 242 243 The reason of having enlarged so much upon this one Article of renouncing the Devil c. 244. LECT XXII Articles of Christian Faith of what Nature The whole Bible the Object of a Christian's Faith both the Old and New Testament 259 Some Instances of such Truths What it is to believe those Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness 261 Our Belief thereof must be operative and practical Such was the Faith of Abraham and of all the Saints And such an operative and practical Principle is Faith whenever the things believed are of great Importance or Concernment to us 262 263. 2. To believe savingly we must apply our selves to Jesus Christ to intercede with God the Father for our gracious Acceptance What to believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith 1. To believe them All does import that we must assent to all and every one of those great Articles of Christian Doctrine contain'd in the Apostles Creed 264 Such as tend to destroy a good Life and send us to other Mediators than Christ to intercede with the Father for its Acceptance no Articles of Christian Faith 2. To believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith is to be fully perswaded of all and of every of those single Truths contain'd in each of those Articles 265 A Heretick may be such by believing only of one of those Truths contain'd in the Article 266 LECT XXIII 1. What it is to obey God's Holy Will and Commandments The Nature and Measures of Christian Obedience 267 1. Our Obedience must be sincere by being a true and undissembled Service of God opposite to all Hypocrisy or a false and feigned pretence of obeying him when in truth we serve our own selves does not forbid us all intending our own Advantage in the performance of his Commandments 268 But 1st That man's Obedience is insincere who together with his Intention of serving God joins another Intention of serving Sin 2dly When he designs some temporal Ends in the practice of Vertue as much or more than he intends God's Service 2. Evangelical Obedience must be entire viz. 1st The Obedience of the whole Man that is in the first place of the Mind and Vnderstanding 2dly of the Will 3dly of the Affections 269 270 This the distastful part and therefore endeavoured to be shifted off 271 2dly It must be an Obedience to the whole Law This endeavoured to be evaded by Excuses But in vain 3dly What it is to walk in the same all the days of our Lives 272 God will not endure a constant Revolution of Sin and Repentance 273 The difference between Evangelical and a Legal Obedience This difference not so great but that our wilful and chosen Sins will put a Barr to our Salvation 274 Some Sins are directly and expresly wilful Some indirectly and interpretatively 275 But the difference is 1st that those who sincerely and entirely obey shall not be called to an account for unchosen and involuntary Sins The first cause of an innocent Involuntariness Ignorance of our Duty Provided it be not wilful 2d Inconsideration excuses 1. When through surprize 276 2. When through natural weariness and the length and strength of a Temptation Lastly When by the violent discomposure of our thinking Powers our Minds are so disturbed that we cannot think what we do Ignorance and Inconsideration excuse not those Sins 1. which we have time to understand and observe nor 2. Crying Sins nor 3dly Those we do not endeavour against nor lastly which we are not sorry for 277 The 2d difference between Legal and Evangelical Obedience That our wilful and more heinous Sins when repented of through the Mediation of Christ according to the Terms he has obtained for us in the Covenant of Grace shall be forgiven us Remission of Sins upon Repentance the great Doctrine of the Gospel Repentance will be accepted to our pardon for our unknown or secret Sins whether wilfully or unwillingly committed but now forgot though generally repented of 2. For our most known and wilful Sins if
according as is the Authority and Sufficiency of him upon whose Testimony we Believe a thing to be true accordingly more or less is the Credit we give to what he speaks If it be only the Word of a mere Man which we have for the Truth of a thing we are not to Believe it as that which is infallibly certain for the wisest and best of Men are insufficient to give us ground to Believe 'em as infallible in what they deliver The wisest of Men may be ignorant of the exact Truth of Things and so may be deceived themselves and those that are not the best nor very honest tho' they do know what they say yet may deceive others So that the Credit we give to any Man living can amount to no more than a Human Faith such as is fit to be given to Man and we cannot Believe infallibly what an uninspired Person shall say as if it were impossible it should be otherwise than he reports Divine Faith upon Gods Word and Testimony But if it be upon God's Authority and upon his Testimony that we Believe a thing since God is of Infinite Knowledge and Wisdom so that he cannot be deceiv'd Himself and take that for true which is not and since He is a God of Infinite Truth Justice and Goodness so that if he could he will not deceive any Man since God both upon the account of his Wisdom and Uprightness is of that Sufficiency and Authority that He cannot lye Tit. 1.2 whatever therefore he does deliver we are undoubtedly to Believe as infallibly certain and this is a Divine Faith proper only to be given to God's Testimony and Word And this is to Believe in the Christian Sence of the Word It is to be undoubtedly perswaded upon the Divine Authority of the Infallible Truth and Certainty of whatever God has delivered and revealed to us in the Scriptures particularly and especially it is to be undoubtedly perswaded of the Infallible Certainty of those main Truths of Scripture the Articles of our Christian Faith wherein are declared the only Method of Reconciliation betwixt God and Man through our Saviour Jesus Christ as well as the strongest Motives to a Holy Life And lastly it is to be perswaded of these things in such a manner and with such Acts of the Mind as is agreeable to the Nature of these several Truths Divine Faith defined This is the fullest and plainest Description I can give you of the Nature of Faith or Believing as including an account both of all those Objects or Divine Truths necessary to be Believed and of all those Acts of the Mind imply'd in Believing But to make this Description clear I will in as few Words as possible open the several Parts of it to you 1. To Believe is to be undoubtedly perswaded upon God's Authority of the Infallible Truth and Certainty of all that he has Revealed 1. To Believe is to be undoubtedly perswaded upon the Divine Authority of the Infallible Truth and Certainty of all that God has revealed A Christian must not entertain the least Doubt of the Truth of any Divine Revelation for this is to conceive meanly and unworthily of God as if He were such a one as our selves either one that were Ignorant and did not exactly know the Truth himself of what he spoke or one that were Insincere and did design to delude us into a false Perswasion of Things but far be it from us to conceive any such thing of GOD. There is nothing past present or to come there is nothing in the Nature of Things that he does not most clearly know and apprehend there is not any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do Heb. 4.13 So that let his Revelations and Divine Mysteries seem never so Improbable to us or be never so Incomprehensible and beyond the reach of our Human Understandings to fathom we may notwithstanding assure our selves they are such as they are delivered since the Infinite the Omnipotent the Almighty GOD says it Nor is he Insincere and one that would delude us into a false Perswasion of Things No it is the Devil that is Insincere and the Father of Lyes John 8.44 but it is impossible that God should lye Heb. 6.18 And to what end should he deceive us by making us to Believe a Falshood What Interest can he serve by it Our being deceived can in no wise profit Him False and deceitful Men do indeed love to delude others to Believe Errors and Falshoods thereby to make a Prey of 'em but we can in no wise advantage God by our Misperswasions So that we are in such manner to give Credit to all Divine Revelations even the most Incomprehensible Mysteries of the Gospel and Articles of Faith as to be fully perswaded it is impossible but the Divine Declarations concerning these things are true since God has Reveal'd 'em to us But 2. They are those Revelations and those only 2. Those Revelations and those only which are contained in Scripture are the proper Objects of Divine Faith Nâ—â— such Doctrines as are derived only from unwritten Tradition Nor any particular Propositions concerning my self as my own particular Election and Justification in special which are contain'd in the Holy Scriptures that we are thus to Believe We are not to Believe with a Divine Faith and as founded upon the Testimony of God such Doctrines and Tenets as being derived only from Vnwritten Tradition have no Foundation in Scripture From which corrupt Fountain alone it is that the Church of Rome has all those Articles of her Creed wherein she differs from Us And with respect to which we may truly say of the Romish Doctors as our Saviour did of the Pharisees That in vain do they Worship God teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men Mark 7.7 Nor are the Objects of a Divine Faith any particular Propositions concerning our selves in special as some think who define Faith to be a firm Assent not only to all things which God hath revealed to us in his Word Fides est non tantum certa notitia qua firmiter assentior omnibus quae Deus nobis in verbo suo patefecit sed etiam certa siducia à Spiritu sancto per Evangelium in corde meo accensa qua in Deo acquiesco certo statuens non solum aliis sed mihi quoque remissionem peccatorum aeternam justitiam vitam donatam idque gratia ex misericordia Dei propter unius Christi Meritum Cattches Heidelbergens but also a certain Assurance kindled in the Heart by the Spirit of God through the Gospel whereby I put my full trust in God being assuredly perswaded that not only to others but to me in particular Remission of Sins Justification and Eternal Life are bestowed and that freely through the Mercy of God for the Merits of Jesus Christ. And agreeably
and Teach us and as our King to Govern and Order us in the whole course of our Lives as well as our Priest on whose Satisfaction and Intercession we are to Rely for our Acceptance with God which brings me to speak of Reliance a 3d Act of the Faith we are speaking of To proceed then 3. Farther yet there are very many of those Christian Truths 3s It is to Rely on Promissory Truths of whose Certainty we are to have a firm Belief and full Perswasion which carry in them the Nature of most precious Promises of excellent Benefits to be made good to us upon our Performance of such and such Conditions And with respect to these our Belief and Perswasion is not only to be a bare Assent of the Vnderstanding that those Promises are true nor yet a meer Consent of the Will only to Perform the Conditions upon which those Promises are made but there must be moreover a firm and steddy Reliance on God and our Saviour Jesus Christ an Affiance and Trust in Him that his Promises shall be made good to us on the Performance of the prescribed Conditions Such is the Belief of these Attributes of God His Goodness and his Mercy his Power and his Truth to Believe which is firmly to Relie upon him to help and reward us on the Performance of our Duty as being a God that is wonderfully willing and one that is equally able to do us good Such again is the Belief That Jesus is the Christ whom God the Father did send into the World to mediate a Reconciliation betwixt Himself and us and whom that there might be no Impediment on the score of the Divine Justice and Holiness to his Receiving so Rebellious a Race as Mankind into Favour again he therefore gave to offer Himself a Sacrifice a Propitiation and Atonement in our stead to Suffer under Pontius Pilate to be Crucify'd Dead and Buried that we might be redeem'd from Death Eternal To Believe which is to depend solely upon Christ's Merits and Intercession not on our own Righteousness that God the Father will upon our sincere Repentance receive us to Mercy tho' we have been the greatest Sinners And such lastly is the Belief of the Forgiveness of Sins of the Resurrection of the Body and of the Life Everlasting which are Promises of so many good things to us on condition we shall forsake our Sins and sincerely for the future obey the Gospel And to Believe these Articles is to have a steadfast Confidence in God that accordingly through Christ he will forgive us Raise up our Bodies from the Grave at the last Day and translate us into Joys everlasting if we shall repent and obey him We are not to Relie nor to depend upon God's Mercies in Christ Without our Repentance and new Obedience for this were not to Believe but to Presume upon Him for he never made any Promises no not through Christ of accepting us without our Amendment and Reformation but upon our Amendment and Reformation we may undoubtedly Relie upon him as one that is able and one that is willing to fulfil his Promises to us And this Reliance on the Promises of God is that Act of Faith which is called Rom. 4.20 a not staggering at the Promise of God through Vnbelief and v. 24. a Believing on God a Believing in Christ John 3.16 And such a Reliance and Dependance upon God the Father for Mercy through the Merits of Christ his Son appears in the Scriptures to be an Act of Faith more peculiarly well-pleasing and acceptable unto him in that it excludes Boasting which the Apostle makes very necessary to Justification Rom. 3.27 and expects all Good from God's free Mercy in Christ without any Reliance on the Merit of our own Performances The genuine Fruits and Effects of Believing are Victory over And thus having shew'd you in general What it is to Believe and in what Acts of the Mind it does consist it only remains in order to compleat this Account of the Nature of Faith which I have undertaken to give that I speak in a few Words of the Genuine Fruits and Effects of a True Christian Faith The Tree is best known by its Fruits and in like manner is Faith known by its Works as St. James tells us Chap. 2.18 And surely from what has been said it will easily appear to you that your Faith if it be compleat in all the Parts of it will undoubtedly produce a total Change in the Nature and Dispositions and Actions of that Person who does firmly Believe the Great Articles of his Christian Faith A steady Perswasion of such Concerning Truths will not sail in time to subdue all our Spiritual Enemies the World the Flesh and the Devil and all that mighty Host of Temptations they will bring against us to force or entice us from our Obedience to God I. As to the World particularly St. John does assure us 1 John 5.4 1. The World That whosoever is born of God overcometh the World and that this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith Now to be Born of God is by the Quickning lively Spirit together with the Word of God to be renew'd and chang'd in our whole Nature Faculties and Dispositions so as to put off the Old Man with his Corruptions and Lusts and to put on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Ephes 4.22 23 24. And by the World is meant both the Things and the Persons of this World that would entice us into Sin The Things of this World are either Riches Honours and Pleasures and they are commonly call'd the Good Things of the World and these would withdraw us from our Duty to use unlawful means to compass 'em or they are the contrary to these viz. Poverty Disgrace and Afflictions which are usually stil'd the Evils of this World and would force us to sinful ways whereby to avoid ' em And the Persons that make up the Wicked World are those evil Men who by their Examples Society Flatteries Arguings Kindnesses or Promises or by their evil Customs would engage us in sinful Compliances The force of all these various Temptations from the World I have already laid before you and it is Faith we are here told in the Words of St. John now cited whereby he who is born of God will be able to overcome this World with all its Temptations An undoubted Perswasion rooted in the Mind of the Certainty of those Great and Powerful Truths of Christianity already mention'd will be able to pall and deaden our relish to these Pretended good Things of the World so that we shall not immoderately affect nor indulge our selves in the Enjoyment of 'em and the same full Perswasion also will most effectually baffle all the Insinuations of wicked Men lying in wait to deceive us Nor II. Will a thorough Perswasion of these great Practical Truths of Christianity 2. The Flesh
of the Gospel proceeding from and produced by Faith or Works by which our Faith is demonstrated to be a true and real Faith c. 2.18 And the occasion of these Discourses of St. Paul and St. James was different which also was the reason they did so differently express themselves in this matter St. Paul had to deal with Jews Pharisees and false Teachers who pleaded the necessity of Observing the Law of Moses and also those Works and Deeds it prescrib'd which gave occasion to him to preach the Abrogation or Cancelling of that Law S. Paul having to deal with Pharisaical Jews boasting of their own Righteousness according to the Law and the substitution of the Gospel in its stead as a Rule of Righteousness the Believing of which in such a manner as has been spoke he declared would be sufficient through God's Mercy in Christ to their Justification And tho' he took all care that was requisite to prevent the misunderstanding of him as if a meer Opinionative Faith would serve the turn by assuring them at the same time he told 'em that in Christ neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision would avail any thing yet that Faith which worketh by Love would Gal 5.6 That is that it must be such a Faith as must be made perfect by the addition of those Duties which we owe to God and our Neighbour yet Men of corrupt Minds reprebate concerning the Faith or void of Judgment concerning the Faith as St. Paul complains of some 2 Tim. 3.8 perverted his meaning in this his excellent Doctrine and turn'd all to this sence That a meer Assent of the Mind to the Truth of the Gospel tho' they were careless in the subduing of their Passions and bridling of their Tongues and regulating of their Actions S. James having to do with Solifidiant Libertines pleading their Faith separated from Gospel Righteousness was all that was necessary to their Justification And thereupon they thought themselves safe upon the Account of their Barren Faith though they were Proud and Conceited of their Knowledge and Attainments Censorious and Contentious Unmerciful and Uncharitable which Error concerning Faith prevailing much in those Early Times occasion'd St. James with a great deal of Earnestness to plead and to prove the Necessity of Good Works to our being justify'd before God And that neither Faith nor good Works alone but both jointly were the Condition now under the Gospel upon which we shall be justify'd and approved of by God as Just and Righteous Persons And he proves it by the Instance of Abraham's Faith Jam. 2.21 22 and 23. Was not Abraham our Father justify'd by Works when he had offer'd his Son Isaac upon the Altar See'st thou how Faith wrought with his Works and by Works his Faith was made perfect And the Scripture was fulfill'd which saith Abraham Believed God and it was imputed to him for Righteousness and he was called the Friend of God So that St. James's Doctrine of Justification is not a contradiction but a vindication of St. Paul's from the False Glosses of Solifidian Libertines And it were happy for these latter Ages if St. James's Doctrine concerning the necessary Conjunction of Faith and good Works to our Justification could have put a stop to Men's Mis-interpretations of the other Great Apostle in this Point But alas to the grievous Scandal of the Reformation too many amongst us have heretofore and do to this day earnestly contend for those Mistakes which our Adversaries make great Advantages of who greedily catching at any thing of Error profess'd by any Party of Men under the Denomination of Protestants are never backward to lay the Scandal of it to the whole Reformation to the very great hindrance of its Progress But above all the Mischief of this Opinion reacheth directly to the Destruction of Men's Souls whilst being deceiv'd in the Nature of Justifying Faith and thinking it to be a meer Assent of the Mind to the Great Truths of Christianity which is but the Act only of one Faculty of the Soul and not looking upon it as implying a Consent also of the Will to act agreeably to the Nature of such practical Truths they do most fatally presume themselves to be Christians indeed and such as shall be saved by Christ tho' their Lives declare them to be far from being New Creatures from being renewed in the Spirit of their Minds as those are who have been taught as the Truth is in Jesus Eph. 4 21 23. And therefore since so much depends upon a right Understanding of this great Doctrine of Justifying Faith it will not appear to you to be without Reason that I have been so large in the Explication thereof In speaking to which having 1. shew'd you in general what it is to Believe together with the Effects and Fruits of True Believing and 2. having more particularly explain'd unto you the Nature of Justifying and Saving Faith 3. Now it remains only that by way of Inference I should lay before you 3. The several sorts of Defective Faith mention'd in Scripture wherein the defect of several sorts of Faith does lie which we find both by Scripture and Experience that many do relie upon but yet will by no means justifie and save ' em And from what has been said it does appear that the Faith which will not Justifie and Save us must be some way or other defective and lame as to those several Acts which I have shew'd must go to compleat the Nature of Justifying Faith And there are several sorts of Believers we find mention made of in the Scripture which fall short of having that Faith which will alone Justifie and Save us And 1. We have the Faith of Devils mention'd Jam. 2.19 1. The Faith of Devils which is no more than a bare Assent of the Mind that there is a God One who is Merciful to them that serve Him but terrible in Judgment to those who disobey Him and the like of the other Articles Thou Believest there is one God thou dost well the Devils also Believe and tremble But wilt thou know O vain Man that Faith without Works is dead Jam. 2.19 20. The Devils though they do Believe and are throughly perswaded and do know that there is a God infinitely Merciful Just and Holy who cannot endure Iniquity nor Sin yet out of Enmity to Him or because they will not conform themselves to that Holy Being which they so much hate or because no Promise is made to them of Pardon and Happiness that should encourage them to Repent of their Apostacy from God and to conform themselves to his Holy Laws whatever is the reason this is certain that they are utterly disobedient and though they do Believe yet because their Faith is only a meer Assent of the Mind to the Truths of Religion and does not render 'em Obedient their Believing therefore will avail 'em nothing to Pardon and Happiness 2. Another sort of Lame and Defective Faith
2. The faith without Works which we find mention made of in the Scriptures as that which will as little avail us as the former is a Dead Faith And this we are told in the same Scriptures what it is that it is also a bare Assent of the Mind only which does not stir up the Will to chuse nor the Affections to delight in the Laws of God but is utterly barren and fruitless in Good Works Faith if it hath not Works is dead being alone Jam. 2.17 And so far is such a Faith as this which does not move and stir us up to Good Works from being acceptable to God to our Justification and Salvation that v. 19 20. it is compared to the Faith of Devils and is reckon'd no better 3. A little Faith and Faith which has not taken deep root in the Heart 3. Again We find mention in the Scriptures of a Little Faith Matth. 6.30 and of Faith that has not taken root Luke 8.13 Either of which is a Faith which will carry Men to something of Religious Performances but is not strong enough to bear 'em up under the Difficulties of Religion and through all the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil Thus those who in the use of honest means cannot trust in God for the providing themselves of all things necessary for this Life but are full of carking Thoughts for the morrow that is for the future are upbraided by our Saviour Matth. 6.30 as Persons of Little Faith Why take you thought for Raiment If God so cloath the Grass of the Field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Oven shall he not much more cloath you O ye of little Faith And those who when shockt with any Temptations do thereupon yield because their Faith hath taken no root they are compared to stony Ground of which it is said that when they hear they receive the Word with Joy but not having root these do but for a while Believe and in time of Temptation fall away Luke 8.13 4. Even the Faith of Miracles will prove insufficient to Justification if not accompany'd with Obedience 4. As to that which may be defective and fall short of a Justifying and Saving Faith this we are told even the Faith of Miracles will do if it be not accompany'd with Good Works This Miraculous Faith we find often mention'd in the Scriptures And it was a strong Perswasion wrought in the Party by the Spirit of God that by the Power and Authority of Jesus he should do such a Miracle beyond the Power of Nature to be perform'd as the casting out Devils by the Word of his Mouth But even this Faith of Miracles if it is not accompany'd with Good Works of which Charity and Love to one another is the chief will signifie nothing so says St. Paul 1 Cor. 13.2 Tho' I have all Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have no Charity I am nothing Especially accompany'd with Pride Many we are told Matth. 7. will presume much upon their excellent Gifts of Prophecying or Preaching fluently and of their Power even to cast out Devils but yet our Saviour protests he will not so much as know them if they have been wicked Livers if proud and full of themselves and contemptuous of others as Gifted Persons are apt to be Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophecy'd in thy Name and in thy Name cast out Devils and in thy Name done many wonderful Works And then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work Iniquity vers 22 23. No nothing he assures us will ever avail us to Happiness and Salvation less than such a Faith as will procure a sincere Obedience to his Holy Will and Commandments Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will af my Father which is in Heaven v. 21. 5. The Faith of Hypocrites Lastly Another sort of Faith which will not Justifie nor Save us may be stiled the Faith of Hypocrites and this is the Faith of such who expect to be Justified and Sav'd meerly for Believing or rather for Relying and Recumbing upon Christ without performing the other Conditions of Repentance and Obedience which are the necessary Effects or Ingredients rather of Justifying and Saving Faith and without which it is not our Believing alone which will at all avail us Of this sort were many among the Jews of old of whom the Prophets do often complain that looking upon themselves as a Chosen Nation as a peculiar People whom God had Elected out of all the Nations of the Earth to bestow his Favours upon Such was the Faith of many among the Jews presuming that they were a chosen People they would confidently lean and depend upon him that he would assuredly be their God and that they should be his People notwithstanding that they gave themselves up to work all Unrighteousness and were cruel Extortioners Oppressors and the like Thus Micah 3.9 11. They abhor Judgment and pervert Equity yet they will lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among us None Evil can come upon us And Isaiah complains that tho' they would swear falsly by the Name of the Lord yet they had the Confidence to call themselves the Holy City and to stay themselves upon the God of Israel Isai 48.1 2. And there are too many also amongst us Christians And such is the Faith also of many Christians presuming likewise that they are the Elect. who confidently presuming that they are the Elect Children of GOD do undoubtedly hope for all that Pardon and Happiness which Christ with the Price of his most Precious BLOOD hoth obtained for us meerly upon the account of their firmly Believing that Christ hath done all for 'em and if they can but Believe this they fondly perswade themselves they shall certainly be Justify'd let them be never so Wicked and Disobedient to God's most Righteous Laws yea tho' they are Proud Boasters Covetous Envious and Bitter Revilers of those who are much better than themselves And in this their wholly depending upon Christ without any Good in themselves they think they shall most Honour Christ and set forth the Greatness of his Redemption of us whereas to preach the necessity of our own Righteousness tho' wrought by his Grace and accompany'd with many Defects were to teach Men to depend as they foolishly enough imagine not upon the Merits of Christ but their own Deserts which are none at all and so would derogate from and lessen the Grace of Christ and the Greatness of that Redemption he hath wrought for us And this sort of Faith or Dependence upon Christ alone as those before mention'd Micah 3.11 and Isai 48.1 2. So our Christian Hypocrites likewise call Leaning upon the Lord and casting themselves upon the God of Israel a
Paul in speaking against Justification by Works gives sufficient caution not to be understood thereby to speak against Evangelical Obedience in the case When he had asserted Justification to be by Faith without the deeds of the Law and that the Gentiles might be Justified by Believing without ever observing Moses's Law Rom. 3.28 lest he should be understood thereby to favour Gentilism or loose living in Men provided they would but turn Christians he frames and answers on Objection thus vers 31. Do we make void the Law through Faith God forbid Yea we establish the Law And how did they so Certainly they did not thereby establish the Ceremonial Law in the Letter of it but in the Spirit of it they did in as much as in Preaching Justification in the Gospel-way they Preached in plain Precepts the necessity of that Spiritual purity unto Salvation which was but darkly and in a figure taught by the Ceremonial Law And this they did in Preaching the necessity of Mortification instead of Circumcision And by the Doctrine of Justification by Faith they established the Moral Law both in the Letter and â—pirit of it in teaching the necessity of Evangelical Obedience to it 〈…〉 more spiritual and forcible manner than had been taught beâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 in when he had charged the unbelieving Jews with a great Erroâ— in going about to establish a Righteousness of their own in opposâ—â—iâ—â— to God's in adhering to their Law against the Gospel Rom. 10.3 to the end it might not be thought that he would take them off their Law that they might be Lawless or less Religious he adds vers 4. that Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth For so he is in his Doctrine having therein taught that Righteousness of living which the Law it self taught but in a far more excellent spiritual and effectual manner than was taught by the Law So that all that he designed in taking them off from their Law was but to put them under a better conduct To make them dead to the Law that they might be married to another viz. to Christ by his Gospel that they might bring forth fruit unto God as it is Rom. 7.4 And likewise in ver 6. he saith We are delivered from the Law but not to be Lawless but that we might serve in newness of Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter that is according to the Spirit Scope and Design of the Law now expressed in plain Precepts and not in the oldness of the Letter and Ceremony And so he saith of himself Gal. 2.19 I through the Law am dead to the Law i e he through a better understanding of God's design in the Law became dead as to all his former expectations of Justification by it But then if he were dead to the Law it was as he saith that he might live unto God live a life in the flesh through the Faith in his Son through believing his Gospel in its Precepts and Promises the one directing and the other quickning unto a most excellent Life ver 20. And if St. Paul were thus careful in denying Justification by Works to assert the necessity of Evangelical Obedience we may well conclude that he never intended under the notion of Works of the Law to exclude Evangelical Obedience from having any hand sooner or later in Justification 3. Regeneration or the New Creature as including Evangelical Obedience is opposed to Works of the Law in the business of Man's Justification as well as Faith is and as well as the Grace of God it self is Gal. 6.15 For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but a new Creature Circumcision is here as elsewhere by a Synecdoche put for the Works of the Law in general For there were none that were for Circumcising but who were also for keeping the Law of Moses Only Circumcision is mentioned frequently instead of all the rest because they held it to be not only a part of the Law but more and because they laid the greatest stress upon it as I shewed before Chap. 5. Now in that which the Apostle denies Circumcision and the Works of the Law to avail a Man in that he affirms the becoming a New Creature will avail him and that was in the business of Justification and Salvation For in that sense the unbelieving Jews and Judaizers held Circumcision and other Works of the Law available And this New Creature thus opposed to Works and thus available to Justification consisteth in a new frame of Spirit and the Vital Operations thereof and which we can have no right notion of without Evangelical Obedience in will and resolution at least which are really inward acts of that Obedience and are a conformity of the renewed Will to the Divine Law 4. Evangelical Obedience as well as Faith and together with Faith is opposed to the Works of the Law in reference to Justification and Salvation Gal. 5.6 For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith which worketh by love Here again Circumcision by the same Figure and for the same reason as before is put for the Works of Moses's Law And as these are denied to avail any Man to Justification and Salvation so on the other hand it is affirmed that that Faith which worketh by Love doth avail to these great ends For to say that Faith which worketh by Love doth so is the same in sense as to say that Faith which worketh by fulfilling the Law and by keeping the Commandments doth so avail For so Love is said to be Rom. 13.10 1 Joh. 5.3 The Assemblies Annotations upon the place give notice that the Word here translated Worketh Faith which worketh by Love being in the mean or middle voice may be taken either Actively or Passively And several other Learned Men among whom Dr. Hammond is one do render and understand it passively as if the Apostle should have said Faith which is wrought or perfected or consummate by Love and so make it directly parallel with that in St. James Chap. 2.22 By Works was Faith made perfect So far is the Scripture we see from opposing acts of Evangelical Obedience to Faith in the Works of Justification as that it conjoyns them with Faith in the title to it and in opposition to false pretentions to it 5. Evangelical Obedience alone is opposed to the Works of the Law in reference to Justification so far is it from being true that where the Works of the Law are excluded there Evangelical Obedience is excluded from having any share in the Work of Justification 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and Vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God Circumcision is here again as before put for the whole Law And indeed he that was Circumcised was bound to keep the whole Law as this Apostle noteth in Gal. 5.3 And when he saith Circumcision is nothing he means here doubtless as in
that there is a certain Distemper of Mind called Curiosity which as it is of like Nature so it is of full as hurtful and mischievous Effects to the Mind as that Distemper is to the Body which stirs up Persons to eat Chalk or Coals or Trash or whatever affords either none at all or a very ill Nourishment Such is the Curiosity of Knowing Evil which was the thing that ruin'd our first Parents and afterwards Solomon and since him many other Persons Such are they who have a great desire to tast those Pleasures which are in Sin and by tasting of 'em their Minds are defil'd and their Morals corrupted and it is seldom that they do ever after return to have a right Judgment of Good or Evil. Thus hurtful is the Knowledge of some things so that it is much better to be Ignorant thereof than to Know ' em Again there are others whose Curiosity gives 'em a strange Itch to know Hidden Things such as are not proper for Man to know Or not proper for Man to know as the Decrees of Predestination and the Counsels of God's Will which is the Ark that no mortal Eye ought to look into And many are wonderfully Inquisitive to learn the future Events of Kingdoms and States and of their own and others private Fortunes And therefore it is that they are so apt to give heed to every pretended Prophecy and tho' few are so very wicked as to Consult Evil Spirits themselves by Magical Arts yet Multitudes will make no scruple to Resort to Fortune-tellers and Conjurers and those that do consult 'em or are reputed to do tho' it be an Impiety so severely threaten'd Deut. 18.11 12. But all Curious Enquiries whatever into the Secrets of God's Providence are to be Renounc'd by us Christians as being the Gratifications only of a sinful Curiosity Secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are Reveal'd unto us and our Children for ever that we may do all the words of his Law Deut. 29.29 II. When we do immoderately study to be Exquisitely Skilled in whatever humane Arts and Sciences to the Neglect or Contempt of Divine Knowledge 2. We must Renounce that as a sinful Lust of the Fleshly Mind which improportionably to the true worth of things is more desirous to furnish it self with the Knowledge of what concerns only this Mortal Life than with the Knowledge of those Divine Truths which direct us to Life Everlasting Now this is Life Eternal or that Knowledge which leadeth and directs us to Life Eternal That we know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent Joh. 17.3 But alas such is the Folly of the Carnally and Worldly wise that most Persons do neglect the Knowledge of God and the Christian Religion as if it were little worth when certainly in the End there is nothing will stand us in that stead as this sort of Knowledge Some there are whose whole search is for the Causes and Cures of Bodily Distempers and yet alas all is but Guess and Conjecture and an ordinary Malady not very seldom baffles the most Learned Physician and he sits down heavy in Disgrace and Disappointment But the Knowledge of God and Religion if duly apply'd never fails to cure the Soul of all its Infirmities nor will it fail to fill the Mind with the sweetest Comforts and Satisfactions Others you shall have who desire and care for nothing more than good Skill in the Laws of their Country whereby they may raise themselves good Estates in this World but alas such Knowledg can only serve a present Interest but by the Knowledge of our Christianity we may be able to provide our selves Bags that wax not old Eternal in the Heavens Some are wholly bent upon Merchandize and Trade but when the most Skilful Pilot shall split upon the Rocks or be foundred in the Sands he who has Heaven in his Eye may steer his Course without danger through the roughest Billows of Adverse Fortune And others there are who seem to aim at no higher Knowledge than how to Till their Land and feed their Cattle and when after all the Crop fails the most painful Husbandman he who knows the Laws of Christianity need not fear a joyful and a plentiful Harvest so excellent and useful is Divine Knowledge above all other Arts and Sciences The Knowledge of our Christian Religion as it serves to nobler Purposes so ought it to be prefer'd to any other Not that I would cast a Disparagement upon them they are the Gift of God and useful in their kind but the Knowledge of our Christian Religion as it serves to nobler and better Purposes so ought it to be prefer'd to any other and most study'd by every Christian And hence therefore does St. Paul when he comes at any time to speak of Divine Knowledge not only barely enjoin the Attainment of it as of other Vertues but does moreover add Prayers and Supplications to God to endow 'em therewith and to increase 'em therein We do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the Knowledge of his Will in all Wisdom and Spiritual Vnderstanding that ye might walk worthy of the Lord in all pleasing being fruitful in every good Work and increasing in the Knowledge of God Col. 1.9 10. And again I cease not says he making mention of you always in my Prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of him Eph. 1.16 17. So that tho' to be excellently well skill'd in any Art or Science whatsoever which terminates only in the Conveniencies of this Life be not only Lawful but Commendable yet it is a Profaneness fit to be Renounc'd by every Christian to prefer such to Divine Knowledge and to apply your Mind wholly to the attaining of such Skill to the Neglect of those Great and Important Truths the Knowledge of which is indispensably necessary to our Everlasting Happiness And therefore let your Profession and Calling be what it will you must make it your first Care and Study to know the Nature and Design of the Christian Religion The necessary Points of Christian Knowledge how that it is a Body of the most Excellent Principles and Laws all of 'em tending wholly to render you Holy and Good Livers and then to make you to depend upon the Mediation of Christ with his Father for his Acceptance thereof to your Justification You must also next make it more your Study to understand throughly the Covenant of Grace than the Nature and Obligation of any Humane Covenants or Contracts whatsoever And since we must build our Hopes upon the performance of particular Articles and as exactly as possible square our Lives according to each single Condition of the Covenant of Grace there can be nothing of more concernment to every Christian Lay as well as Clergy
his upon the Divine Promises was a sign of the good Opinion he had of God's Power and Fidelity and was therefore most graciously accepted by him Rom. 4.18 19 20 21 22. Now this as the Apostle goes on v. 23 24 25. was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we Believe on Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our Offences and was raised again for our Justification That is in this Act of Faith also in a steddy Reliance upon the Promises of God was Abraham a Pattern to us whereby we may see that if we distrust not his Power and Goodness in Matters of the greatest difficulty but firmly Relie upon him without Doubt or Dispute this will render us acceptable to him But especially it will be a most acceptable Act of Faith in us wholly to Relie upon his Promises in Christ who became a Sacrifice for our Sins that all our most heinous Offences will be pardon'd if we unfeignedly Repent and our imperfect Obedience will be eternally rewarded if it be but sincere in Testimony and Assurance of which Promises God has raised our Saviour from the dead And thus you plainly see what sort of Faith or Believing it is that must now Justifie and Save us It must not be only giving up the Assent of our Minds that all that God has spoken is true but we must with all our Hearts Consent to a sincere and faithful Obedience to all his Commands such as may be expected from those who are undoubtedly perswaded of the Truth of all the Articles of the Christian Faith which are every one of 'em Doctrines very apt to move us to Holy Living And moreover it must be a firm Reliance on God's Truth that all his Promises shall certainly be made good to us on Condition of our Performances Especially as the case now stands with us Christians it must be an Entire Dependance upon Christ that through his Mediation with the Father on our account we shall be Justify'd Pardon'd and Sav'd on Condition we perform the Covenant of Grace that is Believe and sincerely Obey the Commands of God given us in the Gospel Reliance upon God's Promises of Pardon to us through Christ an essential Act of Faith incumbent upon us as the case now stands with us Christians I say as the case now stands with us Christians for all Mankind by reason of Adam's and our own Transgressions were liable to the Wrath of God and had been condemn'd to eternal Destruction had not Jesus Christ interpos'd betwixt his Father and us and Mediated with him that we might have Pardon and Happiness on Condition we would turn from our evil Ways and sincerely Obey him for the future so that through the Blood of Jesus Christ it is that we have Redemption and the Forgiveness of Sins according to the Riches of his Grace Eph. 1.7 And as in him are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises 2 Pet. 1.4 so all the Promises of God in him are Tea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 That is upon the account of Christ all his Promises of eternal Life and Happiness shall be certainly and infallibly made good to us on condition we forsake our Sins and obey him And yet when we have done all things which are commanded us we are to account our selves but unprofitable Servants having done no more than was our Duty to do Luke 17.10 And we cannot lay claim to those unspeakable Rewards laid up for his Obedient Servants meerly upon our own Deserts as if we had merited and deserved 'em but that no Flesh might Glory in his Presence it is Jesus Christ who is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 That is it is Jesus Christ who is the cause of our Justification and Sanctification and by the Merit of what he has done for us shall our imperfect Righteousness be so accepted of by God that we shall be unspeakably rewarded for it And if so if all our holy Performances shall be Accepted and Rewarded only through Christ it is on Him then and not on any thing that we have done our selves that we must depend and Relie for Pardon and Happiness For without his Merits to supply our Defects our best Performances will want Pardon and all that we can do will not merit nor deserve eternal Life and Glory Thus we must Believe that is Relie on Christ and we shall not perish but have everlasting Life John 3.16 And indeed this Reliance and Dependance upon God for Mercy Because it excludes Confidence in our own Merits and Boasting in our own Performances on the account of what Christ has Merited for us not on the account of any Deserts of our own appears in the Scriptures as I before said to be an Act of Faith more well-pleasing to God and acceptable unto him in that it excludes Boasting or Glorying in our own Righteousness which the Apostle makes very necessary to Justification Rom. 3. and expects the Reward meerly from God's Free Mercy in Christ without any Reliance upon our own Performances For as it is vers 23 24 25 26. All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God being Justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Rightoousness that he might be Just and the Justifier of Him that Believeth in Jesus Where is Boasting then It is excluded By what Law The Law of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith therefore we conclude a Man is Justify'd by Faith without the Deeds of the Law Which brings me III. To shew you in what sence we are said to be Justify'd by Faith 3. In what sence we are said by S. Paul to be Justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law without the Deeds of the Law Both this Text of the Romans now mentioned and that Parallel place Gal. 2.16 seem to exclude Good Works from being at all necessary to our Justification And yet by what has been already said from St. Paul it does appear that Repentance and Obedience are Conditions equally requisite to our Justification with Faith Or when Faith alone is mentioned it is as including the other two and St. James also does most expresly assert that by Works a Man is Justified and not by Faith only Jam. 2.24 So that to clear the Holy Scripture from any Contradiction in this case it will be requisite to consider what St. Paul means by the Law and by the Deeds of the Law when he excludes either from having any thing to do in our Justification and what that Faith is upon which he does sometimes seem to lay the whole stress in that great Affair By Law in St. Pual's discourse with the Jews was meant both the Law of