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 But there was no such Law given besides this New Law Nor could the Original Law be repealed for the relief of faln Man it being founded in the nature of God and the nature of Man as he was created after God's own Image and is no more changeable than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
or in his keeping of it CHAP. II. For what Ends the Law was added to the Promise I Now come to shew in the next place for what end the Law of Moses was added to the Promise And before I do this in particular I shall note only in general That it was not added to cross or confront the Promise or God's Design in it but to be subservient to it Gal. 3.21 Is the Law then against the Promises God forbid For it is not to be thought that God would prevaricate in his Design so that when he had once made a New Law of Grace for the Saving of faln Man he would yet afterwards give any Law but what should one way or other subserve to the same End if Men do not deprive themselves of the intended Benefit by perverting it And therefore to be sure God did not intend to revive the Old Covenant of Works made with Adam in Paradise in the after promulgation of the Law of Nature which we call the Moral Law already broken He did not therein come to demand his full Debt of Innocency in Mans Broken and Bankrupt Condition or to let him know that he would without any other Condition than perfect Innocency cast him into Prison until he had paid the utmost farthing For if he had then the Law indeed would have been against the Promise which declares quite otherwise It is true the Law of Nature as it is a perfect Rule of natural Righteousness founded in God's Nature and Man's Nature doth of it self require perfect Innocency and can require no less being suited to the Nature of Man in its perfect State But when God brings this Law forth and sets it before Men that are now faln from that state as he doth in the promulgation of it it is to let them know indeed what they once were and from whence they are fallen and how unhappy their Condition now is according to the Tenour and Terms of that Law and that it would have continued so for ever if God had not made a New Law of Grace to over-rule that Law and to let all know that they shall still remain in that Condition that wilfully exclude themselves from the benefit of the Law of Grace by not performing the Condition of it But not to let them know they should have no better terms from him than that Law affords them nor to make their perfect keeping of it the condition of their Justification But the Law of Moses entirely taken in all its parts was rather given as an Appendix to the Promise both as a Rule of the material part of that Obedience which God would now require of the Israelites in conjunction with their Faith in the Promise and as a Motive to that Obedience This in general The Question is put Gal. 3.19 Wherefore then serveth the Law And the Answer there is That it was added because of transgression until the Seed should come And it was added because of transgression in more respects than one 1. It was added to discover Sin to make that known to be Sin which was so of it self and in its own nature before the promulgation of the Law For by reason of that grievous Wound which Man got in his Understanding by the Fall and by reason also of a progressive Degeneration in Mankind the natural Sense of Moral Good and Evil was to a great degree worn out of the minds of Men. For the repairing of which decay a promulgate Law the Ten Commandments answerable to the Law of pure Nature in the Spirituality of it was set on foot in the World And by this Law came Sin and Duty to be more clearly known than they were before Rom. 3.20 By the Law is the knowledge of Sin Rom. 7.7 I had not known Sin but by the Law For I had not known Lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not Covet 2. The Law was added not only barely to make known that to be Sin which was so of it self before but to set it out in its Colours to make it known in the horrid nature and consequence of it that Men might be the more afraid to have to do with it The Law entred that the offence might abound That is that by that means it might be rendred the more Criminous and Demeritorious That Sin by the Commandment might become exceeding sinful Rom. 5.20 and 7.13 3. The Law as it discovered Sin and made it more criminous and the People the more sensible of guilt and more apprehensive of their obnoxiousness to punishment was given to set off so much the more the Glory Beauty and Desirableness of God's Grace in the Promise of Pardon and Salvation Rom. 5.20 The Law entered that the offence might abound But where Sin abounded Grace did much more abound By how much the more Sin appeared Sin and was enhanced and aggravated and rendred manifestly mischievous by a Promulgate Law by so much the more Grace appear'd to be Grace in all its Glory that brought Deliverance from it Rom. 5.21 That like as Sin hath reigned unto death viz. by the Law that being the strength of Sin 1 Cor. 15.56 Even so Grace might reign through Righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. After Christ came the Rest which he gave was so much the more sweet to those Jews who received him by how much they had been weary and heavy-laden under a Spirit of Bondage before 4. The Law saith St. Paul was our Schoolmaster to bring â—s unto Christ that we might be justified by Faith Gal. 3.24 That is It was a lower sort of Institution accommodated to the weak and more imperfect state of the Church until afterward it should deliver them over to a more perfect Institution under Christ Parents first teach their Children to Speak and after put them to School to learn Letters Syllables Words and Sentences the use and design of all which they do not understand while they are Children as they do when they come to be Men. In proportion to this hath God dealt with his Church in the World beginning with a lower and more imperfect sort of Instruction Precepts and Promises and so proceeding to those that are higher and more perfect and so by certain gradations to lead on and build up his Church to a more perfect Spiritual and compleat state of Faith and Holiness To all the riches of fulness of understanding of the Mystery of God of the Father and of Christ Col. 2.2 And thus the Law as Schoolmaster had a double end and use The one respecting the time then present The other that which was then future and to come The then present use of it was twofold also 1. To reclaim and restrain them from the Superstitious Customs of the Heathen to which they were addicted in which respect also it was added because of transgression The Heathen-Worship stood in divers Superstitious Rites or Ceremonies And because the Israelites were addicted to a bodily Worship
Reign over them 1 Sam. 8.7 Ye said unto me said Samuel nay but a King shall Reign over us when the Lord your God was your King 1 Sam. 12.12 I conclude then that as the Law of Moses did serve to this Political end so it was a distinct Covenant and different from the Covenant of Grace 2. Let us see how this may be proved to be a Covenant so distinct and different as I have said from the Covenant of Grace declared to Abraham And to this purpose these things are considerable First They are called the two Covenants by St. Paul Gal. 4.24 And if they are Two then there is a real difference between them else they would be but one and the same Secondly They bear distinct denominations the one is called the first and the Old Covenant and the other the second and the New Heb. Chap. 8. and 9. Thirdly There were some sins pardonable by one of those Covenants which were not so by the other and that shews that they were quite of a different nature The Murder and Adultery which David was guilty of was not pardonable according to the terms of the Political Covenant if there had been any Superiour Power on Earth to have executed that Commonwealth-Law and yet according to the terms of the Covenant of Grace they were pardonable upon Repentance and upon those terms were pardoned unto him The like might be said perhaps of Manasseh The unbelief of Moses and Aaron in not Sanctifying God in the eyes of the Children of Israel was according to the terms of the Covenant of Grace pardoned as to the Eternal Penalty but yet was not wholly pardoned according to the terms of the Political Covenant as to temporal Punishment For the Lord told them that for that cause they should not bring the Children of Israel into the Land of Canaan Numb 20.12 And in reference to this case the Psalmist saith Thou wast a God that forgavest them though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions Psal 99.8 Fourthly The Covenant of Grace never ceaseth but it is of perpetual duration throughout all Generations and therefore is called the Everlasting Covenant Heb. 13.20 But this Mosaical Political Covenant is vanished long since Heb. 8.13 by which also it appears to be a Covenant essentially different from the other 3. For a farther illustration of the nature of this Covenant we will consider it in its parts and in the relation which those parts bear one towards another And in general it did consist of two parts 1. Of Laws and 2. Of the Sanction of those Laws The Laws likewise were of two sorts 1. Laws of Duty 2. Laws of Indemnity 1. Laws of Duty And in them we may consider 1. What those Laws were 2. What manner of Obedience to those Laws it was which would free Men from the Penalties of them and entitle them to the promises of Reward annexed to them First The Laws of Duty of which this Covenant did in great part consist were those which pass under the various denomination of Moral Ritual or Ceremonial and Judicial Some of which Laws viz. the Decalogue especially and almost wholly for the matter of them were natural that is such as were founded in the Nature of Man forbidding things which of themselves were Evil and commanding things which in their own nature were Good and might be discerned to be so by Man in his pure Naturals and in great part since the Degeneration of his nature whether they had been expresly forbidden or commanded or no. But these Laws became part of the Political Covenant only as they were expresly and externally declared to the Jews by a Promulgate Law For if this had not been so the Gentiles could not have been said to be without the Law as they were Rom. 2.14 11. 1 Cor. 9.21 For they had the force and effect of the Law in their hearts and were in that respect a Law unto themselves Rom. 2.14 15. But because the Decalogue as well as the other Laws was delivered to the Jews only and to none else from Mount Sinai therefore they only and Proselytes that joyned with them were said to be under the Law and all the rest without Law And therefore is the giving of the Law reckoned to the Jews among their peculiar Privileges Rom. 9.4 Psal 147.19 20. And in this sense only as the Decalogue was a part of the Political Law can the Ministration ingraven in Stones be said to be done away as it is 2 Cor. 3.7 to ver 11. For so much of it as was a Copy of the Law of Nature or is by Christ incorporated into his Laws remains in force to all Men. The other Laws of which this Covenant did consist were Arbitrary the force of which did wholly depend upon Divine Institution And such were the Laws Ceremonial and a great part of those we call Judicial Secondly That Obedience which would be sufficient to secure a Man from the penalty of the Political Law and to entitle him to the promised Reward annexed thereto was no less than a strict Obedience to it in all the parts of it For it is written Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them And all the people shall say Amen Deut. 27.26 And this extended to Heart-obedience and Heart-sinning as well as to the outward Act commanding Love to God forbidding to Covet as under the Heart-searching Political Soveraign who reserved to himself the final Judgment and Execution even in temporal respects in many cases 2. Laws of Indemnity of which also this Covenant did consist were partly those which ordained Sacrifice and Offerings for the Expiation of many Sins made pardonable by those Laws so far as to exempt the delinquent Person from the temporal Penalty threatned for breach of those other Laws which for distinction sake I call Laws of Duty for otherwise these also were Laws of Duty as well as of Privilege There were other Laws of Indemnity likewise for the purification of Persons legally unclean which being observed the Persons unclean became delivered from the penalties they suffered while their uncleanness was upon them such as was their Separation from the Congregation Consider we next the Sanction of these Laws and that did consist in Promises annexed to the observing of them and in a Curse denounced against the transgressors of them And for our better understanding the nature of the Promises of this Covenant we will consider them Negatively and Affirmatively 1. Negatively The Promises of this Political-Covenant as such were not Promises of Eternal Life And when I say so I do not deny but that first the Jews in Moses's time and before had Promises of Eternal Life implyed in the Covenant made with Abraham and his Seed And accordingly the faithful ones among them sought after the Heavenly Country and looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11.10 14 16. Nor secondly will I deny but that
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
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
and why It is not only from God's Decree or established Law to the contrary that he cannot but also from the utter incapacity of his Nature as corrupt Wherefore all the Vessels of Mercy are such as God aforehand prepares unto glory Rom. 9.23 They are such as are made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 Such as God hath wrought for the self same thing 2 Cor. 5.5 So that as I said there is a necessity in the nature of the thing that if God would design the Restoration of the Nature of Man to Happiness that in order thereto he should design a Restoration of it to Holiness as indeed he hath He hath chosen us to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes 2.13 And therefore the end of Christ's great undertaking for the Redemption and Restoration of Man is described by his saving his People from their sins By his redeeming them from all iniquity and purifying to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works By his washing and sanctifying of them that he might present them to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing That this was the design of God's Promise to Abraham appears in that at the very first it was propounded to him by way of Motive to quit the Idolatry of his Fathers and the evil Customes of his Country for they served other Gods Josh 24.2 Get thee out of thy Country and from thy Kindred and from thy Father's house and I will make of thee a great Nation and thou shalt be a blessing and in thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed Gen. 12.1 2 3. In which God had a farther design than to reform Abraham only His design in him and by him was to set on foot the Reformation of the World and the recovering the Nations thereof from the dregs of Idolatry into which they were sunk And therefore God said unto him Thou shall be a Blessing And this he designed not only in giving him a numerous Issue and making them a great Nation whose Education in the Worship of the true God was founded in Abraham but also in making both him and them eminent Examples of his special favour in the sight of the Nations by which they might see how much better it was to serve the God of Abraham than the Gods of the Nations And thereby to invite and draw them from their Idolatry Superstition and Ungodliness to Worship and Serve the true God And God in promising to Abraham both the Messias in his Seed and also that he would bless them that should bless him and curse them that should curse him and that his Seed should possess the gate of his Enemies had it should seem this in design viz. to encourage and quicken them to a holy Life Luke 1.72 73 74 75. To perform the Mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his holy Covenant The Oath which he sware to our Father Abraham that he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our Enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life But besides all this considering that the Promise made to Abraham was the New-Covenant as it was then exhibited as I have shewed before the benefits therein promised had a proper tendency in them to restore Man again to a likeness to God in the Moral perfections of his Nature For the great and precious Promises contained in the New Covenant as such are given for this very end that by them we might be partakers of a Divine Nature the glory whereof is knowledge purity and charity 2 Pet. 1.4 And for God by such Promise to make overtures unto Man of Love and Good-will and of desires of Reconciliation is the direct way and method of recovering faln Man from a state of enmity against God to a mind reconciled to him to think well of him to love him and delight in him For we love him because he first loved us 1 Joh. 4.19 And God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself and how by not imputing their trespasses to them but being willing upon their repentance and returning to their duty to forgive them 2 Cor. 5.19 God useth the same way of overcoming Mans enmity against him which he hath taught us to use to overcome Mans enmity against us and that is by overcoming their evil with our good Rom. 12.21 David dealing so with Saul though a bitter Enemy melted him into Tears and made him cry Is this thy voice my son David 1 Sam. 24.16 And to whom much is forgiven the same Person loveth much Luke 7. 42 47. And if God by these methods do once recover Mans love to him he will quickly recover him to his loyalty and duty of which Love is the proper Source and Spring If a Man love me he will keep my Words Joh. 14.23 Now that God's Promise to Abraham did contain expressions of wonderful grace and love and consequently what is most apt to beget in Man a love to God again and all the desireable effects of it will appear if we consider the special benefits comprehended in that Promise which is the third thing now to be considered Sect. 3. The special benefits contained in the Promise made to Abraham were such as these 1. It contained a Promise of the Messias a Promise of sending Christ into the World and that he should come of his Seed In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Gen. 12.3 and 18.18 and 22.18 which Seed is Christ as is said Gal. 3.16 And in this Promise of sending Christ were implyed the things he was sent for the things by which he should bless the World as his Death and Resurrection and what else pertained to his Mediatory Office because these are the things by which the Nations of the Earth became blessed in him which was the thing expresly promised That such things were implyed in the Promise appears not only by the reason of the thing but also from St. Paul's Testimony Acts 13.32 33. We declare unto you glad tidings how that the Promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children in that he hath raised up Jesus again I do not say that Abraham from a Promise that was but so generally expressed as that was could apprehend in particular what the Messias should both do and suffer though they were wrapt up in it He apprehended so much by it in general that God Would send the Messias into the World and that he would send him upon such terms as that his coming should be matter of great benefit to the World Abraham had such a prospect of this though at that distance as made him rejoyce and be glad So saith our Saviour himself John 8.56 Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad And the Promise
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
like theirs for they said Let us make us Gods to go before us Exod. 32.1 and were in danger thereby of being drawn to Worship their Gods therefore to prevent this as Parents put their Children to School partly to keep them out of harms way the Lord by way of condescention to their childish humour did ordain a Worship consisting much in bodily Exercise and Instituted divers Laws which stood in Meats and Drinks and divers Washings and carnal Ordinances until the time of Reformation till he should by sending his Son appoint more excellent Laws for Reforming both them and the rest of the World Lev. 18.3 4 5. After the doings of the Land of Egypt wherein ye dwelt shall ye not do and after the doings of the Land of Canaan whither I bring you shall ye not do neither shall ye walk in their Ordinances Ye shall therefore keep my Statutes and my Judgments Which if a Man do he shall live in them Ezek. 20.6 11. 2. The Lord did Institute divers Temporary Laws for tryal and exercise of their Obedience in those lesser things for a time as being such as they were as yet best capable to receive thereby to lead them on to higher instances of Obedience afterward Those many Ceremonies which they were obliged to observe were not things of any natural or intrinsick Goodness but only made use of by God for a present turn which when that was served they as to practise were of no value but became beggerly Elements But yet while they continued commanded of God their Obedience in the use of them was Rewardable as well as their Obedience to any other Laws The other end and use of the Law as it was a Schoolmaster respected the time then to come For the High Priesthood and Sacrifices of the Law as they were Types of what Christ should be do and suffer as Mediator were of great use to the Jews after Christ had Suffered and was Risen again and Ascended into Heaven to facilitate both the knowledge and belief of the Mystery of Redemption by Christ 1. To facilitate the knowledge thereof and to beget in them a right Notion of those things in Christ by which forgiveness of sins and acceptance with God is obtained on our behalf For those who had long seen and known the effect of Legal Sacrifices as how they did procure Legal Impunity for Offences commited God accepting the Life of a Beast that had not sinned instead of the life of a Man that had might soon come to understand by parity of reason that God would much more accept of his own Sons offering himself in Sacrifice for us so as to excuse us from suffering Eternal Punishment for our sin For if the blood of Bulls and of Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.13 14. And so the High Priest's entering into the Holy of Holies in the behalf of the People with the Blood of the Sacrifice and burning Incense there doth greatly assist the mind in understanding the nature of Christ's Intercession for us in Heaven in virtue of his Bloodshed for us on Earth Heb. 9. 2. The Law in the Typical nature of it was of great use to the Jews to facilitate and strengthen their Belief in Christ and so were the Predictions of the Prophets in conjunction with it For these and the accomplishment of them in Christ did so answer each other as in Water Face answereth to Face that those who believed the Law and the Prophets had a great advantage by means thereof to believe in Christ And therefore our blessed Saviour when he would satisfie his Disciples touching himself that he was indeed the Christ and of the necessity of his Death which Death occasioned at first a staggering in their Faith beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself Luke 24.27 And St. Paul when he laboured the Conversion of the Jews at Rome to Christianity as the chiefest way to effect it he expounded to them and testified the Kingdom of God perswading them concerning Jesus both out of the Law of Moses and of the Prophets from morning to evening Acts 28.23 Had ye believed Moses Saith our Saviour to them ye would have believed me for he wrote of me But if ye believe not his Writings how shall ye believe my Words Joh. 5.46 47. And thus in both the forementioned respects the Law was a Schoolmaster indeed to bring them to Christ that they might be Justified by Faith 5. The Law was given to the Jewish Nation not only for their behoof and benefit but also for a general Good to the World That the Nations round about hearing of such excellent Laws and percieving how happy and prosperous those People were so long as they observed them might thereby be invited to quit their Idol Gods and to take hold of the Covenant and to join themselves to the people of the God of Abraham even as it came to pass in such as were Proselited And upon this account it seems to be that the Psalmist prayed thus God be merciful unto us and bless us and cause thy Face to shine upon us That thy way may be known on Earth thy saving health unto all Nations Psal 67.1 2. and concludes ver 7. That if God should so do his fear would be propagated through the World God shall bless us and all the ends of the Earth shall fear him Deut. 4.6 7 8. Keep therefore and do them for this is your Wisdom and your Vnderstanding in the sight of the Nations who shall hear all these Statutes and say surely this great Nation is a Wise and an Vnderstanding People For what Nation is there so great that hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for And what Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so Righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day To them were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3.2 They were committed in trust to them as Feoffees for the World to communicate the knowledge of God and of his Laws to the Nations to carry on further the Reformation of the World begun in their Father Abraham and which was promised to be more compleatly effected by the Messias in that all Nations of the Earth should be Blessed in him And as God's Judgments on the Jews for breaking his Laws was Admonitory to the Nations about them Deut. 29.24 28. so his famous Deliverances wrought for them upon their Repentance for breaking his Laws made God known abroad to be a great favourer of such as repent of their worshipping and serving other Gods and such a one as could and would Save
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
Eternal Redemption for us Heb. 9.12 4. They differ in respect of the Sins made pardonable by each Covenant respectively There were many sins for which the first Covenant granted no Pardon upon any terms whatsoever They that despised Moses's Law died without mercy Heb. 10.28 But the Covenant of Grace makes promise of the pardon of the Greatest Sins upon Repentance All manner of Sin and Blasphemy except the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost are pardonable upon Repentance This difference is set down Acts 13.39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses We may well suppose that the first Covenant did finally Condemn some which the Covenant of Mercy Pardoned David in the matter of Vriah did that which was unpardonable by the first Covenant it was a Fact to have been punished with Death by the Law but that there was none but God that could duly inflict it upon him in his capacity and yet upon his Repentance it was pardoned as to his Eternal Concerns as well as Temporal by virtue of God's Covenant of Mercy On the other hand a Man probably might be so Righteous in the Eye of the first Covenant as not to be visibly blameable and yet even then be obnoxious to the Curse of the Everlasting Covenant Paul while he was Saul and in the state of Unbelief was even then as touching the righteousness which is in the Law blameless as he himself saith Phil. 3.6 So different were these two Covenants that him whom the one Condemned the other might Justifie and likewise Justifie him whom the other Condemned 5. They differed in respect of the condition to be performed on Man's part for the obtaining of pardon Pardon was promised in the first Covenant upon condition of Doing only without reference to Faith but so are not the pardons of the New Covenant Gal. 3.11.12 But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for the Just shall live by Faith And the Law is not of Faith but the man that doth them shall live in them So much concerning the first Part of the Sanction of the first Covenant Come we now to the second The other part of the Sanction of this Covenant did consist in the Curse of it denounced against the breakers of it Though it 's true that every Man is under a Condemnation that would be Eternal unless he comes to be absolved by virtue of the Law of Grace yet more than temporal Death was not expresly threatned for breach of the Political Covenant as such 1. For first a violent Death inflicted by the hand of the Magistrate for Capital Offences is called the Curse Deut. 22.23 He that is hanged is accursed of God or is the Curse of God 2. Christ who did not suffer Eternal Punishment for Man's Sin did yet suffer the Curse of the Law in that he was hanged on a Tree Gal. 3.13 It is true indeed that by that temporary Sufferings of his he redeemed us from Eternal Punishment which we were obnoxious to 3. Those who Apostatize from Christ and reject his Gospel merit sorer punishment than what was inflicted on them that despised Moses's Law and yet sorer Punishment for kind they cannot suffer if Eternal punishment had been the penalty of that Covenant as such Heb. 10.28 29. 4. As the Promises of that Covenant when particularly expressed did appear to be but temporal so the Curses of it appear to be no other in the particular enumeration of them As for instance a violent Death inflicted by the Hand of the Magistrate was the punishment threatned for many Capital Offences Such as was Idolatry Blasphemy Witchcraft Working on the Sabbath invading the Priests Office and for being a false Prophet and also for Murder Adultery Sodomy Buggery Man-stealing Cursing or Smiting of Parents or being stubbornly Rebellious against them and some other And a cutting off from among the People whither by God's hand immediately or by Man's I determine not was the penalty threatned for eating Leavened Bread within the time prohibited for not Purifying ones self when Unclean for profaning holy things for ones eating of the Sacrifice with his Uncleanness upon him for offering Sacrifice any where but at the Tabernacle for eating of Blood and for eating of the Fat of the Sacrifice for neglecting to keep the Passover and for not afflicting the Soul in the Day of general Atonement and for several other Offences And those Offences for which cutting off from among the People is threatned being less criminous than the former we have no reason to think the penalty of cutting off from among the People to signifie more if so much than the suffering of a temporal Death We may observe how the Israelites various Punishments are exprest for their manifold Crimes in the Wilderness by God's overthrowing them in the Wilderness by Pestilence and otherwise 1 Cor. 10. In brief The temporal Evils threatned in this Covenant were either Personal Domestick or National The Personal and Domestick Evils were no less than whatsoever tended to the infelicity of Man's Life as Diseases in Body Perplexity of Mind Unfruitfulness in Body in Cattel in Ground Scarcity Poverty Oppression loss of Relations fewness of Days and an untimely cutting off from the Promised Land The National were wild Beasts Pestilence Sword Famine Captivity and such like These were inflicted when the breach of the Covenant became National in the generality of the People But especially when those who had the management of Publick Affairs Civil and Ecclesiastick did not restrain the People by a due Execution of Laws but rather led them into sin by their Example and sometimes by their Commands corrupting Religion and perverting Justice Levit. 26. Deut. 28. And the Evils threatned being National as the Covenant it self was they must needs be but Temporal because there is no Judging Condemning and Executing Nations as Nations but in this World 4. Come we now to shew reason why this Covenant is called the first Covenant since there were others made before it as that with Adam in Paradise and that Covenant of Salvation with Adam after his Fall and with Noah and Abraham And 1. Negatively It is not so called as if it were the same for substance with that which was first made with Adam in Paradise as many have thought or because it was proposed upon the same terms For First That Covenant was established upon the terms or condition of perfect Innocency no provision being made in it for pardon in case of failure upon any condition whatsoever But it was otherwise in this Mosaick Covenant as I have shewed in that it contained several Laws of Indemnity for the Relief of delinquent Persons upon certain possible and practicable Conditions Secondly If this and the Paradisical-Covenant had been of the same nature then it and the Promise made to Abraham and his Spiritual Seed would have been inconsistent the
which the Apostle made against them in it For they did still oppose another Covenant as the Covenant of Justification and Eternal Life unto this Mosaical Covenant and Faith as the Conditon of that in opposition to Works as the Condition of this as will appear if we come to Instances 1. St. Paul argues it with them that the Promise of God to Abraham and his Seed was not through the Law but through the righteousness of Faith Rom. 4.13 Not through the Law that is not upon the terms upon which the benefits of the first Covenant were promised to the Nation of the Jews but upon quite other terms express'd by the Righteousness of Faith 2. He argues it farther with them That God's way of accounting Men Righteous by Faith and their way of seeking Righteousness upon the terms of the first Covenant were utterly inconsistent and the one destructive of the other and that but one of these ways could possibly stand For if they which are of the Law be Heirs Faith is made void and the Promise made of none effect Rom. 4.14 And again If the Inheritance be of the Law it is no more of Promise But God gave it to Abraham by Promise Gal. 3.18 And if by Grace then it is no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace c. Rom. 11.6 3. And that the Law did not exclude the Promise to Abraham he farther argues in that the Covenant with Abraham was confirmed and unalterably setled and established in the Messias 430 Years before the Law by Moses was given and that therefore for them to go about to introduce the Law in the room of the Promise to Abraham so confirmed would be as unreasonable and unjust as for one Man to alter or make void anothers Covenant after he hath confirmed it Gal. 3.15 17. Brethren I speak after the manner of men though it be but a Mans Covenant yet if it be confirmed no Man disannulleth or addeth thereto And this I say that the Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ the Law which was 430 Years after cannot disannul that it should make the Promise of none effect 4. St. Paul argues it impossible in the nature of the thing that they should be justified by the Law because one main end of God's promulging the Law of Nature which yet was a great part of the first Covenant was to convince Men of their Guilt and of their obnoxiousness to Wrath and to stop their Mouthes and to leave them without any plea of defence as from it Rom. 3.19 20. Now we know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law That every mouth may be stopt and all the world may become guilty before God Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin And if the Law doth convict Men it cannot justifie them For the same Law cannot both Condemn and Justifie the same person in reference to the same Charge If all are Cast and Condemned by the Original Law as they are for he hath concluded all under sin that he might have mercy upon all Gal. 3. then so many as come to be justified after this must needs be justified by another Law superceding that and that is none other than the Law of Grace The Law of Nature Curseth every one that hath broken it though but once and therefore it cannot justifie them too Out of the same mouth in this case doth not proceed Blessing and Cursing 5. He argues this Opinion of theirs to be contrary to the Doctrine of the Prophets many hundred years after as well as contrary to the Promise to Abraham long before the Law That no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident For the just shall live by Faith and the Law is not of Faith but the man that doth them shall live in them Gal. 3.11 12. from Heb. 2.4 The Law is not of Faith that is it doth not promise Pardon or any other Blessing upon Believing but upon condition of Doing the things therein required the man that doth them shall live in them Levit. 18.5 6. The insufficiency of the first Covenant to make Men Eternally Happy and the necessity and validity of the second to that end as further argued in Heb. 8. from another famous Prophecy in Jer. 31.31 c. of God's making a New Covenant with Israel and Judah in the latter days not according to that he made with their Fathers when he brought them out of Egypt 1. It 's argued that the first Covenant was but Temporary and being old was ready to vanish and to give place tâ— a New and Everlasting Covenant Chap. 8.13 2. That the first Covenant was faulty or defective or else there would have been no place sought for a second ver 7. 3. That the Promises of that first Covenant were not of such things as Men stand in need of to make them everlastingly Happy as those better Promises of the second Covenant are ver 6. 4. And yet more particularly that in this New Covenant there is promise of such a forgiveness of sins as that iniquity shall be remembred no more ver 12. whereas the first Covenant did not promise any such Pardons All that it promised was a forgiveness only as to the concerns of this Life otherwise their sins were still kept upon the File to be taken away if ever taken away by the Mediator of the New Testament by means of his Death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament Chap. 9.15 But in those Sacrifices which were but the Sacrifices of the first Covenant there was a remembrance again made of sins every year Heb. 10.3 And now by all these reasonings of the Apostle put together it sufficiently appears that the unbelieving Jews did expect Justification and Eternal Life only upon the terms of the first Covenant and that they held that Covenant as comprehending the Covenant of Circumcision to be the Covenant of Eternal Life And indeed this last mentioned Error of theirs in holding the first Covenant to be the Covenant of Salvation did in a manner contain in it all the rest mentioned before which did naturally grow out of it For if that had been the Covenant of Salvation then it would have followed that the Sacrifices of that Covenant had been sufficient and the Death of Christ needless and that Circumcision and keeping the Law of Moses would have been necessary to the Salvation of the Gâ—ntiles c. And now after all this considering what Erroneous Opinions the incredulous Jews held about the Law and about Circumcision and considering in what sense they asserted Justification by the Law and by Circumcision it will be no difficult thing to understand exactly in what sense the Apostle doth every where deny Justification to be by the Law or by the Works of the Law
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.
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 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
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
perswading themselves that a meer Assent of their minds to the Truth of these and other Evangelical Verities is the Faith to which the promised Justification and Salvation is made though it hath no such powerful operation upon their Wills as to make them new Creatures to make any thorow change in the temper of their Hearts and tenor of their Lives And many doubtless have been greatly strengthened in this delusive confidence by having been taught that Faith justifies without any VVorks at all And these again perswade themselves that they believe in Christ to the saving of their Souls because they rely on him alone for Salvation and upon what he hath done and suffered for them though they love their sins and live in them still Just like some Jews of old who though they were very bad in their Lives yet leaned upon the Lord and said is not the Lord among us None evil can come upon us Mich. 3.11 Isa 48.1 2 They leaned upon God's Promise of being their God as those do upon Christ's undertaking to be a Saviour although they overlooked the Condition to be performed by them in being a People unto him in loving and serving him as those Christians I speak of also do Though Christ alone is to be relyed on for Salvation as touching all that is proper to the Mediatory Office and VVork yet no Man is to rely on him so as to think he should excuse him if he do not Repent or be not Regenerate or as if he did Repent or were Regenerate for him If they do they promise themselves from him that which he never promised or undertook but hath told them plainly That except they themselves Repent they shall Perish and that except they themselves be Born again they cannot see the Kingdom of God 2 They deceive their own Hearts also in the nature of Repentance their Notion of it being one thing and the Scripture-Notion of it quite another So that tney perswade themselves they have Repented when indeed they have not They know and believe perhaps Repentance to be necessary to Salvation because Christ hath said that except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish But then they mistake in perswading themselves that they do repent because they are frequently sorry for what they have done tho' they cease not to do the same again Indeed when the pleasure of Sin is over and rebukes of Conscience come in the room of them these trouble their minds for what they have done which was the Repentance of Judas and there is no peace to the wicked who are like the troubled Sea Now this they count Repentance though it work no effectual and thorow change in Heart and Life but when that sad fit is over they appear to be the same Men they were before by returning to the same sins And herein the Romish Church hath most unhappily laid a Snare which as is to be feared catcheth multitudes of Souls to their Destruction in asserting Contrition yea Attrition with Confession to be Repentance sufficient to Salvation VVhereas sorrow alone though it be godly sorrow is not Repentance but as St. Paul saith Godly sorrow worketh Repentance 2 Cor. 7.10 But Repentance it self which is Saving consisteth chiefly in a real change in Mens apprehensions of and affections to both Sin and Duty and in ceasing to do evil and learning to do well Others again deceive themselves in taking a partial Reformation for true Repentance Because they have left some sins which they could best spare as blemishing their Reputation or impairing their Estates or their Health And because they have done many things which yet Herod also did Mar. 6. they think they have Repented and are Converted though they retain others which are more gainful or yield them more pleasure VVhereas the sincerity of Repentance can be nothing less then a hatred of and turning from sin as sin and so from all sin by diligent and careful endeavours 3. They deceive themselves by a false Notion of that Obedience which is necessary to Salvation They believe in the gross indeed that Obedience to the Commands of God to the Rules and Precepts of the Gospel is necessary to Salvation because the Scripture so plainly declareth it to be so But then they deceive their own Hearts in thinking and perswading themselves that they have performed this part of the Condition of the Promise when as they have not performed one half of it They have been it may be somewhat careful to be found in acts of External Worship and Devotion both publick and private and to keep themselves from Idolatry Swearing Cursing Sabbath-breaking Murder Adultery Stealing False-witness-bearing and the like in the outward and gross acts of them But all the while have made no conscience of governing their Thoughts Affections and Passions nor their Tongues neither as to many things And in all this wherein do they exceed the Pharisees whom if we exceed not in Righteousness Christ hath told us who best knows that we shall never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5.20 They were strict and zealous in the observation of the Laws for Circumcision Sacrifices Sabbaths Tythes and other positive Precepts and that to a tittle And Fasted often and made long Prayers and gave Alms and made Ostentation also that they were not as others were Extortioners Unjust Adutlerers nor as the Publicans And why would not all this bring them to Heaven Because all this notwithstanding as they had not Faith in Christ so they were Covetous Proud and Ambitious seeking Honour one of another contemning and despising others they were Envious and Malicious Cruel and Ill-natured Unmerciful and Persecuting such as faithfully reproved them They made clean the outside of the Cup and Platter and so far as they did so they did well But that for which Christ denounced Woe to them was that their inward part was full of ravening and wickedness and for want of love to God and of Judgment Mercy and Fidelity God is a Spirit and the Service that is acceptable to him as being most agreeable to his Nature is that which is done in Spirit and Truth And therefore his Precepts are given to govern the inward Man as well as the outward He that said Thou shalt not kill hath said also Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart nor be Angry with him without a cause or bear a grudge against him He that said Thou shalt not commit Adultery hath said also Thou shalt not lust after a Woman in thy heart And he that said Thou shalt not steal hath said also Thou shalt not covet and the like And therefore they that think themselves to be Obedient Children to God upon account of their abstaining from outward gross Sins and of being outwardly Righteous and do not truly endeavour and make a business of it to mortifie and subdue their Pride Covetousness love of the World Envy Hatred Malice thoughts of Revenge the unruliness of Passions and all
Principles of Natural Religion only and who having no other Law did by Nature the things contain'd in the Law Rom. 2 14. But to constitute a Man truly Religious and to denominate his Religion the Christian Religion it is farther necessary that he moreover act upon Christian Principles such as not the Light of Nature only but the Gospel of our Saviour does reveal unto us for In the day when he shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ it will be St. Paul tells us according to his Gospel Rom. 2.16 And so main a part in his Gospel were the Principles of reveal'd Religion that he told the Corinthians he determined not to know any thing amongst them save Jesus Christ and him Crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 that is the Means and Methods of our Salvation by a Crucified Saviour which can be known only by Revelation he was resolv'd should be so much the Subject of his Preaching amongst them that they might almost conclude he himself knew nothing else and did not much care whether they did also Thus the Christian Religion you see is out of Christian Principles to lead an holy good Life Nor Thirdly Is it enough to render the Religion of us Christians compleat III. Dependance upon the Mediation of Christ that our imperfect Righteousness may be accepted also necessary that by the force of good Christian Principles we lead good Lives but together therewith we must depend upon the Mediation of Christ with the Father for us that our imperfect Righteousness may be graciously accepted to our Justification For alas the best of us all must consider this That when we have done all that is commanded us we are but Vnprofitable servants Luk. 17.10 But alas the best of us all do exceedingly fail in doing all that is commanded us for we have all sinned and come short of the glory or Approbation of God Rom. 3.23 And therefore as there is One Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 So we are strictly commanded Col. 3.17 that whatsoever we do in word or in deed we should do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus And particularly as to that so considerable part of Religion Prayer it is ordain'd we are told Joh. 15.16 That whatsoever we shall ask of the Father in his Name he will give it us And also as to that other great Duty of Christian Worship Thanksgiving we are solemnly enjoyn'd Eph. 5.17.20 As we will shew our selves not to be unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is to give thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and In him we have boldness and access with confidence by the Faith of him Eph. 3.12 The meaning of which and innumerable other places that might be produc'd to this purpose is this That considering our own Vileness and Unworthiness by reason of our Sins we should ground all our Hopes and Expectations of Favour and Acceptance and Reward solely upon Christ That we should offer all our Deeds to God as Sacrifices and Services unworthy of acceptance in themselves and as proceeding from us but pleasing and acceptable to God only for his sake Such Dependance the Distinguishing Character of a true Christian And now this I take to be the grand distinguishing Character of Christianity which ought therefore never to be omitted when we pretend to give a full Account thereof As to a good Moral Life some Pagans did arrive to great degrees in Vertue such as I wish may not rise in Judgment against us Christians now a-days and as for their acting this upon good Principles I can hardly imagine that those who had such noble and worthy Thoughts of God and of their own Souls and who plac'd their Happiness in Purity and Uprightness were so much wanting in that Ingredient also of Virtue viz. The acting it upon good Principles as some do think They seem to me only to have wanted the Knowledge and Belief of some more and better Principles which we do enjoy to render their Virtue compleat in that respect also But that the best of our Performances are so imperfect that it was thought requisite in the Divine Wisdom that the Son of God should become a Sacrifice to expiate their Guilt and a Mediator with his Father to obtain their Acceptance is what the proud Hearts of natural Men never thought of and no Religion but the Christian ever taught But on the contrary when they had done well they did proudly over-value it and did arrogantly challenge the Reward not as of Grace but of Debt Dependance upon Christ necessary to take down an arrogant Conceit of our own Righteousness a Temper of Mind most displeasing to God And therefore to take down this proud and arrogant Presumption in us so natural to Man and so dishonourable to God together with his Design of making us Holy it was withal God's Intent by such a Dispensation of his Mercies as is given us in the Gospel to create in us such a Reliance and Dependance upon Christ for Salvation as to expect it not on the account of our own holy Performance but in the Vertue of his Mediation with the Father for us for so it is written 1 Cor. 1.29 30 31. That to the end that no flesh may glory in God's presence Jesus Christ is by him made to us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption that so he that glorieth might glory in the Lord. And indeed it does exceedingly tend to the praise and glory of his Grace that he hath made us accepted in the Beloved as it is said in Eph. 1.6 This does eminently set forth the exceeding Lustre of his Mercy towards us in the Gospel that our imperfect if sincere Obedience shall be accepted through the Mediation of Christ It does utterly exclude Boasting and all occasions of proud Reflections on our Parts as if so mean an Obedience as ours could deserve such infinite Rewards as are made over to us in the Gospel a Temper of Mind which as it is very apt to get Entertainment in our Souls so ought of all things to be supprest within us And thus I have given you a larger account of the Nature of the Christian Religion than otherwise I should have done that I might clear the way towards coming to the Knowledge of those Fundamental Principles thereof which I told you are the proper Matter of a Christian Catechism And now answerably hereunto The Nature of fundamental Principles the fundamental Principles of our Religion must be such Doctrines as being well understood and throughly believ'd do most powerfully and forcibly perswade and move Men to be thus Religious as to tend to destroy the Power of Sin to mortify our Lusts and all wicked Inclinations within us to render us pious and devout towards God just and charitable and peaceable Neighbours and sober chast and orderly Livers in this World And which shall
there are Conditions therein on our side so express Promises on the other It was farther added in the Definition that In a Covenant there are certain Promises Rewards and profitable Considerations made over on one Part on certain Conditions to be perform'd on the other And herein also with respect to these Promises there seems to be another main Difference betwixt the Imposing of the Law and the Making of a Covenant The Difference seems to be in this That in the Imposing of a Law the Law-giver does not necessarily oblige himself to confer any Benefits more than natural Equity does oblige him to and it is sufficient to the Validity of his Law to render it Obligatory if there be a threatning of Punishments great enough to deter the Subject from the Violation of that Law But a Covenant does imply something more comfortable in the Notion of it and therein the Party Covenanting tho' it be God himself does graciously Condescend to oblige and bind himself by express Promises and usually by some outward Solemnities as visible Signs and Seals to the performance of such Promises And here also is another very considerable Difference betwixt the Obligations of a Law and a Covenant that whereas one performance of Obedience to the Laws of a Superiour the Subject upon such his Obedience can have only by vertue of the Law some general and faint Hopes of Benefit so far as is Equitable and as those who do well may expect to receive well But by vertue of a Covenant the Party promising has moreover given to the other a full assurance of certain Benefits to be made good to him insomuch that upon our Repentance and Confession of our Sins God will reckon himself in Justice and Faithfulness bound since the giving of the New Covenant to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Vnrighteousness 1 Joh. 1.9 So that in short A Covenant lays a greater Obligation than the mere imposing of a Law does upon both the Parties joyn'd in Covenant a greater Obligation I say upon the One to perform the Conditions upon the other to make good the Promises And let this suffice to have remark'd upon the more general Notion and Nature of a Covenant A View of the Covenant of Grace But for our better understanding the distinct Nature and Notion of the Covenant of Grace in particular we must take our Rise from the very Creation and consider the several Dispensations of God by way of Covenant with Mankind And to begin with the Covenant made with Adam and in him with all Mankind the whole Proceeding stands thus God having made Man upright and in a capacity never to have violated his Covenant did Engage him to a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience God having made Man upright and given him a great measure of Light to direct him and of Strength to enable him to do as he should appoint proceeded then to make this very reasonable Covenant and Agreement with him He agreed to continue and increase that Light and Strength to him and to reward his acting according to it with immortal Life and Happiness provided he making use of his Understanding and Power would persevere to obey his Maker's Commands which if he should not do in every particular Instance of Duty he threatned him with Death and eternal Misery But then leaving him to act according to that freedom of Will wherewith as a reasonable Creature he had endow'd him Man did violate it Man did by his own voluntary Disobedience thro' the Cunning of Satan tempting him thereto transgress the Law given him by his Maker Gen. 2.17 and did thereby cast himself into a State of Sin and Misery under the Bondage of Satan without any power or possibility to recover himself out of that wretched Condition And thus he broke his Covenant with God Sinn'd against his Creatour and so forfeited all the Happiness convey'd to him therein both for himself and his Posterity And now was Man in a desperate and forlorn Condition His own Sin had made him liable to the severest Strokes of God's Displeasure and the Divine Justice and Wisdom The Divine Justice Wisdom and Holiness requir'd satisfaction and Holiness would not permit the Almighty however his Goodness inclin'd him to Pity to let his Sin go unpunisht and to restore him to a capacity of Happiness without a valuable Satisfaction made to infinite Justice such as should shew the Divine hatred of and severity against Sin for the security of his Government in the World And yet no Creature in the Heavens above or in the Earth beneath was sufficient for so great an Undertaking as to satisfy for him For There is no Man can Redeem his Brother or pay God a Ransom for him for the Redemption of his Soul is precious Psal 49.7 And what now shall be done to rescue Mankind out of this miserable State Why Man being himself uncapable to make it by less than suffering an everlasting Punishment when unhappy Man was in this desperate and forlorn Condition past all hopes of Remedy or Recovery then did God's unspeakable Goodness choose to appear for to the wonder of Men and Angels he does himself find out this way to raise us out of the Abyss of Misery into a State of Happiness again that he So loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life Joh. 3.16 So infinitely great I say were the Mercies of God to us The Son of God undertook and so admirable was his Wisdom in the Expression of 'em that he himself contriv'd when no one else could this Expedient for our Deliverance out of this desperate and forlorn State First I. To satisfy for the Breach of the First Because his Justice must be satisfied for the Breach of his Covenant and yet on the other side he would not have us eternally Punisht he therefore gave his own Son to dye in our stead and by the infinite Merit of his Sufferings to make Satisfaction to infinite Justice which we could not so 2 Cor. 5.21 He made him to be Sin or a Sin-offering for us who knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him And then Secondly II. To Cancel it and in its stead to make a Covenant of Grace consisting of conditions performable in our fallen State Because it was impossible to be Sav'd by the First Covenant which required Unsinning Obedience which we in our fallen State could not perform he gave him therefore to Cancel the First Covenant and by his Blood-shedding to Purchase for us a Second whose Terms and Conditions being more possible and easy we might be capable of obtaining Salvation under it Hence is he styl'd The Mediatour of a better Covenant Heb. 8.6 And his Blood call'd The Blood of the New Covenant or the Blood by which the New Covenant was purchas'd and which was shed
for many for the remission of sins Matth. 26.28 And the Terms and Conditions of this Second Covenant Wherein Repentance Faith and a sincere Obedience is accepted instead of a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience being no more a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience Repentance is henceforward to be admitted as a means of Reconciliation and a sincere Obedience to the best of our Power will be accepted and Faith in God and in Jesus Christ accompany'd with Living like those who Believe the Gospel shall be henceforward imputed to our Justification so that we shall have our Sins pardon'd and be receiv'd to Happiness This in short was the Tenour both of the first Covenant made with Adam and the Second procur'd for us by the Mediation of Jesus Christ Not to speak here of the different Measures and Degrees of its Promulgation nor of that Legal Covenant whereof Moses was the Mediatour and was made only with the People of Israel and was annex'd as an Appendix and Codicil to this Covenant of Grace for Reasons too many and too large now to be consider'd For tho' to shew how that the whole Promulgation of this gracious Covenant was not made all at once but that it seem'd good to the Divine Wisdom that so stupendious and grand a Scene of Mercy should not be open'd but by degrees tho' to shew this I say and the several Reasons of adding this Legal Covenant to the Covenant of Grace may be useful Points of Divinity to be explain'd in their due time yet I look upon 'em as none of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ but rather part of that Strong meat spoke of Heb. 5.14 which belongeth to them who are of full Age and have been already competently well instructed and so to be no proper Matter of Catechetical Doctrine To proceed therefore and in a word we may consider the Second Covenant not as such indeed which is made betwixt a Master and his Servant wherein the Master engages to allow Meat Drink and Wages on Condition the Servant will perform unto him such and such Services which are just and reasonable and the Servant is capable to perform which expresses more the Nature of the Covenant of Works Do this and Live But rather for this comes nearer to the Nature of the Covenant of Grace between God and us which is full of advantageous and profitable Considerations on our side we may rather compare it It resembles Articles of Accomodation made thro' the Intercession of a Prince's Eldest Son betwixt him and his Rebellious Subjects I say to an Accord made betwixt a Gracious Prince and his Rebellious Subjects as suppose some City or State wherein the Prince is graciously pleas'd through the Intercession of some great Favourite to grant unto those his Subjects not only Pardon of their former Crimes but moreover certain great Priviledges and Freedoms Protection and several particular Favours Lands and Possessions and the like on Condition they will thence-forward Renounce and Forsake all his Enemies and place no farther Trust nor Confidence in 'em and will not Disobey him for the future in any of his just and reasonable Commands but pay him a true and faithful Obedience to all his Laws And much of the same Nature I say is the Covenant of Grace made betwixt God and all Christians thro' the Mediation of his only Son only with this difference That on God's Part the Benefits and Advantages are of most infinite Value which are made over to us his Rebellious and Disobedient Subjects and this upon the most reasonable just and easy Conditions considering the Assistance he affords us by the vertue of the same Covenant to perform ' em For Almighty God in the first place vouchsafes us in this Covenant to be made Members of Christ Children of God and Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven which are Mercies and Priviledges of invaluable Benefit and Advantage to us And we on the other side Engage and Promise but to Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh to Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith to Obey God's holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of our Life which I say are most reasonable just and easy Conditions considering the Assistance he will afford us to enable us to perform ' em This will very clearly appear by that time I have Explain'd to you distinctly and severally the Terms and Articles of this Covenant both the Advantages made over to us on God's part and the Conditions to be perform'd on ours as they are taught you in the Words now read to you And it is a Subject indeed that does extreamly concern you to be well Instructed in and to be consider'd by you None of you shall be able to perform a Bargain except you know what you have bargain'd and agreed to do No One can discharge a Bond except he knows distinctly what he is oblig'd to pay no more can any of you be able to perform the Covenant of Grace except you do well understand the Nature Terms and Conditions of it And indeed Little more of universal Concernment to be known but the Articles of this Covenant there is perhaps but little necessary to be known in Religion besides the Articles of this Covenant We may without Prejudice to our Salvation doubtless be ignorant of many Points that are Canvast with Heat enough in the Controversies of Men of all Perswasions but to know what inestimable Blessings God has Promis'd and Ensur'd to us and what we are to perform to make our selves Inheritours of those Blessings is what every Body who believes a future State and the Immortality of his Soul and that it is worth his while to study the Salvation of his Soul must think it necessary except he can imagine it safe to take his Journey to Heaven blindfold when he cannot think of getting but to his short Home here on Earth without his Eyes open A distinct and clear Understanding of the Nature Terms and Conditions and of all that pertains to the Covenant of Grace is without doubt of all things in the World the most necessary The Catechetical Method most useful to that Purpose And there is no Method of Instruction whereby it can be so distinctly and clearly known as the Catechetical way For not to say that Preaching now upon one Head and immediately after upon another without any dependance and coherence of the several parts of Christianity together is not so likely to give Persons a clear understanding of the whole Nature and Design of Christianity as may be requisite The Catechetical way by treating orderly on all the Parts of our most Holy Religion and by giving thereby a distinct View of their natural Connection with and Dependance one upon another has this Excellency in it no doubt that thereby Persons shall be better able to
Domestick Head viz. the Husband in respect of the Wife and so likewise is Christ the Head of the Church and he is the Saviour of the Body Eph. 5.23 And indeed the Holy Spirit does love to Represent him as such a Head as also by the Title of a Shepherd over the Flock to signify the Gentleness of his Government and the Sweetness and Goodness of his Laws tending all for the Good of those he Governs And Thirdly There is the Natural Head of the Body which is the Fountain of Life and Spirit from whence it is deriv'd into all the Parts of the Body to enable and enliven all the Members thereof to discharge their several Offices and Duties And in Allusion to this Christ the Mystical Head of the Church is Christ said to be the Mystical Head of the Church from whom all the Body by Joynts and Bands having Nourishment ministred increaseth with the Increase of God Col. 2.19 And thus I have at length sufficiently in order to my Design of Explaining this Article Wherein I was made a Member of Christ shew'd you What kind of Body the Church of Christ is And by the By from what has been said it does appear That the Church of Christ is a Spiritual Kingdom put up in the World by God The Church of Christ a Spiritual Kingdom on purpose to reduce Man to his due Allegiance to his Maker and to destroy the Dominion of Satan which he had so long Usurpt over Mankind It is a Kingdom as it consists of inferior Governours and Subjects combin'd together by special Laws of Allegiance to the Sovereign King of Kings and Lord of Lords and by Priviledges granted by that Supreme Head and Governour to such his Subjects and therefore it is so often in the Scripture call'd a Kingdom But you see withal it is a Spiritual Kingdom by the Nature and Design of which God is to Rule in the Hearts and Spirits of Men and therefore it is all over the New Testament call'd the Kingdom of God the Kingdom of Christ For Christ does Reign and Rule therein by his Gospel as the Laws of that Kingdom over the Spirits of Men and those are the People or Subjects of this Kingdom who own him for their King and his Gospel for the Laws of this Kingdom and who do give themselves up wholly both Body Soul and Spirit to be Governed by those Laws And the Church is also often call'd in the Holy Scripture the Kingdom of Heaven for indeed it is not a Kingdom of this World supported with outward State and armed Forces in order to promote and to secure from those who would Invade 'em our temporal Interests If my Kingdom were of this World then would my Servants fight that I should not be deliver'd to the Jews Joh. 18.36 but it is a Kingdom or Society of Men associated together and Listed to Fight under Christ the Great Captain of our Salvation against much more formidable Enemies than any Earthly Potentates Even against Principalities and Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against spiritual Wickedness in high Places Eph. 6.12 that is against the Devil and his wicked Angels who would despoil us of our Heavenly Inheritance Listed I say to fight under Jesus Christ the Great Captain of our Salvation for so he is call'd Heb. 2.10 and to our Comfort who are to fight under him he has already Spoiled these Principalities and Powers and has made a shew of them openly upon the Cross triumphing over them in it Col. 2.15 So that our Work is in a great measure already done under his Conduct for he himself has divested the Devils of much of their Power he has thrown 'em out of their Temples silenc'd their Oracles and does daily by his Assistances enable us to Foil ' em So that the Church of Christ you see is a Spiritual Kingdom But yet notwithstanding that this Society the Church But yet notwithstanding a Visible Society is a Spiritual Kingdom both as its Laws are Spiritual reaching to the Government of the Inward Man and also as it is a Body Listed under a Spiritual King to fight against Spiritual Enemies Yet however from what has been said it does appear that the Church or Kingdom of Christ is a Visible Society of Men consisting of such who make an Outward and Visible Profession of Allegiance to Christ having visibly by an Outward Sacrament Enter'd into Covenant with him and being such as do visibly Communicate together in his Holy Ordinances And therefore it is not only of such who by an inward real and true Faith are United to Christ that the Church and Kingdom of God in this World does consist but of all those outward Professors of Christianity who by the Sacrament of Baptism have Enter'd into Covenant with God Such indeed as besides an outward Covenanting which is certainly necessary are Renew'd withal to the Image of God in Knowledge Righteousness and true Holiness are the only Persons of which the Invisible Church as it is call'd does consist in this World these perhaps being meant by the Little Flock Luk. 12.32 and of such only will the whole Church in the World to come be made up being of The many that are Called the few that are Chosen Matth. 20.16 But if we consider the Church of Christ in its fully Latitude and in that imperfect State wherein it now is on this side Heaven many Hypocrites and bad Men as well as truly sincere and good Christians do belong to it for the Church of Christ here on Earth is compar'd Matth. 13.24 25. to a Field which contains Wheat and Tares growing up together and to a Net ver 47. wherein there are Fish both good and bad Such you see is the Nature and Temper of that Body of Christ his Church concerning which I thought it requisite to give you a more than ordinary full account even in this place before we come to the Article I believe the Holy Catholick Church because that otherwise it cannot be so well apprehended What it is to be a Member of Christ's Church Secondly What it is to be a Member of Christ's Church which now the way being so far clear'd I shall in few words shew you And from what has been said it does easily now appear that a true Member of the Church of Christ is one who belongs to that Society of Christians which consists of Lawful Governours and Pastors and of the People of God committed to their Charge the one Ministring in Holy Things and the other Partaking thereof at their Hands He is not a Member of that narrow and enclos'd Society of Worshipers the Jewish Synagogue who by their peculiar Rites and Ways of Worship were confin'd to one Nation and Place no more than he is one of the Gentile World at large but he is One who either himself was call'd or is descended of those who were call'd from out of the wicked World
Perfect and such as could not be better'd and improv'd tho' it had God for its Author and sure then those Superstitions which derive themselves from no better Authors than the Devil and wicked Impostors must be very bad but that the Christian Covenant and Laws have such an inward essential Goodness in them that a Man 's own Reason would prompt him to approve 'em as Best and most Excellent there being none of its Doctrines but what are highly agreeable to the best Reason of Man and all its Precepts being no other than the Law written in every Man 's own Heart And indeed the Christian Religion whether we consider it as compar'd with the Pagan or Mahometan Superstition and Jewish Dispensation or in its own Nature it is a most singular Institution and Body of Laws and such as we ought to Esteem it our very great Happiness and Advantage above other Men that we are under the Government of ' em And First consider the whole Body of the Pagan Superstition The Pagan Superstition tended to nothing but to defile humane Nature and what else did it tend to but to debase Mankind infinitely below the Dignity of their Nature and to defile 'em much more than the very Brutes The Gods which the Pagans worship were at best the most Vile and Infamous of Humane Race viz. An Adulterous Jupiter a Revengeful Juno a Drunken Bacchus a Wanton Venus a Thievish Mercury and a Cruel Mars not to mention how they Bowed themselves before and gave Divine Worship to the most poor and contemptible The Gods the Pagans worshiped were at best the most infamous Men and Women senseless Creatures And when they Worship'd Adulterers and Whores and Thieves and Drunkards what can be expected but that the Rites whereby they served 'em should be accompany'd with the vilest Practices such as were answerable to the Nature and Temper of such Deities Which was the occasion of those Words of St. Peter 1 Epist 4.3 telling those who had been lately Converted from Paganism to Christianity that The time past of their lives was sufficient to have wrought the Will of the Gentiles when they walked in Lasciviousness Lusts Excess of Wine Revellings Banquetings and abominable Idolatries wherein is more than intimated that the Idolatries of the Heathens were usually accompany'd with such villanous Practices And indeed from the Pagan Authors themselves we know they were so Many times they worshiped the very Devils themselves But it was not only the vilest of Men and Women but the Devils themselves whom the Pagans worship'd and whom they were wont to serve not only with abominable Idolatries accompany'd with most lewd Practices which however hateful to right Reason might be grateful to some sensual Spirits but they were forc'd to commit many times the greatest Violences possible to Humane Nature in their Worship to those barbarous and cruel Devils they Ador'd And that with lewd barbarous and cruel Rites Thus it was the manner of the Worshipers of Baal to cut themselves with Knives and Lancers till the Blood gushed out upon them 1 King 18.28 Nay The sacrificed their Sons and their Daughters unto Devils and shed innocent Blood even the blood of their Sons and of their Daughters whom they sacrificed unto the Idols of Canaan Psal 106.37 38. Which was a Barbarity so horrid to Humane Nature that they were forc'd to make use of loud Instruments at the time of Sacrifice to drown the Noise of the shrieking Infants And at this day the Idol Vitsiputsi amongst the Indians is said to have many Thousands slain in one of his solemn Processions it being usual for his Worshipers to throw themselves under the Wheels of his Massy Chariot on purpose to be crush'd in Pieces by the Weight thereof going over ' em Such are the lewd and barbarous Rites of the Pagan Religion not to mention any thing of those intolerable slavish Fears which always possess Idolatrous and Superstitious Religionists who are always in dread lest they should Incense the angry and peevish Daemon by every little Accident and are ever upon the Rack studying to please him by innumerable little insignificant Observances The Mahometan Religion is a vile Imposture Nor Secondly As to the Mahometan Religion is there any thing in it worthy of God whereby we should judge him to be its Author First it is a plain Imposture and Cheat pretending to be reveal'd by God to his Prophet Mahomet after the Jewish and Christian Religion as a more perfect Institution than either whereas indeed look into the whole Matter and inward Frame thereof and we shall find nothing in it as One observes but A Mass of foolish Opinions odd Stories uncouth Ceremonies compounded chiefly of the Dregs of Christian Heresies together with some Ingredients of Judaism and Paganism confusedly jumbled or unskilfully mixt one with the other But as to that great Principle of it which promises in Paradise a Thousand Years satisfaction arising from sensual Pleasures and the Enjoyment of Women to those who shall slay the Unbelievers that is Christians for so they do call us especially because we believe not in their Mahomet This one Principle of their Religion I say is enough to debauch Humane Nature to the lowest Degree of Naughtiness by giving Encouragement to the Two worst of Sins Lust and Cruelty Its Principles tend to Lust and Cruelty and accordingly the Effects of it are That they give an unbounded Range to their Lusts amongst themselves and are Cruel and Blood-thirsty to all the World besides being Instigated by their very Religion to fill the whole Earth with War Desolations and Misery so that this is another Religion also which Tends instead of Improving to deprave Humane Nature and to make it much worse And Thirdly As to the Jewish Religion Judaism was an imperfect and unfinisht Draught of Religion tho' that indeed was of a Divine Original yet whether it were that the Infancy of the World was not ripe for a more deep and manly Instruction or whether that particular Nation however to whose Disposition and Capacity those Laws and Constitutions were suited was unfit for the highest and hardest Lessons so it was that St. Paul calls their Ordinances Poor and Beggarly Elements Gal. 4.9.3 And indeed as to the Ritual Part of their Law the Ceremonies and Sacrifices thereof were for the most part Types and Shadows of good things to come Heb. 10.1 And as to the Moral Part Moses for the hardness of their Hearts was forc'd to Indulge 'em what the Perfection and Purity of the Christian Religion will by no means allow of as may be seen in the Case of Putting away a Wife for every Cause Luke 19.8 But above all it is to be considered that universal Love and Charity to Enemies to all Mankind of what Nation and Religion soever they be which does so nearly resemble us to God himself Who maketh his Sun to rise on the Evil and on the
Good Matth. 5.45 was as it were a New Commandment to them Joh. 13.34 And yet such an unbounded Charity and Kindness as this is the great and necessary Duty of Christianity So that Judaism at the best and before that it was Corrupted by the false Interpretations put upon the Law by the Scribes and Pharisees was but an imperfect Draught of Religion begun by Moses but left to be finished by the more perfect Stroaks of our Saviour's Pencil afterwards who is therefore said to have Come not to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fill 'em up Matth. 5.17 Thus Imperfect at best was the Jewish Law But now consider Fourthly The whole Body of that Religion Christianity a most excellent Religion which Christ our supreme Head and Governour has given us and under whose Guidance we have the Happiness to be as we are the Members of Christ's Church and nothing can represent God in more Noble Characters and Glorious Perfections nothing can give a more Honourable and Rational Account of his Proceedings with Man both in his Creation and Redemption of him than it does And as his Laws are infinitely beyond what the Wisdom of any Humane Law-givers did ever yet contrive for the good Order of Man in this World and his real Happiness both in this and the World to come so no Motives nor Reasons can possibly be more Powerful than those which Christianity does give us to Obey those Laws It gives a most excellent Representation of God As to the Nature of God Christianity does plainly represent him as a Being that has no manner of Imperfection in his Nature but as One that is adorn'd with all the most glorious Attributes and highest Perfections possible It represents him to us so infinitely Wise Just and Holy and yet so wonderfully beyond all Comparison Good and Merciful and to add to all this so intimately Present to all we say or do so Omniscient in discerning the very Thoughts and Intents of our Hearts and withal so absolutely Powerful in doing whatsoever he pleases in Heaven and in Earth that Shall not this his Excellency make us afraid Job 13.11 It gives an Honourable account of his Proceedings with Mankind with reference both to his Creation and Redemption of us And then as to his Proceedings with Man both in his Creation and Redemption of him Christianity gives us the most plain and rational account thereof in the World It gives us to know how that God made man Upright and being so we were at perfect Agreement with him but that afterwards we fell by Transgression from him and must have suffered the Doom of Rebels for so doing It lets us then know That God taking Pity of us in this miserable Case sent his own Son to Preach Repentance and to offer Terms of Reconciliation to us And moreover because it was not consistent with God's Holiness nor with his Wisdom and Justice as Governour of the World to let Sin go unpunish't or to accept of a Sacrifice and Satisfaction less infinite in Value than he was in Majesty who was Offended that he therefore gave this his only Begotten Son also to Dye for us and accepted of his infinitely meritorious Sufferings here instead of our suffering Eternally hereafter and as a sufficient Satisfaction to his injur'd Justice which we in our own Persons could not pay without perishing Everlastingly Christianity does withal Reveal to us that this our High-Priest after having Offer'd himself for us here on Earth a Sacrifice for our Sins he is now gone into Heaven to Intercede with the Father in the merit thereof that it may be accepted to the Pardon of ' em And it also informs us that being ascended to his Father which is in Heaven in order fully to reconcile him to Man he has substituted his Holy Spirit here on Earth to perfect the Reconciliation and Conformity of our Natures to God by moving and moulding our Hearts to true Repentance and Faith in him This is in short that account which Christianity gives us both of our Creation and of our Redemption And so every way Rational it is in it self and so exceedingly agreeable to the wisest Methods of Government in the World that tho' it was beyond the reach of our Reasons before this whole Mystery of Redemption was reveal'd to us in the Gospel to think of such an extraordinary way for our Recovery out of a lost and undone Condition and of Reconciliation to God yet now since it is revealed all the reason of Mankind whose Vnderstandings the God of this world hath not blinded must own that there is no method of Proceeding in such a Case could be more worthy of the Holiness Justice Mercy and Wisdom of God nor so likely to work Repentance in Man not consequently more agreeable to the wise Governour of the World to take than this So agreeable to the best improved Reason of Mankind are the Doctrinal and even the most mysterious Parts of the Christian Religion that Religion which it is our Happiness as we are Members of Christ's Church to be under the direction of Nor can any thing be better contriv'd for the Happiness of Men Its Laws are excellently contrived for the good Order and Happiness of mankind with relation to themselves or others than what the Laws of our Saviour do directly tend to As to our selves they do so powerfully tend to mortify our Lusts and Appetites those Rebels to our own Reason to moderate our Passions and Affections which so violently rack and disturb our own Breasts and they are excellently fitted also to make us so Humble and Self-denying so Temperate and Sober so Chast and Pure as Men on Earth would appear to be Angels come from Heaven were the Laws of Christ universally followed And lastly as to Others such Justice and Uprightness such Charity and Kindness such Quiet and Peaceableness does Christianity incline men to upon which account the State of the Gospel is represented as that In which nothing should destroy nor hurt in the holy Mountain Isa 11.9 And let me also add such Prudent and Fatherly Care of Children Servants and Dependants do the Laws of Christ prescribe as would make a Heaven here upon Earth were they universally Obey'd I say were they universally Obey'd And yet to add to all this Excellency of Christ's Government and Laws over us already seen And are enforc'd by most powerful Principles Motives so powerfully is our Obedience to all these Laws Enforc'd by those mighty Principles and Motives of Christianity viz. The Articles of our Christian Faith I mean so very Perswasive and Forcible are the Motives which Christ does give us to the Practice of these Vertues beyond what was in any Reasons and Motives which the Philosophers or even Moses did give the Gentiles or the Jews to be in any degree Vertuous that this is another addition to our Advantage in having Christ for our Supreme Head and Law-giver and in
being Members of Christ's Church In a word so Honourable to God so Perfective of our own Natures and so Beneficial to Mankind are the Laws of Christ and so well is our Obedience secur'd to 'em by those Principles he has taught us that this very Thing does speak our exceeding Great Priviledge in being Members of Christ and under his Conduct and Government as our supreme Head and Law-giver But especially this Advantage will appear to be very Great Another Branch of this first part of a a Christian's Priviledge are most edifying and comfortable Institutions and Ordinances if we consider How that together with those most excellent Laws that he has given us he has also appointed us most Edifying and comfortable Ordinances to Conduct us to Heaven Now by Divine Institutions and Ordinances I do mean those positive Appointments and Observations which he has given his Church and all the Members thereof for their Improvement in the Knowledge and Practice of his Holy Religion and Laws And that which our Great Law-giver has done of this Nature is this He has Ordain'd solemn and set Days viz. The Christian Sabbaths for his own Service He has Order'd that Publick Assemblies of all Christians should be held upon those Days he has Authoriz'd and Commanded the Publication and Preaching of his Laws at those Publick Assemblies He has appointed that Common-Prayers Supplications and Thanksgivings for Divine Grace and Assistance to enable us to perform these Laws then Preacht and for other Mercies should be jointly put up to him by all Christians on those solemn Days and publick Assemblies and Lastly he has Enjoin'd therein the use of Sacraments as means of Conveying such Grace and Assistance and also as Oaths and Obligations upon us to be Obedient to those Laws All which are the Priviledges that do belong to the Members of Christ's Visible Church And if we compare 'em with what others want of this Nature they are indeed most singular Favours vouchsafed only to such as are Members thereof and which Aliens and Strangers have no Right nor Admittance to And consider'd in themselves they are most admirable Advantages towards the Observation of God's most Holy Laws and in order to a Holy and Good Life I. Publick Ordinances the Priviledge of every Member of Christs Church First I say All these fore-mentioned Priviledges do belong to the Members of Christ's Church to such as have been Baptized and profess themselves to be Christians To understand which Rights and Priviledges the better you must know that as there are Two sorts of Members in the visible Church so there are Two kinds of Priviledges that belong to each sort as One rightly states this Matter each having those Priviledges which are proper and peculiar to 'em according to the relation they bear to the Head and their Fellow-Members First There are Members only by Foederal or Covenant Holiness such are only Born of Water when by Baptism they are United to Christ and the Church and take upon them the Profession and Practice of the Christian Religion Now the Priviledges that do belong to these are of the same make with their Church-Membership Outward and consist only in outward and publick Communion with the Church in Word and Ordinances Secondly There are Members by Real and Inherent Holiness such as are not only Born of Water but of the Spirit also when by the inward Operation of the Holy Ghost their Souls are Renew'd after the Image of God and made Partakers of a Divine Nature And the Priviledges that do belong to these are not only the foremention'd Ones but together with them others that are suitable to their more spiritual Relations Inward and such as consist in the special and particular Care and Protection of God and in the more plentiful Measures of his Grace and in the more sensible Comforts of his Holy Spirit according to that of our Saviour Mat. 25.29 Vnto every One that hath or Improveth those Talents of Grace he has received shall be given and he shall have abundance So that these latter and more peculiar Priviledges indeed do not belong to every Member of the visible Church but to those only who are sincere in their Profession of Christianity and who by their more than ordinary Piety are become Dear to God But then as to Outward Priviledges it is not only the Duty but it is the Priviledge which of Right belongs to Every Member of Christ's Church to Observe the Lord's Day to be Present in the Publick Assemblies to Join in the Common-Prayers and even to Partake when of Age of the Lord's Supper So we find Acts 2.41 42. That the whole Three Thousand Souls who received the Word and were Baptized continued stedfastly in the Apostle's Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers True it is such as that more than ordinary Regard Scandalous Members to be suspended from the Lord's Supper that the Church of Christ has for the Lord's Supper that most solemn Ordinance in the Christian Religion that when any Member becomes Scandalous for any Sin he is to be Suspended from Communion in that till he amends So it is order'd in the Rubrick before the Communion-Service that if any be an open and notorious Evil-Liver so that the Congregation be thereby offended The Curate having Knowledge thereof shall Call him and Advertise him that in any-wise he presume not to come to the Lord's Table until he hath openly declared himself to have truly Repented and Amended his former Naughty Life that the Congregation may thereby be satisfy'd which before were Offended And the same Order shall the Curate use with those betwixt whom he perceiveth Malice and Hatred to reign not suffering them to be Partakers at the Lord's Table till he Knows them to be Reconciled But otherwise till a Member become Notorious and Scandalous for his Evil Principles or Practices he may claim the Right to be admitted to the Lord's Supper for even Judas himself before he Betray'd our Saviour did Partake with him at the first Institution of the Supper as you will find Matth. 26.25 26. So that as to the Outward Institutions and Ordinances of Christ they are Priviledges you see that do belong to all the Members of Christ's Church to all such as have been Baptized and Profess themselves to be Christians And now Secondly I. Christian Ordinances are a singular favour which Aliens and Vnbelievers do not nor have any Right to enjoy If we compare but these outward Priviledges of God's Holy Ordinances with what others do want of this Nature they are indeed most singular Favours vouchsafed only to such as are Members of Christ's Church and which Aliens and Strangers have no Right nor Admittance to For alas The Infidel Part of the World whether Jews Turks or Pagans have none of these Divine Ordinances amongst ' em They neither Know the Lord's Day nor Hold any Assemblies thereon for the Instruction in his Laws
and strictest sence of the Word that it can be apply'd to a meer Man is a Child of God But then all who are the Children of God either in the sence of Scripture or of your Catechism are not actually thus Regenerate As to the sence of Scripture it is plain as will presently appear that every One who bears the Relation of a Child to God is not Dutiful to his Father But every Child of God is not actually Regenerate either in the sence of Scripture which is in Heaven no more than all Children are to their Natural Parents It is a monstrous Thing indeed that any Child should be Undutiful to so good and gracious a Father but it is too true that too many are so Hear O Heaven and give ear O Earth for I the Lord have spoken I have Nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me Isa 1.2 And as to the meaning of a Child of God here in your Catechism it is also plain Or of your Catechism that it is not only such as are renew'd in the Spirit of their minds and do imitate God that are there to be understood for every One who is Catechized is requir'd to answer that In his Baptism he was made a Child of God whereas many Catechumens are not actually as yet Renew'd and really Converted and by their own Fault many will never be so that a Child of God by spiritual Regeneration and a God-like Imitation expresses rather the Duty of every One what he ought to be than the Notion and Nature of a Priviledge which many may enjoy who in the mean time are not over Dutiful So that a Child of God by spiritual Regeneration or a God-like Imitation is a meaning of the Word as much too narrow to be the sence of it here in your Catechism as a Child by Creation was too wide To proceed then But Fourthly a Child of God as meant in the Catechism is every one who is so by vertue of a Covenant Relation Fourthly There are the Children of God by Vertue of a Covenant Relation and also by Adoption who are neither all the Sons of God by Creation nor yet on the other side such onely as are Renew'd in the Spirit of their Minds and do imitate God But they are all those who have been Baptized into the Covenant of Grace and have been Incorporated into Christ's Church and who do profess the true Religion and themselves the Servants of the True God Thus before the Law Gen. 6.2 the whole House and Posterity of Seth are call'd the Sons of God as on the contrary the Posterity of Cain are call'd the Daughters of Men. This was the Notion of a Child of God before the Law They are there call'd the Sons of God because that in the Family of Seth the Worship of the True God was continued and establish'd from which the Posterity of Cain had Revolted And so likewise under the Law the whole Body of the Children of Israel are call'd the Children of God Deut. 14.1 and that for this reason Vnder the Law as it follows ver 2. because they were a Holy people unto the Lord and the Lord had chosen them to be a peculiar people unto himself above all the Nations that were upon the Earth They were a Holy people unto the Lord not all of 'em by an inward and real Change in their Natures but by a Foederal Holiness and by reason of their separation from the rest of the Idolatrous and wicked World by a Holy Covenant Alas as to their inward Holiness this very Body of Men who were call'd the Children of God are said Deut. 32.5 to have Corrupted themselves and to have not the spot of Children but to be a very froward Generation Children in whom is no Faith ver 20. But their outward Relation to God continued notwithstanding and that whole Body of People being in Covenant with God were styl'd thereupon his Children And under the Gospel likewise Vnder the Gospel all that are Members of the Church and in Covenant with God are styl'd his Children Thus 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. you will find that with Relation to all those concerning whom God declar'd He would be their God and that they should be his People which are the express Terms of the Covenant betwixt God and all Christians as you will see Heb. 8.10 and with Relation to all those whom he commanded to Come out from among the Gentiles and to be separate and not to touch the unclean thing that is not to Partake in their Idolatry which is the very Description of the Members of Christ's Church I say with Relation to all these he declar'd he would be a Father unto them and that they should be his Sons and Daughters And such are call'd Sons by Adoption concerning whom it is said Also a Child of God as meant in the Catechism is every One who is so by vertue of Adoption Gal. 4.4 5. When the fulness of time was come that God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Now this word Adoption is much used in the Epistles of St. Paul to declare that filial Relation towards God which the Members of Christ's Church are taken into and because the right understanding of the Nature and meaning of such Adoption will very much contribute to a right and through Explication of what is meant by a Child of God I will First Shew you the Nature and Meaning of Adoption both amongst the Jews and Gentiles amongst both which different People it was in use Secondly I will then shew you how we Christians especially such of us who are descended from the Gentiles are accordingly Adopted to be the Children of God And as to the First Adoption What Adoption a Thing so well known both amongst Jews and Gentiles was the taking in of a Stranger upon the want or loss of natural Issue into the Relation of a Child and into the Rights and Priviledges of a Son by Nature The use of it amongst the Israelites the Priviledges it gave them As to the use of it amongst the Israelites we find Gen. 30. that Rachel upon the want of Issue by her Husband Jacob did Adopt and take as her own Sons those of her Maid Bilhah ver 5.8 And so likewise did Leah when she saw that she had left Bearing she Adopted and took also as her own Children the Sons of Zilpah And several other the like Instances may be found in Scripture as in Jacob's Adopting Ephraim and Manasseh the Sons of Joseph to be his Sons Gen. 48.5 In all which cases it appears that upon their Adoption or being took into that Relation of Sons to Jacob Rachel and Leah they were instated into equal Priviledges with the true and genuine Issue of those Persons and were accounted amongst the Twelve
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
Reasonable and Useful it is in it self But as the best Things are liable to the worst Abuses The Abuses it is subject to and in what Instances to be Renounced so it fares with this sort of Honour And the Nobleman or Gentleman is apt to think himself Priviledg'd above others to trample under Foot all Laws both Divine and Humane and to reckon himself above Reproof or Punishment when he has done to despise and oppress the rest of Mankind as if they were but a lower Rank of Creatures and had not 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 his own Such are apt to fly at the greatest Distance from those worthy Vertues which Ennobled their Ancestors and indeed to despise Religion and its chiefest Vertues as Qualities beneath ' em But First A Nobleman or Gentleman be he of what Rank or Quality soever must utterly Renounce all that Honour which pretends to put him above the Laws of God or Man and beyond Reproof or Punishment when he has Violated either 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 For so far is One of an Eminent Quality from being at liberty to be an Atheist or Libertine a Licentious and a lewd Liver a breaker of the Laws of his Country and a despiser of the Discipline and Orders of the Church and so far is he from being above Punishment or Reproof for such like Violations that he is bound above all other Men to be a strict and orderly Liver and upon his Failure is more open to Reproof and more liable to be severely Punisht Such a one is plac'd upon a higher Form than other Men and consequently his Deformities and Vices are more open to publick View and more easily discern'd and the Multitude which are always apt to observe the Faults of their Superiors will be sure to pass their usual Censure How unbecoming is this Man's Life to his Birth and Quality and how does he disgrace himself and Family So Injurious is he to himself He is moreover by the Eminence of his Birth and Quality as A Light put not a under a Bushel but on a Candlestick and so the World who are always apt to imitate the Manners of their Superiors seeing his bad Example will many of them Copy it out to their own Destruction so mischievous is such a One amongst Men. And lastly he has receiv'd far greater Talents from God than other Men to employ to his Glory which if he has abus'd to his Dishonour he is ungrateful towards God He has had the Examples of more noble Progenitors before his Eyes to raise his Emulation he has had the Advantages of a better Education to improve his Knowledge he has more Time and Leisure to pursue it more Riches to procure the Means of attaining it he has more Authority to support Religion and the Church and he has a greater Stock of Reputation amongst Men to Countenance both And having thus a greater share of Talents to employ to his Master's Honour proportionably a greater measure of improvement thereof to the Advancement of God's Glory and Religion amongst Men will be requir'd at his Hands For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required and to whom men have committed much of him they will ask the more Luk. 12.48 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 Punisht And now does any Man think when he has so much abus'd himself and Family when his Example has been so mischievous and infectious to Mankind and when he has turn'd all the Artillery which God has given him to fight against Sin and the Devil when he has Treacherously turn'd it upon God himself will his Honour bear him out in this Or does he think himself above the Reproof of God's Ministers here or the Punishment of an Incens'd Deity hereafter No He is the Man to whom Reproof does particularly belong and accordingly Herod the Tetrarch was reproved by John the Baptist for Herodias his Brother Philip's Wife and for the Evils which Herod had done Luk. 3.19 And in the World to come such a One above all Men will be Beaten with many stripes Luk. 12.47 So much is that Honour to be Renounc'd which pretends to put a Man above the Laws of God or Man or beyond Reproof or Punishment for the Violation of ' em Secondly And so likewise is that to be Renounced and Detested 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 formed 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 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 Formed out of the same Clay 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 This is indeed observ'd to be for the most part the Property of those only of Vpstart Quality for whether it be that such are Transported above themselves by a sudden Rise of Fortune so as not to know their mean Beginning or whether it be that their Fathers being rais'd to their Greatness meerly by Vertue of their successful Fortunes in the World not for any noble and worthy Performances these have not that Vein of Magnanimity Largeness of Soul Generosity Courtesy and Liberality running in the Blood as it were of some Families whose Nobility was founded in some noble Exploits of Vertue Whatever may be the reason it is generally observ'd that your New Gentry are apt above others to carry it with an unreasonable Haughtiness and Disrespect towards their poorer Brethren But alas There is no Ground in the World for this Distance nor that Slavery they put 'em to Have we not one Father and hath not one God made us Mal. 2.10 And was it not out of the same Lump of Clay that he made one Vessel to Honour and another to Dishonour And when this Earthly Tabernacle of ours shall be dissolved who shall be able to distinguish betwixt the Dust of Princes and their meanest Vassals And is not the Soul of the poorest Indian Slave as Spiritual and Immortal as that of the Richest Merchant in Europe And had it but the Education which our Europians
Laws seem most to thwart our Reason and his Dispensations seem most hard and severe Thus did Abraham the Father of the Faithful when God commanded him even to Slay his only Son Isaac he readily obey'd he did not stand to dispute the Case Gen. 22.10 And thus did Job in reference to the Dispensations of God's Providence when he was stript naked of his vast Possessions and even of his dear Children he even then blest God for it kissing as it were the Rod that stroke him The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the Name of the Lord Job 1.21 III. III. The Affections what and how to be renounc'd The Affections in the Carnal Man do sadly degenerate into what may too properly be called the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Our Passions and Affections are indeed in themselves of singular use to the perfecting of our Natures They are the Wings of the Soul to carry it forth with eagerness in the pursuit of that which is Good and with Aversation and Flight from that which is Evil. They are variously numbred up but the Master Affections are Love and Hatred which when they are rightly governed all the rest are so too but when they are misplac'd and out of order so in the same proportion are all the others And accordingly whereas then it is that our Love is rightly fix'd 1. When we place it upon a proper Object And 2. When we steer towards the Thing we love with Desires proportionable to the Good that is in the Object that is When the best and greatest Things are pursu'd with our chiefest Passions middle Things with a less and the lowest with the least So it is that so long as a Person remains Unregenerate he either first places his Love upon that which he should Hate which is the wrong Object as upon sinful Profits and Pleasures or secondly he loves Things of an Indifferent Nature such as are Earthly Things with an over Intense Affection beyond their true Worth and Value And so on the contrary as to Hatred the Carnal Mind hates that which he should love viz. God and Vertue The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God nor is it subject to the Law of God Rom. 8.7 Or else he hates some Things as the chiefest of all Evils viz. Sufferings and Afflictions when indeed they are of that Nature that upon due Consideration a Man shall be able to say That it is good for him that he has been Afflicted And accordingly when our Affections of either kind are either misplac'd upon wrong Objects or are disproportionate to the true worth and Evil that is in those Objects towards which it is lawful to be well or evilly affected in Moderate Degrees In either of these Cases I say our Affections shall become sinful Lusts of the Flesh and are necessary to be Renounced by us And 1. Those Affections of Love and Hatred must be utterly Renounc'd which we shall find our selves to have mis-plac'd upon wrong Objects I. As they are mis-plac'd upon wrong Objects that is instead of Loving we must utterly Hate and Abhor all Sin and sinful Pleasures So the Psalmist Psal 97.10 Ye that Love the Lord hate Evil. Now Sin is the greatest Evil in the World as being most directly contrary to the Holy Nature and Will of God and it is the Cause of all the Evils which befal us and therefore to take pleasure in Sin is so perverse a thing that so long as any Person remains thus wickedly Dispos'd he is an Enemy of God and no better than a Child of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.10 Thus must we not misplace our Love upon that greatest of all Evils which is Sin And so 2. Instead of Hating God and Vertue against whom the Carnal and Vnregenerate are at Enmity we must Entirely and Affectionately Love both which is so plain and palpable a Truth as needs neither Proof nor Enlargement And thus we are to Renounce the Affections of Love and Hatred whenever they are mis-plac'd upon undue Objects 2. And we must so far Renounce 'em as they are Disproportionate to the true Worth and Evil that is in those Objects towards which it is lawful to be well or evilly Affected in Moderate Degrees II. 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 That is 1st We must not Love God with an inferior Degree of Affection and Worldly Things with a Superior but as God is the Supreme Good in himself and the Author of all the Good we Enjoy we must therefore Love him accordingly with the Intensest Degree of Affection that we shall be able so Matth. 22.37 Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind We must so Love him as chearfully to Renounce and Sacrifice all our Profits and Pleasures when call'd thereto that is We must deny our selves take up our Cross and follow him in Afflictions Distresses and Persecutions whenever the Cross shall be laid upon us Matth. 18.24 Nay and we must so Love him as even to Hate all others the Nearest and Dearest Relations in comparison of him Luk. 14.26 So far must we Renounce our Affections of Love as it is any wise disproportionate to the thing Beloved as it is too violently set upon perishing and worldly Goods and too cold towards God and Heavenly Things 2. And on the contrary we must also Renounce that other Affection of Hatred as it is Disproportionate to the Evil which is to be Hated There may be just occasion of Anger towards a Person and of Hatred of his ways but we must not let those Passions so far exceed their due Bounds as to degenerate into Wrath and Malice Let all Bitterness and Wrath and Anger and Clamour be put away from you with all Malice And be ye Kind one to another Tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Eph. 4.31 32. 3. The Last of those Powers of our Corrupted Nature which are here to be Renounced are our Lusts and Appetites III. The Lusts and Appetites are such Sinful Lusts of the Flesh as are to be Renounc'd which in a State of Unregeneracy are indeed most directly and immediately no other than so many Sinful Lusts of the Flesh These were design'd by the God of Nature for our Preservation Our Appetites after Meat and Drink were Implanted in our Nature in order to preserve our own selves in Being and Cupidity or Lust for the Propagation and Preservation of a Posterity to succeed us But when either our Appetites or Lusts do desire 1. Vndue Objects Or 2. That which in it self is Lawful and Allowable in Vndue Measures they do then degenerate into Sinful Lusts of the Flesh and must be Renounced by us And First I. As they do desire Vndue Objects as to the Indulgence
in another Word is ordinarily exprest in Scripture by Vprightness or walking uprightly And to be upright in God's Ways is not to stumble and fall by Sin or Disobedience but to be perfect and entire or wanting nothing in obedient Performances And that our Obedience may be thus entire and upright it must be First The Obedience of the whole Man Secondly To the whole Law And Thirdly perform'd at all times First That our Obedience to the Laws of the Gospel may be entire I. The Obedience of the whole Man that is and so avail us to Life and Happiness it must be the Obedience of the whole Man that is we must take care to obey with all the Powers and Faculties of our Nature We must have our Understandings our Wills our Affections and our Bodily Powers obedient to God's Laws And for this the very Letter of the Law is express for when the Lawyer ask'd our Saviour What shall I do to inherit eternal Life Luk. 10.25 our Saviour ask'd how it is written in the Law who answering that it is written Thou shalt love that is serve as it is Deut. 11.13 the Lord thy God with all thine Heart or Will with all thy Soul or Affections with all thy Strength or Bodily Powers and with all thy Mind or Understanding vers 26 27. When the Lawyer answered him That thus indeed it was written in the Law as it was Deut. 11. our Saviour told him he answered right and bid him do this and he should live Obedience with all the Powers and with the whole Nature is the Means of Life and the indispensible Condition of our eternal Happiness And In the first place of the Mind and Vnderstanding First We must keep all God's Commandments with our Mind or Understanding that is all the Thoughts and Imaginations all the Contrivances and Counsels of our Hearts must be governed by and kept in Obedience to the Laws of the Gospel so that we must not indulge our selves nor entertain in our Hearts evil Thoughts wanton and vain Thoughts nor must we purpose and contrive wicked and unjust Things no more than we must outwardly act them Thus the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.4 tells us That the Weapons of a Christian's Warfare must be mighty through God to the pulling down Strong-holds to the casting down Imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the Knowledge of God and to the bringing into captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ This Text forbids all Thoughts and Contrivances of Sin Secondly of the Will Secondly As ever we hope to have our Obedience avail us to Life and Happiness as we must keep our Minds and Understandings so likewise our Wills in Obedience to God's Commands The Choice as well as the Practice of our Duty is plainly necessary to render it available to our Salvation but on the other side he that would sin if he could conveniently and opportunely if he chuse Sin although he miss of opportunity to act it the bare Choice without the Practice is sufficiently to his Condemnation Thus our Lord Himself has determined it Whosoever looks on a Woman to lust after her or so long till his Heart eonsent to commit Lewdness with her if he could though he never meet with an Opportunity to act it hath committed Adultery with her already in his Heart Matth. 5.28 This Text shews us that we may disobey in Willing as well as Doing and that we shall be condemned for a wicked Choice as well as a wicked Practice Thirdly of the Affections Thirdly As we will render to God the Obedience of the whole Man an entire Obedience such as will avail us to Salvation we must regulate our Souls and Affections conforming them wholly to what God Commands That is we must love our Duty as well as do it and not to do it meerly out of Fear but out of Love To pretend Obedience to God and yet to love what he forbids to make a show of his Service and yet in our very Hearts to hanker after his vilest Enemies our Sins whom above all Things his Soul hates this surely is not honestly to Serve but grosly to Collogue and flatly to Dissemble with Him And we must not do our Duty meerly out of Fear I say but out of Love for thus to serve God against our Wills is to submit to him as a Slave doth to a Tyrannous Lord not through any Kindness for him but through a hateful Fear of him But this is such a hateful way of performing Obedience as God will never endure nor accept of for He scorns to be served by a slavish Fear and an unwilling Mind No Man as our Saviour says Matth. 6.24 can serve two Masters for if he loves the one he will hate the other Ye cannot serve God and Mammon By this he lets us know that our Love and Obedience must go together and be paid both to one God Lastly As we will give God the Service and Obedience of the whole Man an Entire Obedience such as he will accept of to our Salvation we must Obey him with all our Strength and bodily Powers That is we must not only Inwardly Approve of God's Commands as good in our Minds and Judgments bear a Love to 'em with our Affections and chuse 'em with our Wills but we must proceed Outwardly to Act and do the Will of God in the Outward and Constant Practice of our Lives we must put to our Strength and bodily Powers and work the Will of God in our Lives and Actions Little Children saith St. John 1 Epist 3.7 let no Man deceive you he that doth Righteousness is righteous That is you will be deceived if you suffer others to perswade you or vainly flatter your selves that there is any thing less than doing and acting vertuously and righteously for which you shall be rewarded as vertuous and religious Persons These Texts besides many others shew you the necessity that our Inward good Motions proceed to Outward good Operations that you must go on to do good Deeds before you are fit for the Great Reward that we must work as well as desire and not only will and like but do our Duty because on nothing less than that we shall at the last Day be accepted This indeed is the severe Service and the distasteful Part This the distasteful part of our Duty A secret Wish or a sudden Desire of Obedience may start up in our Souls unawares and there is not much opposition made to it because our Lusts receive no great hurt from it And therefore they will allow us to think of Good to spend a faint Wish a sudden Inclination or fruitless Desire upon it but if once we would go on to do our Duty and to begin Obedience then begins the Conflict our Lusts then bestir themselves with might and main and set every Faculty on work to resist and defeat it for our Thoughts then begin to argue and to
with them than the Beginning 2 Pet. 2.20 So that the Obedience which God will accept and which will render us Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven must be as of our whole Man and to all the Laws of the Gospel so it must be perform'd to 'em at all times We must persevere in it through all Seasons and take care both to live and die in it for our Reward will be dispensed unto us according to the Nature of our Service at the time of Payment and He only as our Saviour says that endureth to the End shall be saved Matth. 10.22 And thus I have shew'd you first What it is to Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments or how far you must be Obedient to the Holy Will and Commandments of God as ever you will hope to obtain Salvation or to be Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven And secondly I have also shewed you What it is to Walk in the same all the Days of your Life or how long you must persevere in such Obedience even to the End of your Lives In short I have also shewed you That the Obedience which is the Condition of our Salvation even now under the Gospel must be a Sincere and Entire Observance of all the Laws of Christianity Sincere it must be as I have shewed you by being a true and undissembled Service opposite to all Hypocrisy or a false and feigned Pretence of Obeying him when in reality we only serve our own selves our own Lusts and Interests And Entire it must be by being the Obedience of the whole Man to the whole Law and not for some short but for our whole Time and to the End of our Lives Object But here it will be demanded That if this be that Obedience which now under the Gospel or Covenant of Grace is requir'd as the indispensible Condition of our being made Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven wherein lies the difference between this and the First Covenant or Covenant of Works which Christ came to purchase our Freedom from and to establish this in its room The Condition of the First as I have told you was no less than a Perfect Exact Vnsinning Obedience the never offending in any one Point and if our Obedience now must be so Sincere and Entire an Obedience of the whole Man to all the Laws of the Gospel and this to be performed at all times as has been now described wherein does this come short you 'll say of that Perfect Obedience requir'd of us in our State of Innocency or that Legal Obedience requir'd under the Covenant of Works Answ And now therefore to clear the Doctrine of Evangelical Obedience as thus stated from any such Doubt The difference between Evangelical and a Legal Obedience as if there were no difference betwixt the Covenants in matter of Rigour I shall shew that there is a very material Difference and such as makes this we are now under deservedly be styled a Covenant of Grace And the difference is this That whereas under the First the Obedience was to be so perfect that there was no Mercy upon the least Transgression but the Offender became immediately liable to the threatned Punishment Now under the Second as Sincere and Entire as our Obedience must be yet no more is required at our Hands than what by God's Grace and our own honest Endeavours we shall be enabled to perform And therefore since the Weakness of our Nature is such that we cannot continue in an unsinning Obedience though all our wilful and chosen Sins indeed if persisted in will still put a Barr to our Salvation yet all our unavoidable Infirmities and involuntary Transgressions shall be constantly forgiven us and even our Wilful and more Heinous Sins when by Repentance we bewail and forsake 'em and take better care to avoid 'em for the future they also through the Mediation of Christ according to the Terms he has obtained for us in the Covenant of Grace shall be forgiven us and not prejudice our being Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven This difference not so great but that our wilful and cbosen Sins will put a Bar to our Salvation True it is the difference betwixt the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace is not so great but our Wilful Chosen Sins if still persisted in will put a Barr to our Salvation A wilful Sin is when we see and consider of the Sinfulness of any Action which we are tempted to and after that chuse to Act and Perform it Every Sin against Knowledge and Conscience is a wilful Sin when our own Heart rebukes and checks us at the time of Sinning telling us that God hath forbidden that which we are about to do notwithstanding which we presume to do it And as for them they are all of an heinous Guilt and of a crying Nature such Sins are a despising of God's Law and therefore are call'd Presumptuous Sins and are said to be acted through a Rebellious Pride and with an high Hand Numb 15.30 And those who have committed such are said Heb. 10.29 to have done despight to the Spirit of Grace because as well the Spirit of God as their own Reason have resisted 'em in the commiting of such Sins which Resistance notwithstanding they have violently broke through And as to such Sins therefore they will make us the Children of Wrath and subject us to Punishment as well now as under the Law as is evident from that place Heb. 10.28 29. now mentioned He that despised Moses 's Law died without Mercy of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant an unholy Thing which they do who do wholly Apostatize and hath done despite to the Spirit of Grace which they do who do sin wilfully And this they will be accounted to do whether such Sins be Directly and Expresly wilful Some Sins are directly and expresly wilful and chosen or only Indirectly so and by Interpretation Sometimes Men eye and view the Sin they are about to commit before they chuse or act they pause and deliberate doubt and demurr about it they have a Conflict and Dispute in their own Minds whether they should commit or keep off from it And when notwithstanding this they commit it that Sin is then directly and expresly chosen and wilful and done in despite of the Spirit of Grace and is therefore of a very heinous and damning Nature But besides these Some indirectly and interpretatively there are other sinful Actions which are not chosen directly and expresly but only indirectly and by Interpretation that is when Men expresly chuse such a state of Things as make some sinful Action after that to be no longer a matter of free Choice but almost necessary and unavoidable Thus he that wilfully drinks till he is Drunk and then in his Drink commits Murder and Uncleanness or any
Obligation And such is the Vow was made in our Baptism whereby we were solemnly and in a peculiar manner Devoted and Consecrated to God's Service and to live to his Glory which though it was a Duty upon us before yet now we have farther obliged our selves thereunto having solemnly vowed so to do Generally the matter of a Vow is of the former sort something to which we were not obliged before as when Jacob did vow to build an House to God Gen. 28.22 And of this nature are all those Lands and Possessions over and above the Tythe or Tenth Part which have been devoted and given by the Piety of well-dispos'd Persons for the Maintenance of the Ministers and the Worship of God for the Education of Children in Schools and the Relief of the Poor in Hospitals Before they were devoted to pious and charitable Uses they were so far in the Power of the Party who own'd 'em as that he might dispose of 'em how and to what Uses he pleased But after a Vow is once made by our selves or Forefathers whereby such a Part of an Estate is determinately set aside for sacred Uses it is then a devoted thing And I will be bold to add and I will endeavour to prove it that for that very reason of its having been Vowed and Devoted to God 'T is a provoking Sin to rob God of what has been once Vowed and Devoted to him tho' of the former Nature it is one of the most provoking Sins in the World to rob God of it This is plainly seen in the Case of Ananias and Sapphira Act. 5.1 2 3 4 5. These two Persons stirr'd up at first as is probable with a like pious Zeal for the Promotion of Religion with many others of the first Converts to Christianity had sold a Possession and given it to the Church which according to the Circumstances of those Times was of more use than if setled upon it but Covetousness afterwards prevailing upon their Hearts they kept back part of the Price and laid a share of it only at the Apostles feet v. 3. But observe how severely Peter rebukes 'em for this Sacrilege Before they had devoted it he tells 'em they might have done what they would with it but first to bestow it wholly on the Church and then to keep back part of the Price of the Land he calls this a Lying to the Holy Ghost and immediately for the terrour of other sacrilegious Invaders of Things devoted punishes it with one of the most sudden and fearful Deaths that we find recorded either in the Scripture or profane Story This Sin of with-holding or seizing of any thing once Vowed and Devoted by our selves or others to sacred Uses is called the Sin of Sacrilege and is spoke of as seems by the manner of Expression Rom. 2.22 as a Sin equalling the Guilt even of Idolatry it self And nothing is more plain to be observ'd than the Anger of God God's Anger observable upon such occasions even in this Life towards those who have sacrilegiously invaded God's Portion which has been once Vowed unto him either by our selves or our Forefathers and have Robbed him in his Tythes and Offerings as he calls it a robbing of Himself Mal. 7.8 and threatens it with a heavy Curse of the Execution whereof if I had time I could give several instances But let this suffice to shew how heinous a thing it is to violate a Vow to God even where the matter of the Vow hath been something to which there was no Obligation before such Vow 'T is much more provoking to violate Vows to perform which we are antecedently obliged by the Law of Nature And will it be less provoking then think ye to violate those Vows wherein by solemn Engagements Men have promised to do that which before such Vows and Promises they were obliged to from the Law of Nature and as a Debt due for their very Creation and Being In this case there is a double Obligation to perform such Vows When that which was commanded to be done and is necessary upon other accounts is with all solemnity engaged to be performed then the Vow does add to the Command a new and farther Obligation which will make it more criminal and a far more heinous Sin to break such Vows There are many of this kind recorded in the Scripture particularly the first part of that Vow of Jacob Gen. 28.21 is of this kind and so is our Baptismal Vow to perform the Covenant of Grace We were obliged to perform all that Duty which we therein engaged to perform by the very Law of Nature upon the account of our Creation and dependance upon God from whom as a Fountain we derive all the Good we already have and hope to enjoy But when moreover we come solemnly and expresly to engage our selves to the performance of such Conditions we add strength to our former Obligations tying 'em faster upon our selves and in the breach of the Laws of God we thenceforward become not only barely disobedient but moreover faithless and Covenant-breakers and shall be therefore punish'd not only as disobedient but also as faithless and perfidious Rebels Nor does it in the least lessen the Obligation that this Vow was made by others for you in your Infancy for not to prove to you now which shall be done in its due place that it is in the Power of Parents or Guardians to oblige their Minors to the Performance of Conditions without their own express Consent at that time provided there shall considerable Advantages accrue to 'em thereby it is moreover plain from Scripture that Parents may devote their Children to the Service of God in a very peculiar manner and therefore they had Power to devote us to the Worship of the True God as prescribed us in the Gospel or New Covenant to which Covenant we shall therefore stand obliged as much as if in our Persons we had Vowed and Engaged our selves to perform it Of this Power in Parents we see an instance in Samuel 1 Sam. 1.11 Nor is the thing contrary to Reason and natural Equity the Philosopher himself affirming that both the Parents may devote the Children whilst young as they please since Children at that Age are to be accounted not so much at their own as at their Parents disposal A Vow is much of the nature of an Oath and therefore to violate it is Perjury The thing is just and reasonable and therefore it is highly criminal in us to break that Baptismal Vow It is a Sin much of the nature of Perjury a Vow and an Oath being promiscuously used in Scripture as Numb 30.13 one for another And indeed as to our Baptismal Vow since therein God is made a Witness a Judge and a Revenger it is in its full importance no less than an Oath and the violating thereof would be Perjury He is called to as a Witness of our Sincerity in what we do promise
we our selves are duly qualified with Tempers and Dispositions to approach unto the Throne of Grace and provided also that the Matter of our Prayer be acceptable to God But as to his Grace and Assistance to enable us to serve and obey him we may be sure of never failing in such our Petitions And therefore you may be particularly assur'd that the Prayers of the Fathers of the Church accompany'd with laying on of Hands to which there is a particular Promise of a gracious Answer will not return empty when in their Confirmation of those amongst you who come with sincere Intentions to perform their Covenant they shall pray unto God to increase in you the manifold Gifts of Grace the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding the Spirit of Wisdom and Ghostly Strength the Spirit of Knowledge and True Godliness and to fill you with the Spirit of Holy Fear now and for ever Which and all your Prayers that they may be successful may God Almighty grant of his Infinite Goodness through Jesus Christ our Lord. FINIS THE XXVIII Lecture And by God's Help so I will And I pray unto God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my Live's End IN the discoursing of those Means whereby we shall perform the Covenant we have enter'd into with God having First shew'd you that to put on a firm and fix'd Resolution faithfully to discharge the same will be a great means towards the performance of it Secondly I am now to shew you that it must be a Resolution took up not in Confidence of our own Strength but of God's Grace and Assistance And by God's Help so I will In order to make which appear 1. I will briefly represent how great our own natural Weakness is And in what necessity we do therefore stand of God's Grace and Assistance to enable us to overcome the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil and to perform our Covenant with God 2. I will then shew you what Measures of Divine Assistance proportionably to such our Necessity God will bestow upon us The whole Nature of Man deprav'd And First Let us take a View of our own Natural Weakness so as to see in what necessity we do stand of God's Grace and Assistance to enable us to overcome the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil and to perform our Covenant with God And here we are to reflect that ever since the Fall of our first Parents when they did break their Covenant with God and lost their Innocence by eating of the Forbidden Fruit and did thereby forfeit the perfect Light and Strength wherewith God had endow'd 'em at the Creation and had deposited with 'em as a sacred Treasury for them and their Posterity Ever since that fatal Forfeiture then made it must be confess'd that our whole Nature is corrupted and all the Powers and Faculties of our Souls and Bodies are so depraved that every thing within us inclines us to yield to Temptations and to sin against and to disobey our God The Ligâ—t of our Vnderstanding Vnderstandingâ— is ever since become very dim to discern the Beauty of Holiness of Religion and of Spiritual Things The Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are Foolishness to him neither can be know them because they are spiritually discern'd 1 Cor. 2.14 Our Wills Wills they also are naturally crooked and perverse and altogether for chusing what pleases our Appetites and our Senses and are very backward to Religion and Goodness Our Affections Affections run with so strong a Biass towards Worldly Things that we cannot easily set our Affections on Things above as the Apostle commands us but on Things on Earth And lastly our Lusts and Appetites Lusts and Appetites are naturally very evil and carry us out to please our Senses in direct opposition to the Laws of God and the Dictates of right Reason Thus is our whole Nature corrupt and every Power and Faculty thereof does incline us to yield to the Temptations of the World the Flesh and Devil and so to sin against our God and to break our Covenant with him In a word the Temptations of all sorts which we do often meet with to draw us into Sin are mighty and the Duties we are to perform in opposition to 'em all are many and sometimes very difficult and our own natural Strength whereby we should do all this is very weak We see as the Apostle words it Rom. 7.23 A Law in our Members warring against the Law of our Minds and bringing us into Captivity to the Law of Sin which is in our Members So that if we consider our selves as we are in our natural State we have reason to bewail our Condition in the following Words of the Apostle O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this Body of Sin Verse 24. But however Christ haâ— purchac'd sufficient Grace to renew 〈◊〉 throughout notwithstanding this our Natural Corruption and Weakness we have reason to take Courage and with the same Apostle V. 25. to thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. For our Blessed Saviour with the Price of his most Precious Blood amongst other high Benefits has purchac'd that excellent Gift of sufficient Grace and Assistance for all that enter into the Covenant with him to enable them to perform the Conditions of it And as he has purchac'd it so he does convey it to the Hearts of all such to enable them to renounce and overcome the World the Flesh and the Devil to believe in God and to obey him So that though we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves yet we have Sufficiency of God to enable us both to think and to do what is good 2 Cor. 3.5 And indeed we can do all things required of us through Christ that strengthens us Phil. 4.13 And this brings me to my Second Proposal Which was to shew you what the Divine Assistance is What the Divine Assistance is and what Measures of it Proportionably to such our Necessity God will bestow upon us to enable us to perform our Covenant with him And as to the Grace and Assistance of God by it I do mean something over and above that Reason and Perswasiveness there is in the Gospel it self to work a Change in us whereby on the one hand by the proposal of infinite Rewards to Well-doing on the other hand by the threatning of fearful Punishments to wicked Living the Gospel is apt of it self to prevail upon us and to change our Natures But by the Grace and Assistance of God I do mean I say something over and above this viz. A secret Power and Efficacy of the Divine Spirit accompanying the Word into the Mind and Will by means whereof the Gospel does the more readily and effectually work upon both to the Renewing of 'em and to the restoring of the
think Baptism as necessary now as Circumcision was then since the same Word of Truth hath told us except we be born of Water and of the Spirit we cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Joh. 3.5 So that those misguided Parents do not know what infinite prejudice they do their Infant-Children in denying them the Privilege of baptizing them into the Covenant of Grace and whether they may not be a means of debarring them of all those inestimable Benefits Christ has purchased with his Blood for us and which he ensures only to those who are in Covenant with him 2. Because they were initiated both by Circumcision and Baptism into that legal one delivered by Moses II. And as Infants were circumcised into that Evangelical Covenant made with Abraham so they were both circumcised and also baptized into that legal one delivered by Moses The Legal Covenant delivered by Moses is frequently distinguish'd by St. Paul from the Covenant of Grace confirmed with Abraham Thus Gal. 3.17 This I say that the Covenant that was before confirmed of God with Abraham in Christ the Law which was 430 Years after cannot disanull that it should make the Promise or Covenant of Grace which is so call'd to signifie the gracious Nature of it as being made very much up of most gracious Promises of none effect Here the Legal Covenant is distinguish'd both in Time as being given 430 years after and in point of efficacy as that which is not of that force as to disanull the other more weighty and important Covenant made with Abraham It is usual sometimes for after-Covenants to disannul former ones but it seems it was not so here but this Legal Covenant given after was superinduc'd upon the other still remaining in force as the only one by which Salvation was to be expected And the Enquiry might well be to what End this Legal Covenant was added like an Appendix as it were and Codicill to the former Will And not here to give a full Account of all the Ends and Reasons of it which is besides our present purpose my Answer to the Question Wherefore then serveth the Law shall be with St. Paul Gal. 3.19 that it was added because of Transgressions until the Seed should come It was added because of Transgressions that is to discover the multitude and heinousness and guilt of Sin for the discovery of the perfect Rule of Righteousness made it easie for Persons comparing their own Lives therewith to find out how infinitely defective they were And it was added till the Seed should come It shewed them therefore by giving 'em a sight of their Sins how much they stood in need of a Saviour And the Sacrifices Offerings and Rituals of it which were very many were for the most part but Types and Shadows of this Saviour to come This may suffice at present as to the Legal Covenant and the Reasons of it That they were admitted by Circumcision â—ndisputable And now let us enquire whether Infants during the time of this Legal Covenant delivered by Moses were not admitted into it as well as grown Persons by some outward Rites and Solemnities And that we shall see they were both by Circumcision and Baptism That Infants of eight days old were of necessity to be circumcised was positively commanded Lev. 12.3 And in the eighth day the Flesh of his Fore-skin shall be circumcised which Circumcision was an Engagement upon them to keep the whole Law Gal. 5.3 But that the Infants in the Jewish Church were circumcised even at eight days old is so evident a Truth to those that do themselves read or hear the Scriptures read that I need not certainly spend time in proving of it But that they were baptized That they were also by Baptism asserted both by Scripture is not indeed so commonly understood and known but wants not its Evidence even from Scripture As 1 Cor. 10.1 2. where St. Paul tells us All our Fathers were under the Cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all baptized unto Moses that is the Religion of Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea And that their very Infants as well as their Parents were so baptized is certain for that all were alike under the Cloud and in the Sea And I think it is generally agreed amongst the Learned And by Jewish Writers that as the Israelites during their whole Travels through the Red Sea and Wilderness were not circumcised because it would make them sore for travelling so instead thereof that they were baptized or admitted into Covenant by Baptism But especially they tell us it was used for the Admission of Proselytes or those who had been before Aliens and Strangers from the Commonwealth of Israel that it was especially used for the Admission of such into the Covenants and Promises And the Original use of it to this end some ascribe to the Patriarch Jacob when he chose into his Family and Church the young Women of Sichem and other Heathens who then lived with him Jacob said to his Family and to all who were with him put away from you the strange Gods and be you clean and change your Garments Gen. 35.2 By which Words Be ye clean some do interpret the washing of the Body or Baptism which Reason it self does also persuade us to believe as being very proper when they were to abandon their filthy Idolatry and to embrace the pure Worship of the true God And it is also well known to those who are skill'd in Jewish Customs that when any Parents Dr. Lightfoot Vol. 2. P. 1133. or Masters of Families were thus baptized that all who did belong to them their very Children and Servants and all those over whom they might be suppos'd to have any Authority and Power to bring 'em up in the Jewish Religion and Covenant were also baptized Nay all the Nation of Israel says Lightfoot do assert as it were with one Mouth Ib. Pag. 117. that all the Nation of Israel were brought into the Covenant among other things by Baptism Israel as he cites Maimonides in particular was admitted into the Covenant by three things namely by Circumcision Baptism and Sacrifice So that I hope it does sufficiently appear by what has been said that Infants in the Jewish Church were both circumcised and also baptized into the Legal Covenant Nor is it of little force to prove that Christian Infants under the Covenant of Grace may be baptized that the Jewish Infants were circumcised and baptized under the legal For not now to insist that circumcising and baptizing of Infants and that by God Almighty's own Appointment does demonstrate to us that there is no Incapacity in an Infant that he should be admitted into Covenant with God by some outward Solemnity even whilst an Infant for if there were any unreasonableness in the thing it self God would not have so order'd it But not now to insist on this I do humbly conceive it may be
Christ is a Member of Christ's Church 39 A Definition of Christ's Church The Church of Christ a well-order'd Society wherein some are Governours some Governed 40 An Episcopal Clergy undoubtedly such 41 The Church is the universal Society of Christians taking in Men of all Nations as well of the Gentiles as of the Jews It consists of such who are call'd out of the World by the Preaching of the Gospel to a holy Profession and Calling 42 First Repentance from Dead Works Secondly to the Knowledge Belief and Service of the One True God Father Son and Holy Ghost 43 Thirdly to enjoy the Priviledges of the Gospel The Church are such who to the End of being Incorporated into one Society and of having God to be their God and they themselves his People have entred into Covenant with him 44 First in Baptism Secondly to renew it at the Lord's Supper The Church one Body 45 Sub divided into several particular Bodies and Churches First for the convenience of Government into Diocesan Churches Secondly for the convenience of Worship into particular Congregations 46 But however united by one Covenant into one Body As also by holding Communion with each other in hearing the Word in Common-Prayers Sacraments and in affording to each other mutual Assistances 47 The Church united into one Body under Jesus Christ its supreme Head Christ a Political Head of the Church Christ the Mystical Head of the Church 48 The Church of Christ a spiritual Kingdom But yet notwithstanding a visible Society 49 What it is to be a Member of Christ's Church 50 Every Baptized Person is a Member of the visible Church And shall continue such till cut off by the just Sentence of those who have the Power of the Keys to receive in or shut out 51 Or till he cuts himself off by a causless Schism and Separation from any of its sound Parts 52 LECT VI. The Priviledges of our being Members of Christ's Church First a most excellent Body of Religion Laws and Ordinances The Christian Religion and Laws far exceed the Pagan Mahometan or Jewish The Pagan Superstition tended to nothing but to defile humane Nature 55 The Gods the Pagans worshiped were at best the most Infamous Men and Women Many times they worshiped the very Devils themselves And that with lewd barbarous and cruel Rites The Mahometan Religion is a vile Imposture 56 Its Principles tend to Lust and Cruelty Judaism was an imperfect and unfinished Draught of Religion Christianity a most excellent Religion 57 It gives a most excellent Representation of God It gives an honourable account of his proceedings with Mankind with reference both to his Creation and Redemption of us 58 Its Laws are excellently contrived for the good Order and Happiness of Mankind And are enforced by most powerful Principles and Motives Another Branch of this first Part of a Christian's Priviledge are most edifying and comfortable Institutions and Ordinances 59 First Publick Ordinances the Priviledge of every Member of Christ's Church 60 Scandalous Members to be suspended from the Lord's Supper First Christian Ordinances are a singular Favour which Aliens and Unbelievers do not nor have any Right to enjoy Secondly they are excellent Advantages consider'd in themselves 61 First as conducing much towards our Edification As most comfortable to the Souls of those who enjoy them 62 They are seldom sufficiently valued till most wanted The second general Priviledge belonging to the Members of Christ's Church is a sufficient measure of Divine Grace and Assistance derived from him the Head and convey'd by his Ordinances to enable us to conform our selves to his Religion and to obey his Laws 63 By the same means that Christ is united to his Members is Grace conveyed down from him as Head to those Members The first Medium of Union betwixt Christ and his Members must be each Member's Union to the Catholick Church Secondly its union to the lawful Governours and Teachers of the Church 64 Thirdly the use of Christ's Institutions and Ordinances First Divine Grace a most singular Priviledge if compar'd with what others enjoy of this Nature 65 Secondly an exceeding advantage consider'd in it self All the Members of Christ have Supplies proportionable to their Station in the Church 66 And also in such measures as according to different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting 67 LECT VII What is meant in the Catechism by a Child of God First Not the Son of God by an Eternal Generation Secondly Not every Son by Temporal Creation which is a Sence too wide 68 Thirdly Nor such only who are Children of God by spiritual Regeneration which is a Sence too narrow 69 Such indeed are in a peculiar manner and in the highest sence the Children of God But every Child of God is not actually Regenerate either in the sence of Scripture Or of your Catechism But Fourthly a Child of God as meant in the Catechism is every one who is so by vertue of a Covenant Relation This was the Notion of a Child of God before the Law Under the Law 70 Under the Gospel Also a Child of God as meant in the Catechism is every one who is so by vertue of Adoption Adoption what The use of it amongst the Israelites and the Priviledges it gave them The use of it amongst the Gentiles and the Rights it confer'd upon them 71 How we Christians especially such who are descended from the Gentiles are according as has been spoke the Adopted Children of God To the Israelites did once pertain the Adoption But that Covenant by entering into which they were his Children was only Temporary To last only till the Publication of the Gospel After which they and all Christians were to be Children of God by faith in Christ 72 But the Jews adhering to their Law and refusing Christ and his Gospel in whom God had predestinated all to be his Sons the Apostles turned unto Gentiles preaching Christ and Salvation to them and to as many as received him to them gave he power to be the Sons of God What are the Priviledges which do belong to the Children of God as such In general such as an indulgent but wise Father may be supposed to allow his Children beyond Aliens and Strangers Particularly First Pardon of all Sins upon hearty Repentance 73 Secondly by being his Children he will not be so severe as to mark what is done amiss as to Sins of Infirmity 74 Thirdly to the Children of God is granted an easier access by Prayer to the Throne of Grace for Pardon of Sins and other Mercies Lastly a Child of God is more surely instated in the Inheritance of Heaven than others 75 The infinite reason we have to praise God for these Advantages 76 LECT VIII By the Kingdom of Heaven is meant in Scripture either first the Kingdom of Grace in this Life or secondly the Kingdom of Glory in the Life to come The Kingdom of Grace the Gospel State 77 The reason why the Gospel State
particularly repented of 278 And in case of Injury to Man if Restitution be made Of high Dishonour to God and Religion if that be repaired by an eminent Repentance The sum of Evangelical Obedience 265 The summ also thereof according to Dr. Hammond 266 LECT XXIV That in the Covenant of Grace we are restored to a State of Salvation How we brought our selves into a state of Misery before How by the Covenant of Grace we are put into a state of Security if we please 268 That by the Mediation of Jesus Christ it was that we obtain'd such a gracious Covenant whereby we are restored to a state of Salvation 269 The infinite Care of God the Father to call us into it 271 The Ever-blessed Son of God no less intent upon this blessed Work How mightily he importuned us to come into this state of Salvation He has left a Succession of Ministers behind him to do the like This great matter of Thankfulness whether we consider 1. The extraordinary Advantage of having God in Covenant with us 272 273 Or 2. Our singular Happiness therein above the fallen Angels or the rest of Mankind 274 LECT XXV Baptism what 1. An outward Rite of our Saviour's own Appointment for the solemn Admission of Persons into the Covenant of Grace 276 To have some outward Rites and Solemnities in Religion agreeable to the Frame and Constitution of Humane Nature as being most apt to receive Impressions from sensible things This especially requisite in the admission into Religious Societies and Covenants The Israelites were initiated both by Circumcision and Baptism 277 The Heathens were initiated into their Mysteries by Purgations or Washings Our Saviour chose the latter as what would be acceptable to both Parties Especially as more significative of Christian Purity And this he has enjoined as indispensibly necessary to our Initiation into the Covenant of Grace 278 Baptism appointed the Rite of Admission into the Covenant of Grace for the better Confirmation and Assurance of its Terms the Promises on God's part and the Conditions on ours it being thus mutually and interchangeably Sealed to betwixt God and us 279 It gives great Assurance of mutual Performances barely to be in Covenant together 280 LECT XXVI The vast Obligations lying upon us both from the Mercies of God and our Baptismal Vow to perform the Covenant of Grace The Obligations thereunto first as Members of Christ's Church 282 The Jews chose from amongst the Nations of the Earth to serve God 283 Christians chose both from amongst Jews and Gentiles to a more peculiar Holiness 284 2. As Children of God Children are bound to the strictest Obedience to their Parents as owing to 'em their Being 285 Children of God as owing both Being and Well-being 286 3. As Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven Kingdom of Heaven not to be expected but by those who are faithful in their Covenant 287 4. As having promised and vowed in our Baptism accordingly to discharge our Covenant with God The matter of a Vow sometimes not a Duty till vowed 288 Sometimes antecedently incumbent upon us and such is the matter of our Baptismal Vow 'T is a provoking Sin to rob God of what has been once Vowed and Devoted to him tho' of the former Nature God's Anger observable upon such Occasions 289 'T is much more provoking to violate Vows to perform which we are antecedently obliged by the Law of Nature A Vow is much of the nature of an Oath and therefore to violate it is Perjury 290 FINIS LECT XXVII I. In order to perform our Baptismal Covenant we must put on a fixt and firm Resolution to discharge the same 293 A Summary Recapitulation of the Doctrine of our Baptismal Covenant 294 The Nature of Holy Resolution as it refers to the performance of it 1. It is a Determination of the Will 2. It must be fixt and peremptory opposite to Fickleness and Inconstancy 295 3. It is a Rational Determination opposite to Wilfulness and Obstinacy 4. It is vigorous in the Execution of its Vows and Promises 5. Speedy 296 6. It is vigorous and speedy in the Execution of All those Vows and Promises made in Baptism 7. Notwithstanding all Opposition to the contrary Lastly It must be Publick and Declarative 297 And solemnly made at Confirmation A Resolution so form'd will go a great way towards the performance of our Covenant with God 298 It will effectually baffle the Devil The Flesh The World Especially when solemnly Ratify'd and Confirm'd 299 II. Our Resolution to be faithful in our Covenant with God must be made not in Confidence of our own Strength but of God's Grace and Assistance 300 LECT XXVIII The whole Nature of Man deprav'd 302 Vnderstandings Wills Affections Lusts and Appetites Christ has purchas'd sufficient Grace to renew us throughout What the Divine Assistance is 303 The Measures of it proportionable to the necessity of the Church Extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit in the first Ages 304 Ordinary in succeeding Times Even the ordinary Assistances extensively very large So as to repair all the Powers of Nature deprav'd by Sin 305 And Intensively very powerful to renew our corrupt Natures 306 LECT XXIX The full meaning of Prayer 309 Prayer a most effectual Means of performing our Covenant 1. As it morally disposes us to be obedient unto God 2. As it naturally enforces us to be faithful to him 310 That there are Praying Hypocrites is by virtue of Antinomian Principles 311 3. As it will certainly procure the Divine Assistance 312 LECT XXX Children of Believing Parents have a Right to be baptized prov'd from 1 Cor. 7.14 314 May be prov'd also from several other Topicks 1. Because Infants were initiated by Circumcision into the Evangelical Covenant made with Abraham The Covenant made with Abraham the same in Substance with the Second made with Adam 316 And the same in a more imperfect Edition of it with that made with Christ As he was cut off from the Covenant who was not circumcised so that Person is to be excluded the Church who is not baptized 317 2. Because they were initiated both by Circumcision and Baptism into that legal one delivered by Moses That they were admitted by Circumcision indisputable 318 That they were also by Baptism asserted both by Scripture And by Jewish Writers 319 III. Because our Saviour adopted the Jewish Rite of Baptism for the Sacrament of Initiation without excluding Children from being baptized The Force of this Argument 320 IV. Because in all probability Infant-Baptism was practic'd by the Apostles 321 V. Because it was very agreeable to the End and Reason of Baptism and the Nature of the Covenant of Grace that Infants should be baptiz'd into it Infants not uncapable of entring into Covenant with God prov'd from Deut. 29. As also from the Nature of the thing They are capable of having Priviledges conferr'd upon them 322 And of being bound to Conditions VI. Because it is a great Advantage to Infants to be
Righteousness consists Now this Rule of Righteousness according to which any Person living ever since the Fall may be termed Just and Righteous cannot be the Original Law made with Adam which requir'd a perfect exact unsinning Obedience a never offending in any one Point For if we were to have our Lives measur'd by such not only the Wise Man Eccles 7.20 telleth us That there is not a a Just Man upon Earth that doth good and sinneth not But St. Paul hath proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin and that there is none Righteous no not one Rom. 3.9 10. But our Comfort and Happiness is this That the First Covenant which exacted from us an unsinning Obedience The First Covenant now cancell'd is now cancell'd and we have been admitted in our Baptism into a Covenant of Grace wherein a hearty and sincere Conformity to the Terms of the Gospel that is a practical Believing of those Great Doctrines of Christianity summ'd up in our Creed A Covenant of Grace succeeds in its room Evangelical Righteousness measur'd by this last and a sincere Obedience proceeding from such a Faith to all the Laws of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ together with an unfeigned Repentance for such Failures in Faith and Practice as we have been guilty of shall be graciously accepted And this our Conformity to this Second Covenant is that which Rom. 3.22 is termed the Righteousness of God which is by Faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that Believe And which Phil. 3.9 St. Paul in opposition to his own Righteousness which is of the Law does stile that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith And the reason of its being call'd the Righteousness of Faith and the Righteousness through Faith of Jesus Christ is because such a Faith or through Perswasion of all those main Truths summ'd up in our Creed concerning the Methods of Reconciliation between God and Man and the Belief of such Motives to a holy Life as those great Truths are will produce such a Righteousness in us that is will make us sincerely and heartily to obey the Laws of the Gospel to repent us of all our Sins and to rely on Christ to accept such a Faith Obedience and Repentance And the reason the same Apostle opposes this to his own Righteousness which is of the Law is because of the manifest difference betwixt the Perfect Legal Righteousness exacted by the Law and this Evangelical accepted in the Gospel The Legal Righteousness Vid. Allen's Christ Justif stated as one Judiciously states this difference stood in a perfect and indefective Conformity to whatever God commands or the Law of Nature required of Man But the Evangelical Righteousness stands in a hearty and sincere Desire Resolution and Endeavour in a Man to conform to all that God requires in conjunction with Repentance for Defects and in Affiance of God's Mercy through Christ for Forgiveness So that though the Best Man living does not perhaps keep any one of God's Commandments in a Legal sence yet the meanest sincere Christian keeps 'em all in an Evangelical sence that is in sincerity of Resolution and Endeavour And in this sence Good Men are in Scripture said to keep God's Charge his Commandments his Statutes and his Laws As for instance it is said of Zacharias and his Wife Elizabeth that they were both Righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless Luke 1.6 And therefore in the same sence that is according to the Terms of the Gospel not according to those of the Law either the Law of Nature according to the Exactness of which Adam in his state of Innocency was bound or the Laws of Moses by which the Jewish Nation were oblig'd to live I say according to the Terms of neither of these but according to the Conditions of the Gospel are all the Disciples of Christ to be accounted Righteous Thirdly 3. Justification is God's Adjudging those to be Righteous who have performed the Conditions of the Second Covenant And now Justification is God's Adjudging those to be thus Righteous who have performed the Conditions of the Second Covenant that is who have Believed practically Obey'd sincerely and Repented heartily To be Justified is not to be made Just and Righteous Persons are made so by Sanctification But in Justification they are approved of by God as such and adjudged to be so and this whoever considers the Scope of those Places of Scripture where this Word is us'd will find to be the Importance of it and that it is a Law-Term and almost always us'd in a Judicial sence and particularly that it is the Act of a Judge acquitting a Person from Guilt and Punishment in opposition to the condemning him in either In this sence it is us'd Prov. 17.15 He that Justifieth the Wicked and he that Condemneth the Just even they both are an Abomination to the Lord Where to Justifie the Wicked is to Acquit him of Fault or Guilt as on the contrary to Condemn the Just is to pass Sentence against him as a Wicked Person So in these Words Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect It is God that Justifieth who is he that Condemneth That is Who shall produce any Accusation against those whom God hath approved of 'T is certain that God hath Acquitted them And according to this Sence of the Word we shall in abundance of places sind that good sincere and faithful Persons are said to be Justified that is Approved of by God as Just and Righteous or such as have performed their Covenant with him To this sence it is said Luke 18.11 that the Publican went down to his House Justified that is Approved of by God And to the same sence it is said James 2.24 That by Works a Man is Justified That is upon a conscientious Discharge of the Duties required of us in the Laws of the Gospel shall a Man be Approved of and Adjudged by God as a Just and Righteous Person But 4. That any are so Adjudjudged as Righteous it is thro' Jesus Christ Fourthly That any the most Righteous and Just Men are upon a practical Faith a sincere Obedience and an unseigned Repentance thus Approved and Adjudged by God as Just and Righteous Persons is through Jesus Christ or by virtue of his Mediation with the Father that we should be Accepted upon such Terms and that our Righteousness should be measured according to the Rules of the Gospel For Man having broke his Covenant with God and become so depraved in all the Faculties and Powers of his Nature that he could no longer live up to the strictness of it then did the Son of God mediate with the Father for a disannulling of all former Covenants impossible to be perform'd and for the substituting of a more gracious Covenant in their room For which reason it is said
of the Will And so great a Perfection it is that this is his Beloved Attribute insomuch that whereas the Exercise of Severity the Act of his Justice is called his strange Work Isa 28.21 Mercy which is the Issue of his Goodness is that which he delighteth in Mich. 7.18 And the Nature of it is this That he is both Infinitely Excellent in his own Nature and communicates thereof in various degrees to his Creatures He is transcendently Good in his own Nature insomuch that in comparison of him none of his Creatures can be termed Good There is none Good but God Matth. 19.17 And he loves out of the inexhaustible Fountain of his own Goodness to communicate himself to his Creatures The Eyes of all Things wait upon Thee O Lord and thou givest 'em their Meat in due Season Thou openest thine Hand and fillest all things living with Plenteousness Psal 145.15 16. The Divine Goodness goes under various Titles according to the difference of the Objects towards which it is exercis'd And according as the Objects towards whom his Goodness is exercis'd do differ accordingly is his Goodness distinguish'd and the Attribute it self goes under several Names Consider him as shewing his Goodness to the whole Creation in general and he is Bountiful in alotting to every one of his Creatures their proportion of Happiness agreeable to their several Natures and Capacities Whence it is said that his Mercy is over all his Works Psal 145.9 Towards all Men God bears a Philanthropy and Loving Kindness Consider next his Kindness to the whole Race of Mankind as well those who are wicked as those who are good and his Goodness is then Philanthropy and Loving Kindness whereby he communicates manifold Blessings and in great Measures to all Men indifferently and is sincerly desirous of their Happiness Hence he maketh his Sun to rise on the Evil and on the Good and sendeth Rain on the Just and on the Vnjust Math. 5 45. More particularly Towards the Wicked he is long-suffering and patient Consider him next as exercising this his Goodness towards wicked Men and impenitent Sinners and then he will appear to be exceedingly Long suffering and Patient The Lord is Long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance 2 Pet. 3 9. Consider him as exerting himself nay striving to reclaim these unhappy Men that they may not run themselves headlong into Sin and Misery and then he is Gracious Gracious and his Goodness is call'd the exceeding Riches of his Grace as well it may Eph. 2.7 And then next to this Consider him as pardoning Sinners upon their Repentance and Amendment and his Goodness is then Mercy and Forgiveness Merciful and forgiving And thou art a God ready to pardon Gracious and Merciful slow to Anger and of Great Kindness Neh. 9.17 Ay who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgression of his Heritage He retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy Mich. 7.18 Thus is he good toward the very wicked But then Consider his Goodness towards the Good and Vertuous Towards the Vertuous he bears a Complacency and Delight those who love and obey him and it is Complacence and Delight in them whereby he cherishes 'em as his Children protects 'em from Dangers or delivers 'em out of them or at leastwise turns all to their Good in the end All this even in this Life O how Great is thy Goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the Sons of Men Psal 31.19 But lastly consider we his Goodness to such hereafter in rewarding those who have been his obedient Servants and there wants then a word to express his Goodness the Measures of it are so exceeding great since neither Eye hath seen nor Ear heard neither hath it enter'd into the heart of Man to conceive what he hath laid up for those that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 Such is the Goodness of God in all the Branches and Issues of it It is not a Fondness to some particular Persons which fixes by Chance and Humour upon 'em and then overlooks their Miscarriages and can see none of their Misdeservings Nor is it an Easiness that will be wrought upon by meer Importunities to pardon the Sins of unrepenting and hardn'd Sinners Nor lastly is it a Tenderness that relents at the sight of a miserable Object and will therefore rescue the Wicked out of their Everlasting Miseries because it cannot bear their Sighs and Groans No certainly his is the Goodness not like that of a fond Mother but of a wise Governor For X. As God is transcendent in Goodness so also in JUSTICE X. Transcendently Just which is another Moral Perfection in the Rational Nature And being the highest Perfection of the Creature is but a meer Shadow of the Divine Excellencies the Righteousness of the most perfect Saints falls infinitely short of the Justice of God which is That Rectitude of the Divine Nature whereby he neither wills nor acts any thing but what is perfectly agreeable to the highest Reason Governs the World by the most Righteous Laws and passes a most just Judgment upon every Man according to his Works without respect of Persons He neither wills nor acts any thing but what is agreeable to the highest Reason And it is no less than Blasphemy to represent God Both willing and acting agreeably to the highest Reason as if he govern'd the World by meer Will and arbitrary Pleasure having no regard to the Qualifications of those whom he justifies or condemns but made Millions of Men and even before he created 'em reprobated 'em to Eternal Damnation meerly to shew the Power of his Justice as they will call it but such would rather deserve the Name of the cruel'st Tyranny in condemning 'em afterwards to Everlasting Torments But far be it from any pious Mind to conceive thus unworthily of God He will be found indeed to inflict the most dismal and terrible Punishments upon both Devils and wicked Men but that will be upon such justifiable Reasons as will leave even the Damn'd themselves and that in the mid'st of all their Tortures without Excuse For why Governing the World by the most Righteous Laws He governs the World by the most Righteous Laws such as are best suited to the Nature and Faculties of Reasonable Creatures and which do all of 'em tend to perfect our Natures even to the rendring us like to God and his Holy Angels whereas the Courses and Ways of Life opposite to his Laws do debase Men below the Vileness of the Beasts that perish and render 'em Bruits and Devils in their Natures and Dispositions Rewarding every Man according to his Works And as all God's Laws are infinitely Reasonable and Just so he never sails to pass a most righteous Judgment on every Man according to his Works Both the Rewards of the Righteous and of the Wicked will be greater or less proportionable to the Good and Evil of their Deeds but both the one and the other will be endless and everlasting That the very imperfect Vertues of good Men should be so extraordinarily recompenc'd even with unspeakable and endless Joys none do complain of as any thing contrary to Equity and Reason But there are some who are ready to object against the Justice of God's Alotments with respect to the Wicked that he should punish momentany and transient Sins with eternal Woes and Miseries But to clear the Divine Justice of any Hardship contrary to Reason and Equity in this it must be consider'd that these Everlasting Punishments are Legal Penalties which the Great Law-Giver does inflict for the Violation of his Laws And if all wise Law-givers who will preserve the Authority of their Government and Edicts find it necessary to inflict sometimes severer Penalties for lesser Crimes in their own Nature and indeed be the Offence what it will such as are sufficient to deter Offenders from the Violation of their Laws and to secure their Government over their Subjects The Infliction therefore of Eternal Punishments are no more than Necessary and Reasonable since as great as they are considering the Allurements to Sin are present and consequently more tempting and these Punishments apprehended at a great distance they are found little enough to restrain obstinate and perverse Sinners from persevering in Wickedness In short all those Kinds Measures and Degrees of Punishment are Just Equitable and Reasonable which are no more than necessary to preserve the Authority of Government and the Sacredness of its Law And thus may the Justice of God be fairly accounted for as rewarding no otherwise than according to Men's Works tho' he inflicts upon 'em for their Temporary Transgressions Eternal Punishments Rewarding or punishing without respect of Persons Lastly and in all his Alotments and Distributions of Justice he is very Impartial Rewarding or Punishing without respect of Persons for he accepteth not the Person of Princes nor regardeth the Rich more than the Poor for all are the work of his Hands Job 34.19 Such is the Justice of God XI Transcendently True viz. XI And as he is Infinitely Just so he is Transcendently TRVE His Veracity is an Attribute of the greatest importance to be known and consider'd by us And it consists in these particulars That he is Sincere in all his Declarations Faithful in all his Promises and certain to Execute his Vengeance upon Sinners according to his Threatnings
to Abraham as it was a Promise of sending Christ to be the Saviour of the World was expressive of the greatest love For in this was the love of God manifested towards us because God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 4.9 10. A Propitiation for our sins That is one that by his Death hath procured favour having taken off that sore displeasure which God by his Law had declared against all the transgressors of it For the wise and just God did not think the Righteousness of his Government and the Honour and Reputation of his Law would be sufficiently saved and his great hatred of Sin sufficiently manifested without some considerable satisfaction given for the dishonour done to Him and his Law by Mans Transgression And yet that this might not be exacted at the hands of the Guilty in executing the Curse of the Law on themselves he was most graciously pleased to accept of the Sufferings of his own dear Son instead of what the sinners themselves were to have undergone He hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 Christ suffered for sins the just for the unjust or in their stead 1 Pet. 3.18 Upon account of which undertaking of Christ for us all the benefits of the Covenant do accrue to Man Whatever is required of Man by way of condition of his acceptation with God becomes accepted to that end upon account of Christ's suffering And his Intercession in Heaven through which all our sincere though otherwise imperfect performances become acceptable to God and rewardable by him is made in the virtue of it For the whole Covenant itself is founded in the Blood of Christ which he shed for the remission of sins Therefore it is called the New Testament in his Blood Mat. 26.28 And his Blood the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant Hebr. 13.20 2. It contained a Promise of Justification or Remission of sin through Christ unto all that should so believe as thereupon to repent of their former folly and become sincerely obedient for the future For that is necessarily implyed in the Promise of Blessedness to the Nations in Abraham's Seed it being impossible Men should be Blessed without Remission of sin which consisteth in removing the Curse of the Law in remitting the penalty Blessed is the Man whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sin is covered Psal 32.1 St. Paul acquaints us that this Blessing of the New Covenant was declared to Abraham in the Promise Gal. 3.8 The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith preached the Gospel before unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed 3. It contained in it tacitly a Promise of Divine Assistance unto Men in their endeavours to fulfil the condition of the Promise For God in promising Blessedness to the Nations through Abraham's Seed therein promised all that was absolutely necessary for him to vouchsafe to make them blessed and without which they could not be blessed And if so then he therein implicitly promised to assist the endeavours of Men to perform the condition of the Promise without the assistance of whose Grace they cannot savingly Believe Repent and Obey And so it should seem the Old Testament-Church understood God's subduing of sin as well as his pardoning of sin to be comprized in the Promise to Abraham Mich. 7.19 20. He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworn to our Fathers from the days of old And Christ his turning Men from their iniquities which he doth accomplish by appointing them means and by assisting them in the use of them to that end is part of the Blessing contained in the Promise made to Abraham and was so reckoned by St. Peter Act 3.25 26. Ye are the Children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers saying unto Abraham And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed Vnto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus Christ sent him to bless you in turning every one of you from his iniquities 4. It implicitly or somewhat obscurely contained in it a Promise of Eternal Life I say implicitly For I do not find that Eternal Life was expresly promised to Abraham But yet that was expresly promised him from which the hope of Eternal Life might well be inferred As first Blessedness through his Seed the Messias And secondly That God would be a God to him and his Seed For Blessedness is a Happiness that runs parallel with the duration of Man's Immortal Soul And God's Promise of being a God to Abraham carried in it a Promise of a Happiness worthy of God to bestow such as Everlasting Life or Happiness is And therefore he was not ashamed to be called their God meaning Abraham Isaac and Jacob because he had prepared for them a City meaning that in so doing he had answered that title of relation of being their God and done like himself Heb. 11.16 And upon these and the like Revelations of God's mind to him Abraham looked for a City which hath Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God and a Heavenly Country Heb. 11.10 16. If Abraham did but use his reason about these Promises as he did about reconciling God's Promise that in Isaac his Seed should be called with his command to Sacrifice him Heb. 11.17 18 19. he might discern Eternal Life in them though but very obscurely in comparison of what is now revealed in the Gospel by which Life and Immortality is brought to light 2 Tim. 1.10 But how obscurely soever a future Happiness was promis'd to Abraham yet promised it was for which we have the testimony of St. Paul Gal. 3.18 If the inheritance be of the Law it is no more of Promise But God gave it to Abraham by Promise He was here proving against the Pharisaical Jews and Judaizing Christians that Justification unto Life was to be had by the Promise and not by the Law by Faith and not by Works of the Law that the Just should live by Faith as vers 12. And therefore by Inheritance here which he saith God gave to Abraham by Promise he doubtless means Eternal Life which elsewhere he calls the Promise of eternal Inheritance Heb. 9.15 Consider now how God carry'd on his design of restoring Man by the promise of those benefits For if expressions of the greatest Grace and Love in God to Men is the way to beget in them a love to God again and in begetting that to beget all the desirable effects of Love which are no less than a sincere conformity in Man's Nature and Life to the Divine Law and if the giving of great and
precious Promises is the way of recovering Man again to a participation of the Divine Nature as I have shewed it is then the Promise of God to Abraham which was expressive of the greatest Grace and Love and contained in it Promises than which there are not materially greater nor more precious was a wise and gracious contrivance of God to recover Man to a likeness to himself wherein the glory and perfection of his Nature did first consist Sect. 4 The next thing to be considered is the extent of the Promise of God to Abraham The greatness of God's Love and Good-will was not expressed only in the greatness of the benefits promised to Abraham but also in the extent of the Promise reaching not only to the Jewish People and their Proselytes to which another Covenant was restrained but even to all Nations of the Earth Gen. 12.3 and 22.18 Which shews it to be of the same nature with the general Promise in the Gospel though it was not so intelligible then as it is since made by the Gospel But God we see so loved the world as first to promise and after to give his only begotten Son that whosoever should believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3.16 Christ gave his life for the life of the world Joh. 6.8 He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2.2 He gave himself a ransom for all 1 Tim. 2.6 And tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 Sect. 5. Consider we in the next place the Security given by God for the performance of his Promise to Abraham and his Seed For because men knowing how ill they have deserved from God having made themsâ—lves Enemies to him would be apt to question whether there were indeed so much Love and Good-will in God to them as the greatness of his Promise did import therefore God to remove all jealousie of this nature and to give them the greatest security and assurance he could of the reality of his intentions and of his heart and good-will towards them confirmed his Promise by an Oath swearing by himself because he could swear by no greater And this he did that they to whom the Promise did extend might have strong consolation from God such as might work in them strong and vigorous affections to him such as were in Abraham through which he was wrought to an entire resignation of himself to God and to his will and by which he was denominated the Friend of God Heb. 6.17 28. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of Promise the Immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us Sect. 6. The next thing I have to shew is That this Promise of God to Abraham was Conditional If the Promise of sending Christ was Absolute yet the actual collation of the great benefit of Remission of Sin and Eternal Life by him was not promised but upon condition of Faith and Repentance as appears by the Scriptures frequent explanation of the general Promise Abraham believed in the Lord and it was counted unto him for righteousness Gen. 15.6 If Abraham had not believed God he had not been justified notwithstanding the Promise So that this Justification depended as well upon his performing the condition of the Promise as upon the Promise it self And when God said to Abraham Walk before me and be thou upright and I will make a Covenant with thee Gen. 17.1 The Lord made Abraham's upright walking before him the condition of his keeping as well as making Covenant with him Besides it is apparent that God made Circumcision to be the Covenant to be kept on Abraham's and his Seed's part as the condition of what God had promised on his part Gen. 17.4 7 10. As for me my Covenant is with thee c. Thou shalt keep my Covenant therefore thou and thy Seed after thee in their generations And this is the Covenant which ye shall keep between me and you every Man-child among you shall be circumcised By which is to be understood not so much Circumcision in the Flesh as in the Spirit as I shall shew anon And the truth is it would not suit with God's end and design in his Covenant of restoring Man to the rectitude of his Nature mentioned before to do it without Man's endeavours in the use and exercise of his natural faculties of Understanding and Will as he is a rational Creature and free Agent For God works that change in Man's nature designed in his New Law or Covenant not meerly Physically but Morally also 1. By proposing great and important Truths to his Mind and Understanding and in assisting this natural faculty in considering how his happiness is concerned in that which is proposed in case it should prove true and in considering likewise what reason there is to believe that it is true and in discerning the truth of it upon consideration And 2. By proposing Motives to the Will to incline it to follow the dictates of the enlightned mind and by assisting the Will to be governed thereby So that Man himself is not wholly passive in this change or what goes to the making of it but is so far active in it as to denominate what he doth by God's assistance to be his own act So that the Man is said to Believe to Repent to obey when he doth believe repent and Obey For so he is every where in Scripture said to do God doth not repent in Man but Man repents through his grace and assistance And therefore God's grace and Man's endeavours in working this change are very conâ—istent Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure If Man do but what he can do through the assistance of God's common Providence in whom we Live and Move and have our Being God is most ready through his good Pleasure or out of the goodness of his will and pleasure to work in him both to will and to do savingly to carry the work quite thorow Otherwise if there were nothing that Man could do in a way of common Providence towards his Salvation why should he be exhorted and perswaded to do that which yet will not be done to effect and quite through without the Assistâ—nce of God's Grace and good Spirit The Co-operation of God's grace with Man's endeavours in this change in the nature of Man which is necessary to his Salvation is a Doctrine that lies very fair and plain in the Scriptures And therefore Men are called upon to make themselves new hearts Ezek. 18.31 Make you a new Heart and a new Spirit for why will ye dye O house of Israel And God is said to make them new hearts also Ezek.
certius cognoscas Eras in Loc. That it seemed good to him having had perfect knowledge of all those things from the very first to write them in order to him that he might know the certainty or have a more full and particular Understanding of those things wherein he had been before Catechized for so it is in the very Letter of the Greek that is taught only in General to prepare him for Baptism Hesychius a Learned Grammarian does give the meaning of this word Catechize by another which signifies to Build and this does intimate to us the Matter of which a Catechism must consist viz. Of the main and fundamental Points of Religion such as are fittest to build up a firm and unshaken Christian withal Lastly It is deriv'd from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies an inculcating and sounding often in the Ear of the Learner the Principles to be imbibed and fixed in his Mind and Memory So the Heathens and so the Christians used the word And this may suffice for the Importance of the Word which I thought might not be improper to Note because it gives so much Light into the meaning of the Thing and the Nature of a Catechism which I shall therefore Define as follows taking the Title now read with some Explanatory Additions for the Text upon which I shall Comment A Catechism The Definition of a Catechism is a general Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion necessary to be Learnt of every Person in order to his Confirmation or the solemn Renewing of his Baptismal Vow and Covenant with God and the Receiving Benefit by the Bishop's Blessing Prayers and Laying on of Hands In which Definition you are told First As to the Matter of which a Catechism is to consist It is a General Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion Secondly As to the Persons to be so Instructed It is necessary to be Learnt of every Person Thirdly As to the End of a Catechism It is necessary to be Learnt of every Person In order to his Confirmation or the solemn Renewing of his Baptismal Covenant and Vow before the Bishop and the Receiving Benefit by the Bishop's Blessing Prayers and Laying on of Hands Of all which Particulars I shall Discourse to you in their Order And First As to the Matter of which a Catechism is to consist It is a general Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion Christian Religion What Christian Religion is out of Christian Principles to live an Holy Good Life and together therewith to depend upon the Mediation of Christ with the Father for us that our imperfect Righteousness may be graciously accepted to our Justification I. A Moral good Life an essential Part of Christianity That Morality or a good Life is a necessary and essential Part of Christianity is expresly affirm'd by St. James 1.27 where he tells us That Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father or such as God the Father will accept is this To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their afflictions and to keep one self unspotted from the world Many seem to place it in little less than Morality but it is the Life and Soul of all Religion as in Respect of God to Love Honour and to Obey him to Trust in Him and to Resign one self to him to Worship him and to be Devoutly given So in Respect of our Neighbour to be Just and Charitable and particularly and especially to Relieve those that are in Distress And Lastly as to our selves to govern our Affections to subdue our Passions to mortify our Lusts and to moderate our Desires In a word To keep the Heart and Life clean from the Defilements of Sin In this I say consists One main Part of Religion in abstaining from all Sin and Wickedness and in a constant and steddy Performance of all the Parts of Vertue and Holiness This I am sure is a main Part of the Christian Religion the Religion that our Saviour came to Plant amongst Men for this St. Paul assures us Tit. 2.11 12 13 14. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world 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 purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works He appeared teaching us to deny all Ungodliness and he gave himself for us to redeem us from all Iniquity Hitherto indeed tended all he said all he did and all he suffer'd This was the Design of his Excellent Sermons and Discourses of his most admirable Example and Life and of his Death and Sufferings to Root out of the Lives of Men whatsoever is sinful and wicked and to Implant in its stead all the Parts of Vertue and Goodness But Secondly It is not enough to make a Man a good Christian II. To Act Virtuously upon Christian Principles that he live a strict and unblamable Life but it is moreover necessary to render him such that he act Virtuously upon Christian Principles Both indeed are necessary to the constituting a Man a true Christian The most regular Life that can be except it be acted upon Christian Principles is but meer Morality at the best as the most Orthodox Belief that is if it be Barren in good Works is but a dead Faith Thus Temperance may be observ'd because of our Health and plain and punctual Dealing by the Men of Trade because of their Interest Men may Fast and Pray out of Hypocrisy and to appear Good to others and may distribute large Alms to gain the Applause of Men as you may see Mat. 6.2 5. And indeed considering that Godliness is profitable for all things having the promise of the Life that now is as well as of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 And since of the Christian Religion it may be said that Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace Men may lead very blameless Lives in all respects because of the Advantage and Tranquillity of Mind that arises meerly from a regular and orderly Conversation But all this will be accounted by God to fall far short of the Christian Religion and will entitle the Man to no Reward in Heaven that acts upon no better Reasons nor Motives than these Verily I say unto you they have their Reward says our Saviour Mat. 6.2 Nay He that lives an orderly good moral Life upon the Belief only that there is a God that his Providence and Care is extended over us that our Souls shall never Dye but are capable of and shall receive Rewards or Punishments in another World can be only said to be so far Religious as the good Moral Heathens were who Believ'd and Acted upon the
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