clearly implies there were that did say so 3. A third principle he layes down is the doctrine of original corruption even in the regenerate themselves (c) Pelagiani negant originate peccatum Aug. cont Mendac Against those that taught the * Pelagiani Aug. contr Mend. total abolition of original sin in and by Baptisme or that denied the being or at least the damnable nature of it Verse 8. If we say we have no sin c. 4. The necessity of confession of sin not only against them (d) Epiphanius calls the Novatians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 murderers of repentance Basil de poenit that decried repentance for sin and confession of sin but against them that denied pardon to them (e) Montanistae Novatiani Jerom. Ep. ad Marcel de erroribus Montani that repent If we confesse our sinnes he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins c. 5. He asserts the doctrine of actual sinne in the regenerate against them that affirmed that (f) The Simonians Gnosticks and other hereticks of that age taught that there was no sin but unbelief that to the justified all things were clean however they live vid. Aug. de perfectione justi c. 21 Clem. Alex. c. conceived the Apostles after the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon them nullis esse peccatis aut passionibus ohnoxii Joviniani docebant justum nec leviter peccare a justified person could not sin or which is the same that God sees no sin in his children If we say that we have not sinned we make him a lyar c. If we say we have no sin there 's the denial of original sin if we say we have not sinned there 's the denial of actual sin both make up the great heresie of the (g) Catharists in the third Centurie after Christ Catharists who held perfection in this life 6. The Apostle vindicates the preceptive obligation of the moral Law even over justified persons Against the Antinomian (h) The Simonians Carpocratians Marcionites Maniches did not only deny the moral law but curse and blaspheme it as given not by God but by some unlucky nature heresie which presumptuously breaketh even that yoke also from the neck of the Disciples Chap. 2. verse 3 4 5. Hereby we know that we love him if we keep his Commandments So early were these poysonous weeds sprung up in the Church of God The other Module which the Apostle layeth down is a Catalogue of Gospel-evidences certain marks and signs of an interest in Christ A Catalogue of Scripture-evidences and of a right and title to life eternal such as these 1. Obedience to Gods Commandments ut sup 2. Contempt of the world Ch. 2.15 3. Stedfastnesse in the doctrine of the Gospel verse 8 19 20 24. 4. Conformity to Jesus Christ in holinesse ch 3. ver 3. 5. Mortification 6 7 8 10. 6. Love to the Saints verse 14. and chapter 5.2 10 11. 7. A believing confession * Most blasphemously denied by the Simonians Chrystolites Pâ—oâ—tâ—es c. Aug. de haeres of Gods sending Jesus Christ into the world as the promised Messias with love to him and thankfulnesse for him chap. 4. In the four first verses of the fifth chapter we have no lesse than seven evidences each lincking in with the other and bearing witnesse to the other As 1. You have faith in Christ bearing witnesse to Regeneration Whosoever believeth c. is born of God 2. Love to God bearing witnesse to faith He that loveth him that begat c. 3. Love to the Saints bearing witnesse to our love of God He loveth him also that is begotten Augustine understands it of our love to Christ but the Context expounds it of our love to the Saints for so it followeth ver 2. where we have 4. Love to God reciprocally witnessing our love to the Saints Hereby we know we love the children of God when we love God 5. Obedience to Gods Commandments bearing witnesse again to our love And keep his Commandments 6. Delight testifying the truth of our obedience His Commandments are not grievous 7. And lastly Victory over the world bearing witnesse to Regeneration For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world Verse 4. It were easie out of this and the other two subsequent Epistles to compleat the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Gospel EVIDENCES which are not thus expresly delineated that by them only the Church might describe her members as some loose and vaine spirits fancy but for the members of the Church to try and examine themselves by whither they be real and living members yea or no. It were easie I say to adde to the Catalogue but I have insisted too long upon the first demonstration sc Scripture Pattern I come now to the second demonstration namely The advantages of such Modules 1. For the Ornament of the truth The excellency and advantage of such Forms and Collections of Evangelical truths And In the first place it addes much to the beauty and ornament of the truth whither it be delivered from the Pulpit or from the Press in such Systemes and Platforms the Hearer or Reader may as in a Map or Table sometimes of one sort sometimes of another behold divine truths standing one by another in their Method and Connexion mutually casting light and lustre upon each other Every truth single is very precious and indeed of infinite value as purchased with and ratified in the blood of Christ but to see the truths of the Gospel linked together in their proper union facing one another like the Cherubims Exod. 25.20 is very glorious As the stones of the Temple when they were squared and polished in the Forrest were very costly for both matter and workmanship but when they were layd into the building and formed up into a Temple what a beautiful and magnificent structure did they make The Disciples beholding it Luk. 21.5 were filled with delight and wonder The Curtains of the Sanctuary each by themselves were very rich both for their materials and curious Embroyderies but had you seen them in their Connecture each Curtain fastned to the other with taches of gold and so making up one entire perfect Tabernacle sparkling and shining in all its native spendour it would have been a ravishing sight The very representation of many Countries in one Nation of many Nations in one of the divisions or quarters of the world and of all the quarters described in one Globe or Map it is very delightful to the eye of an intelligent beholder at once discovering the scite and cognation the Longitude and Latitude the distance and degree of every Kingdome and County such globes and tables are full of delight and profit It is in a most eminent manner observable in the Creation of the world of every single days work it is said God saw that it was good but when the whole Compages of heaven and earth was set together into
passion of God-man Man being every other way finite must have suffered infinitely in regard of duration even to eternity And none but Christ who was infinite in regard of the subject and dignity of his person as he was God could have so speedily and effectually delivered us from this punishment by suffering it himself whereby Gods justice was satisfied his hatred against the sinner removed and his mercy at liberty to act in the pardon of the sinner Sixthly This passion of Jesus Christ God was graciously pleased to accept for us and impute to us as if we had suffered in our persons and so he receives us into mercy And this is the substance of the Doctrine of the Gospel about mans salvation So much for the first thing the Explication of the point 2. I now come to the Assertion or Demonstration of it that you may receive this Doctrine as a Truth not built upon the traditions of men but revealed in the Word of God Now to prove this point viz. That the death of Jesus Christ is the procuring cause of mans Justification and Salvation I may use two sorts of Arguments First Some from the consideration of Christs death Secondly Some from the consideration of mans Justification and Salvation 1. From the consideration of Christs death I shall offer six Arguments 1. It s Possibility 2. Necessity 3. Nature 4. Cause 5. Vicegerency 6. Peculiarity First From the possibility Let me be bold to assert had it not been for this purpose it had not been possible for Christ to dye as it was not possible for Christ to be holden of death Acts 2.24 the price being paid and so the Prisoner of course to be released so it had not been possible because not just Id tantum possumus quod jure possumus to put him into a prison if it had not been to pay a debt And a debt of his own he had none he was a Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.19 Holy blameless undefiled separate from sinners Hebr. 7.26 He knew no sin 2 Cor. 5.21 which I the rather mention because Sâ—cinus hath the impudence to lay down this blasphemous Assertion That Christ like the Jewish High Priest did offer for himself as well as for the people You have seen he had no debt no sin of his own he professeth of himself that he did alwayes those things which pleased his Father John 8.29 and therefore he must needs dye for our debts it is plain that Adam had he continued in integrity should not have dyed death is not the effect of nature then the Saints in glory must dye again for they have the same nature but the fruit of sin death entred into the world by sin Rom. 5.12 And the Apostle proves the sin of Infants expressed by that Periphrasis such as have not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression from the death of Infants and in Adam all dyed i. e. by his sin 1 Cor. 15.22 Therefore Jesus Christ being purified from the guilt of Adams sin by his holy birth and no lesse perfect than Adam should have been could never have dyed if not for our sakes Secondly From the necessity of Christs death it was necessary for our Salvation and Justification without which end it had been in vain The Socinians mention two other reasons and ends of Christs death the one to be an example of obedience but such we have many others upon far less charge the other to be a ground of hope for the remission of sin and the fulfilling of Gods promises but properly it is not the death but resurrection of Christ which is the ground of our hope 1 Cor. 15.14 If Christ be not risen your faith is vain so that those ends are improper and insufficient And to strike it dead I urge but one place Gal. 2.21 If righteousnesse come by the Law Christ is dead in vain What can be more plain if righteousnesse be not by Christ that the death of Christ be not the procuring cause of our Justification Christ is dead in vain to no end or as Grotius and others rather understand without any meritorious cause i. e. our sins however all comes to one Thirdly From the nature of Christs death it is a Sacrifice this consists of two Branches 1. Sacrifices did expiate sin 2. Christs death is a Sacrifice and a sin-expiating Sacrifice 1. I say Sacrifices did expiate sin Levit. 1.4 He shall put his hands upon the head of the burnt-offering and it shall be accepted for him and many such places And this they did typically which strengthens the cause we have in hand as representing and fore-signifying Christ without which it was not possible for the blood of Buls and Goats to take away sins Hebr. 10.4 And the sins pardoned under the Old Testament were pardoned thorough Christ and not through any vertue of their Sacrifices Christ being a Mediatour for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Testament Hebrewes 9.15 2. And this brings in the second Head that Christs death is a Sacrifice and a sin-expiating Sacrifice if either the names or nature of it may be regarded for the names and titles proper to Sacrifices they are attributed to it and God doth not give flattering titles nor false names but such as discover the nature of things it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Oblation or offering up of himself Ephes 5.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 John 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.25 to omit others and for the nature by vertue hereof sin is atoned he is our High Priest for this end to make reconciliation for the sins of the people Heb. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being by an Enallage put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pacifie God reconcile God turn away his wrath You meet with all things in Christ which concurre to the making of a Sacrifice The Priest he is our High Priest the Sacrifice himself Christ was once offered the shedding of blood and destroying of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the essential part of a Sacrifice Add to these 1 Cor. 5.7 Christ our Passeover is Sacrificed for us where is a double Argument 1. That Christ is expresly said to be Sacrificed 2. That he is called a Passeover which at the best seems to have been both a Sacrifice and a Sacrament Now then Christs death being a Sacrifice it appeares that it appeased Gods wrath procured his favour Fourthly From the cause of Christs death I might urge a double cause 1. The inflicting cause it was Gods displeasure Nothing more plaine than that he had a very deep sense of and sharp conflict with Gods wrath from those dreadful horrours in the Garden where his soul was exceeding sorrowful unto death not certainly at the approach of an ordinary death which many Martyrs have undergone with undaunted courage but at the apprehension of his Fathers anger and upon the Cross where he roared out that direful complaint My
God grounded upon the perswasion of his glorious being and the goodnesse of his nature which is not terrible to them but when they consider his mercy is a holy mercy and that it is never dispenc't to the prejudice of his justice though they cannot hate God for his goodnesse directly yet they hate him with it for although he is the perfection of beauty and goodnesse it self yet they being evil there is no congruity or conveniency between God and them they love sin and hate punishment Now God as Author legis by the most strict Laws forbids sin and as ultor peccati inflicts severe punishments from hence it proceeds the most lovely and sweet Attributes of God cannot endear him to them no more than the natural or moral excellencies of a Judge the comelinesse of his person or his wisdome and knowledge can draw forth the love of a Malefactor when he is condemned by him Moreover since the general nature of sin is an eternal contrariety to the nature and will of God the love of it must needs argue the hatred of God for as the Lord Jesus requires an universal chearful and constant obedience as the most clear evidence of love to him if you love me keep my Commandments So the Argument will be as strong to conclude backward If you keep not Gods Commandments you hate him to live in the practice of known sinnes is a vertual and interpretative hatred of God 2. The benefits which God bestows upon us deserve our love How great an endearment did he passe upon us in our Creation we might have been admitted into the lowest form of Creatures and have only enjoyed the life of flies or worms but he made us little lower than the Angels and Crowned us with glory and honour and gave us dominion over all the works of his hands Psal 8.5 Whereas the rest of the Creatures were the acts of his power the Creation of man was an act of power and wisdome in all the rest there was nothing but he spake the word and they were made Psal 148.5 But in the making of man there was a consultation about it Gen. 1. Let us make man he framed our bodies so that all the parts conspire for the ornament and service of the whole Psal 139.15 Thine eye did see my substance being yet imperfect and in thy book were all my members written and therefore Lactantius said truly hominem non patrem esse sed generandi Ministrum man is only the instrument which the Lord doth use for the effecting of his purpose to raise the beautiful Fabrick of mans body Now if we are obliged to expresse the dearest love to our Parents with how much greater reason should we love God who is the fountain of all our beings He hath breathed into man a spiritual immortal rational soul which is more worth than the whole World this is in some sort a spark and ray of Divine brightnesse 't is capable of Gods Image 't is a fit Companion for Angels to joyne with them in the praises of God and enjoy a blessed eternity with them 'T is capable of communion with God himself who is the fountain of life and happinesse The soul is endowed with those faculties which being terminated upon God it enjoys an infinite and everlasting blessednesse The understanding by knowledge rests in God as the first and highest in genere veri the will by love embraces him as the last and greatest in genere boni and so receives perfection and satisfaction which is the incommunicable priviledge of the rational soul Beasts can only converse with drossy and material objects they are confined to earthly things but the soul of man may enjoy the possession and fruition of God who is the Supreme and Soveraign good Now this should inflame our love to God he formed our bodies he inspired our souls Moreover if we consider our lives we shall finde a chain of mercy which reaches from one end to the other of them How many Miracles of Providence do we enjoy in our preservation how many unseen dangers do we escape how great are our daily supplies The provisions we receive do serve not only for necessity but for delight every day we have the provisions of meat and drink not only to cure hunger and all our thirst but to refresh the heart and to make us chearful in our work every houre is filled up with the bounties of God Now what shall we render to the Lord for all his benefits he desires our love this is the most proper return we can make for love is of an opening and expansive quality calling forth the heart our love within should break forth to close with Gods love without the love of obedience in us with the love of favour and bounty in him 'T is a principle of nature deeply implanted in the hearts of men to return love for love nay the very Beasts are not deficient in this Esay 1.3 The Oxe knows his Owner and the Asse his Masters Crib Those Creatures which are of all the most stupid and heavy respect their Feeders and expresse dumb signs of love unto them How much more should we love God who spreads our Table fills our Cup and causes his Sun to shine and his Rain to fall on us 'T is an Argument of Secret Atheisme in the heart that in the confluence of mercies we enjoy we do not look up to the Author of them as if common mercies were the effects of Chance and not of Providence if a man constantly relieves our wants we judge it the most barbarous disingenuity not to repay love to him but God loads us with his benefits every day his wisdome is always busied to serve his mercy and his mercy to serve our necessities but we are insensible and unaffected and yet the meanest mercy as it comes from God hath an excellency stamp't upon it We should upbraid our souls for our coldnesse to God everywhere we encounter sensible demonstrations of his love to us in every moment of our lives we have some pledges of his goodnesse Let us light our Torch at this Mountain of fire let the renewed act of his bounty constrain us to love him we should love him for his excellency though we had no benefit by him nay though he hated us we are bound to love him as he is truly amiable in himself how much more when he draws us with the cords of a man with bands of love whosoever requites the love of God with hatred as every impenitent sinner doth puts off the nature of man and degenerates into a Divel 2. Fear this is that eternal respect which is due to our Creator an humble reverence we owe to him as he is infinitely above us the holy Angels cover their faces when they have the clearest views of his glory Esay 6.1 2 3. The Lord is represented as sitting on a Throne and the Seraphims stood about each having six wings with twain he covered his
Demon. 1 1. Ratione faederis by the reason of the Covenant of Works which God made with Adam we were in him all of us legally when God first made a Covenant with man it was not with Adam ratione individui as an individual person sed ratione â—aturae as he bore our nature with him as the representative of man-kind God makes his Covenant with Christ as Head and Mediatour of his Church with Abraham as the father of the faithful with Adam as the stock of man-kind Isa 53.11 Psal 40.8 we were in him parties in the Covenant and had interest in the mercy which should accompany the keeping of it and were liable to the curse which should follow the breach of it Now Adam violating the Covenant the guilt of that violation descends upon all his posterity Rom. 5.19 Constituti sunt peccatores 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chry. they were constituted sinners It is to be noted that God never makes a Covenant with a single person personally and individually that all others are unconcerned in it but with whomsoever God enters into Covenant that person is a representative of others and is to be looked upon as a publick person otherwise God should make as many Covenants as there are persons which is the greatest absurdity to assert and so in Covenanting with Adam he looked on him as the stock and root of mankind Arg. 2 2. Ratione Collationis The Apostle in two places makes a remarkable comparison between Adam and Christ the first and second Adam comparing the good of the last with the evil of the first the grace of the one with the sin of the other the life conveyed by the one with the death transmitted by the other Rom. 5.12 c. 1 Cor. 15.45 c. Now the righteousnesse of Christ redounds to believers to justification so the sin of Adam redounds to his posterity to condemnation by Adam we are cast by Christ we are cleared by Adam guilty by Christ innocent the comparison would else be wholly insignificant as by Christ we are made really righteous so by Adam we are made really sinners we are Princes in Christ Prisoners in Adam Crowned in Christ cursed in Adam this is is one great drift of the comparison Particle 2 2. The sin of Adam is derived to us not only by way of imputation but by way of inhaesion we receive from offending Adam Adamus genus nostrum tabificavit Aug. vitiositatem libidinem morbidum affectum a vitiosity lusting and a contagious distemper we receive not only a defect of holiness but deordination pravity evil disposition propension to mischief Ephes 4.22 John 3.6 Jam. 3.15 Col. 3.5 aversion to all good this sometimes the Scripture calls the Old man the flesh divelish wisdome the hell that sets the whole course of nature on fire earthly members And that Adams sin is propagated to us by way of inhaesion is likewise demonstrable by a double evidence Arg. 1 1. From the confession of some of the best of Gods Saints Psal 51.5 The soul of David was no sooner united to his body than sin was united to both he had not only a Crown of gold but grace he was not only a King after mans desire but a Saint after Gods heart 1 Sam. 13.24 yet this sinful leprosie he drew from Adam this Original staine clave to him he was a sinner in the womb though a Prince in the Throne and a Saint in the Sanctuary And so Paul that excellent Apostle how doth he moan this inward spot which he drew from Adam how doth he complain of indwelling sin Rom. 7.17 of an evil within him verse 19. of a law of his members verse 23. These groans of such eminent Saints are too pregnant an argument that the sin of Adam transmitted to us doth not only cast guilt on our persons but filth on our natures lay a charge to us but throw a stain upon us Arg. 2 2. As Christ doth not only vouchsafe believers imputed but infused righteousnesse the merit of his obedience but the graces of his Spirit to justifie but to renew and sanctifie us 1 Cor. 1.30 so the first Adam not only conveighs guilt to condemn but filth to defile us else the work of sanctification would be wholly unnecessary and the comparison between the first and second Adam would be maimed and imperfect Christ makes us heavenly as well as pronounceth us heavenly and Adam makes us earthly as well as leaves us to the punishment of those that are so The full comparison between the first and second Adam speaks this clearly Adam had sin to defile Rev. 1.5 Christus valnera sanarit quae Adamus portavit Cypr. and therefore Christ had blood to wash Here may that observable passage of Austin come in Vidi ego zelantem puerum c. I have seen saith Augustin a child with his eye full of envy venting his malice c. Whence comes this incurvation and waywardness of nature but from Adam happily the parents of this child were true and eminent believers so that there must be a tabes a disaffectednesse transmitted from Adam to his posterity against the opinion of Peter Lumbard and the Schoolmen 2. The second thing to be opened for the dispatching of the doctrinal part of the Text it is this To vindicate the righteousnesse of God in this transmission and conveyance And the justice of God is most glorious in this propagation of Adams sinne and this may be cleared in a double Demonstration Demon. 1 Adams sin is ours as well as his as a Learned man most elegantly Si quis peste laborans alios inficiat hi moriuntur Pet. Martyr dicitur illorum quisque non alienâ sed sua peste mortuus esse Now there is a double Argument to prove Adâ—ms sin ours 1. Else God did punish us for anothers sin that fault which is not our own which is against divine justice God doth not usually strike the son for the fathers crime and make the son feel the bruise of the fathers fall that the father should merit the stroak and the posterity feel it this is against his own protestation Ezek. 18.2 2. The Antithesis between Christ and Adam would not hold if Adams was not to be reputed ours for as the righteousnesse of Christ ita communicatur membris ut quisque fidelis dicere possit illam esse suam c. as Bucan well observes is so communicated to us that every believer may say This righteousnesse is mine so the iniquity of Adam is so communicated to all his posterity that every child of Adam may sadly say This iniquity is mine and I am righteously punished for it And now therefore I say if Adams sin be ours in the guilt and stain of it let us acknowledge Gods justice in the transmission of it Demon. 2 2. Had Adam stood we expected the entaile of perfection and happinesse that the Crown should have descended to us as his issue
better Covenant established upon better promises But I must explain it before I admire it The Gospel Covenant is that whereby God upon the condition propounded of faith in Christ promiseth remission of sins in his blood and a heavenly life and that for this end that he might shew forth the riches of his mercy * Camero Here I shall propose the same considerations as in the former Covenant only still something more and more comfortably considerable in the consideration of the persons contracting namely God and man according to the proposed method 1. Consider Gods gracious condescention And now Beloved that I have named Gods gracious condescention were my heart but duly affected with it it would constrain me to stop and put in a large Parenthesis of admiration before I should speak a word more Will God after the loss of the natural communion wherein he created man will God when man dâ—eads his Majesty and trembles at his revenging justice will God then as a merciful Father enter into a Covenant of peace with poor undone sinners affrighted with the sense of sin and wrath O the incomprehensible â—ondescention of such unsearchable riches of grace that grace should abound according to sins abounding when sin over-flow d all its banks that God should make a way thorough the deep into the heavenly Canaan never can we enough admire such Extasying grace This is the first thing considerable 2. The second thing considerable is the duty which God requires in this Gospel Covenant and that is Faith faith whereby we embrace the remedy offered us We want a pardon and nothing but faith can receive it we want perfect Righteousnesse and nothing but faith can furnish us with it we want that which may make this Covenant effectual to us and make it a blessing to us and nothing can do any of these things but faith faith is the Antecedent Condition for which the Reward is given 3. The third thing considerable in the Gospel Covenant is the promise Now the promise of the Gospel Covenant is comprehended in the word Salvation therefore the Gospel is called the salvation of God Acts 28.28 And this is the great businesse of Christ to be a Saviour Isa 49.6 That thou mayst be my salvation to the end of the earth when the Angels preached the Gospel they thought they could not expresse their news in better language than to tell people of salvation that must needs be great joy to all people In short when Gospel Ministers come clad with garments of salvation as Heraulds do with the garments of their Office then Saints may well shout aloud for joy Psal 132.16 Now this promise of salvation contains all Gospel promises in it but they are reduced to these foure 1. Justification this is a priviledge which other Covenants were unacquainted with and without this what would become of poor sinful man And this may well be the first great Gospel promise I might name not some Verses but whole Chapters to prove it Rom. 4. and 5. Gal. 3. and 4. but in a word if you would know the preciousness of this promise Ask those that have but felt what sin is and they will tell you 2. The second promise contained in Gospel salvation is Sanctification Rom. 8.2 3 4. The Law of the Spâ—rit of life in Christ hath made me free from the Law of sin and death for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit q.d. The efficacy and power of the sanctifying Spirit which gives life to believers frees us from the tyranny of sin and death and whereas the Law by reason of the corruption of our nature could not make us pure and perfect but rather kindled than extinguished corruption God hath cloathed his Son with our flesh to take away the guilt and power of sin that his perfect righteousnesse might be imputed to us and fulfillâ—d by us that we might not live according to the motion of our sinful nature but according to the motion of his holy Spirit 3. The third promise is the resurrection of the body You know the penalâ—y of sin is the death of soul and body though the soul be immortal yet its being miserable for ever may sadly be called an Eternal death Now let the guilt of sin be abolished and you do therewith abolish the punishment of it for guâ—lt is only an obligation to punishmenâ— let sin be pardoned and the sinner is freed from death and though believers dye yet it is as a corne of wheat falls into the ground they thereby obâ—ain a multiplied life John 6.54 Whoso eateth my flesh and drinkeâ—h my blood hath Eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day 4. The last promise is Eternal life a spiritual blessed and immortal life in heaven John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting life The Covenant of Grace is excellent fitted to bring us to the chiefest good Now the chiefest good consists in communion with God that was broken by sin and can never be perfectly recovered till sin be abolished therefore when the guilt of sin is taken away by Justification and the filthinesse of sin is taken away by Sanctification and the penalty of sin taken away by Resurrection then what can hinder our communion with God when we have once obtained perfect holinesse nothing can hinder us of perfect happinesse Thus you have the promise of the Gospel-Covenant which was the third considerable in it 4. The fourth thing to be considered in the Gospel-Covenant is the Mediator of this better Covenant and that is Jesus Christ God-man blessed for ever through his dignity he hath purchased salvation Hebr. 9.12 14. By his own blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God c. And he is not only the Author of Eternal salvation by his merit and efficacy but the most absolute example and pattern to us how we should walk that we may obtain his purchased salvation Rom. 8.29 God did predestinate us to be conformable to the Image of his Sonne that he might be the first born among many brethren 1 Cor. 15.49 And as we have born the Image of the Earthly we shall also bear the Image of the heavenly And this is the only Covenant whereof Christ is Mediator the first Covenant needed no Mediator the Old Covenant as Legal take it without its sprinkling of Gospel and so chiefly Moses but in all respects meer men were Mediators but of the New Covenant Christ was Mediator but this I shall leave
hast his Benjamin thou shalt be sure not to go without thy Messe thy five Messes i Matth. 6.33 Seek first the Kingdome of God and all these things shall be * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added i. e. cast in as paper and packthread to the bargain 3. A loving affectionate frame Believer thou art married to Christ Jesus that Relation calls aloud for union of hand heart spirits all He is bone of thy bone flesh of thy flesh therefore to be dearly loved k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graecus Aug. count all that thou art and hast too little for him Love him dearly for what he is for what he hath for what he hath done suffered purchased promised Love him more for what he is than for what he hath more for his person than for his rings bracelets jewels joynture Love him with a cordial active conforming constant transcendent love Psal 116.1 2. 4. A truly noble heavenly frame such a frame whereby thou mayst truly contemn this poor dunghill world Believer being united unto Christ thou art indeed cloathed with the Sun and therefore thou shouldst like uhy mother tread the Moon under thy feet Rev. 12.1 We should never fix our hearts on that whereon our God would have us put our feet Such Eagles as Believers should not stoop at Flies 't is not for persons united unto Christ to be fond on these beautiful vanities fair-faced nothings chases in Arras handsome pictures drawn on Ice such are all enjoyments on this side Christ Believer thy head thy husband thy treasure is above there let thy l Anima illic potius sit ubi amat quam ubi animat heart be also Having Christ for thy portion let a little a very little of the world serve thee for thy passage 5. A pitiful compassionate frame to those that are not as yet united unto Christ That are yet without hope because without Christ Oh as the Elect of God put on * Col. 3.12 bowels toward such Poor souls they are sinking drowning thou art safe on the shoar got into the Ark. They are frying burning in Sodom Thou safe in Zoar a brand pluck't out of the fire Oh pity those that do not will not cannot pity themselves That 's the third advice 4. And lastly walk worthy of this union Let your Conversation be sutable to your Condition This I shall dispatch in these three particulars 1. Walk zealously Be wisely * Gal. 4.18 zealous in and for the promoting the honour of this Christ to whom you are united Make it your only plot and businesse to advance his honour 't is your own peculiar interest so to do Be jealous of any thing that doth or may eclipse or sully his glory He that toucheth him his Person Natures Offices Days Ordinances Ministers Servants let him be thought to touch the apple of thine eye Zech. 2.8 Let the zeal of his house even eat thee up Psal 69.9 2. Walk fruitfully so it becomes every branch ingraffed into Christ the true Vine Phil. 1.11 Thy fruitfulnesse adds much to thy Christs honour the plenty of the crop sets a glosse on the Husbandmans care The fully loaden branch reflects an honour on the root If men see our good works our fruitfulnesse in every good work they will then glorifie our Father Matth. 5.16 John 15.16 3. Walk lovingly tenderly towards believers fellow-members They that are so happy as to be united unto one head should be very careful to be of one heart Believers formerly were so of one heart and * Acts 4.32 one soul as if animated with one and the same soul sutable to the Philosophers description of true love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Formerly Believers were like Scilurus his bundle of Arrows so trust up together no breaking of them But alas now 't is sad to see how those that agree in one common faith should yet disagree as implacable foes Oh Beloved that Brethren Joseph and Benjamin Moses and Aaron Abraham and Lot should fall out especially when the Canaaniâ—e is in the Land Shall Gebal Ammon Amal k and the Philistines shall these agree and shall Ephraim and Judah be at variance shall the Wolf Lyon Bear Leopaâ—d associate and shall not Lambs and Doves O let such their sin and shame never be publish't in Gath nor spoken in the street of Askelon Believers you have heard the fable of the contest between belly and members The moral of it bids you consult if not your duty yet your safety By your divisions you do but dig your own graves Remember Saints we are all one by spiritual relation why should we not be m 1 Cor. 12.13 27. 1.9 10. 1 Joh. 4.12 16 Gal. 3.28 one in our affection I shall close all with that of the Apostle Ephes 4.3 to 7. wherein he draws this arrow to the very head Keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Why because there is one Body one Spirit one Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God Let me adde you are one with Christ the head 't is your duty therefore and 't will be your priviledge honour safety to be one with one another THE NATURE OF Justification OPENED Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God c. THE words present us for the Argument of this morning exercise with the great doctrine of Justification first to be opened and then improved 1. To be opened And that we may not with Aquinas and the Papists in ipso lâ—mine impingere stumble the very first step we take and so quite ever after lose our way by confoundiâ—g justification with sanctification I shall only premise that as in sanctification â—he change is absolute and inherent so in justification the change is relative and juridical the former is wrought in the sinners person he becomes a new creature but this latter is wrought in his state he becomes absolved at the bar of divine Justice For Justification is a law-state 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it abolisheth the convincing power of sin or its guilt Our businesse therefore is to discover the processe at Gods bar in the justification of a sinner which will be best done by comparing it with that at mans which we are familiarly acquainted with To be justified therefore implies in general three things 1. The person is charg'd with guilt 2. Pleads to the charge 3. Upon that plea is discharged by the Judge 1. A justified person must be charg'd with guilt Now guilt is the Relation which sin hath to punishment for sin is the breach of the Law and punishment is the vengeance which the Law threatens for that breach And as the threatening it self is in the nature of it a guard to the Law to prevent the breach of it bidding as it were the transgressour come at his peril break the Law if he dare be wise before hand lest he rue it too late so the punishment
As for that part of the service of God which is moral all of that neither is not discoverable by natural light For 1. If you consult the seventh to the Romans you shall find that there were some secret moral wickednesses which Paul did not see which Paul could not have seen by the light of nature no although a Pharisee and by that means very expert in the letter of the Law Rom. 7.7 Rom. 7.7 I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet 2. If the light of nature be imperfect in us since the fall which I suppose you will grant then there may be many things moral now imperceptible by the light of nature which it might and did see in its state of perfection and therefore it must needs be of dangerous import to make the Law of nature a weak faint shadowing imperfect light the perfect rule and only measure of moral duties to cry up the Law written in our hearts is in this case to cry down the Law written in the Scriptures this is as it were to pull the Sun in its noon-day brightnesse in its greatest lustre and glory out of the firmament and to walk by the light of a Candle a stinking snuffe in the socket almost gone out this is to make the Primmer the Horn-book the A. b. c. of natural light the highest piece of learning in morality The Law of nature to our shame and grief we may speak it is so obliterated and darkened that it cannot show a man the least part of his wickednesse Pelagius was a man of great learning and by his studies and diligence had snuffed the Candle of the Lord and made it burn with a clearer shine yet how little could he see into this matter It was his affection that we are borne as well without vice as vertue tam sine vitio quam sine virtute nascimur and we see all Popery to this very day hold motions to sinne not consented unto to be no sinnes but necessary conditions arising from our constitution and such as Adam had in innocency But I forbeare the issue of this particular is thus much if that which concerns the worship and service of God cannot be found out by the light of nature much lesse that which concerns his essence and subsistence 2. The doctrine of the Gospel is called by the Apostle a mystery and a mystery without controversie great is the mystery of godliness and what greater Gospel-mystery is there than the Trinity which neither men nor Angels can comprehend and both men and Angels must adore Now if this doctrine be discoverable by natural light it is no more a mystery The works of the flesh are manifest Gal. 5.19 20. saith the Apostle Gal. 5.19 20. Now why are they said to be manifest because they stink in the nostrils of nature and are discernable by the dimme eye of conscience Object 1. Possibly some may say man hath as it were the image or likenesse of a Trinity within himself there are three prime faculties understanding will and memory in one and the same reasonable soul Resol 1. A similitude doth not prove a thing to be but only represent a thing to our fancy which at present hath or at least had a being one way or other for instance it is impossible that any Sonne should know his fathers picture unlesse first he hath seen or heard that his father was such a person as the picture doth represent and by that means hath before hand his fathers idea and image presented in his own soul 2. 'T is denyed that these faculties in mans soul bear the image or likenesse of a Trinity neither can any man by a reflex act upon his own soul attain to the knowledge of this great mystery but such notions as these are the luxuriant extravagancies of some curious braines that would advance earth as high as heaven and do indeed rather darken then illustrate this truth as he who would adde any colour unto light doth rather blemish it than adorn it what a piece of folly would it be to undertake to emblazon a sun-beam Object 2. The doctrine of the Trinity was known to several of the Heathens which had not the Scriptures and therefore is discoverable by the light of nature Resol 1. If the Heathen had any notions of the Trinity they might receive them either by tradition from those who had read the Scriptures or out of the Scriptures themselves and not by the improvement of natural light 2. 'T is very probable that these notions of a Trinity which are found in Plato and Trismegistus were not writ by them but foisted into their works by some that lived in after ages my Reasons are these 1. Those writings which go under the name of the Ancient Fathers are not all truly such but a great part of them supposititious and forged as Mr. Dally proves largely in that learned piece of his called A Treatise of the right use of the Fathers where he gives you an account of whole books that were published under the names of the Apostles as Saint Peter Saint Barnabas and others which were not such Now if men durst be thus bold with the Apostles no wonder if they did not stick to deal thus with Heathens This imposture in the Primitive times was very ordinary yea the fathers themselves have used this Artifice to promote their own opinions as you may read largely in the third Chapter of that book 2. Some are apt to believe that there are clearer notions of a Trinity in some of the books of the Heathens than in the books of Moses and so by consequence the Heathens should know more of the Trinity than the Israel of God which is flat contrary to the Scriptures Psal 76.1 Psal 76.1 In Judah is God known his Name is great in Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his judgements thy have not known them praise ye the Lord. And thus I have done with the first Assertion in answer to this question whither the mystery of the Trinity may be found out by the light of nature viz. that the light of nature without divine Revelation cannot discover it 2. The light of nature after divine Revelation cannot oppose it For 1. As the judgement of sense ought not to be urged against the judgement of reason so the judgement of reason ought not to be urged against the judgement of faith The judgement of sense ought not to be urged against the judgement of reason for instance sense tells us that some of the Stars are as small as spangles I am apt to believe that some Country men think the Sunne to be no bigger than their Cartwheele here reason interposes corrects sense tells us that there being a vast distance between us and them they must needs be very great bodies or else they could not be visible There are thousands of Stars that cause the white streak in the
to us Godlinesse in the Scripture hath the promise of the things of this life 1 Tim. 4.8 and of things to come whatever is good here we are sure of it in the practice of piety and in the world to come as sure of that happinesse but no more can tell what it is then we can tell what the thoughts of all men have been since the first Creation What Arguments can you imagine possibly God himself could propose greater or stronger than these what should hinder me from returning to God That 's the first part of the demonstration Secondly we would expect the Publisher of this Doctrine should himself be exemplary and so was Christ Austin said the whole life of Christ was doctrinal to lead us to piety and good practice he went up and down doing good Did any reproach him he reproached them not again was he reviled he reviled not again when he came to suffer Father not my will but thine be done there 's not such a word as that in all the pieces of Philosophy not such an expression of humility and surrender Father not my will c. An innocent person so saith the Text he is always denying himself he will not be rich and great in the world why he prest you to lay up treasures in heaven he hath not a hole where to lay his head why because he bids you to live upon Gods providence he lived a single life bacause he would have you be as though you had not such and such relations his very enemies could object nothing against him have nothing to do with that just person said Pilates wife I finde no fault in him saith he that condemned him not the Jews themselves were ever able to instance in any evil practice they only charged him and so do still that he wrought miracles by the Divel which was the greatest miracle but they never could charge him with any evil practice leaving us an example 1 Pet. 2.21 Learn of me I am meek and lowly Now what servant would not be willing to do that which his Master does before him Thirdly we would expect he should work miracles to testifie that he had his commission from God for he that shall come to set up a new Law a new Oeconomy a new frame nd constitution of Religion had need assure us that he is Gods messenger if he work miracles we cannot tell what to have more for we certainly conclude that God will not suffer a long series of things extraordinary and quite beyond the course of nature to be done to attest a lye Miracles were bagun by our Saviour and continued many hundred years after just as props that are set under weak Vines so these under the weak faith of the world when it first began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil One said excellently that those whom the speaking tongue did not convince the seeing eyes might certainly convince that these were proper to convince that Christ came from God appears Matth. 11.3.4 where when John sent to know Art thou he that should come that is Art thou the Messiah Go and tell John what you hear and see The blinde receive their sight the lame walk c. John 3.2 Nicodemus saith No man can do these miracles that thou dost except God be with him and John 9.13 the blinde man saith he hath opened mine eyes and how come you to ask how he did it great signs shall follow them that believe Mark 16.17 and these continued in Justin Martyrs Tertullians Cyprians time Gregory Nyssens time Vid. Montacut Apparat. in Praefat. and some part of Chrysostoms time Concerning these miracles give me leave to lay down three Propositions then you will see the strength of the whole Argument 1. They were famous and illustrious for they were done before multitudes Matth. 9.8 Matth. 12.22 23. not done in a corner John 9. when Lazarus was raised they said they could not deny it at his death the Earth quaked the Temple rent there was darknesse for three houres which was observed by Heathens as well as Christians 2. As they were done before a multitude so there were a multitude of miracles insomuch that John saith they were so many that if all should be written the world could not contain the books that should be written John 21.25 That is an Hyperbolical expression for a very great number A learned man hath observed Elisha did but twelve miracles Elijah not so many Moses wrought about seventy six and they which were done by them and all the rest of the Prophets from the beginning of the world to the destruction of the first Temple amounted but to one hundred and fifty miracles in three thousand three hundred twenty eight years there were not as we finde in Scripture so many wrought but now Christ went about healing all manner of sicknesse and curing all manner of diseases Mat. 4.23 Acts 10.38 Questionlesse a very vast number 3. They were of all sorts and of all kinds a woman that had an issue of blood twelve years Matth. 9.20 and a woman that had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years Luke 13.11 and one that had an infirmity thirty eight years John 5.8 the dead were raised the Divels were cast out the Sea commanded the winds obey they are of all sorts and kinds Observe also this that you do not read or finde by any thing that there was the least of them done out of any ostentation there was no such thing done by Christ or his Apostles to call men out and say Come I l'e shew you what I can do that should shew any kind of arrogant affectation to themselves but the greatest humility and modesty runs through all the exercise of this mighty power and this practice was ordinary among the common Professors then yea the Galatians they received that spirit by which miracles were wrought among themselves Secondly such famous miracles were a sufficient ground to make men believe this holy doctrine who saw the miracles wrought by them that preached it for if they did not it must be either because they questioned whether the things were done or whether done by God or not they could not question whether the things were done for they saw some raised out of their graves c. Nor could they question whether this was from God or not for observe Where I see miracles wrought there I am bound to believe that they give testimony to what is preached by him that works them except that which is preached is that of which I am infallibly assur'd already it cannot be true except God does by some greater miracle contradict the testimony of those miracles as now the Egyptians they wrought miracles but God contradicted all their testimony by Moses Now observe the end of all Christian Religion is to preach truth to glorifie God to honour God to save a mans soul Never was there any exerting of Gods power to contradict it so that if a man
in his creation with a perfect and universal rectitude 2. That mans defection from his primitive state was purely voluntary and from the unconstrained choice of his own mutable and self-determining will Though the latter part of the Text would afford a sufficient ground to treat of the state of man now fallen yet that being by agreement left to another hand I observe no more from it then what concerns the manner of his fall and that only as it depended on a mutable will In handling these truths I shall 1. Open them in certain explicatory Theses 2. Improve them in some few praictcal and applicatory inferences 1. About the former that God endued c. take these Propositions for explication Prop. 1 1. All created rectitude consists in conformity to some rule or Law Rectitude is a meer relative thing and its relation is to a rule By a rule I here mean a law strictly taken and therefore I speak this only of created rectitude A law is a rule of duty given by a Superiour to an Inferiour nothing can be in that sense a rule to God or the measure of increated rectitude Prop. 2 2. The highest rule of all created rectitude is the will of God considered as including most intrinsecally an eternal and immutable reason justice and goodness 'T is certain there can be no higher rule to creatures than the divine Will Rom. 7.12 Rom. 12.102 Ezek. 18.25 ch 33. and as certain that the government of God over his creatures is alwayes reasonable and just and gracious and that this reasonablenesse justice and goodnesse by which it is so should be subjected any where but in God himself none that know what God is according to our more obvious notions of him can possibly think Prop. 3 3. Any sufficient signification of this Will touching the reasonable creatures duty is a law indispensably obliging such a creature A law is a constitution de debito and 't is the Legislatours will not concealed in his own breast but duly expressed that makes this constitution and infers an obligation on the Subject Prop. 4 4. The Law given to Adam at his creation was partly natural given by way of internal impression upon his soul partly positive given as is probable by some more external discovery or revelation That the main body of laws whereby man was to be governed should be at first given no other way than by stamping them upon his mind and heart was a thing congruous enough to his innocent state as it is to Angels and Saints in glory it being then exactly contempered to his nature highly approvable to his reason as is evident in that being faln his reason ceases not to approve it Rom. 2.18 fully sutable to the inclination and tendency of his will and not at all regretted by any reluctant principle that might in the least oppose or render him doubtful about his duty Yet was it most reasonable also that some positive commands should be superadded that Gods right of dominion and government over him as Creatour might be more expresly asserted and he might more fully apprehend his own obligation as a creature to do somethings because it was his Makers Will as well as others because they appeared to him in their own nature reasonable and fit to be done for so the whole of what God requires of man is fitly distinguished into some things which he commands because they are just and some things that are just because he commands them Prop. 5 5. Adam was indued in his creation with a sufficient ability and habitude to conform to this whole Law both natural and positive in which ability and habitude his original rectitude did consist This Proposition carries in it the main truth we have now in hand therefore requires to be more distinctly insisted on There are two things in it to be considered The thing it self he was endued with The manner of the endowment 1. The thing it self wherewith he was endued that was uprightnesse rectitude otherwise called the image of God though that expression comprehends more than we now speak of as his immortality dominion over the inferiour creatures c. which uprightness or rectitude consisted in the habitual conformity or conformability of all his natural powers to this whole Law of God and is therefore considerable two wayes viz. In relation to its Subject Rule 1. In relation to its subject that was the whole soul in some sense it may be said the whole man even the several powers of it And here we are led to consider the parts of this rectitude for 't is coextended if that phrase may be allowed with its subject and lies spread out into the several powers of the soul for had any power been left destitute of it such is the frame of man and the dependance of his natural powers on each other in order to action that it had disabled him to obey and had destroyed his rectitude for bonum non oritur nisi ex causis integris malum vero ex quovis defectu Davenant de justitia habituali i. And hence as Davenant well observes according to the parts if I may so speak of the subject wherein it was Mans original rectitude must be understood to consist of 1. A perfect illumination of mind to understand and know the Will of God 2. A compliance of heart and will therewith 3. An obedient subordination of the sensitive appetite and other inferiour powers that in nothing they might resist the former That it comprehends all these appears by comparing Col. 3.10 where the image of God wherein man was created is said to consist in knowledge that hath its seat and subject in the mind with Ephes 4.24 where righteousness and holiness are also mentioned the one whereof consists in equity towards men the other in loyalty and devotedness to God both which necessarily suppose the due framing of the other powers of the soul to the ducture of an inlightened mind And besides that work of sanctification which in these Scriptures is expresly called a renovation of man according to the image of God wherein he was created doth in other Scriptures appear as the forementioned Authour also observes to consist of parts proportionable to these I mention viz. illumination of mind Ephes 1.18 conversion of heart Psal 51.10 victory over concupiscence Rom. 6.7 throughout 2. Consider this rectitude in relation to its Rule that is the Will of God revealed 1 John 3.4 or the Law of God sin is the transgression of the Law and accordingly righteousnesse must needs be conformity to the Law viz. actual righteousnesse consists in actual conformity to the Law that habitual rectitude which Adam was furnished with in his Creation of which we are speaking in an habitual conformity or an ability to conform to the same Law This habitual conformity was as of the whole soul so to the whole Law i. e. to both the parts or kinds of it natural and positive
He was furnish't with particular principles inclining him to comply with whatsoever the Law of nature had laid before him and with a general principle disposing him to yield to whatsoever any positive Law should lay before him as the Will of God And if it be said in reference to the former of these that this Law of nature impressed upon Adams soul was his very rectitude therefore how can this rectitude be a conformity to this Law I answer Aquin. Summ. 1. A Law is twofold Regulans Regulata 2. The Law of nature impressed upon the soul of Adam must be considered 1. As subjected in his mind so it consisted of certain practical notions about good and evil right and wrong c. 2. As subjected in his heart so it consisted in certain habitual inclinations to conform to those principles Now these inclinations of the heart though they are a rule to actions they are yet something ruled in reference to those notions in the mind and their conformity thereto makes one part of Original rectitude And those notions though they are a rule to these inclinations yet they are something ruled in reference to the Will of God signified by them and in the conformity thereto consists another part of this Original rectitude 2. We have to consider the manner of this endowment And as to this 't is much disputed among the Schoolmen whether it were natural or supernatural I shall only lay down in few words what I conceive to be cleare and indisputable 1. If by natural you mean essential whether constitutively or consecutively so Original righteousnesse was not natural to man for then he could never nave lost it without the loss of his being 2. If by natural you mean connatural i. e. concreate with the nature of man and consonant thereto so I doubt not but it was natural to him Prop. 6 6. This rectitude of mans nature could not but infer and include his actual blessednesse while he should act according to it According to the tenour of the Covenant it could not but infer it And consider this rectitude in it self it must needs include it The rectitude of his understanding including his knowledge of the highest good and the rectitude of his will and affections the acceptance and enjoyment thereof Aug. de civitate Dei as Augustine in this case nullum bonum abesset homini quod recta voluntas optare posset c. Thus far of the holinesse and blessednesse of mans first state It follows to speak of the mutability of it and of his fall as depending thereon Doctrine 2 2. That mans defection from his Primitive state was mearly voluntary and from the unconstrained choice of his own mutable and self-determining will For the asserting of this truth take the following Propositions Prop. 1 1. That the nature of man is now become universally depraved and sinful This Scripture is ful of * 1 Kings 8.46 Psal 14.1 Rom. 3.12 c. cap. 5.12 13 c. 1 John 5.19 c. and experience and common observation puts it beyond dispute 'T is left then that sinne must have had some Original among men Prop. 2 2. The pure and holy nature of God could never be the Original of mans sin This is evident in it self God disclaims it nor can any affirm it of him without denying his very being He could not be the cause of uâ—holiâ—esse but by ceasing to be holy which would suppose him mutably holy and if either God or man must be confessed mutable 't is no difficulty where to lay it whatever he is he is essentially and necessity of existence of being always what he is James 1.17 remains everlastingly the fundamental attribute of his being Prop. 3 3. 'T is blasphemous and absurd to talk of two principles as the Manichees of old the one good per se and the cause of all good the other evil per se and the cause of all evil Bradwardine de causa Dei Bradwardines two Arguments 1. That this would suppose two Gods two Independent beings 2. That it would suppose an evil God do sufficiently convince this to be full both of blasphemy and contradiction Prop. 4 4. It was not possible that either external objects or the temptation of the Divel should necessitate the will of man to sinne External objects could not for that were to reject all upon God for if he create objects with such an allective power in them and create such an appetite in man as cannot but work inordinately and sinfully towards those objects it must needs inferre his efficacious necessitation of sinne being it would destroy the truth already established that God created man with such a rectitude as that there was a sufficient ability in his Superiour powers for the cohibition and restraint of the Inferiour that they should not work inordinately towards their objects The Divel could not do it for the same reason having no way to move the will of man but by the proposal of objects yet that by this means which he could in many respects manage most advantagiously he did much help forward the first sinne Scripture leaves us not to doubt Prop. 5 5. The whole nature of sinne consisting only in a defect no other cause need be designed of it than a defective i. e. an understanding will and Inferiour powers however originally good yet mutably and defectively so I shall not insist to prove that sinne is no positive bang but I take the Argument to be irrefragable notwithstanding the Cavils made against it that is drawn from that common Maxime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dion de Div. nom that omne ens positivum est vel primum vel à primo And that of Dionysius the Areopagite is an ingenuous one he argues that no being can be evil per se for then it must be immutably to which no evill can be for to be alwayes the same is a certain property of goodnesse 't is so even of the highest goodnesse And hence sinne being supposed only a defect a soul that is only defectibly holy might well enough be the cause of it i. e. the deficient cause Nor is it in the least stranage that man should be at first created with a defectible holinesse for if he were immutably holy either it must be ex naturâ or ex gratiâ ex naturâ it could not be for that would suppose him God if it were ex gratiâ then it must be free then it might be or might not be therefore there was no incongruity in it that it should not be And indeed it was most congruous that God having newly made such a creature furnished with such powers so capable of government by a Law of being moved by promises and threats he should for some time hold him as a viator in a state of tryal unconfirmed as he did also the innocent Angels that it might be seen how he would behave himself towards his Maker and that he
should be rewardable and punishable accordingly in a state that should be everlasting and unchangeable The liberty therefore of the Viators and the Comprehensors Gibieuf well distinguishes into inchoata or consummabilis Gibieuf de libertate Dei creatur ae and perfecta or consummata the former such as Adams was at his Creation the latter such as is the state of Angels and Saints in glory and as his would have been had he held out and persisted innocent through the intended time of tryal It was therefore no strange thing that man should be created defectible 't was as little strange that a defectible creature should deficere For the manner of that defection whether errour of the understanding preceded or inconsideration only and a neglect of its office with the great difficulties some imagine herein I wave discourse about them judging that advice good and sober for to consider how sinne may be gotten out of the world then how it came in Though 't is most probable there was in the instant of temptation a meere suspension of the understandings act not as previous to the sinne but as a part of it and thereupon a sudden precipitation of will Estius in scil as Estius doth well determine 6. Man being created mutable as to his holinesse must needs be so as to his happinesse too And that both upon a legal account for the Law had determined that if he did sinne he must dye and also upon a natural for it was not possible that his soul being once depraved by sinne the powers of it vitiated their order each to other and towards their objects broken and interrupted there should remaine a disposition and aptitude to converse with the highest good The Use follows which shall be only in certain practical Inferences that will issue from these truths partly considered singly and severally partly together and in conjunction From the first 1. Did God create man upright as hath been shewn then how little reason had man to sinne how little reason had he to desert God to be weary of his first estate Could Gods making him his making him upright be a reason why he should sinne against him was his directing his heart and the natural course of his affections towards himself a reason why he should forsake him what was there in his state that should make it grievous to him was his duty too much for him God made him upright so that every part of it was connatural to him was his priviledge too little he knew and loved and enjoyed the highest and infinite good O think then how unreasonable and disingenuous a thing sin was that a creature that was nothing but a few houres ago now a reasonable being capable of God! yet sin Urge your hearts with this we are too apt to think our selves unconcerned in Adams sin we look upon our selves too abstractly we should remember we are Members of a Community and it should be grievous to us to think that our species hath dealt so unkindly and unworthily with God and besides do not we sinne daily after the similitude of Adams transgression and is not sin as unreasonable and unjust a thing as ever 2. Was our primitive state so good and happy how justly may we reflect and look back towards our first state how fitly might we take up Jobs words Job 29.2 4 5 14 20. O that I were as in months past As in the dayes of my youth When the Almighty was yet with me When I put on righteousnesse and it cloathed me When my glory was fresh in me c. With what sadnesse may we call to minde the things that are past and the beginnings of Ancient time when there was no stain upon our natures no cloud upon our minds no pollution upon our hearts when with pure and undefiled souls we could embrace and rest and rejoyce in the eternal and incomprehensible good when we remember these things do not our bowels turn are not our souls poured out within us From the second 1. Did man so voluntarily ruine himself how unlikely is he now to be his own saviour he that was a self-destroyer from the beginning that ruined himself as soon as God had made him is he likely now to save himself is it easier for him to recover his station than to have kept it or hath he improved himself by sinning and gain'd strength by his fall for a more difficult undertaking is he grown better natur'd towards himself and his God than he was at first 2. How little reason hath he to blame God though he finally perish what would he have had God to have done more to prevent it he gave his Law to direct him his threatning to warn him his promise for his encouragement was evidently implyed his nature was sufficiently disposed to improve and comport with all these yet he sins is God to be charg'd with this sins upon no necessity with no pretence but that he must be seeking out inventions trying experiments assaying to better his state as plainly despising the Law suspecting the truth envying the greatnesse asserting and aspiring to the Soveraignty and Godhead of his Maker Had we any of us a minde to contend with God about this matter how would we order our cause how would we state our quarrel if we complain that we should be condemn'd and ruin'd all in one man that is to complain that we are Adams children A childe might as well complain that he is the sonne of a Beggar or a Traytor and charge it as injustice upon the Prince or Law of the Land that he is not born to a Patrimony this is a misery to him but no man will say it is a wrong And can it be said we are wrong'd by the common Ruler of the world that we do not inherit from our father the righteousnesse and felicity we had wilfully lost long before we were his children If we think it hard we should be tyed to termes we never consented to Might not an heire as well quarrel with the Magistrate that he suffers him to become liable to his fathers debts and to lie in prison if he have not to pay But besides who can imagine but we should have consented had all man-kind been at that time existent in innocency together i. e. Let the case be stated thus suppose Adam our common Parent to have had all his children together with him before the Lord while the Covenant of Works was not as yet made and while as yet God was not under any engagment to the children of men Let it be supposed that he did propound it to the whole race of man-kind together that he would capitulate with their common Parent on their behalf according to the termes of that first Covenant if he stood they should stand if he fall they must all fall with him Let it be considered that if this had not been consented to God might without the least colour of exception being
shewed the expiation of sin and therefore their Sacrifices were killed and the blood shed and sprinkled Heb. 9.22 23. 2. The Covenant at Mount Sinai was not made with all without exception as Adams was but only with a select people even with Israel 3. Because the Lord still puts them in minde of his promise to Abraham which included Christ and faith in him Gal. 3.16 17. and was not null by the Law Quest 5. The last question is how long this Covenant lasted and whither any be under a Covenant of Works Answ Most strictly it was but to the giving of the first promise for then the Covenant of Grace began but was more largely and clearly revealed till the coming of Christ by the Law and the Prophets but was most perspicuously and fully by Christ himself in his doctrine and death and by the abundant pouring out of his Spirit Howbeit all along and to this day every natural man is under a Covenant of Works because out of Christ therefore under the Law and the curse of it for which cause the Covenant of Works is by some called the Covenant of nature Faedus naturae Again all they which look for righteousnesse and salvation by the power of their wills by the strength of nature and by performance of duties as Jews Turks Philosophers Papists Socinians Gal. 4.24 25. Pelagians these are all under a Covenant of Works they are not under grace they are of Hagar the Bond-woman of Mount Sinai which answers to Jerusalem which now is which is in bondage with her children as the Apostle speaks in his elegant Allegory I come now to draw some Corollaries from this doctrine of the Covenant of Works thus propounded in a practical way of application and that briefly Corol. 1. It serves for admiration to wonder with a holy astonishment at the Lords infinite condescending love in making a Covenant with poor man 1. Because it was a free act in him to do it he lay under no compulsion to it Rom. 9.15 16. nothing of merit or profit in a despicable worme appears as a motive to it it was a royal act of glorious grace from the King of heaven to vile creatures O wonderful 2. Because as it was free for him to do it so he bound his hands by it and as it were lost his freedome by it for his truth holds him fast to it Hebr. 6.18 by which its impossible for him to change O wonderful 3. He made the first offer he prevented us by his grace he loved us first 1 John 4.10 19. all this appeared in the first Covenant with us Bullinger de fâ—â—dere Dei unios aeterno in vouchsafing us to make any at all with him Ineffabilis misericordiae Divinae Argumentum quod ipsum numen ipse inquam Deus Aeternus faedus ipsum primus offert nullis ad hoc hominum meritis adactus sed merâ nativâ bonitate impulsus nec scio an humanum ingenium hoc mysterium vel plenè toncipere vel dignis laudibus evehere possit Unspeakable mercy that the eternal God should first offer to league with us moved to it by no merit in us but by his own native goodnesse only a mystery which the minde of man cannot conceive nor his tongue praise to the worth of it thus a grave Authour which will the more inhance the love of God if we 4. Consider that he makes Covenant upon Covenant after breaches and forfeitures renews them again and ratifies them stronger than ever as he did the new Covenant after the old was broken by our high and hainous provocation in the fall and which he doth to every elect soul in the Sacraments and after grosse and grievous Apostasies See Jerem. 3.1 Ezek. 16.60 61 62 63. Hos 2. O admire and adore this love Corol. 2. Seeing there are two Covenants on foot one of Works another of grace and very many yea the farre greatest part of the world are under a Covenant of Works which is a most sad and doleful estate because a state of wrath and death a most wretched and accursed condition O try under what Covenant thou art for if thou art in the state of sinful nature a sprowt of old Adam never yet cut off from his root of bitternesse nor graffed into Christ thou art undone to be under such a Covenant is to be an enemy to God and to be lyable to all his plagues O make haste then and flee as a Post and as the young Roe into Christs Armes For consider how thou canst stand before the Bar of God in thy sins in thy nakednesse Adam fled away from the presence of God afraid and ashamed hiding himself in the Thicket because he was naked but where wilt thou hide thy nakednesse in that dreadful day of the Lord there will be no shelter in that day for a sinner Corol. 3. Labour to understand and discern aright the nature tenour and termes of both Covenants 1. Because they are easiiy mistaken and many do mistake them Rom. 10.2 3. 2. Because the mistake is dangerous like a man in the dark as he travels findes two wayes one way is wrong Prov. 14.12 yet it seems as good and safe as the other he goes on in the wrong which leads him to a Rock where he falls down headlong and breaks his neck so many a poor soul imagines he is under a Covenant of Grace and in a safe way to heaven when alas he is yet under a Covenant of Works and in the high-way to hell Labour then to discern the difference search Scriptures and thy own heart go to the Lord by prayer Job 33.23 and to his M nisters that they may shew thee thy way lest thou go on to thy destruction And therefore Corol. 4. Improve the Covenant of works for the conviction of sin righteousness and judgement for till the Lord lets thee see what it is to be under such a state thou wilt never see the evil of it nor ever desire to change it Corol. 5. Renounce thy Covenants with sin Satan and creatures or else thou wilt never be admitted into Covenant with God if thou break not with them God will never close with thee if thou be a Covenant-servant to them thou art no Covenant-servant of the Lords for how canst thou serve those two Masters Matth. 6.24 1 Joh. 2.15 16. God and Mammon both which crave thy whole man and thy whole work and which are utterly inconsistent with each other Corol. 6. Labour to relieve thy self under thy greatest straits and sears by Covenant promises I mean the promises of the new Covenant which are called better promises Hebr. 8.6 10 11 12. Joh. 15. because absolute prâ—mises because they work that in us and for us which God requires of us when of our selves we can do nothing As the new Covenant is the best Covenant and the promises of it the best promises Isa 55.3 Acts
1. The term from which this commences viz. the very first receiving of our natures and beings from our Parents from the first original and moment of our being we received with all a liliablenesse to the wrath and curse of God Psalme 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me 2. The ground for which this wrath impends and hovers viz. nature not first created for that was upright after God but the corrupted nature which is conveyed and derived with our beings Eccles 7.29 Gen. 1.27 This very nature leads to deserves and will lodge under eternal wrath every mothers child in whom regeneration and transplantation into Christ are not found The Doctrine then comprising the summe of the Text is this Doctr. Every man and woman from their very first conception through a corrupted nature are under the Lords wrath and continuing such not new-born and engraffed into Christ that wrath shall abide upon them for ever We may not mince and extenuate here with the Pelagian as if this only were by imitation Flatterers of nature may lessen the wound but Heires of grace should and will rather magnifie their Physitian Nor may we limit and confine this truth as if it concern'd native Turks Mat. 23.15 canker'd Papists and the Proselytes of the Pharisees only to be children of hell when it knocks at every of our doors Jew and Gentile promiscuously Neither people nor Ministers not Apostles can exempt themselves great and small rich and poor those which the Lord hath not appointed unto wrath but to obtain salvation by their Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5.9 yet by nature are children of wrath even as others This wrath in the Scriptures hath several Names respectively to the Law-giver it is called wrath respectively to the Law it self the curse respectively to the effects of both it is translated vengeance Rom. 3.5 Man by nature is exposed unto all these 1. He is exposed to the wrath of the Law-giver Here 1. Take some Cautions that we may duly conceive of wrath the root of all penal afflictions on Gods part as sin is the meritoriâ—us root on mans part All wars with men begin in wrath Animosities first boyle within and then wars break out James 4.1 From whence come wars and fightings among you Come they not hence from your lusts which war in your memb rs and in special this of wrath so there is somewhat proportionable in God if understood sutably to his glorious Being namely wrath perfectly clean from all dregs of 1. Folly the fool never more peeps out than in passion Prov. 14.29 He that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly that is sets it aloft that every body may discern and take notice of it but the Lord is 1 Sam. 2.3 A God of knowledge by whom actions are weighed 2. Injustice Gods wrath is a clear fire without any smoke of unrighteousnesse Rom. 3.5 Is God unrighteous that inferreth wrath he cannot be We plough with an Oxe and an Asse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mingle drosse with our zeal c. 3. Perturbation the wrath of men is the rage of men who disjoint and discompose themselves as well as others but the Lord acts and suffers not in his wrath Prov. 11.17 he strikes wounds destroys from the infinite holinesse and justice of his nature declaring it self against all sin with the exactest serenity and oneness of minde and frame within himself from everlasting to everlasting This is the root of all wars with sinful men Moses saw the plague growing up out of this root Num. 16.46 Wrath is gone out from the Lord and the plague is begun Job 21.17 He distributeth sorrows in his anger 2. Consider what this wrath implies two things 1. That the Lord is highly displeased with men and women in their natural estate though never so goodly a vernish of Religion be above yet if nothing but nature be underneath Isa 10.6 an hypocritical Nation are the people of the Lords wrath No created understanding can conceive exactly what this displeasure is Psal 90.11 Who knoweth the power of thy anger even according to thy fear so is thy wrath Take some short ladders that our thoughts may a little climbe up by and consider seriously and deeply 1. What a Kings wrath is Prov. 20.2 The fear of a King is as the roaring of a Lyon who so provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul that is acteth as an enemy to his own life and Prov. 16.14 The wrath of a King is as the Messengers of death but the wise man will pacifie it as that which he cannot resist Eccles 8.4 Where the Word of a King is there is power and who may say to him What do thou that is where not only the name but the reality of a King is he sustains the person of the Common-wealth and hath the strength and power of all put into his hand and hath power to execute his wrath and will not be controlled nor expostulated with And what can a Branch do against the whole Tree The King is wroth and Hamans face is covered Prov. 27.3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty but a fools wrath that is that hath power is heavier than them both to crush a weak person that standeth in his way All these are but toyes to the power and weight of Gods wrath 2. What an incensed brothers wrath is that hath a little more power Rebecca understanding Esau his wrath against Jacob packs him away till that wrath be over Gen. 27.43 44. If a mother dare not venture a childe into an angry sons presence nor a brother himself into an angry brothers presence how insufferable will the angry presence of the Lord be 3. What Gods Fatherly refining wrath is against the drosse that mingleth it self with his Worship and Ordinances and what dreadful Furnaces he hath put the Vessels of mercy into to take away their tin from them Mal. 3.2 Who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a Refiners fire If men cannot bear Christs coming with a refining fire to purge out drosse much lesse not his coming with flaming fire 2 Thes 1.8 to consume and burn up persons and drosse together We have need of grace to serve him acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God that is related to us in Christ is a consuming fire Hebr. 12.28 29. 4. What afflictions are how very bitter yet separated from wrath they may be born with comfort The mingling of fire with the haile in Egypt made it so very dreadful Exod. 9.24 The fire of the Lords wrath mingled with stormes renders them so grievous to be stood unde Hell it self would not be so dreadful did not the breath of the Lord that is the wrath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone kindle it Isa 30.33 The Prophet submits to any stroaks only deprecates wrath as worse than any stroaks
and living in heaven should not be as powerful to save and bring us to God as Christ dying was to reconcile us to him The third Comparison is the privative mercy or being saved from hell with the positive mercy or obtaining a title to heaven Verse 11. and not only so but we joy in God as having now received the atonement 2. For the comparison between Christ and Adam the sum of it is that Christ is more able to save than Adam to destroy and therefore justified persons need to fear nothing As Adam was a publick person and root of man-kinde so is Christ a publick person for Adam was * The figure of him that was to come Rom. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adam was a publick person but a finite person having no intrinsick value in himself and only was all us by divine institution but Christ besides the institution of God was an infinite person and therefore there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a much more upon Christ his sacred vertue exceedeth that cursed influence of Adam in many particulars amply set down in the latter end of the Chapter by the Apostle The words begin the first Comparison In them 1. The condition wherein we are by nature is set forth by two notions ungodly and without strength the one noteth we have no worth to move God to help us for we were ungodly the other that we have no power to help our selves for we were without strength we were without strength and so need help ungodly and so refused help 2. The means of our recovery Christ died for us 3. The s asonablenesse of our redemption in due time For the first notion whereby our natural estate is expressed ungodly I shall pass it by the next notion without strength will yield us this point That man faln is destitute of all power and means of rising again or helping himself out of that misery into which he hath plunged himself by sin This will appeare if you consider his condition with respect to the Law or with respect to the Gospel and those terms of grace which God offers in Christ the former more properly falls under the consideration of this place but because of the method of this exercise you expect the discussion of the latter also I shall take occasion from hence to speak of that 1. With respect to the Law that will be understood by a view of that Scripture that expresseth the tenour of the Law Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all the words of this Law to do them where is considerable 1. The duty is exacts 2. The penalty it inflicts 3. The operation that both these have upon the faln creature 1. The duty it exacts an innocent nature that is presupposed for the person must continue it doth not say Now being the sentence of the Law doth not suppose man as lapsed and faln or as having already broken with God but as in a good and sound estate and then universal perpetual perfect obedience is indispenceably required he must continue in all things with all the heart and that continually if he fails in one point he is gone this is personally exacted of all men as long as they abide under Adams Covenant he that doth them shall live in them and the sould that sinnes shall dye Now if God should call us to an account for the most inoffensive day that ever we passed over what would become of us Psal 130.3 If thu shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who could * That is rectas in curia be able to make a bold defence stand better never born than to be liable to that judgement when the Law shall take the sinner by the throat and say Pay me that thou owest what shall he poor wretch do so that here we are without strength altogether unable to come up to the obedience of the Law of works Rom. 8.3 The Law can make nothing perfect because 't is become weak through our flesh to faln man it establisheth a course of punishing sin not of taking away sin we may increase the debt but we cannot lessen it if our obedience were exact for the future let us suppose it yet the paying of new debts doth not quit old scores they that could not keep themselves when intire and innocent cannot recover themselves when lost and faln 2. The penalty it inflicts Cursed is every one how cursed cursed in all that he hath Deut. 28.15 16 17 18. All his enjoyments become a snare and temporal comforts do but harden him and prepare him for a greater misery Cursed in all that he doth his prayer is turned into sin his hearing the savour of death unto death all his toyle and labour in outward service is to no purpose Prov. 21.27 The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind At the best 't is but an abomination God will not accept an offering at his hands much more when 't is pulluted with sinful and evil aimes but this is not all he is cursed for evermore the Law bindeth him over body and soul to everlasting torments and in time he shall hear that dreadful sentence Matth. 25.41 Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels there is but the slender thread of a fraile life that hinders the execution of this sentence upon him a sinner stands upon the very brink of hell and ever and anon is ready to be cast in where he shall eternally lie under the wrath of God so that here we are without strength because we cannot satisfie the justice of God for one sin but are alwayes satisfying and can never be said to have satisfied like a poor man that pays a debt of a thousand pounds by a farthing a week 3. Consider how this works with him an exaction of duty under so severe a penalty doth either terrifie or stupifie the conscience he that escapeth the one suffereth the other or else thirdly doth irritate corruption or fourthly obtrude us upon a sottish despaire so as to give over all endeavours and hope of salvation First Sometimes it terrifieth that 's easily done the conscience of a sinner is a sore place they are all their life time subject to bondage Hebr. 2.14 There is a hidden fear in the heart of a wicked man not alwayes felt but soon awakened either by a sound conviction from the Word or some sore judgment or by the agonies of death or serious thoughts of the world to come Foelix trembled when Paul did but mention Gods judgment Acts 24.25 the Prisoner makes the Judge tremble a sinner is afraid to think of his condition if God do but a little break in upon his heart do what he can he lies under the bondage of a wounded spirit and where ever he goes like the Divels he carrieth his own hell about with him Secondly If it terrifieth not the conscience it
to be enlarged by another 5. The fifth thing to be considered in the Gospel-Covenant is the efficacy of it I did not so much as mention the efficacy of the former Covenants for there was never so much as any one made happy by them 't is sadly true that the threatnings of punishment for the neglect of duty took hold of them the threatnings seemed plainly to belong to the nature of those Covenants but in the Gospel Covenant 't is otherwise for it is said John 3.36 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abides which shews that the wrath was brought upon them by the violation of the former Covenant he speaks as of that which was upon them already But yet mistake not as if refusing the Gospel were no sin or not punished they sin more grievously that sin against Gospel love than they that sin only against Legal goodness but wrath doth not properly belong to the Essence of the Gospel Thus you have the first thing I undertook namely the nature of the Covenant positively considered the second is the comparative excellency of the New Covenant above others I will be brief in shewing its excellency above the Covenant of Works more large in shewing you how 't is better than the Old Covenant of Grace Only suppose to prevent mistakes that each Covenant is in its own kind most perfect and most accommodated to the state of the people and to the purposes for which they were instituted This premised First The New Covenant of Grace is better than the Covenant of Nature I forbear to speak of the agreement and diffâ—rence of them I shall speak only of the excellency of this better Covenant 1. The Covenant of Works was a Declaration of Gods Justice than which nothing can be more terrible to a guilty sinner but the Covenant of Grace is a Declaration of Gods mercy in Christ and let the overwhelmed conscience speak is not this better 2. The Foundation of the Covenant of Works was the Creation of man and the integrity of his nature the Foundation of the Covenant of Grace is mans Redemption by Jesus Christ 3. The Promise of the Covenant of Works was eternal life in Paradise the Promise of the New Covenant is eternal life in Heaven 4. The Covenant of Works had no Mediator no possibility of recovering the least slip the New Covenant is ratified in the blood of the Son of God 't is composed on purpose for our relief * Camero Thus the New Covenant is better than the Covenant of Works Secondly The Gospel-Covenant is better than the Old Covenant of Grace Beloved you may observe I do not say better than the Covenant strictly Legal but better than the whole Dispensation which the Jews and all other Believers lived under before Christs Incarnation better than the Old Doctrine of spiritual grace delivered by Moses and the Prophets openly promising Eternal life unto the Fathers and the Dull people of the Jews under the condition of perfect obedience to the Moral Law together with the intolerable burdens of Legal rights and yoke of most straight Mosaical policy but covertly under the condition of repentance and faith in the future Messiah prefigured in the shadowes and types of Ceremonies that by this forme of Divine worship and policy a stiffe-necked people might partly be tamed and partly be brought to Christ that lay hid under those Ceremonies So that in short you see the Old Testament or the Old Covenant for by a Metonymie they are chiefly one and the same thing and the Apostle plainly so expresseth himself 2 Cor. 3.14 Untill this day remaineth the same vaile untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament which vaile is done away in Christ and this contains these three things 1. The old kind of doctrine which was openly and principally Legal covertly and lesse principally Evangelical 2. The old way of worship and Legal Priest-hood 3. That Mosaical policy which was tyed to one people * Paraeus This Covenant was made by God to Adam presently after the fall G n. 3.15 afterward to Abraham and his posterity Gen. 17.1 2 7 8. The symbole of this Covenant was circumcision from verse 10. to the 14. I forbear further particularising to whom it was often renewed and confirmed whereupon it is called the Covenants Rom. 9.4 Ephes 2.12 Now the New Covenant of Reconciliation to God by Christ exhibited in the flesh is the better Covenant The Gospel is the Table of the New Testament longè divinioâ— quam smaragdina Hermetis far beyond the Emerauld Table of Hermes which the Chymists vainly boast to yield the Philosophers stone to enrich all persons and the Panacea that cures all diseases here 's the elect and precious stone 1 Pet. 2.6 * Crocii Syntag. But I will come to particulars only premising this Caution Caution Let not any thing I shall say be interpreted as if I put an hostile contrariety between the Old Covenant and the New in spiritual practice they yield spiritual help to each other Justin Martyr saith that grace is not according to the Law nor against the Law but above the Law therefore they are not adversa but diversa the Gospel in Scripture is called the Law Isa 2.3 only 't is the Law of faith Rom. 3.27 and the Law of the Spirit Rom. 8.2 therefore when we advance the Gospel Rom. 3.31 do we then make voide the Law through faith God forbid yea we establish the Law Gal. 3.21 Is the Law then against the promises of God God forbid for if there had been a Law given which could have given life vâ—rily righteousnesse should havâ— been by the law The believers in the Old Testament were saved by the free mercy of God in Christ Gerhar l. c. Heb. 9.15 He is the Mediator of the New Testament and by means of death for the Redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance And their Sacraments and ours Maccov l. c. sealed the same â—hing 1 Cor. 10.3 4. They did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. This premised I shall now shew you the excellency of the Gospel-Covenant 1. The Gospel-Covenant is a better Covenant than the Legal in respect of its Original and manner of patefaction 't is true they have both one principal efficient cause but the Law may in some sort be known by nature it was written in mans heart at the first and the character is not wholly worne out Rom. 2.15 The Gentiles shew the work of the Law written in their hearts but now the Gospel was immediately manifested from God to the Church alone Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Mat. 16.16 17. And Simon Peter answered
8.33 Christ hath died who still makes Intercession and both these are so full so sufficient a relief against the guilt of sin that as we have no other so we need no other as the High Priests bore the names of the people before the Lord so does Jesus Christ the names of his Elect Heb. 9.25 Heb. 9.12.24 Heb. 10.12 Heb. 11.25 1 John 2.1 but the High Priests of Old were at certain times only to appeare before the Lord once a yeare to enter into the holy place but Christ our spiritual High Priest is not only entered but sat down at the right hand of God to negotiate constantly on his Churches behalf He ever lives to make Intercession Heb. 11 25. And besides the constancy consider the prevalency of his Intercession that God that regards the cry of Ravens that will not altogether neglect the humiliation of Ahab that God that is so ready to answer and honour the prayers of his own people cannot but much more regard the prayers of his only Son praying by his blood and praying for nothing more than what himself hath deserved and purchased He that is such a great High Priest is excellently fitted in respect of this Office for the work of Mediation 2. The Prophetical Office of Christ is the great Deut. 18.15 Joh. 1.24 25 45. John 6.14 the only relief we have against the blindnesse and ignorance of our mindes He is that great Prophet of his Church whom Moses fore-told the Jews expected and all men needed that Sun of Righteousnesse who by his glorious beams dispels those mists of ignorance and errour which darken the mindes of men and is therefore stiled by way of eminency that light John 1.8 and the true light Joh. 1.9 The execution of this Prophetical Office is partly by revealing so much of the Will of God as was necessary to our salvation partly by making those revelations powerful and effectual 1. In revealing the Will of God for no man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 1.18 The manner of revealing the mind of God hath been different in several ages 1. Sometimes making use of instruments who were either ordinary as under the Law the Priests whose lips should preserve knowledge and under the Gospel Pastors and Teachers Mal. 2.7 2 Chron. 15.3 Eph. 4.11 12 13. Or else extraordinary as Prophets under the Law and Apostles and Evangelists in the first plantation of the Gospel 2. For sometime instructing his Church immediately in his own person Heb. 1.1 2. 2. In enlightening effectually the souls of his people in causing the blinde to see and making them who were once darknesse to be light in the Lord Eph. 5.2 Thus he instructs by his Word and by his Spirit 1 Pet. 1.12 and by that Soveraignty he hath over the hearts of men opens their hearts to receive his counsels He that can thus speak not only to the eare but to the heart is also in this Office excellently fitted for the work of Mediation 3. The Kingly Office of Christ is the great the only relief we have against our bondage to sin and Satan He to whom all power is given in heaven Mat. 28.18 Eph. 1.20 21 22. Heb. 2.8 Phil. 2 9 10 11. 1 Cor. 15.27 28. Isa 61.1 and in earth Mat. 28.18 He whom God hath raised from the dead and set at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church It is he that restores liberty to the captives and opens the Prison doors to them that are bound This great Office of a King he executes chiefly in these Royal acts 1. In gathering to himself a people out of all kindreds Gen. 49.10 Isa 55.4 5. 1 Cor. 5.4 5. 1 Pet. 1.3 5. Eph. 4.12 13. 1 Thes 4.16 17. Nations and tongues and in making them a willing people in the day of his power Psal 110.3 2. In governing that people by Laws Officers and Censures of his own ordaining Isaiah 33.22 Ephes 4.11 12. Mat. 18.17 18. 3. In bringing all his elect into a state of saving grace and preserving that grace alive in their soules which himself hath wrought though it be as a spark of fire in an Ocean of water in carrying it on to perfection and crowning it with glory 4. In restraining over-ruling and at last destroying all his and his Churches enemies Psalme 110.1 those who will not submit to the Scepter of his grace he rules with his Iron rod and will at last dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel Psal 2.9 And thus is Christ not only in respect of the dignity of his person but the suitablenesse of his Offices the only fit Mediator between God and man The doctrinal part of this Scripture being thus cleared take one word by way of application Use This may informe us of the unspeakable folly and misery of all such as despise this Mediator there is but one Mediator but one way of Reconciliation unto God but one way of having sin pardoned our natures cleansed the favour of God restored our lost condition recovered and that is through the Mediation of Christ and shall it be said of any of us as Christ himself speaks of those foolishly obstinate Jews they would not come unto him Col. 3.4 that they might have life Joh. 5.40 There is in Christ the life of Justification to free us from that eternal death the Law sentences us unto the life of sanctification to free us from that spiritual death we are under by nature there is in him a sufficient relief against whatever is discouraging and shall we be so little our own friends so false to our own concernments as to reject his profered help notwithstanding we do so highly need it 1. In rejecting this Mediator you sin against the highest and greatest mercy that ever was vouchsafed to creatures 't is mentioned as an astonishing act of love in God that he should so love the world as to give his only begotten Son c. Joh. 3.16 so beyond all comparison Phil. 2.6 7 8. John 15.13 compared with Rom. 5.8 so beyond all expression and oh what an amazing condescention was it in Christ who though he thâ—ught it no robbery to be equal with God was yet pleased to make himself of no reputation and took upon him the forme of a servant became obediâ—nt unto death even the death of the cross and all this as our Mediator there is not any mercy we enjoy but 't is the fruit of this mercy Eph. 2.12 2. You hereby reade your condition the same with Pagans the emphasis of whose misery consists in this that they are without Christ and
under the obediential observance and poysonous malediction of that Law upon which there was only the print of his own authoririty for though the humane nature abstractly considered is as a creature bound to the observance of a Law yet being in conjunction with the second person in the Trinity and assumed into the personality of the Son of God it was exempted from obedience and indemnified as to curse and penalty Christ submitted to the Ceremonial Law in his circumcision put his neck under the yoke of the moral Law to fulfill the preceptive part by his Perfect obedience and satisfie the maledictive part by his compleat sufferings all which subjection was not a debt that God could have challenged of him but a pure voluntary subscription The Law is not made in some sense for a righteous man 1. Tim. 1.9 but it is not made in any sense for the glorious God 3. And which is a step beneath both these he appeared as a sinful man or in the likeness of sinful flesh Rom. 8.3 subjection to the Law made him very low but the similitude of sin which is the violation of the Law was a far greater abasement Christs appearing in the likenesse of sinful flesh must not be understood as though his flesh were only a likenesse and appearance Non in similitudine carnis quasi caro non esset caro sed in similitudine carnis peccati quia caro erat sed peccati caro non erat Aug. Heb. 9. ult or he had only an aerial and phantastical body as some of old absurdly fancied and affirmed he had true real flesh though but the similitude and resemblance of sinful flesh the word likenesse relates not to flesh but sin not flesh in likeness but sin in likeness a being under a Law implies nothing of sin it was the case of Adam and the Angels and both without sin or any thing that look't like sin but our blessed Lord condescended not only to subjection but to the print and appearances of transgression He shall appear saith the Apostle the second time without sin unto salvation Intimating that the first time he appeared with sin upon him when he returns in glory he shall have no dints of sin upon him the smell or fingeing of it shall not be upon his garments but his first entrance was with many of those prints and marks that sin where ever it is uses to leave behinde it Sin was neither inherent in him nor committed by him but imputed to him Sin never defiled him but it defaced him he had nothing of its impurity but much of its penalty he was not tainted with that plague but he was pleased to take upon him the tokens In the same Chapter the Prophet tells us He had done no violence neither was any deceit in his mouth and he was numbred with Transgressors Isa 53.9 12. He trode not one step awry in sin but many of the footsteps of sin appeared upon him to instance in a few 1. Poverty he came in a low and mean condition and that 's the very likenesse of sin the great bankrupt that brought all to beggery Though he was rich yet for our sakes he b came poor 2 Cor. 8.9 When he rode to Jerusalem it was not in state in a gilded Coach with six horses or mounted like a Lord Mayor with embossed trappings but as one might rather say like a Beggar that is sent with a Passe from one Town to another Matth. 21.5 Sitting upon an Asse Matth. 8.20 and a Colt the foole of an Asse The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the Aire have nests but the Son of man had not where to lay his head He was at such a very low ebb as to worldly riches Matth. 17. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valet 2 s. 6 d. that once he and one of his Apostles could not both of them make a purse for half a crown to pay their tax without the working of a Miracle Isa 55.3 2 Thess 2.3 2. Another likenesse of sin was sorrow He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs as Antichrist is called a man of sin his very make and constitution is sin so was Christ a man of sorrows and as it were made up of them they were in a manner his complexion We read oft of his weeping but it is not observed that ever there was a smile upon his face Now sin and sorrow are so near of kin that the Hebrew language compriseth both in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are as like as mother and daughter and both called by the same name 3. A third likenesse of sin was shame and reproach Sin was the inlet of shame when our first Parents had sinned their eyes were opened Gen. 3.7 Chap. 2. ult and they knew that they were naked and sewed fig-leaves toge her Why they were naked before and were not ignorant of it but then it was no shame to them sin gave them a sight of their nakednesse so as they never saw it before This similitude of sin was upon Christ when he was called Glutton Wine-bibber Conjurer Blasphemer Divel and what not that might cause and increase contempt We hid as it were our faces from him saith the Prophet he was despised and we esteemed him not Isa 55.3 how vile and contemptible is that person upon whom we turn the back in scorn to whom we will not vouchsafe so much as a look or the glance of an eye I am a reproach of men saith the Psalmist in the person of Christ and desp sed of the people Psal 22.6 4. Another similitude of sin was the withdrawment of his Father and clouding the liâ—hâ— of his counteâ—ance His fathers forsaking him whereof he makes that heavy heart-breaking complaint Matth 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forâ—aken me The frown of his Father and brow-beating of his displeasure was the very likenesse of sin for from that noysome vapour oâ—ly arises a cloud to over-cast the light of his countena ce Nothing but that builds up a partition wall betwixt him and us Your iniquities have separated betwixt you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you We hid our face from Christ Isa 59 2. and in that there was reproach but alas this was nothing in comparison a Prince need not trouble himself that he hath not the smile of his Groom What if all creatures in heaven and earth had hid their faces from Christ he could well have born up under it but the hiding of his Fathers face even broke his heart as a burden intolerable 5. And lastly Christ submitted to death and that 's anoâ—her likenesse of sin Sin entred into the world and death by sin Rom. 5.12 they came together as it were hand in hand this was â—he penalty inflicted upon sin In the day thou eâ—test thou shalt suâ—ely dye Gen. 2.17 Now in this
and hast Redeemed us unto God out of every kindred and tongue and people and Nation Rev. 5.9 10. and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests c. This is the daily work of glorified Saints in Heaven to cast down their Crownes before that Throne where Christ sitteth The Saints departed Rev. 4.10 are discharged from those weights and clogs of corruption which did hinder them from this duty while they were in the body Heb. 12.1 Rom. 7.24 Rev. 4.6 and cumbred and pestred with the body of death They are never weary though they never rest day nor night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come And thus I have shewed you how things in Heaven do bow the knee and are subject to the Name and Authority of the Lord Jesus II. Things on earth i. e. Good men and Bad men 1. Good men Psa 110.3 the Children of God who by the grace of Christ are made a willing people in the day of his Power for such is the heart-turning power of Gods Grace that of unwilling Isal 48.4 he makes us willing God by degrees removes out of our necks the Iron sinew that hinders us from stooping and bowing to Christ Grace by degrees doth take away that enmity in our mindes Col. 1.21 Rom. 8.7 and that carnal-mindedness which neither is nor can be subject to the Law of God By nature we are Children of disobedience as well as others Rom. 7.23 Eph. 2.3 and are willingly subject to no Law but the Law of our Members nor to no will but the wills of the flesh but the Grace of God removes that stoutness of heart contumacy and Rebellion which is in us naturally against Christ and so sweetly and powerfully inclines their wills Psal 119.6 1 Joh. 5.3 Veniat veniat verbum Dei si sexcenta nobis essent colla submittemus omnia that they follow the Lamb wherever he goes and have Respect unto all the Commandments of Christ and not one of them is grievous A Child of God willingly submits his Neck to the Yoke of Christ 2. Evil men they also must bow the knee to Jesus Christ and though their subjection be not voluntary and ingenuous yet bow they must and bow they do and partly through the awakening of a natural conscience partly by a spirit of bondage and fear of wrath they are as it were compelled to render many unwilling services and subjections unto Christ Non peccare metuit sed ardere Aug. Which compulsory subjection ariseth not from a fear of sinne but from a fear of Hell All these because they do not willingly bear the yoke of Christ they shall unwillingly become his foot-stool Mat. 11.29 Psal 110.1 And they do not so much honour Christ as Christ may be said to honour himself upon them The wicked do give honour to Christ as unwillingly as ever Haman cloathed Mordecai and proclaimed before him Hester 6.11 Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King will honour III. And Lastly The Devils in Hell are forced to yield subjection unto Jesus Christ and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things under the earth infernalia things in hell do bow their knee unto him For if in the dayes of Christs Humiliation he hath exercised power over the damned spirits and they have acknowledged him and his Soveraign power over them much more are they subject to him now in the dayes of his Exaltation I shall not need to show you how often the Devils crouched to Christ whilst he was here on earth The Devils were not only subject to his Person but to those that commanded them in his Name for so the seventy Disciples returning gave Christ an account Luke 10.17 Lord say they even the Devils are subject unto us through thy Name In one story we finde that the Devils did three times prostrate themselves at the feet of Christ Saint Luke relates the Story of the man possessed with a Legion of Devils 1. First one of the Devils in the name of all the rest thus supplicates Christ Luke 8.28 What have I to do with thee Jesus thou Sonne of God Most High I beseech thee Torment me not 2. When Christ commanded the uncleane spirits to come out of the man Ver. 31. they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep that is into Hell Ver. 32. 3. The Devils a third time besought Christ that they might go into the Herd of Swine Thus those proud and rebellious spirits were forced to bow even in the dayes of Christs flâ—sh James 2.19 And therefore much more now Chrâ—st is exalted do the devils tremble We read that Christ spoiled principalities and powers Col. 2.15 and made a shew of them openly Triumphing over them In which Scripture we may observe that Christ hath disarm'd and triumph't over Satan The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alludes to the manner of the Conquerour who disarm'd the Captives and afterwards they led their Captives in chaines when they made their Triumphant entrance so the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do signifie alluding to the Romane Conquests and Triumphs Thus the Lord Jesus Christ by his death overcame the Devil Heb. 2.14 Eph. 4.8 Duo in cruce affixi intelliguntùr Christus visibiliter sponte sua ad tempus Diabolus invisibiler invitus in perpetuum Orig Missilia Triumphalia and by his Ascension he led Captivity Captive and gave gifts alluding still to the manner of the Romane Triumphs when the Victor in a Chariot of State ascended up to the Capitol the Prisoners following his Chariot or else drawing it with their hands bound behind them and there were pieces of gold and silver thrown amongst the people and other gifts and largesses bestowed upon the friends of the Conquerour The Devil ever since the death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ hath been overcome and spoiled For by the death of Christ the Devil was unarmed and shackled but presently after he was gag'd and silenc'd and all his Oracles struck dumb and speechless and so the Devils divested of their long-enjoyed power and they forced to bow though unwillingly to Jesus Christ Hence it is said that the Devils tremble Jam. 2.19 because they know Christ as their Judge but not as their Saviour They must bow because they cannot help it But it may be objected Object If all the Devils in Hell and all the wicked men here on earth do bow the knee to Christ how comes it then to pass that the Devil and his instruments do continue their Rebellion and mischief against Christ and his Church 1. To this is answered that even the Devils of Hell are bound to bow the knee unto Jesus Christ though like wicked Rebels they have refused to do it And so much we gather from that Answer of Christ to the Devil who when he had the impudence and
Caesar By his passive Righteousnesse I mean all that he suffered in his life-time as the meannesse of his birth and education his persecution by Herod in his infancy after by the Scribes and Pharisees his hunger and temptation in the Wildernesse his poverty and straits he had not where to lay his head in a word he was all his life long in all things tempted as we are yet without sin Heb. 4.15 but especially what he suffered at his death First in his body he was scourg'd spit upon crown'd with Thornes and latength crucified which was 1. A cruel death the Latine cruciari to be tormented is derived à cruce from being crucified 2. A reproachful one Gal. 3.13 Heb. 13.13 it was the Roman death for slaves and Malefactors But secondly most of all he suffered in his soule witnesse those expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 26.37 Mark 14.33 adde his bemoaning himself to his Disciples in the following words and his passionate prayer thrice repeated Abba Father if it be pâ—ssible let this cup passe Adde further yet his sweating drops of blood in that bitter agony which so spent him in the Garden that an Angel was sent to comfort him but above all his desertion upon the Crosse witnesseth that he suffered unutterably in his soule when he cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The Socinians are here puzzled to give any tolerable account how the infinitely good God could find in his heart to exercise his only begotten Son that never sinned with all these horrours in his soule for certainly it stood not with his goodnesse had not Christ as the second Adam been a publick person a Representative on whom the Lord laid the iniquities of us all Isa 53.6 But if we consider which they deny that Christ was then satisfying his Fathers Justice we need not wonder at those horrours and consternations of the manhood for he knew the vastnesse of his undertaking the numberlesse numbers and aggravations of sins the dreadful weight of his Fathers wrath the sharpnesse of that sword Zech. 13.7 which he was going now to feele not that God was angry with Christ upon the Crosse quoad affectum no he never more dearly loved him but quoad effectum adde Christs infinite abhorrence of the sins he bore and that infinite zeal wherewith he was inflam'd to vindicate the honour of Divine justice Now his infinite love to his Church struggling with all these produc't those agonies and overcame them all when he said It is finished Joh. 19.30 we meet him next triumphing in his Resurrection But here to resolve that great question whether Christs passive Righteousnesse alone or active and passive joyntly are the matter of Christs satisfaction which believers plead at Gods Bar for their Justification and which being accepted by God as a plea good in Law is said to be imputed viz. in a Law-sense for Righteousnesse Let these Reasons be weighed by such as do disjoyne them First each of them hath its proper interest in and its respective contribution towards the satisfying the injur'd honour of Gods Law For the honour of Gods Law is the equity of both its parts its command and its threatening Christs active Righteousnesse honours the equity of the first which man had dishonoured by his disobedience but the great God-man hath repaired the honour of Gods Commandments by yielding a most perfect obedience to every one of them and therein proclaimed the Law to be holy just and good Then Christs passive Righteousnesse in like manner honours the equity of the threatening for as by obeying he acknowledged Gods authority to make a Law and his unexceptionable righteousnesse in every single Branch of the Law made so by suffering he proclaimeth that man is bound to keep it or if he do not to beare the penalty He himself dyes to justifie that the sinner is worthy of death and offers himself upon the Crosse as a Sacrifice to the Divine Justice and hereby he hath proclaimed sin to be exceeding sinful and God to be so jealous a God as rather than sin should go unpunish'd and his justice want its glory the righteous eternal Son of God must be made an example what guilty man had deserved Thus God by two equal miracles of everlasting astonishment to be adored hath satisfied both his contending Attributes and rendred each of them Triumphant in making his righteous Son an example of his sin-avenging justice that guilty sinners repenting and believing might be made examples of his sin-pardoning-goodnesse In the second place as each hath its respective interest in satisfying the injur'd Law so neither of them can be anywhere severed from the other and those which God hath so indissolubly joyned let none part asunder for Christs active Righteousnesse was everywhere passive because all of it done in the forme of a servant for in our nature he obeyed the Law but in his very incarnation he was passive for therein he suffered an ecclipse of the glory of his Godhead And his passive Righteousnesse was everywhere active because what he suffered was not by constraint or against his Will no it was his own voluntary act and deed all along let me instance in the greatest of his sufferings his very dying was the product both of the freenesse of his love and the Majesty of his power John 10.17 18. Rev. 1.5 In the third place both Christs active and passive Righteousnesse what he did and what he suffered partake in common of the forme of â—atisfaction therefore they are both integral parts or joynt ingredients thereof for forma dat esse but this brings me to the second enquiry Query 2 What is the forme of Christs satisfaction or that which renders it satisfactory I answer the infinite merit of what he did and suffered which infinite merit stands 1. In the dignity of his person the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily Col. 2.9 John 1.14 Now for the work of a servant to be done by the Lord of all renders his active and for him to suffer as a Malefactor between Malefactors who was God blessed for evermore renders also his passive righteousnesse infinitely meritorious no wonder the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin for it is the blood of God Acts 20.28 1 Joh. 1.7 And this is the Reason why the Righteousnesse of one redounds unto all for the justification of life Rom. 5.18 19. because his active and passive Righteousnesse is infinitely of more value than all that all the creatures in heaven and earth could have done or suffered to eternity the very man Christ Jesus is above all the Angels Heb. 1.6 for he is the man that is Gods fellow Zechary 13.7 And this infinite worthinesse of the Redeemers person you have excellently described as irradiating and infinitely exalting all he did and suffered Phil. 2.6 7 8 9. Heb. 7.24 25 28. 2. The active and passive Righteousnesse of Christ are of infinite merit because not at all due but
both meer supererogations of an infinitely glorious person And first for his active Riâ—hteousnesse iâ— stood in his obedience to the Ceremonial and Moral Laws 1. His obedience to the Ceremonial Law was a meer supererogation for the substance to comply with the shadows the Antitype to do homage to its owâ— types besides he submitted to those very Ordinances whose end and institution supposeth guilt and whâ—se Nature argues them designed only for the use of sinners what foreskin of impurity had he to be cut off in circumcâ—sion what filth to be washt awâ—y in baptism did the holy childe Jesus defile his mothers womb as common mortals do that are conceiv'd in sin and brought forth in iniquity And yet he was circumcised and baptized and his mother offered for her purification Luke 1.21 22. ch 3.21 No imaginable obligation lay on him to these submissions being to him meer ciphers wholly insignificant 2. His obedience to the Moral Law Although it must be granted that as man it was his duty Gal. 4.4 yet was it not his duty to become man True a creatures homage was due from him when a creature a servants work when in the form of a servant but the whole was free and arbitrary because his entring into that state was so for what but his own infinite love could ever move the eternal Word to pitch his Tent in our Nature what obligation lay on the Heir of all things to take the form of a servant who bound the eternal Son of God to become in the fulnesse of time the Son of man And as his active righteousnesse so secondly his passive too was a meer supererogation for his Almighty Fathers Holy All-seeing Eye could never espy the least iniquity in him to punish what had the Divine Justice to do with him for he was a sinlesse person he suffered not for himself Dan. 9.26 No for us 2 Cor. 5.21 And therefore since no obligation lay on him to do what he did or to suffer what he suffered he may impute the merit both of the one and the other to whomsoever and upon what termes soever he and his Father please But before I come to consider the termes upon which Christs satisfaction is applied I must answer some questions and clear the scruples in the way Object 1 1. What is become of the Law of that first Covenant made with Adam in Paradise Gen. 2.17 repeated again to the Jews Deut 27.26 The sum of which you have fully expressed Ezek. 18.4 The soul that sinneth it shall dye I answer It is not executed nor abrogated but released or dispensed with First it is not fully executed for there is no condemnation to them that re in Christ Jesus c. Rom. 8.1 Secondly It â—s not abrogated for it is in part executed upon Believers they are liable to the first or natural death which is the wages of sin although the second death hath no power over them besides all manner of chastisements and afflictions Psal 89.30 31 32. And also that Law is totally executed upon finally impenitent unbelievers over whom not the first only but the second death also hath power 2 Thess 1.8 For he that believeth not is condemned already John 3.18 That is the Gospel finds him and every one in a state of condemnation but those who believe it proclaims deliverance to those who through unbelief reject it judging themselves unworthy of everlasting life see Acts 13.46 it leaves such as it found them viz. under the condemnation of the Old Covenant since they refuse the pardoning mercy of the New Thirdly I answer therefore positively that the first Covenant is released and dispensed with by super-inducing a New Covenant of Grace over it that whosoever closeth with and comes into the terms of the New should be exempted from the rigour and extremity i. e. from the eternal condemnation of the Old Joh. 3.16 It is not said He that believes shall not be sick shall not be afflicted shall not dye No but he shall not perish Thus you see the Covenant of Works as to its execution upon such as are in the Covenant of Grace is in the chief part restrained but yet in some part inflicted They never shall complain under the eternal and destructive yet they do complain under the temporal and corrective punishment of their sinnes Lam. 3.39 Yet more particularly for the clearer understanding of this we must consider that the first Covenant lays a double obligation on sinful man First In reference to what is past and here it requires satisfaction and reparation from us for our sin in breaking it And secondly In reference to the future after such satisfaction and amends made it requires perfect conformity still as at first absolute obedience to all Gods commands being the eternal debt of the reasonable creature to that God that made it in his own Image if therefore we could which hath already been proved to be impossible ever have satisfied Gods injur'd Law for our past breach the Law would still have come upon us for future exact conformity to pay the residue of that eternal debt and its language would be Sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee as a Felon though butn't in the hand is yet bound to live honestly for the future at his peril Now the New Covenant of Grace relieves us as to both these cases and dispences with the rigor of the Law As to the first It comforts us with the good news that the Son of God hath satisfied his Fathers Justice and if we believe but in him God will accept of us as if we had satisfied in our own persons The case the Law leaves us in is well expressed Isa 33.14 Hebr. 10.31 But the relief the Gospel brings us in St. Pauls language Rom. 8.33 34. You have both together excellently Ezek. 33.10 11. As to the second Obligation the New Covenant dispenseth with the rigor of that too for woe to a justified and pardoned person if he must lose all again upon the least defailance therefore the Gospel proclaims pardon of sin upon repentance and acceptance of sincere endeavours to obey him Gods language now is Sinners be but in good earnest do but love me heartily and my ways let me but see a childe-like ingenuity in you and I will put down your upright though imperfect performances in the book of my remembrance Mal. 3.16 and blot out your transgressions when repented of out of the book of my remembrance Mandata Dei tanquam facta reputantur Aug. Retr l. 1. quando quicquid non fit ignoscitur Thus doth the candor of the Gospel dispence with the rigor of the Law God deals not with us as an Aegyptian task-master but as a Father with his children whom he loves Christs yoke is easie his burden light Object 2 If any doubt how it stands with Gods veracity and immutability having once declared that the soul that sinneth shall dye to contradict it by declaring
the root there needs no more than a right understanding of the true and proper notion and manner of Christs redeeming us it is not by way of Solution but of Satisfaction Clearly thus our case to God is not properly that of debtors but that of criminal Subjects Gods aspect to usward not properly that of a Creditor but that of a Rector and Judge The person Christ sustained and the part he acted not in a strict sense that of a Surety paying the very debt in kind and so discharging a bond but that of a Mediator expiating our guilt and making reparations to Divine Justice another way than by the execution of the Law And indeed the very nature of a Law is such as it is quite impossible that the obligation either of its threatning or command should in a proper sense be fulfilled by any other than the very person threatned and commanded alius here makes aliud If another suffer the penalty the threatning is not fulfilled Nor if another performs the duty the command for the obligation as to punishment lies on the person threatned noxa caput sequitur and that to duty on the person commanded it cannot be fulfilled in kind by another but it ceases to be the same thing and becomes another thâ—ng from that in the Obligation yet it may be such another thing and Christs Righteousnesse both active and passive really is such as the Rector or Judge may accept of with honour and be satisfied with as if the very same thing had been suffered and done just in the same manner as the Law threatned and commanded it That Christ hath paid not the idem but tantundem i. e. not fulfilled the Law as for us in kind but satisfied it for us is most evident For 1. The Law obliged the sinners person to suffer Christ was no sinner 2. All men to suffer forasmuch as all had sinned Christ was but one man 3. The punishment due by Law was eternal Christ suffered but for a season and is entered into his glory thus Christ paid not the same thing that was in the Obligation but something equivalent thereunto This being obtain'd that the Lord Christ hath Redeemed us not by way of solution or discharging a Bond by payment in kind but by way of satisfaction or making amends to the injur'd justice of the Law It follows from the reason nature of the thing 1. That God pardons freely we are not only beholding to Christ for satisfying but to God too infinitely for accepting of any satisfaction at all he might have refused it he had done sinners no wrong if he had executed the rigour of the Law without hearkening to termes of Reconciliation Quite contrary a Creditor doth not pardon the debtor when the surety hath discharged the Bond by full payment in kinde the Debtor is beholding indeed to his friend the Surety but not at all to the Creditor who cannot refuse to cancel the Bond nay it were wrong and injustice in him if he did 2. That none hath or can have actual interest in or benefit by this Redemption but upon such termes as God and Christ have mutually compromised in and agreed to viz. the conditions of the Gospel-Covenant above mentioned See the answer to the third quere 1. The Reason hereof is partly from God the injur'd Law-giver of the world who seeing it was at his liberty to accept of satisfaction or no hath of necessity the right to make his own termes when and how far forth and in what manner and method he will condescend to admit the sinner to the actual benefit of Christs satisfaction 2. And partly too from Christ for as he is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Mediator between God and man a friend to both parties nay a person consisting of both natures the offended and offending he is engaged necessarily by vertue both of Office and person to espouse with equal tendernesse of regard he interests of both parties for he is really concerned in them both they are his concernments as well as theirs True indeed a Surety that dischargeth a Bond by full payment in kinde he sustaines and beares only the person of the Debtor minds only his indemnity doth what he doth upon his account and for his sake But our great Mediator must consult not only our impunity but his Fathers yea and his own honour and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 get you hence all you that either yet never did or that do not now repent believe and conscientiously endeavour to obey here 's not the least jot of benefit for you in the case you are in from this Redemption for how infinite soever the merit of Christs satisfaction is it conferreth nothing actually upon any person that hath not actually a Gospel-claime and title to plead it before God The immediate effect actually resulting from Christs performance is the procuring the Gospel-Covenant to be ratified by his Father as a Law whereby sinners upon the termes propounded become reconcilable unto God actually it is of force to all that have but to none that want the conditions of it Now the keeping this Gospel-Covenant God expects from us in person though by the assistance of his Spirit which he hath promised to give to them that humbly and earnestly ask it of him Luke 11.1 To affirme that Christ hath kept the Gospel for us too is to utter the most self-contradicting blasphemy and absurdity imaginable as if he could repent or believe in himself free except or cancel our Obligation to obey the Moral Law by his own obeying it as if Christ had so done all that nothing remaines to be done on our part Such strange extreames do some men run into that to avoid Justification by works by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are as extravagant on the other hand thinking the grace of God cannot be free except the sinner become either a senselesse statue meerly passive or which is yet worse have a Writ of ease to be quite idle or wich is worst of all a Licence to sin by Prerogative Let the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chastise this insolence Rom. 6.15 Shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under grace God forbid If Christ had obeyed the Law for us in the sense of paying a debt or discharging a Bond the Apostles answer could not stand Rom. 3.31 Do we then make void the Law through faith yea we establish the Law When a believer breaks the Law he sins for sinne is the transgression of the Law nay he cannot break it wilfully but he breaks the very Gospel-Covenant one condition whereof is sincere obedience and the guilt of that sin lieth upon him unpardoned untill by hearty repentance and fresh applications by faith to the blood of sprinkling which are the only Titles good in Law the only Gospel-claimes to pardon he hath sued out a new pardon for actual Remission is only of past sins Rom. 3.25 according to the tenor of
the Jaylor the doors were opened to and fetters fell off from the prisoners and therewith the door of the keepers soul was opened and his fetters of ignorance and corruptions in which he was holden captive by Satan were broken At first poor man he was afflicted with fear of his Prisoners escaping so as to make attempt against his own natural life not knowing that God intended good by all and to make his Prisoners his Releasers and Deliverers But by and by his amazement and trouble strikes the right way and he is not only willing to keep a natural life but is desirous of and inquisitive after an eternal life Sirs what must I do to be saved And they said Believe c. My allotted work at this time is from this clear and full Text to speak of Saving Faith in the entry whereof let me once for all premise First I purposely wave Controversies as wanting both time and fitness to be an Umpire and give a final decision Secondly I shall endeavor to confine my discourse to my Subject without trespassing upon others ground by repeating what belongs to preceding or preventing what belongs to following Subjects Thirdly I am not solicitous about nor is it possible to please all in method and terms belonging to it those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Method and words I always account are servants to matter Fourthly In this great part of the Body of Christian Religion I can only shew the Sceleton without reading an Explanatory Lecture or give the bones and sinews without cloathing them with a due proportion of flesh for that would take up too much room To engage attention consider This is that great a Joh. 6.29 Work of God a main part of the b 1 Tim. 3.16 Mystery of Godliness a c Heb. 6.1 Principle and foundation at this when excelling d Mat. 8.10 Christ wondered by this e Rom. 4.20 Glory is every way given to God to this f Mark 9 23. Heb. 11.33 all things are possible it sharing with God in his otherwise g Mat. 19.26 incommunicable Omnipotency and accordingly the h Mat. 9.22 Effects of the Divine Power are attributed unto Faith i 2 Pet. 1.1 Pretious and k Jam. 2.5 enriching Faith though in it self and to its Subject the most indigent and emptying Grace Poor yet making rich having nothing yet entitling to all things This is that which all the promises types and prefigurations of the Messiah did lead the Patriarchs unto and by which they obtained a good report Heb. 11.2 This is the end of the Law subordinate unto Christ Rom. 10.4 and the sum of the Gospel commonly named and pretended to but little known and rightly understood Luk. 18.8 less enjoyed and exercised in the World I shall reduce all to these Six Heads The Nature Subject Causes Effects Properties and Opposites of Faith To open the Nature of it 1. Nature I shall remove the ambiguity of phrase and state what I shall prosecute by giving the Distinctions and Description of it Fides quae creditur Distinctions Faith which we believe is the Doctrine of the Gospel or any word of God yea the essential Word of God Gal. 3.23 the promised Seed the Object of Faith is by that word understood by learned persons 1. Fides qua creditur Faith by which we believe and this to begin at the remotest and meanest is either First Without knowledge the ignorant implicite Faith and profession of many owning Christ as the founder of their Order and way but this is not right which only distinguisheth Christians from others Secondly With some knowledge without assent which scarce deserves the name of Faith and this is a Profession of the Faith either customary following education and example or compulsive through fear or gainful for outward advantages as theirs that followed Christ for the loaves and Simon Magus's Thirdly With knowledge and assent of which some Faith respecteth the Truth of God for Doctrine sake I may thus distinguish which is called Historical Jam. 2.19 thus the Devils believe and tremble wicked men believe and sometimes tremble and sometimes rejoyce as if they had enough the only difference is the want of applicability to the Devils in neither is affection to the Revealer or things revealed This is not right though it believe never so rightly concerning Christs Person Natures Offices c. Some Faith respecteth the Truth and power of God and hath for its ground ordinarily some special Word Mat. 10 8. and this is called Faith of Miracles and this is either active Matth. 17.20 which is peculiarly the Faith of Miracles and that to which the special Word refers or passive Act. 14.9 and 3.16 and which the woman with the bloody issue had The Promises that were the ground of this Faith were peculiarly suitable to those times and now not improveable or not ordinarily and the Faith it self though grounded on a special word yet is but a common gift in it self as opposed to saving as appeareth in Judas and those that at last would cry Lord Mat. 7.22 Lord and in the nine Lepers Though sometimes indeed it had the actings of the best even Saving Faith twisted with it Mat. 8.10.15.28 Some Faith respecteth the Truth Power and Goodness of God and this grounded upon General Promises and words of encouragement of an unlimited truth and concernment to time and persons Mat. 6. from vers 25. Now this respecteth either the General love of God to his Creatures and Man as a peculiar one affording support preservation provision necessary or the peculiar love of God to man through the undertakings of Christ making man to look for better things than the effects of common providence even God himself for his portion and full happiness in him Now that bold affianâ—e is not true Faith whereby men carry it at that rate of confidence as if Christ died to save all from hell that are not willing to go thither for in some it is without savor and affections suitable which I may call altogether fained Faith as in the generality of Formalists now who presume all is well God loveth them and Christ died for them In others it is joyned with a savory gust and relish of the Word and Promise which in regard of its continuance and thereby usefulness to its end Salvation though I make not that the only difference is called either temporary springing from sleighty and perishing causes as that of the a Luk. 8.13 stony ground and the b Mat. 25.8 Virgins Or else lasting durable altogether true and c 1 Tim 1.5 unfeigned justifying and saving Faith This indeed is but d Ephes 4.5 one as well as the Object and therefore those Peter wrote to had e 2 Pet 1.1 obtained like precious Faith yet differeth in degrees and f Rom 12.3 measure in some it is g Mark 9.24 small and h Isa
requirâ—ng sometimes the one sometimes the other when Repentance is the duty to be discharged calling sometimes for fasting weeping and walking in sackcloth and ashes nay the rending of the heart and not the garmenâ—s Joel 2.11 12. and sometimes and that very commonly for turning to the Lord nay the whole work of Repentance is in Scripture expressed by Humiliation in the promise of pardon to the penitent their Repentance is described to be an humbling of the uncircumcised heart and acceptance of the punishment of their sin Lev. 26.41 So when Rehoboam and Manasseh Repented they are only said to humble themselves 2 Chron. 12.6 33.2 And under the Gospel we read of Repentance for sin as well as from sin and 't is denominated godly sorrow which worketh Repentance 2 Cor. 7.10 Working not only as a cause but complement perfecting finishing and compleating Repentance and therefore the Apostle James requires them that draw nigh to God and clean their h art and purifie their hands that they be afflicted mourn and weep and humble themselves under the hand of God James 2.8 9 10. And the Covenant of Grace promising Repentance doth expresse it self by these two acts you shall see the evil of yo r wayes and loa h yâ—ur selves because of your iniquities and abâ—minations And I wâ—ll put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my ways Ezek. 36.27 31. So that according to the expressions of Scripture as well as the experiences of the Saints Humiâ—iation of the sâ—ul is an essential act and eminent part of Repentance and this is that which I in the description do denominate sense of and sorrow for sin as committed against God thereby intending to note unto you that the soul must be humbled that will be lifted up by the Lord and his humiliation doth and must consist of these two parts Conviction and Contrition sight of and sorrow for sin The first part of humiliation is A Spirit of Conviction First part of humiliation or sight of sin in every penitent soul which is no other than the operation of the Holy Ghost opening the blinde eye to see the deviations of the soul and the destruction inevitably attending the persistance in it this act of Repentance and Humiliation is no other but the Prodigals return to himself in sense of his own starving condition whil'st his fathers servants have bread enough Luke 15.17 Rom. 7.9 the arrival of the Law unto the reviving of sin in Pauls sense and feeling the communing with our hearts that we may tremble Psal 4.5 and not sin a searching and trying our ways that we may return unto the Lord a smiting on the thigh with a What have we done Lam. 3.39 the smiting of Davids heart 2 Sam 24.10 with an I have sinned against the Lord the judging of our selves that we may not be judged of the Lord the Spirit of bondage which goeth before the Spirit of Adoption In a word it is the souls serious erection of a Court in its own breast and setting conscience in the Throne and making a judicial processe to descry and determine its eternal condition in order to which 1. It spreads before it self the Law of God as that whâ—ch must be the Rule of life and reason of death and condemnation the will of God dictating duty and disswading iniquity awarding recompence according to obedience or disobedience In a word determining of men Thus do and live or thus do and dye thus I will be worshipped and you shall be rewarded in this if you transgresse you shall be thus punished the soul seeth clearly that the Law is in nature and necessity a Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ whil'st by serious consideration of its genuine sense and due extent the soul standeth convinced this is du y enjoyned this is sin inhibited herein if I offend not only in deed and word but thought or imagination I am a Transgressor bound under guilt and the expectation of judgment thus the coming of the Law into Pauls minde becomes the revival of sin and Josiah his reading in the Law of Moses led him to the tremblings of heart and renting his garment before the Lord 2 Chron. 34.18 19. For as indeed wiâ—hout the Law there is no transgression so without the knowledge of the Law there can be no conviction ignorance of Divine pleasure is the great obstruction of Repentance and therefore the Prince of this world doth daily endeavour to blow out the light of the Word or to blinde the eyes of the sons of men that they may not see and be converted but God sends his Prophets rising up early and sending them to read the Law in the ears of men that Israel may see his sinne and Judah her transgression The first act of Repentance is the falling of the scales from off the sinners eyes the first language of a turning soul is Lord what wouldest thou have me to do So that the soul humbling self-examinant seeing the Law to be holy just and good that which must be the rule and reason of its condition it being to arraign and condemn it self becomes studious of the Law in its full sense and due extent in commands prohibitions promises and threats and sets before its eye every particular precept and pondereth the righteousnesse of that God who hath declared a curse against every one that continueth not in the Law to do it and so by the justification of and insight to the Law of God exciteth the soul to self-reflexion and is constrained to cry out What have I done whereupon it 2. Surveigheth the past course of his own life summoneth together all faculties powers and members of both soul and body to make rehearsal of his past conversation in word thought and deed and to give an exact account of their conformity or disagreement with the Law of God established and rule by which it must be judged and now he communeth with his hearâ— considereth his ways examineth him â—lâ— makes an exact comparison of his life with Gods Law layeth the liâ—e close to h s carriage and so convinceth himself of his deviations and â—rregularities insomuch that sin reviveth and he dyeth guilt appeareth and grief and shame aboundeth his own heart condemns him as disobedient and a Transgressor of the Law that he is constrained to câ—y out What I shâ—uld do I have not done and I have left undone what I ought to have done Rom. 7.19 I have sinned against the Lord if God be severe to mark what is amisse I cannot abide in his presence for I have not only offended in part of his holy Law and broken the least of his Commandments but I have violated the whole Law and am a Transgressor against every Command nay he cometh on this consideration to be convinced of his anomy and ataxy the pravity of his nature that enmity to the Law which is implanted in his very being and that irregularity whereby
our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and perfect holinesse in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 The whole work of the Gospel is to carry on and compleat Repentance this is the profit to be reaped by every Ordinance the Word preached perswades Repentance thâ— Sacraments received stir up and seal Repentance the communion of the Saints carrieth on the work of Repentance Exhorting one another daily lest any be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin Hebr. 3.13 The Gospel is the great Charter of our priviledges purchased by Jesus Christ and they all run into this Repentance this is the benefit by Christs death Resurrection and Ascension this is the fruit of the Spirit of Adoption Zech. 12.10 it is a Spirit of prayer and mourning over him whom we have pierced in brief Repentance is the contract of the Covenant of Grace the Law cannot give it and the light of nature cannot give it only the Gospel can effect it the Covenant of Grace confers on us an accesse to and communion with God as our God not as we are innocent for we are guilty of the breach of the first Covenant but as we are penitent sorrowful for and turned from the evil of our ways so that in this respect we must needs conclude Repentance is a grace of great necessity we reap no benefit enjoy no priviledge of the Gospel but by Repentance the mystery of Redemption Christs Incarnation Death Resurrection Ascension and Exaltation and all the Ministrations of the Gospel are in vain to the impenitent 3. Most pregnant Arguments perswading to Repentance are proposed in and by the Gospel this is light so powerfully convincing that all others which past before it is but darknesse in comparison of it whether it be the light of nature making known sin as it is specifical and particular contrary to certain standing dictates not in its contrariety to the image and holinesse of God and that without any clear and certain way of escape and Repentance or the light of the Law which layeth men under full plain and clear conviction even unto self-condemnation but coucheth the pardon and possiibility of Redemption under such dark figures and expressions that with much difficulty it may direct and provoke Repentance but in the Gospel the Sun of r ghteousnesse shines brightly unto conviction and self-condemnation nay unto speedy and chearful conversion There is no Argument in Nature or in the Law to enforce Repentance but it is urged in the Gospel I and much more doth Nature stir up Repentance by sins inconveniency to mans state or the Law by sins incongruity to the holy just and good command of God the Gospel doth the same nay and further addeth its inconsistency with that estate intâ— which we are resolved by the Redemption of Jesus Christ and so it presenteth us with two most pregnant Powerfully Convinc ng and Perswasive Arguments unto Repentance such which no Professed Religion in the World it self excepted doth propound and they are these 1. The death of Jesus Christ. 2. The day of Judgment The first Argument propounded in the Gospel to perswade Repentance is The death of the Lord Jesus Christ This is an Argument potent in operation to every true believer faith doth no sooner touch the hem of its garment but it cureth like the bones of Elisha quickens the dead man that is but let down into this Grave and pregnant in perswasion to every rational soul that is but candid and ingenuous It is storied of Antonius the Senator of Rome that he intending to provoke the people to râ—venge the death of Caesar slain at the Senate by Brutus and Cassius brought out his bloody Robe and cryed out Here is the bloody Robe of your Quondam Emperour Thus the Gospel presents to our faith a crucified Christ and slain Saviour slain for and by our sins that we may look on him whom we have piâ—rced and mourn over him that we may see him whom our lusts have slain and be revenged on them by Repentance The contemplations of a crucified Christ cannot but constrain Repentance Mount Calvary is a place of heart-melting to every ingenuous soul that makes it his walk for that it presents unto his observation a man nay more than a man a God under the most grievous sufferings not for his own but the sins of others exposed unto that sad estate not by any constraint or necessity but his own choice pity and compassion in whom we reads these three heart-moving Repentance-provoking considerations viz. 1. The great severity of offended justice and fury provoked by his iniquity Here he seeth the vilenesse of his sin and fiercenesse of Gods anger who would not nay in justice could not spare man without satisfaction he had said it and now seeth it executed In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Here is furious justice which falls fearfully on a Surety a Mediator and fierce fury that favours not a Son an only begott n Son Surely sin is hainous greatly provoking to God that his displeasure thus rageth It is sure a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God who makes the Son of his love thus roare out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Oh Impiety horrid Impiety that cannot be expiated by any thing but the very heart-blood of God! O fury fearful fury that forsakes a Son only become a Surety for sinners what pensive thoughts must needs arise in the serious observer of this sad spectacle especially when he proceeds to the next consideration which is this 2. Great love and pity of a Saviour who willingly endureth these sad sufferings out of choice not constraint for the sins of others not of himself Oh unconceivable love ineffable pity that we sinned and he thus suffered he left glory to be exposed to shame he undertakes an Atonement and Reconciliation between God and man and endure h infinite fury to effect it no guile was ever found in his mouth whose soul undergoeth this grief the debt was ours and he payeth the utmost Mite for us All we went astray and on him was laid the punishment of us all Isa 53.3 4. he is wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our sins and that whil'st we were sinners that slighted and rejected him Greater love can no man shew than to dye for his friend but behold here is matchlesse love whil'st we were yet enemies Christ gave himself for us These Torments we must have endured to Eternity if they had not been inflicted on him 3. We here see the gracious acceptance we have with God the great liberty of accesse to God which is to us afforded the wrath of God thus poured forth on his Son is pacified towards sinners and the Covenant of Works being thus accomplished is abolished and man that was at distance from God draweth nigh unto him for this crucified Christ was thus lifted up that he might draw all men unto himself
a place for them to which * Luk. 13.28.29 they shall come from the East and from the West from the North and fâ—om the South and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdâ—me of God and this to raise the appetites of their faith and hopes when a Supper of so many thousand years preparation is the entertainment they are invited to And so I come to the second Part of the Text and that is the admission into this prepared Possession Come ye blessed of my Father c. When a Kingdome is proposed every man is ready to be catching at a Crown but therefore our Saviour tells us it must be had by inheritance that is the title by which we must be admitted * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inherit as the Jews had Canaan divided and apportioned to the several Tribes by * Numb 26.55 lot so some too curiously and boldly adventure to assign to every Saint a Mansion bigger than the whole earth which is true indeed in this sense in regard immensity and God himself is the * Psal 16.5 lot of their inheritance but it is an inheritance in regard 1. There is a claim made to it only by the new-born and first-born of God and so by right of birth except * John 3.3 a man be bâ—rn again cannot see the Kingdome of God the spirit of a slave cannot manage the Scepter of a Prince nay they that look to sit on Thrones of glory with Christ * Mat. 19.28 must follow him in the regeneration of the body * 1 Cor. 15.36 that must dye ere it be quickned * 1 Cor. 15.50 for flesh and blood in corruption moral or * Exod. 33.20 natural cannot inherit the Kingdome of God which made the * Moriar ne moriar ut te videam Aug. confessii Father cry out Oh then Lord let me dye lest I dye that so I may see thee Now if an unregenerate body cannot enter much lesse an unregenerate soul An infamous person * Turpis persona Myns in instit in the Civil Law may be excepted against as not fit to be an heir and shall the Laws of men be purer than the Laws of God If the pure in heart * Mat. 5.8 only can see God here in reflections and * 1 Cor. 13.12 through a glasse darkly then surely they must be without * 2 Pet. 3.14 spot or wrinkle who must see him face to face Heaven is entailed upon holy souls 't is their birth-right for no other but * Rev. 22.14 they that keep the Commandments of God have right to eat of the Tree of life or enter in through the Gates into that Jerusalem and vision of peace 2. They inherit by right of Adoption for Christ is heir and we heirs of his righteousnesse and so co-heirs of his glory and * Rom. 8.17 hâ—irs of God if sons then heirs now we are the sons of God by Adoption Regeneration makes us not perfectly holy and so not perfectly sons and so not heirs and therefore we * Gal. 4.5 1 Joh. 3.1 2. receive the Adoption of sons and being called to be we are sons and if sons then heirs for if a son be passed by in his Fathers Will and not named and a reason of the passing of him by the Testament is invalid in Civil Law when anoâ—her is made heâ—r and God his nature and love transcends all the compassions of men and is a greater obligation than any Laws among them so that if thou canst make it out that thou hast the spirit of Adoption thou art as sure to inherit this Kingdome as thou mayst be sure thou art not by name excepted from the inheritance in the Gospel of Christ which is his Will and Testament 3. 'T is inherited by right of Donation and Gift * Luke 12.32 Fear not lâ—ttle flâ—ck it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdome and though the wages of sin be death and men are but justly rewarded therein for their demerit yet * Rom. 6.23 eternal life is the gift of God and it is not such a gift as is a salary or stipend for our work * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pay for our service for * Luke 17.10 when we have done all that we can we are but unprofitable servants and deserve nothing unlesse it be to be * Luke 12.47 beaten with many stripes It is not an honorary gift as he that had lost an Arme in Battel his Commander General gave him an Arme of gold as an honourable reward of his service but alas * Matth. 5.47 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What singular thing can we do to emerit any thing at Gods hands when the more we do we are the further from merit in regard we are the more indebted to our Master who gave us the opportunity and grace to performe it Nor is it an Eleemosynary gift of charity such as we extend to poor fellow creatures for that is but a piece of justice and self-love if we have that in abundance which others want to relieve them Every act of charity is but a piece of equity a paying of our debts for we are to * Rom. 13.8 owe every man love but God ows us nothing nor is he bound to pity our poverty which we have by our own default contracted on our selves but this gift of God is a meer * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gratuitous act of bounty and grace but when it is promised and given then it is but an act of justice to grant possession and so the title is inheritance but by way of free Donation 4. By right of Redemption they may be said to inherit for under the Law the next of Kin was to redeem a sold or morgaged possession accordingly Christ took our nature upon him Ruth 4.5 that he might be of our consanguinâ—ty he became * Gal. 3 13. a curse for us * 2 Cor. 5.22 was made sin that he might ransome penitent believers from the curse and * Hebr. 7.25 having satisfied to the utmost and * 1 Cor. 6.20 bought us with a responsible price he hath right to give his sheep * John 10.28 eternal life and therefore it is calâ—ed * Ephes 1.14 the purchased possession In Law he that buys a slave may dispose of him as he please by his will accordingly Christ hath made hâ—s will to dispose of all those he hath bought * John 17.24 Father I will that where I am these may be also And so they are heirs by Will and Testament of him that took upon him the right of Redemption Now I come to the second thing in the second general and that is the heirs of this inheritance described in these words Ye blessed * Patris est benedicere of my Father 't is the Fathers work to blesse his Son and when Isaac blessed
been said in order to this morning Exercise As you have heard so you have seen Application to the morning exercise this Moneth now elapsed hath brought to your view an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Model of sound words you have had as it were the Summe and Substance of the Gospel preached over in your hearing I know it falls far short both in respect of Matter and Method of a perfect body of Divinity an exact and full delineation of all the chief Heads and Principles of Religion But considering the smallness of the Circle of this monethly course in which this Model was drawn I dare take the boldness to say there hath as much of the Marrow and Spirits of Divinity been drawn forth in these few Morning Lectures as can be rationally expected from men of such various Studies and assidnous labours in the Ministerial work Former ages have rarely heard so much Divinity preacht over in many years as hath been read in your ears in twenty six dayes These few Sermons have digested more of the Doctrine of faith than some large volumes not of a mean consideration now extant in the Church of God Truely every single Sermon hath been a little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 within itself Each Subject in this morning Exercise hath been handled in so ample a manner and with so much judgement acuteness and perspicuity that it may well passe for a little Treatise of Divinity wherein many profound Mysteries have been discust and stated not with more judgment in the Doctrine than with life and vigor in the Vse and Application The Preachers have sought to find out acceptable words Eccles 12. and that which was spoken was upright even words of truth Insomuch that a man that had never heard of a Gospel before this moneths conduct had been sufficient not only to have left him without excuse but with the wise mens STAR to have led him to Christ The more I dread to think what a tremendous account you have to make who after twenty twirty fourty years Revelation of the Gospel have the addition of this moneth of Sabbaths also to reckon for in that day when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire c. if while in this Mirror 2 Thes 1.8 beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord you are not changed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord. I shall not undertake as * Morning Exercise May 1654. formerly to extract the Summe and Substance of what you have heard I have some hope to be saved that labour upon a better account I shall recount to you the Heads only and Points of Christian Doctrine which have been handled in this Monethly Exercise that now in the close of all you may behold as in a Map or Table the Method and Connexion which they hold amongst themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or a Summary repetition of the Heads of Divinity preacht upon in this Course The first Divine after the preparatory Sermon that preached to you began with that which is the first and chief object of Knowledge and Faith that α and ω in Divinity Subject 1 THERE IS A GOD Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that GOD is c. Hereupon because if there be a God then he is to be worshipped and if to be worshipped then there must be a Rule of that worship and if a Rule it must be of Gods own appointment therefore Subject 2 The Second dayes work was against all other Books and Writings in the world to Evince this Truth the SCRIPTVRES CONTAINED IN THE BOOKS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT are THE WORD OF GOD 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God By these Scriptures that great Mysterious Doctrine of the Trinity which the light of nature can no more discover than deny was asserted and opened as far as so profound a Mystery can well admit and so The third mornings work was to shew Subject 3 THAT IN THE GODHEAD THERE IS A TRINITY OF PERSONS IN VNâ—TY OF ESSENCE GOD THE FATHER GOD THE SON AND GOD THE HOLY GHOST God blessed for ever 1 Joh. 5.7 There are three that bear Record in Heaven the FAHER the WORD and the HOLY GHOST and these three are ONE Subject 4 The Creation of Man in a perfect but mutable Estate by the joynt Power and Wisdom of these three glorious Persons was the Fourth Subject opened from that Text Eccles 7.29 God made man upright but they have sought out many inventions Man thus Created God entred into a Covenant with him and so the COVENANT OF WORKS which God made with Adam and all his posterity succeeded in order to be the Subject matter of the Subject 5 Fifth morning Lecture the Text was Gen. 12.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die This Covenant no sooner made almost then broken the work of him that preacht the Subject 6 Sixth Sermon was THE FALL OF ADAM and therein more specially of PECCATVM ORIGINALE ORIGINANS or ORIGINAL SIN IN THE FIRST SPRING and fountain of it the Scripture Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world c. The Fruit and sad effect whereof being the losse of Gods image and the total depravation and corruption of mans nature Subject 7 The seventh thing that fell naturally to be handled was Peccatum originale originatum or Original corruption in the STREAM and DERIVATION OF IT TO POSTERITY from Psal 1.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in Sin did my Mother conceive me This is the Source of all that evil that hath invaded all Mankind that therefore which naturally succeeded in the Subject 8 Eighth course of this morning Exercise was MANS LIABLENESS TO THE CURSE or the MISERY OF MANS ESTATE BY NATVRE Deut. 27.1 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all the things of the Law to do them or Ephes 2.3 By nature the children of wrath Subject 9 Ninthly Mans impotency to help himself out of this miserable estate was the next sad Prospect presented to your view by that Reverend Brother that preached the ninth course and he took his rise from Rom. 5.6 When we were without strength Christ died for the ungodly That the doctrine of mans impotency when it had laid him in the dust might not leave him there the Subject 10 Tenth Preacher discoursed to you of the COVENANT OF REDEMPTION consisting of the transaction between God and Christ from all Eternity from that Text Isa 53.10 He shall see the travel of his soule and be satisfied In the eleventh place THE COVENANT OF GRACE REVEALED IN THE GOSPEL came next to be unfolded as being if I may so say the Counterpart of the Covenant of Redemption which the Preacher to whom the Subject 11 Eleventh course fell opened to you out of Heb. 8.6 Jesus Christ hath obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediatour
His sin is entailed on all his seed 137 138. transmitted by imputation p. 139 and 140. made ours without any impeachment of Gods justice p. 141. by generation not imitation p. 142 143. hurt received by him must quicken the acceptance of the second Adam p. 145. his sin will not be our acquittance p. 148. Advantage great by systems and modules of Religion p. 16 17 18 19. Adoption its kinds p. 436. its name explained 437. Divine differs from humane Adoption p. 438. Adoption presupposeth Vocation Regeneration and Justification p. 438. it entitles to God Christ and Heaven ibid. Adoption the properties p. 439. and priviledges of it p. 440. Adoption is different from Regeneration yet not divided from it p. 446. Adoption an effect of faith p 469. Affections unruly cashier'd when we come to heaven p. 650. Angels their service to the Lord Jesus Christ p. 323 324. not confirmed not reconciled by Jesus Christ as Mediator p. 338 339. Antinomians refuted p. 423 424. Apparel of Saints in heaven p. 652. 653. Atheisme three sorts Vita pag. 51 52. Voto pag. 51 52. Judicio pag. 51 52. Assent to Gods being and bounty ground of Addresses to him p. 30. Assurance an effect of faith p. 472. B. Bars to communion with God three and how removed p. 272. Barring sinne imports punishment p. 346. Belief of Gods being the foundation of Religion p 30. fountain of obedience p. 54. Belief of Christ to be the Son of God is not easie p. 66. Believing sinner the subject of Gospel-repentance p. 489. Believers their dignity and duty pag. 433. Believers united to Christ. p. 278. Believers whom p. 379. Believers persons graces and duties relate to Christ. p. 395 396. Birth-right despised is dreadful p. 448. Blessedness of mans-natural rectitude p. 111. Blessed estate of the New Covenant p. 254 259. Blessed how said of the Saints p. 664 665. Bodies of Saints re-united to souls p. 657. Bodies of Saints and sinners differ at Resurrection p. 591 592. Body of man subject to Gods wrath p. 184. Body it s very self-same substance shall be raised p. 591 592 593. It s prime endowments at Resurrection p. 593 594. Bodily infirmities shaken off in heaven p. 651. Blood of sin to be shed for the blood of Christ p. 296. Bowing at the Name of Jesus what it means p. 321. by whom to be done p. 322 323. C. Cause encourageth to suffer p. 2 3. Captain encourageth contest ibid. Calling effectual p. 353. what it is and how wrought p. 357 358. Called who p. 359. few p. 360. by what ib. from what causes p. 361 362 363. by what means p. 365. to what end p. 366. when p. 367. Call is holy ib. heavenly p. 368. without noise p. 370. immutable p. 371. Care accompanieth true r pentance 541. Case of man fallen helpless by nature 207. Catechismes commended 21. Children of God by Regeneration and Adoption 435. Children of God their carriage directed 448 449 450. Christ is Lord how 330 331. a good Captaine 2 3. Christ is truly God 266 267. and truly man 268. God and man 269. Christ and promises not God the immediate object of saving faith 460. Christians changes three 557. Christian Religion reasonable 483. Come ye blessed what kinde of speech 666 667. Command to Adam and Covenant of works 122. Complaints against God charmed 267. Compassion to brethren sheweth a sense of our own natural weakness 215. Communion an evidence of union with Christ 385. Conditions in order to mans Redemption between God the Father and God the Son p. 222 223. Conquest of enemies an effect of Faith 470. Conscience proveth that there is a God 43 44. Conscience engendreth fear 46 47. Consent of Nations universal and perpetual proves that there is a God 48. Confession of sin a part of Repentance 509 510. How to be made 511 512 513 514. Conviction wherein it consists and how it acts 493 494. Contrition wherein it consists 496 497. Conversion its parts 502. Crown of Saints in heaven what 654. It s threefold wreath 655 656. Covenant what it means 123 124 235. Covenants in Scripture 235. Covenant Natural what it is 236. Legal what it is 237 238. Evangelical what it is 239. Covenant an act of condescention in God 130. Imports Gods promise and mans duty 239. Gods dealing with Adam in Paradise how and why called a Covenant 125. Covenant of Works wherein it consists p. 126 127. How and why given by Moses 128 129. Israel was not under it ibid. Men out of Christ yet under it 130. Covenant of Redemption what it is and between whom 216 217 218 219. It is to be particularly improved by Believers 230 231 232. It confirms the Covenant of Grace its blessings 228 229. Covenant what 233. Gospel Covenant the best of Covenants 235 239. Covenant of Works and Grace are to be differenced by men 131. Covenant of Redemption different from Covenant of Grace 218. Creation the work of God 31. Man created holy and mutable 105. Creatures execute Gods wrath on man 189. Themselves liable to Gods wrath 190. Creeds Apostles Athanasii Nicene c. justified 20. Curse of the Law due to man by nature 181. Cure of faln man Omnipotent 208. D Death of Christ its kinde manner and grounds p. 283. The Reasons thereof 290 291 292. Death of Christ a sacrifice and only so possible 342. Deserving cause of Christ his death 345. Death of Christ was in our place and stead 347. Diligence in duty and readinesse to dye for Christ but a reasonable recompence for his death for us 297 299. Christ dyed willingly obediently and humbly 287 288 289. Death of Christ a pregnant Argument to Repentance 528 529 530. Death destroyed by the death of Christ 303. Desire accompanieth Repentance 544. Dependence on God the duty of such as believe God is 60 61. Divel an enemy to Faith 481. Divels subject to Jesus Christ 326 327. Divel limited by Christ 328. Doctrine of Trinity to be prized 82. Dominion of Saints 442. E Elect dead in sin before called and poor in the world p. 359. Entrance of sin into the world what and how 136. Enemies of man foiled by the death of Christ 301. Entertainment of Christ 434. Epistle to the Romans a Module of Religion 8. to the Hebrews 9. to Galathians ibid. Ephesians 10. Timothy and Titus ibid. Errors are obviated by a Module of Religion 12 14. Errors about Repentance 55. Error in fundamentals inconsistent with Faith 480. Morning Exercise when it begun and how profitable it hath been 23 24. Duties towards it 25. Extremity of hell torments by their inflammation fire and preparation and association with Divels 628 629 630 631. Eternity the property of hell torments 632 633. Evidences of eternal life laid down in a Module 15. Exaltation of Christ opposed to his Humiliation 306 307. It s priority to his humiliation as a merit or meer antecedent discussed 308 309. it was exceeding high 311. Exaltation of Christ by three
in the very nature of it is a vindication of the equity of the injur'd Law the reparation and amends it makes it self for the wrong done it by damnifying the person injuring her proportionally to the injury Now that a justified person must be charged with guilt i. e. with the breach of Law and by consequence with desert of punishment appears because otherwise if a man be pronounced tighteous whom no body ever accused or questioned he is only praised not justified 2. The person to be justified must plead for himself either in person or by his Advocate who sustains his person for to refuse to plead is to despaire quite of being justified and to abandon ones self over unto punishment silence gives consent it argues the accused person hath nothing to say for himself why he should not be condemned Our Law you know sheweth no mercy to one that will not plead he is to be Prest to death An endited person must plead therefore something in his own behalf why he should be justified if he would be Now either the man is guilty of the charge or not guilty I must speak to both cases and shew what pleas are requisite in each and which of them is the plea upon which a sinner is justified at the Bar of God Case 1. If the endited person be not guilty of the charge justice it self must justifie him upon that plea. Si accusasse sufficiat quis erit innocens an innocent person may be accused he can never be convinc't for that that is not can never be demonstrated the Judge or Jury were themselves guilty if they found innocence guilty Now to be justified thus is to be purely and meerly justified not at all to be pardoned for such a one stands upon his termes bears himself upon his own righteousnesse begs no mercy 'T is no favour to justifie him 't is his due he is not beholding to the Judge a jot the exact rigour of the Law acquits him To bring this to the present businesse I shall demonstrate that we can never be justified at the Bar of God by pleading not guilty For First the plea is false Although in a very restrained sense there is none so wicked but he may plead not guilty and be justified as to this or that particular fact charged upon him Nimrod was not guilty of Abels murther Nay a Saint may be guilty of some sins which the Devil may plead not guilty too as grieving the comforting the sealing Spirit abusing the Redeemers grace c. yet nothing short of universal innocence nothing but a perfect righteousnesse a total exemption from all manner of guilt will entitle us before Gods Tribunal to this plea James 2.10 For whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all 1. Because the punishment due to the breach of the whole Law viz. the curse of God is due to every breach of every part Gal. 3.10 Deut. 27.26 Cursed is he that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them The wages of sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of every single sinne is death Romans 6.23 2. Because he that offends in one point affronteth the authority of all as is excellently observed in the next verse For he that said James 2.11 Do not comâ— it adultery said also Do not steale Every sin hath Atheisme in it it denies the God that is above to trample upon the Majesty of God shining in oâ—e Commandment is at once to trample upon that Majesty which enacted all 3. Because thereby he becomes infected with a contagious disposition to be guilty of all the same principle which embolden'd him now will another time if but excited with equal strengths of temptation to commit any other sin or to repeat the same sins again and again though excited with still weaker and weaker temptations for as frequent acts strengthen the habit of sin so the habit facilitates the acts From hence it appeares that the holy Angels that Adam in innocency that the man Christ Jesus might indeed plead not guilty before God and be justified upon that plea but now impossible for us Rom. 3.20.23 Psa 14.1 1 John 1.8 Secondly the plea being false there is no hope upon this issue to be justified unlesse there were some defect in the Judge or in the evidence In the Judge either of prudence in not understanding or of integrity or power in not executing the Law aright But in our case these are alike that is infinitely impossible for we have to do with the All-wise Legislator himself who is also the Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty and shall not this Judge of all the earth do right Gen. 18.25 Nor can there be any defect in the evidence for the books shall be opened at the last day Rev. 20.12 and the dead shall be judged out of those things which are written in the books according to their works Nay even now there are two day-books a filling down goes every houre every moment all we do and think and speak in the book of Gods remembrance fairly written not an iota not a tittle either mist or blurred of this God hath given us a counterpart to keep in our own bosomes the Register of conscience though a very imperfect copy full of blots mistakes omissions yet enough alone to convince us instead of a thousand witnesses for every sinner will be his own accuser and condemner rising up as an Advocate in the behalf of the great Judge against himself at the day of judgement Prima est haec ultio quod se Judice nemo nocens absolvitur Case 2. And this was the first plea not guilty but the case is not ours and therefore this plea will never justifie us I come therefore to the other which in our case is guilty and here are two wayes of pleading First meer mercy for mercies sake but indeed this is not to plead at all but to beg And as in the last case when an innocent person upon his pleading not guilty is discharg'd that is pure justification but no pardon so here quite contrary when a guilty person is discharg'd out of mercy this is pure pardon but no justification for there shines not one beame of Justice in such a discharge meer mercy is all in all Whence it follows that the Socinians who to avoid the necessity of acknowledging Christs satisfaction to Divine Justice affirm that Justification is nothing but meer Remission of sins do abuse the Woâ—d and contradict themselves for who seeth not that to be pardon'd gratis out of pure mercy without the least reparation made either for the injury and indignity done to the Law or satisfaction to the honour justice and authority of the Law-giver by the sin affronted is not to bâ— justified at all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but only to be gratified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. discharged upon the sole
evil is ever present but to do good he hath no minde so that he must needs cry out I have sinned and must return or else I perish now reproof finds ready acceptance from him the Ministers of God shall meet with no murmuring if they cry unto him Thou art the man for he is apt and ready to draw up a Bill of Inditement and read a large accusation against his own soul his iniquities now finds him out and followeth him every where that it becomes alive and appears against him with vigour not admitting the least of Apology but leading him to Condemnation and laying him open to the Curse due unto them that break the Law and therefore he now 3. Sentenceth himself as accursed of God and bound over to Divine fury the conscience of his guilt concludes him under the condemnation of the Law that he seeth cause to wonder at his very being concludeth himself unworthy the least of mercy and God to be just in the greatest of judgments which lie upon him and so proceedeth to judge himself and seal up his own soul under the curse standing under the continual expectation of Gods fiery indignation to be revealed from heaven determining it self a debtor to the Law and as such liable to justice and in it self unable to make the least satisfaction so that now the soul doth not only assent unto the Law as true in all its threats but app yeth them unto himself confessing unto him belongs shame and confusion hell and horrour wo and eternal misery that he knoweth not how to escape but if God proceed against him he is most miserable and undone forever and so is constrained with anguish of soul to cry out What shall I do to be saved This is then the first part of humiliation when the soul in this due order and judicial method of conviction is brought to a sight of sin to see God offended the Law violated the soul damned and destinated to everlastâ—ng woe if not Redeemed by the mercy of a God who hath established Jesus Christ his Son to be a Lord and Saviour to g ve Remissiâ—n and Repentance and so it proceeds to the sorrow for his sin as committed against God Second part of humiliation The second part then of penitential humiliation is contrition or sorrow for sin as committed against God Herein the soul is not only acquainted with but afflicted for its guilt seeeth not only that it is a sinner but sorroweth under and is ashamed of so sad and sinful an estate the stony heart is broken the Adamantine soul dissolved he rends not his garment but his heart and goeth out and weepeth bitterly He seeth with shame his many abominations and rendeth with soul-distressing sorrow and anguish the Curse of the Law that is due unto him and considereth with almost soul-distracting despaire the doleful estate into which his sin hath resolved him for he seeth God with whom he is not able to plead to be highly offended and therefore must with Job confesse that he is n t able to answer when God reproveth Job 40.4 5. he is vile and must lay his hand on his mouth though in his pride he hath once spoke yet now he hath no answer yea twice but he dare proceed no further Well seeing that all contending with God is but a da kening counsel by words wi hout knowledge and so he becomes submisse and silent under the saddest of affliction inflicted by God Psal 51.4 Lam 3.39 Crying out Against thee thee only have I sinned And why should a living man complaine for the punishment of his sin the soul is in it self confounded on the sense that God claps his hands against him for his sin therefore his heaâ—t cannot endure or his hands be strong Ezek. 22.13 14. Compunction of spirâ—t is the only condition of the convinced Penitent he seeth he is liable to the curse of the Law and his only outcry is What shall we do to be saved He being convinced that he hath crucified the Lord of life is pricked at the heart and in all approaches unto God he is ashamed and amazed becâ—use a man oâ— polluted lips nay Isa 6.6 sadly seeing that sin overspreads him Isa 64 6. his very righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloth he like the poor Publican stands afar off and dares not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven and his only note and eccho is Lord be merciful to me a sinner Luke 18.13 he humbleth himself under the hand of God as having deserved the most heavy of plagues his haughty spirit is now laid low within him he is wholly resolved into sorrow even godly sorrow it is his grief that guilt is on his spirit but his greater grief that his sin is gone out against God a gracious and an holy God a just and an holy Law his sorrow is a sorrow of candor and ingenu ty not so much that he is liable to the lash and obnoxious to the curse as that a Father is offended the image of his God defaced his grand complaint is I have sinned against God his soul-affliction and heart-trembling is God is offended the frownes of God sink deeper and seize more sadly on his spirit than the sharpest of his sufferings his earnest cry is for the joy of Gods salvation he is not only afflicted with the terrours of the Law Psal 51 12. which he confesseth belongeth to him but is melted with merciful Ministrations of the Gospel of which he is so unworthy he cannot look unto Christ but with a spirit of mourning moved by the strength of the remedy to see the heighth of his malady and by the dolor of a Saviour Zech. 12.10 made sensible of the depth of his miserie by the mercy and love manifested to so great a sinner he is led to mourn over a gracious Saviour like Mary Magdalene he loveth much and manifesteth it by lamenting much Luke 7.47 because much is forgiven Thus then the believing sinner comes home by weeping-crosse findes conviction and contrition antecedaneous acts unto his conversion a sense of and sorrow for his sin precursive parts of his Repentance and God holds this method in g ving Repentance for sundry wife and gracious ends which he hath propounded to be effected As 1. To suit them for and engage them to set an esteem on Christ Jesus and the Remission of sin in him The whole need not the Physician but the sick and Christ came not to call the righteous to repentance but the sinner Mat. 9.12 The hunted beast fl es to his Den and the pursued Malefactor to the hornes of the Altar the chased man-killer to his City of Refuge so the humbled sinner unto Jesus Christ like Paul slaine with the sense of sin and constrained to cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin Rom 7.24 25. it soon seeth and saluteth Christ for