as Assurance Yet these Thunders being scal'd now near again to be unseal'd It flatted again as now we see And this is the Reason the Discourses of Assurance as so essential to Faith are almost as Portentous as the Doctrin of the Kingdom of Christ in such a near appearing Glory and any Aspiring to it as presumptuous Head 10. Prevailing Enmity is no hindrance to our Interest in Christ Conciliation This may be apprehended three ways and be very great truth 1. The Elect Sinner in the midst of the most prevailing Enmity hath such Interest in Christ that his Rescue from Sin Hell and Death is so secur'd and deposited by the Divine Decree for him in Christ that the very height of Enmity shall not disinterest him but Christ will break through that Enmity and seize upon him even when it is most Boiling up and Raging Thus Paul Acts 9. being a chosen Vessel even while he had a Knife in his hand to murther Christ had yet such an Interest in Christ by that Electing Grace that his Conversion Faith Repentance and Apostleship lay treasur'd up in Christ and Christ had such an Interest in him That an Everlasting Arm was about him and he was Appreprehended by Chrst for that very Thing that in Due Time he might by Faith Apprehend Christ. And surely this is an Interest of no mean account 2. At the very height of Enmity the chiefest Sinner hath that Interest in Christ that he may come and apprehend Christ by Faith and receive all the Benefits of Christ and the very first of those Benefits shall be the Healing him of that Enmity He hath a Right to come If it be said Enmity and Coming connot consist it is true But his present Enmity does not disinterest him in a Right to come if he would But it hinders his being willing to come Yet in the moment the Grace of Christ Abounds to the Elect Person at the Appointed Time with Faith and Love which are in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 1. 14. Present Enmity is no more hindrance to an Interest in Christ but that as in Paul it falls flat in what moment that Grace pleases 3. To win upon Sinners to come to Christ it may be said to them while in the Preaching of the Gospel there is a Probing or Endeavouring to Find out the Elect and Bring them to Christ It may be I say said to them Come though you have the highest Enmity That is no hindrance to your Interest in Christ supposed you come For in that very moment you turn to come to Christ your Enmity shall drop off from you It is a Hindrance to the present Application of Interest not to the Interest it self that is secur'd in Electing Grace and the Free Promises of the Gospel intended and design'd for all the Elect. And this the Gospel gives right to the Preachers of it to declare But the doubt whether this or that particular Person belongs to that Election while he is in Enmity and the certainty of Enmity ceasing in the very coming is as a drawn Sword between a claim of Interest in Chrisâ— and perservering Enmity If it be said There must be Humiliation Wearinâ—ss Sight of Sin and Sorrow for it The Methods of Electing Grace that it hath prescribed to it self will take care for all and so that all such Affections and Acts shall be rais'd up excited and carried on in the Sinner himself and even by himself under the Efficacy of that Grace And thus understood as it must be except he that speaks so be a person void of all Holy Sense or so much as Sober and such Dr Crisp was not in the Judgment of Mr. Williams as appears in the last Lines of the Preface They must therefore be understood to be spoken by way of earnest perswasion to come to Christ and to Essay upon Men by proposing the Largest and Freest Terms So the Ministers of Christ as Fishers spread the Net to Catch Men As Scripture says he hath received Gifts for the Rebellious also that the Lord God may dwell among them Psal 68. 18. And as Abraham is said to Believe on Him that Justifies the Vngodly Why may not the most expatiating Expressions be used in so good a Sense and with so good a Design seeing Scripture hath us'd such And why may not as good an Effect be hop'd for from this way of Speaking seeing Scripture hath us'd it as from the severer ways Scripture hath also us'd according to the variety of Gifts and Motions of the same Spirit and both be blessed by God giving effect through Christ Head 11. The Elect are not united to Christ without Faith Upon Believing only we are related to Christ as all the Metaphors of Union import Conciliation The being chosen in Christ before the World began being predestinated to the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himself cannot be without Union The first Powers of Regeneration Conversion Softness of Heart Contriteness of Spirit Faith Repentance which the Apostle expresses by Wisdom or Calling in Christ Jesus cannot be without Union And yet it is true that setled Union of Communion or Union of Communion cannot be till Christ be received by the Faith of God's Elect nor can the Elect be at all known to themselves from the Non-Elect So that as there is need of all the Forcible and Right Words of Scripture to shew without Faith Repentance Holiness there can be no Union of Communion with Christ or of the Consolation arising from it even according to the Eternal Counsel of Him that worketh all Things after the Counsel of his own Will So on the other side there is Authority and Warrant to Declare that Inseparable Union between the Head of the Adoption and all that are Predestinated to the Adoption of Children in Him that it may be acknowledg'd to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace who hath laid his Foundation so sure And it may be also Declar'd by way of Invitation and Encouragement in coming to Christ that Sinners who look towards him may be begotten an effect wherein they are wholly passive to a living Hope through his Grace who does it of his own Will and yet by the Word of Truth in all parts of it as a subordinate Ministry and that they may be invited to look towards him and that they may be encourag'd to expect Grace from Christ for Union of Communion flowing from the Union of the Predestinated Adoption in Him at the just time appointed by God for it Head That of Justification before Faith hath been already spoken to but I will add something to it on the next Head Head 12. Repentance is necessary to Pardon Conciliation Seeing Justification and Pardon include necessarily the Removals of the Wrath and Displeasure of God in all the dreadful Effects of it and also connote as necessarily the Breaking out of his Favour in the most gracious Effects of it how Faith or Repentance can be perfectly or in full
Heads at the end of his Book the Line of my Procedure and so have set them at the end of this I commit all to Divine Blessing and Christian Acceptation with this gladsom Prediction that if we can but for a little a very little time love the Truth and Peace Zech. 8. 19. The Light concerning these Points that hath been but as the Light of the Moon in the time of the 42 Moons of the Apostacy not yet expir'd and so still darkning the Sun's Light shall be not only as the Light of the Sun of Christ's Face ch 10. 1. in the Reformation But the Light of the Sun even since the Reformation shall be Seven-fold the Light of One Day as the Light of Seven All in One. Then we shall Rejoyce and no longer Dissent Let us Earnestly Pray Lord Let as it shall shortly do Thy Kingdom thus Come A SECOND Conciliatory Discourse CONCERNING Dr. Crisp's Sermons AND Mr. Williams's Dissatisfactions concerning them THat which I would lay in the Foundation and as the Center of this Discourse shall be a Scheme of the Doctrine of the Gospel in these Points 1. The Covenant of Grace in all the Graces and Duties of the Convenantees of it God in infinite Wisdom Holiness and Purity hath so setled that it is an Absolute Covenant in which Christ is not only the Great Sacrifice and his Blood the Price Ransom and Purchase But He Himself is the Surety the Mediator the Testator of it So that This Covenant shall never be Found Fault with Not only on the Account of its own Goodness but not on this Account that the Covenantees or those who are indeed intended by Christ to be the Covenantees have broken it and so it hath become ineffectual to them This is most evident from the Apostle's Argumentation Heb. 8 7 c. For if the First Covenant had been faultless there should have been no place sought for a second The first Covenant that God made was in it self good had they to whom it was given been suitable and agreeable to it The Apostle therefore changes that his word if the Covenant had beâ—n faultless into those words For finding fault with them he saith Behold the Days come saith the Lord I will make a new Covenant not according to the Covenant I made with their Fathers c. which my Covenant they brake or continued not in and I regarded them not But this is the Covenant I will make with them I will write my Laws in their Hearts c. Hence it follows The Covenantees according to the faultless Covenant must so continue in it that God may be for ever their God and they his People there need be no dispute what Covenant this was or in what regard it is here spoken of whether only as a Covenant of Moral Obedience or as a Ritual Ceremonial Covenant for it is undeniable the Apostle represents it herein as a Covenant found fault with that they who were under it continued not in it and therefore whatever Covenant whether Moral or Ceremonial had that Fault to be found with it God would change and bring in a Covenant that should not have that Fault to be found with it It must and shall be effectual to the grand purpose of keeping in the People of it so within it self as to be God's People and that he will be their God such efficacies of Grace shall all go along with it This is not to be eluded by any Art or Wit of Man 2. From hence it must necessarily follow There is a certain number chosen and elected according to the Grace of this Covenant and for them this Covenant is made For it is too evident in plain view and as matter of fact that the most Gracious and Spiritual Covenant of the Gospel does not thus embrace all that are under it in profession as that God should be for ever their God and they his People and that they should be for ever pardon'd Seeing yet 2dly it is God and Christ that look to it that this Covenant should be thus continued in And 3dly that Scripture speaking of those thus secur'd according to the Covenant of Grace stiles them The Election and continually speaks of the Election of Grace the Riches of Grace and the Glory and Praise of Grace not of Works but of Him that calleth All this put together shews a certain Number elected In respect to whom this Covenant shall not be faulted for their breaking it 3. The Election is in Jesus Christ the Head of the Adoption the First born among many Brethren even all the Sons God will bring Glory through Him So Jesus Christ must be the Supreme and Chief in the whole Doctrine of Salvation His Blood and Death his Righteousness and Obedience His Appearance with that Blood in Heaven in his Melchisedecian Priesthood and there by the Power of an Endless Life Negotiating and Transacting all for and in his Servants as by a perpetual Rotation of that Power as in a Sphere of highest Activity by his Spirit These are the very Powers of Salvation 4. This the Scripture represents to be Eternal or from before the Foundation of the World which is the constant Expression it uses to convey to us the Notion of Eternity by now Eternal surrounds and encompasses Time and gives all the efficacy to the Motions in and upon it for as it encircles it so it penetrates it every where with infinity of Lines cutting it every way so that though to us as Creatures of Times these two Time and Eternity seem most distinct and are so spoken of yet indeed Time is supported and in all Parts and Lines of it interwoven by Eternity 5. The Supreme Representation of God in the whole State of our Salvation is as of a Father in Christ this is most demonstrative seeing it is to the Adoption of Children we are chosen which necessarily carries the notion of a Father seeing also it is the making conformable to the Image of his Son and seeing it is for the bringing many Sons to glory And so Jesus Christ is represented in the nearest and most intimate Relations as the First-born among many Brethren yea sometimes as a Father as a Husband as a Root to the Branches as a Head to the Members This is the most inward and intimate Representation of Scripture concerning our Salvation 6. But the Outward and more extern Administration is by God the Judge of all or the Rector and Governor of all and by Jesus Christ as Lord of all and he as having all Judgment committed to him is made known to us But though the Elect Children of God and Members of Christ are comprehended in several ways of Scripture-speaking under this Outward Administration yet This Outward Administâ—ation is chiefly with regard to the Non-Elect to clear and justify God in all his Dealings with them and therefore as to the exterior part of his Administration there are the same Overtures made to the one that
becomes a Standard by which the full Value of the Satisfaction of Christ by his Sacrifice and Obedience unto Justification and the Infinite Grace of God in Pardon is tryed and made glorious by which the Duties of Humiliation Confession of Sin Application to Christ for Righteousness Repentance should be both understood and urged Here is the Rule for Holiness and new Obedience out of which all the Holy Precepts of the Gospel are drawn Hereby the Remainders of Sin are Discern'd and Humiliation under them wrought Hereby is the Infinite Grace of Christ towards his Legatees his Redeemed set at full Light in working an Inward Conformity to this Holy Law in all parts of it And hereby the Government of God committed to Christ is continued with Relation to all Mankind even to all not given to him For they who have the Gospel Preached to them are judged not only according to the Law of Righteousness first written in the Heart but according to this Divine Revelation and Grace which highly aggravates their Disobedience and makes it more Tollerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for them Mat. 10. 24. They who have not the Gospel are judged according to that Law and Light of Nature They have concerning the Law and that Witness of an Intention of Grace God gives to them in giving Fruitful Times and Seasons and all the Discoveries of his Patience Leading them to Repentance even as the King of Nineveh who shall rise up in Judgment and condemn Heathens who have not by such a Light from the forbearance of God argued to Repentance as he did And thus are the Secrets of all Hearts judged according to the Apostles Gospel as he said Rom. 2. 16. Some Ombrage of which Heathens have Thus the Law is established and preserved in its full Authority and the Gospel is also establish'd as Divine Revelation and in its High purely promissory Part as a Ministration of the Spirit And if the Designation of the Gospel be particularly singled out for the most powerful Preaching of it by some and yet in the mean time the more large and universal Motion and Doctrin of the Gospel be Preach'd more universally by the most of the Preachers whom the Spirit of God according also to the general Stream of Scripture hath so Missiond Commission'd and Enabled I cannot see but here may be the Sweetest Union and as great a Conspiration as between the Apostle Paul and the Apostle James while one tells us a Man justifyed by Faith without Works and the Last tells us by what of Faith viz not by the Body of Faith or a Confession of Faith but by the Spirit of it the Vis Essectrix or Operatrix the working Efficacy of it which I take on great Reason to be the very true Expedient of Reconciliation between the two Apostles and yet in both by the Righteousness of Christ by Faith alone and that Faith given only by Christ So all is of Grace Ephes 2. For Faith and all its Works flow from the Blood and Righteousness of Christ drawing nigh to his Elect People to Regenerate and to justifie together Titus 3. 5. c. And surely by a close and universal Compare of Scripture The Day of Judgment must be according to this very same Grace For when the Spirits of Saints are immediately with Christ and He receives them who Dye and Sleep in him in a Moment in the Twinkling of an Eye made Perfect and when they are Raised Incorruptible he brings them with him and they together with Christ Judge Angels and the World And it is given to them to Appear in Robes wash'd white in the Blood of the Lamb and to be Cloathed in Linnen white and clean which is the Righteousness of the Saints and he presents them to himself without Spot Wrinckle or any such Thing It cannot be understood that the Day of Judgment in relation to the Saints is by way of Tryal of Judgment on particular Actions But their very Appearance is their Absolution and Adjudgment to Glory as Clad in the rich Robes Wash'd in the Blood of the Lamb All their Graces and Holy Duties fill'd up and their Sins perfectly blotted out and remainders of Corruption effaced by Grace perfected in Glory On the other side The wicked have Appearances in their Sins having found them out covering them as a Garment of Dishonour and as filthy Garments that expose them immediately to Condemnation And as if their particular Sins were written upon them and the Condemnation together with them And thus each appear visibly before the Throne Tribunal and Judgment Seat of Christ during the whole Thousand Years of his Kingdom One Crowned with Glory and Honour the other cover'd with Shame and Contempt If any should object Christs insisting on the particular Duty of Visiting Cloathing Feeding Mat. 25. either as perform'd or neglected It is to be observ'd each sort first were set one on the Right Hand the other on the Left one as Sheep the other as Goats So the Tryal was easie If it be further said God will bring every Work into Judgment whether it be Good or Evil. This I attribute to the mighty Power and Wisdom of God giving together with every Person before his Judgment all the Holy Actions of Saints wash'd and perfected in and by the Blood of Jesus and fill'd up with his Grace and by the Spirit as in a Moment an Atom of Time the Twinkling of an Eye and their Sins so taken away as not only not to be found but not to be Whereas the Talents of wicked Men that is any good Things they had here not being purged by his Blood perfected by his Obedience and fill'd up by his Spirit are taken from them and they appear All in their Sins And thus the Order of Things at that Day is according to the free Grace of Election Calling Justification and Sanctification covered under Justification in that Chain of Salvation Rom. 8. and Glorification springing from all Head 15. Holiness and good Works are necessary to Salvation Conciliatiion Good Works are so as they are the Provision and Preparation of God even of his Eternal free Grace in furnishing us with them and as we are his Workmanship in Christ Jesus Created to them But the Number Measure Elevation of them in higher or lower Degrees of Excellency so diverse in Saints shew the Foundation of our Salvation as well as Justification rests elsewhere Head 16. Good Works are profitable and please God Conciliation They do so as they are the Fruits of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Disposalls of his free Grace in us and to us and so by us And as God is pleas'd to shew himself as the Supreme Rector and Governor according to his Holy Law but yet so that the Poles on which Salvation moves are the Grace of God in our Election and his Acceptation of us to Righteousness in Christ and if he leave any of his Servants in their Service and