Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God Tit. 3.5 According to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost The Knowledg of secret Sins is ascribed to the Holy Ghost Acts 5.3 4. Why hath Satan filled thy Heart to lie to the Holy Ghost thou hast not lied unto Men but unto God Likewise the Sin against the Holy Ghost is declared to be unpardonable Mark 3.29 He that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never Forgiveness but is in danger of Damnation These and many other Scriptures evidence the Truth of the Unity of Essence in the Trinity of the Divine Persons Joh. 10.30 I and my Father are one I John 5.7 For there are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Compare also 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God And 2 Pet. 1.21 Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Likewise in the last words of David 2 Sam. 23.2 3. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me and his VVord was in my Tongue the God of Israel said c. Thus the Doctrine of the blessed Trinity is not meerly Notional but Real it is not fictitious but eternally true it is infinitely good therefore necessary to be believed and adoringly received in Love as the Principle of Felicity to Intellectual Creatures The Divine Trinity is Incomprehensible therefore to be adored not doubted nor subjected to Human Argumentation which cannot illustrate that which in all respects necessarily excels all Methods of finite Proof or Evidence tho the Reality and Efficacy thereof be most certainly and feelingly perceived and enjoyed The curious Inquiry is like gazing upon the Sun which dazles our weak Eyes For now we see through a Glass darkly now we know in part but when we shall know even as also we are known when we are brought into the third Heaven then we shall hear those unspeakable words which in this State of Mortality are not possible to be uttered fully to reveal the Glory of the Divine Trinity What the Lord said unto Moses is also spoken unto us We cannot see the Glory of God and live but the Lord maketh his Goodness pass before us and proclaims his Name before us that he will be gracious to whom he will be gracious and will shew Mercy on whom he will shew Mercy according to the eternal Election of God the Father and the Redemption by God the Son and Sanctification by God the Holy Ghost into which Truth all Believers who shall be saved are baptized The Duty of common Philanthropy obliges deeply to grieve at the Folly and Madness of Epicurean Sensualists who renounce the Glory of the Image of God and the hope of immortal Felicity and corrupt themselves to be like natural Brute Beasts made to be taken and destroyed vainly imagining to evade the impartial Justice of the Almighty God with whom is terrible Majesty No less miserable are the Profane who take up a scoffing Name of Deist to act the Atheist renouncing the Fear of God which is the only Bond of Human Society and rejecting Hope in God which is the only distinguishing Excellency of Man above the Beasts that perish Unreasonable also is the Pride of those who deny the predestinating Prescience of God the Father changing the Glory of the Incorruptible God in 〈…〉 of corruptible Man as if they thought God to be altogether such an one as themselves who upon any Disappointment or unexpected Accident endeavour to patch up a Remedy for unforeseen Inconvenience But let the Potsherds of the Earth strive with and discourse of the Potsherds of the Earth But unto the eternal Wisdom of God are known all his Works from the beginning of the World according to that determinate Counsel and Knowledg of his own Will who hath appointed all things that ever shall come to pass and all for his own Glory so that not any the least thing even the falling of a Sparrow to the Ground befals by chance but by Divine Appointment Also the most flagitious Wickedness that ever was contrived and acted even the crucifying the Prince of Life was to fulfil the determinate Counsel of God for this very end to accomplish the highest Exaltation of Divine Glory and Goodness in the Salvation of Man Which Salvation likewise is made effectual only to such as are ordained to Eternal Life They also deny the meritorious Satifaction to the infinite Justice of God by the Death and Righteousness of Jesus Christ for the Redemption of Sinners from Wrath to come by which miserable Error is effectually and really denied and evacuated the Essential Justice of God They also deny the necessity of the Almighty efficacious Grace of the Spirit of God to sanctify regenerate and quicken those that are naturally dead in Trespasses and Sins under that Corruption and Impotence wherein all are alienated from the Life of God Now concerning the words used by the Orthodox to express the Mystery of the Divine Trinity It ought to be considered that Words of Rational Speech being the Signatures of Things there are many more things to be expressed than are words to represent them For such is the Poverty of every the most copious Language that there is necessity to apply the same syllabical Word to signify various and different things which yet receive the Certainty of Interpretation from the Rational Contexture of the respective Discourse Thus in the Controversies raised by Heretical Blasphemers against the Doctrine of the blessed Trinity The Orthodox to vindicate the Truth of the Scriptures which abundantly testify both the Essenâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 and the distinct â—â—â—perties of God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost have made use of several words as Person and Co-essential to express and signify the scriptural Truth of the Identical Substance and distinct Properties of the Divine Trinity in Unity Therefore the possession and use of the aforesaid Words or Phrases are duly retained by the Church according to the Meaning and Intention clearly made known in the holy Scriptures which ascribe as before mentioned unto the Father unto the Son and unto the Holy Ghost Attributes of Essential Divine Perfection incommunicable to any but unto the only living and true God who from everlasting to everlasting is God blessed for ever Religious Worship being the absolute Soveraignty of the only living and true God both in respect of the Object of Worship which can only be God and in respect of the Rule of Worship which can only be appointed by God For all other Objects of Worship are despicable vain Idols and all Rules Mediums and Ways of Religion not instituted by God are blasphemous Detraction from the Truth and Majesty of God It must therefore be that the great Temptation to Atheism is Superstition that is a Human Composition of Religion when the Fear
such is his Wrath in the Execution of Vindictive Judgment upon all Sinners so that if there could be an Intermission of this providential Circulation an immediate Deliquium of the Universe must ensue The conscientious Awe of this being the only real Security of Human Relation and Society There must then upon every hainous Offence be either Satisfaction to Justice or the Execution of Justice Both which intirely and absolutely depend upon and proceed from the Will of God which cannot be liable to any finite Thought or Assignation Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord or being his Counsellor hath taught him With whom took he Counsel and who hath instructed and taught him in the Path of Judgment O the Depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledg of God! The Riches of his Grace hath abounded towards us in all Wisdom and Prudence according to his Pleasure which he hath purposed in himself To declare his Righteousness that he might be just and the Justifier of the ungodly which believeth in Jesus The Institution and Hope of this Redemption was revealed to our first Parents under the forlorn Consternation of their Fall when God gave the Promise of the Seed of the Woman to bruise the Serpent's Head In the Scriptures relating the History of the World and of the Church before the Ministry of Moses it hath not pleased the Holy Ghost to speak particularly of the Institution of Ceremonial Worship and Religion But as from Adam to Moses Death the Wages of Sin reigned now Sin is not imputed when there is no Law for Sin is the Transgression of the Law So likewise the Salvation of the first Patriarchs and of the whole Church of God particularly of Abel and Enoch could not be obtained but by Faith in the promised Mediator without which it was impossible to please God Neither can Faith be separated from Obedience to a Word of Command and Promise The Object of Faith being from the beginning even Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever The Expression of the Prophet Jeremy is to this most apposit A glorious high Throne from the beginning is the place of our Sanctuary That is from the beginning of God's reconciling the World to himself Jesus Christ the Lamb of God slain from the Foundation of the World was the only and necessary Mediator of the Covenant of Grace between God and Man for Redemption and Remission also for Intercession and Acceptance who so became the Author of Eternal Salvation to all that obey him Obedience then to the revealed Will of God is the indispensable Duty of all true Worshippers of God with Acceptance It pleased God in gracious Condescension to Human Frailty before the Fulness of Time came that Jesus Christ should offer up himself once in the End of the World when he appeared to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of himself in that mean time to institute Sacrifices which were not voluntary Devotions by the Will of Man either gratulatory to God or representative to the Offerer but exact Performances according to the express Precept of God For as Lactantius says God only can teach how he would be worshipped The Evidence of this also appears from the words of holy Scriptures concerning Abel offering a more excellent Sacrifice by which he obtained Witness that he was Righteous which could not be unless his Sacrifice were entirely and only such as God commanded so that being dead he yet speaketh and instructeth us in this great Truth That there can be no Righteousness in any Religion but as it is the Observance of the Word of God It evidently also appears that Sacrifices were of Divine Institution because they were only to be such Offerings of Beasts and Fowl as were not by natural Distinction but by positive Command selected to be clean and made capable to be sacrificed all other Species being excluded as unclean In the next place must be understood the right End and Intention of Sacrifice The Scripture speaks expresly that without shedding of Blood there is no Remission of Sin yet the Blood of Bulls and Goats could not avail to make the Worshipper perfect so that the continual Sacrifice daily offered and all other extraordinary Burnt-offerings occasionally appointed by the Law were merciful Surrogations of Typical Propitiations with respect to Christ whose Blood only could take away the Sins of the World Whose Blood being the Blood of the everlasting Covenant could only make the Comers unto God perfect Man being made in Honour did not therein abide but because like the Beasts that perish Also being raised up to Hope in the Promise of Grace by Jesus Christ they apostatized quickly becoming vain in their Imagination and their foolish Heart being darkened changed the Truth of God into a Lie and worshipped and served the Creature more than the Creator who is blessed for ever Notwithstanding there remained in the Hearts of the Heathen Idolatrous Nations a Conviction that there was a necessity of Propitiatory Sacrifices to appease the Wrath and atone the offended Justice of Divine Majesty Profane Histories are full of continual Instanccs of the Solemnities of Sacrifices Ilastical to appease the Wrath of God All which Offerings were feigned and imposed as if divinely authorized and instituted And the Ceremonies relating thereunto stiled Mysteries as being the visible Signatures of spiritual Intention and Efficacy For tho the Medium and Object of propitiatory Worship by the Heathen were vain and false yet most rational was the indelible Conviction of the necessity of Propitiation and Atonement towards God for the Remission of Sins committed by the Rebellion and A postacy of Human Creatures The mystery of Godliness great without Controversy represents God manifested in the Flesh believed on in the World This is the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Jesus Christ The Explanation of which is That God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them For he hath made him who knew no Sin to be Sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him This Reconciliation and Remissfion is always expressed under the Notion of Ransom Atonement Redemption Propitiation and Expiation all which is to be performed by the Death of a slain Sacrisice For the Scripture testifies without shedding of Blood there is no Remission of Sins But it is not possible that the Blood of Bulls and Goats should take away Sins The Divine Justice could not take Plcasure in any Sacrifices which were offered tho by the Typical Law for Sin so as thereby to receive Satisfaction Therefore when the Son of God came into the World a Body was prepared for him therein to do the Will of God by the which Will we are sanctified through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all For it is only the beloved Son of God in whom
God can be well-pleased with sinners even through the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God who purgethi'geth our Consciences from the dead Works of Sin to serve the Living God For by one Offering he hath perfected ever them that are sanctisied Therefore to imagine any Possibility of the Pardon of Sin without out the atoning Propitiation and Satisfaction only obtained by the Blood of Christ is an evil Figment to palliate the desperate Wickedness and Sinfulness of Sin to make void the Law of perpetual Righteousness which is the inâ—sible Rule and Judg of all Affections and Actions and doth indeed effectually contemn and blaspheme the infinite Majesty Holiness and Justice of God the Creator and Preserver of all Beings and consequently miserably deprives a Sinner of that strong Consolation given by God to those that fly for Refuge unto Christ to obtain by his Resurrection the Evidence of his compleat Satisfaction to Divine Justice the Answer of a good Conscience The Worshippers thus purged as the Scripture saith having no more Conscience of Sins the Lord having laid on him the Iniquities of us all who do the Work of God to believe on him whom he hath sent For this is the true Cabala the faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation That Christ Jesus came into the World to save even chief Sinners In the Cases of Life and Death according to universal Justice in the World it is fatal not only to be an Outlaw flying from Justice Mute in refusing to answer Justice but it proves no less mortal to suggest a Plea which the Law will not allow If a Criminal condemned to die be favoured with some Reprieve and then by the Soveraign's Commission intrusted with an important Imployment the faithful Discharge of that Trust is meer Duty but not Merit and he remains still a condemned Malefactor liable to the former Sentence by the Law of Attaint and Death from which not any thing can deliver but a Pardon from the Soveraign laid hold on and legally pleaded by the Criminal It is thus according to the Rule of Righteousness between the Judg of all the World and every Mortal Creature that God might be just and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Therefore we must not be ignorant of Saton's Devices the Popish Doctrine of Merit by Works sprinkled as they say by the Blood of Christ available to Justification and Salvation is an Antichristian Departure from the Faith and the teaching of Lies in Hypocrisy For there cannot be any Work possible to be accepted by Divine Justice but what is an Act of Obedience to the Law and the best Performances of such is but as our Saviour saith that of an unprofitable Servant When we shall have done all those things which are commanded us we must say We have done that which was our Duty to do Therefore the Observance of a present Duty the Neglect or Male-performance whereof would be criminal Guilt cannot in any just Construction be assumed or imputed to expiate a precedent Transgression guilty of Felony and Treason Yet this Truth doth not in any degree exempt from the Obedience of Faith which is the inseparable and indispensable Obligation and Duty annexed to the Covenant of Grace So that there is not in the least degree any Pretence for Antinomian Libertinism For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Because Faith unites us to the Principle of Life and works in us by Love which is the Operation or Activity of Life in the fulfilling of the Law There is also another Method of the Depths of Satan to cloud the Glory of God's free Grace and the compleat Merit of Christ's Satisfaction and Righteousness and also to shake the Confidence of a Sinner's Hope to obtain Remission and Acceptance by suborning the Act of Faith to share in the Merits of Christ Now how weak and unreasonable this Supposition is will appear by the Consideration of parallel Cases of Civil and Natural Instances in Judicature Tho the guilty Person cannot have Benefit unless he plead the Royal Pardon yet there is no Virtue in the Plea and humble Claim but only in the extensive Validity of the Pardon Likewise in desperate Sickness or deadly Wound the healing Virtue is not in the meer Application or receiving the Sovereign Balm or Elixir not withstanding the Patient cannot be healed without the Reception or Application of the Remedy Thus it is with a Sinner before the Divine Tribunal Faith believes the Truth and Goodness of the Promise and embraces and relies upon it that is upon the Redemption purchased by Jesus Christ for compleat Salvation from the Condemnation and Corruption of sinful Death for Reconciliation and Acceptance with God and for Participation of Eternal Life which is in Christ Jesus to be communicated to all those who by Faith receive Christ and so have an Union of Life with Christ Now as in the Body the Artery and Nerve is the Ligament the Vessel and Conveyance for vital Union and Motion unto all the Members by the Blood and Animal Spirits So Faith to the Soul is a Means of vital Union with Christ and of the Application and Merits of Christ All which is effected by the Spirit of Christ without which we are none of Christ's and Faith it self is dead The Look of one stung with the deadly fiery Serpent to the Brazen Serpent had no share in the healing Virtue of that Divine Ordinance yet without looking up to the Brazen Serpent the Person stung could receive no Benefit but must die So Faith hath no justifying Virtue inherent in it self For what may prevail to justify must make the Conscience perfect Consequently the Efficient of Perfection must of it self be perfect but Faith cannot be such for it is not of our selves it is the Gift of God Now whatsoever is received is received according to the Measure and Capacity of the Recipient which 〈…〉 and frail 〈…〉 it cannot be 〈…〉 the Law was weak and 〈…〉 through the Flesh so even the Gift of Faith is not able through the remainder of Corruption to perform any perfect Work Therefore the Scripture represents the Lord Jesus Christ under the Notion of the most tender Compassion to the weak in Faith that he will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax but will bring forth Judgment unto Victory which proceeds not from any Virtue and Power inherent in the Work of Faith but from the Righteousness and Strength which only is to be found in the Lord Jesus by perishing Sinners who sly for Refuge unto the Hope that is set before them Jesus Christ the Son of God Even as the Man-slayer under the Law could not be secure from the Avenger of
of the Devil and more evidently by the Institution of Sacrifices For it is a most absurd Derogation from the Soveraignty of a Creator and Contradiction to the Duty of a Creature to impose upon God the necessity of accepting the groundless Fancy of a guilty Malefactor in the highest degree of desperate Wickedness to be a Price of Redemption from everlasting Wrath Considering also that Man had no Title of Interest or rightful Power over any of his Follow-Creatures to substitute any of them a Sacrifice for his Sin Indeed It was an early and due Apprehension that every Sin was of capital Guilt and Forfeiture of Life But it could never have entered into the Heart of Man to conceive how God could be just and the Justifier of Sinners until God had revealed it by his Spirit and the Word of his Grace The Apprehension of Propitiation attainable by Sanguinary Sacrifices could not be a Primary Notion in any Human Mind but consequent and derivative from the Institution of Sacrifices by the express Command and Appointment of God without which it was impossible to please God For Faith cannot be or subsist without a word of Command and Promise But to fancy a Religious Worship to appease the just Wrath and to conciliate the Favour of the Majesty of the Great and Terrible God the Creator of all Beings by any performance of Offering not instituted expresly by God is a presumption becoming a dumb Idol or some precarious Superstition and is an effectual practical Denial of the insinite Perfections of God obtruding and imposing the Blood and Carcass of a wretched Calf or Sheep to expiate the Guilt of most nefandous Crimes and satisfy infinite Justce Neither can there be any possible ground of Reason to imagine that the Ceremonial Ordinances of Sacrifices and other Rites of Divine Worship and Service were instituted by God with respect to or Motive from the superstitious Practice or Expectation of profane Sinners who offered their Devotion to Devils as the Word of God expresly testifies That the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Devils and not to God But Sacrifices and all other Typical Services and Ordinances were by God appointed until the time of Reformation when Christ came an High Priest of good things to come that is everlasting who by the eternal Spirit offer'd himself without Spot to God by his own Blood to purge our Consciences from dead Works that is from Sins deserving Death to serve the living God The Ceremonial Law had a Shadow of good things to come but not Virtue to make the Comers thereunto perfect For it is not possible that the Blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away Sin Therefore because in Sacrifices and Offerings for Sin God could not take Pleasure as therein receiving any Satisfaction to Justice When Jesus Christ came into the World he faith A Body hast thou prepared me Lo I come to do thy Will O God by the which Will we are sanctisied through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once But this Will of God was not induced by any Temporary Consideration it was from everlasting God hath chosen us in Christ before the Foundation of the World God hath saved us and called us with an holy Calling not according to our Works but according to his own Purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began In hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised before the World began Who verily was fore-ordained before the Foundation of the World but was manifested in these last Times It could not then be in Compliance with any Human Apprehension of Expiation of Sin by any Sacrifice of any Creature that Jesus Christ was constitued and given by God to be the Propitiation and Redemption for Sinners But contrariwise God having according to the Counsel of his own free Will made known to our first Parents in their dismal Fall the Mystery of his Will in the Promise of the Seed of the Woman to break the Serpent's Head And then for the Confirmation of that Promise and for the support of Faith instituted Sacrifices revealed first to Adam then to Noah and consequently in them to the whole World of Mankind Noah builded an Altar unto the Lord and took of every clean Beast and of every clean Fowl and offered Burnt-offerings upon the Altar And the Lord smelled a sweet Savour or a Savour of Rest and Satisfaction Now this could not he affirmed or believed unless such Sacrifices had been according to the express Institution of God who as was before observed only could appoint the Discrimination of Beasts clean and unclean All which also was performed and accepted with respect to and in virtue of the Offering and Sacrifice of Christ himself to God for a sweet smelling Savour Immediately upon Noah's Sacrifice God established his Covenant with Noah and his Seed after him Thus all Mankind was by Divine Institution initiated in the Religion of Propitiatory Sacrifices all in reference to and deriving Virtue and Acceptance from the Merits of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World But as it is charged upon Israel both by David and Moses so all Nations soon forgot God's Works they forgot God their Saviour which had done great things for their Preservation they corrupted themselves their Spot was not the Spot of his People they for sook God which made them and lightly esteemed the Rock of their Salvation they provoked him to Jealousy with strange Gods they sacrificed to Devils not to God So that the offering of Propitiatory Sacrifices by the Universality of Mankind was not a Human Invention but a Derivation from Divine Institution tho wretchedly corrupted by Satanical Suggestion Neither was there any Rite of Religious Worship among the Heathen but what was pretended to be a Direction and Command from Heaven so deeply engraven was the Impression in every Rational Mind that Divine Worship could not be acceptable unto God unless commanded by God The whole Work of Redemption and Salvation of Mankind by Jesus Christ was in every part and respect proceeding originally from and effectually to fulfil the Will of God Salvation by Christ was promised before the World began In the fulness of Time he was made of a Woman his Sufferings in every particular Circumstance was to fulfil the Scriptures Our Lord died according to the Scriptures and rose again according to the Scriptures that is for the End appointed by the Word of God to make full Satisfaction to the infinite Justice of God so as to make perfect the Comers unto God by Jesus Christ by Faith in whom the Heart is sprinkled from an evil Conscience that is from the Conscience of the Guilt of Evil To obtain the Answer of a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
without which cur Faith is vain and we are yet in our Sins void of any sufficient Plea to answer the Charge of the Law of Righteousness at the dreadful Tribunal of the Divine Majesty The manifold unfearehable Wisdom of God in the Administration of the Riches of insinite Grace exceeds what Creatures can ask or think The most large and advantagious Pardon from an Earthly Soveraign to a Rebel cannot reclaim a Felon's Mind or alter a Traitor's Heart But they who are in Christ Jesus and free from Condemnation they have the Spirit of Christ by which they are made new Creatures and enabled to walk nor after the Flesh but after the Sprit This is the Comprehension of the Love of God in Christ extended to all Saints Yet the primary Reason of the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ was to make Satisfaction to the Justice of the holy Creator for the Sins of Rebel Apostate Creatures It then became a consequent Corollary of our Lord's Death to awe from Sin and represent the abominable Sinfulness of Sin In all the righteous Administration of Rewards and Punishments supreme Justice obtains the first and necessary Consideration so that if there were no Persons to be deterred from future Crimes yet Justice requires severe Animadversion upon the present Malefactor otherwise How shall God judg the World God cannot be unrighteous in taking Vengeance upon the Damned in everlasting Torments where there is no place for Repentance nor Capacity for the Benefit of a deterring Example The happy Sum of the Doctrine of Man's eternal Redemption and Salvation is That God hath given us the sure Mercies of David He hath made with us an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure and this is all our Salvation where no proud Pharisee can assume or impute to himself nor any humble repenting Sinner doubt or despair Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of Promise the Immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong Consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before us which we have as an Anchor of the Soul sure and stedfast Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Amen Now for a Corollary to the precedent Discourse that it may be evidenced not to be a private Opinion but the Doctrine of the Church of England according to the Scriptures here are subjoined the Expressions of the Homily of the Salvation of Mankind only by Christ our Saviour from Sin and Death Everlasting Homily Because all Men be Sinners and Offenders against God and Breakers of his Law and Commandments therefore can no Man by his own Acts Works and Deeds seem they never so good be justified and made righteous before God But every Man of necessity is constrained to seek for another Righteousness or Justification to be received at God's own Hands that is to say the Forgiveness of his Sins and Trespasses in such things as he hath offended And this Justification or Righteousness which we so receive of God's Mercy and Christ's Merits embraced by Faith is taken accepted and allowed of God for our perfect and full Justification For the more full understanding hereof it is our Parts and Duties ever to remember the great Mercy of God how that all the World being wrapped in Sin by breaking of the Law God sent his only Son our Saviour Christ into this World to fulfil the Law for us by shedding of his most precious Blood to make a Sacrifice and Satisfaction or as it may be called amends to his Father for our Sins to asswage his Wrath and Indignation conceived against us for the same But here may Man's Reason be astonied reasoning after this fashion If a Ransom be paid for our Redemption then is it not given us freely For a Prisoner that paid his Ransom is not let go freely for if he goes freely then he goeth without Ransom For what is it else to go freely than to be set at liberty without paying of Ransom This Reason is satisfied by the great Wisdom of God in this Mystery of our Redemption who hath so tempered his Justice and Mercy together that he would neither by his Justice condemn into the everlasting Captivity of the Devil and his Prison of Hell remediless for ever without Mercy nor by his Mercy deliver us clearly without Justice or Payment of a just Ransom But with his endless Mercy he joined his most upright and equal Justice His great Mercy he shewed unto us in delivering us from our former Captivity without requiring any Ransom to be paid or Amends to be made on our parts which thing by us had been impossible to be done And whereas it lay not in us that to do he provided a Ransom for us that was the most precious Body and Blood of his own most dear and best beloved Son Jesus Christ who besides this Ransom fulfilled the Law for us perfectly and so the Justice of God and his Mercy did embrace together and fulfil the Mystery of our Redemption And of this Justice and Mercy of God knit together speaketh St. Paul in the third Chapter to the Romans All have offended and have need of the Glory of God but are justified freely by his Grace by Redemption which is in Jesus Christ whom God hath sent forth for us for a Reconciler and Peace-maker through Faith in his Blood to shew his Righteousness And in the 10th Chapter Christ is the End of the Law unto Righteousness to every Man that believeth And in the 8th Chapter That which was impossible by the Law in as much as it was weak by the Flesh God sending his own Son in the similitude of sinful Flesh by Sin damned Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us which walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit In these aforesaid places the Apostle toucheth specially three things which must go together in our Justification Upon God's part his great Mercy and Grace Upon Christ's part Justice that is the Satisfaction of God's Justice or the Price of our Redemption by the offering of his Body and shedding of his Blood with the fulfilling of the Law perfectly and throughly And upon our part true and lively Faith in the Merits of Jesus Christ which yet is not ours but by God's working in us So that in our Justification is not only God's Mercy and Grace but also his Justice which the Apostle calleth the Justice of God and it consisteth in paying our Ransom and fulfilling of the Law And so the Grace of God doth not shut out the Justice of God in our justification but only shutteth out the Justice of Man that is to say the Justice of our Works as to be Merits of deserving our Justification And therefore St. Paul declareth here nothing upon the behalf of
Aim and Regard to the Glory of God The Effect of this eternal Truth is the Stream of Truth the Law of universal Justice Righteousness Equity by God implanted in the Nature of all Rational Creatures to direct and judg all their Affections and Actions This is Truth scoffed by the Profane vainly discoursed by Morosophists found possessed and enjoyed as the Happiness of all that fear and love God This assigns the End to all Controversy is the Standard of Conscience and the Basis of all Rational Conversation The Manifestation of this Truth is the revealed Will of God For Knowledg in God both satisfyingly comprehends the All-sufficient Perfection of the Divine Essence and effectually determines and appoints the Nature Operation Use and End of all Beings to his Glory According to the Conformity to or Alienation from this Eternal Truth is the Result of Happiness or Misery to every Rational Being For Divine Truth and Goodness are convertible and inseparable God only is good originally essentially infinitely eternally all-sufficiently Goodness is the Root the Branches are Love God is Love Mercy God is the Father of Mercies Consolation God is the God of all Comfort Patience and Long-suffering God is the God of Patience and his Long-suffering is Salvation his Loving-kindness is better than Life Forgiveness is with the Lord that he may be feared Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is Mercy and with him is plenteous Redemption But this abundant Mercy is not in any respect Encouragement to Presumption or continuance in Sin for that is to despise the Riches of his Goodness and Forbearance and Long-suffering not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth to Repentance but after the Hardness and Impenitency of Heart treasureth unto it self Wrath against the day of Wrath and Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God God that dwells in Light inaccessible cannot be perceived and apprehended in any other Manifestation than as he is pleased to reveal himself which can only be in his Word wherein tho there be sufficient Evidence to satisfy a created Intelligence what is the infinite Excellence of the Divine Object of Worship yet it remains absolutely impossible for the most exalted created Mind fully to comprehend the Perfection of the Divine Essence Notwithstanding what is revealed thereof as the Object of Faith is replenished with immense Goodness and Beauty to be the all-sufficient and necessary Felicity of an immortal Rational Creature Thus the highest and deepest Mystery concerning the Deity tho not possible to be investigated by human Capacity yet being revealed by the Word of Divine Truth necessarily constrains the Understanding Will and Affections to adore believe and receive in Love the Truth of this glorious Mystery The Manifestation of the Divine Essence cannot possibly be arrived at but by such Revelation as God is pleased to make of himself No Man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any Man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him Neither can any Man say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost The Ladder of Divine Knowledge by which the Mind ascends to God the Top whereof reacheth to Heaven is yet set upon the Earth For altho the very Light is a Covering to the Glory of God yet things material visible and humanly intelligible present the Shadows of excellent Evidence subservient unto the incomprehensible Perfection of Light and Truth of the Trinity in Unity of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost the only and true God blessed for ever There are Signatures in the Nature of created Beings to assist the Mind in its Ascent of approach to behold the Goodness of the glorious Mystery of the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the Divine Essence The Doctrine of the blessed Trinity is shadowed in all Beings viz. a Trinity of Subsistences in Unity of Essence In every individual material Substance there is Height Length and Breadth In every the same Luminary Orb there is Light Heat fructifying Influence In every Man Understanding Will Affection yet the same univocal Soul In the Godhead was always acknowledged Entity Truth Goodness subsisting in Unity always from the Foundation of the World declared to be eternal Truth of God The holy Scripture declares in the Trinity of the Godhead distinct Properties yet one and the same Infinite Essence and in every Person of the Godhead Attributes incommunicable to any but God Creation of all things is assigned to the Son of God to the eternal Word of God John 1.1 2 3. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God The same was in the beginning with God All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Both the Creation and the Sustentation of all things are assigned to the Son of God Heb. 1.1 2 3. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds Who being the Brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person and upholding all things by the Word of his Power when he had by himself purged our Sins sat down on the Right-hand of the Majesty on high The Knowledg of the Heart of every Man is assigned to the Son of God Joh. 2.25 Who needed not that any should testify of Man for he knew what was in Man Compared with I Kings 8.39 For thou even thou only knowest the Hearts of all the Children of Men. Isa 6.1 5. the Prophet saith I saw also the Lord sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up Then said I Wo is me for mine Eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts This Vision of Jehova is expresly applied to our Lord Jesus Christ Joh. 12.41 These things said Esaias when he saw his Glory and spake of him Also Joh. 2.24 25. But Jesus did not commit himself to them because he knew all Men And needed not that any should testify of Man for he knew what was in Man I Joh. 5.20 speaking of Jesus Christ This is the true God and Eternal Life Also to the Holy Ghost the Scripture assigns the Creation of the World Gen. 1.2 And the Earth was without Form and void and Darkness was upon the Face of the Deep and the Spirit of God moved upon the Face of the Waters And God said Let there be Light and there was Light Likewise the Works of Divine Providence Isa 63.10 But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit Where is he that put his holy Spirit within him The Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest so didst thou lead thy People to make thy self a glorious Name The Work of Regeneration is ascribed to the Holy Ghost John 3.5 Except a Man be born of the Water and of the