beleeve Paul had a righteousness of his own Phil. 3.9 thought he was alive Rom. 7.9 him Christ came to call though in his conceited righteousness because he was elected but before he obtained mercy to beleeve he is made sensible both of the dung and unrighteousness of his own righteousness Phil. 3.7 8. and also of his sin Rom. 7.9 The second Reason is taken from the Ends that this Preparatory Work serves unto Reason 2. First To convince of sin The Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve Gal. 3.22 For God hath concluded all in unbelief that he might have mercy up n ali Rom. 3.19 Secondly To justifie the Law i. e. the Curse The Law is holy and the Commandment holy just and good Rom. 7.12 the Precept holy the Promise good the Curse just Man must acknowledg himself a lawful captive before God will deliver him Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawful captive be delivered Isai 49.24 Before God will justifie man according to the Promise man must justifie God had he proceeded with him according to the Curse We must condemn our selves before God will pardon us Even in this respect God will make his Law honourable Thirdly To teach the Soul the nothingness of all it is and hath without Jesus Christ You see your calling Brethren c. 1 Cor. 1.26 27 28 29. that no flesh should glory in his presence and that not only after they were called but also in the manner of their calling God calleth them that are not Rom. 4.17 Christ is sent to bind up the broken hearted Isai 61.1 His people know him to be the Lord by the manner of his bringing them out of their graves Vt sentiant suam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cal. in Dan. 4.35 37. Nostrum esse nihil alâ—ud est quam subsistere in Deo sumus aliqi id in Dâ—o in nobis auteÌ„ nihil idâ—m ibid. Ezek. 37.13 As God in the Creation brought the creature by his Fiat i.e. Let there be Gen. 1. from its term nothing unto its being So in Vocation by his word Vive I said unto thee Live Ezek. 16.6 He bringeth it from its term of a spiritual nothing unto its spiritual being Which in time past were not a people but now are the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy 1 Pet. 2.10 1 Cor. 13.2 'T is one of the Attributes of God that those that walk in pride he is able to abase I an 4.37 Job 40.11 14. Fourthly To teach the Soul how to esteem of and magnifie the free mercy of God in Christ Rom. 11.32 For God lath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy up n all See Ez k. 16. ult Isai 30.18 Here God getteth unto himself a Name Rom. 4.17 the Quickner of the dead the Caller of those that are not as if they were the Justifier of the ungodly Hence also the people of God receive their name Isai 62.12 And thou shalt be called Sought out A City not forsaken that they might be called the trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified Hosea 2.1 Say to your brethren Ammi and to your sisters Ruhamah The third Reason is taken from the season of preparatory Work Reason 3. The fittest season to affect the heart with the sensibleness of sin is between the rest of the Soul in sin and the infusion of faith God works upon man not according to his absolute Power but according to the nature of the subject and fitness of the second cause The fittest time to affect the heart of man with fear is whilest he looketh at the danger as in being not when he looketh at the danger as over If Joseph intend to be an object of fear unto his Brethren he acts this part whilest they look at him as a Judg before he revealeth himself to be a Brother The time between the rest of the Soul in sin and the grace of faith is not only the fittest but the only season to affect the Soul with the spirit of bondage The Soul cannot be affected with the spirit of fear whilest it is at ease in sin to be in fear and not to be in fear in the same respect is a contradiction Neither can the spirit of bondage be in a Beleever Ye have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again Rom. 8.15 This fear is the work of the Spirit of God in the working whereof the Spirit doth two things 1. It threatens the Soul with the Curse as justly due to and impending over it in that estate 2. It causeth the Soul to fear this wrath Now the Spirit cannot cause this fear in a Beleever to whom there is no condemnation Rom. 8.1 for in so doing he should affirm and cause the Soul to beleeve and to be affected with an untruth which vvere blasphemy to think besides the spirit of servile fear and the spirit of Adoption are opposite either then there is no spirit of bondage or it is betvveen the rest of the Soul in sin and faith in Christ Jesus Obj. Fear of eternal Wrath may be caused by the Spirit in a Beleever Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Ans 'T is a threatening of them in respect of their Way not in respect of their Estate 2. 'T is a filial fear not a servile that the Spirit works hereby The fear of punishment for sin is so a means to awe them from sin as they yet fear sin more then the punishment for sin The last Head of Argument Examples is taken from Experiences of the Saints who being asked will bear witness unto this truth The Parable of the Prodigals return unto his Fathers house Senior filius Typum gerit PharisaeoruÌ„ ScribaruÌ„ quemadmodum junior Types est publicanoruÌ„ peccatorum in genere omnium qui ad Christum consugiunt Aret. in loc is propounded as a pattern of a sinners being brought home unto Christ Jesus In him we may see the conscience of sin Thâ—neâ—ar sea mighty famine in that Land ver 14. The sence of this perishing condition under sin And I perish with hunger ver 17. The experience of his lost estate He fain would have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat And no man gave unto him ver 16. This my Son was lest ver 32. His sight of his need of Christ and seeking after him And when he came to himself he said How many hired servants in my Fathers house have bread enough and to spare I will arise and go to my Father c. ver 17 18. Hereunto may be added many instances recorded in the Scripture Matthew the Publican before he was effectually called was sick of sin as may be well gathered from Mat. 9. ver 9.12 13. Zacheus confesseth his sin Luke 19.8 felt himself lost
to be our duty to believe as that the fault of our unbelief lyeth wholly upon our selves Sol. For the better removing of this objection there is need of a threefold Distinction 1. Distinguish between unbelief and unbelief not cured 'T is easie to conceive how a Physician may be the cause why such a disease is not cured of which disease it self he is no cause Unbelief considered in it self is simply a sin Therefore God is no way the Cause or Authour of it 2. Distinguish of unbelief not cured unbelief not cured is considered either Negatively for a meer absence of faith where the rule requireth it not to be and therefore is unblamable so it is in those that never heard of the preaching of the Gospel Or Privatively for the absence of faith where the rule requireth it to be so unbelief is looked upon in those that live under or hear of the Gospel 3. Distinguish between a Physical and a Moral cause A Physical cause is such a cause as though without it the effect cannot be yet it is no ways bound to produce such an effect thus the absence of the Sun is the cause of the night A Physician is the cause why that disease remains uncured which he can cure but is not bound to cure A Chyrurgion the cause why the issue remains unhealed which he is not tyed to heal Thus the King not giving a pardon is the cause why the offender is executed whom no Law obligeth him to pardon A Moral cause is such a cause wherein the Agent stands by duty bound concerning the producing or not producing of such an effect so as by omission of what is commanded or commission of what is forbidden there is a guilt incurred so mans will is moral therefore the blameable cause of unbelief Gods Will is the Antecedent not the Cause of unbelief the abuse of mans free-will in the fall is the cause of unbelief Unbelief not cured considered Negatively is in respect of the Will of God a physical and unblamable effect of a physical and unblamable cause but mans will being a moral cause unbelief in this sence cannot be the effect thereof Unbelief not cured privatively considered is in respect of God as a blamable Consequent of an unblamable Antecedent in respect of the will of man it is a blamable effect of a moral and blamable cause In Adam having received povver whereby vve might not have sinned vve sinned freely Unbelief is the effect of our sin in Adam God together vvith the Object of Faith tenders us means so far sufficient to the begetting of faith as leaveth us without excuse We love our unbelief and resist this means of believing John 1.11.5.41 Our contumacious opposition to the command of believing is the effect of our love to unbelief 'T is then but Justice in God to leave us to our unbelief in so doing he doth us no wrong being free to have mercy upon whom he will The Difficulty of believing The Difficulty of believing appeareth in three things 1. in the Special enmity of the heart against this duty 2. in the Eminence of the Principle requisite to the creating of faith 3. in the Greatness and largeness of the obedience of Faith 1. The Special enmity of the heart against believing appeareth thus there is no obedience that God and Christ love better 1 John 3.23 Or that the Spirit laboureth more in John 16.9 No obedience that either Satan or man oppose more Satan opposeth none more For as the Spirit of truth leadeth unto all truth but into none more then this So the Father of a lye opposeth all truth yet none more then this Men that finally resist believing in Christ by so doing do the will of the Devil do shevv him to be your Father John 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do Vide Zanch. de peccat Angelorum lib. 4. c. 2. Theologitam nostri quam Pontisscis probabile aducunt Christum positum esse non modo in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multorum hominum sed etiam in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsorum etiam Angelorum Twiss de Elect. l. 4. p. 1. To this purpose there is a good use to be made of Zanchy's Discourse concerning the Revelation of Christ's Incarnation and the Exaltation of the humane Nature above the Nature of Angels by vertue of the Personal union the Doctrine of the grace of Christ ncarnate being that truth or at least contained in that truth whereof Christ speaks John 8. in which the Devil abode but hated not from the beginning Many Divines are conceived probably to think That Christ was not only set for the fall and rising again of many men but for the fall and standing of the Angels Man opposeth no truth more John 5.40 And ye will not come unto me that you may have lise What is said of the Jews Rom. 11.28 is true of all As concerning the Gospel they are enemies A formidable curse vvhereby the soul is smitten with an enmity against the Gospel of Blessedness The Gospel of Christ is a Doctrine of Contradiction Luke 2.34 Behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a signe that shall be spoken against A stumbling stone Rom. 9.32 A rock of offence 1 Pet. 2 8. A Doctrine of foolishness 1 Cor. 1.23 If he shall be in danger of hell fire that saith unto his brother Thou Fool What danger shall he be in that upbraideth the Gospel vvith foolishness They put it viz. the Word of God i. e. the Doctrine of the Gospel from them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 13.46 They do not only not go to fetch it but being brought to them they put it away from them The Covenant of Works we could much better close vvith then vvith the Gospel any other Gospel command then that of believing any other person to be believed in then Christ Jesus John 5.43 I am come in mine own Name and ye receive me not if another shall come in his own Name him will ye receive any other way rather then the way of the Gospel Jer. 2.36 Why gaddest thou so much to change thy way Acts 22 4. I persecuted this way unto the death Grace likes no vvay to life so vvell Nature dislikes none so much We are not by nature so averse to the Turkish Alcoran as we are to Christs Gospel 2. The Eminency of the Principle requisite unto the creating of faith The Apostle excellently sheweth Ephes 1.19 20. And what is the exceeding greatness of his Power to us ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Where this truth is held forth 1. By a Gradation Power his Povver the greatness of his Povver the exceeding greatness of his Power 2. By a Comparison the Povver which God puts forth in the Work of faith being compared unto
The Prison is the place of hope mercy visits the prisoners of unbelief Rom. 11.32 Christ finds them that are lost Luke 15. After the House of Israel say Our bones are dried and our hope is lost we are out off for our parts then God opens their graves this Order of Gods Dispensation we are there called upon to take notice of Behold they say Our bones are dried Behold O my people I will open your graves and cause you to come out of your graves and bring you into the Land of Israel Ezek. 37.11 12. 9. The certain condemnation without faith Let a mans sin be never so great if he believeth he shall be saved the very sin against the Holy Ghost is not unpardonable for want of grace in a Saviour but for want of faith and repentance in the sinner God justly in his righteous judgement punishing that sinner universally with final impenitence Meritum damnationis jux a Evangelium non est peccatum sea perseverantia finalis in peccato infidelitatis impaenitentiae Twiss vinâ—â— dic grat de erratis lib. 3. Sect. 3. Nec quicquam obstat quo minus dicamus eum qui non credit ideo jam condemnatum esse quia non credit in nomen unigeniti Filii Dei quatenus nulla ex condemnatione emergendi ratio datur nisi per fidem in Dei Filium Spanh Exeer de grat univ resp ad Erot. 39. N. 3. and be his sin never so little if he believeth not he shall be damned Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.16 The cause of condemnation according to the Law is all sin but the cause of condemnation under the Gospel is unbelief not that all other sin is not as much yea more doubtless under the Gospel then under the Law it self but because there is no way to escape condemnation for sin but by faith and because no sin should condemn those that live under the Gospel if there were not added unto their other sin final perseverance in unbelief CHAP. X. Saving Faith is the Effect of true special Grace that is of Grace flowing from God according to Election and from Christ according to Redemption viz. as the Redeemer and Designed Head of his Elect. FOr the better proceeding in the Discussion of this Question Let us see 1. Consider what Saving Faith is 2. Free the Term of Grace from ambiguity by a just distribution thereof 3. Discribe Free-grace 4. Declare the Nature thereof 5. Shew the use of that exact distinctness in this point which is intended and expressed in the term Special 6. Prove the Proposition Justifying Faith is a Saving Grace of the Spirit Saving Faith What flowing from Election whereby the soul receiveth Jesus Christ as its Lord and Saviour according as he is revealed and propounded in the Gospel Tit. 1.2 John 1.12 Col. 2.6 Grace is Increated Created Natural in Nature Pure The Distribution of Grace Fallen Supernatural Common Saving Effectually i.e. in respect of its efficacy Formally Increated Grace is God himself willing spiritual gifts freely unto men In Order to those spiritual gifts which are peculiar to the Elect it may be called increated special grace and is nothing else but Election In Order to such spiritual gifts as are common both to the Elect and such as are not elected it may be called increated common-grace Natural Grace or the Grace of Nature is that Image of God according to which man was created it is called grace because it is a free spiritual gift Natural because concreated with and infused into the Soul so soon as it had its being in pure nature The Grace of Nature in Nature fallen is the Remainder of the Image of God in the Soul after the fall Rom. 2.14 15. The Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the Law Supernatural common Grace are spiritual gifts flowing from God in Christ whereof those who are not elected are made partakers They are called Supernatural because they are not attainable by the power of free-will strengthened with the Grace of Nature and common in that they are communicated to the Elect and not elected Such are gifts of Edification in the Ministration of the Oracles of God in Christ 1 Pet. 4.10 11. Gifts and Grace of Office in the Church Rom. 12.3.6 Ephes 3.7 Gifts of Miracles of which 1 Cor. 12. Gifts that qualifie for some eminent Service as in Jehu 2 King 9.6 Saving Grace taken for that which is saving effectually i.e. in respect of its efficacy is an Impulse or Motion of the Spirit of Grace working from Christ as a designed or actual Head upon the Soul so as it enables the Soul to yeild obedience in measure unto that Command to the obedience whereof it moveth In it 4 things are diligently to be attended and distinguished 1. The Authour of this Motion viz. the increated Spirit of Grace 2. The Motion it self viz. a created transient act which notwithstanding the effect thereof remaineth yet it self ceaseth and passeth away as the touch of Peters wives mother ceased though the cure remained Matth. 8.15 The Angels motion upon the waters ceased though the healing quality continued John 5. The touch of the Loadstone ceaseth the vertue yet abiding in the needle 3. The Kind of this Motion is from Election from Christ as a Redeemer and Head either designed or actually so unto the person so moved It is not only from Christ who is a Redeemer but from Christ as a Redeemer 'T is peculiar to the Elect and its effect such as accompanyeth salvation in which respect it is called created speciall grace and is such whereof none but the Elect nor they until vocation are made partakers of that by the means of the word Saving Faith and all other formal saving-grace are the next effects thereof As Election is increated special grace so this may be fitly called created special grace Saving Grace which is formally so and according to which sence the words are ordinarily used is a permanent effect accompanying salvation flowing upon such an effectual motion of special grace whether upon the Soul and imputative as in justification and adoption Or in the Soul and inherent as in any other effect of Election viz. Vocation wherein is Faith Sanctification Perseverance Glorification c. Saving Grace is not only above the Power of the grace of nature but also above the Power of supernatural common grace and consequently not attainable by free-will Spiritus Sanctus non operatur vel unicum etiam graduÌ„ fidei salutaris justificantis in non electis Sph. ex de gra univ resp ad Erot. 28. Habitus gratiae gloriae in ipso in nobis unius sunt speciei Twiss de Elect l. 1. p 2. strengthened with both the grace of nature and supernatural common grace Of this kind are all the
Father so it is impossible there should be faith without an actuall I say not active receiving of Christ As it is a truth That he that hath the Son that is the Person of the Son hath Life so it is a truth That he that hath Life hath the Son because he that hath not the Son hath not Life Joh. 5.12 But every Believer as a Beleever hath Life for it were a strange thing even in notion to suppose a dead Beleever Therefore every Beleever hath the Son He that hath Christ for his Head hath the Person of Christ But every beleever hath Christ for his Head because every beleever is a member of Christ now a member cannot be without a Head therefore every beleever hath the Person of Christ As when God actually makes us his people he actually makes himselfe our God so when the Lord Christ actually makes us his people he makes himself our Lord and Head But in vocation he makes us his people It is a confessed truth that beleevers are not made partakers onely of the gifts of Christ but also of the Person of Christ It holds forth a sweet correspondence with that truth Col. 1.18 That in all things he Christ might have the preheminence that we should not be made partakers of any of his saving gifts before we are made partakers of his Person How shall not he with him give us all things Rom. 8.32 Not any saving thing given from him without the gift of him The soule rests not in saying Vocation is mine Justification is mine Sanctification is mine but in saying Christ is mine Ruth had refreshing in Boaz his kindnesse Ruth 2.14 but not Rest chap. 3.1 untill she had Boaz himself It is a Harlots practice first to have conjugal communion and then to be united and married to the Person But we first must be married to the Person and then have conjugal communion In Vocation we receive Christ in union we are joyned with Christ in the same spiritual third Being by communion we receive from Christ and returne unto Christ now being ours and united unto us By Vocation Christ is in us by union Christ dwelleth in us by communion he communicates the benefits of a Head unto us As we receive the Person of Christ objectively so we receive the Spirit of Christ formally What it is to receive the Spirit of Christ For the soul to receive the Spirit of Christ is for the soul so to be made partaker thereof as to become the formal subject of that universal habitual created frame of inherent saving grace or whole body of renewed saving qualities of which before in the second Particular whereby we are made Evangelically conformable to the revealed will of God This body of renewed saving qualities is infused by the Spirit of grace in receiving whereof the soul is passive as a vessel is a passive receiver of oyl powred thereinto The Arguments concluding the Proposition The habit of faith due Reverence premised to any godly learned that may herein dissent seemeth not to be infused alone before the other habits of saving grace The universal frame of saving grace or of the new creature is infused into the soul at once as one general habit To affirme the presence of faith though but notionally in signo rationis i.e. for a moment of reason though not for a moment of time with the totall absence of all other graces implyeth these improbabilities if not impossibilities 1 It affirmes the Soule under that conception to be dead in part where Christ is for where faith is Christ is as was shewed before but where there is a totall absence of all other graces there the Soule is wholly dead in respect of all the members of the Old man unbelief excepted 2 It affirmes Sin to reigne where Christ is since where faith is Christ is and where many graces are not there the many contrary sins reigne except we should suppose a middle estate of the Soule wherein neither sin nor grace reignes 3 It affirmes the Soule to be both dead and alive at the same instant in eodem momento rationis for this also necessarily followeth in that it is alive in respect of faith and dead in respect of the absence of the life of all other graces and presence of the contrary reigning sins 4 It affirmes also the Old man to be both alive and dead at the same instant dead in respect of unbelief alive in respect of his other members 5 It affirmeth that the Soule is both converted and not converted in the same instant or moment converted because it beleeves not converted because all sinne reignes in it except unbelief Now all contraties being repugnants in Nature are uncapable of meeting together in the same subject in their strength for a moment of reason as well as for a moment of time 6 It affirmes either that the habitual alteration of the Soule in all respects that of its change from unbelief to faith excepted is not conversion which is against reason or else that the Soule is active in respect of this alteration and consequently in respect of so great a part of its conversion which is so farre contrary to the generally received Doctrine of the passiveness of the Soule in conversion The Image of God in Adam a part whereof was his faith in God according to the nature of that Covenan was infused to him at once Faith in Christ was not formally though vertually in the Angels till after the habit of universal obedience but we no where read that justifying faith was in any sense infused into any before the habitual frame of obedience The universal habit as it were of corruption seized upon the Soule at once not first unbeleefe then the principle of universall disobedience why may we not in like manner think the whole frame of inherent saving grace is insused into the Soule at once Grace comes into the Soule as Life into Lazarus dead body infused into and giving life unto every part at once or as Light into the Aire before Dark which is illuminated all at once Obj. 1. If the universall frame of inherent saving Grace the New Creature or whole body of renewed saving qualities be infused into the Soule at once it would thence follow that Sanctification should precede Justification but not so therefore Ans Sanctification may be taken largely or habitually for the universal habitual frame of inherent saving grace or strictly and practically for the exercise of this grace in the latter sense Sanctification followeth Justification because our actions cannot be accepted until our persons be accepted But in the former sense what hinders why Sanctification may not goe before Justification since by Sanctification is understood only the habitual saving grace insused into the Soule together with faith in vocation which the Reasons before argue Vocation precedes Justification Rom. 8.30 't is manifest that this infused grace is sanctifying grace Faith by the Learned and godly Orthodox
and that because it is not expedient Therefore the Lord Jesus in the preaching of the Gospel did not express whom he had chose but preached only in general First That he came indeed that men should be saved Nextly What ones both the Father and he would have them to be which shall be saved Namely Believers and such as are obedient to the Commands of God Thus is provision made for the salvation of the Elect the Reprobates are left without excuse and none have any occasion given them to despair Neque enim Evangelium significat Zanch. de Natura Dei l. 5. c. 2. de praedest qu. 3 Deum Velle ut hic aut ille puta Petrus Paulus serventur ac proinde velle ut hic ille in Christum credant sed praedicat Deum Velle ut quicunque volunt à morte in aeternam vitam servari ii credant in Christum Quinam vero isti sint novit ipse at per Evangelium minimè docet idque propterea quod non expediat Idcircò Dominus Iesus praedicatione Evangelii non explicabat quos eligisset verum in genere tantum praedicabat primum quidem se venisse ut homines serventur Deinde qualesnam Pater ipse vellent eâ—s esse qui sunt servandi fideles scilicat obsequentes Mandatis Dei. Ita Electorum saluti consulebatur Reprobi inexcusabiles reddebantur nemini dabatur occasio desperandi Obj. A conditional Dispensation cannot consist with an absolute Decree Ans Yes very well Because the condition of the Gospel is not properly a condition but only a consequent condition viz. such an one the performance whereof is absolutely undertaken for by the Author of the Decree and infallibly followeth thereupon Psal 89. from the 30 to vers 38. it appeareth by the absolute promise there that God had absolutely decreed to settle the Throne upon the seed of David notwithstanding his children should forsake his Law and should not walk in his Judgments yet Psal 132.11 12. the same blessing is promised to the seed of David upon condition If thy children will keep my Covenant and my Testimonies that I shall teach them their children also shall sit upon thy Throne for evermore Where not only a conditional Promise consists with an absolute Decree Ames ani madv. in Synod Epist ad Lect. but as Dr Ames observeth a conditional Promise is subordinate to an absolute Promise Gods absolute Decree is to manifest the glory of his Justice in punishing the final disobedience and unbelief of the Reprobates living under the Gospel with eternal fire yet is this condemnation conditionally dispensed viz. He that beleeveth not shall be damned Yea so far is it from being a truth that a conditional Promise understanding by a condition a consequent condition is inconsistent with an absolute Decree that it is manifest that an antecedent Condition that is a condition properly so called such as Do this was in the Covenant of Works the performance whereof was not undertaken for by God but was left unto man to be performed by his own strength and that before he could be made partaker of life may consist with an absolute Decree It was Gods absolute Decree to manifest the glory of his Justice in the punishment of man for his sin against God in the Covenant of Works as the event proveth Yet this death absolutely decreed was conditionally dispensed Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye How the conditional dispensation of Salvation in the Gospel ariseth out of the absolute Decree appeareth thus Gods Decree is Deus deoeruit simpliciter ut singulares quidam et certi homines salventur hinc omnis credens salvabitur That a certain number of such particular persons shall be saved by faith in Jesus Christ In this Decree Faith and Salvation are so indivisibly joyned together that wheresoever the one is Si credideris salvus eris Resp ad Grevinch cap. 5. there the other necessarily and infallibly followeth Hence this general Proposition Every Beleever shall be saved and this conditional If you beleeve you shall be saved and this imperative Beleeve and you shall be saved Here behold the Wisdom of God in the mysterious dispensation of the Gospel whoso administers his absolute Decree as that there is as much place left for an efficacious conditional dispensation as if the Decree it self were conditional Before the Elect do beleeve it is certain that they shall be saved albeit they neither are in the state of Salvation nor know any more concerning the same according to the ordinary dispensation of God then one may do who is not elected After that they do beleeve and God personally hath revealed that they shall be saved yet in case of backsliding from God they may not only lose the sense of their Salvation but also be justly delivered up to such fears of condemnation as if they were not in a safe estate As it is a truth that Peter a Beleever cannot sin finally but shall repent and be saved So it is a truth that if Peter and the other Disciples though Beleevers convert not from their present ambitious affectation of greatness that they shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 18.3 'T is a confessed truth that the beleeving Romans cannot finally live after the flesh nor dye and it is a truth also that if ye i. e. those very beleeving Romans live after the flesh they shall dye Rom. 8.13 Obj. 2. How can it be said in truth unto Judas or any other who is not elected living under the Gospel If you beleeve you shall be saved when as God hath absolutely decreed to manifest the glory of his Justice in condemning them for their sin and unbelief Answ As truly as it can be said unto John or any other elect person as yet not effectually called John or such an one If you do not beleeve you shall be damned notwithstanding God hath absolutely decreed that they shall beleeve and be saved In hypotheticis argumentationibus datur ratio consequentiae i. e. nâ—xus inter antecedens consequens ubi non datur vel antecedens vel consequens Spanhem de gr univ An. in ss 32. n. 7. It is a granted Truth by Logicians on all hands concerning conditional Propositions That that truth followeth from conditional Propositions both the parts thereof being joyned together which is not a truth concerning either part of them being taken asunder So John 8.51 And if I should say I know him not I should be a lyar like unto you Here is a truth in the Consequence for Christs words are true that with reverence be it spoken should he so say he should be a lyar though neither part dis-joyned could be a truth viz. either that Christ should say he knew him not or that Christ should be a lyar So Rom. 8.13 If you you Beleevers live after the flesh you shall dye The Consequence
of our transgressing of this holy Law Sin is considered in respect of its nature the kinds of it and the dominion of it Sin is the transgression of the Law 1 John 3.4 The kinds of Sin are three Adams sin Our first Fathers sin Isai 43.27 Original sin 3. Actual sin and that by way of Omission or Commission The Actual Sin of Adam was that transgression of Adam yet standing as a publick person in eating the forbidden fruit This actual sin of Adam is made ours by participation and imputation By Participation Adam being a publick person his Posterity in a seminal respect was contained in his loyns and so sinned in him sinning Liberi sunt purs parentū Adam was not only the Progenitor but the root of mankind Rom. 5.12 as Levi is said to have paid tythes in Abraham Heb. 7.9 By imputation God imputes the legal guilt thereof unto his whole posterity descending from him by way of ordinary generation Rom. 5.18 19. 1 Cor. 15.22 Original Sin which is the hereditary and habitual contrariety and enmity of the Nature of man against the whole Will of God is propagated to the soul by reason of the sin of Adam the meritorious cause thereof and floweth from thence in an unknown manner as a punishment from the offence by the Seed of our next parents as the instrumental cause Sin is derived in the Seed dispositively not effectually Peccatum in semine traducitur dispositivè Tho. 1.2 ae qu. 83. art 1 2 3. Whitak de peccato cri inali l. 1. c. 8. non effectivè Nothing is more known to be preached nothing more secret to be understood then Original Sin that is then the propagation of it Nihil Peccato Originali scil Propagatione ejus ad praedicandum notius nihil ad intelligendum secretius The soul by its contradiction to the body contracts vice as when one falls into the dirt he is defiled and besmeared Anima ex contractione ejus ad corpus contrahit vitium sicut quando quis cadit in lutum faedatur commaculatur God whilest he creates souls doth together therewith justly deprive them of Original righteousness Deus animas dum creat simul justè privat origin li rectitudine Sin passeth from the parents unto posterity neither by the body nor by the soul but by the fault of our parents i. e. our first parents for which God whilest he creates souls doth together therewith justly deprive them of oginal righteousness It was just for God to punish the sin of Adam with such punishment Idem Peccatum transit a parentibus in posteros neque per corpus neque per animam sed per culpam parentum Propter quam Deus animas dum creat simul justè privat originali justiria Justū fuit Deum peccatū Adami tali poe na punire The Offence of the chiefest Good deserved the greatest punishment Vrsin Explic Catech. Part 1. qu. 7. Let justice be done and let the World perish Idem Summi boni Offensio meruit summam poenam Fiat justitia pereat Mundus Actual Sin is the swerving of the act of man either in thought word or deed from the Law of God either by Omission or Commission The Dominion of Sin is that reigning power of concupiscence whence we sin freely necessarily continually and together with its malignity doth notably appear in the irritation of concupiscence by occasion of the Doctrine of the Law But sin taking occasion by the Commandement wrought in me all manner of concupiscence Rom. 7.8 Hence the Law is said to be the strength of sin 1 Cor. 15.56 Because sin by occasion of the restraining command breaketh out the more fiercely From the not-being of this accidental irritating power of the Law in the soul the Apostle denyes the dominion of sin Rom. 6.12 as on the contrary from the being thereof in the soul he implicitely infers the dominion of sin and compares the dominion of the Law in respect of its occasional irritation or provocation of concupiscence unto an hard Husband Rom. 7. beg In this irritation of sin by occasion of the Law the command is only the occasion sin dwelling in us is the cause As the shining of the Sun is the occasion why the dunghil sendeth forth its filthy savour the corruption thereof or putrifaction therein is the cause The prohibition of the Physician is the occasion only the feaver is the cause why the Patient desires drink 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denocat eum qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habetur tenetur stringitur aliqua re ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The higher the dam is the higher the water swelleth yet the dam is only the occasion the abundance and fierceness of the water is the cause of the swelling of the waves 3. The Conviction of Guilt is such a conviction of sin as doth not only argue the sinner to have offended but also bindeth over the offender to punishment according to the Law Guilt is the debt of the offender Suffering punishment in way of satisfaction is the payment of that debt Obligatiopeccatoris ad poenam dicitur relatus Kek. Theol. lib. 2. cap. 7. The curse of the Law-giver is the bonds of the offender keeping the sinner unto judgement as the prisoner is kept until the Assizes Thus the Angels guilty of sin are delivered into everlasting chains of darkness to be reserved unto the judgement of the great Day 2 Pet. 2.4 Jude 6. The truth justice and power of God do not only reserve the sinner in safe custody unto punishment in due time but also execute that punishment in the season thereof 4. The concluding the soul under sin is a judicial dispensation whereby God by the accusation conviction and condemnation of the Law shuts up the soul in the prison of the power and guilt of sin From whence without the mercy of God in Christ there is no escape For God hath concluded or shut them up all in the prison of unbelief that he might have mercy upon all Rom. 11.32 Concluded under sin kept under the Law shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed Gal. 3.22 23. To which prisoners no Law nor man only he whom God hath given as a Covenant unto his people can say Come forth Isai 49.9 The Law could not do it Rom. 8.3 and 3.20 Man is without strength Rom. 5.6 To this purpose you may frequently observe in the Scripture the soul in this condition compared to a prisoner sin unto a prison God unto a Judge See Isai 42.7 and 49.8 9. and 61.1 Luke 4.18 Rom. 11.32 Gal. 3.22 25. To justifie God is to acknowledge 1. God just in case he should punish man for sin That God in the Execution of the Curse doth the sinner no wrong 2. That he doth that which is right he should do wrong unto himself and with reverence so to speak be unjust if he should not execute justice upon
that necessary and infallible connexion with Eternal life whence salvation may be certainly promised to the person so qualified Or Saving Qualifications are taken improperly First Causally viz. instrumentally for the external means whereby a saving work is wrought so that act of hearing the Word by which faith is begotten in the heart is called saving 2. In respect of the purpose of God and so all previous dispositions intended by God as preparative unto a saving work afterwards to be wrought by him are by some called saving But we are to know that a saving work in the two last sences neither being saving properly nor having a personal promise of salvation made thereunto and therefore indeed is no saving work falleth not under the compass of this question By Faith we are to understand the Faith of Gods Elect which we ordinarily call justifying or saving Faith Concerning the varity of judgements The various judgements concerning the question touching the relation that qualifications before faith have unto conversion Some erre on the one hand with the Enthusiasts not giving them their due by denying any preparatory use of them more on the other by giving them too much we all being prone thereunto by reason of that legal self the remainders of which are yet dwelling in us Albeit we take so much from Christ as we overgive to them whose differing tenets together with their gradual aberrations from the truth and defections even unto the Pelagian heresie it may not be unprofitable in this place to take a brief notice of beginning with the last Pelagius affirmed that man merited grace by the Works of Nature Acta Scripta Synod Art 3 4. The Missilienses by Prosper called the reliques of Pelagians and commonly Semi-Pelagians affirmed that man by previous dispositions performed by the strength of nature obtained grace as a reward The Papists teach Bellarm. de Justif l. 1. c. 2 Zeged sum doct Papist That there are certain pre-requisite and preparatory Dispositions that merit the infusion of grace and justification which to them is the same and more then conversion is with us with the merit of congruity The Arminians taxe the Orthodox Acta Scripta Synod ubi supra Pemble alii for asserting all acts before faith to be sin and teach that there is in a man not regenerate that is vvithout faith a hunger and thirst after righteousness a hatred of sin and such other like acts which ought to be accounted acceptable unto God unto the communicating of further grace that to all such God giveth sufficient grace to believe and leaveth it in the power of such a soul vvhether it will believe or not Others vvith vvhom the fore-mentioned are not to be named reverend learned judicious and pious though they justly abhor the tenets of the fore-mentioned yet seem to teach that there are some qualifications before faith that are saving vvhereunto faith and salvation may be ascertained This tenet religiously premising all due reverence and high esteem in the Lord unto the persons This discourse I hope in the Spirit of Christ craveth leave to examine and also to propound the following considerations for the negative alvvays asserting That it is our duty to encourage orderly to the uttermost to believe in Christ and to hold forth the increase of hope according as the preparatory work doth increase yet not so far as certainly to promise faith or salvation or to deny yea or not to teach the soul before faith however qualified to be the object of and to lye under the si credideris that is the If you believe of the Gospel So as it remains a truth concerning the Soul yet without faith however qualified that if God shevveth it mercy it is free and meer mercy if he doth not shevv it mercy he doth it no vvrong and that his purpose to shevv or not to shevv mercy thereto is yet unrevealed Texts of Scripture against ascertaining Salvation to any qualifications before faith Mark 16.16 He that believeth not shall not be damned John 3.34 He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Rom. 14.23 Whatsoever is not of faith is sin Heb. 11.6 But without faith it is impossible to please God 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves Know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life John 15.5 For without me you can do nothing Rom. 8.9 Now if any have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Mat. 7.17 18. Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Mat. 12.33 Either make the tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt 1 Cor. 13.2 3. And though I give my body to be burned and have not charity it profiteth me nothing Which charity they that are without justifying faith have not it being the effect thereof Gal. 5.6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Rom. 8.2 For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death To assert the death of sin before the in-dwelling Spirit of Christ Jesus is to assert the effect before the cause So of the Scriptures the Arguments follow Arg. 1. To promise salvation before faith and consequently before Christ holds not correspondency vvith the rest of Gods Dispensation of his Acts of grace who so orders the administration thereof as that Christ may have the preheminence in all things Which appeareth by the follovving induction of some particulars God his love to his viz. Election is in Christ Ephes 1.4 The Meritorious Procuring of the effects of this love to be applyed viz. Redemption was wrought by Christ In the first actual application of this Love by effectual Vocation the Soul passively receiveth Christ by the infused grace of faith for unto Dr Ames putting the Souls passive receiving of Christ before the active I fully consent and conceive it manifest that the nature and very form of faith consisting in receiving of Christ it thence followeth that if the Soul acting faith that is by the second act of faith receiveth Christ actively then by the grace of faith viz. by the first act it receiveth Christ passively If then Gods Love to his be in Christ the meritorious procuring the effects of this Love to be applyed be by Christ the first actual application of this Love be the receiving of Christ judg whether it be agreeable to that administration which giveth unto Christ the preeminence in all things that the revelation of this Love which is clearly
that which none denyeth namely that a Beleever is dead to sin before Marriage-union between Christ and the Soul that is before the act of faith for Marriage-union is not without the act of faith on our part which also is acknowledged by them with whoÌ„ this discours argueth But it doth in no case affirm which must be carefully attended to that we are dead to sin before the grace of faith The death of sin is in order after the grace of faith in Vocation The infusion of faith and grace infers the death of sin the immediate effect thereof as the income of life expelled death in the Shunamites child 2 King 4. The Sum is That before our Marriage union with Christ I mean before in order of nature not in time there is first The grace of faith 1. The death of sin 3. The act of faith and this last according to your own grant before the act of faith is both the grace of faith and the death of sin Before the death of sin is the grace of faith Before the grace of faith nothing that is saving Obj. 2. Matth. 13.44 Selling all is placed before buying But by selling we are to understand parting with sin By buying believing Therefore there is a saving Qualification viz. Selling of all or parting with sin before faith Ans In answer to this Objection it will be convenient First to distinguish the terms viz. selling of all or parting from sin which may be applicable and useful for the resolving of sundry other occasional objections and afterwards speak to the Text. The souls selling of all or parting from sin is either before faith viz. Preparatory or Legal so called not always from the means namely the Law by which such a parting with sin is wrought but also from the state of the soul still continuing under the Law notwithstanding any Gospel-work And it is nothing else but such a measurable conviction of the impotency and unprofitableness of all lusts and carnal confidences which the soul before counted gain as that novv it letteth them all go as loss so far as it ceaseth to live upon them any longer Rom. 11.24 Philip. 3.8 Matth. 18.25 Luke 15.14 17. It is the same in effect with a lost estate This preparatory parting from sin is either external consisting in the conforming of the outward man unto the practise of known duties and the restraint of the outward man from knovvn sin Philip. 3.6 2 Pet. 2.20 Or Internal consisting in the legal restraint of the invvard man from sin for this Restraint being understood savingly and properly is in appearance only but not in truth whether to our selves or others together with such spiritual gifts and enlargements as are wrought by the common Gospel-work of the Spirit Or else the souls parting with sin is after faith viz. saving which is threefold 1. Habitual namely the death of sin or destroying of the body of death Rom. 6.6 Chap. 7.14 which is wrought by the infusion of the Spirit of life in Vocation herein the soul is passive it being the immediate effect thereof as the in-come of life was the expelling of death in the Shunamites child Or as the cessation of darkness is the effect of light coming into the air Here is the cessation of the reign of sin 2. Repentance viz. Evangelical part of which consists in sorrow for sin as sin and aversness from sin as sin in which the soul is active 3. Mortification which is a part of Sanctification wherein the soul is also active The Distinction premised the Text remains to be spoken to vvhich being a parable it is seasonable in the interpretation thereof to make use of that generally received and commanded Rule viz. That the principal Scope is to be attended the Metaphors not to be urged above what is consonant to other Scriptures where the same truth is taught in proper and simple terms Calvin Cartwright Junius Chemnitius Piscator Pareus in their Commentaries upon the place seem not to understand conversion to be the Scope of this Parable but rather that it intends the constancy of such who are already converted in the profession of the truth of the Gospel though they should be called to suffer the loss of all yea of life it self in testimony thereunto But be it supposed That Conversion is the Scope of this Parable and so the main intent thereof to be that the soul must part with all that maketh it preparatorily uncapable of believing before it can believe yet selling of all is to be understood of a preparatory not of a saving selling of all 1. Because Selling preparatorily fully answereth the Scope of the place 2. Because Selling savingly is the act of a living spiritual man vvhich none can be vvithout faith as selling civilly is the act of a natural living man Adde hereunto That it being supposed that by buying vve are to understand the first act of faith wherein the soul is active and by selling all a saving parting with sin which yet with due submission to better Judgements appeareth not to be the true meaning of the place yet even this interpretation concludes only a saving selling of all or parting with sin before the act of faith according to the sence of the distinction and as you may please to see therein which is not the matter here controverted but it doth not conclude any saving selling of all or parting with sin before the grace of faith which is the question The Sum of this Ansvver is The Text in that it is a Parable through our infirmity is the more apt to suffer by a mis-interpretation If it be taken in the first sence according to the Commentators above-mentioned it concerns not the question If taken in the latter sence whether selling of all be interpreted preparatorily or savingly it doth not conclude the question that is It doth in no sence hold forth a saving parting with sin before the grace of faith Obj. 3. Salvation is promised unto hungering thirsting poverty of spirit seeking repentance c. which are qualifications preceding faith therefore salvation may be promised to some qualification before faith Ans All Objections raised from these and the like promises vvhereof there are many in the Scriptures may receive a full answer by the right application of the distinction of qualifications into Preparatory or Legal vvhich go before faith And Saving or Evangelical vvhich follow faith intimated before in the beginning of the Answer to the second Objection Accordingly there is a Poverty Luke 4.18 Revel 3.17 A Hunger Luke 15.14 Isai 65.13 A Thirst Isai 65.13 A Seeking Luke 13.24 A Repentance Mark 1.15 Matth. 27.3 All without faith and in judgement of charity before faith viz preparatory poverty Poenitentia Legalis Poenitentia Evangelica Bucan loc 30. Poenitentia Interna salutaris Poenitentia Externa disciplinaris Spanh Exc. de grâ—â—â— Sect. 32. Sitis totalis indigentiae fruitionis complacentiae partialis Ames Coron Art 5. Recipiscentia
There is a double necessity either of coaction or of infallibility The Decree puts upon men a necessity of infallibility not of coaction or compulsion Necessity of infallibility doth not prejudice liberty God is necessarily good yet freely good he is goodness it self and perfection it self Man acts as freely as if there were no Decree yet as infallibly as if there were no liberty See this undenyably manifest in a disjunctive Demonstration Thomas will either come into this room or not come into this room he cannot both come into this room and not come into this room he will do that of these two freely which God hath decreed infallibly The being of the Will of whose essence liberty is consists with the Decree of God therefore also the acting of the Will Liberty is the effect of the Decree so far is the Decree from prejudicing liberty Quest How can they have hope to believe whom God hath decreed shall not believe Ans Hope is grounded on Gods revealed Will not upon the Decree unrevealed according to the revealed Will of God every person that hears the Gospel is equally capable of believing It is a sin for any to believe they are reprobated We are according to ordinary dispensation to look at all living under the Gospel as elected in the judgement of charity 'T is the duty of every one to whom the Object of Faith is propounded to believe and 't is the duty of every Believer to believe that he is elected We are to make use of the Decree according to the Command that is to sanctifie God in the general Doctrine thereof to apply our selves unto our duty namely to believe and to forbear any particular and personal application thereof before we do believe Saving Faith hath for its Object God and Christ yet so Of the Ordâ—â— of Faith as we first believe in Jesus Christ God-man a Saviour unto them that do believe and by Christ we believe in God the the Father Son and Holy Ghost a God and Father unto them that believe in him For the fuller understanding whereof these four following Propositions are to be considered and made good 1. Propos 1. Resp nd nemineÌ„ salvatum fuisse in veteri testamento nisi qui â—eum unum trinuÌ„ agnoverit Keck Th. lib. 1. Propos 2. That God the Father Son and Holy Ghost is of the Object of Saving Faith No man was ever saved without this faith no man ever called upon God but by the help of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 As no man can say that Jesus is the Christ so neither can any man say that God is God but by the Foly Ghost Neither did God ever hear any man that called upon him for salvation but for his Sons sake 2. Jesus Christ God-man is of the Object of Faith and therefore to be believed in John 14.1 Believe also in me Acts 16.31 And they said Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house Acts 20.21 Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 2.18 That they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by faith in me We are commanded to believe in Christ 1 John 3.23 And this is his Commandment that we should believe in the Name of his Son Jesus Christ By Jesus Christ we are not to understand the divine and humane nature only but that Person that consists of both Natures that is Jesus Christ God-man Because the Man Christ Jesus is God As none can be the formal primary and proper Object of Faith but he that is God faith being a part of divine moral worship and therefore giving divine honour to him in whom we do believe so it is also manifest that he that is God is to be believed in it being evident from the Nature of God that whosoever rightly knoweth him must forthwith acknowledge that he is absolutely to be believed in according to what he reveals They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee Psal 9.10 Because as God-man he is our Saviour This is a great part of the difference between the first and the second Covenant The Object of Faith in the first Covenant was God the Father Son and Holy Ghost but not Jesus Christ God-man Mediatour The Object of Faith in the second Covenant is both God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and Jesus Christ God-man Mediatour In the first Covenant man might have believed in God without believing in Christ but man could never believe in Christ without believing in God Hence Paul desires to know nothing but Christ Our communion is by Faith in the Son of God Gal. 2.20 And the life which I now live in the stesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God Therefore we have faith in the Son of God As Christ is the Object of divine Worship Acts 7.59 Revel 5.12 of saving Hope Col. 1.27 of our greatest love 1 Cor. 16.22 of our absolute service Rom. 14.9 18. so he is the Object of our divine Faith We believe both in God and Christ Prop. 3. John 14.1 Ye believe in God believe also in me John 17.3 And this is life eternal that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent So the first and third Articles of the Apostles Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord. Calvin reprehends those Calv. instit l. 2. c. 6. Sect. 4. l. 3. c. 2. Sect. 1. Ipsa veritas Deus Dei Filius homine assumpto non tamen consumpto eandem constituit atque fundavit fidem ut ad Deum iter esset homini per hominem Deum hic est enim Mediator Dei hominum Christus Iesus as highly injurious to miserable souls who by calling God the Object of Faith simply in the mean while omit Christ without whom there can be no faith nor access unto God The Object of Faith is God and Christ Mediatour we must have both to found our faith upon We cannot believe in God except we believe in Christ We in order not in time believe first in Christ Propos 4. and by Christ in God who by him do believe in God 1 Pet. 1.21 From the Institution of God I am the way John 14.6 From the Office of Christ he is a Mediatour There is one God and one Mediatour between God and man Vide August de Civ Dei lib. 11. cap. 2. Per totum Dr Sibs Ser. 2. upon John 14.1 Christus qua Redemptor est fidei objectum mediaatum non ultimum per ChristuÌ„ enim credimus in Deum Med. lib. 1. cap. 3. It is the duty of all to believe Quia fides nec exigitur nec exigi potest ab omnibus singulis c. Span. Exâ—r de gra univers Annot in Sect. 25. N. 13. Molin Anat. of Armin. c.
11. the Man Christ Jesus Extreams come not together but by their middest From the Nature of a just God unto a sinner God in Christ is a tender Father without Christ a consuming fire Mans way to God is by the Man God for he is the Mediatour between God and man the Man Christ Jesus Christ as Redeemer is the mediate not the ultimate Object of Faith For we believe by Christ in God It is the duty of all that hear the Gospel to believe Mark 1.15 John 3.18 John 15.22 and 16.7 1 John 3.23 Those that never hear of the Gospel shall not be condemned for their unbelief in refusing to obey the call thereof but for the transgressing of the Moral Law precisely taken i. e the first Covenant He to whom Christ was never preached shall not be condemned because he hath refused Christ but he shall be judged by the Law which obliged him to believe in Christ if Christ had been preached to him Object 'T is not in our power to believe How then can God require of us that which we are unable to perform Sol. We are enabled in Adam to believe in Christ If the renewing or recreation of us after the Image of God according to which we were created in Adam doth enable us also with a power to believe then our Creation after the Image of God must necessarily include a power to believe But the renewing us after the Image of God according to which we were created in Adam doth enable us to believe Ephes 4.24 Col. 3.10 Where there was a saving power enabling to discern the revealed Will of God and to put confidence in him accordingly there was a power virtually to believe in Christ But in Adam there was a saving power enabling to discern the whole Will of God and to put confidence in him accordingly Therefore in Adam there was a power virtually enabling to believe in Christ As the Faith of the Angels in the first and second Covenant differeth not habitually so neither doth the Faith of Adam in the first and second Covenant differ habitually That which was implicitely and by consequence commanded in the Moral Law that we were some way enabled to yeild obedience unto But Faith in Christ was commanded implicitely and by consequence in the Moral Law by the first Precept Faith in God is commanded absolutely therefore not only concerning what he was pleased to reveal at present but unto what afterwards he should be pleased to reveal Justifying Faith is considered as commanded directly and expresly or indirectly and by way of consequence So Faith in Christ is commanded in the Moral Law indirectly or by way of consequence Willet on Exod cap. 20. Confut. 1. It will not be denyed saith Doctor Willet but that this faith also speaking of justifying faith is commanded in the Moral Law Because we are bound by the Law to believe the Scriptures and the whole Word of God for this is a part of Gods Worship to believe his Word to be true And here it is not unworthy our observation that though Christ were not then propounded to be believed in yet he was included in what was revealed under the first Covenant For that threatening Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thou shalt dye is verified as concerning the elect in Christ who dye in their Surety not in themselves If in Adam we were able to believe in Christ as our preserver from sin and Confirmer in a state of life had Christ then been so propounded to us there can no reason be given why we were not able in that condition to have believed in Christ as a Saviour from sin could he have been so propounded in that estate unto us But in Adam we were able to believe in Christ as our Preserver from sin and Conserver in that estate had Christ then been so propounded unto us Therefore in Adam we were able to have believed in Christ as a Saviour from sin could he have been so propounded unto us in that estate The Minor is proved by comparing Adam in innocency with the elect Angels the Image of God in them both being the same in kind their abilities were the same in kind as therefore the elect Angels by Creation had a principle whereby they were able to believe in Christ their Confirmer as appears by experience in that they believed in Christ their Head and Confirmer being commanded so to do without the inspiring of any new principle so in like manner had Christ been propound unto Adam in innocency to be believed in as his Head and Confirmer therein he by the same concreated Image of God with the Angels was able thereby through like assisting grace to have yeilded like obedience without a new principle inspired Either Adam was able to believe in Christ or else God calling upon man to believe requireth that of man which he never enabled him with a principle to perform but it cannot be proved that God requireth that of man which he never enabled him to perform Therefore c. Object Faith in Christ as a Saviour from sin and the state of innocency are inconsistent Therefore Adam had not a power to believe in Christ Ans This proves that Adam in innocency could not actually believe but not that he could not potentially believe that is that he had not a principle able through assisting grace to believe in Christ had the propounding of him been consisting with that estate The cause of Adams not believing was not through an effect of a principle enabling him thereunto but by reason first of the inconsistency of justifying faith with that estate 2. By reason of the not revealing of the Object of Faith Adam in innocency had a principle enabling him to Parental duties though he was never called thereunto as also to duties of mercy and charity which yet were inconsistent with that estate The Saints in glory have a principle whereby they are able to perform the duties of repentance mortification patience for sure the strength of grace is not weakened by being perfected in glory yet is there no place for those duties in Heaven Christ having received the Spirit out of measure had a principle whereby he was able to have performed the service of repentance and mortification Molin Anat. of Arm. cap. 11. Twiss permiss l. 2. c. 4.63 Spanh Exercit de grat univers Annot in Sect. 22. Num. 3. though he were not only not called thereunto but these and the like services were also inconsistent with his estate This is the Doctrine of the Orthodox generally in their disputations against Arminius who that he might prove that God is bound co give to every man power of believing in Christ doth therefore contend that Adam before his fall had not power to believe in Christ Obj. 2. God is said to harden our hearts and to be the cause why we do not believe John 8.47 and 10.26 and 12.39 40. Wherefore it seemeth not so at least
the will of him that believeth Little upon point do they herein give to grace more then the Jesuits only they judge better doctrinally of the nature of the grace of faith The best of them make free-will and supernatural common grace i. e. Such as those who are not elected may be made partakers of to concur together as co-working partial or fellow-causes in the work of conversion A doctrine which overthrowes grace giveth unto flesh that is to man yet without Christ to glory as a party-worker of saith the total working vvhereof is proper unto Christ in the way of his special grace and is repugnant both unto saving grace and Salvation it self because the faith that is so wrought cannot save To the Orthodox this Proposition Faith is the Effect of grace And this Proposition Faithis the effect of special grace are equipollent By grace they understand grace peculiar and proper unto the Elect therefore flowing from Election and consequently from Christ as their Redeemer and designed Head absolute irresistable and effectual quickening the soul until then dead by infusing a principle of life whereby of unbelievers they are made believers and of unwilling vvilling in respect of which work the soul notwithstanding any supernatural common grace foregoing is meerly paslive having no more causal power thereunto then a dead body hath unto life The truth of this Proposition viz. Faith is the Effect of special grace appears in the proof of these three Conclusions 1. All the Elect first or last shall believe Concl. 1. 2. Only the Elect do believe 3. Faith i. e. Saving Faith is the effect of Election All the Elect first or last shall believe John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me i.e. that from Eternity are committed unto me to redeem shall come unto me John 10.16 Other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also must I bring and they shall hear my voyce and there shall be one fold and one Sheph. ard There are besides the people of the Jews others of his Elect amongst the Gentiles which must be gathered into the fold of the Church as certainly as those Jews which are already therein Rom. 8.30 Whom he did predestinate them he also called Hence Vocation is called Election The same work which the Apostle expresseth by the term Calling 1 Cor. 1.26 he expresseth by the term Choosing or Election ver 21 28. God hath chosen the foolish things God hath chosen the weak things things which are despised God hath chosen This also is further manifest in that the Elect before they do believe are described by such Names and Adjuncts as hold forth their special relation unto God and sure salvation by him in due season They before they do believe are said to belong to God Thine they were John 17.6 to be given to Christ John 6.37 to be beloved Rom. 11.28 As concerning the Gospel they are enemies for your sake but as touching the Election they are beloved for the Fathers sake To be reconciled to God For if when we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son Rom. 5.10 Christ calleth them his sheep though they yet believed not John 10.16 His people Acts 18.10 I have much people in this City The Corinthians whilest yet unbelieving Gentiles are here called the people of God They are called the Children of God Concl. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spanh exc de grat Annot. in Sect. 21. Nulla vis infertur sacris literis verbis Christi Si quis dicat peccatuÌ„ Angelorum primum pâ—incipale fuisse quod voluerint acquiescere in veritate Evangelii de Christo proposito Zanc de pec lib. 4. cap. 2. Non dans prohibâ—â—s allegari non solâ—t ubi inquiretur in veraÌ„ râ—i causam Spanh exerc de grat resp ad erot 32. John 11.52 'T is as certain that all the Elect yet unbelievers shall believe and be saved as it is certain that they are saved who are already in Heaven 2. Only the Elect do believe All men have not faith 2 Thess 3.2 i.e. It is not given to all to believe The Election have obtained it but the rest are blinded Rom. 11.7 They who are not elected are not of God therefore receive not the word in truth Ye hear them not because ye are not of God John 8.47 And all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the Book of life Election is the Book of life not to be written in the Book of life is not to be elected Revel 13.8 And whosoever were not found written in the Book of life were cast into the Lake of fire Because there is in the Reprobate a moral impotency to believe Moral impotency is a sinful inability As this inability is contracted by sin so it is sinful it being the duty of all that live under the call of the Gospel to believe John 6.65 1 John 3.23 2. There is also an enmity of malice of the Will John 5.40 And ye will not come unto me Rom. 11.28 As concerning the Gospel they are enemies John 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father you will do he was a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth Namely The truth of the Gospel concerning Christ as some have conceived As God in respect of his Decree freely so in respect of their sin he justly withholds from them grace to cure their unbelief Mat. 13.11 To them it is not given This final withholding of grace is proper to the Reprobate Moral impenitency and enmity or malice of the will are common to the Elect and Reprobate they being alike corrupt by nature Hence God is said to be the physical cause not of their unbelief but why their unbelief remaineth uncured As a Physician able to cure a disease which he is not bound to cure is the cause not of the disease but of the disease being not cured yet is he not the moral and blameable but the physical and unblamable cause thereof because he is not bound to cure it 3. Saving Faith as it is proper to the Elect Conclu 3. so it is the effect of election therefore called the faith of Gods Elect Tit. 1.1 both that gracious motion of the Spirit whereby faith is wrought which for distinctness sake was before called Saving Grace effectually and the grace of faith wrought by that motion proceed from and are the effects of election It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Philip. 2.13 The gift of faith depends upon the will of God John 1.13 Jam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us He hath mercy upon whom he will Rom. 9.15 It is according to Election Rom. 11.5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the Election of grace Twiss de permissione lib. 2 cr 4. Sect. 6. Redemptio est ex
not subjectively that is such as remain ungodly when they are justified The Text saith not he reconcileth enemies according to the sense of those words in the former place He justifieth the ungodly But If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son mark the time of this Reconciliation was the time of the death of his Son not the time of our Conversion much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life that is If while we were enemies in respect of our nature and state we were reconciled in our head i. e. our Reconciliation was actually purchased by and acknowledged at the death of his Son how much more being reconciled in our selves by the slaying of the enmity of nature through the infusion of grace and the changing of our estate in respect of our persons and actions through faith in Christ shall we be saved by his life he that hath done the greater with greatest difficulty he will do the lesse having overcome and triumphed over all difficulty past and proceeding being without all difficulty in respect of what is to come This exposition is agreeable to the Analogie of faith strengthens the Apostles arguing from the greater to the lesser and any shorter interpretation seemeth to straighten those words We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Thus Dr. Amos and Dr. Twisse understand this place Medulla l. 1. c. 20. Twiss de permiss l. 2 cr 4. digr 10. Sect. 4. and Calvin seemeth very well to allow thereof nor doth Piscator dissent there-from as appeareth in his citation of this Text disputing with Vorstius There is remission of sins that is actually procured before we do beleeve Cham. Nobis persuasissimum est Calv. in loc Cham. Tom. 3 lib. 12. Sect 18. Perkins in Gal. 3.16 Medulla c. 24. 27. remissa esse peccata antequam credidimus Christ is first justified that is acquit of our sins and we justified in him Perkins There is a kind of previous application of Redemption to us in Christ The sentence of our Justification was pronounced in Christ our head rising from the dead Ames Transactio inter Deum Christum fuit praevia quaedam applicatio ad nos Sententia haec fuit in Christo capite nostro à mortuis jam resurgente pronunciata There is saith Mr. Rutherford Rhetorf exc 1. c. 2. a Justification in the mind of God Eternal and a Justification in time terminated in the conscience of the beleever Obj. But if it be yeelded that the grace of Justification be before Faith it will follow that in justification by faith there is nothing really and possitively wrought in the Soul but only a manifestation of what was before Ans Not so in the justification of a sinner there is that which is real and positive both on Gods part and on the Beleevers part on Gods part 1 An actual imputing of the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ to the Beleever 2 A transient judicial act of God whereby he declareth the sinner to be justified for the righteousnesse sake of Christ received by faith terminated in the Conscience of the Beleever upon the Beleevers part there is 1. An actual relying upon the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ 2. A renouncing of our own righteousnesse Obj. But if we yeeld a being of Iustification how doth the condition of an elect person justified by faith differ from his condition yet an unbeleever in respect of his Iustification Ans God hath absolutely decreed to justifie them before they doe beleeve their persons are beloved from eternity Jesus Christ hath actually and absolutely procured their justification before faith God hath accepted this Meritorious satisfaction of Christ before faith God never imputes the sins of the world of the elect to them unto Condemnation having already imputed them unto and being satisfied for them by Christ All which notwithstanding the condition or state of the Elect before faith is the same with the condition of those who are not elected we are the children of wrath even as others Ephes 2 3. guilty of sinne before God and therefore in respect of their estate obnoxious to Condemnation even as others Though their Justification be absolutely Vide Retorf ex 1. c. 2. and actually procured before Faith yet they are not justified until they doe beleeve now and not until now is their state changed now and not until now doe the effects of Gods displeasure cease towards them by vertue of the Promise He that beleeveth shall not come into condemnation now and not before are their persons accepted in themselves and consequently their actions capable of being accepted hence Albeit the justification of the Elect is absolue ely procured before they doe beleeve yet they have no consolation nor peace of Conscience till they doe beleeve Obj. Yee see how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only Jam. 2.24 Sol. That James agreeth with Paul concerning the Doctrine of Justification is evident in that the same Scripture Gen. 15.6 cited by Paul Rom. 4.3 is cited and acknowledged to be fulfilled by James 2.23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeved God and it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse That Proposition of Pauls We are justified by faith without works and that of James We are justified by works and not by faith only are distinct but not opposite Propositions for Iames referreth not to the manner of our Justification of which Paul speaks but to the nature of justifying faith against such as boasted of such a faith as justifying which was without works Paul disputes against the Legalist Iames both against the Legalists and Libertines Paul sheweth the manner of Justification by faith Iames the nature of justifying faith Pauls conclusion is that We are justified by faith without works Iames's conclusion is that Faith without works doth not justifie Justificamur Effectivè à Deo Approhensivé à fide Declarativè ab operibus Prideaux lect 5. de Justificatione The objection also is further satisfied by distinguishing of Justification Justification is either of our persons before God so Faith only justifies or of our faith before Men so works justifie that is they declare our faith before men to be unfeigned I will shew thee my faith by my works Jam. 2.18 By works was faith made perfect ver 22. Obj. We are justified by faith Rom. 4.9 Faith is a work therefore we are not justified without works and consequently not by faith only Ans How Faith justifieth hath been spoken before that faith doth not justifie as a work is evident Rom. 4 5. But to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse God makes high account of that faith which accounts of its object as the matter of our Justification God makes no account of that faith which we account of as a work in the matter of our Justification the Beleever
rule There is no repugnancy between these two propositions 1. It is the duty of man to beleeve 2. It is not the purpose of God to give him grace to cause him to beleeve Obj. 8. The Event out of which according to the Decree of God cometh good yea that great good of the manifestation of the glory of God ought not to be counted sin nor is the doer thereof to suffer vengeance But sin is that event out of which cometh this great good Therefore why should sin be accounted sin or the doer thereof suffer vengeance See Rom. 3.5 7. Ans This Objection is framed in the person of man I speak as a man vers 5. not as from God and being both blasphemous and absurd the Apostle censures it in the same place with an holy abomination God forbid vers 6. Sin in it self tendeth only unto evil it is by accident that it becometh a means of any good 'T is the occasion Lambertus Danaeus censuit periculosam istam Gregorii magni sententiam ubi loquens de culpa Adami sic ait O foelix culpa quae talem tantū habere meruit Redemptorem Twisse de Praed l. 1. part 1. Nisi esset hoc bonum ut essent mala nullo modo sinerentur ab Omnipotente bono August Twiss referente Cr. 3. l. 2. Vid. Cr. 3. l. 2. not the cause of the manifestation of the glory of God That sin which in its own nature tends only unto evil is turned into an occasional commendation of the Righteousness and other Attributes of God doth not at all excuse sin but commends the wisdom and goodness of him that brings good out of evil yea a far greater good out of sin then sin it self is an evil So of the Objections The Decree is to be propounded in the same order in which God hath revealed it in his Word God knoweth best how to reveal his own mind And we speak well when we speak after him In particular these Rules are to be observed Rule 1. What order is to be observed in propounding the Doctrine of the Decree Not Gods Decree but the Command is the Rule of Faith and Obedience Rule 2. Consider of the Decree as proceeding according to the order of the End and the means conducing to that End hereby finding the End of God in them that perish not to be the death of a sinner but the manifestation of the glory of his Justice in punishing man for sin and the blameable cause of death to be sin appears the unwarrantableness as well as the offensiveness of such expressions as God made man to damn him c. together with the groundlessness and sinfulness of blasphemous charging God with cruelty in his Decree of Reprobation O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help found Hosea 13.9 Here God removeth from himself the being the cause of the destruction of Israel He also denyeth solemnly Ezek. 18.23 32. yea with an Oath Ezek. 33.11 That he taketh any pleasure in the death of a sinner Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways why will ye dye O house of Israel Death as we saw before is considered as the destruction of the sinner or as an execution and declaration of Justice God delights in it as it is a declaration and execution of Justice but not as it is the destruction of the sinner In the execution of Justice upon a Malefactor we must distinguish between punishment and destruction Punishment is from the Judg destruction is from the evil doer Punishment proceeds from the Author of the Rule of Justice as the efficient Cause but destruction from sin as the meritorious Cause Though punishment as it destroyeth the creature be an evil to Nature yet as it is a declaration of Justice it is a moral good 'T is true Condemnation followeth infallibly upon Reprobation yet so as Reprobation is the antecedent not the cause of sin sin both an antecedent and cause of condemnation None are condemned because reprobated but because they sin Notwithstanding man be reprobated yet if he had not sinned he should not have dyed Rule 3. We must not separate between the end and the means That Diabolical Sarcasme and bitter scoffe invented to the abuse and derision of the Doctrine of the Decree is not only an untruth but implyeth a contradiction viz. If I be elected howsoever I live I shall be saved and if I be not elected live I never so well I shall be damned Satan in this Sophism divides the end and the means asunder which God hath joyned together The Decree consists not of the end without the means nor of the means without the end but of both together Both end and means are contained in one Decree Yea so far is the Decree from admitting such an inference as that the contrary infallibly followeth thereupon and in point of Election is not only necessarily concluded but irresistably caused Faith repentance new-obedience and perseverance being the effects of Election Acts 27.24 God had decreed by the ship-mens staying in the ship to run the ship a ground near the shore so as that all there might escape safe to land He concludes unsafely from thence that saith Do now as they will Stay the ship-men in the ship or not there shall no man perish For except the ship-men abide in the ship ye cannot be saved ver 27. Just so do they reasonlesly and to their own destruction conclude who notwithstanding God hath from the beginning chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thes 1.13 Yet infer if they were elected live as they will whether they believe or not be sanctified or not they shall be saved There was one saith Augustine of our society who when his brethren expostulated with him Quidam in nostro Monasterio qui corripientibus fratribus c. August de bono persever l. 2. c. 75 why he did some things which ought not to be done and why he did not some things that ought to be done answered What kind of one soever I now am I shall be such an one as God hath foreknown me to be Who truly saith that Ancient said the truth and by this truth profited not in good but so much profitted in evil that forsaking the Society of the Monastery he became a Dog returned to his vomit again and as yet what he will be is uncertain Rule 4. We must be carefull to distinguish between the Doctrine of the Decree and the Personal Application thereof in point of Election and Reprobation The Doctrine of the Decree is commanded to be taught and learned and is many ways useful both before and after faith respectively But the Personal Application thereof before faith in point of Election or during this life in point of
Reprobation of which more in the two next following rules is forbidden and is inexpedient and hurtful many ways Rule 5. Nunquam in hacvita possit esse certus Reprobus de sua reprobatione Prideaux Lect. 1. 'T is a sin for any man in this life to conclude that he is a Reprobate Because Final Disobedience the Consequent and Argument of Reprobation cannot be known before death Should any desperate person argue to this purpose he must reason out of the Word for no one knoweth who are reprobate but God and those to whom God revealeth it in his Word But the reprobation of any particular person that either is or shall be during this life the cases of the sin against the Holy Ghost Matth. 12.32 And Anathema Maranatha 1 Cor. 16.22 which are rare and extraordinary excepted is not to be found in the Word Rule 6. No Person can know that he is elected before faith It is the duty of every one that heareth the Gospel to believe in Christ It belongs to us by the help of the Doctrine of the Decree and all other means to apply our selves unto the great duty of believing Scrupulum de particularitate Decreti nemo hic sibi fingit nisi qui prophanus sit Et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui credit Evanâ—elium stultitiam esse Spank de grat univ resp ad Erot. 34. and not to enquire before the time after what is decreed concerning us in particular It is both sin and folly for us to trouble our selves and delay our yeilding obedience unto a Command known with scruples about our Personal-Election remaining hitherto a Secret unrevealed and as yet inexpedient for us to know the enquiry after which before faith we are forbidden though by it and other saving effects of that everlasting Love of God we are directed and commanded thereunto No man in danger of drowning in the waters by reason of shipwrack would in case of lines cast out with a charge that the persons then fleeting to and fro in the waves should make use thereof for their safety forbear to lay hold on them until such time as the mind of him that cast them out were known in particular concerning him What poor Lazarus standing amongst many others if the rich men casting money amongst them bid them all to take part thereof would abstain until he knew what the purpose of that rich man were concerning him It belongeth to every one that believeth to believe that they are elected From the Instant of believing there is a certainty of the Object i. e. The thing believed Namely a state of favour is certain though there be not yet a certainty of the Subject that is The person believing is not certain that he is in a state of favour and consequently that he is beloved of God Without which added to the former the believer neither can nor ought to rest For the attaining hereof he hath revealed his love to the believer 1 John 5.10 1. Thes 4.5 Knowing Brethren Beloved your Election of God c. commanding us to make it sure Give diligence to make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 The Spirit is therefore given us 1 Cor. 2.12 Yea he hath been pleased to take upon him the work to reveal it to us Ephes 4.30 The attaining thereof is a matter of much praise unto God Rom. 4.20 Much enlargeth the heart to God and man Cant. 8.6 1 John 4.16 17 18. It is as necessary in time of temptation as an Helmet unto the Souldier Ephes 6.17 as an anchor to the ship Heb. 6.19 Without it our hearts dye with it we live in sad hours And not only so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation workth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Rom. 5.3 4 5. Rule 7. Though the Decree be absolute yet the Dispensation of the Decree in the Gospel is conditional That indefinite Proposition Whosoever believes shall be saved is equipolent unto that conditional If you believe you shall be saved John 3.16 Revel 3.20 Yet here carefully observe That by a condition we are alwayes to understand not a condition properly so called but a consequent condition scil such a condition the performance whereof is not left unto the Elect but is undertaken for by the Elector and therefore is not only not opposite unto but is both an effect and argument of an absolute Decree and also of an absolute Covenant of grace The Dispensation of the absolute Decree is Conditional 1. Because God discovers not his Eternal differencing Intent to any person in Christ before the actual Application of Christ by faith God holds men uncertain of their particular Election in Christ until they do believe in Christ 2. That all to whom the Gospel cometh being yet in their natural estate and therefore children of wrath the Elect even as others Ephes 2.3 may look at themselves so far as they are alike in sin to be also in like danger of condemnation and so far as they are alike under the Ministery or preparatory work to be answerably encouraged in their Ministerial and preparatory hope of effectual vocation and salvation but hitherto without any particular application of Election or Reprobation 3. That men may be admonished of their duty to believe whether they are elected or not elected 4. That they may know what to do that they may be saved 5. That God may proceed with man in such a way as is most sutable and agreeable unto a reasonable creature Namely by perswasion and Proposal of Arguments 6. That the outward Dispensation being alike to all both Elect and Reprobate the Reprobate may be found without excuse for their unbelief Rhetorf ex Apol. ex 3. cap. 2. Jesus Christ tendered as a sufficient Saviour to all that hear the Gospel with a Command to believe and a Promise that Whosoever none excepted believeth shall be saved is sufficient in respect of the sufficiency of outward means though not in respect of inward efficacy unto the salvation of the hearers More then this in respect of external means is not tendered unto the Elect nor less then this unto Reprobates The tender then being so great and so far the same unto both albeit the Elects receiving of it be the effect of special grace yet the Reprobates rejecting of it is without excuse For neither doth the Gospel saith Zanchy signifie God's Will to be that this or that man suppose Peter or Paul shall be saved and accordingly that his Will is that this or that man shall believe in Christ but the Gospel publisheth that it is God's Will That whosoever will be saved from death unto Eternal life they ought that is it is their duty to believe in Christ But who those are he himself truly knows but in no measure hath made known by the Gospel
his ordinary Dispensation of the Gospel calleth not sinners as sinners but such sinners i. e. qualified sinners immediately to believe FOr the better handling this Position it may be convenient to observe the following Method 1. Premise some distinctions 2. Describe preparatory work 3. Prove the Point by Texts of Scripture by Types of Conversion by Reason by Examples 4. Satisfie some principal Objections The term preparatory nothing works so fore-going Distinct 1. as that they imply conversion to follow after is to be considered either in respect of God so only those common works which are in the Elect are preparatory i. e. properly preparatory because in them only vocation or conversion followeth thereupon Or in respect of us and so these common works in all are preparatory yet in the judgment of charity only Forasmuch as we are to hope concerning all where we see them that they are the fore-runners of conversion and till conversion we can but hope concerning any the Secret of Gods intention touching this or that person in particular being not revealed until vocation The first may be called Preparatory in respect of Gods intention the second in respect of the judgment of charity Preparatory Work is said to be so Distinct 2. either by way of meer order asserted by the Orthodox according to the Scriptures or by way of Causation Merit and Congruity asserted by the Papists and Arminians contrary to the Scriptures Calling Distinct 3. is either extraordinary as in Elect Infants dying in their Infancy or ordinary Of this last the question speaks Ordinary calling to believe Distinct 4. is either mediate or immediate Mediate when we are called to believe yet so as that some other duty or duties are to be done before we can believe thus all are called to believe that live under the Gospel Immediate when we are not only called to believe but the very next duty we are called unto is to believe so are all they called to believe that living under the Gospel are in measure preparatorily i. e. in respect of Ministerial capacity nextly disposed thereunto By preparatory Work Preparatory Work What we understand certain inherent qualifications coming between the carnal rest of the soul in the state of sin and conversion wrought in the Ministry both of the Law and Gospel by the common work of the Spirit concurring whereby the soul is put into a Ministerial capacity of believing immediately i. e. of immediate receiving of the Lord Jesus Christ Before sinners are invited immediately to believe Arguments from Scripture they must be such sinners qualified sinners 1. Sinners that are sensible of sin as appeareth from these Scriptures Matth. 9.13 Mark 2.17 Luke 5.31 32. I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance He came not to call all sinners for the righteous here mentioned are sinners but such sinners sick sinners the Text can admit no other interpretation Sensible of their death in sin Rom. 7. For I was alive without the Law once but when the commandement came sin revived and I dyed And the Commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death Paul was dead before though he thought otherwise but now he is sensible of his death he found that he was dead Sensible of their bondage both in respect of the guilt and power of sin Rom. 8.15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The state of bondage was alwayes until faith the Spirit of bondage signifieth the sensibleness of that bondage We must distinguish between the state of bondage and the Spirit of bondage Sensible of their want of Christ Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters c. Thirst doth not only signifie a want of water but a sensibleness of that want Luke 15.14 17. And when he had spent all there arose a mighty famine in the Land he began to be in want And when he came to himself he said how many hired servants in my Fathers house have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger Hunger especially such hunger doth not signifie only a want of bread but a sensibleness of that want Sensibleness of a lost estate Luke 15.32 For this thy Brother was dead and is alive again and was lost and is found The elder brother was in a lost i. e. a perishing estate as is also every irregenerate Son of Adam but the younger brother was lost i. e. Sensible of his lost estate Lostness signifieth that a man is out of the way perceiveth that he is out of the way and also that he cannot find the way i. e. cannot believe repent desire c. See more Chap. 7. under the Head of a lost estate 2. Sinners that are broken hearted Isai 61.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Broken hearted and bruised Luke 4.18 That are weary and heavy laden Matth. 11.28 Sinners that are prisoners in a pit where is no water Zach. 9.11 Sensible of their misery and of their being destitute of any remedy The Prophet comparing the spiritual captivity of the soul to the corporal captivity of the Jews in Babylon sheweth That Christ finds the soul not only in a pit but in a waterless pit in a pit wherein there is no succour He will not mix his blood with our water Sinners that mourn in Sion Isai 61.3 The cable must be unreavelled before it can pass through the eye of a neédle so must the soul be broken before conversion Matth. 19.24 Believers as Abigail had Nabal before she had David have experience of two Husbands the Law and Christ But first of the tyrannical Dominion of the Law in respect of its rigour malediction and irritation before they are married unto Christ Rom. 7.1 3 4 T is not only a truth That the Elect uncalled are foolish things weak things base things despised things nothings but that they also see it so You see your calling Brethren 1 Cor. 1.26 27 28 29. To this purpose the Apostle Gal. 3.24 The Law is our Schoolmaster to lead us unto Christ The Law is threefold Moral Ceremonial Judicial And answerably had a threefold Paedagogical or Schoolmasterly Discipline leading the soul unto Christ The Moral Law by its accidental direction as sickness occasioneth us to seek after the Physician The Ceremonial by direct signification and its duration The Judicial by its distinction of the Nation of the Jews from all other Nations and likewise by its duration This Schoolmasterly Discipline of the Ceremonial and Judicial Law is ceased with the Laws themselves but that of the Moral Law still remains by convincing of sin denouncing of the curse making us to despair in respect of our selves and so enforceth us to seek for help out of our selves in Jesus Christ So John preached Matth. 3.2 Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand So Christ preached Matth.
4.17 Mark 1.15 thereby explaining and confirming John's Doctrine of preparatory repentance before believing which is also further cleared and proved Matth. 21.32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness and ye believed him not but the Publicans and Harlots believed him And ye when ye had seen it repented not afterward that ye might believe So Peter preached Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted So Paul preached Acts 26.20 but shewed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem and throughout all the Coasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for Repentance The second Head of Arguments to prove preparatory work Arguments from Types is taken from the proportion that this work of special Providence viz. Conversion the thing figured holdeth with those Works of Gods more common Providence which were types and figures thereof For the right use and prevention of the abuse of Arguments taken from types and figures it is requisite that we keep in mind these three Cautions 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signum rei futurae 1 Cor. 10.11 That we inform our selves concerning the nature of a Type namely that it is a person action or thing whether having or not having any physical aptness thereunto by divine institution appointed and declared to signifie testifie and oft times to exemplifie some spiritual truth 2. That we allow not any person action or thing Allegoria non ex legantis voluntate sed ex scribentis Authoritate est intelligenda Hieron in Gal. 4. to be a Type but what from the Scripture appears so to be No Allegory is to be grounded upon the will of the Reader but upon the authority of the Writer 3. That our arguing from thence be adequate to the intent of the Spirit in the Scripture neither more nor less nor otherwise These Cautions premised the Types themselves follow Isaac born of Sarah ninety years of age with whom it now had long ceased to be after the manner of women Gen. 18.11 her womb was dead in respect of conception Rom. 4.19 so as no one would have said that Sarah should give children suck Gen. 21.7 Isaac I say thus born of this Sarah was a Type of the Regeneration and Conversion of the Elect Gal. 4.28 29. As therefore the birth of Isaac was not by the strength of Nature like Ishmaels of Hagar but by virtue of the Promise after a supernatural manner upon sensibleness of barrenness and impotency to such a birth foregoing thereunto So seemeth it to be according to ordinary dispensation proportionably and in measure with every one that is born of the Spirit in respect of their new birth The Deliverance of Israel out of Egypt figured the Deliverance of the Elect from sin witness the Institution of the Passover see also Ezek. 16. Hosea 2.14.15 The state of servitude of the Hebrew servants Exod. 21. figured our subjection unto sin under the Law Rom. 6.6 16 17. The seventh year and the Jubilee figured our spiritual liberty in Gods accepted time by the effectual grace of Christ Isai 61.2 Luke 4.18 19. John 8.32 36. An Israelite stung with the fiery Serpent and healed by looking to the brazen Serpent was a figure of a man stung with sin the fruit of the old Serpent and cured by faith in Jesus Christ Numb 21.8 John 3.14 As Moses lift up the Serpent in the Wild rness so must the Son of man be lifted up Cyrus setting the Jews at liberty from the Babylonish Captivity of whom the Prophet thus speaks Isai 45.1 13. I have raised him up in righteousness and I will direct all his ways he shall build my City and he shall let go my captives not for price nor râ—â—rard saith the Lord of Hosts was a figure of Christ opening the prison to them that are bound and seting them free from the bondage of sin and Satan of whom the same Prophet Chap. 42.6 7. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness and I will hold thine hand and will keep thee and wiâ— give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles to open the blind eyes to bring out the prisoners from the prison and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house See also Isai 61.1 Ezek. 37. Zach. 2.11 and 9.11 and 10.9 As therefore God brought not the children of Israel out of Egypt without letting them have experience of their state of bondage and that for many years and such whereby their lives were made bitter unto them Exod. 1.14 Neither was the Hebrew servant set free without some sense of his corporal servitude Nor was the brazen Serpent lift up unto the Israelite stung with the fiery Serpent before some feeling of his sting sin and incurableness thereby Nor was the Babylonish Captivity loosed without seventy years experience thereof and that in such a degree as they say their hope is lost and they are cut off for their parts before they are delivered Ezek. 37.11 So that there be some analogy and answerableness between the Type and the Anti-type the figure and the thing figured It cannot be expected according to the ordinary dispensation of God that the Soul should be made partaker of the liberty of the Gospel by faith in Christ Jesus without some foregoing sense of the bondage servitude sting and captivity of sin and the Curse So hath this Proposition been made good by plain Texts and Types that is by Scripture both proper and typical The third sort of Arguments follow from Reason The first whereof is taken from The good pleasure of God and Christ to proceed unto Vocation according to this order 'T is in the works of Grace Reason 1. as we ordinarily see in the works of Nature Natura non facit saltum God proceeds not immediately from one extream unto another but by degrees They that be whole have no need of a Physician but they that are sick but go ye and learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice for I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Mat. 9.12 13. Here Christ the only Physician of Souls so cures his Elect as that by the common work of the Spirit he maketh them sick before by the saving work of the Spirit he maketh them well He first maketh them to feel the need of a Physician before he succours them according to their needs There seems to be little or no joy in Heaven for that Convert on Earth who was never sensible of his need of repentance Luke 15.7 Christ professeth he came not to call the Righteous The very Elect then whom yet Christ in his order came not only to call externally but also effectually whilest righteous in their own conceit and insensible of their sin he calleth not immediately to beleeve but first calleth them to sensibleness of their sin to repentance c. then calleth them nextly to
ver 10. Had an high esteem of Jesus Christ ver 3.46 Those three thousand Acts 2. ver 37. were pricked in their heart ask what they shall do The like may be observed in the Jaylour Acts 16.29 30. Paul before his conversion was sensible of his sin and death Rom. 7.9 justifieth the Law ver 12. saw the loss of his own righteousness and his need of the righteousness of Christ Phil. 37.8 To this purpose we may read of others else where 'T is certain That many of those who have been converted have had experience of a preparatory work fore-going the conversion but it cannot be proved out of the Scripture That any who have attained unto years of discretion have been converted without some experience thereof Object 1. Objection satissied There is no use of preparatory work because there is no saving work to be wrought upon the Elect which God cannot work without it Answ Were this Objection good there would follow a total uselesness-of any second cause or fellow-creature towards the producing of any effect 2. Not God's Absolute but his Ordinate Power i. e. The common Course of his special Providence is the ordinarily Rule of his proceeding with man the Exercise of his Power is regulated by his Will God is Omnipotent he can do whatsoever he will but he is not Omnivolent he will not do whatsoever he can Obj. 2. Preparatory work seemeth to darken the freeness of grace Ans Preparatory works precede vocation in way of order not in way of causality God giveth Christ after them as the way not for them as the cause Preparatory work is the effect of free common grace as saving work is the effect of free special grace It can therefore be no more prejudice unto grace then a free way is unto a free thing whereunto it is the way No more then freedom prejudiceth freedom i. e. No more then a free act of an inferiour nature prejudiceth a free act of a superiour nature It doth no whit touch it in it self it in many respects cleareth it but no way darkeneth it unto us Obj. 3. The Corinthians 1 Cor. 6.11 that were Idolaters Adulterers Abusers of themselves with mankind received Christ yet we read of no preparatory qualification mentioned Therefore there was no preparatory work Ans It is not said so therefore it was not so is no good consequence 'T is a frequent thing in the Scripture to mention the thing done without mentioning the manner of the doing of that thing Psal 33.9 David speaks of the Creation yet is silent of the Order of creating Matth. 1.2 We read that Abraham begat Isaac but of the manner of his begetting him viz. By faith not considering his own body now dead Rom. 4.19 c. There is no mention Exod. 20.1 The Holy Ghost records the deliverance of Israel out of the Land of Egypt the manner of it namely by signes and wonders and by an out-stretched arme is wholly omitted 'T is in this case between the thing done and the manner of the doing thereof as between the Sacrament instituted and the Order of the institution The Sacrament is sometimes mentioned where the Order of the institution is not observed 1 Cor. 10.16 As therefore he that would inform himself of the Order of the Institution and Administration of the Elements in the Supper is not to learn it from those Texts where though the matter be recited yet the Doctrine of the Order is not held forth so he that would instruct himself concerning Preparatory Work in order to conversion is not to look unto those places where though the work of conversion be recorded yet the teaching of Preparatory Work is not intended but unto such Scriptures where the Doctrine of Preparatory Work is purposely taught Obj. 4. Jeremiah was sanctified before he came out of his Mothers womb Jer. 1.5 John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost even from his Mothers womb Luke 1.15 when they were both uncapable of Preparatory Work Ans Jeremiah's Sanctification from the Womb may be understood not of any actual but only an intentional separation of him to office as Paul speaks in like manner of himself Gal. 1.15 If we understand it actually it seemeth to be but an actual separation of him to the Office of a Prophet By the Holy Ghost whereby John was filled from the Womb we may well understand not the gift of saving grace but eminent gifts of Office to fit this Eliah for that high service whereunto he was appointed Whether we understand by the sanctification of Jeremiah and by the filling of John with the Holy Ghost the grace or gifts of office or the gifts of saving grace The Dispensation of God unto them was extraordinary not ordinary and so teacheth not the question Only in John we clearly see God not only can but doth even in Infants work in a secret manner by his Spirit when he pleaseth CHAP. VII What are the Principal Heads whereunto the Substance of Preparatory Work in the full Extent thereof may be referred IN Answer to this Question Consider 1. What Preparatory Work taken in its Extent is 2. What Parts thereof are wrought by the Ministery of the Law 3. What Parts thereof are wrought by the Ministery of the Gospel 4. Some Cases of Conscience concerning Preparatory Work Preparatory Work taken in its full Extent is the whose frame of inherent Qualifications coming between the Rest of the Soul in the State of Nature and Vocation wrought distinctly and in measure in the Ministery both of the Law and Gospel by the common work of the Spirit concurring therewith whereby the Soul is put into a next disposition or Ministerial Capacity of believing immediately i. e. Of immediate receiving of the Lord Jesus Christ The Parts of Preparatory Work wrought by the Ministery of the Law are 1. Conviction of the Holiness of the Law 2. Conviction of Sin 3. Conviction of Guilt 4. Concluding of the Soul under sin and guilt 5. Conviction of the Righteousness of God in case he should punish us for our sins 6. Inexcusableness 1. The Conviction of the Holiness and Spiritualness of the Law is that Work of the Spirit whereby the Soul is enlightened to see the Conformity of the Command unto the Will of God whether we understand by command the Precept concerning the not eating of the Tree of Life or the Decalogue prescribed unto man in innocency as the rule of life and manners Therefore called the Moral Law or any other Commandement of God Ceremonial Judicial or whatsoever This conviction is called the coming of the Commandement Rom. 7.9 For I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed It causeth a Doctrinal Approbation thereof The Law is h ly and the Commandement holy and just and good The Precept is holy the Curse is just the Promise is good I consent unto the Law that it is good 2. Conviction of Sin is the conscience
receiveth it by faith Promissio cui Deum obligat Vrsin Epist di Praed nisi qui fide eam accipit God will have us to determine that we are elected but this we cannot do without faith and repentance Vrsin Vult Deus nos statuere qued sumus electi hoc autem non possumus sine fide poenitentia For we teach that no man before conversion unto Christ can without open injury to God determine whether he be elect or reprobate Polunus Docemus enim nullum hominem Polan Synt. lib. 4. cap. 10. ante conversionem ad Christum posse sine apertâ Dei contumelia statuere sitnè Electus an Reprobus The confidence of grace in all believers is properly built upon such a Syllogism He that believes in the Son of God hath remission of sins and Eternal life I believe in the Son of God Therefore I have remission of sins and Eternal life Paraeus Tali Syllogismo nititur fiducia graciae propriè Paraeus in Mat. cap. 7. in singulis fidelibus Qui credit in Filium Dei habet remissionem peccatorum vitam aeternam Ego credo in Filium Dei Ego igitur habeo remissionem peccatorum vitam aeternam To conclude we deny any such disposition or preparation which precedes faith to be previous whereunto a certain promise of this gift viz. repentance is made of God seeing whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14.23 And without faith it impossible to please God namely unto Salvation Hebr. 11.6 so as unto man however now disposed this grace is undue seeing in this disposition whatsoever it be man is guilty of condemnation Leyden Professors Negamus Synop. Par. The. disp 32. denique ullam ejusmodi dispositionem aut praeparationem que fidem antecedat esse praeviam cui hujus doni certa promissio à Deo sit facta cum quicquid nonâ—est ex fide peccatum sit Rom. 14.23 Et sine fide impossibile sit plaâ—â—re Deo nempè ad salutem Heb. 11.6 adeo ut homini ut cunque jam disposito haec grat a sit indebita cum etiam in hac quacunque dispositione homo sit reus condemnationis Of such faith namely concerning the certainty of Salvation we sufficiently understand Rivet Disp 2 that the subject is only a Beleever of competent understanding Rivet Talis fidei sc de certitudine salutis subjectum satis intelligimus esse fidelem adultum tantum Without faith in Christ man abides in condemnation Suffrag Britan art 2. Extra fidem in Christum manet homo in condemnatione The priviledg concerning the certainty of the subject touching perseverance Articul 5. is indulged not unto a few but unto all Beleevers attributed unto them as Beleevers and we aver it to be proper to them after the fourth manner Britain Divines Privilegium quoad cirtitudinem subjecti de perseverantia indultum est non paucis sed fidelibus omnibus qua fidelibus attributum iisque quarto modo proprium astruimus Faith is a condition Bell. Enerv. Tom. 4. lib. 6. cap. 2. nuÌ„ 29. faith therefore being put the promise particularly applyed ceaseth to be conditional and becometh absolute Fides est conditio posità igitur fide promissio particularitèr applicata cessat esse conditionata fit absoluta The promise of Salvation Idem Tom. 3 cap. 2. nuÌ„ 10. as it is made to man a sinner is conditional but as it is made unto the Beleever it is absolute because it supposeth the condition required Promissio salutis quâ homini peccatori fit est conditicnata sed quâ credenti fit est absoluta quia conditionem requisitam supponit By this Proposition Rescrip Gul. Ames ad â—râ—vin ca. 5. If you beleeve you shall be saved it is not signified that God willeth either faith or salvation unto him to whom it is so declared more then unbelief and death seeing he addeth together therewith If you do not beleeve you shall dye Hoc enim axiomate Si credideris salvus eris non significatur velle Deum aut fidem aut salutem ipsi cui sic narratur magis quam incredulitatem mortem cum simul addit Si non credideris morieres Preparatory works are not dispositions having always a necessary or certain connexion with the form to be introduced they are not so proportioned unto regeneration as any degree of heat produced by the fire in the wood hath it self unto fire but they are material dispositions which make the subject more capable of the form to be introduced as the dryness of the wood hath it self unto the fire Opera praeparatoria non sunt dispositiones Ames de Prae. peccat ad conversioneÌ„ habentes necessariam vel certam semper connexionem cum forma introducenda non sunt proportionatae regenerationi ut habet se quicunque gradus caloris in ligno ab igne productus ad ignem sed sunt dispositiones materiales quae subjectum faciunt formae introducendae magis susceptivum ut se habet siccitas ligni ad ignem Who will make it good that these material dispositions of which we speak have a certain connexion with regeneration Dr Ames Quis dabit dispositiones istas materiales de quibus agitur certam connexionem habere cum regeneratione No man can promise to himself certainty of faith unless he prove out his faith by sanctification Wollebius Salutis cirtitudinem nemo sibi polliceri potest Wolleb compend lib. 1. cap. 32. nisi fidem ex sanctificatione exploret Though salvation be propounded to be obtained upon the condition of faith yet faith is not propounded to be obtained upon the condition of any thing to be performed before it that so we may attain faith Licet salus proponatur obtinenda sub conditione fidei Twiss de Permiss lib. 2. cr 4. ss 6. fides tamen non proponitur obtinenda sub conditione alicujus prius praestandi ut sic consequamur fidem The cause why the definitive Decree of God is propounded indefinitely in the Gospel Idem de errat 7. dig 7. sect 1. is that so the salvation of men might be undetermined unto them until they beleeve Dr Twisse Causa quare decretum Dei definitum proponitur in Evangelio indefinitè est ut sic hominibus indefinita sit salus sua donec credant Salvation is in suspense unto men until they do beleeve Idem Salus est in suspenso hominibus donec credant The vessels of mercy at least of the first which I Rhetorf de grat ex 2. c. 3. saith Mr Rutherford beleeve to be effectual Vocation not Election although in Gods secret Decree they are such designed men and determined by name and most especially nevertheless there is no special determination in the Scriptures for it is no where written Do this and thou shalt be effectually called Vasa misericordiae saltem primae quam ego credo esse efficacem Vocationem non
and a conditional Promise in particulur If you beleeve you shall be saved Mark 16.16 3. God doth seriously invite beseech and charge them all to beleeve 4. Their beleeving is a high honour pleasure and service done unto Christ above all the dishonour and grief that their unbelief and sin hath been or can be unto him 'T is a greater honour unto them hereby to crown him with his Crown of Glory then to be crowned by him with the Crown of tender Mercy 5. That if they do beleeve in him they shall be saved 6. Notwithstanding the wholesom use even in this place of the Doctrine of the Decree in general yet as they cannot make application of it in particular for them so neither ought they to make application of it in particular against them but to look unto their duty which is to beleeve 7. 'T is a sin for any to beleeve they are not elected and therefore they shall not beleeve 8. As such who live under the Gospel have a ministerial hope Jer. 2.25 Ephes 2.12 Heb. 3.7 Isai 56.3 the Gentiles were far off the Jews were nigh so such to whom God doth not only offer Salvation in the Ministry but moveth upon their hearts by his Spirit they have a preparatory hope Isai 55.6 Psal 27.8 32.6 95.7 8. Acts 2.38 39. 2 Cor. 6.2 Ephes 2.17 9. According as the Preparatory Work doth kindly proceed it admitting degrees so their preparatory hope if you please by that name to let it be distinguished from the ministerial hope before mentioned is encreased Zech. 9.11 12. Mark 12.34 10. The Soul measurably prepared looking unto and thirsting after Christ Jesus as propounded in the Gospel in the diligent use of means is in respect of preparatory work nextly disposed and immediately called to beleeve 11. There can be no Example found in the whole Scripture that ever God forsook such a Soul which did not first forsake him Self-encouragements from qualifications are Legal and therefore please us best Encouragements according to truth are Evangelical and therefore will help us best Error in it self tends not to our furtherance nor Truth to our hinderance Truth is a far better encouragement then Error That there is before faith hope in the use of means and ordinarily not otherwise encourageth unto diligence and deters from negligence That before faith there is not certainty leaveth place for legal humiliation and the spirit of bondage and bloweth upon the glory of all flesh without Christ Hereby the Soul however qualified justifieth God if he sheweth no mercy Mar. 16.16 John 3.16 Revel 3.20 2 Tim. 2.25 Aug. l. 5. de Pers cap. 16. Cavendū est igitur vè dū timeamus vè tepescat hortatio extinguatur oratio accendatur elatio waiteth under the If you beleeve of the Gospel for mercy magnifieth God for free and undeserved mercy being made partaker thereof It is not an inconsiderable part of this Cause that was acted by Augustine one thousand two hundred years since though more tacitly and in its principles where he used that approved speech of his We must take heed lest whilest we fear our Exhortation being cooled Prayer be damped and Pride inflamed That the Soul in measure prepared called immediately to beleeve wait in the use of means with preparatory hope under the If you beleeve of the Gospel for Christ as acting by his special grace to ingenerate faith whereby the Soul passively receives him and whence through assisting grace it may by the act thereof come unto him is the method of the Gospel ought to be the direction of the Ministry and course of the Soul being Christs own way and therefore the most hopeful and most speedy way for the attaining of faith and salvation thereby CHAP. IX Of the first Object of Saving Faith IN the Discussing and clearing of this truth concerning the Object of Faith Consider 1. What an Object in general is 2. The Distribution of the Object of Faith 3. What the special and primary Object of Saving Faith is 4. The Order of Faith 5. That it is the duty of all to believe 6. The Difficulty of believing 7. The Means and Manner whereby Faith is wrought 8. Some principa Motives to believe An Object properly so called An Object in general What Objectum est circa quod res vel rei operatio versatur The Distinction of the Object of Faith is that about which the operation of a thing is primarily excercised and unto which it is of it self naturally ordered and directed So Truth is the Object of the understanding Good is the Object of the Will The Object of Faith is either universal scil the whole revealed Will of God Acts 24.14 Believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets Or special scil the Gospel or revealed saving Will of God and this is either Primary viz. God himself Father Son and Holy Ghist and Jesus Christ God-man propounded with a Command to believe 1 John 3.23 And a Promise of Salvation to them that do belieeve Mark 16.16 Or Secondary namely The good obtained by believing which because it is contained in the promises therefore the promises are called the Secondary Object of Faith As a Spouse is first married to the person i. e. her Husband before she enjoyeth any conjugal communion with him so we first by faith receive the Person of Christ before we are made partakers of the benefits of Christ bestowed upon believers Union precedes communion God and Christ are the Object of our Faith the Benefits following upon Christ received are the effect and end of our faith The Special Primary What the Special and Primary Object of Saving Faith is and next Object of saving Faith may briefly be conceived under this Proposition viz. Jesus Christ a Saviour to all believers and consequently unto me believing The Special and Primary Objects of saving Faith more largely considered is that gracious Truth and Testimony of God concerning Christ whereby he is tendered as a free and sufficient Saviour to every one that heareth and receiveth it with a Command to believe and a Promise That whosoever believeth shall be saved This Proposition concerning the Object of Faith containeth in it these particulars 1. That the Merit of Christ is all sufficient i. e. of sufficent virtue to have saved all men 2. That God doth seriously tender Jesus Christ as a sufficient Saviour to all unto whom the sound of the Gospel cometh 3. That every one that heareth the tender of the Gospel is bound to believe 4. That all that hear the Gospel are Ministerially equally capable of believing 5. That whosoever believeth shall be saved This Truth concerning Christ about which saving Faith is firstly and immediately exercised is by judicious Divines properly called the Object of Faith the Gospel Mark 16.15 16. Go ye into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved The Testimony 1 John 5.11
a sinner is an undivided act done altogether not by parts it doth not receive more or lesse if there be any there is all and if not all not any either all or none Justification in respect of the price and the acceptation of the persons justified is equal thus The Person that suffered for all is one and the same the sufficiency of an infinite Person suffering was requisite for the redemption of one and in the suffering of an infinite Person there was sufficiency for the redemption of all The kinde of punishment suffered for all was the same Gods acceptation thereof was the same Christ having suffered the punishment due in kinde and degree to the greatest sinner it cost Christ no more to pardon Paul than Timothy it cost him as much to pardon Davids childe 2 Sam. 12.23 as to pardon Manasseth The punishment for kinde and degree due unto the greatest sinner being suffered by an infinite person it was as much as if all the elect had suffered an infinite person containeth eminently all persons Christ therefore being in himself an infinite person and being by Divine ordination a publick Person in his suffering he was as many persons as God willed him to stand for therein Hence when the redemption mony was brought the rich must not give more the poor must not give lesse Exod. 30.15 in the Passeover and in the Supper of the Lord the portion of all is equal the distribution of Manna was equal Exod. 16.18 A Beleever at the same time is a sinner in respect of the remaining principle of inherent disobedience and righteous in respect of the imputed obedience of Christ guilty of damnation if looked at in himself not guilty of Damnation if looked at in Christ Adam a Beleever though a sinner was more just than Adam before the Fall Adam before the Fall was without sinne and innocent but not just because he had not fulfilled the righteousnesse of the Law Adam a Beleever though a sinner is yet just because by beleeving he hath fulfilled the righteousnesse of the Law Adam innocent had no right unto eternallife Adam a beleever notwithstanding sin hath right unto eternal life The righteousnesse of one Beleever is more acceptable unto God than the righteousnesse of all Mankind in the first Covenant The Lord Jesus Christ was just inherently but a sinner imputatively the Beleever is a sinner inherently but just imputatively Mary under the Crosse was more just imputatively than Christ which was also true of every Beleever then living when Christ was under the actual imputation of sin the same righteousnesse is both anothers and ours also Anothers that is Christs subjectively yet ours that is the Beleevers imputatively The righteousnesse of a Beleever in this life is both perfect and imperfect perfect in respect of Justification imperfect in respect of Sanctification Annot on the Bible in Numb 23. God looking on beleevers through Christ seeth no more sin safely understood than he seeth in him for they are made the righteousnesse of God in him by imputation Hence followeth peace of Conscience to all Beleevers Of the peace of Conscience following upon justification by faith notwithstanding all their unrighteousnesse Rom. 5.1 so farre as we have confidence in justifying grace there remaineth no conscience of condemning sin Rom. 8.1 No bitterer warre than between the Conscience and the Curse no sweeter peace than when Mercy and the Beleever meet together when the Conscience and the Promise kisse each other that is a taste of Hel this of Heaven Peace is that Gospel-tranquillity which followeth upon the Souls certain relyance on Christ concerning its freedome from the evil of the Curse and fruition of the good of the Promise As Christ being the great sinner imputatively in the instant of his dissolution passed from a state of wrath into a state of perfect peace so doth the Beleever upon his justification by faith If Christ hath peace who was made our sin then need must the Beleever have peace who is made his righteousnesse if Adams peace had been perfect in case of his fulfilling all righteousnesse then the Beleevers peace is perfect who hath fulfilled all righteousnesse in his Surety the beleeving commanded in the Gospel hath in Christ done yea out-done the doing commanded in the Law The peace of the Beleever is as perfect as the peace of those who are in glory the righteousnesse of these being the same with theirs See the grounds hereof in respect of God and Christ God himselfe is the Author and Object of our peace therefore it is called the peace of God Phil. 4.7 peace with God Rom. 5.1 He even he it is who is the Creator of peace Isa 57.19 The Speaker of peace Psal 85.5 When he giveth quietnesse who can give trouble Job 34.29 them hee also justified What shall we say to these things if God be for us who can be against us Rom. 8.30 31. The Merit of Christ a fruit and effect whereof is justifying grace is infinite because of the eminency of the person being God-man the Law violated was but a Creature but he that was made subject to it is a Creator the holinesse of the subject exceeds the holinesse of the Law the transgressor of the Law was but a Man the satisfier is God-man See here the honour of the Law that had such a subject farre more than what could have redounded to it from the subjection of all Angels and meer men See the security of the Transgressor that hath such a satisfier our disobedience is but the disobedience of Men his obedience is the obedience of him who is God needs then must his righteousnesse exceed our unrighteousnesse and in this respect wel may justifying grace compared with sin be called abundance of grace Rom. 5.17 And God bee sayd abundandy to pardon Isa 55.7 This sweet truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 longe majus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 postcrioris Adami quam fuit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prioris Terra instar puncti respectu caeli the sweet Psalmist of Israel sings forth in lively compatisons Psal 103.11 12 13. For as the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy towards them that fear him As farre as the East is from the West so farre hath he removed our transgressions from us Like as a Father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that fear him Sin is exceding sinful and grace is out of measure gracious Though sin hath abounded yet grace doth much more abound Rom. 5.20 God Christ the Gospel the Law and the Beleever all gain through justification by faith The Merit of Christ being infinite hath no bounds but is excendible according to the pleasure of the disposer thereof the obedience of Christ is All-sufficient able to have saved the whole world had God so pleased and that as wel as one man From the effectual apprehension and perswasion of the Premises proceeded that triumphing speech of a Beleever