prophesie of Christ who by his death washed us cleane in his own bloud Rev. 1. 5. Christ gives remission of sinnes after we beleeve Ans The question is not when Christ gives it nor when we receive it but when sin was destroyed and washed away and we made just if there were not remission of sinnes in Christ for us before we beleeve how could it be given us afterward We are to aske pardon Mat. 6. 12. Ans The word pardon is not in the Text the word debts is to be understood betwixt man and man first for we pray to be forgiven as we forgive we forgive not perfectly will an imperfect forgivenesse of our sinnes from God be sufficient for us Secondly Because Gods forgiving us our sinnes against him is not on that condition if we forgive others as this is see Mark 11. 25 26. Luk. 17. 3. 2 Cor 2. 7. And as for the forgivenesse of sin in 1 Joh. 1 9. is to be understood for the manifestation of forgivenesse the assurance and injoyment of it in the conscience its usuall in Scripture to put the cause for the effect and the effect for the cause Pro. 8. 36. It s so to be understood because there is nothing of pardon obtaineable but the manifestation of it therefore not to be prayed for since Christs death all that is to be done is onely to declare its done and for whom it s done for Christ will dye no more it s in vaine to pray for the pardon of that sin which was not washed away in his bloud Heb. 10. 18. 2 Cor 5. 19. It is no mocking of God to pray to God to manifest to us what he hath done for us as David Psal 51. 9. 12. I grant Christ hath borne our sinnes there is a difference betwixt Christs bearing them and giving us pardon for them Ans If Christ hath borne them and satisfied for them seeing God is satisfied now we know it we are satisfied in that God hath not any thing to lay to our charge Rom. 8 33. 2 Tim. 1. 9. speakes of his purpose Ans Christ by his death did save us according to his purpose before the world marke the words His purpose to save us was before the world He saith not that we were saved before the world He saved us by his death so that its said He hath saved us 2 Tim. 1. 9. see Titus 3. 5. Joh. 3. 36. 5. 24. Col. 2. 10. Eph. 1. 3. 2. 5. 8. Heb. 10. 14. 1 Joh. 5. 11 12 Phil. 3. 12. Rom. 8. 24. We have all in Christ Rom. 8. 23. We wait for the adoption yet we are now the Sonnes of God 1 Joh. 3. 2. and our Redemption Eph. 1. 4. Yet by Christ we are redeemed Luk 1. 68. We have redemption in him Col. 1. 14. for Eph. 1. 3. In our selves imperfect there is no perfection in us nor in this life Heb. 10. 10. Proves that by one act Christs death God was satisfied Ans It s enough seeing God is satisfied we are satisfied though others cavell and be unsatisfied Forgivenesse of sinne conveyed to us by the Spirit is called pardon Ans It appeares from Isa 40. 1 2. That their sinnes were pardoned before it was declared unto them God cals it pardon yet they knew it not nor had it in their consciences Comfort ye my people tell her that her iniquity is pardoned 2. Pardon of sinne or justification in the conscience is not justification is selfe but onely the knowledge of it Justification depends not upon our assurance of it or knowledge of it but upon Christ Isa 45. 25. It consists in taking away sinne that which is in the conscience is the knowledge of it and comfort of it 1. That pardon of sin or justification consists not in the declaring of it nor receiving of it for if to declare one to be just makes him so then he was not so before God and wisdome are said to be justified by men Mat. 11. 19. Luk. 7. 35. Rom. 3. 3 4. did it make him so 2. God by his Spirit declareth a soule to be just and righteous but if he were not made so by Christ before it will follow he justified the wicked which is abomination Pro. 17. 15. They are just or wicked guilty persons or not guilty he saith he will by no meanes cleare the guilty Exod 34. 7. Deut. 25. 1. Therefore they that are righteous before God will declare them to be so God will not have men to declare any to be just and righteous unlesse they appeare to be so The Elect are made just by Christ therefore they appeare so to God and in his time he declares it 3. If to declare one to be just could make him so it were good to doe it for its good to make evill good if the wicked and their actions were to be declared to be just yet would they remaine wicked and sinfull still 1. Neither is Justification a taking sin out of the conscience if it were faith justifieth not nor doth it take sin out of the conscience nor assure the conscience that he is a childe of God for that is the worke of the holy Spirit of God 2. A man may feare the Lord and obey Christ and yet walke in darknesse and see no light and yet God is his God Isa 50. 10 11. If he be not a beleever how doth it appeare that God is his God If sin be taken out of his conscience he assured that God is his God how doth he walke in darknesse and see no light to see all Christ hath done to be for us and sin taken out of the conscience which is the fruit of the former is a great light 3. If the knowledge that a man is a beleever takes away sin then faith takes it not away for it is one thing to beleeve and another to know I beleeve as it is one thing to see and another to know I see the latter is by a reflection by this reason it will follow that nothing justifieth but the taking sin out of the conscience which is assurance and 4. If assurance be justification then a beleever may be an unjustified man because he may want assurances and be so clouded and deserted that he may not injoy the assurance of pardon but very much doubt whether his sinnes be pardoned or noâ— thus it was with Heman Psal 88. and many other beleevers 5. If justification consists in taking sin out of the conscience it will follow that if conscience accuse he is an unjustified man and so be a justified and unjustified man in ten minutes for idle thoughts and words are sins and conscience will accuse for them and they may lie heavy upon the conscience 6. Also by this reason it will follow that none are converted nor have faith untill they have assurance they appeare to be in their sinnes no faith but assurance yet assurance is no faith at all for they are two things Joh. 6.
68 69. 7. In placing pardon and Justification onely in the conscience many of the children of God who injoy not assurance but walke in darknesse in that respect are concluded to be in sin and unjustified which is not onely uncomfortable but contrary to the Scriptures and the Saints experience it s an error therefore to affirme that men must beleeve and be assured of the remission of sinne to the end they may be remitted Heb. 10. 14. By Perfect is not meant pardon of sin they were sins and after washed 1 Cor. 8. Ans What then doth it meane is not he that is perfect without fault did not Christ by himselfe purge our sinnes Heb. 1. 3. Was it not enough and to purpose They alledge 1 Joh. 3. 9. 5. 18. Whosoever is horne of God sinneth not c. Ans It s not I but sin that dwelleth in me Rom. 7. 20. If sinne and a beleever be one how can he say it s not I therefore I and sin are two things we say Whosoever is borne of God sinneth not and we doe sinne and have sin if this be a contradiction you know where we had it O but say they Gods people cannot sinne in Gods account Ans We neither say so nor thinke so but thinke and say the contrary beleevers sinne and they see it therefore God much more and counts it as it is sin also we say there is no condemnation to be inflicted on the Elect for their sinne Rom. 8. 1. 33. Your doctrine causeth men not to feele the sense of sinne and to cry to God for pardon nor to know the sweetnesse of pardon Ans If by sense of sinne you meane the horrour and terrour of it we desire not such a sense of sinne nor wish it you nor doe we fetch our comfort from our sense of sinne or teares or crying nor our best workes but onely and alone from the love of God in the death of Christ we have made a Christ of our workes teares and crying long enough An Answer to a Treatise intituled Ancient and durable Gospel written in answer to my Booke intituled Justification by Christ alone HE saith It s well you yeeld to the truth at last if you had done so all this while I had spared my labour in opposing you you confesse what I stand for p. 93. 97 98. Ans You should have read my Booke before you answered it if I confesse that which you stand for you might wel have spared your labour you answer and contradict your selfe and so contradict your selfe that your Booke needeth no answer to throw it downe it will fall alone for he affirmes things unreasonable He saith Son-ship and purity goeth together p. 12. We are Sonnes when we beleeve p. 76. We are not purified till Christs second coming Salvation and Son-ship came together p. 77. Yet no man is saved till Christs second coming We are Sonnes by faith when God is our God we shall c. p. 11. 19. Adoption and Redemption came both together p. 77. Yet our Redemption is not yet p. 44. We are justified by faith before God p 87. Faith by which we are justified yet Faith doth not nor cannot justifie p. 32. 89. We are not justified while we act sinne p. 107. No man is justified in this life we shall be justified when Christ againe appears not before p. 105. When they beleeve they by faith become Sonnes p. 76. We are Sonnes by faith p. 77. That faith makes us Sonnes I utterly disowne p. 76. Are not these contradictions So he contradicts the expresse Scripture such deserve no answer instance he saith Our sinnes remaine our sinnes are not laid upon Christ and taken away as yet p. 55. He saith We are not healed till Christs second coming p. 57. Contrary to 1 Pet. 2. 24. Christ saith Woman thy sinnes are forgiven thee Mat. 9. 2. I write unto you little children because your sinnes are forgiven you 1 Joh. 2. 12. Yet he saith Forgivenesse of sinne is not in this life p. 63. He saith Health of body and outward cures are forgivenesse of sinnes p. 16. Our sinnes are not remitted but imputed to us till Christs second coming p. 94. And that beleevers are under the curse and doe beare it p. 67. He denieth God to be their God who beleeve and that we have no interest in God He saith We shall have interest and propriety in God at his next appearing in the world to come when God is our God we shall not need Word nor Ordinances p. 11 12. 15 16. 19. 20. Contrary to the expresse word of God Psal 48. 14. Joh. 20. 17. God saith He will not remember our sinnes He saith He will remember them till we sinne no more p. 57. And that these Scriptures Col. 1. 21. Eph. 5. 26. Isa 53. Song 4. 7. 2. Cor. 2. 21. Eph. 3. 17. Rom. 8. 33. are not relations of things done but prophesies of this to come p. 48 49. 57. 63. 65. He might as well have said those words we have all sinned in Rom 3. is a prophesie as well as Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect He might as truly have said Christs Testament is a prophesie and is to be understood in the Future tense and then Christ as yet is not crucified dead and risen c. Since he said to those words in Isa 53. 6. He hath laid on him the iniquity of us all he could not tell whether they were or no So he hath added and detracted altered and falsified some of my words and left out the Scripture and strength of what I wrote which is but a flight answering therefore a slight answer is more then enough The maine difference lieth in the time of Justification I say it was when he shed his bloud others say it is when men beleeve he saith it is not till the next world I have given my Reasons from the Scripture and answered all the objections that I know are made against this doctrine with as much love and tendernesse as their expressions against the truth would admit and now I have declared the truth and pleaded for it in faithfulnesse love plainnesse and singlenesse of heart as in the sight of God Christ was called a deceiver Mat. 27. 63. Therefore I wonder not if I be so called yea and I expect it and that which Christ his followers in teaching the truth to meet with which was Some beleeved the things that were spoken and some beleeved not Acts 28. 24. I passe not if any condemne me so they do not condemne Christ and his truth seeing all shall worke for good therefore I am satisfied in committing all to God And concerning the doubt which doth arise in many concerning Communion whether we may have Communion in the Ordinance of the Supper with such as hold contrary to this truth so much contented for I answer to the question whether we may walke in communion with those that
thy sins are great this will not prove it consider what God saith I have spread out my hand all the day to a rebellious people that provoke me to anger continually to my face Isa 65. 2 3. I doe not beleeve I am elected and so nothing can doe me good 1. This is a secret meddle not with it Secret things belong to God and revealed things to us Deut. 29. 29. 2. It is a common deceit of Satan to tell a soule God hath no mercy for him when the soule hath obtained mercy or when it is not farre from him 3. It is certaine these thoughts come from Satan because they are contrary to God in his Word as Gen. 3. 2 3 4. 4. It s the nature of unbeliefe to be inquisitive and curious to finde out any pretence that he may seeme to doe well in not hearkening to what God saith in his Word Heb. 10. 14. 5. We must not yeeld to Satan nor hearken unto him trouble not thy thoughts with Election but minde Jesus Christ doe you waite upon him in the use of means till he give thee faith and then thou shalt know thou art elected Acts 13. 48. But I have used the meanes and I am worse and worse therefore God will not doe me good 1. Doe you know Gods meanes and the number of them have your ends been good and right placed have you used them in a right manner measure time in sincerity have you not rested on the means have you used them in faith expecting his blessing The word they heard profited them not for want of faith Heb. 4. 2. 2. It s no good reason to say Because God hath not as yet given me my request therefore he never will consider Isa 64. 4. Isa 8. 17. They which had not obtained mercy did 1 Pet. 2. 10. They shall not be ashamed that waite for me Isa 49. 23. 3. It is just with God to blast the meanes yea it s a mercy that we might looke more to Christ in the use of meanes to blesse them and be all unto us 4. If thou hast a will that Christ should save thee and rule thee he that hath begun this good worke in thee will finish it Heb. 12. 2. One day thou shalt know thy sinnes to be pardoned and subdued 5. Consider God may have mercy for thee though thou knowest it not for mens sinnes are first forgiven before they can know it or beleeve it or be assured of it therefore thy sinnes may be pardoned though thou doest not know it faith beleeves sin is pardoned but our beleeving neither pardons any sinne nor procures the pardon of it I have waited a long time and many others have receeved mercy but I have not 1. Some of the Lords have waited a long time at least they thought the time long David said I am weary of my crying my throat is dryed my eyes faile while I waite for my God Psal 69. 3. 2. If God hath given thee a heart to waite upon him thou art blessed Blessed are all they that waite for him Isa 30. 18. Waiting implies perseverance patience long suffering in holding out notwithstanding the tediousness of the time deferred courage in breaking through all difficulties that stand between waiting and to continue waiting though all things seeme contrary till we injoy what we waite for I waite for my God Psal 69. 3. But I am now old in yeares and if God had intended mercy for me surely he would have revealed it before this time and now death is ready to take me away 1. Yet mercy may come at last the theefe was saved upon the Crosse Mat. 20. Luk. 23. Oh how neere was he unto his end before mercy came to him 2. You must not set a time to God its mercy though it come at last God useth to call some the last houre as well as the third see Mat. 20. 1. to 10. There is nothing too hard for God If I were fitted with qualifications as humblenesse brokennesse of heart and tooke delight to heare and pray as others I could have hope but it s not so with me 1. This is nothing but a delusion for these things cannot fit thy soule for mercy while yee look and rest on such things as these yee seeke the living among the deid Luk 24. 5. If you had these things yee desire in the greatest measure ever any had they could nor procure thy happinesse nor stand thee in any stead to save thy soule nothing but Jesus Christ can doe that nor any thing but him truly comfort thee 2. What qualifications had they in Ezek. 16. 3. to 9. except sinfull ones and what qualifications had they who were enemies yet Christ dyed for them Rom 5. 9 10. Isa 65. 1 2 3. It s a certaine truth that all that are saved are saved freely without any cause or condition in man see 2 Tim. 1. 9 10. 3. What need yee Christ if yee have what yee need without him 4. As in nature none can worke before they have life so none can worke a spirituall worke before he live spiritually Christ must be in the soule before it can beleeve so the soule must beleeve before it can finde any sanctification or any good worke at all in himselfe consider there is nothing to be done by man to be a preparation to sanctification see Rom. 4. 5. 5. 8. 10. 5. You goe a wrong way to worke you goe about to establish a righteousnesse of thy own therefore thou doest so much thirst after it but it must be renounced its hard to be taken off our own works selfe-concurrence strip a man of his own and yee take away his life he must and will have something some humblenesse teares good works something they must have they thinke it cannot be that one should be accepted pardoned and saved and to doe nothing at all for it yet it is so Many when they see they have not done well they goe about to breake their hearts to make God amends for all and thinke if they can but attaine to such a deep measure of humiliation and sorrow for sin then they thinke they have an evidence for heaven alas this is an evidence of great ignorance in that they doe not see death in their best duties the Lord may say to them who work so hard for life Thou hast found the life of thy hand therefore thou wast not grieved Isa 57. 10. And so Comfort themselves with their owne sparkes sorrow will follow such comfort Yee shall lie downe in sorrow Isa 50. 11. When we say our good workes are not the way to life men esteeme it a grievous error yet Christ saith I am the way Joh. 14. 6. Tell me are thy workes Christs or no if no then they are not the way if Christ say true as he doth also if Jesus Christ is to be unto us all in all Col. 3. 11. our best works are to be unto us nothing at all our workes
us Gal. 3. 13 14. He that is hanged is accursed of God Deut. 21. 23. He bare the punishment that we should not beare it He bare our griefes and carried our sorrowes he was stricken smitten and afflicted he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was laid upon him c. Isa 53. He bare our sins viz. the punishment of them in his own body on the tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. So that Christs payment of our debt is our discharge for by the law of God and man if the debt be paid the debtor is freed as fully as if he had never ought any thing for Justice can require no more then a full payment if my debt be paid it matters not whether I paid it or another so it be paid doth not he to whom it is due reckon he is paid when he hath received it if he be asked is not such a one in your debt his answer is no I am paid he oweth me nothing and my booke is crossed But if you aske the debtor are not you in such a ones debt it may be he will answer yes to whom answer may be made you are mistaken you owe him nothing therefore you are not in his debt your surety hath paid it and I asked your creditor and he told me all is paid and you ought him nothing and that his booke is cancelled crossed c. Saith the debtor if it be so I owe him nothing I did not know so much before neither the creditor nor my surety did not tell me that my debt was paid therefore I thought it had not been paid Will not the debtor be glad rejoyce and triumph and say I am glad my debt is paid I was not able to pay I was affraid to be cast into prison but now I know I owe him nothing I am not afraid of any thing he can doe to me now my debt is paid it s so in this case Remission of sin could not be given before Christs death but in reference to this price Heb. 9. 15. In all their sacrifices Christ was presented slaine to teach that in his bloud is remission without his bloud no remission For the sinnes of the Elect that were past before Christs death God was content to trust Christ for payment this is called Gods forbearance Rom. 3. 25. The debt being paid forbearance ceaseth He was made a Priest to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people Heb. 2. 16 17. We were by his death reconciled and since it is declared to us before we beleeve it Christ suffered for us without any act of our own yea without our consent or knowledge of it and he then justified his that he might have all the glory of our salvation Argu. 2. If Christ hath saved us and redeemed us then he hath saved and redeemed us from the punishment of sin else from what are we saved but Christ is he that hath saved us 2 Tim. 1. 9 10. He gave himselfe to redeeme us from all iniquity Titus 2. 14. with Eph 5. 2. Gal. 1. 4 Heb. 7. 27. To be redeemed from iniquity is to be redeemed from the punishment of sin the slaying of Christ was our redemption Rev 5. 9. Redemption and forgivenesse of sin is one Eph. 1. 7. Col. 1. 7. 14. Remission and Redemption is the taking away the blame and punishment of sin When he was cut off he made an end of sin Dan. 9. 24 2â— 26 27. with Isa 53. 7 8 9. Joh. 10. 10. 15. To make an end of sinne is to make an end of the punishment of sin which was removed in one day Zach. 3 9. When Christ dyed then the houre of that day was come Joh. 17. 14 Joh. 1. 29. So that ever since that day and houre the punishment of our iniquities have been removed from us He tooke away sin by the sacrifice of himselfe Heb. 9. 26. Wee weâ—e reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 5. 9 10. Therefore ever since his death we have been reconciled before Christ entered the heavens he had obtained an eternall Redemption for uâ— Heb. 9. 12. 24. Eternall life promised 1 Joh. 2. 15. 1 Joh. 1. 2. 2 Cor. 5 6. 8. Phil. 1. 23 24. Argu. 3. If nothing can take away sin but Christ then no sin from the beginning to the end of the world shall ever be taken away but what he then tooke away by his death but nothing else but Christs death could take away sin the bloud of Buls and Goats could never take away sin the Priests by all their offerings could never take away sin Heb. 10. 11. Our prayers teares nor any worke of righteousnesse we could doe could not doe it Titus 3. 5. Christs beleeving could not doe it much lesse our beleeving if it could why did he dye He tooke away sin by the sacrifice of himselfe Heb. 9. 20. The offering of the body of Jesus tooke it away once for all Heb. 9. 15. 26. 10. 17 18. 1 Joh. 1. 7. Our sins were too heavy a burden for us to beare Psal 38. 4. He was mighty to save therefore able to beare them Psal 89. 19. Therefore the Lord was pleased to lay on him the iniquitie of us all yea the punishment of them all was laid upon Christ Isa 53. 6. and so saved us from the punishment of them therefore Christ is called the Author of salvation Heb. 5. 9. because he is the author of our freedome from the punishment of sin and the meanes of salvation through or by Jesus Christ because it was through him and by him effected Eph. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. Mat. 1. 21. He came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. Therefore when he was in the world he did save his from their sinnes else he lost the end of his coming He is called Salvation it selfe Isa 49. 6. Because he alone hath saved us without us without our beleeving or workes he hath fully and wholly saved us he is no halfe Saviour he saith My own arme hath brought salvation Isa 63. Therefore it s not now to bring because he hath saved us from the punishment of sinne for he bore our sinnes and carried them away Isa 53. 4 5. with Lev. 26. 21. If he had not then freed us from the punishment of sin Christ had not exceeded the Priests under the law and their offerings but had bin as very a shadow as they were Lev. 16. 30 with Heb. 10 4 5 10 11. Col. 2. 17. Argu. 4. If the bloud of Christ clenseth us from all sin â—oh 1. 29. 1 Joh. 1. 7. then not any thing â—lse doth not nor cannot clense us from any sin Some weakly conceive Christ hath been taking away sinne this sixteene hundred yeares and yet this worke is still to doe this is contrary to Zach. 3. 9. Say some can sin be taken away and in us too I answer yes in a several consideration they have sin
shews himselfe what he is Reproach What men will not follow that they will reproach Reproofe for sin Such as are wise count Reproofe a priviledge Poore persons have a priviledge above the rich in that they are reprooved Those that complaine because they are reprooved for sin shew their folly Those that are angry because they are reproved for sin hate not sin Reprove a wise man and he will love thee Riches As thornes pierce the body so Riches pierce the soule Riches are the thornes that choak the good seed and hinder the growth of good things The more Riches a man hath the more he desires The greedinesse is more sharpened by the having them then in their want There are but few that are drawn the neerer to God by Riches Rich men commonly doe the least good to others Rich mens purses and poore mens hearts would doe well together God turnes many out of their Riches because they abused them Riches insnare many and are the destruction of many Riches are thornes which if not heedfully handled will wound us before we be aware A rich man that is not liberall is unworthy the name of a Christian Riches and all outward things sooner or later will be as a lier and waters that faile and be as nothing to us Riches hath made many afraid to consesse Christ and his truth God bestows abundance of outward things upon some not for themselves for they need them not but that they might supply the wants of others and they keep them for themselves Outward things make themselves wings and fly away If Riches doe not leave us we must quickly leave them God is the Saints best Riches Religion oft payeth for mens getting Riches and oft suffers most by them He that hath riches and doth not freely part with them to good uses his heart is stollen away by them Reports No good man can escape evill and false Reports of the wicked Oft times the best suffer the worst Reports because they will be no worse Such as are much joyed at good Reports are much grieved at ill Such as cannot with patience beare ill Reports cannot live a comfortable life Rest Most men thinke and endeavour to attaine Rest Rest is deâ—ireable but it is not here attainable Scriptures Reading the Scriptures helpeth the judgement memory and affections confâ—rmes faith and fits us to answer the temptations of Satan Such as deny and slight the Scriptures will quickly become abominable in their understandings hearts words and actions When men refuse to be bounded within the bounds of Gods Word they have fallen into great errors and heresies Security When we thinke we are safest from danger the danger is greatest Satan watcheth most when we watch least Strength God is the strength of his people When men are confident of their own strength then they are weakest God deales out strength to his people walking in his way Snares Snares lie not above but below Sin Every sin is not alike mortified in a Saint Sin is wounded by prayer and a temptation by resistance A lesser sin will make way for a greater if yee give way to a little a great deale â—ill follow Sin is deceitfull it hath many wayes and colours to beguile a man by degrees it steales the heart from God and settles it in evill The want of a true sight of sin is the cause men love fin and sleep so securely in it â—gnorance and unbelieâ—e want of confideration and meditation and not shunning the occasions of sin cause much â—in The way to subdue a lust is not to satisfie it and to beleeve it shall be subdued assurance of pardon is a good help against sin if the hatred of sin continue and griefe for it use the meanes and pray in faith against it such as doe so shall overcome it Sin is easier kept out then thrust out When the motions of sin doe rage it 's best quickly to take the sword of the Spirit the Word of God and fight against them Custome in sin takes away the sense and feeling of sin A man may sin by omission and commission at one and the same time and yet know of neither Some sins of omission may exceed some of commission We oft sin more and are in greater danger in lawfull things then in unlawfull because we feare grosser evils more then secret insnarements in lawfull things To be delivered from sin is a great good To desire sin is a misery and to injoy the pleasure of sin is a greater misery Those sins are most dangerous which seeme vertues and tend to make vertue a sin Few oppose sin and fewer consider the ground and reason why they oppose it Every childe of God hath some sin that easily besets him which to escape he had need to fly A beleever is as subject to commit as great sins now as those before Christ came It 's possible for a childe of God to commit a sin that he hates hath truly repented of The flesh loveth great sins as well as small ones According as a mans fight and sense of sin is so he hateth it and himselfe for it If a professor of the truth commit a scandalous sin woe to his peace and comfort for if he belong to God it shall vex and grieve him more then all the sins that ever he committed he shall finde that it 's no small matter to dishonour God it will lie heavie on his heart and make him weary of his life it will fight against hiâ— soule it will deprive the soule of peace and fill it with horror it shall cut his heart to consider that he hath disgraced the truth and people of God grieved the Saints and hardened others in their sin Sin defiles insnares distracts and streighteneth the soule it is the thiefe that stealeth from the Saints much of their strength and comfort Did we know what bitter paines our sweet sins will cost us we would more feare them then now we desire them we would fly from them as from the Devill God sometimes cureth sin by sin and by the bitternesse of sin God weanes his from it Sin will tire him at last that loves it best The knowledge and consideration of the end of sin chaseth away sin The lesse sensiblenesse of sin after it is committed the more hardnesse of heart there is The more there is of the will in sin the greater is the sin to forecast evill is a great evill The more deliberation and the weaker the temptation is yet sin the greater is the sin To sin against knowledge is of dangerous consequence The lesse feare we have of sinning the lesse care we have of well doing the lesse zeale in praying the lesse fruitfull under the meanes Because sentence against an evill worke is not presently executed therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to doe evill he thinkes he scapes now therefore ever Of solitarinesse It is not good for weake beleevers to affect
Consider God hath forbidden it Rom. 6. Consider sin in the nature of it in the root and fruit of it It 's the price of bloud there is no true sweetnesse in sin no contentment no satisfaction in it why you should desire it it fills the soule with wounds sorrow bitternesse shame let experience speake Rom. 6. 21. Pro. 23. 8. Avoyde the occasions of sin evill company Psal 119. 63. Pro. 13. 20. 6. 9. Places and provocations of sin idlenesse excesse in eating and drinking order your steps by the Word and get others to watch over you receive reproofe willingly and profitably know the more you yeeld to Satan the more you may he useth to double his temptations when resisted but give no place to the Devill if yee yeeld it will be harder to resist the next time consider thy relation art thou a childe of God an heire of heaven it 's unsutable for thee to serve Satan to doe his druggery Eph. 4. 20. Yee have not so learned Christ Eph. 4. 17. I say and testifie in the Lord that yee henceforth walke not as the Gentiles walke in the vanity of their minds Christ gave himselfe for â—is that they might be holy Titus 2. 14. Rom. 6. 10. 1 Joh. 3. 2. 2 Cor. 6. 18. If tempted answer I am chosen to be holy I may not sinne Rom. 8. 29. Consider the eye of God is ever upon you Heb. 4. 14. Pro. 15. 3. 16. 6. Can you consider that and sin in so holy a presence Remember Christs love nourish the motions of the Spirit Walke in the Spirit and yee shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5. 16. Nourish zeale and hatred against sin every sin Keepe your heart as your life Pro. 4. 23. Reforme the inside and Satan shall not prevaile Job 14. 4. Consider the time yee are to live is but short and the pleasures of sin are but for a season and a short one Heb. 11. 25. Hearken to the voyce of Conscience least it be silent and yee hardened When the pleasure of sin is presented to thee present to thy selfe the sting it will leave behinde it also present to thy selfe a greater and better pleasure and sweetnesse to be injoyed with God minde home and the pleasures there that are for evermore Set your affections on things above where your Crowne and glory is 1 Cor. 9. 24. Watch and pray for strength against â—in at the first approach of sinne change the object and fall to prayer be not discouraged if foiled still resist beleeve against experience God will helpe thee against it Eph. 6. 16. 4. 12 13. Apply sutable promises against sin consider Eph. 5. 5 6 7. Rom. 6. 11. Psal 119. 6. doe as Mat. 17. 21. Reprove sin in others in case none else doe Consider by silence when sin is committed we have â—ellowship with it and breake Gods command defile our soules loose comfort incourage and harden others in sin 1. It 's Gods command that who sin Rebuke before all 1 Tim. 5. 20. Pro. 28. 23. 29. 25. 24. 25. Thou shalt reprove 〈◊〉 Levit. 19. 17. 2. The Saints have done so with great zeale Acts 13. 16. 10. Ezra 9. 2 3 4. Psal 119. 139. Num. 15. 11 12 13. Can we heare false things spoken and Gods truth his way and people condemned and be silent where is our zeale 3. God commends it for a vertue in his people that they could not beare with them that are evill Rev. 2. 2. To see and heare sin committed with silence is to beare it if Ely sinned in doing it coldly 1 Sam. 2. 3. 13. what shall we say to them that doe it not at all that neither love to God his truth his people the good of others soules their own peace will move them to doe it doth a friend love as he ought and heares his friend abused and is silent offer not this to God 4. Reproofe of sin is a meanes to prevent the contagiousnesse of sin 1 Cor. 5. 6. 1 Tim. 5. 20. Spare none if we must take care for the Oxe or Asse of an enemy as appeares Exod. 23. 4 5. then much more for the good of the soule of an enemy 5. It was Jobes comfort that nothing could cause him to keepe silent Job 31. 34 If he might have been silent and not sinned his silence was but a poore comfort 6. God esteems presence and silence a doing of the action 1 Cor. 11. 4 5. with â—4 24 that is by consent for they did not all speak God charged Ahab with murder when Jezabel did it and he onely by consent 1 King 18. 19. with 7 8 9 10. Silence is confirmation as appeares Numb 30. 14. He confirmed them because he held his peace when he heard them So it was not enough that they shâ—d not innocent bloud but that they did not see it Deut. 21. 7. God deales with those that were present and silent at the committing of sin as if they had done it see Lev. 5. 1. 20. 4 5. 7. toâ—ave â—ave fellowship with it Eph. 5. 11. Hag. 2. 13. Rev. 2. 20. Jâ—sh 22. 18 19 20. Hence the Saints are called to come out of Babylon that they might not be partâ—kers of their sinnes Rev. 18. 2. 4. 2 Cor. 6. I was almost in all evill in the midst of tâ—e Congregation Pro. 5. 14. Lastly God saith He shall dwell on high that stoppeth his eares from hearing of bloud and shutteth his eyes from seeing of evill Isa 33. 15 16. Which shews they can by no meanes indure it Of speech 1. When thou speakest of thy selfe speak modestly without vanity and boasting 2. Heare much but speake little 3. Speake not hastily consider before you speake see that in all your words there be truth fitnesse in respect of time place persons profitablenesse choicenesse sobernesse and moderation in them 4. If you teach matters of Religion see that yee prudently understand and faithfully dispense the word of the Lord be short and fruitfull and preach against fleshly lusts doe not affirm or maintain things that are doubtfull if the Scripture speake it not be yee silent 5. If you speak to such as are troubled in minde consider what knowledge they have whether they be strong or weake whether more or lesse wounded and for what whether they be troubled because they are troubled or for feare of punishment or for the evill of their sin observe the persons age state and condition of life whether they be naturally fearfull and melancholy whether they be lost or no and what hinders their beleeving be not too hasty nor stay not too long observe a fit season to comfort Of Suretiship Be not thou one of them that strike hands and of them that are sureties for debts Pro. 22. 26. Give not thy selfe to Suretiship Saints O deare and precious soules feare not death love one another be obedient to God make much of his word rest satisfied in the Scripture That which
desires affections they see no danger in eating ashes they think it a happinesse to have them and they expect satisfaction from them Obs 4. Eaters of ashes are in a sad condition they eate ashes and thinke they eate bread they are deceived Isa 29. 2. they follow vanity Hab. 2. 3. the East winde Hos 12. 1. And lay out their money for that which is not bread Isa 55. 2. Therefore consider what doest thou live upon When thou art empty what is it that you eye whether doest thou goe goest thou to Christ can you say First My hope is onely in Christ 1 Cor. 15. 19. Secondly I finde no peace comfort contentment satisfaction in nothing but in Christ Phil. 3. 8. Thirdly Is Christ thy life and strength and nothing but Christ Joh. 15. 5. Col. 3. 11. Fourthly Can no peace comfort praise of men duties ordinances joys ravishments satisfie me nothing but Christ Col. 3. 11. If Christ be so all and all to thee then thou doest live upon bread and not on ashes Obs 5. There is nothing in man or can be done by man that can deliver his soule man in himselfe is irrecoverably lost if he follow his own heart he is mis-led his heart is deceived it turnes him aside and leads him to death if he follow his light his understanding he follows darknesse for his light is darknesse as Mat. 6. 33. He that walkes in darknesse knoweth not whether he goeth Joh. 12. 35. Wee were sometimes darknesse Eph. 5. 8. Obs 6. Mans heart is not to be hearkened unto because it turnes the soule aside from Christ What doest thou hearken unto and live upon Consider 1. Many in stead of living upon God live upon a deceived heart Pro. 3. 5 6 7. 2. Many live upon sense 3. Many live upon corrupt reason 4. Some build their hopes of salvation upon other mens judgements 5. Many live upon the report of others it appeares by this if men speake not well of them they are greatly troubled and not able to beare it by which it appeares their life is in it the reason Laban made such a stirre for his images was because they were his gods 6. Many live upon their reformation they thanke God they are not so bad as they have been therefore they hope now all is well it 's well when men grow better yet abstinence from evill is no evidence of grace for men may forbeare the act of sin for feare of hell or men 7. Many live upon duties and as they increase their hope and confidence increaseth but when their duties faile them their hope and confidence is at an end by which it appeares they live upon what they doe and not upon God these count their duties which is their righteousnesse gaine but if they belong to God they must count againe as Paul did this their gaine to be losse for Christ Phil. 3. 8. 8. Some live upon their peace they are quiet free from terrors and feare of hell in them therefore they conclude they are in a good estate this is a subtill delusion 9. Many live upon groundlesse hopes because their sinnes are few or small as they thinke they have hope 10. Many live upon their inward comfort and joy that while that lasts they have much assurance of salvation but as soone as their comfort and joy which they sensibly felt leaves them their confidence went with their comfort and leaves them in a sad condition 11. Some live upon ravishments and extasies of glory 12. Many live upon the ordinances of men are ready to be of any Religion the authority will impose and so rest satisfied 13. Many live upon the ordinances of God without God they rest satisfied that they frequent the ordinances 14. Some live upon their confidence of salvation 15. Many live upon creature comforts and conclude God loves them because they possesse them 16. Many live upon the Devill and his word which is when Satans suggestions are hearkened unto liked beleeved imbraced and obeyed if he say their sinnes shall never be pardoned and subdued they beleeve him and are ruled by him this is so to live upon the Devill as to hearken unto God as Isa 53. 3. to beleeve in him 1 Joh. 3. 23. and to submit to God James 4. 7. is to live upon God A false foundation and a false life goe together and all those who live on any thing besides Jesus Christ their foundation is unsound and it will certainly deceive them whatsoever their sparkes be they shall lie downe in sorrow as Isa 50. 10. These are lying vanities and they that hearken unto them forsake their own mercy Jona 2. 8. Obs 7. A man is prone to follow the advice of his own heart The reason is First Because he thinkes his heart knows and Secondly That his heart will not deceive him but who so trusteth in his heart is a fool◠Pro. 28. 26. Isa 10. 7. Jer. 23. 26. Thirdly Because he is ignorant of the desperate wickednesse of his heart Jer. 17. 9. Happy is he that so knows his heart so as not to trust to it nor hearken unto it The heart is the cause of all the errors and miscarriages of men Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Luk 6. 45. Mat. 15. 19. What men thinke speake or doe 〈◊〉 from the heart Obs 8. Men seeke deliverance for themselves from themselves Men endeavour to deliver their soules The Reason is First He judgeth it reasonable that his soule be delivered Secondly He knowes no other way of deliverance save that of his own in whole or in part Thirdly He thinks it concernes him most and that it is his duty to doe it Fourthly He is perswaded he may deliver his soule or at least that without him it cannot be delivered this he will not be driven from till God manifest to the soule the perfection of Christs righteousnesse then shall he see the insufficiency of his own Rom. 10. 3. He cannot deliver his soule Obs 9. It is impossible for man to save himselfe in whole or in part it 's beyond his power he cannot doe it see Lam. 5. 21. Jer. 31. 18. Job 12. 38 39. Obs 10. Untill a soule be convinced that he cannot deliver himselfe he rests in himselfe God hath not left it to the will and power of man to deliver himselfe because First That no man might boast Eph. 2. 9. and that the pride in man may be dashed in pieces Secondly That man might not live in and upon himselfe nor joy in himselfe but in the Lord Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3. 13. Thirdly That the love and power of God might be manifested that we might know the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us ward who beleeve his mighty power Eph. 1. 19. Fourthly That God might have all the glory Eph. 1. 6. that no flesh might glory 1 Cor. 1. 29. Gal. 6. 14. In the Lord shall all the children of Israel glory Isa
what conscience can yee weare gold and silver costly apparell and by fine laces and the poore Saints want bread other necessaries Consider what the Christians did in the Apostles time Acts 2. 44 45. 4. 33 34 35. Yee say yee be followers of them is not the 2 Cor. 8. 14. a command how then dare yee neglect this dutie Full ill will they sell their lands much lesse dye for their brethren who will not spare their laces and superfluities to feed and cloath the naked body and hungry belly of Jesus Christ I was an hungred and naked and Lord when saw we thee an hungred and naked c. They knew no such thing nor did they inquire nor came where they might have seene it And he shall answer Verily in as much as yee did it not to one of these yee did it not to mee Mat. 25. 34. to 46. Whether Christ dyed for the sinnes of all Adams posteritie Some men say so but the Scripture doth not say so He tooke on him the seed of Abraham Heb. 2. 16. But all Adams posterity are not Abrahams seed in no sense Secondly Christ saith He laid downe his lâ—fe for his sheepe John 10. 11. 15. All men are not his sheepe as yee beleeve not because yee are not my sheepe vers 26. Whether all those for whose sinnes Christ dyed shall be saved They shall all be saved as appeares Rom. 5. 9 10. John 6. 37. 39. John 17. 2. 19. 24. 29. Heb. 13. 20. Jer. 32. 40. 31. Mat. 25. 33. The salvation of Gods Elect is certain Some say Christ dyed for their sinnes who shall not be saved But to what end shall Christ die for their sinnes who are not appointed to life Doth not Christ loose the end of his death to die for their sinnes who shall perish Some are not ordained to eternall life as appeares Acts 13. 48. Doth it stand with the wisdome of God to send Christ to die for their finnes whom he before decreed to condemn The Lord hath made the wicked for the day of evill Pro. 16. 4. 2 Tâ—es 2. 11. Isa 43. 6 7. Q. Wâ—etâ—er Christ is offered to all or no The Gospel is to be declared to every creature Mark 16. 15. 16. But to declare a thing and to offer it is not one thing The Scripture doth not say that Christ is offered to any men say so but not truly nor safely The saying Christ is offered to all occasioneth many errors as to say if God offereth Christ to men and they have no power to receive him and God gives them none they are mocked and that God is unjust and unreasonable and that he doth not meane as he saith else say they all men have power and may be saved if they will and they may will c. The purpose of God Christs death salvation and the revealing it in the Scripture are one in the extent the one is not larger then the other neither is the ministery thereof to be larger in the declaration viz. in the application of salvation is not to be larger but rather straiter because he is bounded to beleeving and baptizednesse He that beleeves and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16. 16. He may not apply it to any person that doth not beleeve c. Whether sufficient grace is given to all for conversion That which is sufficient is effectuall if I put sufficient strength to move the whole earth will not motion follow if it be not effectuall it is not sufficient sufficient and effectuall goe together That the conversion of man doth not depend upon the will of man See 1 Cor. 2. 14. Deut 29. 3 4. Mat. 1â— 34. John 1. 5. Eph. 1. 17 18. 2 Cor. 3. 5. The will of God determines who shall bâ— saved Acts 13. 48. God worketh all things after the counsell of his own not mans will Eph. 1. 11. See and consider the word of the Lord Isa 46. 10. Psal 2. 13. Psal 135. 6. 115. 3. Pro. 29. 26. Psal 33. 15. Pro. 21. 1. Pro. 16. 33. Mat. 10. 29 30 31. Acts 2. 23. 4. 26 27 28. Pro. 16. 9. Jam. 4. 13. 15. Rom. 9. 19. 2 Sam. 17. 22. Rom. 1. 24. 1 Kings 22. 22. Psal 105. 25. Isa 63. 17. John 11. 20. 2 Thes 2. 11. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9. 16. He hath mercy on whom he will 18. To ascribe conversion to the freedome of mans will is to exempt the creature from being under the power of God for if he be able to convert himselfe or to refuse so as not to be converted then convesion is under his own power If it depend upon the will of the creature then the will of man is the cause why God willeth this or that this were to bring the will of God under the will of man as if God should say I will convert that man if he will I have willed nothing or my will is mutable my will shall waite on your will and change as oft as yours shall if the will of God should not determine all things the will of God should not be the first cause if there be two first causes then there are two beginnings or more and so more Gods then one If God gives power and leaves it to mans will then God hath not determined what shal be done or else his purpose is changeable If the cause why God chooseth me and not another is because I will then it is not according to his will Eph. 1. 11. If Gods will be not the cause you deny the freedom of Gods will and make the will of man the cause of his being saved If God by his omnipotent power inclines the wills of men whether he will as is above proved then he hath them more in his power then man hath if so his decreeing is the cause necessity followes the will of the creature is not the cause of the necessity of things because mans will is bounded by Gods decree and as the first waight or wheele moves the second so the first cause moves the second He whose salvation God willeth he must of necessity be saved because he wants no power nor wisdome to accomplish his will man cannot resist an almighty power Ephes 1. 20. 3. 20. Col. 1. last therefore God cannot be hindered of his will if he should will any thing he could not obtaine he were imperfect and so not God if he can obtaine it but wil not how doth he wil it Isa 46. 10. Ps 44. 2. To grant that man hath power to hinder Gods will is to grant that he hath power to hinder his working and so to frustrate Gods counsell and make him a lier yet nothing will satisfie some unlesse this be granted if there were any good of which God were not the cause how is the praise and glory of it to be ascribed to him To the praise and glory of his grace
speaking in the soule and causing the soule to beleeve Rom. 8. 16. 3. Meanes Give no way to any discourageâ—ment at all although it doe seeme never 〈◊〉 just and reasonable this was Davids sinne 〈◊〉 admit of a parley with that which did tenâ— to discourage him saying Will the Lord caâ— off for ever doth his promise faile for ever more I said this is my infirmitie Psal 77. 7 8 9 10. As soone as he did see his infirmitie he had other thoughts of God saying Who so great a God as our God thou art a God that doest wonders and thy footsteps are not knowne vers 14. 19. If God in his greatnesse were knowne and the wonders he doth knowne and the way he goeth knowne we would admire and rejoyce at that for which we now mourne 4 Meanes Learne to know and distinguish between the voice of Christ all other voices that thou maist know and say It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh and hearken unto it Song 5. 2. If you would know Christs voice its peace Luk. 24. 26. Thy sins are forgiven Luk. 7. 48. I will remember them â—o more Heb. 10. 17. Therefore that voice that tends to hinder the Saints peace suits with Satans voice and is not the voice of Christ you must not heare what Satan saith â—ut heare what God saith I will heare what â—he Lord will speake for he will speake peace to his people Psal 85. 8. Satan is ready enough to speake to the soule against what God saith and say it s a delusion and it is not likely to be from God and alledge reason for it and saith Art thou a childe of God and act so and so and because this last voice is sutable to reason the soule is ready to close with it and conclude against God and his own soule that the voice was not from God but a delusion of Satan and so mis-takes Christs voice to be the voice of Satan and Satans voice to be the voice of Christ which is a great mis-take therefore know that voice which is for Satans side and if followed will give Satan the victory thâ—t voice is Satans voice and that voice which is for God against Satan that is the voice 〈…〉 that all discouraging voices are 〈◊〉 from God but from the Devill and therefore see that â—ee so looke upon them therefore learne to know the severall colours sounds and voices which are for God and which for Satan 1 Cor. 14. 8 9 10 11. or else you will misâ—take and come unprepared to the battell 2 Cor. 7. 5. 5. Learne to know and distinguish between the voice of the Gospel and the voice of the Law the Law saith Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are wristen in the Law to doe them Gal. 3. 10 11. When there is any worke to be done upon paine of punishment or upon promise of eternall life it s the voice of the Law the Law requires a doing something for life Moses describing the Righteousnesse of the Law saith That the man that doth these things shall live by them Rom. 10. 5. But the voice of the Gospel is otherwise as that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. and that his mercy is above what we can aske or thinke Eph. 3. 20. So the promises of life are free without condition the Gospel declares what God workes in us and freely gives to us I will love them freely Hos 14. 4. If we did more listen to the promise which is the voice of the Gospel and not to the voice of the Law and the voice of corruption we should injoy more peace and lesse trouble 6. Meddle not with the threatnings in the Word to apply them to thy soule because they belong not unto it they are no part of thy portion they concerne not the state of a beleever however they may be of use to prevent sinne yet are of no use to him after sin is committed it s a weaknesse in a beleever having sinned to apply the threatnings against sinne to himselfe because we are not under the Law but under grace Rom. 6. 14. Christ being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. hath made full satisfaction for the sins of the Elect. Reckon your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 10 11. Rom. 6. 7. It is against reason sight sence and feeling to reckon so but we are to walke by faith and not by fight 2 Cor. 5. 7. 7. See that yee doe not judge your estate by false principles some judge their state to be bad for the want of that which if they had it it would not prove their state good as knowledge memory parts sensiblenesse of sin c. nor judge thy state to be bad for having of that which if thou wert freed from would not prove thy state good as passion temptation discontentednesse c. If this rule were observed by some more they should not be so troubled as they are 8. Take heed yee be not overwhelmed with sinne doe not eye so much thy infirmities beware of such a minding and complaining of sinne as may discourage oppresse and trouble thy soule this is sinfull our experience might teach us this as well as it did David I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed I am so troubled that I cannot speake Psal 77. 3 4. 8. Therefore hearken not to thy failings corruptions doubts and feares so as to be discouraged c. For as they are all against God so they are all against thy soule there is no grace or mercy to be expected from them in this sence what thou seest and feelest see not consider not forget and what thy sence sees not see Faith is the evidence of things not seene Heb. 11. 1. Walke by faith and not by sight 2 Cor. 5. 7. 9. Eye Christ onely minde him meditate upon him and his rich and free grace fetch all thy comfort from him who is made to thee Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. If thou wilt attend onely to God in his promise thou shalt finde Rest Psal 116. 7. O soule eye not so much thy selfe or thy sinnes as Christs full and perfect satisfaction which was offered and accepted for all thy sinnes therefore live and rest thy soule upon the Lord Jesus Christ alone and place all thy confidence in him doe you not heare Christ say Cast away all thy feares and come to me I will settle thee comfort quicken and uphold thee and be better to thee then thy selfe can be yea all in all to thee 10. Know and minde the happinesse of a beleever in Christ he is cleane from all sinne 1 Joh. 1. 7. They are removed from us Ps 103. 12. Meditate on this truth untill thy heart be over-powred with it and enjoy the sweetnesse of it ever minde what is thy freedome and
thy own least yee live to complaine as David did saying My soule refused to be comforted Psal 77. 2. and to wish yee had neither despised it nor refused it 22. Rest satisfied in Christs righteousnesse and adde nothing to it I will make mention of thy righteousnesse even of thine onely see Psal 71. 15 16. 19. 24. Thy righteousnesse is an everlasting righteousnesse Psal 119. 142. see Psal 22. 31. 35. 28. 50. 6. 51. 14. Jer. 33. 16. The perfection of Christs righteousnesse is held forth to us and doth alwaies lie before us for us that we might ever be comforted with it and rejoyce in it with thankfulnesse for it its perfect and full of divine consolation it s enough to refresh and satisfie thee for ever wee have enough wee need no other nor no more righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. 23. Meditate on the goodnesse of God let his loving kindnesse be ever before thy eyes We have thought on thy loving kindnesse O God Psal 48. 9. 24. Above all take the shield of faith Ephes 6. 16. Beleeve in God Yee beleeve in God beleeve also in me and Let not your hearts be troubled Joh. 13. 1. Want of faith or a want in faith is acause of trouble in the soule faith in Christ quiets and settles a troubled soule thou canst not be too confident in God see Psal 30. 5. yee are bidden to come boldly to the throne of grace Heb. 4. 16. All that know thy Name will trust in thee Psal 9. 9. But a foole will not doe so O foole and flow of heart to beleeve Luk. 24. 25. Such as are made wise by God will trust in the word of the Lord Isa 26. 3 4. Feare not but beleeve Luk. 8. 50. Beleeve God in his promise even then when thou art in the greatest feares and most sensible of thy unworthinesse Trust in him at all times God is a refuge for us Selah Psal 62. 8. Observe if at all times then at the worst times also when thou art at the worst even then beleeve and heare nothing against thy beleeving God in his promise Abraham beleeved God against hope Rom. 4. 18. So should we doe we should beleeve God intends our good and consider Psal 139. 17 18. and apply it Christ came to seeke and save the lost Luk. 19. 10. Lost in the sight and sence of thy sin and misery and in thy own sufficiency 25. Improve thy doubts feares temptations against beleeving to incourage thee in beleeving for hast thou not by experience found that it is but in vaine to hearken to them consider often and well weigh these Scriptures Rom 16. 20. Heb. 10. 35 36 37. Rev. 3. 11. 1 Pet 4. 19. 5. 7. 26. Renounce all lying vanities and hearken unto none of them hearken not to the voice of thy heart it s a lying vanity and will deceive thee Pro. 3. 5 6 7. Hearken not to Satan Hearken not to sence Thomas said he would not beleeve unlesse he might see and thrust his hand into his side Joh. 20. 24 25. But such sensuall practises are to be abhorred by us for it s no other but to consult with flesh and bloud which cannot discern spirituall things 1 Cor. 2. 14. and is condemned Gal. 1. 16. Some persons will see a holy frame of spirit in themselves and feele sin subdued before they will beleeve this is sensuall for faith lookes not to such things as these but to God in his Word therefore we live not by sight but by faith 2 Cor. 5. 7. Blessed are they which have not seene yet have beleeved Joh. 20. 29. Hearken not unto carnall reason if it be hearkened unto thou canst not beleeve nor submit to God nor be setled Reason will say a Virgin cannot bring forth a childe and a woman of ninety yeares is past conceiving a childe Reason saith it cannot be and so contradicts God himselfe Gen. 17. 16 17 Mat. 1. Can Reason beleeve that by faith the walls of Jericho fell downe and that the Saints stopped the mouths of Lions and quenched the violence of fire by faith yet faith did it Heb. 10. 30. 33 34. Is it likely or possible to Reason for a man to walke upon the Sea as Peter did Mat. 14. 29. Did not Christs command seeme vaine to Peters Reason that he should then cast his net into the Sea seeing he had cast it in so often and fished all night and caught nothing Luk. 8. 5. Can Reason conceive how the dead who are eaten with beasts and fishes or turned into dust can be raised to life or that the Sea can be divided the Sunne goe backward or the Rockes yeeld water in abundance Surely there can be no Reason given to Reason for these things and seeing sence and reason are so contrary to God in his Word we may not hearken to them when they say the soule hath no grace because sence seeth none and that God will not pardon my sinnes because there is no Reason to Reason why he should nor no way to Reason which way it can be yet it may be for with God all things are possible Mat. 19. 26. Therefore they that hearken unto lying vanities forsake their own mercies Jona 2. 8. Also live not upon duties nor upon good report nor upon groundlesse hopes nor upon peace comfort joy raptures ravishments whether they be true or false live upon God alone live upon nothing else besides God in Christ if thou doest live upon any thing else as thy foundation is unsound so it will deceive thee whatsoever your sparks be you shall lie downe in sorrow Isa 50. 10. 27. Let not thy comfort depend upon Gods actings or dispensations to thee inward or outward if thou doest thou canst not be setled for they act oft changeable and con-contrary each to other one day thou maist have peace joy and strength another none of these to day God may shew himselfe to thee and in a moment he may hide himselfe â—o day riâ—h injoy health and many friends to morrow sicke and poore and friends all gone Gods actings in us and upon us are not alwaâ—es to us as he is unto us God is unchangeable and ever the same how ever he seemes to be see Heb. 13. 8. Isa 45. 7 8. 15. with Song 5. 6. Isa 8. 17. Therefore make a good construction of what ever cometh to thee his acting in us or upon us is the accomplishing of his will for his glory and the good of his that which I think worst for me may be best for me however it be yet God is good and good to me Psal 73. 1. This I see and say and injoy in both for thou art the same Heb. 1. 12. 28. Pray to God that yee may know the hope of your calling c. To give thee the Spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him that yee may know what is the hope of your calling Eph. 1. 17 18. Say unto my soule thou
a lost sinner then he is or can be willing to be saved This should teach and incourage all that desire Christ to beleeve though thy sins aâ—â— many you need not doubt of his love for 't is infinite without time or measure full free and eternall I will love them freely Hos 14. 4 We pray you a loving way Obs Gods way of saving man is in a way of love Therefore God saith I drew them with the cords of a man with bands of love Hos 11. 4. Behold I will allure her and speake comfortably to her Hos 2. 15. Wee pray you Obs Fallen man is contented to be as he is he is so seduced and deceived by sin that he need to be prayed and intreated to be reconciled We pray you in Christs stead Obs If Christ were with us he would pray us to be reconciled to him in his absence he hath sent some to pray us in his stead Obs Ignorance of Christs love is a cause of our feares when it is discovered our doubts are resolved and our hearts revived and inlarged Psal 63. 5 6. Be yee reconciled to God Obs The best estate of nature is a state of enmity against God for if these need any reconciliation how much more enemies Sight of reconciliation to God is consolation We are to distinguish betwixt Gods love and Reconciliation to us and our love and reconciliation to him they differ in nature and time and is grounded upon severall causes as to instance the cause of Gods Reconciliation to us is Gods love and the death of Christ our Reconciliation to God is the holy Spirit of God revealing to us Gods love and Christs Righteousnesse to be for us Reconcile us Obs Even such sinners as God doth love and sends after and will save they look upon God as their enemy and have hard thoughts of him For he hath made him Obs God the Father hath set apart the Lord Jesus to save man There is no other name whereby we may be saved Acts 4. 12. Heb. 9. 14. 22. Obs The way and meanes God hath chosen to free a sinner from sin is onely by Jesus Christ This should teach us to prize him and rest satisfied in him and not suffer ouâ— foolish hearts to seek after nor desire any other meanes or way of deliverance from fin but onely him Made him to be sin Some understand a sacrifice for sin and no more so as the guilt and punishment shall be translated unto Christ and not the fault but is it not unequall if not unjust and impossible to impose our guilt upon Christ and not our sin sin and guilt are inseperable for where there is no sin there can be no guilt therefore that our guilt might be laid on Christ necessarily our sins must after a sort be made his and annexed unto him by imputation all the sinnes of the Elect their adulteries murders blasphemies c. were laid upon him Isa 43. 5. Obs Sin must be charged upon Christ or the sinner and had not Christ undergone the penalty of sin no man could be saved as appeares Joh. 1. 1. 7. Joh. 1. 29. Rev. 8. 2. Eph. 2. 14 15. Heâ— 9. 22 Col. 1. 20. Zach. 9. 11. Our happinesse lieth in this that our sinnes are not â—mouted unto us Psal 32. 1 2. Obs God hath imputed our sins unto Christ and so laid them upon him that they are not ours no more but Christs who hath â—reed us and himselfe from them and so he shall apâ—eare without sin Heb. 9. 28. We should rest â—atisfied in Christs satisfaction because it is a â—ull perfect and infinite satisfaction Obs It appeares that the sence and guilt of â—in doth discourage a soule and cause it to desire to be at a further distance from God as Luk. 5. 8. Obs There needs strong reasons and earnest â—ntreaties to reconcile a soule to God yea â—he arme of the Lord must be revealed in them â—o make them effectuall Isa 53. 1. Obs The way to reconcile a soule to God â—s to let him understand the cause way and â—eans of his salvation therefore the Apostle â—aith He hath made him to be sin to us and â—hat we are justified freely Obs The words us and we in this verse wee are to understand them in the 19 verse to whom God doth not impute their trespasses therefore they are blessed Psal 32. 1 2. They shall not misse of glory they have Redemption by his blâ—ud the remission of sinnes Col. 1. 14. Rom. 5. 10. Therefore by us and we cannot be understood every sonne and daughter of Adam Obs For us That which is spoken in generall to beleevers every beleever is to apply it to himselfe in particular so Paul saith He loved â—e and gave himselfe for me Gal. 2. 20. Obs For us for me The word and promise of God that it is for me is that which the soule should fix its eye upon and for eveâ— relie upon to a full satisfaction to my soule knowing that the word and promise of God is the onely ground of faith and is securitiâ— sufficient for my salvation Obs Jesus Christ being made sin for me 〈◊〉 as good for me yea better for me then iâ—â— had never sinned as much better as a spirituall body is better then a naturall and 〈◊〉 the image of the heavenly is better then thâ— image of the earthly as much better 〈◊〉 strength is better then weaknesse and heâ—ven better then earth 1 Cor. 15. 43 44 〈◊〉 55. Obs As soone as the soule is convinceâ— that Jesus Christ is made fin for me and he made the Righteousnesse of God in him aâ— the soules feares doubts and discouragement and objections vanish and Christ is beleeveâ— in and lived upon with thankfulnesse aâ— joy Obs Which knew no sin Christ was wholly free from sin personally Luk 1 35. inherently Heb. 14. 5. and actually Joh. 8. 40. Obs Seeing Christ is so holy and so qualified as he is there is no reason why we should doubt of the sufficiency meritoriousnesse and effectuallnesse of that which Christ hath done for us Heb. 10. 10. 14. Obs That we mâ—gâ—t be made Whatsoever Jesus Christ hath done and suffered was for those whose fins were laid upon him and are fully pardoned by him Rev. 1. 5. Rom. 5. 19. That we might be made the Râ—ghteousnesse of God There is a twofold Righteousnesse according to the diversity of his nature the one uncreated and infinite which is the Righteousnesse of the Deity the other is created and finite which is the Righteousnesse of the humanity the first is infinite and therefore incommunicable the latter is the Righteousnesse of God also because it is in him who is not onely man but God So then Obs Christs Righteousnesse is the Righteousnesse of God The Righteousnesse which freeth a sinner from the curse of the Law is a perfect Righteousnesse Heb. 1. 8. Heb. 10. 3. see Job 33. 24. Obs Mans best Righteousnesse is imperfect it cannot justifie him
before God All our Righteousnesses are as filthy rags Isa 64. 4. 6. Obs After what manner Christ became a sinner after the same manner wee are made just but Christ became a sinner not by any infusion of our corrupt qualities but by imputation onely therefore wee are just before God not by any infusion of any habituall grace into our corrupt natures but by imputation of his Righteousnesse without workes Rom. 4. 6. If this were well minded it might remove divers errors and answer many temptations which are occaâ—ioned in many by apprehending the contrary Obs So that justification is a Reciprocall translation of our sinnes unto Christ and his Righteousnesse to us both which are done by God for us Obs God reveals to the soule Christs Righteousnesse and the soules interest in it John 16. 14. To comfort the soule and cause us to love God he doth not comfort us with our own Righteousnesse but with Christs Righteousnesse that so we might fetch all our peace and comfort from Christs Righteousnesse and so rest satisfied in Christ alone Use Exhort Seeing Christs Righteousnesse is a perfect Righteousnesse yea the Righteousnesse of God this should teach us to prize highly Christs Righteousnesse and count his enough for us and rest satisfied in it and to slight and abhorre all our Righteousnesse in comparison of his esteeme Christ to be as he is our Righteousnesse This is his Name whereby he shall be called the Lord our Righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. 2. This should teach all that beleeve to admire the greatnesse and sweetnesse of Gods love and free grace in making Christs Righteousnesse our own it s a mercy to heare of it how much more to have interest in it and to injoy it and be possessed of it Isa 61. 3. Is Christs Righteousnesse thine then claime interest in it take it and apply it against all sin and discouragements because it is thy own portion and treasure provided for thee therefore take it Col. 2. 3. and ever live upon it and the eternal love of God in Christ to thee this object is sweet full durable and sufficient to satisfie thee at all times 4. Dedicate thy selfe and all thou hast freely to him who gave himselfe fully and freely for thee he suffered yea dyed for thee to make his Righteousnesse thine c. Oh how should such love ingage our hearts to walke with God to be holy as he is holy to doe all and suffer for him for the wayes of the Lord are right and the just shall walke in them Hos 14. 9. 5. Declare to others Gods goodnesse to thy soule use meanes that others may injoy the same mercy with thee be mercifull as he is mercifull give and forgive freely to the soules and bodies of others for so thou hast received 6. Be content with thy estate inward and outward though many crosses and miseries attend thee seeing Christs Righteousnesse and God himselfe is thine thou hast enough and therefore maist well be content let not many nor great troubles inward or outward dismay thee see 1 Cor. 10. 13. Though they seeme long they cannot last long The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly Rom. 16. 20. Christ saith Loe I come quickly Rev. 22. 20. 7. As Christ is all thy happinesse so let him be all thy comfort and the support of all thy wants expect from him all you need and can desire yea that God can give that is for thy good for thou shalt have all thou needest Psal 34. 10. Seeing he hath freely given us his Sonne how shall he not with him give us all things else Rom. 8. 32. 8. Watch and pray least yee fall into temptation and so abuse this favour and turne this grace into wantonnesse 9. Stand fast in Christs Righteousnesse and in that liberty in which he hath made you free Gal. 5. 1. 10. Rejoyce evermore let thy joy be in God who is thy portion They shall joy in their portion Isa 61. 7. It is no small joy to us that Christs Righteousnesse is ours it comforteth 〈◊〉 at the very heart Lastly Be exceeding thankfull to God for his exceeding great grace and mercy to thee in that he hath given thee beauty for ashes verlasting joy shall be to thâ—e Isa 61. 3. 7. Because Christ and his Righteousnesse is thine all other comforâ—s will soone vanish and come to nothing but this shall last for ever Righteousnesse in him Obs That righteousnesse which justifieth us before God as it is not ours so it is not in us but as the righteousnesse is Christs so it is in him therefore Christ saith In me you shall have righteousnesse and strength Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength Isa 45. 24. In him Obs The state of a beleever in Christ as considered in him is a state of perfection We are compleate in him Col. 2. 9 10. 13. As Christ is so am I as I am so is Christ as he is so are we in this world 1 Joh. 1. 17. What is Christs is mine and what is mine is his Christs righteousnesse is mine therefore I am all righteous I doe not need no more nor no other righteousnesse as I am in Christ I am as righteous as Christ and as acceptable as Christ God seeth no sin in me because there is none as God saith so I beleeve Thou art all faire my love there is no spot in thee Song 4. 7. Isa 38. 17. It is also as true that in the most perfect Saint if he be considered as he is in himselfe there is much sin in him and God doth see it Yet God cannot condemne them to wrath for it because Christ hath suffered for it Seeing that righteousnesse which causeth a soule to be accepted pardoned saved and that on which our eternall happinesse depends is in Christ in him we learne Obs That our eternall happinesse doth not lie in our selves in nothing that is in us or done by us therefore when we seek for our happinesse or righteousnesse in our selves we loose our labour for Righteousnesse is in him Obs Seeing this Righteousnesse is in Christ then it must needs follow that the Saints cannot possibly make it away or loose it because it is not in us and so not in our keeping but is in him Adam had his righteousnesse in him and he lost it but seeing it is in Christ in him it cannot be lost Obs If the Saints Righteousnesse be in Christ then all the Saints are alike righteous the meanest and weakest as the best he hath as much righteousnesse in Christ as any and is as much accepted by it as the best as Christ hath righteousnesse enough for them all so it is alike for them all as they are in Christ they are alike perfect righteous and glorious they that doe most for Christ doe best but they have no more righteousnesse then the rest all the Elect are alike cloathed with the garment of salvation and covered with
the robe of righteousnesse therefore they may all rejoyce alike in the Lord Isa 61. 10. Oh here is strong consolation for a fainting soule to refresh it selfe withall Use This should teach all that desire righteousnesse to goe for it to Christ where it is O soule look no longer to finde it in thy selfe for it is not there it is in Christ in him his righteousnesse is enough and good enough for thee yea best for thee therefore seek no further but rest satisfied in Christ in his righteousnesse drinke here abundantly in this sweet fountain that is bottomlesse add therefore can never be drawne dry Song 5. 1. Thy pardon is now by Justice as well as mercy therefore drinke freely Use Comfort Behold here is comfort and consolation to all that beleeve in that you have righteousnesse in Christ at all times however it be with you within or without be thy defects few or many this is a comfort to thee thou hast righteousnesse in Christ which makes thee happy for ever Now all is paid by my sweet Jesus I may goe boldly to the throne of grace I am happy now and so shall be for ever But saith the discouraged soule I cannot beleeve the Lord Jesus was made sin for me Why not for thee Because my sins are greater then others for my sins have all the aggravations upon them that can be 1. Mine are many So were those in the second and third Chapter of Jeremiah yet notwithstanding God pardoned them all as appeares Jer. 3. 21. to 25. 2. But my sinnes are great and hainous So were theirs and so were Mâ—nasses as appeares 2 Kings 21. 4. 11. 16. and so was hers in Luk. 7. 47. and so was Pauls 1 Tim. 1. 15. yet God pardoned them all as he hath done many others if thou art a wonderfull sinner Christ is a wonderfull Saviour Isa 9. 6. 3. But my sinnes are against the Gospel So was Pauls he persecuted them that professed he made havocke of the Church entring into every house haling men and women and committing them to prison Acts 8. 3. Christ dyed for them that slew him Acts 2. 23. 38. 4. But mine are after many mercies So was Solomons he sinned against God after the Lord appeared unto him twice 1 Kings 11. 9. 5. But I have sinned against Gods intreaties to returne So did they I said after shee had done all these things Turne thou unto me but shee returned not Jer. 3. 7. 6. But I have sinned against Gods Reproofes So did they Thou hast a whores forehead that refusest to be ashamed Jer. 3. 3. 8. 7. But I have sinned against Gods corrections in not being reformed by them So did they In vaine have I smitten your children they have received no correction Jer. 2. 30. 8. But I have committed one sin often So did they Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers Jer. 3. 1 6. 9. But I have continued â—â—ning for a long continuance of time So did they We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord from our youth unto this day Jer. 3. 25. 2. 22. 10. But my sins are against knowledge and conscience So was Davids concerning Bathsheba and putting to death Uriah and so did Peter sin when he said and swore He know not the man and that he was not with him Mat. 26. 69. to 75. 11. But I am fallen backe from what I have been So did they Returne thou backsliding Israel Jer. 3. 6. 12. 12. But I have willingly and resolvedly forsaken God So did they saying We are Lords wee will come no more at him Jer. 3. 31 32. 13. But I have willingly chosen sin So did they saying I have loved strangers and after them will I goe Jer. 2. 25. 14. But I have seduced others and caused them to sin So did they Thou hast also taught the wicked ones thy wayes Jer. 2. 23. And Manasseh seduced them to doe more evill then did the Natâ—ous whom the Lord destroyed and made Judah also to sinne 2 King 21. 9. 11. 16. And Paul compelled men to blaspheme Acts 26. 11. 16. Manasseh a greater sinner obtained mercy â— Chron. 33. 18 19. and a lesser sinner perisheth in his sin that men may know that the Lord will have mercy on whom he will Rom. 9. 15. 15. But I have sinned as much as I could So did they Behold thou hast spoken and done as evill things as thou couldst Jer. 3. 5. 16. But my sins are after vowes and covenants So were theirs Thou saidst I will not transgresse when upon every high hill and under every greene tree thou wanderest playing the harlot Jer. 2. 25. 17. But I have justified my selfe in all my sinnes So did they Because thou saidst I have not sinned I will plead with thee Jer. 3. 35. 18. But I despaire and have no hope of mercy This is worst of all yet so did they Thou saidst there is no hope Jer. 2. 25. And when I cry he shutteth out my prayer and I said My strength and my hope is perished with the Lord saith Jeremiah Lam. 3. 8. 18. And Job said My hope hath he removed like a tree Job 19. 10. My dayes are spent without hope Job 7. 6. 13 14 15 16. David in his hast said I am cut off before thine eyes Psal 31. 22. Abraham beleeved against hope Rom. 4. 18. Yee were sometimes without hope Ephes 2. 12. Consider these were once like thee and the Lord hath had mercy on them and it may be he hath mercy for thee although thou dost not know it be not out of hope I was brought â—â—w and he helped me Psal 116. 6. And so God may helpe thee also Oh the riches of his grace is unsearchable All that know his Name will trust in him Psal 9. 10. consider Exod. 34. 5 6 7. I am perswaded I have sinned the sin against the holy Spirit and that is unpardonable Heb. 6. 4. 1. Those who have committed that sinne tread under-foote the Sonne of God and câ—unt the bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing and doe hare God and Christ Joh. 15. 24. 2. In that thou art afraid thou hast committed this sinne it is certaine thou hast not committed it because those that have so sinned are past feare and feeling being given up to a reprobate sense Eph. 4. 19. I am afraid he doth not love me and so nothing can doe me good 〈…〉 give way to such a thought 〈…〉 but the Lord may returne as 〈…〉 2. Is this the way thinkest thou to injoy assurance to nourish jealousies against his love shouldst thou not rather say as David How precious are thy thoughts to me O God great is the sum of them if I should count them they are more then the sands Psal 139. 17 18. The number of the sands are many yet yee see Gods thoughts of love exceeds them therefore be not afraid onely beleeve Mark 5. 36. Christ received sinners Luk. 15. 1 2. 3. If thou thinkest so because
God But I have no love to Christ I am an enemy to Christ and not fit for Christ 1. The reason you doe not love Christ is because thou doest not know Gods love to thee Wee love him because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4. 19. As soone as we know Gods love to us that love constraines us to love him 2 Cor. 5. 14. 2. Art thou an enemy to God so were all that ever did beleeve see Eph 2. 12 13. While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Rom. 5. 8. 10. Enemies cannot deserve Christ yet God gives Christ to such 3. It s a foolish conceit to thinke of fitting thy selfe for Christ it can never be 4. If thou desirest Christ goe to him and you shall speed He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Joh. 6. 37. You see you have his word for it also Christ is in you if you desire him for no man can hunger and thirst after righteousnesse that is Christ but such as are blessed Mat. 5. 6. They that are led out of themselves to Christ for light and life and strength are the children of God Rom. 8. 9 10 11 14. This desire is from the in-being of the light and life of Christ in you Indeed there are many great and sweet promises in the Word but they are all for beleevers but I am none I grant none may apply a promise of life but such as beleeve yet the promises are for all the Elect thou doest not know but thou art one of them when God shall give thee faith thou shalt know thou hast an interest in them Acts 13. 48. In the meane time stay thy selfe with this that the Lord Jesus gave himselfe for enemies and justifieth the ungodly Rom. 5. 4. see Rom. 5. 8. 10. Be not discouraged God may save you also the Lord saith I will have mercy upon her that hath not obtained mercy and I will say to them that are not my people thou art my people and they shall say thou art my God Hos 2. 23. Oh sweet place therefore by no meanes yeeld to thy feares doe not nourish jealousies against his love resolve thee in Christs strength to cleave to his Word as Psal 119. 49. And hold there saying My beloved is mine and I am his Song 2. 16. FOr he Jehovah is and changeth never Strong gracious he is and mercifull The same this day as yesterday and ever Kindness truth as from their fountain flow Though thou hast nothing wrought no kinde of way That might deserve his mercy on thy part Doe not thou faint therefore or doubt to speed He gracious is and loves without desert If thou hast waited long and also pray'd And yet no comfort from him thou canst finde Still hope in him and be not thou dismaide He in the end will shew himselfe full kinde Declaring love yet in his judgement just All that doe know his Name will in him trust He is a Father O come taste and see How sweet he is and how he loveth thee I would gladly beleeve but I dare not 1. There is no reason in the world for thee to doubt or be afraid seeing Christ cryeth saying If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Joh. 7. 37. The Spirit and the bride say Come and whosoever will let him come Rev. 22. 17. Doth God say come come come and are you afraid come he will not quench the smoaking flax Mat. 12. 20. Hope thee in his mercy and know The Lord takes pleasure in them that feare him and in them that hope in his mercy Psal 147. 11. 2. The feares in many are occasioned or much increased by such teachers who bid persons beleeve and then unbid them againe saying take heed what yee doe you may be deceived it s no easie matter to be saved you must first be humbled and so sensible of sin before yee may beleeve and they conceive they are not so humbled nor so qualified and therefore they dare not beleeve So sometimes they scare them exceedingly with the many things hypocrites may doe and how far they may goe and so set them short of hypocrites which must needs discourage them and terrifie them so they build up one day and pull it downe againe the next if not the same day The word of God requires no such teaching for men to learne before they doe beleeve for when the soule seeth it selfe lost the first thing they are to doe is to beleeve in Jesus Christ as appeares Acts 16. 31. The word requires nothing of them before they may beleeve therefore we may not for none may presume to teach what is not written Rev. 22. 18. 3. If thou desirest to beleeve thy will is in part regenerated and thou dost in some measure beleeve though weakly as he that said Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeliefe Mark 9. 24. Gods servants are described by a desire to feare his Name Nehe. 1. 11. Psal 145. 89. Psal 147. 11. Those desires which worke towards God came from God The spirit returnes to him that gave it if thy desires be spirituall thou art spirituall to will to repent and beleeve evidenceth that such do repent and beleeve to will to be regenerate is the effect and testimony of regeneration It is God that worketh in you to will Phil. 2. 13. Holy desires cannot be in the soule that hath no spirituall life Psal 145. 19. Desires after Christ are an act of spirituall life an act is from a faculty a faculty is from life and being a dead man desires not spirituall desires flow from the Spirit and are a part of the worke of God in us the will of man in it selfe is not able to effect a supernaturall action 2 Cor. 3. 5. insufficient to thinke Gen. 6. 5. He cannot perceive the things of God 1 Cor. 2. 14. He cannot repent Rom. 2. 4 5. He cannot come to Christ unlesse he be drawne Joh. 6. 44. God must give eyes to see and a heart to understand Deut. 29. 4. There can be no desires without saith 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. A man cannot desire that which he doth not love nor that he beleeves not to be Heb. 11. 6. Many doe give God their hearts and doe not know it and so are troubled because they doe not know what is meant by the heart nor where it is seated I speak not of the heart of flesh Rom. 8. 5 6 7. There is a carnall minde and a spirituall minde I speake of the heart mystically and spiritually which is principally seated in the will so that what it wills or desires there is the heart and to that which the will most wills or desires to that the bent of the heart is unto now if any one were to have its choice of any one thing in the world that one thing that the soule should choose would any question whether they loved it and whether their hearts were to it so in
spirituall things for as no soule can be sensible of the want of Christ untill the soule be possessed of him Rom 8. 10 11. so no soule can desire Christ above all things in the world unlesse Christ had their hearts and they dearely loved him and beleeve in him Christ is precious to them that beleeve 1 Pet. 2. 7. Therefore such as esteeme Christ precious doe beleeve So the seate of faith is in the heart which is the understanding and will but more principally in the will so that if our wills be renewed our hearts are renewed Rom. 8. 5 6. Paul saith To will is present with me good I would doe so then with my minde I serve the law of God Rom. 7. 18 19. with 21. 15. By which it appeares the will is one with the minde and the heart is one with them these three are one and alwayes goe together and are alike spirituall Christ saith Where your treasure is there will your hearts be also that is the minde Mat. 6. 21. And by affections in Colos 3. 2. is meant the heart Set your affections on things above So that the heart and the affections are one thing Many beleeve and yet doe not know whether they beleeve or no so that they doe as the blind man did call their faith unbeliefe Mark 9. 24. So many mis-take faith some have thought comfort joy and ravishments of soule with God to be faith and have concluded because they had not them they had not faith He that beleeves that Jesus Christ is the Son of God shall be saved all is included in this He that beleeves this 1. Know Christ to be the anointed Luk. 23. The Saviour of his people from their sinnes Mat. 1. 21. 2. He rests upon him Leane or stay himselfe upon the Lord Pro. 3. 5. To beleeve in him Rom. 10. 9. 11. Psal 17. 6. To cleave to God Deut. 30. 20. Joh. 23. 6. Acts 11. 23. Psal 119. 30 31. To hope in him Psal 147. 11. is all one 3. He cannot but own and confesse Christ Simon said Thou art the Christ the Sonne of the living God Mat 16. 16. Rom. 10. 9. A man may say that Jesus Christ is the Son of God the Devils confesse this I know thee who thou art Jesus Christ the Sonne of God therefore this cannot be the faith of the Gospel Two things to be considered in the nature of â—aith 1. Illumination this is to consent to the 〈◊〉 that its true this is called faith and 〈…〉 Devill doth Jam. 2. Mark 5. 8. A s 〈…〉 2. To beleeve that Jesus is the Christ which implies a seeing and knowing all to be in Christ for life and to trust in him for pardon and life to rest upon him for it he that thus beleeves in Christ is brought over to Christ and so centered upon him that it will not goe from him as Peter Whither shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life Joh. 6. 58. My soule waite thou on God for my expectation is from him Psal 62. 5. This no Devill can doe As for the application of Christ as their own in particular this all that beleeve have not attained this is not so much of the nature of faith as assurance to know all is in Christ no way or meanes of life but him and to rest upon him for it is more then illumination or saying so The Scriptures clearly prove that to beleeve Jesus Christ to be the Sonne of God is the faith of the Gospel I prove by these Reasons 1. Because this is the faith which the Apostles preached and witnessed unto and the faith that is recorded to us in the Scriptures see Acts 18. 28. 1 Joh. 2. 22. Our salvation depends upon the faith of what God saith 2. None can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 3. 3. Because upon the profession of this Christ builds his Church Mat. 16. 16. 18. 4. Because upon the profession of this the Baptisme of Christ is to be dispensed Acts 8. 37. 5. They who have this faith dwell in God and God in them 1 Joh. 4. 15. 6. Because God reveales this to the soule flesh and bloud cannot doe it Mat. 16. 16 17. 7. Such are borne of God Whosoever beleeves that Jesus is the Christ is borne of God 1 Joh. 5. 1. 8. This is the faith that overcometh the world 1 Joh. 5. 4 5. 9. Because such as beleeve this are pronounced blessed and shall never dye John 11. 25 26. 10. He that beleeves this shall be saved as appeares Rom. 10. 9. Joh. 11. 25 26. There is a lesser degree of faith then a full and certain assurance of life by Christ for him in particular Isa 45. 21 22. Mat. 5. 3 4 5. They had not this yet were blessed and shall be satisfied there is a hope of mercy without a certainty such are blessed Turne yee to the strong holds yee prisoners of hope Zach. 9. 12. They hope and in his Name they doe trust Mat. 12. 21. A man may beleeve and yet not know that he hath eternall life The Apostle saith These things have I written unto you that beleeve on the Name of the Sonne of God that yee may know that yee have eternall life 1 Joh. 5. 13. They had it but they did not know so much they beleeved yet had no assurance The people of God are ready to admit of discouragements when there is no cause as the Scriptures and experience testifie Mary was troubled and afraid Luk. 1. 29 30. All the matter was the Angel saluted her and saâ—d Shee had found favour with God So the Shepheards were afraid when the Angel brought them tydings of great joy Luk. 2. 9 10. So Peter was afraid when he drew up much fish Luk. 5. 8 9. But what cause had these to feare God saith Feare not but beleeve and we feare when we should beleeve to the dishonour of God and the hindering our own peace therefore I shall name some of the discouragements which hinder the Saints comfort and indeavour to remove them 1. Discourg Some are discouraged and thinke they have no worke of God in them because they have not had so great a measure of sorrow for sin as some have 1. All that beleeve have not the same measure of sorrow for sin Lydia received the word with joy Acts 16. 14. but the Jaylor trembled being in feare Acts 16. 29. 2. The greatest measure of sorrow for sin any have had was not the cause they were loved or saved it s a great mis-take to thinke God delights in feares or teares 3. A deep sensiblenesse of sin hinders the soules beleeving and drives it from Christ as it did Peter saying Lord depart from me for I am a sinfull man Luk. 5. 8. 4. Doe not complaine that God deales more gently with thee then others 5. What is sensiblenesse of sin that flowes not from the apprehension of pardon love wee must not looke
to our sensiblenesse of fin but to Christ 6. Our greatest measure of sensiblenesse of sin is not free from sin it deserves nothing but death 7. If thou didst see thy selfe lost and fatherless so as not any thing could satisfie thee but Christ this is a great and sweet worke of the Gospel this none have but such as shall be saved by thy renouncing thy own sufficiency it doth appeare there is a better sufficiency come in place 2. Disâ— I feare my faith is not the faith of Gods Elect because I have so many doubtings 1. I grant feares and doubtings are the fruits of unbeliefe and as feares and doubts increase the stronger unbeliefe is yet by the Scriptures it appeares Gods people that have beleeved yet had many doubts and feares as appeares Joh. 13. 1. Mark 9. 24. Unbeliefe was so strong in Thomas that he said he would not beleeve Joh. 20. 24 25. It may be the case is so with thee therefore take heed least yee say you have no faith least yee deny the worke of God and call little faith no faith and light darknesse and one of the fruits of the Spirit sinne for to doe so is very evill Woe unto them that call evill good and good evill that put darknesse for light and light for darknesse that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Isa 5. 20. Those that put faith for unbeliefe doe so 2. Use meanes to remove such things as strengthen unbeliefe and hinder the sight of thy faith ignorance is one cause of doubting also an over-sensiblenesse of infirmities slighting Gods meanes neglect of duty or formall performance or nourishing sin pâ—onenesse to sin hearkening to Satan to sense carnall reasonings nourishing feares and unbeliefe c. Know that means are means not causes of the increase of the fruits of the Spirit look to God 3. Indeavour to strengthen thy faith know the happinesse of a beleever in Christ seed thy faith with sutable promises live upon Christ above pray in faith Aske his Spirit and thou shalt have it see Luk. 11. 23. Which will revive and fill thy soule with joy and peace in beleeving in the same measure God reveales his love to a soule in the same measure doubts and feares are cast out Perfect love casts out feare 3. Dis I feare my faith is presumption Presumption may be understood in a twofold consideration first for a confidence without the Word or secondly against the Word for the first 1. He that presumes he hath no ground for his confidence he can neither give you any Scripture or good reason for his confidence the ground of his confidence is his own conceit and not from the Word and promise of God but he that beleeves in Christ his confidence is in the Word We through the Scriptures have hope Rom. 15. 4. No hope without a word In his word doe I hope Psal 130. 5. But I hope in thy Word Psal 119. 81. He that beleeves in Christ receives no promise of life but in and through Christ in the riches of his grace but 2. He that presumes if he receive a promise he receives it upon his own qualifications without respect to Christ he gathers conclusions of life from what he is and what he can doe his own righteousnesse was never drosse and dung to him as Phil. 3. 8. So they depend upon their faith and not upon Christ the cause of their confidence is because they are so good and not so bad like the proud Pharisee he never received the sentence of death in himselfe 2 Cor. 1. 9. And as they were ever confident so it was ever easie for them to beleeve He that beleeves his hope and trust is onely in God they hope in his mercy The eyes of the Lord are upon them that hope in his mercy Psal 33. 18. 21. 22. It is Gods worke to perswade the heart to rest upon the free mercy of God in Christ Psal 13. 5. I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever Psal 52. 8. With the Lord there is mercy Psal 130. 7. God is rich in mercy Eph. 2. 4. Presumption cannot doe so Joh. 12. 37. 1 Pet. 19. 20. John 6. 28 29. Also his confidence is contrary to the word of God the word of God protests against them and their confidence as appeares Jer. 9. 9. 15. So their presumption hardens them and imboldens them to venture upon sinfull practices as lying stealing drunkennesse swearing uncleannesse c. He that truly beleeves abhorres that which is evill and cleaves to that which is good Rom. 12. 9. Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe as he is pure 1 Joh. 3. 3. see Titus 2. 11 12. They count all things but losse for Christ for him they will suffer the losse of all things Phil. 3. 8. Those who have tasted of Gods free love admire it are thankfull for it and doe loath with the greatest indignation what soever shall intrench upon the free love of God although it were but in the least degree 4 Dis If I had grace I should grow in grace but I doe not my life is not holy nor am I like unto the Lords 1. Art thou a childe a young man or a father there is a great difference betwixt a childe and a man in nature so great is the difference between a babe in Christ 1 Cor. 3. 1. and a man in Christ see 1 Joh. 2. 12 13. Also consider are you a babe in the wombe or borne he is a babe that is unskilfull in the word of Righteousnesse see Heb. 5. 13. As a childe is begotten and alive it s in the wombe before it be borne so a soule may be alive begotten from above before it be borne Christ must be formed in us before we can be new-borne babes Gal. 4. 18. 1 Pet. 2. 2. When thou art delivered out of bondage darknesse and feares concerning thy soule thou art borne and brought forth for as the wombe is a place of bondage so is a doubting condition and therefore such cannot do that which others doe Also in case thou art new borne there cannot be that expected from thee as from a man in Christ you know there is a difference to be put between a childe and a man 2. Learne to distinguish between the fruits of the Spirits and the exercise of them it s not the having of the fruits of the Spirit but the exercise of them that attaines to a holy conversation 3. Know that the time of doubting is a barren time men cannot fight and work at one and the same time when a soule is delivered from its enemies Satans terrors then the soule begins to serve Being delivered we serve Luk. 1. 47. Yee see deliverance is before working therefore the time of doubting of bondage is not the season of growing in holy services 4. Know it s one thing to be the Lords and another thing for God to convey his power into the soule by which it
hath everlasting life John 3. 36. 6. 40. 3. By beleeving we honour God He that receives his testimony hath set to his seale that God is true Joh. 3. 33 5. 10. Therefore none can beleeve too soone too confidently or too constantly 4. There is no quietnesse and settlement of soule without beleeving If yee beleeve not surely yee shall not be established Isa 7. 9. It s faith that rids the soule of all its distempers doubts and feares Rom. 5. 1 2. 5. Thou standest by faith and thou fallest into sinne by unbeliefe Rom. 11. 20. Heb. 9. 12. The Word is precious and powerfull yet it profited them not because it was not mixed with faith Heb. 4. 2. 6. By faith thou shalt be kept in perfect peace which will sweetly and transcendently refresh thy soule Isa 26. 2 4. Rom. 5. 1. By saith we apprehend Christ our justification the fruit of which is joy and peace 7. By unbeliefe wee adde sinne to sinne in the highest nature if we beleeve not what God saith our act of unbeliefe accuseth God to speake falsly He that beleeveth not hath made him a lier 1 Joh. 5. 10. 8. It can be no dishonour to God nor hurt unto thy selfe to beleeve and hope in his mercy therefore beleeve and when thou art tempted to unbeliefe set before thee the evill of this sinne 9. Unbeliefe hinders our thankfulnesse to God it straightens our hearts and stops our mouthes from praising God Thou shalt be dumbe because thou beleevest not Luk. 1. 20. Unlesse we beleeve we can never glorifie God nor honour him He was strong in faith giving glory to God Rom. 4. 20. 10. As bad as thou canst be have been received to mercy Jesus Christ came to save sinners This is a faithfull saying that is worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15 16. He justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4. 5. Therefore have hope Feare not but beleeve Luk. 8. 50. The Lord will command his loving kindnesse in the day time and in the night Psal 42. 8. Be not afraid onely beleeve Mark 5. 36. Hope thou in God Psal 42. 5. Moreover consider that 1. The multitude and greatnesse of sinne â—â—ght not to discourage thee in beleeving nor the fewnesse or smallnesse of sinnes is not to be any ground of thy confidence in God for pardon 2. The word of God doth no where say that great sinners shall not be saved therefore to thinke so is folly and a delusion of Satan 3. The word of God saith the contrary That Christ came to save the chiefe of sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. Come let us reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes were as crimson they shall be made white as snow c. Isa 1. 18. 4. The word of God declares many great and sweet promises to great sinners as Jer. 3. Isa 55. 7 8 9. 43. 24 25. And there be many examples of great sinners received to mercy as Manasses 2 Chron. 33. 18 19. and many others yea the rebellious also Psal 68. 18. 5. Because Christ is mighty to save Isa 62. 1. He will abundantly pardon Isa 55. 7. His compassions faile not Lam 3. 23. There is a fountaine set open for sinne and for uncleannesse Zach. 13. 1. All that are weary and heavy laden are called to come to Christ Mat. 11. 28. If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke Joh. 7. 37. Every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters Isa 55. 1. Rev. 22. 17. 6. The Saints have made the greatnesse of sinne an incouragement to beleeve Lord pardon my sinnes for they are great Psal 25. 11. How great is his goodnesse much greater then thy sinnes Zach. 9. 17. Isa 43. The greater our sinnes are the greater our faith should be loe here is great consolation 7. God doth not selâ— Christ c. he was given freely Come buy without money c. Isa 55. 1. Whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely 8. Because such as Christ saves are unworthy without workes Rom. 4. 5 6. The most perfect Saint that ever was stood in need of mercy Behold he found no stedfastnesse in his servants and chargeth his Angels of folly how much more them that dwell in houses of clay Job 4. 18 19. Ezek. 16. 63. The love of God is the more glorious in that it is given to the unworthy 9. It makes most for the glory of God to give great things it were a disparagement for a King to doe otherwise the Lord is a great King Isa 9. 6. He doth great things past finding out and wonders without number Job 9. 10. Feare not the Lord will doe great things Joel 2. 21. Measure not the Lord by thy selfe My thoughts are not as your thoughts nor my wayes as your wayes saith the Lord Isa 55. 8 9. Such as are wise will not looke so much to their own basenesse is to his greatnesse Zach. 9. 17. 10. Nothing wee can doe can moove God to shew mercy Ezek. 16. 3. to 9. he shews mercy because he will Mica 7. 18 19. I will doe away thy sinnes for my Names sake Isa 43. 25. 11. The mercy of God is infinite it s without part or forme therefore not capable of any addition or defect therefore infinite shouldst thou need thousands of Seas of mercy to pardon thy sinne he could give it and not have the lesse if I had all the sinne in the world upon me or one sinfull thought this consideration makes it all one oh worlds of sinne in this Ocean vanish and come to nothing O the depth not of the beleevers faith but of the unsearchable riches of Christ Rom. 11. 33. Eph. 3. 8. 12. The name of God is infinite he is the father of mercies 2 Cor. 1. 3. its the nature of God The Lord is very pittifull and of tender mercies Jam. 5. 11. All the pitty and mercy that is or ever was is from him and all is but a drop to that Ocean of pitty love and mercy that is in him we are ready to sin but he is more ready to forgive Mercy pleaseth him it s his delight thou art a God ready to forgive he is plenteous in mercy Psal 86. 5. 13. Consider the price that was paid for the sinnes of his its infinite also count all thy sinnes still they are the acts of a finite creature Christ is God Rom. 9. therefore his satisfaction is above them 1 John 5. 20. His righteousnesse is greater then thy sinnes 14. Consider the covenant of grace is not made with us nor can it be broken by us Psal 89. 31. It s not founded upon such a fandy foundation as thy selfe and duties are and seeing the Covenant stands sure for ever it should satisfie us for ever and cause us to cast away all our doubts and feares and rest satisfied in his love That Circumcision in the nature of it was not the Seale of the Covenant of grace 1. Because Circumcision bindeth unto a Law
to the other foure Treatises the most of them have been published severall yeares O yee that love the truth is it a small matter to you for Christ to be dishonoured and his truth condemned Doe yee not regard what violence is offered to the sufficiency of Christs sacrifice if yea why are yee so silent as if there were none to answer God complaineth None pleadeth for truth Isa 59. 4. It might grieve us to consider that others take more paines for errour then we doe for truth Can we say we love the Lord and his truth as we should and not lay it to heart In these cold dayes the love of many too many waxeth cold to God and man many professe love to Christ yet few love him as will appeare ere long for the knowledge and practise of the truth shall be slighted and hated there shall be found but a very few that will own it The more darke or doubtfull any thing appeares the more narrowly search the Scriptures and consider them the benefits will answer the paines set aside partiality prejudice and the opinions of men neither receive nor refuse without sufficient tryall pray to God to reveale his truth to thee I trust the Lord that hath directed this to thee will blesse it to thee so as thou shalt praise and honour him all thy dayes which is the desire of Samuel Richardson To Collonell Robert Tichborne Mr. Moris Thompson Merchant Mr. William Packer Captain and Mr. Methusalah Turner Linnen Draper Fulnesse of joy happinesse and glory Much honoured and worthy Sirs CHrist and him crucified is the best and most desireable object that can be presented unto your view what can be better or more desireable this is our happinesse glory and our chiefest joy Joy sweet satisfying unmixt pure spirituall glorious full and eternall there is no sweetness like to this of Christ dying for my sinnes his suffering for us the whole punishment of sinne so that God will not impute sinne to that soule for whom Christ dyed therefore we are for ever freed from the punishment of sinne The more we know this truth the more sweet is Christ to us and the more fixed on Christ our hearts will be the more we love and obey him and contend for the truth once delivered to the Saints This subject is love the best love which is most sweet and full of divine consolation In the view thereof I trust you shall finde some sweetnesse and if you had not injoyed this sweetnesse you could not have sented it forth so naturally fully and sweetly to me as you have done I have great cause to be thankfull to you and to God for you your love to me hath caused me to dedicate this small Treatise to you as a testimony of my hearty thankfulnesse to you for your love the Lord blesse you and keepe you from all evill So he prayes that remaines Your much obliged Samuel Richardson Of the Justification of a Sinner before GOD. Rev. 1. 5. Vnto him that hath loved us and washed us from our sinnes in bis own bloud THese words declare the vertue fruit and efficacy of Christs bloud and the priviledges and happinesse of the Elect by it The word our comprehends the Elect as appeares John 17. 29. 6 37. c. Rom. 11. 17. Acts 20. 26. By the word sin here we are not to understand the being of sin for sin hath still a being in the Saints Paul saith Sin dwelleth in me Rom. 7. 17. see 1 Joh. 1. 8. In many things we sin all nor are we to understand it of the pollution and defilement of sin for sin is as filthy or and as abominable as ever and as defiling â—he ever therefore by sin we are to understand oâ— the charge curse wrath the condemnation of sin viz. the whole punishment of sin The word washed is a borrowed word from washing the dirt and filth from cloths c. so here washed us from our sinnes separated and clensed us from sinne viz. the punishment of sinne This him that hath washed us is Jesus Christ Rev. 1. 5. The word bloud comprehends his death and something else as appeares Heb. 9 22. 2â— He offered himselfe through the eternall Spirit 1 Joh. 1. 14. The life and substance of all lay hid under this vaile that is to say his flesh Heb. 10. 26. By vertue of this union there was such a worth in Christs bloud as was able to doe it 1 Pet. 1. 19. with Acts 20. 28. Hath washed us in his own bloud which declares that it is done and therefore it s not a doing nor to be done for he did it in his own bloud that is when he shed his bloud his own bloud that is the bloud of his body by his death he did wash and clense us from our sinnes that is from the punishment of them The cause why he washed us from our sinnes that was his love which was in himselfe nothing in us or done by us did cause him to y dye for us Doct. That Jesus Christ by his death upon the Crosse he fully freed his from sin that is to say the punishment of sin for ever as fully as if they had never sinned For prooâ—e consider these Arguments or Reasons drawn from Scripture and I shall be the 〈◊〉 large in it because there is much consolation in it also it is denied by many who ascribe our Justification from sin to beleeving c. For from the Scriptures I thus reason Argu 〈◊〉 Iâ— Jesus Christ hath suffered for our sinnes then he hath suffered the whole punishment of sin if so then we are freed from the punishment of sin and if he freed us not from that his suffering for us was ineffectuall and he freed us not from any thing at all for there was nothing we were liable unto but the punishâ—ent of sinne But Christ suffered for us for our sinnes the just suffered for the unjust 1 Pet. 3. 18 19. He was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. He offered himselfe for the errors of the people Heb. 9. 7. The punishment of our sin was death In the day thou earest thereof thou shalt dye Gen. 2. 17 Christ tasted death and underwent the same Heb. 2. 9. He gave himselfe for our sinnes Eph 2. He laid downe his life for ours Joh. 10. 15. Christ shed his bloud for the remission of sinne Mat. 26. 28. Therefore it was sufficient for the remission of sinne if it be remitted the punishment is taken away if his life was not sufficient for ours his precious bloud sufficient to satisfie for all our sinnes 1 Pet. 1. 19. to what purpose did he die for us The law said Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Gal. 3. 10. So that we were under the curse nor liable to it the curse was the punishment of sin Christ to free us from it he was made a curse for
to say to us Gal. 3. 10. Deut. 27. 4. Gal. 5. 23. 4. 26. 31. Therefore we are freed from the punishment of sin The Law is holy just and good Rom. 3. 31. the righteousnesse of the Law remaines and every one ought to frame his life according to the same wee receive not the Law as given by Moses but as given by Christ he gives the same Law for his to obey though not upon the same termes though we have nothing to doe to be saved yet we have something to doe for his glory Joh. 15. 8. Wee are commanded to be carefull to maintaine good workes Titus 3. 8. For any to say we are not to observe the ten Commandements called the Morall Law ten words is abominable for if I am not tied to observe it I sin not if I doe contrary to it it s no marvell if such be abominable in their hearts and lives I grant we are freed from the curse and punishment of it but not from the things contained in it the Law concernes our conversation though not our salvation Be yee holy in all manner of conversation this is the Saints prize yee that love the Lord hate evill and abhorre to company with such as slight the commands of God see the Saints daily duty part the second Christ hath a yoke and we ought to put it on Mat. 11. 29. Mat. 14. 23. 31. It s easie and a sweet mercy to observe it The power of divine love will sweetly and violently draw the soule to obey Christ see Titus 2. 11. 3. 8. Christ saith If any man love me he will keepe my words Joh. 14. 23. 15. 16. Eph. 2. 10. Such as love Christ they desire and endeavour with all their soules to obey him For such as love sin and take liberty to sin such as turne the grace the love of God into wantonnesse and say they are saved c. they are liers they mocke themselves and others they have need to consider 1 Joh. 1. 6. Gal. 5. 13. to 23. 6. 5. 7 8. Rom. 2. 17. c. they are the basest among men it s a certain truth as a man beleeves so he obeys as his faith is so are his workes good or bad Observe and take heed of those that speake for liberty for the flesh say to such thou art one of them for thy speech bewrayeth thee When Christ comes into the soule all things are become new old things are done away 2 Cor. 5. 17. Fire shall as soone cease to burne as such shall cease to obey God 27 Argu. That which is for our profit that is a mercy to us and no punishment for sin but Gods chastisements and corrections sent to us are for our profit Heb. 12. 10. They are to correct our injustice but not to satisfie Justice they are to amend us not to pay God they are to exercise the fruits of the Spirit in us not payments without them we neither know God nor others nor our selves they imbitter sin unto us we need them to turne us from sin to God seeing wee are the better for them how are they punishments to us 28 Argu. That which comes from the love of God that is sweet that is not a punishment for sin which is from anger But whom the Lord loveth he chastiseth Heb. 12. 6 7. 8. Gods chastisements are love-tokens all Gods dispensations bitter or sweet are a portion of love to his crosses and afflictions I receive as love and my escape from them if God so ordereth it I receive as love hunger cold and nakednesse paine griefe and wearinesse though in themselves they are punishments yet they are not so to us if they be curses and wrath to the Elect how are we delivered from the curse Gal. 3. 13 14. and wrath 1 Thes 1. 10. Therefore to affiâ—me that wee are punished for sin is to deny we are delivered from the curse which is contrary to Gal. 3 13 14. 29 Argu. If they be blessed that God correcteth thou they are no punishments of sin but blessed is the man that thou chastisest Psal 94. 12. Our God turned the curse into a blessing Nehe. 13. 2. Therefore they are no punishments of sin 30 Argu. If God by corrections teacheth us then it s no punishment for its a mercy to be taught but God by corrections teacheth us Heb. 12. 9. Therefore they are no punishments to us 31 Argu If all things worke together for our good Rom. 8. Then all falls paines diseases crosses afflictions c. doe us no hurt but worke for our good all things worke for our good Rom. 8. 28. Death it selfe is a mercy to us we die not to satisfie Justice but to passe through it into eternall glory provided for us for me to dye is gaine Christ hath borne the whole punishment of my sinnes There shall no evill come unto thee Psal 91. 10. So that whether I live or die I am freed from the punishment of sin the sting of death is sin now that is gone we are saved from death though we die death is an entrance into life 1 Cor. 15. 55. 32 Argu. Those whose iniquities are pardoned they shall never be punished for them but our iniquity is pardoned Isa 42. 1 2. Therefore we are freed from the punishment of sin for that which is pardoned is not punishable how is it pardoned if we are punished for it or liable to be punished for it to forgive a man his sin and not the punishment is as if one should say I forgive thee the debt but not the payment of the debt our sinnes were debts 33 Argu. Those whose sinnes God hath forgiven he will not punish if he will how are they forgiven but God hath forgiven the sinnes of his people thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sin Psal 85. 2. To forgive sinne and to cover it is one thing if all be covered there are none to cover my happinesse is not in having a few sins or many but in that they are all â—orgiven and not imputed to me Psal 32. 1 2. We are imperfect in our selves and action yet all our imperfectnesse is perfectly forgiven we are perfected for ever that is perfectly freed from the punishment of sin for eveâ— by the offering of himselfe Heb. 10. 10. 12. 14. The righteousnesse of Christ availeth for ever for all our sinnes if the bloud of Christ clenseth us from all sinne Joh. 1. 29. then from sin past present and to come for that is all lesse is not all as Christ by his death satisfied for all our sins so by one act of our faith we are to apprehend and beleeve the pardon of them Rom. 5. 11. to 24. This must needs be so for if we shall ever commit any sin that is not satisfied for by his sufferings Christ must come and suffer againe or eâ—â—e we must perish in the unpardonable sin for without his bloud there is no
Geree saith that Doctor Crispe condemnes doing any thing for our own salvation and is not ashamed to say there is no condition on mans part I say nothing is more evident in the Gospel then Conditions on the Covenant on mans part to wit Faith and Repentance without which he cannot be in the Covenant nor have any share in Jesus Christ As Masters covenant with their servants so doth God with his people and they with him and if it be not performed the covenant is frustrate Rom. 3. 27. Acts 27. 24. 31. 2 Cor. 6. 14. to 19. If we meane to have God for our God we must repent and come out and God will receive us and upon no other termes in the world therefore I conclude that Doctor Cripse is fully deceived and strangely deluded and so are all others as did and doe beleeve him Epist side 9. pag. 35. 37. 43. 67. 72. 75. 77 78 79. 80. 99. 102. Ans You prove not what you affirme Rom 3. 27 declares salvation is not of works this is a full place against you Acts 27. Except yee abide in the Ship yee cannot be saved this is a temporall salvation from drowning unlesse he brings this place to prove his soule shall not be saved whose body is drowned it s not to the question for the 2 Cor. 6. he alledgeth to prove that God is our God upon termes not else whereas these words were written to the Saints who were converted and the Church of God before this Epistle was written to them this Church of Corinth had some communion and fellowship with Idolaters therefore the Lord exhorts them to come out from amongst them and he would receive them declare himselfe to be their God and owne them to be his people in a Church Relation as Rev 1. 20. 2. 5. see pag. 170. To understand it concerning our eternall condition is to contradict the Scripture which saith He hath not dealt with us after our sinnes nor rewarded us after our iniquities Psal 103. 10. Psal 89. Gods love to his depends not upon what wee doe see Gods eternall good will to his Jer. 31. 3. 34. 40. Joh 13. 1. Luk. 22. 32. Joh. 17. 20 21. Mat. 21. 22. Rom. 8. 9. Joh. 14. 16. Joh. 10. 28. Phil. 2. 6. Rom. 11. 29. 1 Joh. 3 9. Mat. 24. 24. Tell me is Election Christs death conversion c. fruits of hatred or love if of love then God loved the Elect before they beleeved yea before they were borne Eph. 1. 4. If we are chosen to life according to the good pleasure of his will then we are not chosen to life according to our beleeving and repenting c. But the first is true Eph. 1. 5 6. Therefore the latter is true also nor are men chosen to life because God foresaw they would beleeve God is eternall the will of God is God he was never without his will what he now willeth he ever did therefore there could not be any cause to goe before it to cause it to be or so to be man cannot Elect without an act and time but it s not so with an infinite being Election is his eternall and immutable decree from eternitie Rom. 9. 11. Eph. 1. 4. 2 Tim. 1. 9. It is the more wonderfull and glorious that it is without beginning his love is everlasting Jer. 31. 3. Therefore without beginning as God is infinite without beginning so is his love for God is love 1 Joh. 4. 16. see Joh. 17. 23. Therefore God loves his as much before they beleeve as after The Scripture doth not say God began to love when we began to beleeve nor that he loves any the better because they beleeve it is a certain truth that Gods love to us is not as ours is to him In that yee would have men to doe something for salvation it appeares you are ignorant of the taking away of sinne by the death of Christ hence it is that you urge our works to be necessary to salvation and so did the Seducers Acts 15. 5. 20. 30. If it were as you say wee are under an absolute covenant of works Doe this and live men must do so and so saith the Papist or else no salvation so say you Though God hath promised and Christ purchased all good for beleevers yet they shall not have it unlesse they doe so c. Doe you not see how you exalt your workes above the skies yea above God and his promise and the death of Christ and make workes all in all because without them all is frustrate and comes to nothing What no share in Christ without our workes all is frustrate if it be so then our works are joynt Saviours with Christ chiefe Saviours is not this pure Popery and the Popes Doctrine to a haire yet it hath an Imprimatur J. C. is there not a cleare light of the Gospel in such Licensers see Jer. 5. 31. Gal. 5. 2. Christ undertook to obtaine for his remission of sinnes by his death but he did not performe it perfectly if it be in part by our workes if it depends upon our workes then it depends not upon the death of Christ or doe you bring in Christ to merit that your workes may merit salvation Most truly and worthily did Doctor Crispe contend for the sufficiency of Christs bloud to save us and you contend against him and contend for the sufficiency of your doings in bringing in your workes to salvation and so undervalue the bloud of Christ therefore I contend against you our workes are imperfect and that which is so cannot please God if yee say Christ makes it up with his perfection in adding Christ to piece it out to make it up its apparent yee make Christ but a piece of a Saviour which is the greatest indignity yee can offer to him We doe condemne the doing of any thing for our own salvation and the Reasons why we doe so are 1. We doe nothing to be saved because Christ hath saved us He came into the world to save us and he saved us before he ascended therefore we are not now to be saved from our sinnes Heb. 10 10. 12. 14. 1 Tim. 1. 9. It s too late for us to be paying the debt of our sinnes by our worke the debt being paid before by Christ for us God did execute on him in his death all the punishment that was due to us for our iniquities God doth rest satisfied in Christs satisfaction for the sinnes of his past present and to come Isa 53. 5 6. 11. Heb 10 10. 14. Blessed he the Lord God of Isael for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up an horne of salvation for us in the house of his servant David that wee should be saved from our enemies c Luk 1. 68 69. 71. Christ is the horne of Salvation 2. God requires no righteousnesse of us to save us because Christ hath fulfilled all righteousnesse for us Mat 3. 15. His
interpreted by them for the Scriptures are to be interpreted for Christ and not against him Also we are to consider if the word Faith were alwaies to be understood for beleeving by Levit. 17. 11. it appeares that was ascribed to the signe which is proper to the thing signified The word Justifie it signifieth to make just men are made just three wayes First By infusion so Adam Eccles 7. 29. Secondly By the justice of another Râ—m 5. 19. Eph. 1. 5. Rom. 3. 24. In this sense the Elect are justified by Christ for we are justified by another and in another Righteousnesse and Justification are one when he was made our Righteousnesse then he was made our Justification 1 Cor. 1. 30. We are made righteous by his satisfaction therefore we are justified by his satisfaction to deny this were to overthrow the foundation of Religion and mans salvation Thirdly Men are said to be justified by Sentence in this sense a man may justifie himselfe so Job 9. 20. or by witnesses Isa 43. 9. 26. In a large sense this is called Justification and sometimes this Justification is worth nothing and worse then nothing as wheâ— the wicked are justified Pro. 17. 15. 24. 24. Wee are justified by the Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 11. But this is not that Justification on which depends our eternall happinesse this is onely declared to us by the Spirit that we are justified by Christs death this knowledge of it is onely necessary to satisfie quiet the Conscience Christ having justified his upon the Crosse by his bloud it is not our beleeving but the Spirit that reveales the same to the soule The Spirit dwelleth in us 1 Cor. 3. 16. 1 Cor. 9. 19. Rom. 8. 11. 16. 1 Joh. 3. 24. The Spirit speaketh in us Mat. 10. 20. and sheweth us what Christ hath done for us 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. with 16. 13 14 15. Heb. 10. 15. 17. 1 Joh. 5. 6. The bloud of sprinkling is the Spirits speaking to the conscience that all is paid this satisfieth and clenseth the conscience Heb. 12. 24. The worke of faith is onely to assent to the testimony of the Spirit that it is truth and so receives its testimony to manifest and to receive the manifestation are not one thing Eph. 3. 5. When the declaration is beleeved the answer of a good Conscience is My sweet Jesus dyed for me he hath delivered me from all my enemies and from the wrath to come the debt of all my sinne is paid there is nothing now to be required of me What shall I render to the Lord for all his goodnesse unto me O that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse c. Psal 107. 8. There is a Justification before men by good workes James 2. 24. which declareth to men we are justified visibly but not infallibly but this is not that Justification which saveth us that Justification I treat is of that Justification which freeth us from condemnation for Justification is opposed to condemnation Rom. 8. 1 2. For his death was our Justification from the punishment of sinne this is the Justification that I intend and contend for for in this is our salvation therefore in this is our greatest happinesse and glory And that the Elect from the beginning to the end of the world were justified at and by Christs death upon the Crosse Consider Justification is that which is our freedome from the punishment of sinne this I have proved was at and by Christs death and that I may more fully put this question out of question namely that we are not justified by beleeving but before we beleeve by Christ I prove by these Arguments or Reasons 1 Argu. If Justification is free then beleeving is not required for that which is free is without any condition or consideration of any thing in us or done bâ— us but we are justified freely Rom. 3. 24. Ergo. If it be Christ and his workes it is not I and my workes that can justifie me from the punishment of sinne if Christ saves us then beleeving doth not save us compare Joh. 12. 42 43. with Mat. 10. 37. Luk. 14. 26. If it be Christ and my beleeving together that saves me then Christ doth not save me if it be Christ and my workes then I share in saving my selfe To say we are justified by Christ and beleeving together as some say is to deny we are justified by either for that which is not alone doth not justifie alone he that is justified by two is justified by neither Christ and faith together say you Christ and workes together say the Papists wee are not justified without beleeving say you not without charity say the Papists that which they say is Popery so is what you say because what yon both say is in the nature of it one and though you differ in the letters that expresse it yet in substance it is one and the same thing 2 Argu. If Christ justified enemies sinners ungodly c. then they were not beleevers when they were justified but Christ justified enemies Kom 4. 5. 5. 10. Beleevers are not so called they are called friends Luk. 12. 4. Joh. 15. 15. Saints 1 Cor. 1. 2. Holy and beloved Col. 3. 12. Holy brethren Heb. 3. 1. Holy women 1 Pet. 3. 5. If holy then not ungodly Babes in Christ 1 Cor. 3. 1. Therefore we were justified before we beleeved therefore beleeving comes too late to justifie us from the punishment of sinne if we were not justified till we beleeve he doth not justifie the ungodly it is evident 3 Argu In the same manner we are made sinners in the same manner we are made just and righteous but we were made sinners by the disoâ—edieâ—â— of one so we are made righteous by the obedience of one even Christ Rom. 5. 12. to 20. Eph. 1. 5. Therefore his obedience justified us from all sinne viz. from all the punishment of sinne therefore ever since his death we have been justified also if justified by his obedience then not justified by beleeving as our sinfulnes consists in that one disobedience of the first Adam so our righteousnesse consists in that one onely obedience of our sweet Lord Jesus Christ 4 Argu. Those God declares to be just and righteous they are just before therefore made so by Christ if they be not just they are wicked and to declare them to be just is to justifie the wicked which he saith is abomination to him Pro. 17. 15. 5 Argu. If Christ did dye for us truly really and actually then he did truly really and actually justifie us but Christ did dye for us truly really and actually Joh. 10. 15. it was not in a shadow Col. 2. 17. Therefore he truly and really took away sin viz. actually justifie us from all the punishment of sinne and in that the Apostle saith Without bloud there is no remission Heb. 9. 22. it doth follow that with bloud there is remission see 1 Pet. 1. 19 20.
6 Argu. If all things were accomplished the prophecies concerning Christs death were finished then he justified us but the first is true Jesus knew that all things were accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled saith I thirst when he had received the vinegar he said it is finished and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost Joh. 19. 28. 30. Christ came to save sinners and when he gave up the ghost upon the Crosse he tels us the worke was finished Joh. 17. 4. and I beleeve him 7 Argu. If I am to beleeve I am justified it is either true or false if true then I was justified before I beleeved it if not true then for me to beleeve I am justified when I am not is for me to beleeve a lye and deceive my selfe nor doth God require me to beleeve a lye and for me to beleeve I am justified that so I may be justified is to beleeve a lye that it may be true which is unreasonable for my beleeving cannot make any thing true or false nor give being to that which had no being before if I beleeve brasse is gold is it gold therefore I was justified from the punishment of sinne before I did beleeve it Rom. 5. 19. 8 Argu. If our beleeving cannot satisfie Justice nor pardon the least sin then it cannot justifie us from the punishment of sin but the first is true 1 Joh 3 5. it cannot give remission of sin Acts 28. 18. Beleeving addes nothing to Christ nor to our salvation 1 Cor. 13. 2. Luk. 8. 13. 13. 25 26 27. Mat. 13. 20 21. Mark 4. 16. Heb. 6. 4 5. with Isa 48. 6 7. 58. 2. Jam. 2. 19. Charity and prophesie is greater and more to be desired then faith 1 Cor. 13. 13. 14. 1. But how could it be so if beleeving did justifie us for without justification there is no salvation no freedome from the punishment of sinne also there is not that said of beleeving which is said of charity see Mat. 25. 42. The Papists say we are saved by charity others by beleeving the Papists ground is as good as theirs 9 Argu. That which is imperâ—ect and defiled and is stained with sinne cannot justifie us from sinne but our beleeving is so its imperfect something is wanting in our faith 1 Thes 3. 10. It s defiled with sin All our righâ—eousnesse is as filthy ragges Isa 42. 6. with Titusâ— 5. Daniel includes hâ—s most holy acts when â—e names his righteousnesse Dan. 9. 18. Our beâ—eeving is called unbeliefe Mark 9. 24. Therefore our beleeving cannot justifie us from the punishment of sinne it s onely a means of our knowing or injoying the knowledge and comâ—ort of it Wee say not that good workes are â—innes we put a difference between the action God commands and the corruption of it â—s acted by us by reason of the corruption in us it s stained and defiled with some spot of â—inne all our actions our righteousnesse is so 10 Argu. If our righteousnesse be like unto a stinking filthy clout Isa 46. 10. then every good worke we doe is tainted with some sin â—or they were converted and were not without the fruits of the. Spirit when they so said of themselves see Psal 130. 3. Dan. 9. 7. 18. Ezra 9. 15. Job 9. 3. 28. 1. Joh. 1. 8. 1 Joh. 2. 7. Titus 3. 5. Psal 143. 2. Which sheweth that wee are not justified for nor by any thing we doe also from these Scriptures it is evident that there is no perfection in the flesh nor in any thing we doe and therefore that which is not perfect is not our righteousnesse and therefore cannot possibly be our Justification viz. our freedome from the punishment of sinne 11 Argu. If Christ saves us beleeving doth not save us if we be reconciled by Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 5. 18. beleeving doth not reconcile us if Christ takes away the sins of the world beleeving takes away no sinne if we are justified by his bloud then not by beleeving if we are reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Rom. 5 9 10. then not by beleeving if Christ hatâ— delivered us from the wrath to come 1 Thes â— 10. then beleeving doth not deliver us froâ— wrath if he hath delivered us from the cursâ— Gal. 3. 14. then beleeving delivereth us noâ— from the curse if Christ hath made me freâ— Gal. 5. 1. beleeving maketh not me free our sinnes are forgiven for Christs sake Eph. 23. then not for my sake nor for beleeving if men are Christs sheepe before they beleeve Joh. 10. 26. then beleeving doth not makâ— them his sheepe if men are of God before thâ— heare Joh. 8. 17 then before they beleeve if Christ hath washed us from our sinnes Rev. 5 beleeving doth not doe it if we are set out of the pit of destruction by the bloud of the Covenant Zach. 9. 11. then not for nor by our beleeving if we were not justified by his death how are we justified by his bloud if the bloud of Christ clenseth from all sinne 1 Joh. 1. 7. beleeving clenseth from no sinne 12 Argu. If the sinnes of the Elect shall not hinder their salvation then their salvation dependeth not upon their beleeving buâ— the sinnes of the Elect shall not hinder their salvation it is evident Psal 89. 28. to 39 Oh how sweet is this place and that in Rom 8. 1. 33. to the end It depends upon his promise and not upon our beleeving He is faithfull that hath promâ—sed Heb. 10. 23. What if some did not beleeve shall their unbeliefe make the faith of God of none effect God forbid Yea let God be true and every man a lyer Rom. 3. 3 4. If we beleeve not yet he abideth faithfull he cannot deny himselfe 2 Tim. 2. 13. see Isa 14. 24. If we beleeve not observe Gods faithfulnesse in saving us depends not upon out beleeving see Rom. 11. 29 30 31. It depends upon Gods election predestination in the immutability of his Counsell Heb. 6. 16 17. Therefore our salvation is certaine to say wee shall not misse of salvation unlesse we will not beleeve is a vaine conceit if nothing can be charged upon the Elect Rom 8. 33. they are freed from all curse or wrath before they beleeve yea consider this truth and the sweetnesse of it 13 Argu. If God loves the Elect before they beleeve then beleeving is not any cause of his love but God loves the Elect before they beleeve he that is an enemy to the Gospel doth not beleeve it as concerning the Gospel they are enemies but touching the election they are beloved Rom 11. 28 29. He accepts of our persons before he accepts of any thing we doe Heb. 11. Therefore we are loved and accepted before we beleeve Eph. 1. 4. 6 7. 14 Argu. If not any thing shall separate us from the love of God then unbeliefe shall not but not any thing shall separate us from the love of God as
appeares Rom. 8. 33. to the end The Elect shall be gathered together Mat. 24. 31. Joh. 11. 52. The election obtained it Rom. 1â— 7. He saith not that we obtained it by beleeving If beleeving were of absolute necessity to salvation such as dye in their infancy cannot be saved for they doe not beleeve as appeares Rom. 10. 14. 17. Faith is an assent a trust a perswasion Heb. 11. 13. A beleeving God v. 6. a judging God faithfull v. 11. Infants want understanding to beleeve for knowledge and saith are not without the knowledge of the Son of God Gal. 1. 16. 2. 20. That infants doe beleeve there is no reason nor Scripture for it If any say God is able to make them beleeve I answer God is able to fill this house full of gold but this is no proofe that he hath done it or that he ever will so here 15 Argu. If unbeliefe be not the unpardonable sinne then it cannot deprive the Elect of salvation but unbeliefe is not the unpardonable sinne for unbeliefe is a not beleeving in Christ this sin is immediately and directly against Christ therefore it s as pardonable as any other sin against Christ is as appeares Mat. 12. 31 32. Also the Elect have committed this sinne not onely before conversion but after and daily sin by unbeliefe in that we beleeve not all that we ought nor so as we ought to beleeve and dye in not beleeving that which we ought to beleeve is not this unbeliefe If finall unbeliefe be the unpardonable sinne none can be seene to commit this sinne before death for who can tell its finall till they dye but men may be seene to commit the sinne that is unto deaâ—h before they dye as appeares 1 Joh. 5. 16. Therefore finall unbeliefe is not the unpardonable sin 16 Argu. If the salvation of the Elect is sure and certaine then it depends not upon that which may faile but beleeving may faile therefore if it depends not upon beleeving if it did it might faile also but the salvation of the Elect is sure and certaine in that it depends upon a sure foundation the immutability of his Counsell Heb. 6. 16 17. Faith shall cease 1 Cor. 13. It is a creature Psal 5â— a worke and it groweth 2 Thes 1. 31. and increaseth 2 Cor 10. 1â— it may be overthrowne 2 Tim. 2. 18 19. What God saith I must beleeve he saith they did for a time beleeve Luk. 8. 13. The Devills beleeve James 2. 19. How could they have that taste Heb. 6. 4 5. Without beleeving how could they receive the knowledge of the truth Heb. 10. 26. Without beleeving how could they stay themselves upon the God of Israel Without beleeving ye see what they were Isa 48. 1. to 7. 58. 2. The nature of it is liable to faile else what need was there of Christs prayer that it might not faile Luk. 22. 32. It s a fruit of the Spirit one with joy peace goodnesse temperance Gal. 5. 22 23. And doe not one or more of these in a childe of God sometimes faile if it be denied the experience of the Saints doe sufficiently testifie to the truth of this but I will prove it by Scripture First for joy David saith Restore to me the joy of thy salvation Psal 51. 12. Had not he lost his joy it did faile him he wanted it and Heman a good man complaining saith Lord why castest thou off my soule I am distracted while I suffer thy terrors Psal 88. 14 15 16. What joy and peace had he if Joy and peace faile Why not faith they being one in nature Jeremiah saith I said my strength and hope is perished from the Lord Lam. 3. 18. If his strength and hope perished then faith perished if no hope then no beleeving if we cannot cast away our confidence why are we exhorted not to cast it away Heb. 10. 35. Beleeving and confidence are all one 2 Thes 3. 4. Eph. 3. 12. If their confidence might be cast away they might be without it see Heb. 3 6. with 1 Joh. 5. 14. Rom. 11. 20. Flesh and heart faile but not God Psal 73. 26. My hope hath he removed like a tree Joh. 13. 10. Joh. 20. 25. Psal 77. 2 7 8 9 10. If continue in faith 1 Tim. 2. 15. denieth the faith 1 Tim. 4. 1. 5. 12. denied the faith 1 Tim 5. 8. I speake as unto wise men judge what I say Many idolize their beleeving they live upon it fetch all their comfort from it and not from God in Christ 17 Argu. That which taketh away sin that justifieth us Christ tooke away sinne by his bloud therefore we are said to be justified by his bloud Rom. 5. 9 To be justified and to be free from sin is one that which justifieth us freeth us as the payment of the debt freeth the debtor from suits and imprisonments c. So Christ paying our debt is our justification from sinne our freedome from the punishment of sinne To be saved by Christ and to be justified by Christ is all one to be saved from our sinnes Mat. 1. 21. and to be justified from our sinnes Rom. 5. 17. is one thing It s not our beleeving but the Spirit that reveales to us we are justified the Spirit dwelleth in us 1 Cor. 3. 16. 1 Cor. 9. 19. Rom. 8. 11. 16. 1 Joh. 3. 24. The Spirit speaketh in us Mat. 10. 20. and sheweth us what Christ hath done for us 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. with 16. 13 14 15. Heb. 10. 15. 17. 1 Joh. 5 6. The bloud of sprinkling is the application of it to the conscience it speaketh good things to the conscience that all is paid this clenseth the conscience Heb. 12. 24. The worke of faith is onely to assent to the truth of what the Spirit in the Word saith and receive its testimony now to assent unto a thing is not to manifest it giving and receiving are two things Ephes 3. 5. 18 Argu. If Christs death be that thing for and by which we are justified then when that death was then we were justified but Christs death is the thing for and by which we are justified By his knowledge my righhteous servant shall justifie many for he shall beare their iniquitie Isa 53. 11. So that his bearing our iniquity was our justification from sinne and by his knowledge he knew whoâ—e sinnes he bore that is whom he justifâ—ed The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. with Exod. 28. 21. c. By his knowledge he knew thee and me and he loved thee and me and gave himselfe for me and thee Gal. 2 20 To beare iniquity and to beare the punâ—shment of sinne is one thing if we are justified through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ Rom. 3. 24. Therefore it is evident wee are not justified through beleeving Rev. 5. 9. This is my body which was broken for you 1 Cor. 11. 24. He had not dyed but for you and
in his knowledge and love you were when he dyed for you here are sweet consolations 19 Argu. If we are not justified by workes then if beleeving be a worke then we are not justified by beleeving but we are not justified by workes Rom. 4. That beleeving is a worke appeares 1. Because we are commanded to beleeve as to love one another as he gave us commandement 1 Joh. 3. 23. If we are commanded to doe it it s a worke 2. To obey a command is a worke but to beleeve is to obey a command faith is an obeying of the will of God therefore a worke faith is called a service the service of your faith Phil. 2. 17. If it be a service it is a worke the worke of faith 2 Thes 1. 11. The act and exercise of our faith is a worke 3. It s a worke because we are reproved for the smallnesse of our faith Mat. 6. 30. 8. 26. If it were no way acted by us why are we reproved for not beleeving if we are not to doe it why are we reproved for not doing it 4. It s a worke because the Saints are exhorted to doe it Heb. 10. 22. We are not exhorted to any thing but that which is our duty to doe if it be a duty it is a worke 5. To beleeve is a worke of all the faculties of the soule the understanding will conscience memory affections 6. To receive a thing is an act of the whole man but to beleeve a thing is to receive it Joh. 1. 12. 7. Not to beleeve is a worke of darknesse therefore to beleeve is a worke of righteousnesse Titus 3. 5. 8. Faith is required in all we doe therefore it partakes of the nature of a worke and so is a worke and without it we cannot doe any good worke Heb. 11. 6. 9. It s a worke because wee are said to doe it If thou beleevest I doe beleeve Acts 8. 38. With the heart man beleeveth Rom. 10. 9 10. It is an action of the heart consisting in judgement and he doth it as truly as he confesseth with his mouth it is improper to say beleeve doth beleeve love doth love repentance doth repent but we being moved by the Spirit of God we doe beleeve we love and we repent not God but we by his power 10. If to confesse Christ is a worke then to beleeve is a worke and one of the workes of righteousnesse we have done Titus 3. 5. If it be said that faith is put in opposition to workes and therefore faith is not a worke I answer First When faith is put in opposition to workes then by faith we are to understand Christ because he alone is our Righteousnesse Rom. 3. 28. Secondly When the Apostle excludes workes in Justification by workes we are to understand all outward and inward acts faith it selfe for seeing works are excluded beleeving being a work it is excluded with the rest Thirdly It will be granted that the workes of the Law were excluded in Justification then it will follow faith is excluded because no command of the Law could be obeyed without faith therefore faith was a part of the fulfilling of the Law that faith was required appeares Mat. 22. 37 38. 40. The Law required purity and that could not be without faith for those that beleeve not are defiled their minds and consciences are defiled Titus 1. 15. Therefore beleeving was required under the Law as well as under the Gospel as to love the Lord is a duty now as ever and ever as now that which is our Righteousnesse causeth us to be accepted causeth us to be saved but that is Christ and not our beleeving Ezra 9. 15. Righteousnesse belongs to God Dan. 9. 7. It s proper to Christ Jer. 23. 6. Our beleeving is neither God nor Christ We are justified by the act of faith answ Then we are not justified by Christ by his bloud Christ hath deserved to accept our faith for Righteousnesse answ Gods judgement is according to truth Rom. 2. 2. He accepts it in mercy not in justice answ Doth God judge or accept a thing to be that which it is not 20 Argu. If justification is an act of God then it is not an act of beleeving but it s an act of God its God that justifieth Rom. 8. 33. Christ is God My righteous servant shall justifie many Isa 53. 11. Rom. 5. 9. Ever since his death our sinnes have been removed Zach. 3. 9. Joh. 1. 29. Col. 1. 20. 21 Argu. If we are justified by his bloud then we are not justified by beleeving but we are justified by his bloud Rom. 5. 9. Through his Redemption Rom. 4. 24. Therefore not through our beleeving for bloud Redemption and beleeving are not one thing 22 Argu. That which is our justification that is our peace but Christ is our peace Eph. 2. 14 15. 17. Therefore Christ is our justification and not beleeving 23 Argu. That which covereth our iniquitie that justifieth us but Christ covereth our iniquity Isa 59. 2. Therefore he is our justification as that which is covered is not seene to men and that which is not seene is not imputed and that which is not imputed cannot be punished no more will God impute any sinne to his 2 Cor. 5. 18. But his righteousnesse Imputation signifying accounting or recounting what was ours not to be ours not imputing their trespasses to them 2 Cor 5. 19. Not reckoning to us sinne and so not the punishment of sinne and imputing or reckoning Christs righteousnesse to be ours for it is ours 24 Argu. If our justification is in another then we are not justified in our selves but we are justified in another In the Lord shall the children of Israel be justified and shall glory Isa 45. 25. Our justification is our glory and we glory in it beliefe is in us see Rev. 19. 8. 7 9. 13 14. Isa 61. 10. Therefore beleeving is not our Justification 25 Argu. Where our Righteousnesse is there is our Justification but our Righteousnesse is in Christ In the Lord is our righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. Sufficient to secure us from the punishment of sinne that which is our Righteousnesse is our Justification Christ is that 1 Cor. 1. 30. Therefore beleeving is not our Righteousnesse nor our Justification Isa 45. 24. Rom. 4. 24. The Papists judge their workes to be that which saves them upon such places as these Mark 16. 16. Pro. 28. 18. Mat. 9. 17. to 23. Mark 13. 3. James 2. 24. 1 Tim. 4. 16. 1 Cor. 7. 16. 26 Argu. Justification is a spirituall blessing therefore where our spirituall blessings are there is our Justification but all spirituall blessings are in Christ Eph. 1. 3. In him 2 Cor. 5. 21. Saving benefits and blessings are not in us but such things as accompany salvation Saving and accompanying salvation are not one 27 Argu. Where we are accepted there we are justified but we are accepted in the beloved Eph. 1. 6. Therefore we
if we are to act faith continually to be justified because we sin continually it will follow we are not justified for ever and that we may despaire of ever injâ—ying one quarter of an houres sweet injoyment of Justification because in lesse time we sinne and so are unjust and to be justified againe and if it be so no man can say three minutes together he is a justified man because in lesse time he sinneth and then he is by faith to be justified againe but this it is for a man to justifie himselfe as the blind Pharisees justified themselves Luk. 16. 14 15. Call you this Justification which will last no longer and is to so little purpose it s but a shadow there is no truth nor substance in it they are like the Priests under the Law and their worke to lesse purpose Heb. 10. 11. Geree For satisfaction that they may see we derogate not a jot from Christ see Wards Sermon p. 68. Ans It seemes Wards Sermon saith they doe not therefore they doe not this is proofe enough for those that will thinke it so Geree How can this be a derogating unto Christ or an abrogating unto faith to say by beleeving we live and are justified from sinne c. Joh. 3. 33. p. 92. Ans How can it be otherwise seeing yee dishonour Christ and put him to open shame it is a very great evill yee doe your evill is great and grievous For 1. Christ should be lifted up but yee pull him downe in that yee deny him his perfection and glory yee derogate from his sacrifice in that yee deny it to be sufficient to save us 2. Yee bring in workes beleeving and repentance c. as joynt causes of salvation and deliverance from wrath 3. In desiring something beyond his perfection yee make Christ an imperfect Priest and his sacrifice imperfect 4. Ye disgrace Christ in adding your righteousnesse to his ye deny the efficacy of his death and deny him to be able to save to the uttermost 5. In that ye would have something done for salvation ye deny it depends alone upon Christ for it depends not alone upon him if it also depends upon any other condition or additions 6. Ye deny salvation to be a free gift freely given us if we must doe for it and so earne it else as you say we shall not have it and so you make salvation uncertaine and doubtfull 7. Ye make Christ a meere shadow in comparison of your workes in saying the promise of God and the death of Christ is frustrate to us unlesse we performe such conditions 8. In saying we are justified by beleeving ye deny we are justified by Christ which is dangerous though it hath a shew of truth because Christ and beleeving are two things so that it s to divide our Justification between God and man Christ and us his workes and ours 9. Ye deny Justification and Salvation to be accomplished by Christs obedience in making it to depend upon our obedience and so ye impute it in part if but in part to our selves so overthrow the death of Christ 10. Ye make not Christ but faith and repentance c. the meanes of our salvation 11. Ye give that to beleeving c. which is proper to Christ in that ye attribute Justification which is the chiefe and maine thing Christ hath done for us to beleeving Isa 45. 24. 53. 11. 12. You make beleeving a cause of Justification in saying without it we cannot be justified 13. In saying beleeving is imputed for righteousnesse ye make it our righteousnesse or charge God to impute that for righteousnesse which is not righteousnesse 14. Your opinion ingendreth unto bondage it leaves the conscience in feare it robs it of peace joy and consolation it s an enemy to a chearfull and free serving of God 15. To say that we are justified by Christ and faith together is dishonourable to Christ for if we be justified by both then not by one and so Christ is made no Saviour in their judgements he is but a halfe Saviour I desire to know how it can be made out that we are justified by Christ if we be justified by beleeving if we are justified by his bloud Rom. 5. 9. Unlesse beleeving be his bloud we are not justified by beleeving the Scripture doth not say that any one is justified from sinne by beleeving but we have been taught so and it is no easie matter to unlearne and leave a corrupt principle 16. Christ hath not all the glory of our salvation if we joyne beleeving or workes to Christ as a copaâ—ner with him faith must have a part of it and we our selves for wee beleeve as you confesse p. 6. 17. In saying we are not loved nor accepted untill we beleeve ye deny we are accepted for Christ sake 18. Ye attribute righteousnesse in part to our selves in attributing it in part to beleeving many please themselves with a conceit that they doe not dishonour Christ in attributing salvation to beleeving because faith is from Christ 19. If we may ascribe Justification to beleeving then by the same Reason we may ascribe Justification to love patience temperance c. yea to all our performances our good workes prayers teares c. Because the power by which we doe these is Christs Without me ye can doe nothing Joh. 15. 5. 20 You make Christ no Saviour at all though you confesse Christ dyed for us yet you affirme beleeving and workes save us He is all yet you make him nothing at all unlesse man please â—o make him and what he hath done something by beleeving c. Christ will be all 〈◊〉 thing in that if ye make him not all ye 〈◊〉 upon him O ye sonnes and daughters of the most High lift up your voyce and cry no inherent holinesse no workes of the Law to Justification It s not of workes of righteousnesse we have done but according to his mercy he saved us Titus 3. 5. to 9. In the Lord have I righteousnesse he is our righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. My tongue shall talke of thy righteousnesse even of thine onely Psal 71. 16. 24. Geree Methinkes Ezek. 36. 26 27 28. should make him blush if he were alive they shall be my people and I will be their God p. 79. Ans You have cause to blush for writing your selfe a Preacher of the Gospel and are so ignorant a Preacher of the Law yea of Popery to be a Minister of the Law is to be a Minister of the Letter as appeares 2 Cor. 3. 6 7 8 9. Such a Minister you are 2. Such as belong to the Election of grace ever were and shall be the people of God yea all the world and all in it is Gods he saith My Gold it s his Ezek. And the beasts of ten thousand mountaines the world and all in it is his but when God saith I will be their God and they shall be my people the meaning is he will declare
our Righteousnesse Ezra 9. 15. 7. All that fallen man needed was onely a perfect righteousnesse to justifie and save him if beleeving could have been that to them Christ might have been spared 8. That which is our righteousnesse causeth us to be accepted and that is Christ Eph. 1. The Saints expect not any acceptance for any thing in them or acted by them Dan. 9. 18. Isa 71. 10. 16. It s most evident that Christ he is made unto us Righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30. Therefore beleeving is not made our Righteousnesse Therefore our Righteousnesse is not in any thing but Christ in and by whom we are more righteous then Adam in his puritie and greatest glory Geree Beliefe makes us the children of God Ans Men are sonnes first by creation secondly by generation or thirdly by adoption A fourth way we know not The Elect are Sonnes before they beleeve which appeares by these Reasons 1. We are children and sonnes by adoption Eph 1. 5. We were sonnes when elected for Election is nothing else but our adoption by adoption Christ and the Elect became sonnes to God adoption and choice is one the Elect were chosen before the world Eph 1. 4. Adoption is acceptation of us in Christ therefore we were children before we beleeve before God declares mercy to Ephraim he calls him his Sonne Ephraim my Sonne I will surely have mercy upon him Jer. 31. 20. 2. The action of the Father is before the action of the Sonne adoption is attributed to the Father therefore it must in order be before Redemption which is the worke of the Sâ—nne so that the Elect were chosen before Christ did redeeme them by his death Rev 5. 9 Therefore adoption is before our redemption Eph. 1. 3 4 5. And our Redemption was before we beleeved Rev. â— 10. And therefore wee were sonnes before we beleeve 3. If we were not sonnes before Christ suffered he could not have brought sonnes to glory through suffering Heb. 2. 10. If not sonnes before he suffered how could we be his brethren It behâ—ved him to be like unto his brethren vers 17. But if they had not been children they could not be his brethren also Christ by his death justified children 4. We were given to Christ before he suffered for us then we were heires sonnes If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heires c. That is children of God Gal 3. 29. So that our being Christs makes us the seed and not our beleeving 5. If a childe differs nothing from a servant Gal. 4. 1. That is one that is not a childe then he is a childe before he beleeves for if he beleeves he differs apparently 6. We are sonnes before we beleeve because we cannot beleeve without the Spirit for faith is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. Therefore we have the Spirit before we beleeve and we are sonnes before we have the Spirit for the Spirit had not been sent into their hearts if they had not been sonnes Because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts Gal. 4. 5. If the Reason he sent the Spirit into their hearts was because they were sonnes then it was not because of the smallnesse of the measure they had received therefore Gal. 4. 5. is to be understood of the first sending it into their hearts 7. If beleeving makes us the children of God it will follow we have no union nor interest in God without our act for we beleeve this sutes well with Popery 8. It s against truth and reason to beleeve that by beleeving I make my selfe a son and God my father if I beleeve my selfe to be a Kings sonne will beleeving it make me so if I beleeve brasse is gold will it be so he that is a Prince knowes not that he is so untill some time after he is so yet he is a Sonne and a Prince whether he knowes it or beleeves it or no therefore beleeving makes us not sonnes but by it we see our selves to be sonnes and injoy the comfort of it by beleeving 9. Some teach and say by baptisme I was made a member of Christ a childe of God and an inheritor of the kingdome of heaven and you say by beleeving yet it s by neither 10. Some have beleeved themselves to be sonnes yet see what God saith Isa 58. 2 3 4. Besides God saith Some beleeved for a time and after fell away Luk. 8. and that the Devils beleeve as James 2. Were these the sonnes of God if no then beleeving cannot make any a son sons by saith in Gal. 4. By faith is understood Christ or by faith we know our selves to be sonnes and by faith we appeare to be sonnes faith and workes being inseparable in any other sense it cannot be extended as I have proved Geree None can be in Christ without faith Rom. 11. 20. Eph. 3. 17. p. 97. Ans The Scriptures saith not any are in Christ by faith Christ saith Every branch in me Joh. 15. 2. 4. c. That is in the visible Church for that is called Christ 1 Cor. 12. 12. In this sense men may be in Christ and perish a contrary exposition inforceth a finall falling away c. There is a being in Christ by election Eph. 1. 4. But this not by beleeving therefore your conclusion is without a foundation Geree We are dead till we beleeve Ans We are so in our selves but alive unto God by Jesus Christ our life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3 4. Geree That which is sinfull may justifie from sinne p. 91. Ans So you say but the Scripture doth not say so reade me this out of the word of God if ye cannot it must be placed among the unwritten verities or fables God doth not approve of that which is sinfull much lesse doth he justifie us for it or by it all that is sinfull is detestable and accursed the wrath of God is against it Rom 1. 18. Gal. 3. 10. Hab. 1. 13. That which makes us innocent makes us just and that is not sinne but Christ who is our righteousnesse Geree It justifieth not in regard of it selfe or worke but in regard of that which it holds being most worthy p 91. They over-honour faith indeed that say the very act of faith justifies which we utterly disclaime in the Arminians p. 90. Ans If faith justifieth as it holds then it justifieth as it is an act for to hold a thing is an act and yet ye say the act of saith doth not justifie I see you can contradict your selfe and disclaime what ye affirme 2. If faith justifie because by saith we receive justification then the act justifieth for its an act to receive also it will follow by this Reason that he that receives a pardon from a Prince may say his hand pardoned him because the hand received it and may â—e not as well say he pardoned himselfe because he received it The reason
causeth us to be accepted Eph. 1. 6. Actions without faith are not accepted neither for Christ nor for faith Our happinesse consists not in Gods accepting our actions but in our union with him and in that our sinnes are not imputed unto us Psal 32. 1. Our actions are accepted because our persons are accepted Gen. 4. Ans It s strange you will offer to say so oh the horrible and tragicall effects that naturally flow from this doctrine that he that beleeves cannot sinne or his sinfull actions are accepted if so then Davids adultery and murther was accepted yea all the sinnes of beleevers are accepted we abhorre to open such a gap for sinne to enter The word Reconcile declares that God is at enmity with us and we with him Re signifieth againe con signifieth together ciliation to call or move to how is there a removing where there was never a removing how together of those who were never asunder how againe unlesse the onenesse had been broken apieces Ans Though the word signifie so it will not follow that God was ever at enmity with the Elect. We are full of movings and removings because changeable but it s not so with God although the Elect sinne and depart from God yet the Scripture saith not that God was at enmity with them or that they fell from the love of God or that God hated the Elect consider 1 Joh. 5. 16. Isa 27. 4. Rom. 5. 9 10. Heb. 13. 8. In saying God was never an enemy to the Elect you make the fall of Adam in whom the Elect were included a fiction and the story of Christs sufferings a fable and Christs passion a vanity and overthrow the nature of God whose purity cannot indure sinne ye deny many Scriptures which testifie that God was at enmity with the Elect Eph. 2. Isa 63. 10 11. Lev. 26. 40 41 42. Ezek. 16. 62 63. Ans These are hard words and high charges indeed Jud. 13. 15. like the raging waves of the Seas that looke big and rise high and fall as suddenly so will your words fall into meere fables or slanders for no such thing will follow we say the â—all of Adam Christs death are no fictions nor fables but reall things by nature in Adam the Elect did sin and fell in Adam c. And had not Jesus Christ been made a curse for us we had perished therefore the death of Christ did more then reveale love men can reveale love each to other without dying much more could God in the love of God and Christs death lyeth our eternall happinesse Consider whose doctrine is against the purity of God yours or ours You say we deny many Scriptures tell us of one we deny not any we deny your false glosses and mis-interpretations I pray tell us in what place of Scripture we may reade that God was ever at enmity with the Elect or that he did not love them untill they did beleeve You say Till conversion comes God is an enemy with the Elect. Ans The Scripture you alledge to prove it says not as you doe the word wrath Eph. 2. is the curse that nor any other place doth not say that by the word wrath is meant Gods enmity against the Elect if it doe we will say so too In Isa 63. 10 11. is the word enmity viz. In some of his dispensations he was so for he fought against him So Levit. 26. God walked contrary to them yet it will not follow that God did so from any enmity and hatred to them for he did then love them and own them for his as appeares vers 45. I have given the dearly beloved of my soule into the hands of their enemies Jer. 12. 7. As for Ezekiel 16. 62 63. When I am pacified towards thee it appeares by the foure last verses that it s to be understood of the knowledge of his love for he saith Thou shalt know that I am the Lord thy God Joh. 14. 20. God may seeme angry yea seeme an enemy and hide himselfe and handle them roughly and yet love them not the worse for that as Jer. 31. 20. He changeâ—h not Mal. 3. 6. He saith He is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. Anger is not in me Isa 27. 4. Therefore your brother was very much mistaken to conceive that there was anger in God till he was pacified If Gods enmity had not concurred with Eves enmity against him shee had not in all likelihood eaten the forbidden fruit Ans You are hard put to it and have no Scripture to prove that you affirme it appeares you have no more but a likelihood for it therefore we must take that or nothing The fall was not from any enmity in God against her but God by that meanes was pleased to bring about his glory see Eph. 1. 6. to 12. Rom. 3. 19. God is a God of wrath to us till faith in Christ comes Eph. 2. Rom. 5. 1 2 It s as evident as evident may be that by faith in Christ God is reconciled to us and we to him Ans It s as evident as may be in your booke though the Scripture say not so Faith is a cause of Justification Ans You ascribe as much to faith as to Christ a cause this your opinion is very dishonourable to Christ in setting faith above Christ in making it a cause whereas Christs death is but a meanes a cause is above a meanes the cause is the love of God I say actually God cannot be said to be reconciled to man while man is not reconciled to God Ans I see you say it and say more then you can prove we say and prove that we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Rom. 9. 10. What Christ did was actuall unlesse you will make it a fable if Christ dyed before we beleeved we were reconciled before we did beleeve Faith brings us into Christ Eph. 2. 8 9. Joh. 6. 37. Joh. 3. Ans You say into Christ and that faith is a part of Christ and a part of the divine nature but the Scripture doth not say so the divine nature is God and incommunicable if it could be divided in parts it were not infinite we partake of it by union not by inâ—usion it s no wonder ye ascribe all to faith as you doe if ye thinke faith is God So you ask â—f God saves us without our being in Christ and whether God doth not love to see us in Christ rather then out of him is this to speake like a Doctor Tell me how could we be chosen in Christ before the world if God did not consider us in him Eph. 1. 4. Can you â—ell when God considered us out of Christ or or in what Scripture it is said that ever any of the Elect were out of Christ or that they by â—inne fell out of Christ or out of the love of God When in Ephes 2. 5. doth not import a difference of time Ans
But it doth for when we were dead then was the time that we were not alive Evermore the godly learned Schoolmen we call not the Papists in put a difference between Gods decree and the execution of it Ans So doe we but not because they say so if the Scripture be cleare why call ye in any at all we will not beleeve men therefore spare that labour when you write againe we doe not say we were actually justified from eternity but by Christ on the Crosse Why is God said to be wrath with the Ephesians whilst out of Christ Ans You abuse the Scriptures for they doe not say that they were ever out of Christ or that God was wroth with them Tremble to say God loved Paul with as great love when he persecuted the Church as when he preached the Gospel Ans Let them tremble that say that the sinnes of beleevers are accepted that make God changeable and love in him finite and to be by fits and starts sometimes more sometimes lesse and sometimes without any love at all and that a purpose of love and an act of love are contrary I thought a purpose of love could not be without love a purpose of love is love in act see Jer. 31. 3. Joh. 3. 16. 1 Tim. 1. 14 15 16. Concerning your distinction of Gods love of benevolence to a sinner and his love of complacency after conversion there is no light in it in what Scripture may I reade this distinction of the love of God if not in any I beleeve it came out of the impure fountain viz. the blind Schoolmen How this distinction of love may sute with man I passe not but to referre this to God is to make him imperfect Christ loved me and gave himselfe for me Gal. 2. 20. I did not beleeve when God sent his Son and when he dyed for me therefore he loved me before I beleeved see Rom. 9. 11. 13. I wonder why you so contend for this expression that God loved the Elect from Eternity seeing the Scripture for once calling it love calls it purpose choice counsell election predestination Ans Wonder not we contend for it seeing many deny it a little leaven leaveneth all Gal. 5. 9. We beleeve also that all those expressions hold forth love and are one with it Where is life and peace till faith comes Ans It s in Christ where it should be Col. 3. 3 4. who is our peace Eph 2. 14. and when we beleeve we injoy the comfort of it I wonder ye so contend against our Justification and salvation alone by Christ unlesse ye intend to establish your own workes for righteousnesse Rom. 10. 3. Luk. 18. 9. What need we take care if we beleeve he will not love us the better if we beleeve not he will not love us the worse and then a man may dye without faith and yet be saved Ans If this be all the Papists say as much against you for denying they are saved by charity say the Papists if our good workes cannot make us to be never the more loved what need we take care to doe them if we doe them God will not love us the better if we doe them not God will not love us the worse if we dye without them we may be saved Consider what answer ye would give to them and take it to your selfe So you tell us a story of a maide who as you say was led away with this doctrine said boldly to you shee knew not how shee could offend Jesus Christ by any thing shee did answer Heb. 13. 8. He changeth not if her speech could not be justified what is that to us The doctrine of Christ is not the cause of the sins of men is there none of your minde doe amisse it s easier to tell a story then to prove what you have said To use your own words Many errours blasphemies and tragicall effects flow from your doctrine You say Faith takes a man out of the state of damnation c. with other strange doctrines which the Bible never knew which tend to dishonour Christ and to obscure the Gospel and fill the conscience with trouble and sorrow in stead of joy and peace Christs perfection is our happinesse and in it we rest satisfied desiring to obey him O that we did not thinke any thing too much for him who hath done so much for us to love us and wash away our sinnes in his own bloud Many shall receive the notion of this truth as I heare you have done but shall afterwards lay it downe againe for error as you have done grow dead or be prophane because they received not the truth in the love of it God gave them up to strong delusions to beleeve lies taking error for truth they not being taught it of Christ they wanted the power of it and never truly knew nor understood this truth but yee have not so learned Christ if so be ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus Eph. 4. 20 21 22. Yee see the teachings of men and the teachings of Christ are diverse and have severall effects the one ends in prophanenesse but Christs teaching ends in holinesse as becometh the Gospel An Answer to a Treatise intituled Sin suffered for but not remitted IN which he saith Sinne was not before the sinning person had a being Ans If sin cannot be considered to be before we were borne then when Christ suffered he bare none of our sinnes how then can we be saved for that which is not cannot be borne and how is it just to punish Christ for nothing for so is that which is not Isa 53. 4 5 6. We put a difference in the Covenant and the performance of it Ans So doe we and when Christ dyed he performed the condition of the Covenant Heaven was then purchased and we may aâ— well say we have that now as pardon of sin heforâ— it be committed Ans The Scripture saith we are justified in his bloud and that he hath washed us from our sinnes in his own bloud but the SSâ—ripâ—ture doth not say we have heaven in his bloud and are glorified in his bloud therefore thâ— Reason is not the same The Scripture speakes onely of sinnes past Ans If Christ satisfied onely for the sinne past before his death or onely those we havâ— committed who shall satisfie for the rest wâ— shall hereafter commit the Scripture saithâ— he hath forgiven us all our trespasses pasâ— present and to come is all lesse is not aâ— How past what before Christ suffered whâ— or what satisfied for sinnes since committedâ— if past before we beleeve what satisfieth 〈◊〉 purgeth us after conversion will our workâ— doe it We put a difference between the salve in tâ— Surgeons box and the healing of the wound Ans So doe we yet say His stripes healed 〈◊〉 Some whose sinnes Christ 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 unwashed Zach. 13. 1. Ans Zach. 13. 1. was a