slain for us he is become the Righteousness of God to and for men and so is set forth in the Gospel of God as he is therein declared to be the forgiver of sins and justifier of them that believe in him upon the account of the Righteousness wrought and compleated in and by him And so he is or in him is held forth to us men the Righteousness of Faith or the Righteousness which is of God by Faith as it 's diversly tearmed that is to say through and by vertue of Christ and the Righteousness performed by him whosoever gives credit to his Testimony and believeth looketh to and stayeth upon him are accepted for righteous in the presence of God though in themselves and with respect to the Righteousness given them in Adam they be sinful and defiled creatures and shall be dealt with as righteous persons in abiding in him and shall have the grace and spirit of God administred to them also both to justifie them in their Consciences and effect in them righteous frames and affections conforming them to God and fitting them for his Kingdom All which also depend upon the Righteousness of Christ to be performed to and in them But this Righteousness comes not to and upon men as the righteousness of the first man should have done had he stood for that should have been by Propagation Rom. 5.17 but this by Spiritual Regeneration free Gift and Imputation and is received by men in coming in to him and being born to and of him of the faith and knowledge of him and of God as manifested in and by him The Righteousness wrought by Christ â—om 3.22 23 24 25. 5.17 18 19 20 21. and that is in Christ is indeed for and to all men to justification of life both so as to justifie exempt or free them from being held under the first judgement or condemnation so as to perish therein and so as to give them life and righteousness in Christ as a thing prepared for them and ready to be in their closing with him imparted to them But it come upon cloaths and makes righteous so as to gracious acceptation and title to the Kingdom and Inheritance promised only those who receive and believe in him SECT 4. Of two kinds of Sin 4. THere is also a twofold consideration of Sin with reference to these two men and the Covenants made with men in and by them The one is natural to us the root and original of which was voluntary to Adam and this stood in the breaking the Law he was under and it is transmitted to us as his righteousness had he stood should have been by propagation so as we come sinners into the world and under the sentence of Death Rom. 5.13 14 Rom. 3.9 10 19 23. as is evident in Children that sin not after the similitude of Adams transgression and so not by imitation and yet do dye And this sin also brings forth and necessitates men naturally to innumerable sins actual sins that stand in the breach of Gods law according to which all have sinned and as they grow up do sin continually till and further then by grace they be prevented and inabled to do better The second kind of sin was not found in the second man the Lord Jesus 1 Pet. 2.22 2 Cor. 5.21 for he had no sin in him nor on him but other mens he never did sin nor was guile found in his mouth but it is found in particular men against the second man and against God in him and the law of grace held forth by him not in him against the law given to him and imposed upon him for making attonement for and ransoming men from under the judgment of the former kind of sin which law he fulfilled to perfection And it is a sinning after the similitude of Adams transgression Rom. 5.14 Hos 6.7 though not simply against the first Covenant but against the second too viz. that in Christ for men hating the light when it comes John 3.19 20. 5.40 8.44 Prov. 1.24 25. Psal 81.11 12. and loving darkness rather not coming to Christ for life when called in a word the rejecting Christ and putting him away that 's the original and bottom of it preferring Satan sin and the world before him and refusing to be healed and saved by him And this is the condemning kind of sin the retaining natural corruption against the light and grace of Christ coming to save men from it and the chusing to do Satans will rather than Christs And though this kind of sin comes not to men from any publick root of mankind as the first doth but is received from Satan and committed by men in their particular persons to which through original corruption may apt yet in the seasons of Gods grace it necessitates not yea and though Christ did not primarily and directly in his first stepping in to ransome us come to take away this kind of sin as the former it being consequential to his coming to ransom us and to his bringing grace and salvation to us yet from this sin also he hath by the superabundancy of his Merit Rom. 5.16 and the worth of his Obedience and righteousness received power and authority to justifie and save us and doth forgive it to men and save them from it if upon convincement of it during the day of Gods grace they be prevailed with to own or confess it and repent of it turning in to him with whom there is plenteousness of Redemption for that purpose as was before shewed SECT 5. Of two General Judgements besides Particular ones 5. NOw answerable to those two kinds of sin we find mentioned too in the Gospel Doctrine two General Judgements passing upon all men the first passing upon all men in one man before any man was born to him of which the Apostle saith Rom. 5.16 18. the judgement was of one offence to condemnation and was upon all men to condemnation And this was for sin of the first kind Adams sin and the sin of all men as in him and as made sinners and so necessitated to sin by him and this was the judgement threatned before his sin separation and banishment from the presence of God and there through death in soul and body though after the fall pronounced mitigatedly through the interposure of the second man and it was upon all men the same not to some one way to some another way but to all alike and to condemnation as in the Scriptures above quoted Now the weight of this judgement was executed upon Christ John 12.31 the judgement of this world was upon him when he was sorrowful unto death What is through Christ ordered to men 〈◊〉 is for testimony of Gods displeasure against sin indeed but in such a way as none shall perish everlastingly therein being for nurturing men to look to Christ and God in Christ and so to lay hold of the everlasting life
3.21 John 1.49 Rom. 1.7 1 Cor. 1.3 Matth. 28.20 Heb. 2.18 5.10 7.1 2 Ephes 5.25 26. Luk. 22.29 30. not onely Lord of all Men and Creatures but also King of the Nations general and of the Saints peculiarly The Law-giver to Men and to take the care of all ordering the Kingdom of God amongst and for them as best stands with his wisdom and their good while it is a Day of Salvation to them But especially as a King over his Subjects to take care of protect govern and defend them supplying all grace to them who hear his Voice as the Great Prophet and submit to his Kingdom Support them in Temptations and Afflictions Subdue their Enemies Fight their Battels hear and grant their Petitions subdue their Corruptions sanctifie them by his Spirit raise them from Death and give them glorious Kingdom and Inheritance 3. To be the Great High Priest Heb. 2.17 and 3.1 7. 1 Tim. 2.5 1 John 2.2 Luk. 24.46 47 48. Act. 17.30 31. Heb. 10.19 20 21. Psa 68.18 19 20. Isa 53.12 Luk. 23.34 Psal 119.4 to which by the offering up of his mo◠precious Body a spotless Sacrifice and by the Oath of God he was Consecrated and therein to be the Great Mediator 〈◊〉 God and Men the standing Propitiation for the Sins both of those that believe 〈◊〉 him and of the whole World That so to the world in general during the day of his Grace and Patience towards them respectively that door of Life opened and liberty for their Repenting and going back to God and opportunity in so doing of finding Mercy and Acceptance with him with means mercy and grace preventing them to inable and lead the◠thereto procured by his Death and Sacrifice for them might by his presentation of the same unto God his Father and Mediation or Intercession for Transgresson in the Vertues thereof made by him be kept open and continued to them so a◠that they not speedily listening to hi◠Voice as the Great Prophet and obeying him as the King and their sinning against the grace and goodness of God extended to them by him might not pull down Wrath upon them to the Reprobating and destroying of them But God might yet be patient toward them and be yet calling reproving striving with them by his Spirit using means and waiting with much long-suffering and goodness for their Conversion with respect to which Psal 68.18 he is said having led captivity captive to have received gifts in the man not onely for men as men simply considered in their First Fallen Estate but for the Rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell amongst them Whence they also are yet laded with Benefits and meet with manifold Salvations and Deliverances He as the Propitiation for them Gen. 6.3 Eccles 3.1 2 3. 2 Cor. 6.1 2. Rom. 2.4 5 6. Psal 68.21 covering them from the wrath of God so as their sins are not so minded before him as that he therefore casts them away and destroys them which Propitiation I say he is for them so long as he pleases that a day of Grace should be afforded them there being for every purpose an appointed time A time to love and a time to hate a day of grace and a day of vengeance to those that go on still in their trespasses till the day of grace be expired As appears in the Parable of the barren Fig-tree Luk. 13.6 7 8 9 c. Let it alone saith the great Vine-dresser this year also till I dig about with Chastisements and dung it with renewed benefits and if it bring forth fruit well but if not then afterwards thou shalt cut it down For Believers 1 John 2.1 2. Col. 1.21 22 23. Heb. 7.25 Acts 10.43 1 Pet. 2.5 Rev. 8.3 4 5. Heb. 5.1 2 3. 9.15 Eph. 5.25 26 27. 1 John 1.7 9. He is the Propitiation and Advocate to present them in himself as Righteous and to make their persons acceptable unto God obtaining for them the Dispensation of the Forgiveness of their Sins and whatever favour or Blessing may be fit and good for them even Grace and Glory Perfuming their Prayers and Praises with the odour of his own Sacrifice and so offering up Sanctifying and making acceptable their Gifts and Sacrifices taking away the Iniquities of their holy Things so as that through his Mediation no failings in their Faith and Love no mixtures cleaving to their Services no follies or failings of theirs through Temptation repented of may deprive them of the promised Inheritance 4. He is also appointed Judge of Quick Acts 10.42 2 Cor. 5.10 John 5.21 22 23. Rev. 1.5 3.7.19 and Dead All Authority is given him to Execute Judgment also both here to Absolve Acquit and Justifie from Sin and Condemnation even due to Men for and deserved by such Sins as they have committed against God's grace and goodness extended to them He hath power to unloose upon their Repenting such Bonds and take off such Punishments as they had brought upon themselves by their so sinning as also to bind or retain their Sins and order and inflict what Punishments he pleases upon them until they Repent and that both upon the Unconverted World that Believe not and upon his own Subjects that Sin against him Job 33.16 17 28 29. Lam. 2.33 Psa 75.8 Isa 1.4 5. 9.13 27.9 1 Pet. 4.16 17. 1 Cor. 11.30 31. But the Judgments now ordered through and by him who is Mediator are during the day of Grace to all full of Mercy the cup in his hand is full of mixture and tend to drive men home to God and to keep back their Souls from going down to the Pit by breaking their Enterprises and hideing Pride from them though yet some of them be smarter and sorer than others Rev. 21.2 Luke 13.9 24 25 26. 2 Thes 2 10 11 12. Jam. 4.12 Rom. 14.9 John 5.28.29 Matt. 25.31 34 41 46. 16. 27 28. 1 Thess 4.14 15 16 17. 2 Thess 1.7 8 9. Rev. 20.11 13 14. 21. 22. 1 6. Matth. 8.29 Jud. 1.6 for he hath power to let loose Satan upon men to bind harden or otherwise to buffet or affright and vex them and to let out evil men too one against another or against his People that Believe to judge exercise and try them Yea he hath Power for mens Rebellions persisted in to cease mediating for them and so to turn the Keys of the Kingdom against them put an end to his Patience give them up to strong Delusions and to Destruction For he is able to Save and to Destroy as seems good to him And so also Power as Lord and Judge over the Dead too to raise them up and finally Judge them at the Last Day both by Pronouncing Sentence upon them and Executing it also when Pronounced To which purpose he is appointed to and shall come again from Heaven in the glory of the Father with all his mighty Angels to
teach and lead him pour out his Spirit to him make known his Words shew them the Mysteries of his Kingdom which are not for People one or other till they turn at his Reproofs and be in some measure Discipled to him They that reject him wink with the Eye and will not see stop the Ear least they should hear and understand and be converted shall not have his Secrets and Mysteries opened to them for them Christ prays not the Father to give that Dispensation of Spirit for leading them into all Truth filling them with his Consolations and Satisfactions and fitting them to be Lights to others Joh. 17.9 Nor are they yet capable while unturned to him of receiving it of him Psal 25.8 9 12 14 Ezek. 43.10 11. John 14 15 16 17 21 23. Joh. 14.17 But his Secret is promised to be with them that fear him and that he will shew them his Covenant guide them in Judgment teach them his ways give them a farther and more exact knowledge of the Form of his House and the fashion thereof the goings out thereof and the comings in thereof even a more distinct and experimental knowledge for he will manifest himself to them and give them the Spirit of Truth to abide 2 Cor. 6.16 17. John 4.14 and dwell with and in them and so will thereby dwell in them and be a spring of Living Waters by his Spirit and Spiritual Understanding given them 1 Cor. 12.7 springing up in them unto Everlasting life Filling them with his Vertues Matth. 5.13 14 15 16. 1 Pet. 2.10 12. Eph. 4.7 14 15. John 10.2 3 4. Levit. 26.11 12. 2 Cor. 2.14 15 16. and furnishing them with such useful Gifts as by which they may in some way or other be profitable to others both in the World and in the Church as the Salt of the Earth as the Light of the World and as Members in the Body of Christ in their places and capacities useful for the glorifying of God and provoking men to seek and glorifie him too and for furthering the growth of them that believe in their exercise of themselves in which gifts with sobriety and faithfulness and walking in his vertues He also will go forth with them walk in and amongst them direct guide help and bless them in all their out-goings towards God in seeking him praying to him and praising of him trusting in and submitting to him and in all their walkings by his grace amongst men so to bless them and render them a blessing to and amongst them 4. 1 John 1.7 9. Eph. 5.25 26 27. Jer. 31.31 32 33 34. 32.40 41 42. John 8.32 36. 1 Tim. 4.18 That He will cleanse them from their Corruptions and Subdue them in them so as they shall not have Dominion over them nor shall they unless they wilfully chuse it Serve and Obey them Yea in following on to seek and know him He will so mould their wills into his will and put his fear into their hearts as to take away their will of sining and inlarge them to run the ways of righteousness with delight according to the riches of his glorious grace and wisdom so keeping them to the Inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom 5. That to that end Joh. 10.28 29. Ezek. 34.24 25. 37.24 25 26. Gen. 15.1 Psal 84.11 48.3 12 13 14. John 16.33 Isa 43.1 2. He will take special care over them as a shepherd over his Flock lead them into Unity with all his Holy Ones and therein also nourish and feed them with Knowledge and Understanding be a Shield to them against Satan and his Temptations and against the World its fury rage and oppositions be with them in all Adversities their God and Guide to and in Death strengthning and supporting them under all their Sufferings and unto all their Services he calls them to Administring to them sweet and seasonable Consolations and Deliverances 6. Yea Matth. 6.33 Psal 34.9 10. John 15.1 3 7 2 Cor. 1.8 9. that He will also feed them with Food convenient for them even with what he sees good for them in the matters of this Life and nurture them with seasonable and faithful Reproofs and Chastisements and be wanting in nothing to them that may make for their good and happiness Such things the Gospel holds forth as matter to be hoped for in and through Christ in listening to and obeying him in this Life 2. For the Life to come it holds forth wholly as matter of Hope 1. That Christ will himself in due time come again from Heaven Coll. 3.4 in the Glory of God and of all his Holy Angels to compleat their Happiness To which end 2. Tit. 2.13 1 Thess 4.14 15 16. Rom. 8.23 Phil. 3.21 Act. 3.19 20. 1 Thess 4.15 16. That he will raise up all such at his Coming as have dyed in the Faith of him and change the then living Believers fashioning their now vile Body into the likeness of his Glorious Body free them from all their Sins Sorrows Fears Dangers and Temptations in a full and perfect Redemption and Salvation 3. Rev. 11.17 Luke 22.28 29 30. 1 Cor. 6.2 Coll. 3.3 4. Rev 5.10 20.4 5 6. That then he will make to himself his great Power and Reign The Kingdoms of this World shall become the Kingdoms of God and Christ and then also they who have owned and believed on him and followed him in Temptations and Sufferings shall be glorifyed with him and Reign in Glory Judging the World with Christ and as Kings and Priests Reign with him upon Earth a Thousand Years and Minister before him with unspeakable Happiness 4. Isa 66.14 15. a Pet. 3.7 10 12. Act. 3.20 21. Rom. 8.19 20 21.22 That to that end of his Coming He shall destroy all the Wicked of the Earth take away their Power and Glory from them and burn up the Earth with the Works thereof and make all things New A new heaven and a new earth in which dwells righteousness 2 Pet. 3.7 10 11 12 13. Isa 65.17 In which Christ and his Saints and Servanss which have been faithful to him shall Reign together As in Rev. 21. and 22. 1 Cor. 13.10 11 12. 5. That then they shall enjoy Peace and Joy without mixture of Sorrow Oppression or Trouble have a perfect Knowledge of Christ and God in Christ so as not to need to be taught by one another ever injoy the presence and see the face of Christ and God in Christ that Lamb of God that was Slain for them Rev. 5.9 10. Exod. 12. Rev. 21.4 5 6 7. Jer. 31.33 34. Heb. 8.10 11 12. 1 Thess 4.16 17. Rev. 7.16 17. 22.1 2 3 4. and Redeemed them by his Blood unto God from the Kindreds of the Earth by the sprinkling it upon them also as in the Redemption of Israel out of Aegypt that they might serve him and be Kings and Priests unto God and himself And he
observed the Passover in remembrance of their deliverance out of Egypt and as a type of his own suffering presently to follow and of the Redemption of mankind thereby The matter and outward rites of it namely the taking blessing breaking and giving Bread to his Disciples bidding them to take and eat it and telling them it was his Body broken for them as likewise his taking and blessing the Cup or Wine and bidding them drink it telling them that Cup was the New Testament in his Blood being also dear significations of his Body broken for 〈◊〉 and his Blood shed for us as he also himself informeth us and the end of it being by himself expressed to be the remembrance of him what more clear than that our Lord and Saviour hereby sets before us that he Christ as come in â—he flesh and his Body as broken with sorrows and sufferings for our sins to the Death is the true Bread of Life and that the believing mindfulness thereof and of the love testified therein is the way for us to be nourished up in the hope of Eternal Life and to be strengthned to serve God by him and suffer with and for him And also that his blood as shed his Sufferings and Sacrifice as indured and presented unto God for us and hath obtained for us the remission of our sins and confirmed the promises of God for giving us forgiveness the Holy Spirit and Eternal Life and the love and grace of God and Christ therein testified towards us is Drink indeed fit to exhilerate and chear the heart more than the choisest Wine and to fill it with Spiritual Consolations As also that he would hereby instrict us to love one another as Brethren and as he hath loved us walking together as partakers of the same grace and laying down our selves for the good of one another as he hath given us example Neither doth this Ordinance witness to any goodness in us though we in eating and drinking together in remembrance of Christ do therein profess our belief of those things therein set before us and oblige our selves to cleave to him and one another but rather of our want and sitter inability to live in the favour and service of God but by the faith of Jesus and so by him as yielding therein conâ—â—â—al nourishment and strength to us And therefore also though it behoves men to come and Eat and Drink worthily meetly and so as becomes the grace in the Ordinance set before us even Communion with the Body and Blood of Christ that is to say to have our hearts minding the grace set before us and to consider and owne our own vileness and unworthiness as therein discovered to us that we may neither be puft up in our selves or Eat by virtue of any goodness or worthiness found in us or be puft up one against another yet it is to be exposed to and pertook of by all that profess the Name of Christ and that seek salvation by him being capable of discerning the Lords Body and the grace therein set before them in some measure and so of examining themselves according thereunto Yea the Baptised and Professors of Christs Name are to be instructed and called upon to remember the grace of God in Christ towards them and not because of weakness to be kept there from for which we have no president to warrant us only in case any after profession of Christ and desire to seek him do walk scandalously such are to be withdrawn from and may be secluded for a time till they be ashamed and confess their fault and at least profess repentance of the same as well for their amendmendment as also to vindicate the Society of Worshippers from the scandal of alowing and tolerating evil doers in their prophaness and evil living This Ordinance also instituted but the night before Christs suffering is to be continued till his coming again even till he come in the Clouds of Heaven to raise the Dead and to take his Servants into fellowship with himself in his Glorious Kingdom in which they shall be ever with him and eat and drink of his Consolations with him for ever Till then his Death never to be forgotten nor then neither because of the great Testimony of His and his Fathers Love and the great Procurer of all our good and happiness but till then it is in this Ordinance to be remembred and shewed forth by us And these two Ordinances Baptism and the Supper are what he hath appointed to us since his coming in the flesh to be generally observed and practised by us his Death and Resurrection having put a period at least as to us Gentiles to all the rest before observed by the Jews As for prayer and thanksgiving and the like they were in force at all times and so will be at least till Christs coming again if not after also its sure thanksgiving will And its clear they have as now to be performed their foundation in Christ and what he hath done and is become for us and are to be offered up through him unto God in and by his Spirit but because these are not instituted with any visible Rites to signifie the Grace of Christ to us except kneeling and lifting up our hands and eyes to Heaven be judged such which yet are not commanded though commendably practised implying our â—â—se of our own vileness and our humbling of our selves before God and hope in his mercy but rather are exercises that the sense of our own wants and belief of Gods goodness and grace leads us as it were naturally to I shall not say any thing more to them but after I have a little digressed to take notice of the rabuses of these Ordinances too generally through mistake observable in all ages I shall speak a little of the other way of Gods witnessing to his truth and so conclude this Chapter also SECT 9. Of the too General mistake of the mind of God in his Ordinances and mens abuse of them in all Ages ZEal is good if it be ordered with discretion and guided by right judgement and understanding otherwise it is very hurtful it being like fire which kept within its bounds and discreetly ordered is very useful but out of its due place is often very damageable kept within the Hearth it 's serviceable but in the Thatch destructive Now zeal is then right and profitable when it springs from and is ordered by the knowledge of God 〈◊〉 and Christ and so is mainly for and 〈◊〉 bout the great matters of his Law Judâ—ment and the Love of God as Luke 11. 〈◊〉 but when those things are not known regarded but the eagerness of the Spiâ— is exercised and spends it self about thâ— superstructures and matters of lesser mâ—ment it produces no good Fruit but tenâ— to much Confusion onely And yet heâ— generally hath this been and yet is thâ— way of the World even of those that wâ— be or seem to be some bodies
swear against us Psal 95.7.8 9 10 11. that we shall not enter into his Rest Or to say as Ezek. 24.13 Because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged therefore thou shalt be purged no more till I cause my fury to rest upon thee needful it is that we be instructed or receive his instructions that his Soul leave us not Jer. 6.8 Joh. 15.5 for then wo to us For without him we can do nothing CHAP. XI Some Scriptures considered whence some gather either that God works all things good and bad in Men or so works all that 's good as to Necessitate mens well-working irresistibly or so as to confound mens workings with Gods in them SECT 1. Philip. 2.12 13. Considered and that Gods working in Men the to will and to do doth not necessitate the working out exhorted to VErily what we have said of Gods Operations might be of use to take the Apostles counsel Philip. 2.12 13. To work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling seeing it is God that is the worker in us of the to will and to do of good pleasure The meaning of the Apostle in which also may be understood both how God works in us to will and to do and how it behoves us therefore to work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling by what is already written Yet because some do make use of this Scripture that God so works the to will and the to do as to inforce and necessitate the whole working out of their Salvation in Gods working in them God working all in them that he requires of them so as there is nothing required of them distinct from his Operations in them contrary to what was noted above I shall therefore take it into particular consideration And say 1. That conceit cannot stand with the Apostles scope in writing nor the things implyed therein nor with other Scripture expressions For 1. If God so work the to will and the to do or to be Operative as necessarily to include the whole working out exhorted to then was there no need for Paul to take any care about it either that they might be blameless or harmless or that they might shine as lights holding forth the word of life or least he should run in vain or labour in vain concerning them which seems to be this scope in thus writing to them and exhorting them to lead and help them forward to such blamelesness and that he might have fruit in his labours for them for none of those things he exhorts to or mentions as the end of that his exhortation could possibly be wanting in them if God so wrought in them the to will and the to do as necessarily to effect theâ— nor could the thing he would not have happen come to pass except God should cease working in them and in that case all his care and writing could do them no good nor contribute any the least furtherance to them nor could they possibly provoke God to leave them and withdraw from them his working in them forasmuch as during the time of his working in them the to will and the to do they must according to that conception of it both will and do and work out their Salvation and so there could be nothing to displease him except the very inhaerency of corruption in them and its proper lustings against him and his grace which yet while God so works could not hinder God's so working and so by consequence not their working out he working that also effectually and necessarily in his working in them And therefore why should it or how can it be conceived it should move him to cease his working in them Seeing also that he imputes it not to men that Sin is in them and wars against them or what they do by meer force of that so as it is not they but Sin that dwels in them as is implyed Rom. 7.16 17 20. and 8.1 2. Nay then the Apostles Exhortation to them had been needless seeing they could not do otherwise though he had not exhorted them it being supposed That God did work in them the to will and the to do what his grace believed moved them to before this Epistle came to them much less should he have exhorted them To have wrought out their Salvation with fear and trembling and that upon that account that God works in them to will and do if his so working in them contain in it and necessarily include their working out their own Salvation For 2. In so exhorting them there is implyed by him both that there was something for them to do which they had liberty and power given them to do and which was needful for them to do and also that there was some possibility either by not doing it or by not doing it so as they ought they might provoke God to displeasure against them and so to withdraw his workings in them Why else should they work out their Salvation with fear and trembling But if God's working in them to will and do do include and contain within his proper operation their very working out to then is there nothing for them to be exhorted to the ground of the Exhortation containing in it the matter exhorted to much less could there be any room for fear or trembling least they should grieve him the possibility of that being taken away by the manner of God's working in them according to that conception he should according to that have rather said Ye must work it out and cannot but work with much assurance and rejoycing yea without all fear of any possibility of offending 3. Nor is it consistent with other Scripture sayings which mention the manner of his operations or imply it as that Rom. 6.12 Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies that ye should fulfil the lusts thereof neither yeild your selves instruments of unrighteousness to sin but yeild your selves unto God for sin shall not have dominion over you c. Where the Apostle plainly implys That God by his Grace so takes away the Dominion of Sin where his grace is not put away that sin cannot command and inforce obedience from men but yet neither doth it so necessitate obedience to it self and the resistance of Sin but that it s yet in mens power notwithstanding grace and so Gods working in them to will and to do to yeild their members to Sin which is also working in them and being yeilded to by them will work in them to will and to do what they ought not yea and by so yeilding their Members to it they become subject to it and give it dominion or rule over them and it is put upon them as strengthned and furnished by grace to resist Sin and not to yield to it whence such sayings Abstain from fleshly lusts have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them If ye walk after the flesh ye shall dye but if by the spirit
ye mortifie the Deeds of the body ye shall live c. Which all imply the workings of God in the Believer to be such as do not so take in and necessitate mens working but that they may possibly Sin against him and work evil Yea why else says he Grieve not the holy Spirit of God if God's workings so included and necessitated our workings in his working that we cannot grieve him Beside that it 's an evident case that the holy men in whom God by his Grace and Spirit did work the to will and the to do yet did sin against him and that not meerly of infirmity or for defect of his working but against and contrary to his working in them grieving and quenching him that wrought in them Isa 63 10. as in the case of Davids sinning The Scripture speaks of the condition of the Believer in this matter so as may be fitly represented by the case of Israel of old in respect of the Canaanites when brought into Canaan they had the presenâ— of God with them and such furniture of strength and defence afforded them thereby so as they might have kept them under and it was their own great neglect of improving the advantage of God's presence and help with them who subdued their Enemies under them both giving them will and courage to fight them and in their Fight efficacy of subduing them if they let or suffered them to Reign over them as well as it was great imprudence in respect of themselves yet they might possibly make Leagues and confederate with them and so provoke God to withdraw from them and leave them to their power so as to become Servants and Tributaries to them So it is with the Believer God works in him the to will and the to do in his listening to him and in his strength and furniture of grace given he may mortify Sin and not let it reign in his mortal Body yet this grace doth not work so compulsively and irresistibly or so to inforce and work his obedience to it as that he cannot neglect it and by neglecting it confederate with Sin and provoke God to withdraw himself and leave him to Sins Dominion God indeed gives more grace yea more than there is naturally power in envy or other lusts in the Carnal Spirit to make us serve them such as by which we might deny them service and resist them yea mortifie and keep them under though not be without molestation from them as we would and therefore God faults and resists men that yet lift up themselves and will serve their proud or envious humours Jam. 4.5 6 7. So that it seems notwithstanding more grace given them men may possibly yield themselves servants to their Corruptions that have less power in them to enforce their obedience yea and that 's ' the reason God is displeased with men that they serve them was there not more power in God's grace to help them against them then in their corruptions to inslave them they would not be so obnoxious to or worthy of Wrath from God but rather would be pitied and helped by him except where having put away more grace they are inslaved again by their Corruption God withdrawing from them But if God so wrought in men their willings and doings as in the Conception at first mentioned there could be no possibility of any believer to fail of doing God's will but by God's meer voluntary first-leaving him no possibility of letting Sin have dominion over them or grieving the Spirit and so neither ground or need of any of these or the like Exhortations SECT 2. How God works by exhortations and whether his working in men to will and to do is by and through the exhortation to â—k out their Salvation Object EXception is hereunto made That though God work so as above to necessitate mens workings out too yet exhortations to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling and not to grieve the Spirit and the like are nevertheless needful because God worketh those things in men by his exhortations But neither will that stand with the scope of the Scripture above propounded to consideration For. Answ 1. God uses not to principle men by Exhortations but by the discovery of his grace with which he prevents them and puts in principles seeds or capacitates for Operation Psal 9.10 He begets in men a will to trust not by exhorting them meerly to trust but by declaring his Name and causing them to know it and then when he hath so principled them to work or walk c. he uses to exhort men in that power and strength brought to them and given them to work or walk and act forth and by those exhortations further excites and stirs up and puts forward the will or the man to act in those capacities foregiven And in such exhortations he works after the nature of divinely Moral working that is by presenting that to the understanding and judgment which affords rational ground for the willing and doing what he exhorâ—â—o and therefore also usually before or however with those exhortations lays down those grounds and adds such motives which presented to the understanding are as proper means to convey motion to the Soul and excite it to will and do what is exhorted But now the ground or motive here used and presented is such as being interpreted and represented in the sense objected destroys the exhortation and takes away all the motive to it and ground thereof so as that the exhortation can be no means to produce the things exhorted to upon the account of the ground and motive used to inforce it as so understood The exhortation is that they would be always obedient and now much more in the Apostles absence working out their Salvation with fear and trembling which may indeed be a meanes to excite and stir them up to such diligence and obedience with fear and trembling iâ— with all they are made to apprehend need cause and ground for so doing as to say that it being God that works in them to will and to do of good pleasure there is danger least by their negligence and carelessness he may be provoked to withdraw his operations without which they can do nothing and so they may fail of his grace But to represent such a thing as this to the understanding reason and judgment that God doth absolutely and infallibly work so in them to will and to do that he therein also works their working out compleatly and inavoidably so as to leave no room for or possibility of their disobedience or miscarriage in what he requires their working out of is such a ground of security certainty and impossibility of danger oâ— miscarriage as both takes away from the understanding all conception of any need of their diligence and renders it inconceiveable how they should be negligent or disobedient and so leaves no room for their fear and trembling otherwise then as unavoidably it may be
Doctrine or Object of Faith praedicable to all men is not to be measured or judged of by the diversity of the Dispensations of it and operations or things effected with or by it or of the purposes of God for such dispensing it and working with and by it or thought there be difference as to manner or measure or both in them yet the Doctrine in it self is nevertheless as to the Object or Medicine prepared for men and the fulness in him the same for all men and so is God's love in preparing him one the same so as no ground for questioning of or much less concluding against God's love to all or the object or remedy being for all because all have not the same dispensations and operations therethrough afforded them For 1. Some that have no dispensations of revelation here of it nor any operation discernable to or affirmable by us may be and shall be saved by vertue of the Object or Medicine prepared for them as Infants dying in their infancy 2 Sam. 12.13 Jer. 31.29 30. Matth. 19.14 and I think no body will conclude Idiolism or Deafness from the Cradle a sign of Reprobation but rather that where Christ speaks nothing to men or doth nothing amongst them he will not impute sin to them Joh. 15.22 24. though yet he may do more to those kind of persons than we wot on 2. If some that have none than much more such as have less dispensation and operation than others may be saved even when they that have much more abusing them shall perish as the Apostle says If the umcircumcised do by nature that is without added instrustion from the Law the things contained in the Law the Doctrine of God shall not his uncircumcision be counted circumcision And on the contrary the man to whom more was purposed and dispensed both for means and operations in the means breaking the Law not obeying and yielding up to these more instructions and operations his more shall not profit him but aggravate his condemnation for God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness have he more or less dispensations or operations shall be accepted of him His distributions may be unequal or not alike and yet he deals equally and according to one rule in his Retributions respecting or accepting men not according to what they had or received from him and he did to and in them but according to their receipt and improvement of what he gave them Rom. 2.25 26 27. Acts 10.34 2 Cor. 5.10 Yea 3. Many first shall be last and the last first Many first in means least in their acceptance of Gods grace in and through those means and so by consequence in Gods gracious acceptance And many last or least in means first in acceptance both of the grace of God in their hearts and so in their being accepted of and by God in their persons A Prophet is not without honour but in his own Country where they may have most of him Naaman seeks out and accepts the Prophet Elisha though a stranger to him and was healed by him and the poor Widow of Zarepta believes and entertains Eliah as a man of God and was sustained she and her family by him when the generality of the Leapers and Widows of Israel scarce regarded them the Gentiles will often hear acceptably what the Jews to whom the salvation of God was first and chiefly sent reject and make nothing of Acts 28.28 Matth. 8.10 11 12. Luke 4.24 25 26 27. Matth. 19.30 and 20.16 2. Diversities of dispensation and operation Conclus 2. and so of purpose for dispensations are divers testifications of the same love that wrought in God to prepare the object or remedy therein testified of Some do more fully and eminently testifie it than others and the fuller do more abundantly priviledge honour and engage to obedience those to whom they are vouchsafed than the less do yet that diversity clashes not with but diversly flows from and testifies to the universality of the love and grace of God even the same grace that the Doctrine of the Gospel the object of Faith mediately speaks forth unto men yet so as those that have the fuller means of the testification of that grace may be said to be more loved and honoured as well as yea therefore more engaged to Faith and Obedience as to the streamings forth of that love and thereby vouchsafement of advantages for salvation than other men As God's peculiar purposes to Jacob Jeremiah and John Baptist yea and to the Jews and the vouchsafements accordingly given them argued them more loved than other people to whom such vouchsafements were not given not as love signifies either God's approvement of them in their personal consideration in themselves or provision of a remedy for them as falled or good will to save them more than others in their submission to him but as to the giving forth more clear demonstrations of his love and therein choicer honour and means to be brought to know and submit to him and to be instruments of bringing in others thereto also Luke 12.48 Mal. 1.1 2 3. Psal 78.67 68. and 87.2 Exod. 19.4 5 6. Deut. 4.23 24 25 26 27 37. and 7.6 7 8 9 10 11 c. but then as he gave the more to them he required the more again of them nor stood their justification in their having or doing more but in one and the same Righteousness provided for and given to all men Rom. 3.22 and 5.18 in whom any other believing though not so peculiarly honoured and priviledged and in that sense loved as they should and might be equally accepted and justified with them and out of whom none of them could be justified more than any other men out of him The like may be said of diversities of dispensations of gifts and operations to believers after their believing as the making some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists c. they might be sai◠to be more loved as to the addition◠dispensation of honour and priviledg◠and yet but alike and on the same ter◠accepted with others not so lifted up as 〈◊〉 their approbation in the same Beloved 3. Conclus 3. That though some men were more peculiarly favoured and priviledged as to dispensations and operations for bringing them in to God and fitting them to his mind that they might be made more choice instruments for the publick good of others by a stronger and more efficacious and unresistible way of working as without all controversie Jesus Christ as Man of the Seed of David was in a peculiar way above all flesh dignified for the good of all men and so John the Baptist his fore-runner Jeremiah and some others in a more eminent way than the generality of other men as called and chosen to be choice instruments of good to many others yet nevertheless it follows not that the generality of God's people or chosen ones were people