unprofitable unto Life God was pleased to give unto the Elect the Promise of Christ The Seed of the Woman as the means of Calling them and begetting in them Faith and Repentance In this Promise the Gospel as to the substance of it was revealed and was therein Effectual for the Conversion and Salvation of Sinners II. This Promise of Christ and Salvation by him is revealed only in and by the Word of God neither do the Works of Creation or Providence with the Light of Nature make discovery of Christ or of Grace by him so much as in a general or obscure way much less that Men destitute of the Revelation of him by the Promise or Gospel should be enabled thereby to attain Saving Faith or Repentance III. The Revelation of the Gospel unto Sinners made in divers times and by sundry parts with the addition of Promises and Precepts for the Obedience required therein as to the Nations and Persons to whom it is granted is meerly of the Sovereign Will and good Pleasure of God not being annexed by virtue of any Promise to the due Improvement of Mens natural Abilities by virtue of common Light received without it which none ever did make or can so do And therefore in all Ages the Preaching of the Gospel hath been granted unto Persons and Nations as to the extent or straitning of it in great variety according to the counsel of the Will of God. IV. Although the Gospel be the only outward means of revealing Christ and Saving Grace and is as such abundantly sufficient thereunto yet that Men who are dead in Trespasses may be born again quickned or regenerated there is moreover necessary an effectual irresistable Work of the Holy Ghost upon the whole Soul for the producing in them a new Spiritual Life without which no other means are sufficient for their Conversion unto God. CHAP. XXI Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience THE Liberty which Christ hath purchased for Believers under the Gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of Sin the condemning wrath of God the rigor and curse of the Law and in their being delivered from this present evil World bondage to Satan and dominion of Sin from the evil of Afflictions the fear and sting of Death the victory of the Grave and everlasting Damnation as also in their free access to God and their yielding Obedience unto him not out of slavish fear but a Child-like love and willing mind All which were common also to Believers under the Law for the Substance of them but under the New Testament the liberty of Christians is further enlarged in their freedom from the yoak of the Ceremonial Law the whole Legal Administration of the Covenant of Grace to which the Jewish Church was subjected and in greater boldness of access to the Throne of Grace and in fuller Communications of the free Spirit of God than Believers under the Law did ordinarily partake of II. God alone is Lord of the Conscience and hath left it free from the Doctrines and Commandments of Men which are in any thing contrary to his Word or not contained in it so that to believe such Doctrines or to obey such Commands out of Conscience is to betray true Liberty of Conscience and the requiring of an Implicit Faith and an absolute and blind Obedience is to destroy Liberty of Conscience and Reason also III. They who upon pretence of Christian Liberty do practice any Sin or cherish any Lust as they do thereby pervert the main design of the Grace of the Gospel to their own Destruction so they wholly destroy the end of Christian Liberty which is that being delivered out of the Hands of our Enemies we might serve the Lord without fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the days of our Life CHAP. XXII Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day THE Light of Nature sheweth that there is a God who hath Lordship and Sovereignty over all is Just Good and doth good unto all and is therefore to be feared loved praised called upon trusted in and served with all the Heart and all the Soul and with all the Might but the acceptable way of Worshipping the True God is instituted by himself and so limited by his own revealed Will that he may not be Worshipped according to the Imaginations and Devices of Men or the Suggestions of Satan under any visible Representations or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture II. Religious Worship is to be given to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and to him alone not to Angels Saints or any other Creatures and since the Fall not without a Mediator nor in the Mediation of any other but of Christ alone III. Prayer with Thanksgiving being one special part of natural Worship is by God required of all Men but that it may be accepted it is to be made in the Name of the Son by the help of his Spirit according to his Will with Understanding Reverence Humility Fervency Faith Love and Perseverance and when with others in a known Tongue IV. Prayer is to be made for things Lawful and for all sorts of Men living or that shall live hereafter but not for the dead nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the Sin unto death V. The reading of the Scriptures Preaching and hearing the Word of God singing of Psalms as also the Administration of Baptism and the Lord's Supper are all parts of Religious Worship of God to be performed in Obedience unto God with Understanding Faith Reverence and Godly Fear Solemn Humiliations with Fastings and Thanksgiving upon special Occasions are in their several times and seasons to be used in a Holy and Religious manner VI. Neither Prayer nor any other part of Religious Worship is now under the Gospel either tied unto or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed or towards which it is directed but God is to be Worshipped every where in Spirit and Truth as in private Families daily and in secret each one by himself so more solemnly in the publick Assemblies which are not carelesly nor wilfully to be neglected or forsaken when God by his Word or Providence calleth thereunto VII As it is of the Law of Nature that in general a proportion of time by God's Appointment be set apart for the Worship of God so by his Word in a positive moral and perpetual Commandment binding all Men in all Ages he hath particularly appointed one Day in seven for a Sabbath to be kept Holy unto him which from the beginning of the World to the Resurrection of Christ was the last Day of the Week and from the Resurrection of Christ was changed into the first Day of the Week which in Scripture is called the Lord's Day and is to be continued to the end of the World as the Christian Sabbath the Observation of the last Day of the Week being abolished VIII This Sabbath is then kept Holy unto
whole body of Sin is destroyed and the several Lusts thereof are more and more weakned and mortified and they more and more quickned and strengthned in all Saving Graces to the practice of all true Holiness without which no Man shall see the Lord. II. This Sanctification is throughout in the whole man yet imperfect in this life there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part whence ariseth a continual and irreconcileable war the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh III. In which war although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail yet through the continual supply of strength from the Sanctifying Spirit of Christ the Regenerate part doth overcome and so the Saints grow in Grace perfecting Holiness in the fear of God. CHAP. XIV Of Saving Faith. THE Grace of Faith whereby the Elect are inabled to believe to the Saving of their Souls is the Work of the Spirit of Christ in their Hearts and is ordinarily wrought by the Ministry of the Word by which also and by the Administration of the Seals Prayer and other means it is increased and strengthned II. By this Faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word for the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular Passage thereof containeth yielding Obedience to the Commands trembling at the Threatnings and embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come But the principal Acts of Saving Faith are accepting receiving and resting upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and eternal Life by virtue of the Covenant of Grace III. This Faith although it be different in degrees and may be weak or strong yet it is in the least degree of it different in the kind or nature of it as is all other Saving Grace from the Faith and common Grace of temporary Believers and therefore though it may be many times assailed and weakened yet it gets the Victory growing up in many to the attainment of a full Assurance through Christ who is both the author and finisher of our Faith. CHAP. XV. Of Repentance unto Life and Salvation SUch of the Elect as are Converted at riper Years having sometime lived in the state of Nature and therein served divers Lusts and Pleasures God in their Effectual Calling giveth them Repentance unto Life II. Whereas there is none that doth good and sinneth not and the best of Men may through the power and deceitfulness of their Corruptions dwelling in them with the prevalency of Temptation fall into great Sins and Provocations God hath in the Covenant of Grace mercifully provided that Believers so sinning and falling be renewed through Repentance unto Salvation III. This Saving Repentance is an Evangelical Grace whereby a Person being by the Holy Ghost made sensible of the manifold evils of his Sin doth by Faith in Christ humble himself for it with godly Sorrow Detestation of it and self-abhorrency praying for Pardon and strength of Grace with a purpose and endeavour by supplies of the Spirit to walk before God unto all well-pleasing in all things IV. As Repentance is to be continued through the whole course of our Lives upon the account of the body of Death and the motions thereof so it is every Mans Duty to repent of his particular known Sins particularly V. Such is the Provision which God hath made through Christ in the Covenant of Grace for the Preservation of Believers unto Salvation that although there is no sin so small but it deserves Damnation yet there is no sin so great that it shall bring Damnation on them who truly Repent which makes the constant Preaching of Repentance necessary CHAP. XVI Of Good Works GOod Works are only such as God hath commanded in his Holy Word and not such as without the warrant thereof are devised by Men out of blind Zeal or upon any pretence of good Intentions II. These Good Works done in Obedience to Gods Commandments are the Fruits and Evidences of a true and lively Faith and by them Believers manifest their Thankfulness strengthen their Assurance edifie their Brethren adorn the Profession of the Gospel stop the mouths of the Adversaries and glorifie God whose workmanship they are Created in Christ Jesus thereunto that having their Fruit unto Holiness they may have the End eternal Life III. Their Ability to do Good Works is not at all of themselves but wholly from the Spirit of Christ And that they may be enabled thereunto besides the Graces they have already received there is required an actual Influence of the same Holy Spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good Pleasure yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent as if they were not bound to perform any Duty unless upon a special Motion of the Spirit but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the Grace of God that is in them IV. They who in their Obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this Life are so far from being able to supererogate and to do more than God requires as that they fall short of much which in Duty they are bound to do V. We cannot by our best Works merit pardon of Sin or eternal Life at the hand of God by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the Glory to come and the infinite distance that is between us and God whom by them we can neither profit nor satisfie for the debt of our former Sins but when we have done all we can we have done but our Duty and are unprofitable Servants and because as they are good they proceed from his Spirit and as they are wrought by us they are defiled and mixed with so much Weakness and Imperfection that they cannot endure the severity of Gods Judgment VI. Yet notwithstanding the Persons of Believers being accepted through Christ their good Works also are accepted in him not as though they were in this Life wholly unblameable and unreproveable in Gods sight but that he looking upon them in his Son is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere although accompanied with many Weaknesses and Imperfections VII Works done by unregenerate Men although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands and of good Use both to themselves and to others yet because they proceed not from a Heart purified by Faith nor are done in a right manner according to the Word nor to a right end the glory of God they are therefore sinful and cannot please God nor make a Man meet to receive Grace from God and yet their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God. CHAP. XVII Of the Perseverance of the Saints THey whom God hath accepted in his beloved Son effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of Grace but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally
Natures by each Nature doing that which is proper to it self yet by reason of the Unity of the Person that which is proper to one Nature is sometimes in Scripture attributed to the Person denominated by the other Nature VIII To all those for whom Christ hath purchased Redemption he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same making Intercession for them and revealing unto them in and by the Word the Mysteries of Salvation effectually perswading them by his Spirit to believe and obey and governing their Hearts by his Word and Spirit overcoming all their Enemies by his Almighty Power and Wisdom in such manner and ways as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable Dispensation CHAP. IX Of Free Will. GOD hath endued the Will of Man with that natural Liberty and Power of acting upon Choice that it is neither forced nor by any absolute necessity of Nature determined to do good or evil II. Man in his state of Innocency had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well-pleasing to God but yet mutably so that he might fall from it III. Man by his Fall into a state of Sin hath wholly lost all ability of Will to any spiritual good accompanying Salvation so as a natural Man being altogether averse from that good and dead in sin is not able by his own strength to convert himself or to prepare himself thereunto IV. When God converts a Sinner and translates him into the state of Grace he freeth him from his natural bondage under sin and by his Grace alone inables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good yet so as that by reason of his remaining Corruption he doth not perfectly nor only Will that which is good but doth also Will that which is evil V. The Will of Man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone in the state of Glory onely CHAP. X. Of Effectual Calling ALL those whom God hath predestinated unto Life and those only he is pleased in his appointed and accepted time effectually to call by his Word and Spirit out of that state of Sin and Death in which they are by Nature to Grace and Salvation by Jesus Christ inlightning their Minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God taking away their heart of stone and giving unto them an heart of flesh renewing their Wills and by his Almighty Power determining them to that which is good and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ yet so as they come most freely being made willing by his Grace II. This Effectual Call is of Gods free and special Grace alone not from any thing at all foreseen in Man who is altogether passive therein untill being quickned and renewed by the Holy Spirit he is thereby enabled to answer this Call and to embrace the Grace offered and conveyed in it III. Elect Infants dying in Infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ who worketh when and where and how he pleaseth so also are all other elect persons who are uncapable of being outwardly called by the Ministry of the Word IV. Others not elected although they may be called by the Ministry of the Word and may have some common operations of the Spirit yet not being effectually drawn by the Father they neither do nor can come unto Christ and therefore cannot be saved much less can men not professing the Christian Religion be saved in any other way whatsoever be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the Light of Nature and the Law of that Religion they do profess And to assert and maintain that they may is very pernicious and to be detested CHAP. XI Of Justification THose whom God effectually calleth he also freely justifieth not by infusing righteousness into them but by pardoning their sins and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christs sake alone nor by imputing Faith it self the act of believing or any other Evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness but by imputing Christs active obedience unto the whole law and passive Obedience in his death for their whole and sole Righteousness they receiving and resting on him and his Righteousness by Faith which Faith they have not of themselves it is the gift of God. II. Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his Righteousness is the alone Instrument of Justification yet it is not alone in the Person justified but is ever accompanied with all other saving Graces and is no dead Faith but worketh by Love. III. Christ by his Obedience and Death did fully discharge the Debt of all those that are justified and did by the Sacrifice of himself in the Blood of his Cross undergoing in their stead the penalty due unto them make a proper real and full Satisfaction to Gods Justice in their behalf Yet in as much as he was given by the Father for them and his Obedience and Satisfaction accepted in their stead and both freely not for any thing in them their Justification is only of Free Grace that both the exact Justice and rich Grace of God might be glorified in the Justification of Sinners IV. God did from all eternity decree to justifie all the Elect and Christ did in the fulness of time Dye for their Sins and rise again for their Justification Nevertheless they are not justified personally until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ unto them V. God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified and although they can never fall from the state of Justification yet they may by their Sins fall under Gods fatherly displeasure and in that Condition they have not usually the Light of his Countenance restored unto them until they humble themselves confess their Sins beg Pardon and renew their Faith and Repentance VI. The Justification of Believers under the Old Testament was in all these respects one and the same with the Justification of Believers under the New Testament CHAP. XII Of Adoption ALL those that are justified God vouchsafeth in and for his onely Son Jesus Christ to make partakers of the Grace of Adoption by which they are taken into the number and enjoy the Liberties and Priviledges of the Children of God have his Name put upon them receive the Spirit of Adoption have Access to the Throne of Grace with boldness are enabled to cry Abba Father are pitied protected provided for and chastened by him as by a Father yet never cast off but sealed to the day of Redemption and inherit the Promises as Heirs of everlasting Salvation CHAP. XIII Of Sanctification THey that are united to Christ effectually called and regenerated having a new Heart and a new Spirit created in them through the vertue of Christ's Death and Resurrection are also further Sanctified really and personally through the same Vertue by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them the dominion of the