saved by Faith as we are Heb. 11.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. Gal. 3.10 13. Acts 11.16 17. Rom. 9.31 32 33. 5. Yea the Law was no lesse a Letter of condemnation to them then to us Rom. 8.3 Rom. 10.3 Deut. 27.26 Gal. 3.10 13. 2 Cor. 3 7 8.13.14 15. 6. They dranke of the same spirituall Rocke with uâ— and the Rocke was Christ 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. Heb. 13.8 and were saved by grace as well as we Acts 15.11 2. It 's true Josiahs tendernesse of heart Davids smiting of heart the Womans weeping even to the washing of Christs fâ—et with teares Peters weeping bitterly for the denying of his Lord as they were woundings and Gospel-affections and commotions of love issuing from the Spirit of adoption of love grace and nothing but the Turtles love-sorrow so it is most false that they were no soule trouble for sinne as if these had beene freed from all Law of God and these soule-commotions were not from any sense of the curse or the Law or any demands of Law to pay what justice may demand of the selfe-condemned sinner yet were they acts of soule-trouble for sin as sin and it shall never follow that the parties were under no transgression and no law because under no obligement to eternall wrath for such an obligation to eternall wrath is no chain which can tye the sons of adoption who are washed justified pardoned and yet if the justified and pardoned say they have no sin and so no reason to complaine under their fetters and sigh as captives in prison as Paul doth Rom. 7.24 nor cause to mourne for in-dwelling of sin they are liars and strangers to their owne heart and doe sleep in deep security as if sin were so fully removed both in guilt and blot as if tears for sin as sin should argue the mourning party to be in the condition of those who weep in hell or that they were no more obliged to weep yea by the contrary to exercise no such affection but joy comfort and perpetuated acts of solace and rejoycing as if Christ had in the threshold of glory with his owne hand wiped all teares from their eyes already 3. Nor see I any reason why any should affirme That the Law is naturally as a party in the soule of the either regenerate and justified or of those who are out of Christ. 1. For the Law 's in-dwelling as a party ingaging by accusing and condemning is not naturally in any sonne of Adam because there is a sleeping conscience both dumbe and silent naturally in the soule and if there be any challenging and accusing in the Gentile-conscience Rom. 2. as stirring is opposed to a silent and dumb conscience that speaketh nothing so the Law-accusing is not naturally in the soule a spirit above nature I doe not meane the Spirit of regeneration must work with the Law else both the Law and sin lie dead in the soule the very law of nature lieth as a dead letter and stirreth not except some wind blow more or lesse on the soule Rom. 7.8 9. 2. That the Law wakeneth any sinner and maketh the drunken and mad sinner see himselfe in the sea and sailing down the river to the chambers of death that hee may but be occasioned to cast an eye on shore on Jesus Christ and wish a landing on Christ is a mercy that no man can father on nature or on himselfe 3. All sense of a sinfull condition to any purpose is a work above nature though it be not ever a fruit of regeneration 4. It s true Christ teacheth a mans soule through the shining of Gospel-light to answer all the enditements of the Law in regard that Christ the Ransomer stops the Law 's mouth with bloud else the sinner can make but a poore and faint advocation for himselfe yet this cannot be made in the conscience without some soule-trouble for sin 5. It s strange that Gods people need more joy after sinne then after affliction and that in some respect they have most joy who have sinned most Sure this is accidentall to sin this joy is not for sin but it s a joy of loving much because much is forgiven Forgivenesse is an act of free grace sin is no work of grace Sin grieves the heart of God as a friend's trouble is trouble to a friend the beleever is made the friend of God Joh. 15.15 and it must be cursed joy that lay in the womb of that which is most against the heart of Christ such as all sin is Yea to be more troubled in soule for sinnes then for afflictions smelleth of a heart that keeps correspondence with the heart and bowels of Christ who wept more for Jerusalems sins then for his owne afflictions and crosse As some ounces of everlasting wrath in the Law with a talent weight of free Gospel-mercy would be contempered together to cure the sinner so is there no rationall way to raise and heighten the price and worth of the soule-Redeemer of sinners and the weight of infinite love so much as to make the sinner know how deep a hell hee was plunged in when the bone aketh exceedingly for that the Gospel-tongue of the Physician Christ should lick the rotten bloud of the soules wound speaketh more then imaginable free-love Nor doe wee say that Gospel-mourning is wrought by the Law 's threatnings then it were servile sorrow but it s wrought by the doctrine of the Law discovering the foulnesse and sinfulnesse of sin and by the doctrine of the Gospel the Spirit of the Gospel shining on both Otherwise sounds breathings letters of either Law or Gospel except the breathings of heaven shine on them and animate them can doâ— no good Asser. 4. Sinnes of youth already pardoned as touching the obligation to eternall wrath may so rise against the childe of God as he hath need to aske the forgivenesse of them as touching the removing of present wrath sense of the want of Gods presence of the influence of his love the cloud of sadnesse and deadnes through the want of the joy of the Holy Ghost and ancient consolations of the dayes of old Psal. 90.7 Wee are consumed in thy wrath and by thy hot displeasure we are terrified Vers. 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee and our secret sinne in the light of thy face This was not a motion of the flesh in Moses the man of God Antinomians may so dreame the furie of the Lord waxed hot against his people so saith the Spirit of God nor is this conceit of theirs to be credited against the Text that Moses speaketh in regard of the reprobate party Moses by immediate inspiration doth not pray for the beauty and glory of the Lord in the sense of his love to be manifested on a reprobate partie Antinomian Preachers in our times confesse sinnes in publike but it s the sinnes of the reprobate and carnall multitude that are in
second death for you consult with your heart if you have quit one lust for him Christ laid aside his heaven for you his whole heaven his whole glory for you and his Fathers house are you willing to part with an acre of earth or house and inheritance for him 4. In calling us out of the state of sin to grace and glory oh I must make this sad reckoning with Jesus Christ. Oh Christ turneth his smiling face to mee in calling inviting obtesting praying that I would be reconciled to God I turne my back to him he openeth his breast and heart to us and saith Friends Doves come in and dwell in the holes of this rock and wee lift our heele against him O what guilt is here to scratch Christs breast when he willeth you to come and lay head and heart on his breast this unkindnesse to Christs troubled soule is more then sin sinne is but a transgression of the Law I grant it is an infinite But. But ' its a transgression of both Law and Love to spurne against the warme bowels of Love to spit on grace on tendernesse of infinite Love The white and ruddie the fairest of heaven offereth to kisse Blacke-Moores on earth they will not come neere to him ' Its a heart of Flint and Adamanâ— that spitteth at Evangelike love Law-Love is Love Evangelike love is more then love ' it s the Gold the floure of Christs Wheat and of his finest Love Cant. 5.6 I rose up to open to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawne himselfe and was gone my soule passed away when he spake There be two words here considerable to prove how wounding are sinnes against the love of Christ. 1. My beloved hath withdrawne himselfe the Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and my beloved had turned about Ari. Mont. circumjâ—rat Pagnin in the Margen verterat se the old Version declinaverat Christ being unwilling to remove and wholly goe away hee onely turned aside as Jer. 31.22 How long wilt thou goe about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O thou back-sliding daughter This intimateth so much as Christ taketh not a direct journey to goe away and leave his owne children onely hee goeth a little aside from the doore of the soule to testifie hee would gladly with his soule come in Now what ingratitude is it to shut him violently away 2. My soule was gone the old Version is My soule melted at his speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my soule passed over or went away to remember his ravishing words it broke my life and made me die so is the word elsewhere used that I remembred a world of love in him when he knocked saying Open to me my sister my love my dove to sinne against so great a bond as Grace must be the sinne of sinnes and amongst highest sinnes as is cleare in these that sinne against the Holy Ghost then it must be impossible to give Grace any thing we but pay our debts to grace wee cannot give the debt of Grace to Grace in the whole summe It cannot then be a sinne intrinsecally and of it selfe to bee troubled in soule if Christ was under soule-trouble for sinnes imputed to him Hence let me stay a little on these two First what a troubled conscience is Secondly what course the troubled in soule are to take in imitation of Christ. A soule troubled for sinne must either be a soule feared and perplexed for the penall displeasure wrath and indignation of God or the eternall punishment of sinne as these come under the apprehension of the evill of punishment or for sinne as it faileth against the love of God or for both In any of these three respects it is no sinne to be soule-troubled for sinne upon these conditions 1. That the soule bee free of faithlesse doubting of Gods love Now Christ was free of this he could not but have a fixed intire and never broken confidence of his Fathers eternall love If we have any sinne in our soule-trouble for sinne it 's from unbeliefe not from soule-trouble if their be mud and clay in the streams it is from the bankes not from the fountaine Or 2. if the soule feare the ill of punishment as the greatest ill and as a greater then the ill of sinne there is more passion then sound light in the feare this could not be in Christ the aversion of the Lords heart from the party in whom there is sinne either by reall inherence Or by free imputation and the in-drawing of rayes and irradiations and out-flowings of divine love is a high-evill in a soule that hath any thing of the nature of a sonne in him now there was as much of a sonne in Christ as a mans nature could be capable of and the more of God that was in Christ as the fulnesse the boundlesse infinite Sea of the God-head overflowed Christ over all the banks then for Christ to be under a cloude in regard of the out-breathings of eternall love was in a sort most violent to Christ as if he had been torne from himselfe and therefore it behoved to be an extreame soule-trouble Christ being deprived in a manner of himselfe and of his onely soules substantiall delight and Paradise And this could not be a sinne but an act of gracious Soule-sorrow that sinne and hell intervened between the Moone and the Sunne the soule of Christ and his Lord the more of Heaven in the soule and the more of God the want of God and of Heaven is the greater Hell Suppose we that the whole light in the bodie of the Sun were utterly extinct and that the Sunne were turned in a body as darke as the outside of a Caldron that should be a greater losse then if an halfe penny candle were deprived of light Christ had more to lose then a world of millions of Angels Imagine a creature of as much Angelike capacity as ten thousand times ten thousand thousand of Angels all contemperated in one if this glorious Angel were filled according to his capacitie with the highest and most pure and refined glory of heaven and againe were immediatly stript naked of all this glory and then plunged into the depth and heart of Holl and of a lake of more then Hells ordinary temper of fire and brimstone or suppose God should adde millions of degrees of more pure and unmixed wrath and curses this Angels soule must be more troubled then wee can easily apprehend yet this is but a comparison below the thing but the Lord Jesus in whole person heaven in the highest degree was carried about with him being throwne down from the top of so high a glory to a sad and fearefull condition an agony and swearing of blood God knowes the cause that shouting and tears of this low condition drew out that saddest complaint My God my God why hast thou forsaken me his losse must be incomparably more then all we can say in these shaddowes This sheweth the cause
bloud of atonement checks and love-terrors or love-feavers that Christs Princely head was wet with the night-raine while hee was kept out of his owne house and suffered to lodge in the streets and feare that the Beloved withdraw himselfe and goe seek his lodging elsewhere as Cant. 5.4 5. Psal. 5.9 10 and that the Lord cover himselfe with a cloud and return to his place and the influence of the rayes and beames of love be suspended are sweet expressions of filiall bowels and tendernesse of love to Christ. Libertines imagine if the hazard and feare of hell be removed there is no more place for feare soule-trouble or confession Therefore they teach that there is no assurance true and right unlesse it be without fear and doubting 2. That to call in question whether God be my deare Father after or upon the commission of some hainous sinnes as murther incest c. doth prove a man to be under the covenant of works 3. That a man must be so farre from being troubled for sin that hee must take no notice of his sin nor of his repentance Yea Dr. Crisp vol. 3. Serm. 1. pag. 20 21 22. saith There was no cause why Paul Rom. 7. should feare sin or a body of death because in that place Paul doth saith hee personate a scrupulous spirit and doth not speak out of his owne present câ—se as it was at this time when hee speaks it but speaks in the person of another yet a beleever and my reason is Paul in respect of his owne person what became of his sin was already resolved Chap. 8.1 There is now no condemnation c. hee knew his sins were pardoned and that they could not hurt him Answ. Observe that Arminius as also of old Pelagius exponed Rom. 7. de semi regenito of a halfe renewed man in whom sense which inclines to veniall sins fights with reason that so the full and perfectly renewed man might seeme to be able to keep the Law and be free of all mortall sin And Crisp doth here manifestly free the justified man of all sin why because hee is pardoned So then there is no battell between the Flesh and the Spirit in the justified man by the Antinomian way to heaven which on the Fleshes part that lusteth against the Spirit deserveth the name of sin or a breach of the Law Onely its Asinus meus qui peccat non ego as the old Libertines in Calvin's time said The flesh does the sin not the man for the man is under no Law and so cannot sin But that Paul Rom. 7. speaks in the person of a scrupulous and troubled conscience not as its the common case of all the regenerate in whom sin dwells is a foule and fleshly untruth 1. To be carnall in part as Vers. 14. to doe which wee allow not to doe what wee would not and what wee hate to doe is the common case not peculiar to a troubled conscience onely but to all the Saints Gal. 5.17 2. Paul speaketh not of beleeving as hee must doe if hee speak onely of a scrupulous and doubting conscience but hee speaketh of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of working vers 15. doing 17 18. willing 15 19. not of beleeving onely or doubting Now it is not like the Apostle does personate a scrupulous soule of whom hee insinuates no such thing 3. A scrupulous and troubled conscience will never yeeld so long as hee is in that condition that hee does any good or that hee belongs to God as is cleare Psal. 88. Psal. 38. Psal. 77.1 2 3 4. c. but Paul in this case yeeldeth hee does good hates evill delights in the Law of the Lord in the inner man hath a desire to doe good hath a law in his mind that resisteth the motions of the flesh 4. Yea the Apostle then had no cause to feare the body of sinne or to judge himself wretched this was his unbeleefe and there was no ground of his feare because hee was pardoned hee knew that he was freed from condemnation It was then Paul's sinne and is the sinfull scrupulosity of unbeleevers to say being once justified Sinne dwells in me and there is a law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity unto the law of sinne and I am carnall and sold under sin and I doe evill even that which I hate for all these are lies and speeches of unbeleefe The justified man sinneth not his heart is clean hee doth nothing against a law But I well remember that our Divines and particularly Chemnitius Calvin Beza prove against Papists that concupiscence is sin after baptisme even in the regenerate and it is called eleven or twelve times with the name of sin Rom. c. 6. c. 7. c. 8. and they teach that of Augustine as a truth Inest non ut non sit sed ut non imputetur So we may use all these Arguments against Libertines to prove wee are even being justified such as can sin and doe transgresse the Law and therefore ought to confesse these sins be troubled in conscience for them complaine and sigh in our fetters though wee know that we are justified and freed from the guilt of sin and the obligation to eternall wrath But sin is one thing and the obligation to eternall wrath is another thing Antinomians confound them and so mistake grosly the nature of sinne and of the Law and of Justification Some imprudently goe so farre on that they teach That beleevers are to be troubled in heart for nothing that befalls them either in sinne or in affliction If their meaning were that they should not doubtingly and from the principle of unbeleefe call in question their once sealed Justification wee should not oppose such a tenent but their reasons doe conclude That wee should no more be shaken in mind with sinne then with afflictions and the punishments of sin and that notwithstanding of the highest provocation wee are guilty of wee are alwayes to rejoyce to feast on the consolations of Christ. 1. Because trouble for sin ariseth from ignorance or unbeleefe that beleevers understand not the work of God for them in the three Persons the Fathers everlasting decree about them the Sons union with them and headship to them his merits and intercession the holy Spirits inhabitation in them and his office toward them to work all their works for them till hee make them meet for glory 2. Because such trouble is troublesome to Gods heart as a friend's trouble is to his friends but especially because the Spirit of bondage never returnes againe to the justified Rom. 8.15 But I crave leave to cleare our Doctrine touching soule-trouble for sin in the justified person Asser. 1. No doubting no perplexity of unbeleefe de jure ought to perplexe the soule once justified and pardoned 1. Because the Patent and Writs of an unchangeable purpose to save the elect and the subscribed and resolved
which is offensive to God 1. Temptation is a working or an act of stirring in the tempteâ— not Physicall but Morall and Objectivâ— no tempter who is only a tempter can by any reall action fire the will Satan doth but knock by his Logick at the out-side of the doore but cannot open Free-will is a tender excellent piece of creation and either the best or the worst of the whole creation of God See well to it it s a worke of your whole life time to watch this doore 2. Tentation is an act of moving or stirring the powers of the man As when wine is stirred and wine and dreggs are jumbled through other or a Fountaine troubled and water and clay mixed in one hence every tempted person is some way a sufferer though hee know not particularly it is so As the Fish tempted with the baâ—te the Bird with the Fowlers song are sufferers though they know not there is a breaking in upon the phancie sense reason will and affections to strike a hole in the soule So tempting is called piercing though the foole going to the chambers of death knoweth not that it is for his life Prov. 7.23 To be tempted is a matter of great concernment illumination is most necessary here and specially to know that God aymeth at the tryall of our Faith and other glorious ends And that 1. Satan seekes some of his owne worke in us as God seeketh to bring out some of his worke in us 2. That Satan aymes to goe betweene the beleever and his strong hold 3. That he aymeth at house-roome in the soule 3. The temptation works upon both the inward and outward man on senses fancie minde inclination will and affection but hath a speciall designe at the soule 4. By the temptation any is or may be moved to sinne for all tempted are not actually induced to sinne Christ was really tempted of the Devill but was never induced to sinne Satan shot his arrowes at Job for nothing he lost his labour in seeking the failing and drinking up of Peters faith Therefore to be tempted of the Devill or the World is not a sinne 5. The temptation worketh under the colour of good The first Printing iron and Master samplar of tempting hath this Character of apparent good Gen. 3.6 The Woman saw that the fruit was good 1. Because tempted persons are reasonable creatures and as instinct taketh with birds and beasts and poore nature swayeth elements in their motion so reason is a strong tying chaine 2. Every temptation hath a garment or rather a shirt of truth in the understanding and comming under the shaddow and rooffe of the desiring facultie as good nothing hindereth it to take but a marring of the understanding in apprehending some blacke spot in the fairenesse of it When Satan sayleth faire with favour of the winde and commeth in his Whites and in cloth of Gold as an Angel of light wee are as readily moved often such is our childishnesse with good-like as with good Beleeve not therefore a white Devill because white O beware to yeeld your tongue to licke a honey-temptation under the veile of sweetnesse Receive things rather because lawfull then because good or pleasant 2. Beleeve it there can be no reason for sinne no reason can wash the Devill to render him faire neither thirst nor company can bee a reason of drunkennesse An injury cannot justifie every Warre and bloud-shed because injury is a sinne and to wash one sinne with another is as if you should wash a foule face with Inke-water 3. Beleeve sinne to be folly and darknesse and light of reason can bee neither father nor mother to folly and darkenesse holinesse is white and faire within and without 6. The object of the temptation in the definition the terminus ad quâ—m is that which is offensive to the majesty of God That we may understand this remember foure are said to tempt 1. God his tempting neither in the condition of the worke or intention of the worker is sinne But the Lord proveth you saith Moses to Israel that he might know whether yee love the Lord your God 2. Our owne lusts tempt and lead aside Jam. 1.14 And as fire cannot but make fire so both in the intention of the worke and the worker the end of temptation is sinne Concupiscence is a mother that cannot bring forth a good daughter 3. If men tempt to sinne as a Magistrate by good Laws tempteth wicked men the end is not necessarily sinne in the intention of the doer though no man can formally tempt another to sinne but he sinneth and tempteth to sinne both wayes And when Satan tempts hee driveth ever at sinne both waies we are to feare God to watch to stand out when he tempteth 2. Now we are to consider that though Satan be sentenced already and as a Malefactor under baile and in chaines yet hath he leave to walke too and fro in the earth and is not yet cast in prison nor are wee freed from his temptation the personall persecution and malice of Satan as we are from the persecution of the damned now in hell who did persecute us here on earth but cannot now No doubt but as the good Angels strooke the men of Sodome with blindnesse so the ill Angels have the like power on the senses a man possessed with the Devill was both dumbe and deafe Job 2.7 Satan smote Job with sore boiles from the sole of his foot unto his crown and so Devils have power over the senses and bodily organes and so of necessitie over the bloud to cause rottennesse in it which must be in boyles and to alter and infect the humors Psal. 78.49 Evill Angels were ministers of the Lords plagues on the Egyptians But I shall not thinke it a good Argument to prove that Angels can jumble the humours to make many things appear without that they are not and that they can work on the internall senses the fancie and imagination because we our selves by an act of free-will can stirre up the memory of things and provoke our fancies to the apprehension of things Ergo Angels either good or evill can doe the like This is but a sorry poore reason for we our selves can doe many things within our selves which the Angels cannot doe I know the thoughts of my owne heart when they come forth in act 1 Cor. 2.11 No Angels good or ill can know them I can with an obedientiall act of free-will by grace set my free-will on acts to command my memory fancy imagination thoughts to meditate on by-passed experiences of Divine favours and sweetly solace my selfe in God with these thoughts no Angels in heaven or hell can determine my free-will to those Spirituall acts yet by the grace of God I can doe it Nor is that true what ever an inferiour power can doe that a superiour can much more doe if there be orders in Angels a superiour Angel
Ezra 10.1 Neh. 9.2 In Scripture confession of sins is opposed to covering of sin and not forsaking of it Pro. 28. Joshua sought not such a confession of Achan James commands not such a Daniel's Ezra's Peter's confession were some other thing Joh. 1.20 Act. 19.18 Heb. 11.13 Pro. 28.13 1 Joh. 4.2 Mar. 3.6 Josh. 7.19 Dan. 9.4 Rom. 10.10 1 Tim. 6.13 Psal. 32.5 Jam. 5.16 Levit. 5.5 chap. 16.21 26.40 2 Chron. 6.24 In which places faith and confession of sins cannot be one nor are wee justified by confession as by faith But these men have learned to pervert the Scriptures Asser. 9. There be more vehement stirrings and wrestlings in a naturall spirit under the Law as the bullock is most unruly at the first yoking and greene wood casts most smoke Paul Rom. 7. was slaine by the Law but this makes more way for Christ and though it doe not morally soften and facilitate the new birth yet it ripeneth the out-breaking Preparations are penall to subdue not morall to deserve or merit nor conditionall to engage Christ to convert or to facilitate conversion Asser. 10. There be no preparations at all required before Redemption 1 Tim. 1.15 Rom. 5.8 But there is a farre other order in the working of Conversion Those who confound the one with the other speak ignorantly of the wayes of Grace for though both be of meere grace without wages or merit yet wee are meere patients in the one not in the other Saltmarsh and Antinomians argue from the one to the other most ignorantly Asser. 11. That the promises of the Gospel are holden forth to sinners as sinners hath a two fold sense 1. As that they be sinners and all in a sinfull condition to whom the promises are holden forth This is most true and sound The Kingdome of grace is an Hospitall and Guest-house of sick ones fit for the art and mercy of the Physician Christ. 2. So as they are all immediatly to beleeve and apply Christ and the promises who are sinners and there be nothing required of sinners but that they may all immediatly challenge interest in Christ after their owne way and order without humiliation or any Law-work In this sense it is most false that the Promises are holden forth to sinners as sinners because then Christ should bee holden forth to all sinners Americans Indians and sinners who never by the least rumor heard one word of Christ. 2. Peter desires not Simon Magus to beleeve that God had loved him in Christ Jesus with an everlasting love nor doth the Gospel-promise offer immediatly soule-rest to the hardened and proud sinner wallowing in his lusts as hee is a hardened sinner nor is the acceptable yeare of the Lord proclaimed nor beauty and the oyle of joy offered immediatly to any but to those who are weary and laden and who mourne in Sion and wallow in ashes Mat. 11.28 29 30. Esay 61.1 2 3. It s true to all within the visible Church Christ is offered without price or money but to be received after Christs fashion and order not after our order that is after the soule is under selfe-despaire of salvation and in the sinners moneth when hee hath been with childe of hell I grant in regard of time sinners cannot come too soon to Christ nor too early to Wisdome but in regard of order many come too soon and unprepared Simon Magus too soon beleeved Saltmarsh saith Hee mis-beleeved too soon for he falsly beleeved none can beleeve too soon Answ. To beleeve too soon is to mis-beleeve and Saltmarsh and Antinomians teach us the method of false-beleeving when they teach us too soone to beleeve that is to beleeve that God hath loved you be yee what yee will Simon Magus Judas or others with an everlasting love for that is the Antinomian Faith Simon Magus is without any fore-going humiliation or sense of sin or selfe-despaire to beleeve hee was no lesse written in the Lambs book of life from eternity then Peter and this hee cannot beleeve soon enough I say neither soon or late ought a reprobate to beleeve any such thing A covetous man who had great possessions had not yet bidden fare-well to his old god Mammon when hee came to Christ therefore hee departed sad from Christ. Another came before hee had buried his father and some come Luk. 14.28 29. before they advise with their strength and what Christ will cost them I desire I be not mistaken none can be throughly fitted for Christ before hee come to Christ but it is as true some would buy the pearle before they sell all they have which is not the wise Merchants part and they erre fouly who argue thus If I were not a sinner or if my sinnes were lesse hainous and so I were lesse unworthy I would come to Christ and beleeve but ah I am so grievous an offender and so unworthy that I cannot goe Their Antecedent is true but the Consequence is naught and wicked It is true I am sicke and good that I both say and feele that I am sicke but ergo I cannot I will not goe to the Physician that is wicked Logick and the contrary consequence is good whereas the other consequence is a seeking of righteousnesse in our selves 2. Another false ground is here laid by Libertines That wee place worth and righteousnesse in Preparations or 2. That Preparations make us lesse unworthy and lesse sinners But Preparations are not in any sort to us money nor hire wee value them as dung and sin yet such sin as sicknesse is in relation to physick 2. Preparations remove not one dram or twentieth part of an ounce of guiltinesse or sin Christ in practice of Free-grace not by Law yea not by promise gives grace to the thus prepared and often hee denyes it also Yea and there is a good houre appointed by God when Christ comes Other Physicians take diseases so early as they can lest the malice of the disease over-come art but Christ lets sin of purpose ripen to the eleventh houre often to the twelfth houre Hee knowes his art can over-take and out-run seven devils most easily The omnipotency of grace knowes no such thing as more or lesse pardonable in sin yea of purpose to heighten grace that sinfulnesse may contend with grace and be overcome the Gentiles must be like corn ripe white and yellow ere the sickle cut them down and they be converted Joh. 4.35 The boyle must be ripe ere it break the sea full ere it turne therefore the Lord appoints a time and sets a day for conversion Tit. 3.3 We our selves were sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mad but the Lord hath a gracious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when When the kindnesse and man-love of God appeared hee saved us And Jer. 50.4 In those dayes and at that time saith the Lord the children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah going and weeping they
beleeve they shall be saved the Lords purpose being â—o deny to them the grace of beleeving without which it is unpossible they can beleeve the promise in Gods purpose is not made with them He that so willeth what he promiseth upon a condition which he that so willeth only can doe and work and yet will not do or work the condition he doth indeed not will to the party what is so promised if John send Peter to work in his garden upon condition that if he worke he shall give him a talent a day and in the mean while Iohn onely can give to Peter strength of legs and armes and body to work can determine his consent to the work and yet refuse to give strength and to win his consent to the work Sure he never wiâ—led either to give him a talent for his work nor intended hee should work at all Hence I arâ—ue it is against the wisedome of God to intend and will that the Reprobate be redeemed pardoned saved upon a condition which he himself only can work by his grace and absolutely and irresistibly will not work Now in Scripture such a thing is argued not to bee done because the Scripture must be fulfillâ—â— and the decree of God and his will fulâ—â—lled as Christs bones upon this ground could not be broken and such a thing is done that the Scripture and so the will and decree of God might be fulfilled so that which is never done is simply Gods will it shall never be done that which is done is simply Gods will it must be I mean either his permissive or approving will and the will of God revealing what is the duty of Reprobates though it never be done arguâ—s it was not simply the will of God hence that voluntas signi in which God reveales what is our dutie and what we ought to doe not what is his decree or what he either wil or ought to doe is not Gods will properly but by a figure only for commands and promises and threatnings revealed argue not the will and purpose decree or intention of God which are properly his will 10. It is against the wisedome of God to intend the actuall Redemption and salvation of all and every one and not to will nor work such conditions which onely he himself can work and are in his power only and without the which the creature cannot be redeemed and saved but he neither will nor doth work faith in all then he never intended the actuall redemption and salvation of all and every one Hence what ever wanton and lascivious reason can object against absolute Reprobation the absolute Redemption of some few a particular attonâ—ment of some few equally fighteth with the opinion of adversaries as against ours they say 1. God intends the eternall destruction of the innocent sinlesse and greatest part of mankind 2. Mercie bowels of compassion by your particular absolute Redemption is extended to few and all the rest of the lost world left to sincke eternally notwithstanding of the infinite and boundlesse love and man-kindnesse of God It s answered these fall with equall strength of wanton reason upon conditionall and universall Redemption or Gods conditionall and universall will to save all and every one for say that a father did foresee if he beget twenty sonnes that eighteen of them shall be cast in a river of fire to be burnt quick where they shall bee tormented ten thousand yeares ever dying and not able to finde death to end their miseries and that they may be Kings in great riches and honour upon a condition of such and such a carriage of them in their education and young yeares which this father can easily worke with one word yet hee willingly begets these children hee can worke such a condition in them as they may all be kings yet deliberatly this he will not doe but acts so upon the will of these children as he knowes indeclinably the greatest part of them all shâ—ll be tormented for ten thousand yeares in this extreme fire Who can say 1. that this father quantum in se as farre as he can hath redeemed all and every one of his children from ten thousand yeares paine Who can say this father intended and willed the life and honour of these eighteene children when as hee might with no paine to himselfe most easily have wrought the condition in them which he wrought in others and would not Hence if there must bee a mystery in the Gospel and the Lords waies and thoughts must be above ours as farre as the heaven is above the earth if the Lord did foresee the greatest part of mankind and many legions of Angels should be cast in chaines of darknesse and in a lake of fire and brimstone for ever and ever 1. Vaine reason would say why did hee create them if hee fore-saw their misery would bee so deplorable and how can he earnestly and ardently with prayers obtestations wishes threatnings precepts promises desire their eternall salvation 2. If he could have hindred them to sinne as no question he could without hurting Adams freewill and without strangling the nature of free obedience in reference to threatning of ill and promising of good and life as wee see all Angels being equally under one law he kept some from sinne of free grace and permitted others to fall in eternall misery if he could have hindered them to sinne how created he them and gave them a law which he saw they would violate and make themselves eternally miserable 3. When the same Gospel was preached to some yea and to a huge multitude within the visible Church if the Lord willed all and every one to be saved and gave his Sonne to redeeme all and every one was there not an eternall and absolute will most unlike and disparous to some beside others when as he tooke a way of working with the Gospel preached on some which hee saw would eternally indeclinably and inevitably save them and a contrary way of working with others which hee foresaw would be fruitlesse ineffectuall and null and tend to their sadder condemnation now can he will both the redemption and salvation of these that he moveth ineffectually to obey and also efficaciously to obey Corvinus saith in this He willeth all ex aequo equally to be saved in regard of his affection and will to all but he willeth not all equally to be saved ex parte boni voliti in regard of the thing willed for he willeth the Gospel to be preached to some and of these that heare the Gospel he gives more grace yea more grace actu secundo efficaciously effectuall and denies both to other Nations and people and with this distinction he willeth and willeth not equally ex aequo the salvation of all But this is Petitio principii the disparitie of favours bestowed on persons and Nations doe argue in Scripture disparitie of good-wills in the Lord as because God sent his Law and
said Rom. 7.17 Now it is no more I that sinne but sinne that dwelleth in me ver 18. I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing his meaning be according to the Antinomians divinity that no regenerate man sinneth but his flesh and sensitive part which is not capable of any Law sinneth but he who acteth the sin being above or from under Law Rule or direction sinneth not against God or any Law 4. Whither or no the Enthysiasts Rule which is the immediate and irresistible inspiration of a Spirit which doth presse a brother to kill a brother and has done it as Bullinger saith of the practise of divers Anabatists and some of New England said though they resisted the Christian Magisâ—rate and fired the Churches of Christ there yet they should be miraculously delivered from the Court as Daniel was from the den of Lyons whither or no this Rule of the Spirits immediate acting without Law and Gospel be the only Law and Rule that the justified are under and led by 5. Whither from this spring does not flow the rejecting of all the Scriptures or written Law or Gospel as if they were but a covenant of works and the walking by the Spirit separated from the word and the denying any marks as love to the brethren sincerity keeping of the commandements of God recommended in the word Ioh. 14.15 1 Ioh. 2.3.4.5 1 Ioh 3.14 and if this be the spirituall divinity spoken of here 6. Whither or no sinnes of the body and of the flâ—sh or conversation as Antinomians call them be not sinnes against the Law of God and make the justified truly guilty if the Lord should enter in judgement with them and though they that commit them be justified and so absolved from obligation to eternall wrath are not formally and inherently blotted and sinfull in those sinfull acts 7. If they are not to be sad for them as offensive to the authority of the Law-Giver and the love of Christ though they be not to fear the eteâ—nall punishment of them for sorrow for sin and feare for sin are most different to us 8. Whither the free-gâ—ace of God doth not tempt men to sin most kindly and from the nature of free-grace according to the Antinomian way if the free-grace of justification doe free the justified so from sinning as their indulgence to the flesh and sinfull pleasure can bee no sinne in Gods court no more then there can be sin in Christ and if they be as free notwithstanding of all the sin they doe being once justified as if they never had sinned or as the sinlesse Angels and if the essence of sinne and all they doe against the Law of God be as cleane removed as money taken away out of a place which sure cannot be said without a contradiction to remaine in that place as Dr Crispe speaketh and that before the sin be committed whither can a thing in its essence be wholly removed as if it never had been before it have any being at all can a rose be said to be whithered and destroyed as if it had never been before ever that same rose spring out of the earth sure faith cannot phansie lies and contradictions How ever it be Christs death teacheth us mortification of our lusts it is a mortified like death for he dyeth on a visible journey leaving the earth his back was towards life pleasure profit he is not dead to his lusts whatever be his boasting who is not dead in or with Christ to sinne For 1. Christs death and his contempt of the world teacheth that we should follow him 1. He looked even straight before him neither to the right nor left hand nor behind him the meddows buildings faire flowers and roses in the way of this passenger did never allure him to stay in the way and fall in love with any thing on this side of heaven Heb. 12.2 as our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the captaine of our faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the joy that was set before him he endured the crosse his heart was so upon the crown and that which was his garland his conquered Spouse that he did runne his race with all his breath and wearied not his heart was much upon the pâ—ize that he did runne for 2. Hâ— was nothing beholding to the world he came to the house oâ— his friends they refused him house roome and lodgeing Ioh. 1.11 His own received him not and therefore he was fame to lie with the birds of heaven and the Foxes of the earth Christ was no landed man on earth hee had never a free house of his own above his head he had a purse but no fiâ—e rent no income by year Matth. 8.20 he had not whereon to buy a grave when he dyed Ioh. 19.41 The earth was his Fathers land but he lodged in a borrowed grave his coat was all his legacy yet it could not buy a winding sheet to him the souldiers thought it too little see for their paines in crucifying him and it was not of much worth when they put it to the hazzard of lots take it that wins it his heart was never on the world he refused a Kings Crown when it was offered to him without stroak of sword Ioh. 6.15 He had neither heart nor leasure to enjoy the world Ioh. 4. when he wanted his dinner he begged a drink of water from a stranger and was weaâ—y with walking on foot yet he was the one great Bishop the head of the body of the Church and had neither hoâ—se nor coach and he could have made the clouds his chariot he became poore that we might be made rich Was sweet Iesus thy Saviour a poore man in the world learn to be a stranger and to want and to be content to borrow and to lie in the fields and to have a dead heart to the world 1. O glory worldly ' O all crownes and gold and stately Palaces blush be ashamed take not such a wide lodging in the hearts of Saints goe not with so broad and faire Peacock-wings ye are too bigge in mens eyes Christ our dear Saviour refused you 2. Rich Saints drink at leasure use the world at tâ—e by as if you used it not Look with halfe an eye the least halfe of your desire upon this borrowed shaddow Let not thy heart water nor itch after white and yellow clay 3. Gold thou art not God Saints look over crownes and court see see what a Kingdome is above your hand Pilgrims drink but laâ— not down your burthen and your staffe let it be a standing drink and bee gone 4. Yee are longed for in heaven 5. Your King lodged with poverty and abasement and shame love the lodging the better that hee was there before you Christs love is languishing to have you soon cut of this passing â—ransiâ—ory world and to be at your best home 3. Christ did never laugh on earth that we read of but he
looseth no Christian from obedience and rule of the Law but he dares not trust a believer to walk without his keeper as if he judged no otherwise of him then of a Malector of New-gate who would runne away rob kill and play his former Pranks if the jaylor or his man be not with him when he is abroad Answ. 1. There is a twofold keeping in of sinners one meerely legall such as that of wicked men Psal. 32.9 Who are like the horse or mule and have no understanding whose mouth must be held in with bite and bridle least they come neare unto you The Law hath not power over wicked men ever with terrors of hell and the curse of God because often they bee given up to a hard heart and what cared Pharoah who was under the Law for this keeper and to a reprobate minde and to any that commit sin with greedinesse having the conscience burnt with a hot Iron and being passed feeling Rom. 1.28.29 Eâ—hes 4.17 18 19. 1 Tim. 4.2 The Law is no keeper they care no more for Mr Towns goale that a Lyon doth for the crying of a shepheard he will not abase himselfe for it all the restraint that Law layes on a naturall man is when the conscience is wakened or some great plague is on Pharaoh then he dare not keep the people captive but Antinomians have a good opinion of slaves of Satan who judge them to be civill and externally honest Devils and make lims of hell of a good sweet calme nature who stand naturally in awe of Gods Law but Rom. 3.9 10 11. among the whole Tribe and race of mankinde Iewes and Gentiles see what they care for the Antinomian Goaler the law they believe not one word of the Law saith ver 11. there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh God ver 12. They are all gone out of the way where is the keeper now and his sword and speare they are altogether become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one ver 13. their throat is an open grave with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of Asps is under their lips c. The law layeth not naturally a bridle on the outer man but observe that the conscience be restrained and awed by the Law and under any naturall remorse for sinne committed or to bee committed is a sinfull bondage that Christ must deliver us us from 1. Then stupefaction and deadnesse of conscience not to care for the law of God more then a prisoner who has broken goale and now is in hedges and high-wayes robbing and murthering cares for his old keeper is to Antinomians mortification and a crucifying of old Adam 2. So Iobs not daring to lift his arme against the fatherlesse chap. 31. must be the power of old Adam in him Davids bones broken for his adultery and murther must be the power of old lusts in him 3. Then the lesse tendernesse of conscience and feare for sinne as sinne the more mortification of lust 4. Grace as grace stupifieth and deadeth conscience so Antinomians must teach 2. Men naturally doe more good for the prayse of men and are more affraid to doe ill for the Axe and the Gibbet of the Magistrate then for any feare of Hell or Iudgement of the Law of God Towne cannot speak of this keeper there is a second restraint that the Law mixt with the love of Christ layeth on the godly and believer and he has need of this keeper so Ioseph saith Gen. 42 18. this doe and live for I feare God There was a keeper over Iob that he durst not lift up his hand against the Fatherlesse cap. 31. why ver 27. For destruction from God was a terrour to me and by reason of his highnesse I could not endure and this keeper in the conscience smites Davids heart when he renteth but the lap of Sauls garment and keeps him that hee dare not kill him this was not legall bondage for Christ commandeth Math. 10.28 29. Luk. 12 5. us to feare him that can cast both soule and body in Hell rather ere we deny him before men who can but kill the body 1 Pet. 2.17 Col. 3.22 Act. 9.31 Act. 13.16 it is commanded to us I grant the object of this feare is not so much Hell as the offending of God but it is commanded in the Law of God but Mr Town will have the believer so free so perfect as the Law needeth not to teach and direct him in one step he doth all without a keeper or one letter of a command by the free impulsion of a Spirit separated from Scripture that is right down a believer is neither under Law nor Gospel but a Spirit separated from the Gospel and all letter of it and from the Law guides him Towne Pag. 5.6 But I muse why you omit to show what it is to be under graâ—e which is the member opposite to being under the Law Paul treatâ—th of sanctification and yet maketh this contrariety of being under the Law and under grace the Law must be â—aken comprehensively with all his offices and authority and that the reason is firme that sinne shall not have dominion over him who liveth under the grace of the Gospel because it hath a sanctifying vâ—rtue and power in it to subdue sinne Answ. Dr Taylor did not omit to expound what it is to be under grace if you had not omitted to read his words he is cleare to any unpartiall Reader but let your exposion stand sin shall have no dominion over you for yee are not under the Law as teaching directing regulating believers in the way of righteousnesse but under grace that is under the Gospel which giveth power to subdue sinne without any ruling teaching or directing power of the Law but what is the power of subduing sinne to Antinomions I pray you not sanctification as in words they say but justification that is a power to believe Christ by doing and suffering has fulfilled and obeyed the Law for you but yee are under no command to walk according to the rule of righteousnesse in the Law so that to be under the Law is just contrary to personall and reall sanctification and walking in love and in Evangelick duties even as to be under the Law and to be under grace are opposed by the Apostle then as we are obliged not to be under the Law but under grace so are we obliged to no personall sanctification or holy walking but to objective and imputative sanctification only that is only to believe in Christ as made our righteousnesse and sanctification now as we are not obliged to bee inherently righteous so are we not obliged to be inherently and personally sanctified and holy for that is to be under the Law as the rule of righteousnesse now we are freed from the Law as our rule of righteousnesse and from the Law with all its offices and authority saith Mr Towne and to remaine
the free Spirit is sin and to obey for the letter of the command to Antinomians is to controule the free Spirit but its blasphemy to say that there is a contraiety between the letter of the Lords command either in Law or Gospel and the free impulsion of the Spirit working â—in us by grace to will doe and obey the command â—or to obey the voyce of the Lord in his Prophets and Apostles and to obey the Lord himselfe are all one in the word but this is the error of old Anabaptists and Enthysiasts to reject the word and all teaching by men and the word and to leane to the only immediate inspirations and free motions of the Holy Ghost and to doe or obey for any other teaching is the way of legall and law-men led by the letter not by the Spirit If any obey or doe Gods will out of by respects or for feare of punishment or hope of reward they doe not Gods will nor obey they from the power of an outward command nor doe they controule the free Spirit because the very letter and outward commandement enjoyneth inward spiriâ—uall sincere obedience farre from hypocrisie and forbiddeth in the sense of the letter of it all servile respects and service of God for hire Antinomians believe that the Law as the law doth ommand men to obey for fear of hell as a servant for beating obeyeth his Master or that it commandeth perfect obedience for hire of life eternall I doâ—bt not to say this is not far from blasphemy for the Law is spirituall and holy and good and most just it s a cleane and undefiled Law Psal. 119. Rom. 7. is the expresse and image of thâ— good acceptable and perfect will of God Rom. 12.2 then the Law as the Law can command no finer hypocrisie no servile no mercenary obedience for hire for the Law cannot command sin its true Luther saith that the Law compelleth men to obey God but he speaketh of the accidental operation fruit of the Law because of our sinfull disposition and of the condemning Law as it works on our corruption the holy Law commandeth no man to obey God wickedly 2. The letter of the Gospel carrieth to us and holdeth forth free grace openeth the bowels and heart of Christ calleth on the weary and loaden to come to Christ speaketh heaven glory and the promise in the wombe of it though it be but the foolishnesse of preaching of men yet it s the power oâ— God to salvation and there is such a Majesty so much of heaven in the womb and bowels of the word that as I never read or heard the like of it so I shall hate that Religion that joyns with popery to call it Ink-divinity and a letter and a legall servile thing so did the Libertines in Calvines time 3. All tendeth to this that we despise prophecying neglect the word commands promises covenant of grace and all these inferiour meanes and so praying experience conference hearing reading Sacraments because without the Spirit these are livelesse and dead for saith Towne the meanes are passive shall be also many restraints laid on the free Spirit of God But so we should not saile nor traffiâ—k we should not plew nor eare we should not watch the City nor build houses because all these are fruitlesse without the influence of a blessing from heaven if their meaning be that we are not to trust or rest on the meanes the word promises covenant of grace but to seek Christ himsâ—lfe in all these its good but then to seek Christ in his own way is not to controule his spirit as Mr Town phancieth Now what Town doth meane in saying that the Spirit freely conformeth the heart and life to the outward rule of the law without the help of the Law is heard to conjecture for â—f the meaning be that the Spirit needeth the heâ—p of the Law to make us know our sinnes to humble us and chase us to him who is the end of the Law then surely the Spirit by the help of the Law worketh these in us as God maketh cornes to grow by husbandry raine good soile and by nature his handmaide no man can say God works here without the help of the Law if the meaning be that the law of it selfe cannot convert a man to God Antinomians father most falsely such a dream on us nay the Gospel of it selfe cannot effectuate this without the Spirit But if the Spirit conforme us to the outward rule of the law then must the law be yet a rule of our obedience how are we then freed from the law as a rule of our obedience if the Spirit led us back to this rule And Rom. 3. Rom. 7. Gal. 3. 2 Cor. 3. where the Apostle speaketh of our freedome from the law he ever speaketh of our freedome from the law as it condemneth as it worketh wrath as it involveth us in a curse as it can justifie us or give life never as it doth regulate direct teach and lead us in the way of righteousnesse Mr Towne Pag. 9. What freeth a believer from the curse but because he is a new creature in Christ and is made personally perfectly and everlastingly righteous and the principall debt is obedience the failing wherein bindeth â—ver to the curse and death Answ. That new creature is sanctification not justificatification 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ that is if he be justified hâ— is a new creature that is he is sanctified else by the Antinomian glosse the meaning must be if any man be justified in Christ he is justified in Christ Paul speaketh not so non sense 2. It is true we owe active obedience to the law as a debt but that is the dâ—bt of absoluteâ—y perfect obâ—dience how shall it follow that Christ has loosed us from all debt of active obedience because he has loosed us from a necessity of perfect active obedience under the paine of damnation but the Law as in the hand of Iesus the Mediator or the law 〈◊〉 spiritualized and lustered with Gospel law and free-grace and drawn downe to a Covenant of free-grace reqâ—ireth not exact perfect obedience under paine of losing salvation yea it requireth obedience as the poore man is able to give it by the grace of God that the man enter in the possession of life eternall but that he may have ransome-right by merit and conquest to heaven or to free justification in Christ the law cannot crave either legall or Evangelick obedience This then is no more a good consequence then to say Christ has by his death freed us from death and suffering as they are caused by the Law and satisfactory to justice therefore Christ hath freed us from death and sufferings in any respect Yea Paul showeth what Law it is that we are freed from Rom. 8.2 it is the Law condemning and killing called the law of sinne and death and he saith expressely Christ dyed for
this end ver 4. that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Henâ—e I argue these that ought to fulfill the righteousnesse of the Law by walking after the Spirit and mortifying the deeds of the flesh are not freed from the Law as a rule of rightâ—ousnesse but are obliged by vertue of command to this rule for Paul proveth that there is a commanding power enjoyning rightous walking above us even when we are led by the Spirit 1. Because wee are obliged to minde the things of the Spirit not of the flesh ver 5. 2. To be spiritually minded is life as to be carnally minded is death eternall ver 6. 3. We are to be subject to the Law then we must be spiritually not carnally minded for the carnall minde cannot come under such subjection ver 7. 4. We are to please God in our walking then wee cannot walk in the flesh ver 8. 5. Because we are dead to sinne v. 9.10 We are not debters nor owe we to the flesh any service v. 10. But sure by a commandement we owe service to Christ againe the Apostle Gal. 5. treating of that common place of Christian liberty especially moveth the Antinomian doubt and saith ver 13. Christian liberty is not licentiousnesse nor an occasion to the flesh and commandeth that we serve on another in love ver 13. Now here was a fit place if Paul had been an Antinomian to say but ye are freed from the Law as a rule of righteousnesse and if I command you to love one another I bring you back to bondage againe I clap you up in goale againe and deliver you to your old keeper no saith he But 1. this is Liberty to serve one anotâ—er in love and it s an Evangelâ—ck fulfilling of the law for all the Law saith he ver 14. is fulfilled in this one word thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe and ver 16. There is an expresse command walk in the Spirit and ver 18. It might be said then we may live as we list we are free from all Lords its true saith the Apostle ver 18. yee are not under the Law to condemne you but yet yee are not lawlesse yee must be led by the Spirit and ver 19. flie the woâ—ks of the flesh ver 19. such as adultery fornication c. now the law expresly forbiddeth the works of the flesh And Rom. 7. the very Antinomian doctrine is obviated for ver 6. But now we are delivered from the Law O then might some say then we are free men he answers not so we are delivered from the Law that wee should serve God in a Spirituall manner But againe ver 7. Paul proponeth the speciall objection of the Carnall Libertine if we be freed from the Law what shall we say then is the Law sinne this doubt ariseth both from ver 5. ver 6. ver 5. he said the motions of sinne that were by the Law did work in our members sinfull motions he inferres then it may appeare to some that the Law is a factor and agâ—nt for sinne is the Law sinne bâ— way of solliciâ—ation ver 6. Wee are not under the Law then it would appeare that the remâ—ved Law is not a dispensâ—tion to sinne and so the law is sinne if we be freed from it we may sinne Paul saith the Law is not so removed and dead but tâ—ere is a good and holy â—se of the law it remaineth as a rule of righteousnesse touching what we should flie and what we should follow thus the law is neither a factor for sinne nor a dispensation to sinne because it discovereth and forbiddeth sinne for saith he I had not known lust to be sinne but by the Law and this the Antinomiâ—n now moveth we are freed from the law being once justified what ever we doe it is not against a law nor a rule for we are under no law as a rule and what we doe though to our sense and feeling it be adultery and a debt agâ—inst the seventh command yet truly in the sight of God it is no more sinne then any thing Christ doth is sinne we are as cleane of it ere we commit it as Christ or the glorified Spirits in heaven and therefore the law gives us a dispensation to doe these things being justified which the unjustified cannot doe but they must in doing it sinne because the unjustified man is under the law as a rule of justice which we are not under and so we have a dispensation and an anâ—idated one to sinne before hand but because we are under no rule of righteousnesse it is to us no sinne Take two servants the master commandeth one of them eat all fruit of the garden but I forbid you the fellow servant under a paine eat not of this tree in the east end of the garden to the other he giveth no such charge or command the former servant eating of the tree in the east transgresseth not his masters command because he is under no law forbidding the other cating of that same tree is a transgressor because he is under a forbidding command so here if the justified be not under the tenne Commandements as a rule of life though they swerve from all the tenne yet they sinne not for Saltmarsh saith where there is no law there is no sinne Mr Towne saith Although the Spirit bring forth in the Saints the fruits of holinesse according to the law Gal. 5.22 Ephes. 5.9 Yet without Christ we can doe nothing unlesse as the imp or branch we suck and derive life and sap from him which is the Spirit of faith what if it be affirmed even in true sanctification the law of works is a meere passive thing as the Kings high way which a Christian freely walketh in you have not a face to deny it Psal. 119.31 Answ. If the Spirit of Grace bring forth in the Saints fruits of holinesse according to the law then is the law to the Saints a rule of their walking which the Antinomians deny It s true It may be the law to the holy Spirit in his person acting immediately in the Saints is passive for the law cannot work on the holy Spirit but that the â—aints are meere patients and blocks in all their holy walking is grosse Libâ—rtinisâ—e and maketh God the Author of sin as before is said and this way also the Saints are freed from the Gospel and the command of faith and all the promises no lesse then from the law because neither law nor Gospel can be a rule to the person of the holy Ghost in his immediate actions the Spirit is free in his operations and subjecteth both law and Gospel to his gracious breathings but is subject to none 2. Mr. Towne and Antinomians would lay upon Protestant Divines that they teach the Saints may walk in holines without the grace of Christ because they will have the Saints under
first morning and dawning of election ibid. The Arminian hope and comfort and their wild Divinity not in Scripture 428.429.430 The Lords generall good will to save all and every one comfortlesse 432.433 The fountaine good will of God separateth elected persons from others 4â—2 433 Arminians resolve all in mans will and merits 434.435 Paulâ—s out-cry O the depth opened 435.436 Onely free grace not freewill maketh one to differ from another 437.438 The abundance of grace 439 440 All love especially a three fold effectuall in God no lip love in him 440 441 Christs love cannot mis-carry ibid. Very active 442 Ten objections from feare of Reprobation and sinne that seâ— me to hinder beleeving removed 4â—3 â—44 445 Christ can draw as guilty as thou art 447.448 The person to whom we are drawne most considerable from severall excellencies in him 449.450.451.452 Christ a home and rest 451 Three parts of Christs compleatnesse 1. His fulnesse 453 2. His primacy 453.454 3. His excellencie 454.455.456 Resisting of Christ a high sinne 457 Christ good at drawing of sinners ibid. 458.459 Resisting a great sinne 459.460 Marks of a meere Moralist 461.462 Errours of Libertines touching Free will 462.463.464 What activitie we have in our conversion 464 The faculties of the soule not destroyed 464.465 Grace inherent in us not the person of the Holy Ghost 464.465.466.467 The Blasphemy of the Libertine H. Nicholas who said he was Godded ibid. The union of the Holy Ghost with the Saints not personall 467.468.469 Grace and Free will joyned in acting in a fourefold sense 468 469.470 The covenant of grace how conditionall 471.472.473 Crispe refuted 472.473.474 Differences betweene Law and Gospel 472 Grace in the Old Testament and Justification the same in Nature with that in the New Testament 474 47â—.476 How faith is a condition of the Covenant 476.477 How grace acteth in all Christs Members 479. â—80 Christ onely not any creature Man or Angel can calme a disquieted soule 480.481 The Lords deniall of grace falleth under a three-fold consideration 481.482.483 The freedome of grace evidenced in Angels 482 In the conversion of men 483 48â— We are to pray when under indispositions we cannot ibid. Flesh and Spirit in their up's and downes 485.486 In what cases God usâ—th to withdraw ibid. We are to stirre and blow grace our selves 486.487 How we sinne in not doing though actuall predâ—terminating grace be not in our power 487.488.489 How we leave God ere he leave us 489 How we are to beleeve that God will joyne his influence of actuall grace 489.490 Grace not a Morall sparkle 490.491 Mens impotencie to come to Christ wilfull ibid. The condition of Christs drawing 492.493 Christs and our leaving of the earth and the reasons 493.494.495 Christs dying a speciall ground of Mortification 496. â—97 To be crucified to the World what it is 497.498 How base the earth is to a Saint ibid. Antinomian Mortification fleshly and refuted 490.491.492 Libertines and Antinomians compared together from some passages of Calvine Instruct. advers Libertinos 500 501.502.50â—.504.505.506 Sinnes of the Justified to Antinomians no sinnes 502.503 Sense and feeling of sinnes to Antinomians 503.504 How a Convert cannot fall in the same sinne againe 506.507 Sorrow for sinne habituall in the Saints contrary to Saltmarsh 507.508.509 Mortification not an act of Faith 509.510.511 Mortification personall Physicall reall not the Antinomian imputative and apprehensive Mortification refuted 509.510.511 Antinomians deny sinne to be in the justified 512.513 The fleshly distinction of Denne and other Antinomians of sin in the conscience and sinne in the conversation refuted 513.514 Mortification is in abstaining from sinne and in the remissenesse and faintnesse of the powers of the soule to act sinne 516.517.518 To live by Faith includeth sanctification ibid. A sinner as a sinner not humbled is not to beleeve applicatorily 518.519.520 Holinesse and Morall vertues much different 520 521 To adde to Antinomian Mortification is to adde to Christ. 521.522 Eight Queries propounded to Antinomians touching the Law Enthysiasmes Gospel-commands sinnes of the justified c. 522.523 Divers Manifestations of Christs deadnesse to the world 524.525 The Lords various dispensation in leading some to heaven in flowings of free grace others in low desertions 525.526 Christ strong to save 528 Minded us much in death 528.529 The World a weake thing to Christ. 529.530 Christ strong on the Crosse. ibid. Providence most speciall in excellent things 530.531 A three-fold excellency of the working of Christ on the Crosse. 531.532 Christ drawes sinners 1. Lovingly 532 2. Suffering paine ibid. 3. Strongly 532.533 Compleatly Ibid. 5. Finally dying and drawing 533.534 What it is to be lifted up from the earth 534.535 The Scriptures deepe plaine not obscure why wee accuse them 535.536 Christs dying ibid. The kind of his death 537.538 Seven considerations of Christs dying 537 538.5â—9 Christs love went to death with him ibid. Christ willing to die and must dye ibid. A wondring that Christ should dye ibid. Reason would say Christs body should be precious as the Sunne ibid. It s much that Christ should part with life 5â—9 Three ingredients in Christs death 1. The curse 2. Merit 3. Divine acceptation 540.541 Foure sad conditions in the ransome that Christ payed 541 1. A man given for a man 2. A King for a servant 3. A King handled as a slave ibid. The ransome given must die 542 Death the end of Christs labours ibid. Christs victory in dying 543 His welcome 544 Comforts to dye from the dying of Christ. 544.545 Christ had good hap to the Crosse. ibid. Death perfected Christ. 546 547 Life lame without the life hid with Christ. 547.548 Reall Mortification pressed from Christs death 545.546 Comfort of pardon from Christs death 549 Sinne sweet suffering for sinne sad 550 In the kind of Christs death three Characters 1. Paine 2. Shame 3. A Curse 550.551 In the paine of Christs death three 1. Violence ibid. 2. Slownesse of dying ibid. 3. Many degrees of life taken from Christ. 550.551.554 How Christ was capable of shame ibid. 555 How not 555.556 How shame penall might stand â—ith the dignity of his person 557.558 How Christ was a curse 558.559.560 Death naturall and violent 561 Indifferent accidents of death 562 How a man is ripe for death 562.563 Our errors and fancies touching the Crosse. 564.565 The bloud not dryed off Christ while he was in heaven ibid. We condemne the wisdome of God in our murmuring under the Crosse. 566 How farre we may chuse our owne Crosse. 567 The circumstances that fall in our crosse dressed by infinite wisdome 567.568 That a blessed Spirit take on him to bee a cursed sinner admirable 571.572 Wee are not freed from the Law as a rule of righteousnesse 572.573 Neither Law nor Gospel obligeth a beleever to Sanctification by the Antinomian way 574.576 We are no more under the Gospel nor under the Law by the Antinomian way 574.575 Antinomians enemies to close walking with God 575.576 Men naturally are not
the Society mixed with the godly they thinke it a worke of the flesh to confesse their owne sinnes this is to steale the word of the Lord from his people So David Psal. 25.7 Remember not the sinnes of my youth nor my trangressions The sinnes of his youth as touching obligation to eternall wrath were pardoned I question it not but in regard God was turned from him in the flamings of love and his sinnes sealed up in a bagge in regard of innumerable evils that lay on him he prayeth Vers. 16. Turn thee unto me Hebr. Set thy countenance on me Gods favour in the sense of it was turned away and Vers. 18. Looke upon mine affliction and paine and forgive all my sinnes the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a point in the left side of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to carry away Jerome aufer take away all my sinnes Isai. 53.4 hee carried or did beare as a burden our iniquities Vatablus portavit Pagnin parce condona Spare or pardon all my sinnes then sinne heere is pardoned onely according to the present paine and griefe of body and soule that was on David Psal. 3â— 4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head as a heavy burden they are too heavie for me Wee have no reason to beleeve that David thought himselfe already a condemned man and now in hell though some sparkes of hell's wrath and fire not in any sort as satisfactory to divine justice or as a fruit of Gods hatred and enmity can fall on the children of God yet it s not imaginary but reall anger God was really angry with Moses at the waters of strife The thing that David did against Vriah displeased the Lord not in David's opinion onely And though the hell for a time in the soule of God's children and the hell of the reprobate differ in essence and nature in that the hell of the reprobate is a satisfactory paine 2. and that iâ— floweth from the hatred of God but the hell of the godly not so yet in this materially they are of the same size that the one as well as the other are coales and flames of the same furnace and neither are imaginary Then againe Sinnes of youth long-agoe pardoned though sometimes dearly beloved are like the ghost of a deare friend some yeares agoe dead and buried that re-appeareth to a man as dead Samuel did to Saul look how loving and deare they were alive they are now as terrible and dreadfull when they appeare to us living out from the land of death so are sins of youth when they rise from the dead and were pardoned in Christ long-agoe they appeare againe to David and Job and the Saints with the vaile and mask or hew of hell and sealed with temporary wrath Psal. 99.8 Thou wast a God that pardonedst or forgavest them though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions The same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is given to God when hee taketh vengeance on his enemies Num. 31.2 Esay 1.24 I will be avenged of mine enemies 2 King 9.7 That I may avenge the bloud of my servants the Prophets So is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vengeance used Deut. 32.43 Hee will render vengeance to his adversaries And if one and the same temporary judgement in the two Theeves that were crucified with Christ be so differenced that mercy is stamped on the same death to the one and wrath to the other wee may well say there is a temporary vengeance and wrath that befalleth both the Saints and the Reprobate in this life and the difference is in the mind and intention of God in both And that God pardoneth sin when hee removeth temporary wrath So 2 Sam. 12.13 Nathan saith to David The Lord also hath caused thy sinne to passe away why Thou shalt not die This is meant of temporall death especially as the context cleareth V. 10. The sword shall not depart from thine house And V. 14. The child borne to thee shall surely die Then the Lords putting away of Davids sin was in loosing him from the sword in his own person not in his house and children for by proportion of divine justice though tempered with mercy the Sword was punished with the Sword I doe not exclude relaxation from eternall punishment but remission going for relaxation of punishment Then as there be two sorts of punishmenâ—s one temporary and another the eternall wrath to come so there are in Scripture two sorts of remissions one from the temporary another from eternall punishment Therefore sin is put for punishment Gen. 4.13 Mine iniquity saith Cain is more then I can beare or My punishment is more then I can bear Levit. 24.15 Hee that curseth his God shall beare his sinne Ezek. 23.49 And yee shall beare the sinnes of your Idols Num. 9.13 The man that is cleane and forbeareth to eat the Passe-over that man shall beare his sinne So when God layeth sin to the charge of the sinner in punishing it hee is said to lay a burden on the sinner 2 King 9.25 And to remove this burden is to pardon the sin 2 Chron. 7.14 If my people humble themselves then will I heare from heaven and will forgive their sinne and will heale their land by removing the locusts and the pestilence See the pardoning of their sin is exponed to be the removing of the locusts and pestilence And to call sins to remembrance is to punish sin The Shunamite saith 1 King 17.18 Art thou come to me O man of God to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my sonne Job complaineth c. 13.26 Thou makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth Now though out of unbeleefe hee might apprehend that hee was cast off of God and a man rejected of God and that his sins were never pardoned and hee himselfe never delivered from the wrath to come these legall thoughts might keep Job in a distance from God to his owne sinfull apprehension yet it shall be unpossible to prove that Job in all these complaints had no other but a meere legall esteeme of Gods dispensation and that 2. God stamped not temporary wrath and the paine of a hidden and over-clouded God the substraction of the sense of divine manifestations of love the Lord standing behind the wall in all these afflictions Now it s known that as these are often trialls of the faith of the Saints yet are they soure fruits of our fleshly indulgence to our carnall delights and of our not opening to our Beloved when hee knocketh Cant. 5.2 3 4 5 6. And though the godly doe stedfastly beleeve their salvation is in a Castle above losing yet in reason sin bringing broken bones Psal. 51.10 a sad cloud the damming up of a spring of Christs love spread abroad in the heart a temporary hell in the soule it must be sorrowed for hated mourned for confessed and yet in all these there is no necessity of such a Law-spirit of bondage to work these
nor is faith in any sort diminished but put to a farther exercise And the same sad fruits follow from the sins of the Saints under the New Testament as may be cleared from Revel 2.5 16 22. Revel 3.3 17 18. 2 Cor. 1.8 9 10. 2 Cor. 2.7 2 Cor. 7.5 6 7. Revel 3.20 Joh. 14.1 Nor can wee thinke that the strictnesse of the Law gave those under the Law an indulgence not to be a whit troubled in soule for sin as it over-clouded the influence and slowings of divine love suppose they had assurance of freedome from the wrath to come as is evident in the Spouse Cant. 5.1 2 3 4 5 6. and chap. 2.16 17. chap. 4.7 Nor is it true that Gospel-grace and liberty entitleth the Saints now to such wantonnesse of peace as that persons fully assured of deliverance from the curse of the Law are never to be troubled for sins committed in the state of free justification nor are they any more to mourn nor grone under sins captivity nor to confesse sin in regard that Christs bloud hath washed soul eyes and faces from all tears and the salvation of the Saints in this life is not in hope onely as wheat in the blade but actuall as in the life to come and therefore holy walking and good works can no more be meanes or the way to the Kingdome as M. Towne and other Antinomians say then mâ—tion within the City can be a way to the City in regard the man is now in the City before hee walk at all Asser. 5. If Jesus Christ had soule-trouble because of divine wrath for our sin and was put to a sweat of bloud God roasting Christ quick in a furnace of divine justice though every blobe of sweat in the Garden was a sea of free grace not his eyes onely but his face and body did sweat out free love from his soule Luk. 22.44 Heb. 5.7 what must soule-trouble be in a fired conscience It s no wonder that wicked men wrestling with everlasting vengeance cannot endure it The Devill 's predominant sin being blasphemous despaire hee tempts most to his owne predominant sin the issue and finall intent of all his temptations is despaire because Devills are living and swimming in the sphere and element of justice they cannot beare it they cry to Christ the whole company and family making the despiting of Christ a common cause Art thou come hither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to torment us before the time Mat. 8.29 Pro. 18.14 The spirit of a man will beare his infirmity the spirit is the finest mettall in the man but a wounded spirit who can beare that So the Hebrew readeth Any thing may be borne but breake the mans soule and breake the choycest peece in the soule the conscience who can then stand As conscience is the sweetest bosome-friend of man so it is the sorest enemy David is persecuted by his Prince and hee beareth it Jeremiah cast in the dungeon by the Rulers Priests and Prophets and hee overcometh it Job persecuted by his friends and hee standeth under it Christ betrayed and killed by his owne servants and kinsmen and hee endureth it the Apostles killed scourged and imprisoned by the Jewes and they rejoyce in it But Judas is but once hunted by a Fury of hell in his owne brest and hee leaps over-board in a sea of infinite wrath Cain Saul Achitophel cannot endure it Spira roareth as a Beare and cryeth out O that I were above God though wee may hope well of his eternall state Nero after to his other blouds hee had killed his Mother Agrippina hee could not sleep hee did often leap out of the bed and was terrified with the visions of hell Eternity the resurrection and the judgement to come are virtually in the conscience 2. What is feare A tormenting passion To hang a living man by an untwisted threed over a river of unmixt pure vengeance and let the threed be wearing weaker and weaker what horrour and palenesse of darknesse must be on the soule 3. What sorrow and sadnesse when there is not a shadow of comfort But 4. positive despaire rancour and malice against the holy Majesty of God when the soule shall wish and die of burning desire to be above and beyond the spotlesse essence of the infinite Majesty of God and shall burne in a fire of wrath against the very existence of God and blaspheme the Holy One of Israel without date Job saith of such chap. 27.20 in this life Terrors take hold of him as waters and a tempest stealeth him away in the night But consider what it is to the Saints Job complaineth chap. 14.16 Doest thou watch over my sinne V. 17. My transgression is sealed up in a bag and thou sewest up mine iniquity Vatabl. Thou appearest to be a watchfull observer of mine iniquity and addest as Ari. Monta. punishment to punishment sewing sin to sin to make the bag greater then it is Now though there be a mis-judging unbeleefe in the Saints yet it is certaine God doth inflict penall desertions as reall peeces of hell on the soules of his children either for triall as in Job or punishment of sin as in David whose bones were broken for his adultery and murther Psal. 51.10 and whose moisture of body was turned into the drought of summer through the anger of God in his soule till the Lord brought him to the acknowledgement of his sin and pardoned him Psal. 32.3 4 5 6. But some will say Can the Lord inflict spirituall punishment or any of hell or the least coale of that black furnace upon the soules of his owne children To which I answer It s but curiosity to dispute whether the paines of hell and the flames and sparkles of reall wrath which I can prove to be really inflicted on the soules of the Saints in this life be penalties spirituall different in nature Certaine there be three characters sealed and engraven on the paines of the damned which are not on the reall soule-punishments of divine wrath on the soules of the Saints As 1. What peeces of hell or broken chips of wrath are set on upon the soules of deserted Saints are honied and dipped in heaven and sugared with eternall love Gods heart is toward Ephraim as his deare child and his bowels turned within for their misery even when hee speaks against them Jer. 31.20 21. But the coals of the furnace cast upon reprobates are dipt in the curse of God yea so as in a small affliction even in the mis-carrying of a basket of bread and the losse of one poore oxe there is a great Law-curse and intolerable vengeance Deut. 27.26 Chap. 28.17 31. And againe in in the in-breaking of a sea and floud of hell in the soule of the child of God a rich heaven of a divine presence Psal. 22. V. 1 89. Psal. 18.4 5 6. 2. The hellish paines inflicted on reprobates are Law-demands of satisfactory vengeance and payment
and brings in all hee keeps in Angels that they never came out hee brings in his many children to glory But some goe to heaven and till the twelfth houre know nothing of sinne death God Christ heaven and hell Grace tooke a short cut and a compendious way with the repenting Thiefe Christ cannot onely runne but fly post with some in few houres to heaven Grace hath Eagles wings to some and some wrestle with hell fight with beasts make warre with lusts and are dipt in and out as the oars in the river in flouds of wrath from their youth and a long time Caleb and Joshua for two generations were in the Journey to Canaan many thousands not borne when they entered the Journey yea new generations arose and entered into that good land with them and were there as soone as they Asser. 7. In consideration of dissertions as actively they come from God and passively they are received in us and consecutively or by abused resultance are our sinnes they have sundry and divers causes 1. Sorrow for the with-drawing sense and influence of Christ's love as formally a dissertion passive in us is not sinfull except sorrow which is a luxuriant and too indulgent passion exceed measure For 1. It s a mark of a soule that livâ—th and breatheth much on Christ's love now if love be the life of some it must be continued in sense or some fruition of love lesse or more Now as the irradiation of the sunne's beames and light in the aire yesterday or the last yeare cannot enlighten the aire and earth this day and the mâ—at I did eat a yeare agoe the sleep I slept the last moneth cannot feed and refresh me now but there must be a new application of new food and new sleep So the irradiation of the manifested love of Christ in the yeares of old must goe along with us though as experiences of old favours they may set faith on foot again when it s fallen yet the soule that liveth by fruition of divine love must have a continuated influence of that love and to live on divine love of it selfe can be no sin O it s a life liable to many clouds over-castings of sadnesse and jealousies that lives on the manifestations of Christ's love It s sweet and comfortable but has mixtures of hardest trialls for such set on no duties comfortably without hire in hand as it were when Christ's love-letter from heaven miscarries and is intercepted the soule swoons it s surer to live by faith 2. To murmure and impatiently to so sorrow as if God had forgotten to be mercifull is sinfull sorrow 1. Because the object of it is materially blasphemous The strength of Israel cannot lie nor repent nor can any change or shadow of change fall on him 2. It s most unjust to complaine and quarrell with him who hath jus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 right law full and unconstrained liberty to doe with his owne what hee pleaseth but the heavenly irradiations and out-shinings of Christ's love and the influence of his free grace are all his owne and most free for if the Sea-man have no just cause to quarrell with God because the wind bloweth out of the East when he desireth it may blow out of the West and the Husband-man cannot in reason plead male-government in the Almighty because hee restraines the clouds and bindeth up the wombe of heaven in extreme drought when hee cryeth for raine and dew to his withered earth and meddowes and valleys so neither is there any just pleading a sinlesse desire of the contrary is a farre other thing with the Lord because hee bindeth up the bowels of Christ from outing his love or restraineth the winds and breathings of the Spirit from blowing 3. Wee may desire the wind of the Lord to blow because its an act of free grace in him so to doe but to contend with the Lord because hee will not act himselfe in works of free grace at our pleasure is to complain that grace is grace for if grace were obnoxious in all its sweet spirations and motions to my will or to your desires it should not be grace but a work of my hireing and sweating 4. This sorrowing must accuse the free holy and innocent love of Christ as if his love were proud nice humorous high passionate whereas infinite freedome infinite majesty and lovelinesse and meeknesse of tenderest love doe all three concurre admirably in Jesus Christ. Love cannot be hired Cant. 8.7 If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned And for the strength of tendernesse of love the same place pleadeth Many waters cannot quench love neither can the flouds drown it And Paul asserteth Ephes. 3.18 The breadth and length and deâ—th and height of it 5. There is required a submission under such a divine dispensation else wee upbraid grace and will be wicked because God will not be actu secundo as gracious in his influence as wee are humorous in our sickly desires 6. If wee could understand the sense of divine dispensation the Lord often intendeth grace when hee suspendeth grace and his dissertions are wrapped up in more invisible love and free grace then wee are aware of and why should not wee in faith beleeve his way of dispensation to be mercy Asser. 8. Sometimes 2. Gods immediate lashes on the soule is the occasion of our sinfull mis-judging of God Psal. 38.2 Thine arrowes stick fast in me and thine hand presseth me sore Hence cometh a sad reckoning Vers. 4. Mine iniquities are gone over my head as a heavie burden they are too heavie for me And Psal. 77.4 Thou holdest mine eye waking I am so troubled that I cannot speake And what followeth from this A great mis-judging of God Vers. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever will hee be favourable no more Vers. 8. Is his mercy cleane gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore Vers. 9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious It s but a poore ground of inferring that God hath forgotten to be mercifull and Christ is changed because there is night and winter on your soule Is the God of Nature changed because it s not ever summer and day-light because a rose withereth and a flower casteth its bloome and the sunne is over-clouded therefore God hath forgotten himselfe Dispensations of God are no rules to his good pleasure but his good pleasure regulates all his dispensations If the Souldiers of Christ quarter in the dry wildernesse not in the suburbs of heaven their Leader is wise 3. Darkenesse and night are blind judges of coulours in dissertion it 's night on the soule and imaginations are strongest and biggest in the darkenesse the species of terrible things plow deepe furrowes of strong impressions on the phancie in the sleepe when the man walketh in darknesse and hath no light either of sound judgement or soule-comfort it 's night with the
clay in our water but because good works are not our Saviours it s no good ground to say they have no influence in the way of our salvation and they are not way-marks in our journey because they are no part of the ransome that bought heaven Wee have a grand opinion of our owne righteousnesse and when wee misse it wee think wee misse Christ himselfe which is a great mis-judging and argueth a beleeving in our selves not in Christ. And often soule-trouble ariseth from defects omissions and sinnes in our selves If simple griefe for sin as offensive to love arise that 's good soule-trouble but such soule-trouble as shaketh the bottome of faith and turneth the soule off Christ to seek righteousnesse in it self is damnable as it 's hard for an unregenerate man to see sinne in it's dreadfullest colours and not despaire so it 's hard for a regenerate person to see sinne as sinne and not to fall on unbeliefe and doubting of Christs love Antinomians thinke any anxiety for sinne which expelleth actuall rejoycing in Christ our turning off Christ and our casting of the conscience againe under the Spirit of bondage and worke of the Law Which is contrary to truth and the command of James to be afflicted and mourne and Christs saying Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted and Peter who saith there may be need that the Saints be in heavinesse for a season It 's a great point of wisdome 1. to know how farre forth our spirituall walking may be a seed of comfort we may easily erre on either hands 2. The Logick would bee humble Lord I am not hauty Ergo I am comforted in thee Paul saith well I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby justified we would not build a Towre on a Moale-hill 3. From our sinnefull walking we may draw grounds of godly sorrow yet not grounds of unbeliefe Faith and Godly sorrow are consistent together 4. It 's not safe to argue that wee are not in Christ from the wants adhering to our sincere performances While we slander our selves we may slander the Spirit of God 5. The measure of our obedience cannot bee a warrant to counter-argue Christ as want is no warrant to stand farre off from Christ no more then it 's good Logicke to flee from the fire because you are cold or to bee at odds with gold because you are needy and poore poverty may conclude a sayling with low sayles and humility but not unbeliefe your want of all things should not empty rich Jesus Christ. 7. Absence of Christ mis-apprehended through unbeliefe occasioneth soul-trouble In which there is something which evidenceth saving grace in the troubled soule as is afore said For the want of the thing loved cannot but here be a gracious torment to the lover The Spouse is sicke and dyeth when she wanterh him whom her soule loveth Cant. 2.5 chap. 5. vers 6 8. David so expresseth himselfe Psalm 84.2 My soule longeth yea even fainteth or dyeth or is at an end for the Courts of the Lord my flesh and my heart cryeth out for the living God The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to desire or to bee consumed or to make an end of any thing Davids desire of injoying God was such as it was his death to want God it may hold forth as Pagnine observeth that Davids soule either extremely desired the Lord or dyed upon the absence of God But to be anxiously troubled in an unbeleeving manner is the sinnefull soule-trouble Why doth the soule doubt of Christs Winter more then of his Summer Absence and presence his comming and his departing are both his owne workes God hath liberty in the one as in the other as it is Gods liberty to make faire weather and stormes to make a faire day and a cloudy day To make David a King and his brethren shepherds and common souldiers so hath he his own freedome in the breathings of his owne Spirit and the blowing of his own winde or of the drawing a curtaine over his owne face and hiding himselfe and neither in this nor in any of his waies of freedome can we challenge the Lord or plead against him And if we thinke we doe well to be angry even to the death at the motions and breathings of Christs free love then may we compel Christ to be kind and visit us as we think good What ever yee be Christ is Lord of his owne presence and visits and it 's good the Kings Chamber of presence be a Dainty and Christs wine bee not so common as water nor can wee here force kindnesse or acts of heavenly manifestations on him he hides himselfe Why he is as reasonable and wise in his going as in his comming 2. We should take on us to steward and husband the kisses and embracements of Christ better then he can doe himselfe and should quarrell because the Lord hath not thought fit to make Heires and Minors that are yet under Non-age Masters and Lords of their owne young heaven this were not a good world for us Christs love is better then wine Cant. 1. Neither our head nor our heart could endure to drinke at our own will of this new wine of the higher Kingdome Better for us it is that Christ beare the key of the Well of life then children have it and if the Government of the higher and lower familie bee upon the shoulders of Christ the leading of this or that single person to heaven is worthy Christs care 3. And consider that Christ goeth not behind the mountaine or hideth himselfe upon meere hazard but so weighty reasons that love may bee sharpened through absence that the house may be adorned with new Hangings and Christs bedde made greene that care may bee had when he resteth in his love not to stirre up nor awake the beloved untill he please that the high Tydes and rich Feasts of Christs love after sad and heavy desertions may heighten the worth and esteeme of Christ that faith and love may with more of the violence of ven lay hold on Christ after long seeking and not part with him on so easie termes Cant. 3.1 2 3 4. that we may know what weakenesse is in our owne clay legs under desertion and how we are to walke on Christs legges which are pillars of marble set on sockets of gold that absence and presence the frownings and smilings of Christ may bee to the Saints the little images of hell and heaven and broken men may read their debâ—s in Christs count-booke of free grace with teares in their eyes and songs of praise in their mouth That wee may bee in high love and sicke for absent Christ and may be at the pains through thicke and thin to seeke him And lâ—arne to live lesse by sense and more by faith and resolve to die beleeving and be charitable of Christ absent and kisse his veile when we can see no more and be upon our watch-towre
when that faileth them and they dare not pray to God they petition hills and mountaines to be graves above them to bury such lumps of wrath quicke Revel 6. 2. I defie any man with all his art to be an Hypocrite and to play the Politician in hell at the last judgement in the houre of death or when the conscience is wakened A robber doth never mocke the Law and Justice at the Gallowes what ever he doe in the woods and mountaines Men doe cry and weep and confesse sinnes right downe and in sad earnests when Conscience speaketh out wrath there is no mind then of Fig-leave-coverings or of colours veiles masks or excuses 3. Conscience is a peece of eternity a chip that fâ—ll from a Deity and the neerest shaddow of God and endeth as it begins At first even by it's naturall constitution Conscience warreth against Concupiscence and speaketh sadly out of Adam while it is hot and not cold-dead I was afraid hearing thy voice I hid my selfe and this it doth Rom. 1.19 chap. 2.15 While lusts buy and bribe conscience out of office then it cooperateth with sinne and becommeth dead in the end when God shaketh an eternall rod over conscience then it gathereth warme bloud againe as it had in Adams daies and hath a resurrection from death and speaketh gravely and terribly without going about the bush O how ponderous and heavy How farre from tergiversation cloakings and shifting are the words that dying Atheists utter of the deceitfulnesse of sinne the vanitie of the World the terrours of God Was not Judas in sad earnest did Saul speake policie when he weepeth on the Witch and saith I am sore distressed Did Spira dissemble and sport when he roared like a Beare against divine wrath What shall I say This saith that Christ answering for our sinnes had nothing to say The sufferer of Satisfactorie paine has no words of Apologie for sinne The friend that was to bee cast in utter darknes for comming to the Supper of the great King without his wedding Garment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his mouth was muzled as the mouth of a mad dog he was speechlesse and could not barke when Divine justice speaketh out of God Job chap. 40. answereth ver 4. Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand on my mouth When the Church findeth justice pleading against her It 's thus Ezech. 16.63 That thou mayest remember thy sinnes and be confounded and there may bee no more an openining of a mouth because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord. I grant satisfactory justice doth not here put men to silence but it proveth how little we can answer for sinne Even David remembring that Shimei and other Instruments had deservedly afflicted him in relation to Divine justice saith Psalm 39.9 I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou didst it There were three demands of justice given in against Christ all which hee answered Justice put it home upon Christ. 1. All the elect have sinned and by the law are under eternall wrath To this claime our Advocate and Suretie could say nothing on the contrary It 's true Lord. Christ doth satisfie the Law but not contradict it The very word of the Gospel answereth all these In this regard Christs silence was an answer and to this Christ said What shall I say I have nothing to say 2. Thou art the sinner in Law to this Christ answered A body thou hast given me The Sonne of man came not to be served but to serve and to give himselfe a ransome for many Matth. 20.28 The whole Gospel saith Christ who knew no sinne was made sinne for us 3. Thou must die for sinners This was the third demand and Christ answereth it Psal. 40. Hebr. 10. Thou hast given me a body here am I to doe thy will To all these three Christ answered with silence and though in regard of his patience to men it be said Esai 53.7 Hee was brought as a Lambe to the slaughter and as a sheepe before the shearer is dumbe so he opened not his mouth Yet it was most true in relation to Divine justice and the Spirit of God hath a higher respect to Christs silence which was a wonder to Pilate before the bar of Gods justice O could we by faith see God giving in a black and sad claime a bill written within and without in which are all the sinnes of all the elect from Adam to the last man and Christ with watery eyes receiving the claime and saying Lord It 's just debt crave me what shall I say on the contrary We should be more bold not barely to name our sinnes and tell them over to God but to confesse them and study more for the answer of a good Conscience by faith to substitute an Advocate to answer the demands of Justice for our sinnes and if men beleeved that Christ as suretie satisfieing for their sinnes could say nothing on the contrary but granted all they should not make excuses and shifts either to wipe their mouth with the whoore and say I have not sinned nor be witty to make distinctions and shifts and excuses to cover mince and extenuate their sinnes Father save me from this houre The fourth part of this complaint is an answer that Faith maketh to Christs question What shall I say What shall I doe Say praying wise saith Faith Father save me from this houre A word of the Coherence then of the words Wee often dreame that in trouble helpe is beyond Sea and farre off as farre as heaven is from earth When help is at our elbow and if the Spirit of Adoption bee within the prisoner hath the Key of his owne Jayle within in his owne hand God was in Christs bosome when he was in a stormy Sea and the light of Faith saith behold the shore at hand Death taketh feet and power of motion from a man but Psal. 23.4 yet Faith maketh a supposition that David may walke and live breathe in the grave in the valley of the shaddow of death It 's the worke of Faith to keep the heate of life in the warme bloud even among clods of clay when the man is buried This anxious condition Christ was in as other straits are to the Saints is a strait and narrow passe there was no help for him on the right hand nor on the left nor before nor behind nor below Christ as David his type Psal. 141.4 Looked round about but refuge failed him no man cared for his soule but there was a way of escape above him it was a faire easie way to heaven The Church was in great danger and trouble of warre and desolation when shee spake to God Psalm 46. Yet their faith seeing him to bee very neere them God is our refuge and strength true he can save saith sense but that is a fowle flying in the woods and
over-Sea-hop farre off Not far off saith Faith A very present help in trouble or a help easily or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exceedingly found in troubl◠So Psalm 44 9. Thou hast cast us off Hebr. Thou art farre from us thou hast put us to shame What lower could the people be Vers. 19. We are in the dungeon in the place of dragons We are in the cold grave beside the wormes and corruption and thou hast covered us with the shaddow of death a cold bed Yet then see what Faith saith Vers. 20. Wee have not forgotten the name of our God Our God is a word of great faith And to come to Christ his Soule was troubled He was at What shall I say In a great perplexitie Yet he hath a strong faith both of his Father and of his owne condition He beleeved God to bee his Father and calleth him Father Yea in this hell hee applyeth the relation of a Father to himselfe Matth. 26.39 O my Father this is the warmest love-thought of God and when his comfort was ebbest his confidence in the Covenant strongest My God my God c. It s much glory to our Lord that Faith sparkle fire and bee hot when comfort is cold and low O what an honour to God the man is slaine and cold dead yet he beleeves strongly the salvation of God Christ kills the poore man and the mans faith kisseth and hangeth about Christs neck and sayes If I must dye let Christs bosome be my death-bed Then hee must beleeve if God was his Father by good Logick he must be the Sonne of God and if God was his God then the heire of all must claime the priviledges of all the Sons of the house in Covenant God I may say was more then Christs God and more then in covenant with God as he was more then a servant so more then a Sonne then a common one and Christs faith is so rationall and so binding with strength of reason that he will but use such a weapon as we may use even the light of Faith and hee will claime but the common benefit of all the Sonnes in covenant when he saith My God my God What ever Papists say if ever Christ was in hell it is now but see hee hath heaven present with him in hell If God could be apprehended by faith in hell as a God in covenant then should hell become heaven to that beleeving soule Christ tooke God and his God and his Father as Jonah a type of him downe to the bowels of hell with him and as we see some dying men they lay hold on some thing dying and dye with that in their hand which wee call the dead-gripe so Christ died with his Father by faith and his Spouse in regard of love stronger then the grave in his arms this was Christ's death embracings his death-kisse and Job professeth so much Lower hee could not be then hee complaineth hee is chap. 19. in all respects of body which was a clod of bones and skin in regard of wife servants deare friends of the hand of God in his soule Yet vers 25. I know that my goel my kinsman Redeemer liveth and that hee shall stand the last man on the earth This leadeth us in our forlorn perplexities to follow Christ's foot-steps both under evills of punishment and sin The people in their captivity in Babylon Ezek. 37. were an hoast of dead and which is more dry bones the Churches in Germany in Scotland are dry bones and in their graves the Churches in England and Scotland in regard of the sinfull divisions and blasphemous opinions in the worship of God are in a worse captivity and lower then dry bones and our woes are not at an end yet the faith of many seeth that deliverance and union there must be and that our graves must be opened and that the wind of the Lord must breathe upon the dry bones that they may live God hath in former times opened our graves when strange lords had dominion over us I would wee were freed of them now also but our yoke is heavier then it was but God shall deliver his people from those that oppresse them Again as you see in great perplexity Christ beleeved God to be his Father and that hee himselfe was a Son so are wee under pressures of conscience and doubtings because of sinne to keep precious high and excellent love-thoughts of Jesus Christ. Object 1. But what if a soule be brought to doubt of its conversion because hee findeth no good hee either doth or can doe true faith is a working faith Answ. Some so cure this as they prove Physicians of no value to poore soules I mean Antinomians For say they This is the disease that you in doubting of your faith because you find not such and such qualifications in you therefore seek a righteousnesse in your selfe and not in Christ. I should easily grant that man's inherent righteousnesse is in his carnall apprehension his very Christ and Redeemer but in the mean time These are two carnall and fleshly extremities and faith walketh in the middle between them 1. It s a fleshly way to say that because I find sinne reigning in me I have killed my brother saith a Cain I have betrayed the Lord of glory saith a Judas yet I am not saith a Libertine to question whether I beleeve or no for this putteth fleshly and prophane men on a conceit Be not solicitous what you are take you no feare of serving sin and divers lusts but beleeve and never doubt whether your faith be a dead or a living faith though you goe on to walk after the flesh but beleeve and doubt not whether you beleeve or no. The other extremity is of some weak Christians who because they find that in them that is in their flesh dwelleth no good and they sinne daily find much untowardnesse and back-drawing in holy duties therefore say they Christ's This is a false Conclusion drawn from a true Antecedent and springeth from a root of selfe-seeking and righteousnesse which wee naturally seek in our selves for I am not being once justified to seek my justification in my sanctification but being not justified I may well seek my non-justification in my non-sanctification as Libertines say this is the fault of all when it is the fault onely of some weak mis-judging soules so doe they take the Saints off from all disquietnesse and griefe of mind for neglect of spirituall duties as if all godly sorrow and displeasure for our sinfull omissions were nothing but a legall sorrow for want of selfe-righteousnesse and a sinfull unbeleefe but it s formally not any such thing but lawfull and necessary to make the sinner goe with a low sayle and esteem the more highly of Christ and it s onely sinfull when abused to such a legall inference I omit this and this I sinne in this and this ergo God is not my Father nor am
I his sonne But I hold this Position as evidently deducible out of the Text In the roughest and most bloudy dispensation of God toward Saints neither soule-trouble nor anxiety of spirit can be a sufficient ground to any why they should not beleeve or question their son-ship and relation to God as their Father It s cleare that Christ in his saddest condition beleeved and stood to it that God was his Father The onely question will be If sinfull and fleshly walking be a good warrant To which I answer If any be a servant of sin and walk after the flesh and be given up to a reprobate mind to commit sin with greedinesse such a one hath good warrant to beleeve that God is not his Father and that hee is not in Christ because 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ hee is a new creature If any be risen with Christ he seeketh the things that are above where Christ is at the right hand of God Hee is dead and his life is hid with Christ in God And Hee mortifieth his members on earth Col. 3.1 2 3 4. Hee is redeemed from this present evill world Gal. 1.4 Hee is dead to sinnes and liveth to righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2.24 Hee is redeemed from his vaine conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 Hee is the Temple of the Holy Ghost hee is not his own but bought with a price and is being washed in Christ's bloud a King over his lusts a Priest to offer himselfe to God an holy living and acceptable sacrifice 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Revel 1.5 6. Rom. 12.1 But hee that remaineth the servant of sin and walketh after the flesh and is given up to a reprobate mind c. is no such man ergo such a man hath no claime to God as his Father and upon good grounds may and ought to question his being in Christ. Onely let these cautions be observed 1. It is not safe to argue from the quantity of holy walking for many sound beleevers may find untowardnesse in wel-doing yet must not cast away themselves for that A smoking flaxe is not quenched by Christ for that it hath little heat or little light and therefore ought not by us 2. Beware we lean not too much to the quality of walking holily to inferre I fast twice a weeke I give tithes of all I have then God I thanke him I am not an hypocrite as the Publican and a wicked man Sincerity is a sensible speaking grace it s seldome in the soule without a witnesse Lord thou knowest that I love thee saith Peter hee could answer for sincerity but not for quantity hee durst not answer Christ that hee knew that hee loved him more then these Sincerity is humble and walketh on positives Lord I love thee but dare not adventure on comparatives Lord I love thee more then others 3. There be certain houres when the beleever cannot make strong conclusions to inferre I am holy therefore I am justified because in darknesse wee see neither black nor white and Gods light hides our case from us that wee may be humbled and beleeve 4. Beleeving is surer then too frequent gathering warmnesse from our own hot skin Saltmarsh and other Libertines make three Doubts that persons have as sufficient grounds to question their being in Christ 1. Back-sliding 2. The mans finding no change in the whole man 3. Unbeleefe Give me leave therefore in all meeknesse to offer my thoughts in sifting and scanning this Doctrine This is then saith hee your first doubt that you are not therefore beloved of God or in Christ because you fell backe againe into your sin so as you did Suppose I prove to you that no sin can make one lesse beloved of God or lesse in Christ. Answer Then I shall conclude that sinne cannot hinder the love of God to my soule Question This I prove 1. The mercies of God are sure mercies his love his covenant everlasting Paul was perswaded that neither life nor death c. could separate him from the love of God The Lord changeth not in loving sinners 2. Whom the Lord loveth hee loveth in his Sonne hee accounts him as his Sonne for hee is made to us righteousnesse sanctification and redemption But God loveth his Sonne alwayes alike for hee is the same yesterday and to day and for ever ergo Nothing can make God love us lesse because hee loves us not for our selves or for any thing in our selves c. 3. God is not as man or the sonne of man Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's chosen The foundation of God standeth sure God's love is as himselfe ever the same Answer 1. The thing in question to resolve the sinner whether hee be loved of God from eternity as one chosen to glory is never proved because no sinne can make one lesse beloved from eternity and sin cannot hinder the love of God non concluditur negatum for its true sinne cannot hinder the flowings and emanation of the love of election it being eternall else not any of the race of mankind God seeing them all as guilty sinners could ever have been loved with an eternall love But the consequence is nought ergo back-sliders in heart and servants of sinne have no ground to question whether they be loved with the love of eternall election or not 2. This Physician layes downe the conclusion in question which is to be proved to the resolving of the mans conscience that hee may be cured the thing to be proved to the sick man say hee were a Judas wakened in conscience is that notwithstanding his betraying of Christ yet God loved him with an everlasting love and hee is in Christ. Now hee cureth Judas thus God's love is everlasting his covenant everlasting no sin can hinder God to love Judas or separate a traitor to Christ from the love of Christ. Seperation supposeth an union lesse loving supposeth loving so he healeth the man thus no disease can overcome or hinder the Art of such a skilled Physitian to cure a dying man But what if this skilled Physitian will not undertake to cure the man nor to move his tongue for advice nor to stirre one finger to feel the mans pulse Ergo The man must be cured For if the man be a back-slider in heart and a servant of sinne Christ never touched his pulse He hath as yet sure grounds to question whether he be loved of God or be in Christ or no for except you prove the man to be loved with an everlasting love you can prove nothing And your argument will not conclude any thing for the mans peace except you prove him to be chosen of God which is his onely question But say that hee is loved from everlasting and that hee is in Christ by faith its easie to prove that his sinnes cannot change everlasting love nor make him lesse beloved of God nor separate him from the love of God You must then either remove the
walke by faith not by sight So we are to beleeve our repentance true in him who hath repented for us our mortifying sinne true in him through whom we are more then conquerors our new obedience true in him who hath obeyed for us and is the end of the Law to every one that beleeveth our change of the whole man true in him who is righteousnesse and true holinesse And thus without faith its unpossible to please God This is Scripture-assurance to see every one in himselfe as nothing and himselfe every thing in Christ Faith is the ground of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen All other assurances are rotten conclusions from the Word invented by Legall Teachers not understanding the mystery of the Kingdome of Christ. The Scriptures bid you see nothing in your selfe or all as nothing These teachers bid you see something in your selfe so as the leaving out Christ in Sanctification is the foundation of all doubts feares distractions And he that looketh on his repentance on his love on his humility on his obedience and not in the tincture of the bloud of Christ must needs beleeve weakely and vncomfortably Answer If a servant of sinne any Cain wakened with the terrors of God see his sinnes feele hell in his soule for them and have no warme thoughts of love and farre-off-affiance at least in Christ Jesus but flee from Christ and goe to the enemies of Christ for comfort as Judas did hee may strongly conclude I feele I am not sanctified I hate the Physitian Christ and runne from him Ergo I am not justified And from a true reall non-feeling of sanctification it s a strong consequence there 's no justification But from a mis-prizing of Grace and Sanctification in my selfe I cannot conclude I am not justified We know Papists in point of certaintie of salvation argue so many deluded Hypocrites beleeve or imagine they have oyle in their lamps yet they are deceived therefore the Saints can have no certainty they are in Christ. It s just like the answer now in hand A mis-judging of sanctification cannot argue no justification Ergo A true and reall judgement of no sanctification in Hypocrites and slaves of sinne cannot argue the persons to be justified who thus argue It is as if I should argue thus A frantick and a sleeping man cannot know that he is frantick and sleeping therefore a sober and a waking man cannot know that he is sober and waking For a deserted child of God is in some spirituall Phrensie and sleepe and does mis-prize Christ in himselfe and sanctification and therefore argueth often that he is not in Christ upon false principles But a wakened conscience in Cain and Judas doe strongly conclude I am not a new creature but a servant of sinne Ergo I am not justified and not in Christ and Cain in this consequence is sober and not asleepe 2. Not any Protestant Divine whom the Author calleth Legall Teachers ignorant of the mystery of the Gospel did ever teach that Faith new Obedience Repentance are grounds upon which God justifieth a sinner Antinomians who make Repentance and Mortification all one with Faith and as Master Den saith they are but a change of the minde to seeke righteousnesse and mortification in Christ not in our selves Thus much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie must say as wee are justified by faith so also by repentance and mortification if repentance be nothing but faith as they say 3. We seeke onely the evidence of justification in our holy walking as the Scripture doth 1 Pet. 1.24 Galat. 1.4 1 Pet. 1 18. 1 Joh. 3.14 Infinite places say these that live to Christ and are new Creatures must be in Christ and justified 2 Cor. 5.17 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11 12. Gal. 2.20 Col. 3.1 2 3 4. Then the arguing from the effect to the cause can be no rotten conclusion except by accident in a soule distempered under desertion and weakenesse 4. These places that make Christ our sanctification and Christ to live in us and beleevers to be the workemanship of Jesus created in him unto good workes c. Make not these to bee acts of Christ formally repenting perfectly in us sorrowing for sinne mortifying sinne perfectly in us as if wee were meere patients and were onely obliged to repent sorrow mortifie sinne when the Spirit breatheth â—n us and not otherwise as Libertines explaine themselves which I hope to refute hereafter 2. Nor doe these places make Justification and Regeneration all one as Master Towne with other Antinomians doe For we are not regenerated by faith but that we may beleeve but we are justified by faith 2. Regeneration putteth in us a new birth the image of the second Adam Justification formally is for the imputed righteousnesse of Christ which is in Christ not in us And it seemes to me that they make Justification and Sanctification all one for the Author saith that Christ not onely repenteth in us but for us Christ obeyed for us and is the end of the Law to every one that beleeveth Now what mysterious sense can be here I cannot dreame Sure it is no Gospel-secret if the meaning that Christ repenteth and obeyeth for us be that Christ by his grace worketh in us repentance and new obedience and mortification and the change of the whole man it s a good and sound sense But then how must all assurances from repentance and new obedience be the rotten conclusions of Legall Teachers To see all these wrought by Christ as the efficient and meritorious cause and to ascribe them to the Spirit of Jesus and thence conclude we are Justified as all Protestant Divines teach is no rotten conclusion of Legall Teachers For sure if we ascribe them to nature to free will to our selves and confide in them as parts of our righteousnesse and from them in that notion draw the assurance of our Justification as Papists and Arminians doe and as the Saints out of fleshly presumption may doe this is no doctrine of Protestants Is the Sunne obliged to me because I borrow light from it Or the Flouds and Rivers beholden to men because they drinke out of them The new man is a creature of Christs finding cursed bee they that sacrifice to Free-will It s a strange God The kingdome of grace is a Hospitall of free graces to sick men all we doe the least good thought or gracious motion in the soule is a flower and a rose of Christs planting and an Apple that grew on the tree of life a sinner is the stocke but free Grace the sap Christs Father the Husbandman life and growing is from Jesus the wine tree wee are but poore twigs that bring forth fruit in Christ. But I feare the sense of this that Christ repenteth for us and obeyeth for us he being the end of the Law to overy one that beleeveth be farre otherwise to wit that Christs obedience of the Law
he being the end of the Law as also his passive obedience is ours If this be the intended sense then all our Sanctification is nothing but the Sanctification and holy active obedience of Christ. I yeeld this to be a broad a faire and easie way to heaven Christ doth all for us Christ weeped for my sinnes and that is all the repentance required in me if I beleeve that Christ was mortified and dead to the world for me that is my mortification and if I beleeve that the Change of the whole man was truely in Christ this is my true holinesse then my walking in holinesse cannot bee rewarded with life eternall nor have any influence as a way or meanes leading to the kingdome 2. Christs active obedience imputed to the sinner can be no evidence of justification because it is in Christ not in me any evidence or marke of Justification must bee inherent in the beleever not in Christ. 3. And one and the same thing cannot be a marke and a signe of it selfe Now the active obedience of Christ imputed to the sinner is holden to be a part of Justification 5. The Scripture doth indeed bid you see nothing in your self that can buy the righteousnesse of Christ or be an hire and wages to ransome imputed righteousnesse and Legall Teachers not any Protestant Divines bâ—d you see something a great something of merit and selfe-righteousnesse in your selfe And Antinomians say that the New creature or the New man mentioned in the Gospel is not meant of Grace but of Christ. The Scripture maketh Christ and Justification the cause and Sanctification and the New creature the effect 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ hee is a new creature And this assertion maketh Sanctification as formâ—lly distinguished from Christ and Justification just nothing And Antinomians say that in the regenerate and Saints there is no inherent righteousnesse no grace or graces in the soules of beleevers but in Christ onely And M. Saltmarsh saith the same that our sorrow repentance mortification and change of the whole man are nothing in us but they are in Christ and must be apprehended by faith as things unseen whereas the divine nature is in the Saints 2 Pet. 1.4 Faith dwelleth in us 2 Tim. 1.5 The new creation and image of Christ is in the mind Ephes. 4.23 The seed of God abideth in us 1 Joh. 3.9 The anoynting that teacheth all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remaineth in you 1 Joh. 2.27 and Ezek. 36. â—6 I will give you an heart of flesh and I will put my Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the inner part or in the midst of you Antinomians teach That true poverty of spirit doth kill and take away the sight of grace And Sanctification is so farre from evidencing a good estate that it darkens it rather and a man may more clearly see Christ when hee seeth no sanctification then when hee sees it the darker my sanctification is the brighter is my justification So Saltmarsh The Scriptures bid you see nothing in your selfe or all as nothing these Teachers bid you see something in your selfe And it s a walking by faith and not by sight and a life hid with Christ in God to beleeve more truth in our owne graces then wee see or feel Now its true the Saints out of weaknesse mis-prize the Spirit 's working in them and while they under-value themselves they under-rate the new creation in themselves and tacitely upbraid and â—lander the grace of Christ and lessen the heavenly treasure because it is in an earthen vessell but poverty of spirit and grace will see and doe see grace inherent in it selfe though as the fruit of grace Cant. 1.5 I am black O daughters of Jerusalem but comely as the tents of Kedar Vers. 11. While the King sitteth at his table my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof The Saints as they make a judgement of Christ and his beauty so also of themselves My heart waked I am sick of love Psal. 116.16 O Lord truly I am thy servant Psal. 63.1 My soule thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth after thee Psal. 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee Psal. 130.6 My soule waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning So Ezekiah Esay 38.3 Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 2 Tim. 4.7 8. 1 Cor. 15.9 10. And others have set out in its colours the image of Christ in it selfe but not as leaving out Christ and taking in merit nor doth the sense of sanctification darken justification or lessen it to nothing except where wee abuse it to merit and selfe-confidence as Peter did who in point of selfe-confidence ought to have forgotten the things that are behind 2. Yea to say wee see justification more clearly when wee seâ— no sanctification is to make the water and the Spirit 1 Joh. 5.8 dumb or false witnesses that either speak nothing or tell lies 3. It is against the office of the Spirit which is to make us know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that are freely given us of God such as faith repentance love mortification Act. 5. â— 2 Tim. 2.25 Phil. 1.29 Ephes. 2.8 Rom. 5.5 Gal. 2.20 I grant by accident when sin appeareth to a Saint out of measure sinfull and hee seeth how little good hee hath that hee is blind naked poore and hath no money nor price that hee is sold as a wretched man under a body of sin Rom. 7.14 24. it heighteneth the excellency and worth of the ransome and bloud holden forth in Justâ—fication And white righteousnesse free and glorious set beside black guiltinesse and no sanctification compearing as price or hire maketh Christ appeare to be choycer then gold or rubies Yea when I see no sanctification to buy Christ then justification is more lovely eye-sweet taking and soule-ravishing as the more light the more darknesse is discovered and the more sin the higher is Jesus Christ. And by all this the Saints professing their owne integrity and holy walking before God should see something in themselves not understanding the mystery of the Gospel and erre miserably with Legall Teachers and darken free justification by grace And one grace of God should obscure and destroy another for to see feel and professe sanctification is an act of supernaturall feeling and of grace how then can it darken the faith of the remission of sinnes in Christ But it may be asked When the Saints cannot be assured that God is their Father in regard of sin unbeleefe and present deadnesse what reasons would you use to raise their spirits up to the assurance of their interest and relation to God as to their Father Ans. There is no way of arguing Saints out of their unbeleefe except hee that laboureth to strengthen them being an Interpreter one of a thousand who can shew a man his righteousnesse be so acquainted with
absence to say nothing of everlasting huggings and embracings Asser. 7. Nor is this a good reason I find sinne rottennesse and so a deserved curse in all my workes of sanctification therefore why should I make them any bottome for assurance but I must take in Christ heere for Sanctification for if workes of this kind be not done in Faith to the knowledge of the doer they can witnesse nothing but beare a false testimony of Christ nor doe we ever teach that Christ is to bee decourted from our workes of Sanctification but even faith it selfe which is a bottome of peace to Antinomians by this reason must be cashiered for as the love of Christ our prayers humility are not formally sinnes but onely concomitantly in regard that sinne adhereth to them as muddy water is not formally clay and mudde but in mixture its clayie and muddie so our Faith is concomitantly sinnefull both because often its weake and so wanting many degrees and mixed with sinne deserves a curse as well as works of Sanctification but it apprehendeth Christ and righteousnes in him and so it bottometh our assurance If by apprehending you meane to bring to you certaine knowledge and assurance that Christ is made my righteousnesse then you beg the question if you deny this to works of Sanctification For 1 John 2.3 Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his commandements Ver. 5. And who so keepeth his word in him verily the love of God is perfected hereby that is by keeping his word called twise before vers 3.4 The keeping of his Commandements and vers 6. Walking as he walked Hereby saith he know wee that we are in him in Christ our propitiation and righteousnesse and thus are we justified by keeping the Commandements of God because by this we apprehend and know that we are justified 2. But then all that are justified must bee fully perswaded of their justification and that faith is essentially a perswasion and assurance of the love of God to me in Christ it s more then I could ever learne to bee the nature of Faith a consâ—quent separable I beleeve it is 3. If by apprehending Christ and his righteousnesse be understood a relying and fiduciall acquiescing and recumbencie on Christ for salvation It is granted in this sense that Faith is a bottome to our assurance of our being in Christ but that it breedeth assurance in a reflect knowledge alwaies that a beleever is in Christ is not true for 1. I may beleeve and be justified and not know yea positively doubt that I beleeve and am justified as thousands have pardon and have no peace nor assurance of their pardon and have faith in Christ and in his free love and have no feeling of Christ and of his free love For we beleeve more truth of our owne graces and so of our faith and assurance of our pardon then we can see or feele which is Gods dispensation that our life should be hid with Christ in God Ergo the life of Faith by which the just doth live is hid and above the reach of feeling at all times 2. As Faith which is the direct act of knowing and relying on Christ for pardon is a worke of the Spirit above the reach of reason so also the reflect act of my knowing and feeling that I beleeve and am in Christ which proceedeth sometime from Faith and the immediate Testimony of the Spirit sometime from our walking in Christ 1 John 2.3 4. 1 Joh. 3.14 is a supernaturall work above the compasse and reach of our Free-will and is dispensed according to the spirations and stirrings of the free grace of God and as the keeping of his Commandements actu primo and in it selfe giveth Testimony that the soule is in Christ and justified even as the act of beleeving in it selfe doth the same yet that wee actu secundo efficaciously know and feele that we are in Christ from the irradiation and light of Faith and sincere walking with God is not necessary save onely when the winde of the actuall motion and flowing of the Spirit concurre with these meanes just as the Gospel-promises of themselves are life and power but they then onely actually actu secundo animate and quicken whithered soules when the Lord is pleased to contribute his influence in the shininâ— of his Spirit Otherwise I may walke in darkenesse yea bâ—â—eeve pray love die for paine of love and have no ligh◠〈◊〉 reflect knowledge and feeling that I am in Esayâ—0 â—0 10 I may be sicke of love for Christ call knock pray conferr with the watchmen and daughters of Jerusalem and be at a low ebbe in my own sense yea the beloved may to my feeling and actuall assurance have withdrawne himselfe Cant. 3.1 2 3 4 5. Cant. 5.5 6 7 8. and all my inherent evidences cannot quicken me in any tollerable assurance It 's true Sanctification may bee darkned yea and Faith also when there is nothing to the faith-failing and outer dying but this onely of Christ the head all the life of a Saint retyring not to his faint heart but to his strong head I have prayed for you that your faith faile not but the darke evening of Davids both Faith and Sanctification and of Peter in his denying of his Master and his Judaizing Gal. 2. When he and others ver 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do crook and halt betweene Grace and the Law as the people did between Jehovah and Baal their profession of Jehovah and Christs grace being long and their practise short and inclining too much to Baal and salvation by the Law as halting is a walking with a long and a short legge the body unevenly inclining to both sides of the way this darkening I say was in the second acts of Faith and Sanctification but life and sap was at the roote of the Oake-tree when it was lopt hewed and by winter stormes spoyled of the beauty of its leaves Wee doe not say that Sanctification doth at all times actually beare witnesse or a like sensibly and convincingly that the soule is justified is in Christ there be degrees and intermission and sicke dayes both of Faith and Sanctification But we say roses and flowers have been ever since the creation and shall be to the end of the world because though they vanish in winter yet in their causes they are as eternall as the earth so is Faith and the bloomings and greene blossomings of Sanctification alwaies but there is a Sommer when they cast forth their leaves and beautie Asser. 8. To presse duties out of a principle of Faith is to presse Christ upon soules nor can the seeing of beames and light in the ayre or of Wine-grapes on the tree be a denying of the Sunne to be in the firmanent or of life and sap to be in the Vine-tree to see and feele in our selves grapes and fruits of righteousnesse except we make the grace of Christ a bastard
way to be sure of the truth of good things is tasting and feeling Eat O friends drinke yea drink abundantly O beloved Answ. This reason would inferre that there is not a Saint on earth capable of such a sinne as to doubt whether they beleeve or not because wee read not of it in any of the hearers of Christ or the Apostles This is a bad consequence except you say All the various conditions of troubled consciences are set down in particular examples in the New Testament Which is contrary to all experiences of the Saints 2. It is one thing to doubt of the truth of the promises and another thing to doubt whether my apprehension of the promise be true or false The latter is not alwayes sin for it may be my apprehension of the truth of the promises be beside the line and off the way and then I question not Christ's dainties which to doe were unbeleefe but my owne deluded fancie which may appeare to be faith and is nothing lesse the former is indeed unbeleefe not the latter 3. It s true tasting makes sure the truth of the Lord 's good things that are inclosed in the promises but then an unconverted sinner who is void of spirituall senses cannot be the beloved nor the friend that Christ speaketh to Cant. 5.1 Wee doe not say a beleever ought to doubt whether hee hath true faith or no but because the command of beleeving obliegeth the non-converted as well as the converted shall the naturall man eat as a friend and a beloved hee remaining in nature and not yet converted and this man in nature ought not to doubt whether his fancie be faith or not but hee is oblieged to beleeve that is to imagine that his fancie is faith 4. I see not how if the faith of the Saints be tried as gold in the fire they may not through the prevalencie of temptation be shaken in their faith as Peter was when hee denyed his Saviour and Paul who 2 Cor. 1 8. was pressed out of measure above strength despaired of life had the sentence of death 2 Cor. 7.5 was troubled on every side fightings without and feares within and the sonnes of God who may feare that they have received the spirit of bondage to feare againe opposite to the Spirit of adoption Rom. 8.15 but that they may faint in their tribulations Ephes. 3.13 and may be surprised with feare which hath torment and must be cast out 1 Joh. 4.18 and may be ready to faint and die Revel 3.2 and turne luke-warme be wretched miserable poore blind naked and yet beleeve the contrary of themselves Revel 3.16 17. All these may come and often doe come to that low condition of spirit after Justification as to say and think that all men are liars their faith is no faith that they are forsaken of God to their own sense and cast out of his sight and question whether they ever did beleeve or no And why would the Apostle say Patience bringeth forth experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed Rom. 5.4 if experience that ever God loved me or that ever I beleeved to my present sense cannot be removed But this is but the Doctrine of Famulists who teach That after the revelation of the Spirit neither devill nor sinne can make the soule to doubt And To question whether God be my deare Father after or upon the committing of some hainous sinnes as murther incest c. doth prove a man to be in the Covenant of works Doe not they then teach us a way of despairing who say that Wee find not in the whole course of Christ's preaching or the Disciples that any asked the question whether they beleeved or no whether their faith were true faith or no What then shall thousands of smoking flaxes and weak reeds doe who often ask this question and say and think Ah I have no faith my faith is but counterfeit mettall And then by this Doctrine of despaire beleevers ought to conclude I am not under Grace but under the Law and a Covenant of works and so not in Christ yea whatever lusters were in me before I am in no condition of any wee read of in the New Testament who were hearers of Christ and the Apostles for Libertines never true beleevers doubted whether their faith was true or not Object 3. For any to doubt whether they beleeve or no is a question that Christ onely can satisfie who is the Author and Finisher of our faith Who can more properly shew one that hee sees then the Light which enlightens him Answ. Christ solves not questions that no man ever made S. thinkes that beleevers never doubt whether their faith be true faith or not which is a strong way of beleeving and those must be so strong in the faith who doubt not of this as they are above all temptations But this will be found against the experience of all beleevers It is most true none can work faith but the onely Creator and Author of faith but will the Author hence inferre no man the most wicked nor any that ever heard Christ or his Apostles preach doubted of their faith 2. The sunne with all its light cannot perswade a blind man who seeth not that hee seeth beleevers often think they see when they see not and think they are blind when they see as experience and Scripture Revel 3.16 17. Joh. 9.38 39. teach us Object 4. Faith is truly and simply this A being perswaded more or lesse of Christ's love and therefore it is called a beleeving with the heart Now what infallible signe is there to perswade any that they are perswaded when themselves question the truth of their perswasion God onely shall perswade Japhet Who can more principally and with clearer satisfaction perswade the Spouse of the good will of him shee loves but himselfe Can all the love-tokens or testimoniall rings and bracelets They may concurre and help in the manifestation but it is the voyce of the beloved that doth the turne My beloved spake and said unto me Rise my love my faire one saith the Spouse Answ. 1. Faith may be a perswasion in some sense but that it is a perswasion that my faith or perswasion is true not counterfeit and so formally is utterly denyed How many beleeve and love Christ with the heart who are not perswaded that they doe so yea much doubt whether they beleeve with the heart and would give a world to know if it were possible that they truly love God No Divine who knoweth that a direct act of faith and to beleeve is when there is no reflexe act can deny this 2. Arguments or signes in accurate speech are not called infallible actu secundo the word of God is in it selfe infallible actu prâ—â—o But to Aristotle this In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth is not infallible actu secundo nor are the promises Hee that beleeveth
by Gods owne hand Not a man killed more in the two Kingdomes nor a house burnt nor a scratch in the body nor one wound in the poore souldier of Christ but all are numbred all goe by ounces graines and scruples in heaven there is a paire of just and discreet ballances before the throne Crucifie Christ and pierce his side but not one of his bones can be broken there be broken bones of two one at either side of him within the breadth of five fingers to him Cast Joseph in the dungeon but hee must not die there Cast Moses in the river when hee is an infant to die there but Pharaoh's daughter must bring him up as a Prince Let Job's body be afflicted but save his life Imprison and scourge the Apostles but there is more to doe by them ere they be killed Make the Kingdome of Judah weeping captives in Babylon but the dry bones must live againe Let David be sore afflicted but hee cannot be delivered unto death Psal. 118. Let Daniel be a captive and meat for the lyons but hee must be saved and honoured Appoint a day for the destruction of the Jewes under Ahashuerus let death be shaped and warped but they shall not dye Love even the love of Christ whose seven spirits full of wisdome are before the throne is a straight line a just measure and weigheth all to the tempted soules that nothing shall goe above their strength no burden more then their back no poyson no death in their cup no gall more then the stomack can endure You may O redeemed ones referre your hell to Christs love and make over all your sorrowes to his will see if hee will destroy you Let Christ be Moderator to brew your cup and Free-Grace be Judge of your portion of Christs crosse and the crosse may bruise your shoulder it shall not grind you to powder Had I ten eternities of weale or woe I durst referre them to the bowels of Christs boundlesse mercy and free love shall I be the first that Christs warme love over-killed and over-destroyed Christs love is infallible and above error Fatherly providence determines all so equally measureth all so straightly tempereth all so sweetly that black death is suggered with white heaven the sad grave a palace royall for a living and victorious King Apples of life grow on the saddest crosse that the Saints beare The love of Christ hath soft and silken fingers love measureth out strokes Revel 3.19 And can love kill and destroy a sonne of Gods love The sufferings of Christ and the Saints be measured by hours God is the Creator of Time and tempereth the horologe My times are in thy hands Psal. 31. How long Ephraim a raw cake shall be in the oven is decreed from eternity 2. Put away your scum your froth and the ill bloud and you have a dyet-drink from Christ the shorter while 3. You think long to have Britaines houre or the ten dayes of Pestilence and Sword on Scotland or the vastations of Ireland the warres divisions and new blasphemies of England gone and over but though wee lose much time and have bidden farewell to yesterday and shall never see it againe yet the Lord of time loseth not one moment if through acquaintance and familiarity you may become good friends with the crosse and beare it patiently doe for Christ what you will doe for time the former is an act of grace the Lord will thank you for it the latter is the work of a carnall man and will yeeld you no thanks 4. Life is a burden to you when it hath such a soure and sad convoy as heavie afflictions and the soule looks out at the windowes of the clay-â—rison O when will the Jaylor come with the keyes and enlarge a prisoner But why would you fall out with a friend for a foes cause Christ hath sewed them together for a time the vision will not tarie Christ is on his journey wait on let patience have its perfect worke it s a floore that lyeth long under ground it is a long quarter betweene sowing and earing yet Faith hath ay a good crop This houre Among all the houres that Christ had this was the saddest 1. Christ saw that his life in this houre would be taken from him it was convenient that Christ who was a man like us in all things except sinne should not be a stock in dying but have actuall paine and sense in the losing of his life for Christ had as much nature though no corruption as any man and life is a sweet inheritance its natures excellent free-hold and no man is willingly and without one sigh or teare cast out of this free-hold and Christs nature was not brasse or yron Sorrow and sadnesse found a kindly lodging in him 2. Hee had a clay tent of flesh and bloud as the children have that Hebr. 2.15 he might deliver them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage He must in our nature put on actuall feare to deliver the Saints from habituall feare Nature cannot without horrour and a wrinkle on the brow looke straight out on the breadth of deaths black face The Martyrâ— kissed death because the joy of heaven took lodgeing in their soule by anticipation before the terme day to confirme the truth of God but death has a soure bite and sharpe teeth with all its kind kisses Yea but Christ must read in the face of Death more millions of curses a curse for every elect single man Deut. 27.26 Gal. 3.10 then would have affrighted millions of Angels O! but there was black and dolefull paintrie hell and thousand thousands of deaths in one all writen on the visage of death which was presented to Christ now and when there was a sad darke and thicke courten drawne over Christs heaven it must bee a soure kisse to lay his holy mouth to such a black face as death now had Christ was in sad earnest when he said Matth. â—6 38 My soule is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extreamly out of measure heavie even to the death 3. Christ having well tempered affections his soule never being out of joynt with sinne was not in dying foole-hardy or bolde-life-wasting or casting away the soule for a straw is forbidden in the sixth Commandement Hee saw sad and bloudy bils given in against him O how many thousands of sinnes were all made his sinnes by imputation And Justice was to sell all the elect over to Christ and to deliver them all by tale to free grace at no cheaper rate then the rendring of the soule of Christ to harder then ten thousand millions of ordinary deaths Christ behoved to earne heaven at the hardest cost for all his owne with no lesse then the noble and eminent life and bloud of God such a summe was never told downe in heaven before or after 4. There is much weight on this houre in regard of Christs opposites three
for the truth of Christ may have a naturall and conditionall desire and inclination to live though his living be contrary to the Lords revealed will commanding him to seale the Gospel with his bloud and to confesse Christ before men 3. If the brother sonne daughter wife or friend that is as a mans owne soule Deut. 13.6 blaspheme God yea if father or mother doe it Deut. 33.8 9. yet is a father oblieged to stone the son or daughter the son being a Magistrate or a Levite and Priest to judge according to law the Priests lips should preserve knowledge Mal. 2.8 that his father or mother ought to be stoned to death yet ought not father or sonâ—e to lay aside that naturall desire of being and life to sonne father brother which the law of nature in the fifth Command doth require especially the desire being conditionall with submission to Gods will as the desire of Christ is here and the Command to stone the blasphemer that the father stone the son the son the father being positive and though founded on the law of nature that a man preferre his Lord Creator and God before sonne or father and mother yet are they not precepts of the law of nature such as is the precept of nature that a man desire his owne life and being the father the life and being of the son Asser. 5. The apparent opposition for it is not reall is rather between Christ's sensitive and his sinlesse meere naturall desire and affection and his reasonable will then his will and the will of God Nor can any say there is a fight or jarring between the conditionall desire of Christ subjected in the same act of praying to the Lords decreâ— and the resolute and immutable will of God The Law of God because holy and spirituall doth require a conformity between all the inclinations and motions of our soule and the law of nature but an absolute conformity betweene all our inclinations and every positive command of God such as was the Lords command that Christ should die for sinners is not required in the Law of God If Adam submit his naturall hunger or desire to eat of the forbidden tree to Gods Law and eat not there is no sinfull jarring between his will and Gods positive Law Thou shalt not eat of the tree of Knowledge of good and evill It becomes us as Christs example goeth before us to submit in the hardest and most bloodie providences to the straight and holy will of God 1. Christ prâ—â—esseth he hath no will divided from Gods will he layeth down his glory his heaven his life his fruition of the sweet influence of an highest vision love presence feeling of God in a personall union at the feet of God that the Lord may carve and cut and dispose of him and his blood as he thought good 2. All the difficulty in us in whom dwelleth a body of sinne is to answer the objections that flesh and blood hath against a sad providence which I will labour to doe and then give some rules for direction Obj. 1. This is a bloody and rough way that the Lord leadeth his people that they drink wormwood and gall of blood and not tears onely Ans. Providence is full of mysteries let the way be shame the crowne is glory and the present condition be hell the end is heaven Providence is a hand-writing of mercy though we cannot ever read it more then Belshazzar could read his bill of justice we see a woman with child but cannot tell whether it be a living or a dead birth shee shall bring forth or whether the child shall be base and poor or honourable and renowned ere he die The births in the wombe of providence are invisible to us out of the ashes of a burnt and destroyed Church the Lord raiseth up a Phenix a Kings daughter a Princesse that shall rule the Nations with a rod of iron a Zion that hath the strength of an Vnicorne yea Iacobs seed shall be in many waters his King shall be higher then Agag and his Kingdom shall be exalted God brought him out of Egypt Num. 24.7 8. Christ breweth the water of life out of drinke of gall wormwood and blood if the head be gold as Christ is the body cannot without great incongruity be base clay Obj. 2. But all go wrong confusion and vastation lye on the people of God Ans. To him who sitteth on the Throne and gives Law and Judgement to the most unconstant things imaginable the waves of the Sea and orders them and rules a Sea of glasse a brittle and fraile thing and a Sea of most unnaturall confusions a Sea mingled with fire nothing can be out of order hell the Beast and Dragon that make warre with the Lambe the laying wast the holy City the killing of the Witnesses are all orderly means ranked by the Lord whose Armies cannot reele nor spill their march when he drawes them up to the execution of his wife decrees the confusion is to our eye but judgement law and order there are though not visible to us Who can pull him out of his invisible and high Throne of wisedome counsell and power it may be he sits not alwayes on his Throne of justice Obj. 3. But what a providence is it that those that open their mouth against heaven are fat and shine and prosper and those that fear God are plagued every day and killed all the day long and counted as sheepe for the slaughter Answ· 1. Offend not against the generation of the children of God as if it were lost labour and as good to sow wheat in the Sea as serve the Lord and walk mournefully before him you see their work but not their wages 2. It is painfull to trace providence in all its wayes circuits bout-gates lines turnings But 3. surely in the end God turneth the tables â—he maketh all odds equall the emptie bucket goeth downe the full cometh up 4. The Lord hath set the wicked in a chaire of Gold but on the top of a house and rouling stone above the mouth of a pit ten hundred fathom deep This is a jogging and slippery condition 5. They slip away to eternity and to Hell in a moment 6. Their happinesse is a golden dream Psal. 73.12 13 c. Obj. Meanes faile men chanâ—e creatures are weake Answ. So long as Christ changeth not and your Head liveth and stirreth the helme of heaven and earth all must be well if all life all health and so much as eternall life be in the Head how can the heart ake or quake except it first create and then fancie fears and doe not really suffer Obj. 5. Our Kingdomes strength is gone we cannot subsist Ans. Col. 1.17 18. In Christ all things subsist he is the head of the body the Church Faith is the substance Budeâ—s the boldnesse and fortitude Beza the firme and constant expectation the Syrian and Arabian the confident
because I cannot comprehend infinite Jesus Christ. Rule 11. Christ is not so intent and heart-bended on freedom from death and this black and sad hour but he reverences a higher providence that Gods will be done so are we to look to providence and we are not to stumble at an externall stroake in sad occurences when Iob 9.22 God destroyeth the perfect and the wicked And he furbishes his Sword Ezek. 21.3 and saith I will draw out my sword out of its sheath and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked Then 1. Arise goe downe to the potters house Jer. 18. The earth is Gods work-hâ—use for clay good and bad are equally on the wheeles Christ as punishable for our sinnes though a vessell of burning Gold is under art Soveraignity rolles about three in one wheele the Blaspheming the Repenting Thiefe and Christ who is Uertue Grace yea Glory in the midst An elect and a reprobate man may bee both sewed in the same winding-sheet they may touch others skins in the same grave but they are not rolled in in the same hell Yea Cham is saved in the Arke but as the uncleane beasts are hee is preserved from drowning but reserved to cursing 2. There is a providence of grace as there is in God a speciall love of free-grace the good and the bad figs are not in the same invisible basket there is a Pavilion a Cabinet of silke in Gods privie Chamber seene to no eye Psal. 27.5 And upon all the glory shall be a covering Esai 4.9 Christs free and invisible love is a faire white webbe of gold that a Saint is wrapped in in the ill day Where is he he is hid yet he goes through the sieve and sifted he must be but not a graine of him falles to the earth Amos 9.9 3. There have been questions about the Prerogative of Kings and the Priviledge of Parliaments too but undeniably in the Market-roade of Providence the Lord hath kept a Prerogative Royall of justice to himselfe to cut off the innocent and righteous with the wicked in temporall judgements 2. And of speciall grace of Providence when the godly man is blacked with a death-marke and condemned to die Gods Prerogative sends him a reprievall of grace above the law and current of providence Esai 38.5 Ezechiah saith the high Land-lord is summoned to slit and remove yet he shall dwell in his Farme of clay fifteene yeares 3. This Prerogative dispenseth with fire not to burne with the Sea not to ebbe and flow so long as the soles of the feet of Christs bride are upon the new-found sands in the heart of the Sea Yea with hungry Lyons not to eat their meat when they have no food but the flesh of Daniel beloved of the Lord. Christ here commits himselfe unto an unseen Soveraignty For Abraham to kill his owne onely begotten sonne of promise to reason it s a worke of God but it s a providence of non-sence Neither Law nor Gospel for ought that reason can see shall warrant it yet Soveraignity commands it and that 's enough Afflictions of trialls such as the prosperitie of the wicked and the trying sufferings of the godly seeme more to contradict Gods promises and revealed will in the Word then any other visitations of God therefore beside that they require patience they must have faith in an eminent manner To beleeve infinite wisdome can tye the murthering of Isaak by his owne Father against the Law of Nature as it seemes with the Gospel which cannot command unnaturall blouds must require much faith Rule 12. Christ declares when matters are at the worst there is good will for him in the done will of God it s an objection to sense and to sinlesse Nature in Christ-man O doest thou not see sad and four-faced death is not thy soule thy darling in the power of dogs hath not hell long and bloody teeth is not the furnace the oven of the Lords highest indignation for the sins of all the chosen of God very hot when the flames of it makes thee a troubled soule and causes thee to sweat out blood what blood shall be lâ—ft for scourging for the Iron nails of that sad crosse True saith Christ I have God knowes a heavy soule my strength is dried up like a potsheard This cup casteth a savour of hell and fiery indignation a sight of it would kill a man yet I 'le drinke it the good and just will of my Father be done there I stand further I goe not To be at a stand and to lay silence on our tumultuous thoughts who are compassed with a body of sin and to be satisfied with the will of the Lord is our safest we should not be perswaded by the crosse or all that sense can say far lesse what sin can say from this The will of the Lord be done The friends of Paul hearing what he must suffer say Acts 20.14 When he would not hee perswaded we ceased saying The will of the Lord be done It is grace to cease and say no more when we see the Lord declare his mind to us An holy heart will not goe one haires breadth beyond the Lords revealed will 1. Because love which thinketh not â—ll does not black the spotlesse and faire will of God when it is revealed to be from God though Hell were in that will 2. Faith seeth even in permitting of persecution from Pharaoh and Egypt the Lords good will in the burning bush the very good will by which he saveth his people redeemed in Christ Mat. 11.26 Phil. 1.13 who dwelleth in the bush Deut. 33.16 And it 's considerable that the same good will which is the root of reprobation and of permitting hell and Devils and Devils persecuting instruments to turn his Church into ashes and to a burnt bush and Devils and men to crucifie Christ is free grace and the root of Election to glory and is extended to the Saints Rom. 9.15 16 17. Ephes. 1.11 Faith seeth and readeth free grace in a providence which of it self is extended to Devils and reprobate men though not as extended to them and it is an Argument of true grace if any can say Amen to Hell and the sadest indignation coming from this will though against a particular will of of our owne 3. As we are obliged to adore God so also his Soveraignty and holy will when it s revealed to us and to murmure against it because it crosseth our short-sighted and narrow-witted will is the highest contempt of God and that which is the Soule and Formale of sinne and the determination of a wicked and ill-stated question Whether should my short and pur-blind will stand for eternity or the holy and infinitely-wise will of God which had eternity of duration infinitnesse of wisdome and not seven but millions of eyes to advise what was decreed as fittest to be done 4. Since there is not a Fatum nor an Adamantine destiny and
irrevocable decree but this is it holy wisdome to knocke hard heads with God It s true Pride growes greene and casteth out its golden branches in the fattest soile But Job 9.4 He is wise in heart and mighty in strength who hath hardned himselfe against him and prospered There is infinite wisdome in God and infinite power to bring to pasâ—e his Decrees will clay counterworke Gods infinite counsell The Former of all things makes fire-workes under the earth against sinners can sinners make counter-mines to out-worke the Almighty Sure if he be wise in heart who hath a most eminent holy and just providence in all that falleth out when we heare that the Gospell and the Church of Christ are oppressed in judgement we are to looke on that oppression as on the sinne of other men and as our crosse and to mourne for it In the former consideration and in the latter as it troubles us to judge it good necessary and better then if it had been otherwise The formall reason of goodnesse is the will of God and your judgement is to esteeme that good which is ill to you though it bee sowre and heavie for it hath goodnesse from this and goodnesse to you that the Lord hath decreed it to be sowre and sweet make up a middle taste most pleasant Christ twisteth blacke and white in one web the Jewes sinnes which he willeth not and their sinne is the redemption of man which hee loveth and these two are pleasant to behold and when they are mixed in one and come from the most wise God they have beauty to God farre bee it from mee to judge them blacke or unjust which are faire to him Rule 13. Christ submits his will to the will of God in soule-desertions so should we doe Christs love to his Father is no Critick no knotty Questionist to spinne and forge jealousies against the Lords dispensation in the influence of heaven on his soule He is willing to lay his soule-comforts in the bosome and free-will of his Father and in this he judgeth the Lords will better then his owne will We have too many querelous love-motions against the reality of Christs love when he hides himselfe O but wee are covetous and soule-thirsty after our owne will in the matter of soule-manifestations either I see little here or we Idol comforts and would gladly have a Christ of created grace rather then Christ or his grace and when we are thirsting for Christ it is his comforts the Rings Jewells Bracelets of the Bridegrome wee sick after rather then himselfe it s not an unmixed nor a poore mariage-love to maâ—y the riches and possessions and not the person Math. 22.2 The Kingdome of heaven is like unto a certaine King which made a Mariage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his Son not for his daughter in law The glory of Gospel-dainties resembled to a Marriage are for the Kings Sonne and the glory of Christ not for our glory but for our grace Christ is the finall end for whom all the Honey-combes the Myrrhe the Spices the Wine and the Milk of the banquet are prepared Cant. 5.1 We have need of Christ to cure even our perfections there be some wild oats some grains of madnesse and will-wit in our best graces 2. You cannot Idolize Christ himselfe love in pounds in talent weights is too little for him his sweet accidents his delights consolations love-embracements are sweet but swel-ling and too fatning and if Christ send these to a beleever in a box of gold or in a case made of a piece of the heaven or of a chip of the noone-day-Sunne and not come himselfe they should not satisfie the soule Cant. 3.1 I sought him whom my soule loved Watchmen saw yee him O it is the beloved himselfe that is a great man in the Spouses bookes his Wine his Spiknard his Myrrhe his Oyntments his Perfume the Savour of his Garments his Apples of love are all in that heavenly song set out for himselfe Love-tokens are nothing duties nothing inherent righteousnesse nothing heaven nothing if separated from Christ but Christ himselfe is all in all Our 2. disease is we forget that hee that created the love of Christ in the heart can onely cure our love when its sicke for Christ As he that created the first World can rule it so he that created the second new world can guide it and all the creatures in it though our faith stagger touching his speciall providence in particulars of either as we are deserted and left to our selves 3. We often thirst after comforts and sense as the people did and Esai 58.5 were reproved for their fast Is it such a Fast as I have chosen And Zach. 7.5 Did yee at all Fast to me even to me So may Christ blame us for the like sinne and say Have ye thirsted to me and for me and not rather for your selves Let us examine delusions and not father them upon Christ except we know he will owne them 4. We desire a never interrupted presence and sense of God whereas Christ submitted to want it for a time when he saw it was Gods will so to doe and though we have not nor can we have positively alway an edge of actuall hunger yet wee negatively can be submissive to want when wee see it is his will we want whereas he is the same Christ with the same immanent and eternall love of election without variation of the Degrees of the altitude and height thereof the same infinite wisdome when he frownes and hides his face and when he shines and smiles in his kingly manifestations Cloudes alters not the Sunne-light coverings changeth not Christ that he cannot love behind the curtaine Except we take a cloud to be the Sunne or created sweetnesse to be Christ were the beame separated from the Sunne what should it be but as good as nothing We dreame that the curtaines and robes of Christs manifestations of love adds somewhat to his excellency then hee must be of more eminency when hee expresseth himselfe in love-embracements to us then when hee was from eternity the floure of his Fathers delight Christs out-side in revealed sweetnesse and in transient manifestations of his beauty must then be more excellent then himselfe this is too selftie a conception of Christ. The Lord Jesus is more within then we can enjoy of him in his love-expressions he loses none of that immanent sweetnesse under his wise withdrawings though you or I or Men or Angels should never feed upon any time-injoyments of sweetest love and manifested glory from his revealed kindenesse 5. It s a great Quere if it be expedient that our motion to heaven should bee as the motion of the Sunne that never rests but moves as swiftly in the night as in the day and if we should ever be on wings I know it s our dutie but even the falling on our owne weight and the conscience of our clay-mould our short
breath Natures weake leggs in walking up the Mount are good for the adding wind and tyde and high sailes to the praysing of Christ and free Grace Vtile est peccavisse nocâ—t pâ—ccare It is profitable that we have sinned that Grace may be extolled it is ill to sinne Even to the nature of man its good that hee hath dyed and hath beene in the grave yet it s not good but contrary to nature to die and to ly in the grave 6. It s our forgetfulnesse that wee see not the dearest to Christ hath beene kept lowest and most empty in their owne eyes hidden grace extolleth Christ. 2. That often the Saints are kept in a condition of sayling with as much wind as blows with praying and beleeving 3. That yet prayer and the sweating of Faith cannot earne nor promerit the renewed sense of Christ so as Christ returneth to eate his honey-combe and his wine and milke and banquet with the soule rather at the presence of these acts then for them as some have said thouâ—h with no strength of reason that fire burneth not the Sunne enlighteneth not the â—arth doth not send forth floures and herbes but God at the naked presence of these causes doth produce all effects yet in this case it hath a truth that the sweating of all supernaturall industry cannot redeeme the least halfe glimpse of Gods presence in the sense of eternall love when God is pleased for trialâ— to hide himselfe 7 Our great fault heere is merit that we tye the flowings and inundations of Christs love to the becke of our desires whereas we may know 1. That the Sunne doth not shine nor the raine water the earth in order to merit 2. Wee should know that grace and all the acts of grace are almes not debt and that a rich Saviour giveth grace to us as beggars and payeth it not to hirelings as the due or as wages wee can crave for our worke but wee love peny-worth's better then free-gifts But for this cause came I to this houre Christs worke of redemption was a most rationall worke and was full of causes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this saith that to redeeme losed sinners was not a rash and reasonlesse worke 1. There was no cause compelling Love cannot be forced John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne c. Grace worketh more from an intrinsecall cause and more spontaneously then nature For Nature often is provoked by contraries for selfe-defence to worke as fire worketh on water as on a contrary the wolfe and the dogge pursue one another as enemies But Grace because grace hath abundance of causality and power in it selfe but hath no cause without it 2. Any necessitie of working from Goodnesse in the Agent as from such a principle is strong 1 Tim. 1.15 It s a true saying and by all meanes worthy to be received that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners If the thing be worthy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all receipt and embracing then it must bee good an Agent working from a Principle of goodnesse doth in his kind worke necessarily though he may also worke from another principle freely John 10.11 I am the good shepherd the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheepe Luke 19.10 For the Sonne of man is come to seeke and to save that which is lost 3. God will seeke reasons or occasions without himselfe to be gracious to sinners When no reason or cause moveth a Physitian to cure but onely sicknesse and extreame misery wee know grace and compassion is the onely cause Ezech. 36.23 I will sanctifie my great name Why Which was prophaned among the heathen and which ye have prophaned in the midst of them then the true cause must bee expressed Vers. 22. Thus saith the Lord God I doe not this for your sakes O house of Israel but for mine holy Names sake 4. The Lord taketh a cause from the end of his comming Math. 20.28 The Sonne of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransome for many Joh. 18.37 To this end was I borne and for this cause came into the world that I should beare witnesse to the truth Joh. 10.10 I am come that they might have life and have it in aboundance 5. Some thing yea very much of God is in the creation much of God in his common providence but most of all yea whole God in the redemption of man God manifested in the flesh is the matter and subject of it Grace the moving cause most of all his attributes working for the manifestation of the Glory of pardoning mercy revenging justice exact faithfulnesse and truth freest grace omnipotency over hell devils sinne the World patience longanimity to man cooperate as the formall and finall causes it is a peece so rationall and full of causes that as he is happy Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas who can know the causes of things so Angels delight to be Schollers to read and study this mysterious art of free Grace Eph. 3.10 1 Pet. 1.12 Works without reasons and causes are foolish The cause why we doe not submit to God is because we lye under blind and fatherlesse crosses its true Affliction springs not out of the dust and crosses considered without God are twise crosses Three materiall circumstances in crosses are very considerable Quis quare quomodo 1. Who for what cause and how doth God afflict us Who afflicts is worthy to be known Esai 42.24 Who gave Jaakob for a spoile and Israel to the robbers The highest cause of causes did it Did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth good to him 2. For what end God the Lord did this is a circumstance of comfort Why led the Lord Israel through a great and terrible wildernesse wherein were fiery Scorpions and Serpents and drought Deut. 8.16 That he might prove thee to doe thee good at thy latter end 3. And how the Lord correcteth is worthy to be known He correcteth Jaakob in measure Jer. 6.28 Mercy wrapped about the rod and a cup of gall and wormewood honeyed and oyled with free love and a piece of Christs heart and his stirred bowels mixed in with the cup is a mercifull little hell Psal. 6.1 Jer. 31.18 19 20. The Law saith A Bastard hath no father because his father is not knowne The Philistimes are plagued with Emerods but whether that ill was from the Lord or from Chance they know not The crosse to many is a bastard We suffer from Prelats because wee suffered Prelats to persecute the Saints Papists shed our bloud why Our fore-fathers burnt the witnesses of Christ and we never repented Christ and Anti-christ are at bloudy blowes in the camp Anti-christ hath killed many thousands in the three kingdomes for Religion that is the quarrell and
of his own free will not from any mystinesse or intrinsecall darknesse of the object hath cast a covering over the thoughts of mans heart that they are not seen clearly to any other Men or Angels Nor could humane Societies now in the state of sin subsist if but the father could read the heart of the sonne Nor have Angels good or bad any immediate Princedome over free will nor would I say Satan is the Author yea or the immediate Tempter to all sinnes many sinfull thoughts and wicked acts are transacted in this darke chamber of presence the heart of man to which Satan can have no personall accesse neither with his eyes to see nor his hands of power to stirre or move in them The heart is the privie garden weeds grow there without Satans immediate industry he may knock or cast fire-balls over the wall or in at the windowes or send letters and messages in but hee cannot immediatly talke with the heart or act immediatly on the will wee are to keep this virgin-love of the heart to Christ hee can ravish it and none but hee It s the will that maketh the bargaine in sinning With all keeping keep the heart Wee make away the created dominion over free-will that God gave us in our creation 3. Satan hath a Princedome in 1. knowledge naturall 2. in acquired knowledge In naturall because hee is a piece of light a lamp once shining in heaven but now for his sinne smoking and glympsing in hell The naturall intellectualls of the Devill are depraved not removed It s a question if hee can remaine a Spirit if that candle were extinct by which hee beleeveth there is a God but trembleth Jam. 2. The acquired knowledge of the Devill is great hee being an advancing Student and still learning now above five thousand yeares and hee that teacheth others becometh more learned himselfe He is the great Mint-master and Coyner of knowledge in Magicians Wise-men Soothsayers Sorcerers is a carefull Reader in turning over the pages of the book of Nature and the whole works of Creation But still Satan studieth man better then man doth himselfe hee knoweth nature in generall may sin and that corrupt nature must sin hee observeth second inclinations of humour complexion temper of body disposition ere hee tempt as no Sea-man sailes till hee know how the wind bloweth and hee learned that by the Prophets and experience which hee saith Luk. 4.34 I know thee who thou art the holy one of God 4. Hee hath a particular Princedome of Power legally over mankind till Christ set them at liberty as the Executioner hath over the condemned man from the Judge Heb. 2.14 Christ tooke part with the children of flesh and bloud that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devill Vers. 15. And deliver them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage Satan from mens sins hath a sort of conquered Princedome till the Sonne of God make us free Joh. 8.36 And this Princedome hee keepeth over all the sons of disobedience as their father Joh. 8.44 as the king of the bottomlesse pit And we have no ground to say that Satan at the day of judgement leaveth off to be king because the damned and the Devill and his Angels are said to be tormented together in everlasting fire Mat. 25. for communion in paine maketh not Satan to have no Angels under him or damned men whom hee torments Quest. But how keepeth Satan still power over Job Peter to winnow them and afflict them in this life if Christ have cast him out of his Princedome Answ. 1. It s meere service for the trying of the Saints and mortifying of their lusts not dominion not any legall power such as he hath over the Sonnes of disobedience whom he keepeth captives at his will 2. In relation to Satan it is a meere grant of permission as a Noble-man forfeited for treason and kept some yeares in prison before he dye hath the life-rent of his own Lands for his necessity not by heritage as before but by a grant or gift of grace from the bounty of the Prince and State so hath Sathan not by grace to himselfe but by a grant of meere permission as it were his life-rent to tempt winnow and try the Saints so long as Satan is in the way to his full doome in Hell Now if Christ had not spoiled Satan and dissolved his workes the use of this power had beene as it were heritage to Satan in regard the Law giveth him a sort of right over sinners not made free in Christ. Yet I doe not say it s his proper right because Satan sinneth in tempting any to sinne yet the temptation as it falleth passively on the Sonnes of disobedience is a worke of Divine justice and as it falleth on the Saints an act of spotlesse and holy dispensation for most just reasons known to God 2. Satan is a prince in regard of magnificence called a Prince a Prince of the aire a God for he hath a royall army under him the Devill and his Angels are a great hoast Revel 12.9 The Devill and Satan and his Angels were cast out Vers. 7. The Dragon and his Angels fought with Michael and he hath Legions garisoned in one poore man hee hath kept the fields above these five thousand yeares with a huge and mighty army both by Sea and Land Ephes. 6.12 For wee wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against Principalities and powers against the rulers in the darkenesse of this world against spirituall wickednesse in high places Heere bee great persons in eminent places and they can leade armies against us and have in every single souldier a strong garrison of concupiscence and fleshly lusts that warre against the soule 1 Pet. 2.11 And the flesh is a strong Fort-royall a towre of imaginations which exalt themselves against a strong King the Lord Jesus and cannot bee his captives but by the mighty power of God 2 Cor. 10 5. The Devill is not a despicâ—ble and poore enemy to be despised it is not good warre-wisdome to despise a meane enemy farre more should we not sleepe but watch and be sober When the Peerâ—s of hell and Princes and Rulers in high places who have the vantage of the Mount above us are against us 3. Satans Princedome is especially seene in tempting to sinne which that it may be better cleared I shall shortly shew what a temptation in generall is 2. Open Satans power in tempting To tempt is to take a triall of any to try what is in them therefore the neerest end of tempting is knowledge Now the waies or manner of bringing out this knowledge rendreth the temptation good or ill for God tempteth and Satan tempteth So Temptation is a working upon the senses reason inclinâ—tion affections by which any is or may be moved under the colour of good toward that
did and doth spin out in a long threed the very first sin and all Satans life from that day to this is one continuated act of apostacy In 1. the not retreiting nor repenting his first sin and his first murther Satans hands are wet and hot this very day with the bloud of Adam and Evahs soule 2. In the continuing in and the approving of the act of his first sinning by still envying the glory of God malicing his workmanship and image so as the guilt of that sin goâ—th along with him Hence Christ addeth his seale as Mediator to the Lords first sentence of justice in casting him out of heaven and in regard hee continueth in that sin and addeth new soule-murthers to his first transgression in tempting tormenting hating opposing the redemption of man the Gospel the offices of Christ the Church of Christ Christ cometh in by his office as his Judge to adde to his chaines In which a word 1. Of the punishment of Devils 2. Of Christ as hee is the Judge of Devils The punishment hath relation to his first sin His first sin was against the Holy Ghost in that being a lamp of light shining up in the high Palace and standing before the Throne wanting not any wicked principle of concupiscence within or any habituall aversion from God looking God in the face and beholding the first truth hee sinned against God and therefore was made an exemplary spectacle to Angels and Men of pure and unmixed justice without mercy and cast down to hell without hope of a Saviour or redemption Heb. 2.16 For verily hee took not on him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham The evils of punishment inflicted on Satan are 1. His being cast out of the presence of God never to see his face againe nor enjoy his favour 2 Pet. 2.4 For God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them downe to hell Hence from this Schoolmen inferre a 2. punishment a perpetuall sadnesse and dejection of mind for the losse of that happy fruition of God But I much doubt whether sadnesse for the want of Gods lovely presence can consist with the extreme hatred of God and fiery aversnesse implacable wrath and burning envie that Satan hath against the glory of God or image of God or any thing of God especially against the Lamb and his followers against whom he warreth continually A sadnesse there may be in him because hee is a rationall creature in regard hee is falne from the good of happinesse not of holinesse but conjoyned with wrath and hatred against God and this is without question in all the damned 2. The paine inflicted on the understanding is the hurting of his naturall speculative knowledge Sure if hee see not God as the first truth hee seeth all deductions from the will soveraignty wisdome justice of God c. more darkly then hee did before but if his naturall speculative knowledge was utterly lost there should be no foundation remaining in him of wrath and envie against God and his creatures and image 2. His true and saving practicall knowledge is lost and in place thereof a crafty versutious cunning deceitfulnesse and subtilty to deceive and tempt such as is in the Serpent to sting such a bloudy instinct as is in the Dragon in the Lyon to devoure but otherwise the Devill is the first foole of the creation of God and hath played the foole above five thousand yeares for in rationall policy the tempting of our first Parents to sin though it was a master-piece of wit was the ruine of his Kingdome and the Serpent even in the crucifying of Christ did buy a scratch in Christs heele at a deare rate with the bruising and grinding to powder the head and life of the Serpent and the full destruction of his Kingdome And by experience Satan knoweth hee is a loser in tempting and persecuting the Lord Jesus and his members yet malice having put out the light of prudence hee knowingly soweth sin bloud wrath in Christs field and in so doing hee sweateth in labouring the vineyard of the Lord to make an harvest and vintage for Christ. 3. Infused grace Satan hath not at all because grace supernaturall is a stemme and blossome of heaven its hard to think that since Satan was thrust out of heaven any of the fruits or blossomes of that Paradise can grow in him Acquired knowledge Satan may have And 4. From this Satan hath faith against his will Jam. 2.19 It s necessary in the specification rooted in a naturall understanding but in the exercise as it were forced and compelled hee would wish to want the constraining power of a naturall knowledge so as this is a wicked faith and a tormenting vertue in the Devill as it is in many wicked men who desire nothing more then to have conscience cut off from their soule As some men are so pained with a Gangrene in the foot that they are willing their legge be sawen off Or like a man that hath a necessary servant and most usefull yet because hee hath one intolerable gadde hee must put him away For light addeth feare and terrour to some distracted persons and maketh them out of measure furious therefore yee must close doore and window on them and they are most sober when they have least light So here glancings of conscience serve but to make some see ghosts of hell and terrifying sights 5. Satan can have no hope of deliverance but knoweth his prison-doore is locked on him with a sad key eternall despaire that so long as the Almighty liveth and is God blessed for ever so long shall he be miserable Would sinners lend their thoughts and faith to eternity that runneth out in so long a threed as ever and ever and on paine horror and torment for ever and ever it might be they would not run and sweat so much in the way of sin 6. Obstinacy and invincible obduration and hardnesse lieth on the mind will and affections of the Devils the cause of which is his habituall continuance in and love of the sin against the faire shining and convincing light of seen and enjoyed God the justice of God and the withdrawing of all grace and remedies against wilfull hardening the heart 7. The breaking of Satans hopes and counsels in all his ill attempts his burning hatred of God the Lambs victories over the Dragon the chaining and bordering of his malicious power c. are great punishments 8. I dare not nor cannot determine what the fire is that tormenteth him nor the place of hell it s more praise-worthy labour to seek to be delivered in Christ from it then to search curiously into it Satan's Judge and caster out is Christ as may clearly be gathered from the words Now is the Prince of this world cast out Hence Consid. 1. When Christ came to the office of Redeemer and Mediator of his Church to deliver his people out of the
they are wise as the Devill is They are wise to doe evill but to doe good they have no knowledge They go for heads of wit and wise men who are deep politick profound State-Atheists who can with their contrivances roul about the wheeles of two Kingdomes and can stirre the helme of Europe and yet know nothing of God but all their wit runneth in the Devils channell to plot brew and hatch wickednesse lies subvert the cause of the just crush the Widdow and murther and starve the Fatherlesse beare downe Religion set up a humane earthly civill structure of Government in Christs Kingdome Let them goe for wise men but they are wise for the Devill Let the Lord speake to such Jerem. 8.8 How doe yee say we are wise and the Law of the Lord is with us Vers. 9. Loe they have rejected the Law of the Lord and what wisdome is in them Can these bee wise men and great State-wits and not rather State-sots who reject the Wisdome of God It s now counted State-wisdome in Scotland to patch up a false peace with Amaleck contrary to the Covenant of God though Saul give the Amalekits and their Kings peace God will give them no peace Vse 3. If Satan be so understanding and subtile so active a Spirit Then the Familists erre not knowing the Scriptures For they say the Devill is nothing yea not the creature any thing but God as saith the Bright-starre cap. 8. pag. 68. 69. Nothing is but God and his will pag. 77. There is nothing in the creature which is not the Creator himselfe and therefore the Sunne is no sooner hid but the beames cease to be So if God hide himselfe and withdraw his hand from the creatures they suddenly returne to their nothing But as the beame and beat though they containe nothing but Sunne and Fire yet lookt upon essentially as they are in themselves they are not Sunne and Fire but onely a certain dependant or a Spark of those right so the creature though all it consisteth of is God yet considered in the owne proper nature depends upon God it s consequently somewhat And that Blasphemous peece called Theologia Germanica written by a Priest in High Dutch and Englished by Giles Randall Printed at London 1646 by tolleration saith Sinne and the Devill is nothing but when the creature will challenge any good to it selfe as to live know briefly to be able to doe any thing that can bee termed good as though that good thing were appertaining to it then the creature averteth it selfe from God and that aversion is sinne And the Devils sinne was that he did arrogate this to himselfe that he was some thing and would bee some thing and that some thing was his and in his right and power this arrogancie to bee I to my selfe to bee mee and to bee mine was Satans aversion and fall and this is still in use So this Author Hell and the Devill cannot devise subtiller and vainer blasphemie for so the creature is not the creature the Devill is not a creature not a Spirit not a tempter not the Prince of the ayre not a roaring Lyon not a lyar and the Holy Ghost in terming the Devill an Angel created in the truth should sinne It s true nothing hath being of it selfe and independently and as the cause of all being but onely God the cause of causes and prime fountaine of being goodnesse and actions but hence it cannot follow that creatures are not true beings by participation of and dependance from the first Ocean fountaine and cause of all being and that goodnesse and actions may not be ascribed to them from their derived being they have from God 2. Christ-man in ascribing to himselfe that hee is man that he doth the will of his Father that hee loved his owne to the death should sinne Which is blasphemy 3. It is false for Men or Devils and sinnefull arogancy to say they can subsist or doe keepe their being without a dependance on God the onely first essentiall being but it is contrary to all truth that they sinne when they say they are the creatures of God and the dependent rayes and beames that flow from God and the good creatures of God though by created and dependant goodnesse they neither lye nor sinne not commit any act of arogancie then should it bee sinne to say that there were any creatures in the world which is to belie the Scripture 4. It s the cursed selfe-deniall of Familists to say when they doe good or ill righteousnesse or sinne It s not I but God in me that doth all And so that there is but one Spirit of life that acteth and working in all things in heaven and in earth and that is essentially God and the will of God which is all one with God 5. That vaine annihilation and nothinging of our selves in being and working yea to the annihilating of the man Christ under pretence of extolling God because God worketh immediately all good and evill in us say they and wee but suffer Gods will and when wee thus are mere patient and suffer Gâ—d to worke his will in us we are God himselfe perfect as God conforme to his will nothing in our selves we being no creatures but the Creator That God manifested in the flesh is God manifested in the flesh of all men that the passion of Christ in it selfe is imaginary but Christ crucified is our paines and tribulation which we should welcome as Jesus Christ and so cast all our afflictions into the furnace and flames of Christs torments As it is said Let that minde bee in you that was in Christ. Bright starre cap. 18. pag. 205. This I say is the dreadfull blasphemy now Printed and Preached at London without controlement for the which the judgements of God sad and heavie cannot bee farre from the Land I crave the Readers pardon that I named such non-senses and fooleries Vse 4. By all meanes beware of sinnes against light such as the Devils first sinne was 1. To sinne with a witnesse in the breast and a witnesse in heaven is to laugh at Christ in his face 2. It s the Devils backe fall he by such a sinne fell first from heaven by staring God on the face and out-dating light God Conscience and actuall conviction the Devill no question by himselfe was warned of his sinne and how deare it would cost him before he sinned Suppose wee that there is a way in a mountaine of yee where thousands in former times have slidden and fallen and bruised all their body and 〈◊〉 to powder would we willingly climb the same rocks and dreame we should escape the same danger Legions and millions of Devils fell and bruised their soules to dust on sinnes against light and knowledge yet doe we too daringly climbe the same rocks and sinne dayly against the Sunne-light of the Gospel-grace of God teaching us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and the warnings of our owne
really to him and he will really glorifie you and put a weighty Crowne on your head and also pay you home in your owne coyne and declaratorily glorifie you I will confesse him saith Christ before my Father c. Vers. 32. And I If I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men to me We have spoken of the power of Christs death and of his enemies the World and Satan Now Christ speakes of the power of his death on the Elect in drawing sinners to himselfe The scop of the words is to hold forth the efficacie of Christs death in drawing sinners to him In which we have these considerable points 1. The drawing it selfe 2. The Drawer I will draw saith Christ. Christ is good and of excellent dexterity at drawing of men to God 3. The persons drawn All men 4. The person to whom the terminus ad quem To mee saith Christ. 5. The condition If I be lifted up from the earth Which is not a note of doubting whether he would die for us as we shall heare but of a sure condition 6. The way and manner of his lifting up from the earth is expounded Verse 33. To signifie to the hearers what sort of death he would die to wit the death of the Crosse. Of drawing it selfe these are considerable 1. The expression and Metaphore of drawing 2. The reasons moving Christ to draw the fountain◠causes and the disposition and qualifications going before drawing in the party drawn 3. The manner of drawing or the way and if it bee some other thing then justification 4. The power and efficacie of drawing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to draw as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cant. 1.4 Draw mee we will runne after thee Is first a word of violence and strength 1 King 22.34 A certaine man drew a bow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job 41.1 Wilt thou draw Liviathan with thy hook Joh. 21.11 Simon Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drew a net to land Acts 16.19 They caught Paul and Silas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and drew them to the market place to the rulers 2. Drawing is by wiles and perswation or love For wiles is covered or pretended love Judg. 4.6 Draw them by perswasion to Mount Tabor to battle Hos. 11.3 I will draw them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with cords of man with bands of love It is such a drawing as is ascribed to the Whore though another word Prov. 7.21 the Whore which made the young man to decline with the softnesse of her lips in faire words forced him Jam. 1.14 Every man is tempted when hee is led or drawne aside by his owne lust and inticed This drawing is by wiles to steale a man off his feet So Psal. 10.9 A bird is drawne in the net It is then a word borrowed from bodily strength which draweth heavy bodies out of one place to another by strong hand The sinner is a heavy creature Grace is a strong thing to pull the man out of his element There be then in Christs drawing 1. Violence 2. Perswasions of love strong love runneth from the heart through all the nerves and veines of Christs right arme to draw a sinner to God 3. There is art and wiles which is nothing but masked love for wiles cannot worke upon the soule to draw it but by the taking of reason with apprehension of good Hope is the painted net that draweth men to Christ and the hope of the prey draweth the Fox to the net the hope of food the bird to the snare The violence that Christ useth is not on the reason will or any vitall principles of the soule no principles of life can act as principles of life from externall drawings and stirrings life is an internall thing the line and first point of the line in motions of life is from within all the violence is done to the corrupt accidents and sinnefull qualities of the soule as to darkenesse and sinnefull ignorance to unbeliefe frowardnesse and sowrenesse to Christ hatred of God enimity of the carnall minde to the law of God put the will once on moving and set the wheeles a stirring toward Christ which is all the difficulty and the principles of life smile on Christ and move apace but the corruption of will must be removed first as suppose a milstone were kept fast in the ayre by a strong chaine of iron there is violence required to snap in pieces the iron chaine but none at all to draw the milstone down to the earth it falles downe of its owne accord this is but a comparison For the will in its motion to Christ must not onely bee freed from the dominion of the clog of the body of sinne and these naturall chaines and fetters but Christ must put new principles and a new life and new wings and new wheeles and with them act stirre and move the will and then hee drawing we runne Cant. 1.4 He that is drawn to Christ Joh. 6.44 is not altogether willing as the fish hath no propension of nature to bee haled out of its owne element all the propension commeth from that which setteth the will on worke A child taketh medicine but his propension is stirred from the sugar that pleaseth his tast He learneth being hyred that which sets him on work is not the good that he seeth in the booke nor the beauty that he conceiveth to be in vertue and learning it s the apples the babies you give him as his hire that acteth him nor is the will here forced A hireling caries a heavie burden not with a forced will but there is nothing in the burden that doth take his heart but the sweating under the burden come all from money he is hired and therefore doth all from the stirrings of his will that ariseth from his wages Mens comming to Christ comes not from their naturall good-liking they beare to Christ but from some higher principle within and the discovered excellency that the Spirit layes open to the soule II. Hence 2. The reasons moving a soule to yeeld to Christs drawing comes under a two-fold consideration as 1. Naturall dispositions 2. As lustered with some common grace and so thought preparatory to conversion and drawing In the former consideration Divines with good reasons looke at them as sinnes and the greatest obstructions of conversion 1. There is something that is taking with reason why a man will not come to Christ no man goes to Hell without hire and gratis Hell is a death but a golden death and fair afar Ah it s sweet to men to perish Hell is a most reasonable choice to the sinner the chalmers of death shine with fair paintry to the naturall mans reason 2. It s not single weaknesse but wicked and wilfull impotency that keeps men from Christ as a beggar would be a king hee hath no positive hatred of the honour riches pleasures of a king but hee hath not legs
not wearied thee with incense Jer. 2.5 What iniquity have your fathers found in me Micah 6.3 O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me It is strange that sinners can see a black spot on the Lords faire face or that their will that is nearer of kin to reason then the affections that are in beasts should be averse to God yet it is said of wicked men that they are haters of God Rom. 1.30 His citizens hated him Luk. 19.14 Joh. 15.24 And especially these speeches carry allusion to Ps. 81.11 Israel would have none of me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Israel had no liking of me no will of me So that weakenesse simply is not the nearest cause of our not comming to Christ but wilfull weaknesse or rather weak-wilfulnesse 1. Because in agents that cannot worke there impotencie or lownesse of nature is the cause as the reason why a horse cannot discourse as a man is because his nature is inferiour to the reasonable nature of a man and not because the Horse will not but because he cannot discourse The cause why a lump of clay casts not such light in the night as a candle or a starre in the firmament is the basenesse and opacitie of the nature of clay to produce such an action as to give light there is not such a thing as will in the clay which intervenes between its nature and the no-giving light in the night But men hearing the Gospell doe not beleeve not only because they cannot for beasts cannot beleeve but because as Christ saith They will not beleeve Joh. 5.40 They will have none of Christ. Psal. 81.11 They will not have Christ to reigne over them Luk. 19.14 And will intervenes betweene the impotencie of their will and their disobedience 2. Because that hatred of God and of Christ ascribed to unregenerate men Rom. 1.30 Luk. 19.14 Joh. 15.24 is the birth that lay in the wombe of Will and comes from Will as Will and not onely from Will as weake so mens delighting and their loving to be estranged from Christ and to satisfie themselves with other lovers beside Christ are high bended acts of the Will Which argueth that not onely weaknesse but wilfulnesse hath influence in mens unbeliefe 3. The Lord chargeth men with this Matth. 23.37 I would yee would not 4. Conscience taketh it on its will and fathers disobedience on the will 1. Sam. 8.19 Nay but we shall or we will have a King Jer. 44.16 The people avow their will and peremptory resolution is we will not hearken to thee 6. But for the ground reason and cause on Christs part of drawing it is free grace and only free grace which are holden forth in these Positions Pos. 1. As there is no merit good deserving worke or hire in the miserable sinner dying in his bloud dead in sinnes out of his wit and disobedient deceived and serving divers Lusts Ezech. 16.4 5 6 7 8. Ephes. 2.1 2 3 4. Tit. 3.3 4. So there is as much love mankindnesse and free grace in heaven in the breast of Christ as would save all in hell or out of hell I speake this in regard not of the Lords intention as if he did beare all and every one of mankind a good will purposing to save them But because their lyes and flowes such a Sea and Ocean of infinite love about the heart and in the bowels of Jesus Christ as would over-save and out-love infinite worlds of sinners so all could come and draw and drinke and suck the breasts of overflowings of Christs free grace in regard of the intrinsecall weight and magnitude of this love that if you appoint banks to channell or marches to bound this free love God should not bee God nor the Redeemer the Redeemer Pos. 2. Could any created eye of Men or Angels reach or compasse the thousand thousand part of this love with one look such an act of adoration and admiration must follow thereupon as should breake the soule and breast of this creature in a thousand pieces but Christ in heaven and out of heaven is hid Infinitenesse is a secret that Angels or Men never did never shall comprehensively know there is a secret of love seene in heaven but never seene how little of the Sea doe our naturall eyes behold Onely the superfice We see but a little part of the skinne or hide of the visible heavens with our bodily eyes but so much as is seene is of exceeding beauty No eye bodily can see the bottome of the Seas or the large in-fields in the visible heavens If the infinite lumpe of the boundlesse love of Christ were seene at once what a heavens wonder what a worlds miracle would Christ appeare to bee But as much of Christ is seene as vessels of glory though wide enough can comprehend But if Angels and glorified Saints see much of Christ and so accordingly as they see and know doe praise him and yet cannot over-praise and out-sing so much as they see and if the in-side of infinitenesse of love free grace mercy majesty dominion be an everlasting Mystery Angels and Men are below merit even in heaven and Angels and Saints must be ashamed of and blush at the imagination of merits for an infinite lovely Majesty seen and not praised nor loved in any measure of equality or commensuration to his dignity and worth must lay infinite though sinlesse debt for eternity on all the Citizens of glory whether home-borne or natives of that Countrey as elect Angels or adopted strangers as glorified Saints Pos. 3. The manner of graces working on Saints is gracious and so essentially free as is evident in our first drawing to Christ when many sins are forgiven and so the soule loves much and the sweetest burden in heaven or out of heaven is a burden of the love of Christ All debt must be a burden to an ingenuous spirit but the debt of free grace that lieth from eternity on Angels and Men is a lovely and a desireable paine That men before they were men and had being and before all eternity were in the bosome of Christ the ingaged debters of the Lambe in the purpose of free grace loved with an everlasting love is a deepe thought of love and that being was gratious being before actuall being speaketh and cryeth much love and it s the floure the glory the crowne of free grace that Gods free love in Christ casteth forth the warming rayes and beames of the Redeemers kind heart on men who are enemies darkenesse haters of God dead in sinne dying in blood and pollution And how broad how warme and how ranckly must the faire and large skirts of Christs love smell of admirable grace when they are spred over the bleeding the loathsome the blacke and unwashen sinner is not every word a heaven Ez. 16.8 Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was
are as unable to beleeve without the Spirit as to pray without the Spirit 4. To bid them set on Evangelike duties without trusting in them that is to feele their lost condition to despaire of salvation in themselves to looke a farre off to Christ to desire him are the set way that Christ walkes in to fit us for saving Grace Object 2. Dispaire of salvation in my selfe is a part of Faith so you exhort the troubled in minde at first to beleeve Answ. Not so Judas and Cain both dispaired of salvation in themselves yet had they no part of saving faith It s unpossible that any can rely on Christ while they leave resting on false bottomes Faith is a saying and a swimming Ships cannot sayle on mountaines its â—npossible to swim on drie land as it is impossible to have a soule and not to have a love so we cannot have a love to lye by us as uselesse but a lover we must have and Christs worke of conversion is orderly as first to plow and pluck up so then to sow and plant and first to take the soule off old lovers We are on a way of gadding to seeke lovers Jer. 2. â—6 On a high and loftie mountaine to set our bed Esai 57.7 God must straw thornes and briars in our love-bed and take Ephraim off his Idols Hos. 14.6 and from riding on horses and make the soule as white and cleane paper that Christ may print a new lover on it Therefore its young mortification in the blossome to give halfe a refusall to all old lovers this is Christs ayme Cant. 4.8 Come from the Lyons dens and the Mountaines of Leopards with me Object 3. Desires to pray and beleeve being sometimes cold sometimes none at all cannot satisfie a troubled soule I must have besides desires indeavours And desires to desire and sorrow because I cannot sorrow for sinne are but Legall works not such as are required in a broken heart Answ. Desires going before conversion are nothing lesse then satisfactory nor are they such as can calme a storming conscience he knowes not Christ who dreames that a wakened conscience can bee calmed with any thing lesse then the bloud of Jesus Christ that speakes better things then the bloud of Abel Never Protestant Divines promise soule-rest in preparations that are wrought by the law 2. If Antinomians can give soule-rest to troubled consciences by all the promises of the Gospel and raise up the Spirits of Judas or Cain to found comfort let them be doing yea or to weake afflicted soules while the Spirit blowes right down from the Advocat of sinners at the right hand of God we much doubt Sure there is a lock on a troubled conscience that the Gospel-letter or the tongue of Man or Angel can be no key to open Christ hath reserved a way of his owne to give satisfaction to afflicted Spirits But the question is now supposing yee deale with unconverted men whether or no yee are not First to convince them of the curses of the Law to come on them to humble them and so to chase them to Christ and if to bid them be humbled and know their dangerous condition the state of damnation and set to these preparatory duties be to teach them to seeke righteousnesse in themselves Wee answer no. Object 4. If we preach wrath to beleevers we must either make them beleeve they lye under that wrath or no if they be not under that wrath we had as good hold our tongues if we say if they commit these and these sinnes they are damned and except they performe such and such duties and except they walke thus and thus holily and doe these and these good works they shall come under wrath or at least God will be Angry with them what doe we in this but abuse the Scriptures We undoe all that Christ hath done we bâ—ly God and tell beleevers that they are under a covenant of workes I would have wrath preached to beleevers that they may abstaine from sinne because they are delivered from wrath not that they may be delivered from wrath for God hath sworne Isai 54. as the world shall be no more destroyed with waters so he will be no more wrath with his people Answ. 1. Wee are to make beleevers know if they beleeve not and walke not worthy of Christ in all holy duties their faith is a fancie and a dead faith and the wrath of God abides on them and they are not beleevers 2. Though they be beleevers wrath must be preached to them and is preached to them every where in the New Testament as death Ro. 6.21.22 damnation Ro. 14.23 the wrath of God Ephes. 5.6 condemnation 2 Thes. 1.8 perdition flaming fire eternall fire 1 Cor. 3.17 1 Cor. 11.32.34 Jude 7.8 1 Tim. 6.9 1 Cor. 16.22 to the end they may make sure their calling and election 3. What is this but to make a mock of all the threatnings of the Gospel For by this argument the threatnings are not to bee preached to the Elect before their conversion except wee would make them beleeve a ly that they are reprobats and under wrath when they are under no wrath at all but from eternity were delivered from wrath nor should the Gospel-threatnings be preached to reprobats Why shew mee one word where Pastors are bidden tell men they are to beleeve they are reprobats and under eternall wrath peremptorily except wee know them to have sinned against the Holy Ghost 4. Nor is deliverance from wrath to be beleeved as absolutely by us whether we beleeve and walke worthy of Christ or doe no such thing but walke after the flesh as we are to beleeve the world shall never be destroyed with waters that is a comparison to strengthen the peoples weak faith Else I retort it thus whether the world beleeve in Christ or not they shall never be drowned with water and that we are to beleeve absolutely Then by this reason whether men beleeve on Christ or no there is no condemnation or wrath to be feared The contrary is expressely Joh. 3.18.36 I take the mystery to be this Antinomians would have no morall no Ceremoniall Law preached at all and therefore one of them writeth expressely 1. That there be no commandements under the Gospel 2. No threatnings or penalties at all 3. That the whole Law of Moses Morall as well as Ceremoniall is abrogated under the Gospel That is a merrie life Object 5. Other Preachers bid the troubled soule be sorry for sinne lead a better life and all shall be well Answ. Such as lead not men to Christ with their sorrow for sin or to any good life that is not or fits not for the life of faith are none of ours but the Antinomians Object 6. But others bid the troubled soule beleeve but he must first seek in himselfe qualifications or conditions but this is to will them to walke in the light of
Libertines doe us from which wee are as farre as the East from the West Propos. â— It is not our doctrine but the weakenesse of sinners and of the flesh that we should be shie to Christ and stand aloofe from the Physitian because of the desperate condition of our disease This is as if one should say it is not fit for the naked to goe to him who offereth white linnen to cloath him nor that the poore should goe to him who would be glad you would take his fine gold off his hand or to say set not a young plant but let it lye above earth till you see if it beare fruit Unworthinesse in the court of justice is a good plea why Christ should cast us off but unworthynesse felt though not savingly is as good a ground to cast your selfe on Christ as poverty want and weakenesse in place of a Statute and act of Parliament to beg though the letter of the Law forbid any to beg Propos. 4. Acting and doing thouâ—h neither savingly nor soundly is not merit of grace yet not contrary to grace to obey the law of nature to give almes is not against grace Libertines should not reject this though it be not all but a most poore All to engage Christ. Propos. 5. Faith is a morall condition of life eternall and wrought in us by the free grace of God I never saw a contradiction between a condition wrought by irresistible grace and the gift or free grace of life eternall for life eternall given in the law and Adams doing and performing by the irresistible acting and assisting of God are not contrary yet the former was never merit but grace the latter was Legall doing Propos. 6. We doe receive the promise of willing and doing wrought immediatly in us according to the good will and most free grace of Christ and yet we are agents and worke under Christ. Propos. 7. Luther for I could fill a booke with citations Calvine and all our Protestant Divines are for qualifications voyd of merit or promise before conversion and for gracious conditions after conversion under the Gospel Antinomians belie Luther Propos. 8. Antinomians yeeld the preaching of the Law and preparations before conversion and conditions after and peace from signes of sanctification c. yet they are to be reputed enemies to grace and holinesse and turne all sanctification in their imaginary faith and justification of which they are utterly ignorant Never Antinomian knew rightly what free justification is Propos. 9. Immediate resting on Christ for all wee doe and drawing of comfort from the testimony of a good conscience are not contrary Propos. 10. Holinesse idolized or trusted in is to make Christ the alone Saviour no Saviour Propos. 11. God is not provoked to reprobate whom hee elected from eternity by new sins yet is hee displeased with Davids adultery so farre as to correct him for it and Solomon for his back-sliding with the rod of men Propos. 12. Works before justification please not God but it followes not that God keeps not such an order as sense of sin though not saving should goe before pardon and conversion no more then because Adams sin pleased not God therefore it should not goe before the Sons taking on our flesh If we are not to doe nor act any thing before conversion neither to heaâ—e conferre know our sinfull condition nor be humbled for sin despaire of salvation in our selves because these are not merits before conversion nor can they procure conversion to us neither are wee after conversion to beleeve for beleeving cannot merit righteousnessâ— and lâ—fe eternall nor are we to heare pray be patient rejoyce in trâ—â—â—lation for not any of these can procure life eternall to us And why is not the doing of the one as wâ—ll as the other a seeking righteousnesse in our selves Propos. 13. The promise of Christs comming in the flesh 2. and of giving a new heart are absolute promises the former requireth no order of providence but that sin goe before redemption the latter requireth an order of providence not of any Gospel-promise or merit in any sort there nâ—ver was never can be merit betwâ—en a meere creature and God Propos. 14. There is no faith no act of Christs coyn or of the right stamp before justification Propos. 15. Wee are justified in Christ virtually as in the publike Head when hee rose again and was justified in the Spirit 2. In Christ as hâ—s merits are 〈◊〉 cause of our justification 3. In Christ apprehended by faâ—th formâ—lly in the Scriptures sense in the Epistle to the Romanes and Galathians not that faith is the formall cause or any merit in justification but because it layâ—s â—old on impâ—ted riâ—â—â—eoâ—snesse which is the formall cause of our justiâ—â—caâ—ion 4. We are justified in our own sense and feeling not by faith 〈◊〉 because wee may beleeve and neither know that wee bâ—lâ—eve nor be sensible of our justification but as wee know that wee beleeve whether this knowledge result from the lighâ— of faith or from signes as meanes of our knowledge 5. Juâ—â—iâ—ication by way of declaration to others is not so infallible as that the Scripture calls it justification properly so named Object 8. I was sixthly in hearing the word shined upon by a sweet witnessing of the Spirit But O how I did strive against this work I was called upon but I put away all promises of mercy from me I may justly say The Lord saved me whether I would or no. Sometimes I was dead and could not pray sometimes so quickened that me thought that I could have spent a whole night in prayer to God Answ. 1. If the faith of the eternall love of free election was his first conversion no wonder hee was shined upon with light But it was not Scripture-light but wild-fire for the method of Christs drawing in the Scripture is not Enthusiasticall up at secret election at first There is no doubt wee put Christ away from us after conversion Cant. 5.1 and that so Christ saves us against our will That the principle of saving is free grace 2. that free will is neither free nor willing till Christ first draw us till hee renew and work upon the will But I feare Antinomians will have free will a block to doe nothing at all If Christ will let me sinne say they let him look to it upon his honour be it And Faith justifies an unbeleever that is that faith that is in Christ justifieth me who have no faith in my selfe And It is legall to say wee act in the strength of Christ. And To take delight in the holy service of God is to goe a whoring from God And A man may not be exhorted to any duty because hee hath no power to doe it And The Spirit acts most in the Saints when they endeavour least And In the conversion of a sinner the faculties of the soule and working thereof are
shall seek the Lord. Zech. 12.11 And in that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon It s good to lie and wait at the doore and posts of Wisdomes house and to lie and attend Christs tyde it may come in an houre that you would never have beleeved O what depth of mercy when for naturall or no saving-one-waiting or upon a poore venture What if I goe to Christ I can have no lesse then I have beside any gracious intention the Lord saves and the wind not looked for turnes faire for a sea-voyage to heaven in the Lords time Asser. 12. The ground moving Christ to renew his love in drawing a fallen Saint out of the pit is the same that from heaven shined on him at the beginning Love is an undevided thing there are not two loves or three loves in Christ that which begins the good work promoves it even the same love which Christ hath taken up to heaven with him and there ye find it before you when ye come thither 2. Some love-sicknesse goes before his returne Cant. 3. I was but a little passed I found him whom my soule loves the skie devides and rents it selfe and then the Sunne is on its way to rise the birds begin to sing then the Summer is neere the voice of the Turtle is heard then the winter is gone when the affections grow warme the welbeloved is upon a returne 3. You die for want of Christ absence seemes to be at the highest when hunger for a renewed drawing in the way of comforting is great and the sad soule lowest he will come at night and sup if hee dine not 4. Let Christ moderate his own pace hope quietly waiteth Hope is not a shouting and a tumultuous grace 5. Your disposition for Christs returne can speake much for a renewed drawing as when the Church findes her own pace sâ—ow and prayes draw me we will runne then hee sendeth ushers before to tell that he will come 6. Sick nights for the Lords absence in not drawing are most spirituall signes Antinomians beleeve that all the promises in the Gospel made upon conditions to bee performed by creatures especially free-will casting in its share to the worke smell of some graines of the Law and of obedience for hire and that bargaining of this kind cannot consist with free grace And the doubt may seeme to have strength in that our Divines argue against the Arminian decree of election to glory upon condion of faith and perseverance foreseene in the persons so chosen because then election to glory should not be of meere grace but depend on some thing in the creature as on a condition or motive at least if not as on a cause worke or hire But Arminians reply the condition being of grace cannot make any thing against the freedome of the grace of election because so justification and glorification should not be of meere grace for sure we are justified and saved upon condition of faith freely given us of God The question then must bee Whether there can be any conditionall promises in the Gospel of Grace or whether a condition performed by us and free grace can consist together Antinomians say they are contrary as fire and water Hence these positions for the clearing of this considerable question Pos. 1. The condition that Arminians fancie to bee in the Gospel can neither consist with the grace of election justification calling of grace or crowning of beleevers with glory this condition they say we hold but they erre because it is a condition of hire that they have borrowed from Lawyers such as is betweene man and man ex causa onerosa it s absolutly in the power of men to doe or not to doe and bowes and determineth the Lord and his free will absolutly to this part of the contradiction which the creature choseth though contrary to the naturall inclination and Antecedent will and decree of God wishing desiring and earnestly inclining to the obedience and salvation of the creature Now works of grace and infinite grace flow from the bowels and in-most desire of God nothing without laying bonds chaines or determination on the Lords grace or his holy will Could our well-doing milke out of the breasts of Christs free grace or extrinsecally determine the will or acts of free-bounty Grace should not be grace But without money or hire the Lord giveth his wine and milke Isai 55.1 Ephes. 2.1 2. Ezech. 16.5 6 7. 2 Tim. 1.9 Tit. 3.3 2. Because such a condition is of work not of grace and so of no lesse Law-debt and bargaining then can be between man and man And the party that fulfilleth the condition is 1. most free to forfeit his wages by working or not working as the hireling or labourer in a vineyard yea or any Merchant ingaged to another to performe a condition of which he is Lord and Master to doe or not doe 2. He is no wise necessitate nor determined any way but as the hire or wages doe determine his will who so worketh but the wages being absolutely in his power to gaine them or lose them determine his will which cannot fall in the Almightie 3. Such a condition performed by the creature putteth the Creature to glory but not in the Lord but in himselfe Rom. 4.2 For if Abraham were justified by works hee hath whereof to glory but not before God Yea Adam before the fall and the elect Angels hold not life eternall by any such free condition of obedience as is absolutely referred to their free will to doe or not to doe so our Divines deny against Papists with good warrant the free-hold of life eternall by any title of merit Sure if God determine freewill in all good and gracious acts as I prove undeniably from Scripture 2. From the dominion of providence 3. The covenant between the Father and the Sonne Christ. 4. the intercession of Christ. 5. The promises of a new heart and perseverance 6. Our prayers to bow the heart to walke with God and not to lead us into temptation 7. The faith and confidence wee have that God will worke in the Saints to will and to doe to the end 8. The praise and glory of all our good works which are due to God onely c. If God I say determine free will to all good even before as after the entrance of sinne into the world and that of Grace for this grace hath place in Law-obedience in Men and Angels then such a condition cannot consist with Grace For such a condition puts the creature in a state above the Creator and all freedome in him Pos. 2. Evangelike conditions wrought in the Elect by the irresistible grace of God and Grace doe well consist together Joh. 5.24 Verily Verily I say unto you hee that heareth my word and beleeveth in him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not
with all the fulnesse of God Of this fulness 1. A word of the measure of it 2. Of the meanes of it 3. Of the sufficiency of it in the kind and nature Randall in his Epistle before the Treatise called The Bright Star I have therefore observed the ever to be bewailed Non-proficiency of many ingenious Spirits who through the policy of others and the too too much modesty and temerity of themselves have precluded the way of progresse to the top and pitch of rest and perfection against themselves as being altogether unattainable and have shortned the cut with a Non datur ultra and are become such who are ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth But for the measure sure it is not as Antinomians and Familists dream compleat and full in this life 1. Because according to the manner and measure of the manifestation of Christ and knowledge so is love and the perfection of beleevers This is a truth in it self undeniable and granted by the Author of the Bright Star cap. 5. p. 52. For Christs excellency and drawing beauty in love goeth in to the soul by the port and eye of knowledge But 1 Cor. 13.9 We know in part and we prophesie in part 2. Paul disclaimeth perfection as being but in the way and journeying toward it Phil. 3.12 Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Jesus Christ. Now this perfection which Paul professeth he wanteth is opposed v. 13.14 To his pressing toward the garland For the price of the high calling of God in Iesus Christ Heb. 11 40. 3. Perfection such as wee expect in heaven is in no capacity to receive any farther addition or accession of grace or glory nor is there a growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ enjoyned us there as is expresly here in the way to our Countrey 2 Pet. 3.14 and to runne our race to the end Heb. 12.1 and be carried on to perfection Heb. 6.1 It s true our good works are washed in the Fountaine opened for Davids house in which our persons are washed but that washing removeth the sinfull guilt and Law-obligation from them but not the inherent blot and sinfull imperfection of our works to make them perfect for then might wee be justified by our good workes if Christs bloud make them to leave off to be sins but that bloud hindereth them to be imputed to us only but removeth not their sinfull imperfections as Antinomians say that so they may make us perfect in this life nor doth that bloud as Papists say adde a meriting dignity and vertue to them by which wee are justified by workes made white and meritorious in Christs bloud and merits God hath so portraicted and chalked the way to heaven that all the most supernaturall acts even those that have immediate bordering with the vision of glory should need a passe of pardoning grace and to beleeve that Christs grace shall work in us acts voyd of sin is not faith Therefore wee are to beleeve the pardon of such ere they have being and not sanctifying grace to eschew them It seemeth to me unbeleeving murmuring to be cast down at these sins in such a way as to imagine wee can eschew them or that grace sanctifying is wanting to us in these for grace is not due to sinlesse acts Nor doth the growing in grace which lieth on us by an obligation of a command stop the way to the journeying toward perfection and heaven nor shorten the cut to heaven because heaven is not attainable in this life but by the contrary if perfection were attainable in this life the man that attaineth it might sit down rest there and goe not one step farther for except hee should goe beyond the crown and to the other side of heaven and over-journey Christ at the right hand of God whither should hee goe And those that are ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth are 2 Tim. 3.5 lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God such as wee are to turne away from as have a forme of godlinesse and have denyed the power thereof and are led away with divers lusts and are never entered into one onely degree or step of the way of the saving knowledge of the truth of which Paul speaketh and not the truly regenerate who beleeve witâ— Paul and the Scriptures that our greatâ—st perfection is to sweat and contend for the highest pitch of perfection even that which is beyond time 4. Those that are perfected as wee hope we shall be in heaven feed not with the Beloved among the lillies till the day breake and the shadowes fly away but the perfectest the Spouse of Christ so feedeth on Church-ordinances Cant. 2.17 The perfect ones have the fullest pitch of the noon-day Sun of glory it shall never be after-noon nor the evening or twy-light sky with them nor shall any night-shaddow nor cloud goe over their Sun 5. In the Kingdome of perfect on there shall be no in-dwelling of a body of sin no sin no uncleannesse of heart no turning of the love and liking of the soule off God but the perfectest in this life sin and carry an in-dwelling body of sin with them Pro. 20.9 Eccles. 7.20 Job saith chap. 14.4 The perfectest that beget children are unclean Rom. 7.17 18 19 20 21 2 23. 1 Joh. 1.8 9 10. 1 Joh. 2.1 All that have need of an High Priest at the right hand of God to intercede for thâ—m have sin and in so far are imperfect as all the Saints are Hâ—â— 7.25 4.15 1.17 18. 8.1 2 â— 9.23 24 25 26. And 1 Cor. 13.8 Love never faileth 〈…〉 abundantly and is filled to satisfaction that tâ—e 〈◊〉 I can containe no more of God and is transformed in 〈…〉 of transcendent light and highest love as it were lâ—st in the deep fountaine of universall and immensurable love and light and the creatures soule and love liveth and breatheth resteth in the bosome in the heart in the bowels of him who is an infinite masse of love is wrapped in the sugared flouds in the honey-brooks and over-flowing waves and rivers of pure and unmixed joy sleepeth and solaceth it selfe in the innocent embracings of the glory that shineth rayeth and darteth world without end out of Christ exalted farre above all heavens all principalities and powers the soules there are sweetned more then sweetned over-solaced with the noone-day-light of the Bridegromes glory having in it the sweetest perfections of the Morning-Sun they flee with Doves-wings of beauty after the Lambe they never want the actuall breathings of the Spirit of gloâ—y they can never have enough of the chast fruition of the glorious Prince Immanuâ—l and they never want his inmost prâ—sâ—nce to the full thâ—y â—uck the honey the flouds of milke of eternaâ—l consolations
and â—ll all empty desires and as if the soule were without bottome afresh they suck againe in acts for â—ternity continued there be no such thing here in this life Yet hath Christ crucified in his bosome the promise and full purchase of this life on the crosse and holds it out to sinners to draw them 5. We have not yet attained to the resurrection of our bodies but cary about such clods of death as the wormes must sweetly feed on and have a seed and subject of distempers in our clay-tabernacles all which we are uncapable of in the state of perfection when the body shall bee more naturally clothed with immortality then the greenest and most delitious Rose or floure which we could suppose were growing fresh greene and beautifull for ever in such a happy soile as the fields that lye on the banks and within the drawings of sap from the river of life 6. We are not masters of the invasion at least of temptations of devils of men here 7. Perfection maketh the generall assembly of all the Sons of Sion the heavenly family is never convened but in place countrey condition separated some borne some not borne somâ— wâ—king some sleeping in the dust some in their countrey some in thâ— way to their countrey 8. Thâ—â—e is no Temple no Ordinances in our countrey of pâ—rfâ—â—tioâ— Revel â—1 2 1 Cor. 13.8 9. Thâ—â—e â—s â—o Angâ—l life here without marriage eating drinking bâ—gâ—ting of children Luk. 22.29 30. Mar. 12.25 Clay cannot live 〈◊〉 earthly up above the clouds and visible heavens till this corruptiblâ— shall put on incorruption 1 Cor. 15. Now for the meanes of attaining this fâ—lâ—â—â—se wee have no other knowne and revealed to us in this life but the Scriptures and Faith the one without and externall and the other within Under these I comprehend all the ordinances of Gâ—d Familists rejecting Scripture terming it an humane devise of Inke and Letters as Antichrist did before them they call their perfect ones from all acting praying hearing the word yea from knowing apprehending willing to a resting on God as meere patients God as their forme and Spirit immediatly acting on them The active annihilation saith the Bright-starre Chap. 11. pag. 106. is a ceasing from all acts vanishing of Images a doing of nothing and a resting of all motion or from doing the exterior will of God expressed in the Law and Gospel in their letter Pag. 107. Passive annihilation is when the man himselfe and all other things Meditation knowing desiring of God praying and the practise of a holy life are cast asleepe and are made nothing The active annihilation is when the man himselfe and all other things are annihilated not onely sufferingly as in the passive but doingly I meane by light in the understanding as well naturall as supernaturall wherein he sees and most infallibly knowes that all those things are nothing and rests upon this knowledge in despight of feeling Pag. 140. It s not best to forsake the passive annihilation and the fruitive love the loving of God as our last injoyed end depending thereupon to take in hand by acts to practise the active annihilation provided thaâ— by simple remembrance shee stand to her part For there it is Pag. 141. that the soule is so transported inlarged inlightned and united to God There shee tasts the chast embraces sweet intercourses and divine kisses there shee seeth her selfe sublimed innobled and glorified with Angels at the celestiall table There shee relisheth the fruits of her mortification the treasures of her repentance and the comforts of all her selfe-denials Pag. 144.145 To forsake such an experimentall union with God and that men should leape backe to themselves and re-betake themselves to their owne acts refuse to endure this emptinesse povertie of Spirit this will of God and all Spiritly entercourse super-celestiall or essentiall illumination though indeed the true and divine Wisdome and naked seeing of God So that by their flying back and returning to themselves that is leaving the contemplative life of Monks and returne to a practicall walking with God they doe no other but farre estrange themselves from all poore and empyre all knowledge and from all union and transformation into God and so bide alwaies straightned within themselves and their own bowels and in the fetters of the old man Now if you aske what it is to put off the old man the Theologia Germanica saith Cap. 5. Pag. 9.10 It is to ascribe neither being action knowledge nor goodnesse to your selfe but to God the eternall wisdome and thus Man and the Creature evanisheth thus ought man to become void of all things that is not to arrogate them to himselfe and the lesse knowledge the creature doth arrogate to it selfe it becommeth the more perfect the like we must conceive of Love Will Desire and all such things for the lesse that man doth arrogate these things to himselfe the nobler excellenter and diviner he becommeth and the more he doth assume these things to himselfe so much is he made the more blockish base and imperfect Theologia Germanica cap. 14. pag. 32. that a man die to himselfe it is as much as if you would say as himselfe or egoity should die Saint Paul saith put off the old man with his works pag. â—4 If it could come to passe that any man might wholy and absolutely cast off himself so as that he lived without all things in true obedience as the humanitie of Christ was then he should be voidâ—â—imself and one with Christ and should bee the same by grace that Christ was by nature Pag. 35. This also is written the more selfe-ends and egoity the more there is of sinne and unrighteousnesse and the lesser there is of the one the greater want there is of the other This also is written the more that my selfe doth decrease that is egoity or selfâ—enesse the more doth GOD in mee encrease Hence GOD is a Spirit acting and all in all men and for men to ascribe the good to God and the ill to themselves is obedience and to arrogate being or good to themselves is sinne So Theologia Germanica taketh away the incarnation of Christ thus Chap. 22. pag. 52.53 Yet are there waies to the life of Christ as we have already said when and wherein God and man are joyned together so that it may be truely said and truth it selfe may acknowledge it that the true and perfect God and true and perfect man are one and man doth so yeeld and give place to God that where God himselfe is there is man and that God also be there present and work alone and doe and leave any thing undone without any I to â—e mine or the like whâ—re thâ—se things are and exist there is true Christ and no where â—lâ—e It s the property of God to consist and to bee without 〈◊〉 or that without selfenesse egoity or the like but it is the â—â—â—perty of the
otherwise for the Apostle avoucheth the Gospel is preached the promise of salvation published to all that call on the Lords Name v. 12. Be they Jewes or Grecians that is Gentiles and beleeve they must or else they cannot pray and needs they must heare or then they cannot beleeve and hear they cannot except God send Preachers But God hath sent Preachers with pleasant feet to both Iewes and Gentiles as the Prophets Isaiah and Nahum fâ—retold v. 13 14 15. and they have not all obeyed v. 16 17 18. But it may be said They have not all heard the Gospel preached this must certainly excuse the Gentiles if they beleeve not having never heard of Christ how can they beleeve as it is v. 14. It s a rationall excuse I cannot sin in not beleeving the Gospel saith the Gentile yea and Christ frees them from the sin of unbeliefe also Ioh. 15.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them and so if they had not had a Lord Speaker from heaven they had not had sin That is they should have ben free of the Gospel-sin of unbelief but now they have no cloak for their sin Now they cannot say Lord we cannot beleeve a Gospel never spoken to us by any nor heard of by us But sure the Iewes heard these creatures and works of God that preached his glory Psal. 19.6 And if they preach Christ objectively as Amyrald and other Arminians fancie then the not hearing and not obeying the Gospel thus preached had been their sin though Christ or his Apostles had never spoken the Gospel which is contrary to Christs word Ioh. 15.22 And contrary to Paul how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard by the preaching of a sent Minister who subjectively and vocally must preach the Gospel But to return to the state of the question 4. So much of God is revealed to all even to those who never heard of Christ as serves to make all unexcusable for that knowing willingly and knowingly they glorifie not God as God Rom. 1.19 20 21. 5. All within the visible Church have meanes sufficient in their kinde in genere mediorum externorum to save them 6. As none can be saved by the light of nature nor ever any used or could use it so far forth as to improve it for their sufficient preparation to receive the tidings of the Gospel either from Men or Angels sent to preach to them or by any inspiration bringing the sense or things signified in the Gospel so saved they cannot bee by any name under heaven but by the Name of Christ that is Christ named preached and revealed in the Gospel Act. 4.10 11 12. Joh. 14.6 Heb. 11.6 Joh. 5.40 and 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and hee that hath not the Son hath not life 7. The question is whether or no God so farre forth willeth desireth intendeth that all and every one within and without the visible Church Tartarians and Indians who never by any rumor hard of Christ not excepted that hee giveth them sufficient meanes and helps of a common and universall grace which if they would use well the Lord should so reward pro-move or increase whether out of decencie or a congruous disposition of goodness or of equity or of free promise or any obligation so farre as to send the Gospel to them and bestow on them a larger measure of saving and internall grace by which they should if they so would bee converted to the Faith of Christ and saved We deny Arminians affirme 2. Whether the Lord from eternity late Arminians are for time-election hath absolutely without any provision in or pre-science or fore-knowledge of good works Faith perseverance in both or of condition reason cause merit qualification in some certaine and definite persons rather then others predestinated and chosen them to glory and life eternall And all the meanes conducing to this end and that of meere free grace because he so willeth or if the Lord passe no definite compleat peremptorie and irrevocable decree to save some certain persons while he forsees them expiring and dying in faith and holy conversation Arminians hold that the Lords decree of election of men to glory is generall conditionall incompleat changeable while he forsees they have ended their course in the Faith and then peremptorily and irrevocably he passeth a fixed decree to save such and not others we deny any such loose decrees in the Almighty and beleeve that of free grace he chuseth some absolutely without conditions in them or respect to any good foreseene to be in them rather then in others because He hath mercy on whom hee will and hardens whom he will Rom. 9.17.18 3. Upon this generall indefinite revocable and conditionall good will and intention of God to save all and every one whether or no did the Father give his Sonne and the Sonne dye for all and every one intending absolutely to impetrate and obtaine to all and every one of mankinde remission of sinnes and especially expiation of sinne originall and all sins against the covenant of works and salvation to them all both within and without the visible Church and the opening of the gates of heaven so as God hath laid aside his anger for all these sins hath made all savable reconciliable that notwithstanding of divine Justices plea against men all and every one may according to the intention of God bee saved in his bloud so they would as they may and can beleeve in Christ we deny Arminans here affirme 2. The mind of Arminians Arminians runne upon six Universalities 1. They say God beareth to all and every man of what kind soever an equall universall and Catholike good will yâ—a to Esau Pharaoh Judas as to Jaakob Moses and Peter to save them all so as this love is not stinted to any certaine persons precisely and absolutly loved and chosen to salvation 2. That there is a Catholicke price an universall ransome given by Christ dying on the Crosse for all and every one an Attonement made and a Redemption purchased in Christs bloud by which all and every one Pharaoh Judas Cain all the heathens Tartarians Americans Virginians that never heard of Christ are made savable and reconcilâ—iable and God made placable and exorable to them so aâ— though they be lost in the first Adam yet have they a new venture of heaven and in Christs death the Lord hath a generall antecedent and priâ—â—ry intention to save all without exception yet no more to save Moses and Peter then Judas and Pharaoh Yea that the fruit of Christs death and the effect of it may stand though all and every one of mankinde were eternally lost and not one person saved 3. As there was a Catholicke forfeiture of all so there is a second covenant of free grace made with all and every one of Adams sonnes with promises of free grace a new heart righteousnesse and
removed by satisfaction given to justice And when Christ hath compleatly performed the former redemption and by his death hath obtained this redemption yet it may fall out that not one man be saved But as we deny not this distinction of salvation purchased or the purchased redemption and the applied redemption as our Divines acknowledge Christ to be a Saviour by merit and efficacie so that the members of the distinction are different but that they are separated we deny yea the distinction in the Arminian sense we deny 1. Because Christ Redeemer is a relative person there is a full redemption in Christ but not for Christ but that he might make over that Redemption to his poor brethren there is a purchased salvation in Christ not to lye by him like a treasure of silver rousted through not using but they were so many heavens and salvations and so much grace and gracious redemptions to be made away as now purchased and all these Christ disbursed he was not a Treasurer who kept from sinners the pensions of grace and glory that the Father and King of the Church allowed on his people What Christ bought with his blood that he gave out and so much the places alledged by Mr. Moor the Arminian proveth just contrary to himself Joh. 4.42 he is the Saviour not of himself to save God and justice and the Law but the Saviour of the world of poor sinners not of the Jewes onely but of the Samaritans and Gentiles as Isai. 49.6 I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou maist be my savation to the ends of the earth This is the mysterie hidden from the beginning of the world that Christ should be preached among the Gentiles Eph. 3.8 9. Now 〈◊〉 is not a Magazine and treasure of Redemption to remain within the corners of Christs heart and his bowels but it is the mystery of the New Covenant to be made out to the world of Gentiles heires of the same promise This heritage Christ never purchased to keep to himselfe and whereas Mr. Moor will have Christ to be 1 Joh. 2. a propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world by obtaining of reconciliation of God to men he is farre wide for that place clearly speaketh of reconciliation of this whole world the New Testament world if I may so speak or Christs new conquest of the world of Gentiles so is Christ the Saviour and Redeemer of the world of Gentiles in opposition to Moses the Judges who were Saviours and Redeemers of the people of Israel who were but a spot and a poore fragment of the world in comparison of Christs large world God redeemed Israel by the hand of Moses but never the world so is Christ a propitiation for the sins of the whole world in opposition to the propitiatory sacrifices of Aaron and the Leviticall Priests for to these he alludeth which were propitiations only for the sins of a bit of the world but sure as the Leviticall Sacrifices were offered only in faith for the true Israel of God otherwise they were no better then the cutting off of a dogs necke in a Sacrifice which was abomination so were they types of that Sacrifice which was to be offered for the elect world which is a whole world of Iewes and Gentiles in comparison of little Judea And by what Scripture is a propitiation for the sins of the world which is onely an acquiring of a new power to Christ to trans-act with men on what termes he thinketh best to pardon sins this or that way for faith or good works a Redemption of men Or how is it a taking away the sins of the world an everlasting Redemption a suffering all that men should have suffered a bearing of our sins on the Tree an answering as Surety for the debts of broken men Object But if Christ purchased no salvation for me how can I sin in not resting on Christ for a shadow for a salvation not purchased to me is no salvation at all but a very nothing Ans. If you were to beleeve first a salvation purchased to you by name this Objection were strong but you are at first and immediately to beleeve no such thing but only that Christ is able to save to the utmost all that come that is that beleeveth and you if yee believe 2. A salvation purchased by Christ without an efficacious intention in God to apply it to all and every one is no lesse a shadow and a very nothing then the salvation purchased to all and every one and this maketh as much against Arminians as against us Now sure salvation is purchased with an efficacious intention in God to apply it to those only who shall be saved and the smallest part of mankinde 3. This way sendeth me at first to beleeve Gods secret and efficacious good-will to save me by name before ever I beleeve the Gospel That Jesus Christ came to save all beleevers which is no Gospel-order of beleeving and raiseth in my mind jealousies against Christ that he out of his love died for mee but putteth mee on a ground of doubting if he will apply his death to me except I begin first to love him and with free-will apply Christ so Christ first extendeth raw wishes to save me but I must extend to him reall deeds of applying by faith his wishing and halfe-love to me and the most reall kindness begins at me not at Christ. But say I by what Scripture is a naked power to justifie pardon wash sprinkle sinners and such a power which may consist with the eternall perishing of all men saith Moor p. 5. with the Arminians an eternall perfect Redemption a perfect satisfaction of justice and the Law of God Are not so the sins of the world taken away and yet they remain Doth not Christ bear the sins of all the world yet it may fall out that all the world bear their own sins and not one man bee saved yea as it is the greatest part of mankind bear their own iniquities die in these same sins that were imputed to Christ suffer the curses of the Law which Christ suffered for them Yea Mr. Moor saith Gods reconciling of the world and his not imputing their sins to them is the reconciling of all Adams sons in Christs bodie before God yet Paul and David both say Blessed are they to whom the Lord imputes no sin Moor saith a whole world to whom the Lord imputeth no sin may be under the curse of the second death 2. To put reconciling of the world to God as Paul doth 2 Cor. 5. for the reconciling of Christ in his owne bodie with God as M. Moor doth is strange divinity for it is reconciling of God to man in stead of a reconciling of man to God Heb. 9.14 and cannot be meant of only reconciling of God in Christs body or of obtaining only of redemption without application 1. Because the blood of Christ is compared
It signifieth so here This is to be proved 3. What Mr. Moor meaneth by some not wholly reprobated I know not except he make in God answerable thereunto a whole and compleat decree of Reprobation and so of Election and a half and incompleat decree of both as Arminians doe Which Scripture knoweth not and removeth all certainty of salvation of perseverance joy comfort earnest of the Spirit seal of Spirit 4. We contend not that by all men here must be meant beleevers and regenerated persons only and so he fighteth with his own shadow 5. He granteth beleevers are called men and I hope to prove that the elect and beleevers are called all and all flesh and us all c. though it be true beleevers are called men because of their humane passions and carnall walking and some more to wit Sons of God Saints faithfull Christians it followeth not that here they should be called Sons of God Saints because Christ dieth not for them as Saints but as men and sinners chosen to life Else Paul should not say Ephes. 2.1 God hath quickned you who were dead in sins c. for those whom God quickneth are something more then dead in sin sure they are chosen Saints new creatures c. after they are converted Object 6. All men here 1 Tim. 2.6 intentionally expressely principally and especially is meant of the first sort for naturall men sons of Adam sinners unbeleevers 1. Because this sense includeth all at first all men having some in which they are such and neither better nor worse then such before they be borne of God Eph. 2.1 2 3. Tit. 3.3 Rom. 3.9.20 Answ. We deny not but all men includeth unregenerate men but Master Moor proveth idem per idem the same thing by the same thing All men must be meant of all Adams sons Why because all includeth all at first all men That is all includeth all but not all men distributively all and every one without exception 2. It s denyed that all men includeth all as unregenerate or under that reduplication it is meant of all men unregenerate as fallen under the good will of GODS Election of Grace and as stated in his eye as objects of speciall favour and grace Nor doth the Lord quicken men as dead in sins Ephes. 2.1 as foolish and disobedient Tit. 3.3 as under sin Rom. 3.9 for then he should quicken all dead in sin all foolish and disobedient all under sin and this will prove the conversion and salvation of all and every Son of Adam the Lord quickneth dead sinners as they lie under his free choice of election to glory Object 7. Because Christ died to make a propitiation for them as they are sinners Answ. That is denyed he died for them as they were sinners but as within the pale and under the covering of the fair and sweet shadow of eternally chusing love otherwise if Christ died for sinners as sinners he died for all sinners and for those that are finally obstinate for these with the first come under the reduplication of sinners as sinners Object 8. It is no where said Christ died for good men for righteous for beleevers neither when they were such nor as they were such but for the unjust ungodly his enemies Rom. 5 6 8. 1 Pet. 3.18 Gal. 1.14 Answ. Christ neither died for sinners as sinners nor for sinners as righteous as Iacob neither served for his wife as a wife nor for his wifâ— as a sinful woman datur tertium This is an imperfect enumeration Christ died for the ungodly the unjust his enemiâ—s as freâ—ly chosen to be made righteous and the friends of Christ as Jacob served for a wife that is for Rachel whom he freely chosâ—d before Leah â—hat he might make her his wife neither when she was his wife nor as she was his wife and as the Scripture saith Christ died for the ungodly the uniust his enemies so also fâ—r his friends Joh. 15.13 his sheep Joh. 10.11 his beloved Church and Spouse Ephes. 5.25 26. And the places citâ—d Rom. 5. Gal. 1.4 1 Pet. â— â—8 are all restrictive of these for whom Christ died as Rom. 5. he died for us who are justified by faith have peace with God accesse by faith who glory in tribulation rejoyce in hope Gal. 1.4 He gave himselfe for us The Churches of Galatia to whom Paul prayeth Grace and peace 1 Pet. 3.18 for those that he was to brâ—ng to God and in no place of Scripture nor yet 1 Tim. 1.15 Is it said Christ died for sinners as sinners but only for those that were sinners which can never prove the Arminian conclusion That he died for all sinners Object 8. He saith not pray for some of all sorts but for all men and nameth but one sort Answ. His naming one sort inferreth we should exclude no sort out of our prayers seeing this one sort were persecuters that may seem farthest from our prayers Moor. We are not to pray for such as are known to sin against the Holy Ghost because they cast aside the sacrifice and ransome of Christs blood and there is no more sacrifice for them and so they are blotted out of the hopefull book of life and separated from all men of which they were once being now reprobated of God Jer. 16.5 1 Ioh. 5.16 Answ. But either Christ did bear on his body on the tree that sin of casting aside the sacrifice of Christ or not if the first be said Christ died for them and we are to pray for them and further such as sin against the Holy Ghost as such must come under the reduplication of Gods enemies the ungodly sinners disobedient dead in sins and trespasses in the highest degree and so Christ must have died for them under that sin or then there is a sin of some of the sons of Adam that Christ did no more bear on his body on the tree then the sin of Devils which should render that sin intrinsecally unpardonable even in relation to Christs blood which Arminians cannot bear 2. A blotting out of the book of life and time-reprobation here asserted by Mr. Moor is the highest indignity done to the unchangeable love and grace of God and grosse Arminianisme Object 9. Praying for their brethren could not be doubted of but the doubt was to pray for opposers and persecuters The Apostle saith thâ—s to pray for all men was good according to Matth. 5.44.48 Answ. To pray for all rankes of men Nero and others was the doubt but Matth. 5. Which saith we must pray for and blesse our enemies with submission to Gods decree and in imitation of God who causeth the Sun to shine on the unjust cannot infer that we are to pray for all and every one absolutely as Arminians dream That Christ died for all absolutely Object 10. The motives to pray for all men are from only Gods good will to man and what Christ hath done to ransome us like Matth.
saved yet the Lambe of God taketh away the sinnes of the world So Esai 6.7 Thine iniquity is taken away and thy sinne purged this is no halfe pardon such as Esaiah had before the Lord touched his lips 1 Joh. 3.5 And yee know that he was manifested to take away our sinnes Iohn speaketh of the taking away of the sinnes of us Iohn and the Saints who were loved Vers. 1. with a wonderfull love to bee called the Sonnes of God us whom the World knoweth not vers 2. us who shall be like Christ when he appeareth Arminians are obliged to give us parallel places where the redemption of all and every man and Christs naked power and desire to be friends with all men and to make any covenant of grace or works as he pleaseth is called the taking away the sinnes of the world and yet the whole world may possibly dye in their sinnes and not a man be saved the taking away of the worlds sinnes to us is the compleat pardoning of them Remission of sinnes in his bloud Ephes. 1.7 Col. 1.14 Blotting out of transgressions Esai 4â— 25 as a thicke cloud Esai 44.23 a not remembring of sinnes Isai 43.25 Ier. 31. â—4 Such a taking away of sinnes as is promised in the covenant of grace to the house of Iudah to the Church under the Messiah that heareth the Gospel Ier. 31.34 Hebr. 8.8 9 10 11 12. Rom. 11.26 27. Esai 59.20 This is the taking away of the sinnes of the world a new world in whose inner parts the Lord writeth his Law and with whom the Lord maketh an everlasting covenant never to turne away from them Jer. 31.33 34 5 36 37. in whom the Lord putteth his Spirit and in whose mouth he puteth his Word and in the mouth of their seed and their seeds seede Esai 59.20 21. The Arminian taking away of sins is of all and every one of Adams seed of such as never heard of a Covenant of a Word of a Spirit of a Seed a holy Seed of a new heart Finally the taking away of the sinnes of the world is the removing of them as farre from us as the East is from the West Psal. 103.12 bestowed on these that feare the Lord vers 11. and are pitied of the Lord as the Father pitieth the Sonne and the subduing of our iniquities and the casting of our sinnes in the depths of the Sea Mich. 7.19 â—0 a mercy bestowed only on the remnant of the Lords inheritance The Arminian taking away of sins is a broad pardon of sins to all the world let them shew Scripture for theirs as we doe for ours and cary it with them Object 15. Though Reconciliation bee purchased to all and every one yet it is not necessary that it bee preached to all and every one but onely it is required that God bee willing it bee preached to all now it is free to God before he be willing to make offer of the purchased reconciliation to all to require afore hand such acts of obedience and dueties which being performed hee may publish the Gospel to them or being not performed hee may bee unwilling to publish the Gospel to them Yea though reconciliation be purchased to all yet its free to God to communicate the benefits of his death upon what termes hee thinketh good And Christ died saith Master Moore to obtaine a lordship over all and a power to save beleevers and destroy such as will not have him to raigne over them as wee heard before Answ. 1. We have in this Doctrin that Argument yeelded God commanded to preach to all and every one Ergo Christ died for all and every one For 1. The consequence is true absolutely by the Arminians doctrine Christ absolutely died for all and every one without prescribing any condition to those for whom he dies he saith not my sonne dieth to purchase reconciliation to all upon condition all beleeve or perform some other dutie but beleeve they or beleeve they not the 〈◊〉 is payed and salvation purchased for all without exception but the antecedent is not true but upon condition God is not willing the Gospel bee preached to all but to such as perform such conditions 2. If they perform not the condition Christ should have said preach not the Gospel to all nations nor to every creature but onely to such as yee finde fit hearers of the Gospel and have performed such acts of obedience as I require for conditionall threatnings are set downe in the Gospel as well as conditionall promises he that beleeveth shall be saved he that beleeveth not shall bee damned But in Old or New Testament Arminians never shew us where the preaching of the word of Grace is referred to our free will Doe this O Ammonits O Indians and the glad tyding shall come to you if yee doe not this ye shall never heare the Gospel Arminians say God sendeth his Grace and Gospel both genti minus dignae indigniori negat to the unworthy Nation and denyeth both to the worthier 3. Arminians say in Script Synod Dordr pag. 6. Lex non lata aut non intellecta cum intelligi non possit non obligat a law not made or not understood when it cannot be understood doth not oblige then God cannot deny a salvation and the benefit of a preached Gospel to Indians though both were purchased in Christ if they never heard as hundreths of Nations could by no rumor heare or dreame of Christ and the Gospel of Christ. 4. How can God with the same naturall and half-will equally will that all bee saved when hee absolutly without merit or condition willeth the meanes of salvation to some and denyeth the meanes of salvation to the farre largest part of mankinde for want of a condition unpossible because it neither was nor could be known to them 5. By the Arminian way sinne originall is no sin it bringeth wrath and condemnation on no man God beginneth upon a new score and the reckoning of the covenant of Grace to count with all men and God is so reconciled to all mortall men and transacteth with them in such a way of free grace that hee will punish no man for any new breach except committed actually by such as are come to age as have the use of reason and are obliged to beleeve in Christ. pag. 285 286 287. Dordr scrip Synod Yet hath God decreed never to reveale any such gracious transactions to millions of men that better deserve to heare these secrets of grace then thousands to whom they are proclaimed in their ears ere they can discerne the right hand by the left This Arminians say was Gods dispensation Matth. 11. with Capernaum and Tyrus and Sidon But it will bee found that Arminians deny the prescience and foreknowledge of God 6. Most abominable and comfortlesse must the doctrine of the death of our Lord Iesus be if Christ died onely to bee a Lord and such a Lord as hee might have power without
5.43 44 45 46 47 48. nor doth God miscarry in this love he desires the eternall being of damned Angels and Men he sends the Gospel to many Reprobates and invites them to repentance and with longanimity and forebearance suffereth pieces of froward dust to fill the measure of their iniquity yet does not the Lords generall love fall short of what he willeth ro them 3. There is a love of speciall election to glory far lesse can God come short in the end of this love For 1. the work of redemption prospereth in the hands of Christ even to the satisfaction of his soule saving of sinneâ—s all glory to the Lamb is a thriving work and successefull in Christs hands Esa. 53.10 11. He shall see of the travell â—f his soule and be satisfied 2. Christ cannot shoot at the rovers and misse his marke I should desire no more but to be once in Christs chariot paved with love Cant. 3. Were I once assured I am within the circle and compasse of that love of Election I should not be affrayd that the chariot can be broken or â—urned off its Wheels Christs charâ—ot can goe through the red Sea though not dryed up hee shoots arrows of love and cannot misse he râ—dâ—s through hell and the grave and makes the dead his living captives and prisoners 3. This love is natively of it self active Ezechiah saith in his sâ—ng Esai 38.17 Behold for peace I had bitternesse but thou hast in love to my soule delivered me from the pit of corruption but in hebrew it is thou hast loved my â—oule out off the pit of corruption because thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy back he speaketh of Gods love as if it were a living man with flesh and bones armes hands and feet went down to the pit and lifted up Ezechiahs soul out of the pit so has the love of Christ loved us out of hell or loved hell away to hell and loved death down to the grave and loved sinne away and loved us out of the armes of the Devill Christs love is a persuing and a conqâ—ering thing I shall never believe that this love of redemption stands so many hundreth miles aloof on the shoare and the bank of the river aâ—d lake of fire and brimstone and â—â—yes afar off and wisheth all mankinde may come to land shoaâ— and casâ—eth to them being so many hundreth miles from them wordâ— of milk wine and honey out of the Gospel and cryeth that Christ loveth all and every one to salvation and if wishes could make men happy Christ earnestly wâ—shes and desires if all men were alike well minded to their own salvation that all and every one might be saved that there were not a Hell but he will not put the top of his little finger in their â—earâ— to â—ow and incline their will and Christ cryeth to the whole world perishing in sin I have shed my blood for you all and wish you much happinesse but if ye will not come to me to believe I purpose not to passe over the line of Arminian decency or Iesuiticall congruity nor can I come to you to draw your hearts by way of efficacious determination if yee will do for your selves and your own salvation the greatest part of the work which is to apply redemption by your own free-will though I know you cannot be masters of your selves of one good thought and are dead in sinnes as I have done the other lesser part purchased salvation for you or made you all reconciliable and savablâ— it s well oâ—herwise I love the salvations of you and every one but I will not procure it but leave that to your free-will chose fire or water heaven or hell as the counsels of your own heart shall lead you and I have done with you Oh such a love as this could nâ—ver save me If the young heire had wisedom he should pray that the wise Tutor lay not the falling or the standing of the house on his green head and raw glassie and weather-cock free will we shall cast down our crowns at the feet of him that sitteth on the Throne because he has redeemed us out of all nations tongues and languages and lâ—ft these nations to peâ—ish in their own wicked way sure in heaven I shal have no Arminianâ—houghts â—houghts as now I have through corruption of nature I shall not then divide the song of free Redemption between the Lamb and free-will and give the largâ—st share to free-will my soule enter not into their counsels or secrets who thus black Christ anâ— shame that faire spotlesse and excellent grace of God Vse 3. Here is excellent ground of encouragements to the Elect to the believe for the feare of reprobation from eternity is no ground that thou shouldst not believe Object 1. I fear that I am a reprobate Answ. If thou wilt know the neede that a Reprobate man has of that saving Saviour Iesus Christ thou wouldst upon any termes cast thy soule upon Christ which if thou doe now thou hast answered the question and removed the fear that thou art a reprobate for a reprobate cannot believe Object 2. But sinne and unworthinesse inclines more to reprobation then to be loved eternally of God Answ. Not a whit except the Lord had revealed reprobation to thee sinfull clay nothing but the great Potter may wash the clay and frame thee a vessell of honour Objct. 3. But sinne continued in such as my sinne is is the first morning dawning of reprobation as faith and sorrow for sin is the first opening of election to glory Answ. Sinne finally and obstinately continued in is a sign of reproâ—ation but say you had obstinately gone on in sinne as I love not to cuâ—e spirituall wounds by smoothing and lessening them yet your duty lies on you in a sence of your need of Christ to come to Christ the event is Christs you may say It s fitting Lord I be a râ—probâ—te but many thousands of bad deserving as I am are singing the praises of free-grace before the Throne Objct. 4. But if my sinne evidence to me reprobation it s a cold comfort to goe to Christ and believe for sure I have obstinately gone on against Christ and reâ—sted his call Answ. Though we are not to lessen the sins of any yet a Physitian may say it s not so desperate a disease as yee say it is so may we say it s a strong disease that overcomes the art of Christ though it falls seldom out never to my observing that any finally obstinate can attaine to wide broad and auxious wishes to enjoy Christ with some seene and acknowledged need of Christ. Object 5. But what encouraging comfort have I to believe since I have gone farther on in obstinacy then any Answ. There cannot be such an encouraging comfort in a non-convert as is satisfactory no work can be in a non-convert of that straine with sâ—ch as are in converts
close the doore in the lowest roome so I see the throne and him that sits on it it is enough to me 2. Arg. All the tie of the covenant lyeth on God not any on man as bond or obligation for the fulfilling of the covenant or partaking of the benefits thereof Heb. 8.10 Ezech. 36.25.26 Jer. 1. the Lord promiseth to doe all and the new heart is but a consequent of the covenant where is thee in all this covenant one Word that God sayes to man Thou must do this If God had put man on these conditions then they were conditions indeed But when God takes all upon himself where are then the conditions on Mans part Give me leave suppose there should be a fault of performing in this covenant whose were the fault must not the fault or failing be in him who is tyed and bound to every thing in the covenant and saith he will do it If there bee a condition and there should be a failing in the condition he that undertaketh all things in the covenant must needs be in the fault God saith not make your selves cleane get you the Law of God in your mind get you power to walk in my Statutes and when you doe this then I will be your God and enter in Covenant with you Answ. 1. We never teach that the making to our selves a new heart is an antecedent condition required before the Lord can make the New-Covenant with us as this mâ—n would charge Protestant Divines but that it is a condition required in the party covenanting which is conditio federatorum nonfederis and such a condition without which its unpossible they can fulfill the other condition which is to believe and so lay hold on the Covenant but it is clear Antinomians think the new heart no inherent grace in us but that Christ is grace working immediately in us as in stones and the new heart is justification without us in Christ only let Crispe shew where the making of a new heart is commanded to us as a consequent and an effect of the Covenant surely the new heart the washing of us with cleane water be it an antecedent or be it a consequent of the Covenant of Grace it is a promise that God doth freely and of meere grace undertake to perform in us Ezech. 36.26 A new heart will I give you so Ier. 32.39 40. Ier. 31.33 Eâ—ech 11.19.20 Esa. 54.13 Ioh. 6.45 Ezech. 36.32 Not for your sakes doe I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes O house of Israel ver 22. I doe not this for your sakes O house of Israel but for mine holy names sake which yee have prophaned amongst the heathen whether ye went and Crispe saith the Covenant in the old Testament had annexed to it divers conditions of legall washing and sacrifices whereas the New Covenant under the New Testament is every way of free grace He is farre wide conditions wrought in us by grace such as we assert take not one jot or title of the freedome of Grace away and though there be major gratia a larger measure of grace under the New Testament yet there is not magis gratia there is no more of the essence of free-grace in the one then in the other for all was free grace to them as to us why did the Lord enter in Covenant wâ—th the Iewes more then with other Nations Deut. 7.7 The Lord loved you because he loved you Was Ierusalem Ezech. 16. holier then the Ephesians Eph. 2. No their nativity was of the land of Canaan their Father an Amorite their Mother an Hittiâ—e Ezech. 16.5 Thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast borne ver 6. And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said to thee in thy blood live And to cause grace have a deeper impression and sinking down into the hearts bottome he repeateth it againe I said unto thee in thy blood live And will Crispe say that this iâ— not a history of free grace as farre from bribe or hire of meritâ— as in the world or will he say it was Gods meaning First wash you with holy water and sacrifice to me and performe all these legall conditions to me while you are Amorites and Hittites by kinde and that being done He enter in Covenant with you when yee have done your work He pay your wages and be your God 2. This Argument militateth strongly against every Gospel duty and the whole course of Sanctification God must so be the cause only cause of all our sinfull omissions sins under the Covenant of grace in that he promiseth to work in us to will and to do to give us grace to abstain froÌ„ sin but does not stand to his word as Antinomians teach which is an Argument unanswerable to me that its the minde of Antinomians that no justified person can sinne but that they omit good or commit ill God is in the fault not they and that the justified are meer blocks in all the course of their sanctification in all the sins they doe they are patients God should more carefully see to his own honour and not suffer them to sinne so they and the old Libertines goe on together For say that the new heart that to will and to doe to persevere stedfastly in the Grace of God were no conditions of the Covenant sure believing in the Lord Iesus is clearly a condition of the righteousnesse of faith as doing is of the righteousnesse which is of the Law Rom. 10.3 4 5 6 7 8. Gal. 4.22 23 24 25 26 27 28 say that to repent pray love God and serve him were not from God through the tye of the New-Covenant yet Gods promise his single word when he saith he will doe such and such things is as strong a tye as his Covenant and oath when he knoweth its unpossible these things that he saith he will doe can be done except he of his meer grace work them in us Now the Lord clearely promiseth that he will give repentance Act. 5.31 Sorrow for sinne the Spirit of grace and supplication Zach. 12.10 a circumcised heart to love and serve the Lord Deut. 30.6 Ezech. 36.26 perseverance in Grace Ier. 32.40 41. Esai 54.10 chap. 59.20.21 Psal. 1.3 Joh. 4.14 chap. 10.28 Phil. 1.6 Ephes. 5.26.27 1 Ioh. 2.1 Then let D. Crispe or any Libertine say when the Saints sinne in not praying in not sorrowing for sin in not willing and doing in their sinnes and falls in their Christian race to heaven let me speak in the words of Crisp whos fault is it or failing not to perform the word or promise of God God undertaketh by promise yea by his simple word to fulfill what he promiseth and saith he will work all these in us yea to will and to doe Ergo if it be not done the fault cannot
be mans but it must be which I abhorre to writ or speak the Lords 3. God takes all upon himselfe in genere causae gratiosae Liberrimae independentis primae non obligatae ad agendum ex ullae lege in the kind of a cause that worketh by meer grace freely Indepdenently without any Law above him to obliege him to doe otherwise with his own then he freely willeth decreeth promiseth for men carnally divide Gods decree which is most free from his promise which is as free as his decreeâ— but it followeth in no sort as Arminians and Jesuites object to us therefore men who doe not believe pray walk holily are not in the fault being under a Law to obey for sinnefull inability to obey can ransome no man from the obligation of obedience and most blasphemous it is that because God undertaketh in the Covenant that we shall walk in his commandements as he doth promise Ezech. 36.27 and that we shall feare him Ier. 32.39.40 That God should therefore be in the fault and we free of all fault when in many particulars we offend all Iam. 3.2 and we fear not God in this or this sinne as is possible and may be gathered from Iosephs speech to his brethren who sayes he would not wrong them for he feared God and Iobs word that he durst not dispise the cause of his servant because he was affraid of God Yet God promiseth that he will keep Ioseph Iob and all the elect in the way of Gods Commandements that they shall not fully fall away from him God never by promise covenant oath or word undertaketh o keep his elect from this or this particular breach and act of unbeliefe against the Covenant of grace 4. The fault against the Gospel or any sin in a believer must justly be imputed to him because he is tyed by the Evangelick Law not to sinne in any thing the Gospel granteth pardons but not dispensations in any sins and it can in no sort bee imputed to God because if any believer fall in a particulaâ— sin or act of unbeliefe against the covenant of grace the Lord neither decreed nor did ever undertake by Covenant or promise to keep him by his effectuall grace from falling in that sinne for the Lord would then certainly have keeped him as he did Peter and doth all the Elect that are effectually called that in mighty temptations their faith faile them noâ— Nor is the act of believâ—ng that is wanting in that particular fall such a condition of the Covenant as Christ either promised to work or the necessary condition of the Covenant of Grace or such a condition the want whereof doth annull and make voyde the eternall Covenant of grace 5. I here smell in Antinomians that God must bee in fault as the author of our unbelief our stony hearts our walking in our fleshly wayes because God hath promised to give us faith and a heart of flesh to walk in his wayes as the old Libertines said God was the principall and chief cause of sin and that God did all things both good and ill the Creatures did nothing So Calvine in insâ—itut adversus Libertines chap. 14. in opus pag. 446. Mr. Archer down right saith God is the authour of sin what end is there of erâ—ing if God leave us It is true the tie and all the tie of giving a new heart and the Spirit of grace and supplication lieth on the Lord who promised so to do Deut. 30.6 Ezech. 11.19.20 chap. â—6 26.27 Ier. 31.33 34.35.36 But yet so that we are under the obligation of divine precepts to doe our part Ezech. 18.31 make you a new heart and a new Spirit for why will ye die O house of Israel Ier. 4.4 Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skinne of your heart Ephes. 4.23 be renewed in the Spirit of your mind Rom. 12.2 Rom. 13.14 and 1 Thessal 5.17 pray without ceasing Psal. 50.15 Call upon mee Matth. 26.41 Watch and pray Therefore all the tie and obligation of what ever kâ—nd cannot so free us from sinfull omissions nor can the tye ly on God evangelick commandments are accompanied with grace to obey grace layeth a tie on us also to yeeld obedience 6. It s a foule and ignorant mistake in Crispe to make the Covenant nothing but that love of God to man which hee cast on man before the Children had done good or evill Rom. 9.1 That love is eternall and hath no respect to faith as to a condition but it s not the covenant it selfe because it is the cause of the covenant 2. To the love of election there is no love no work no act of beleeving required on our part Yea no mediator no shedding of blood wee are loved with an everlasting love before all these but the covenant though as decreed of God it be everlasting as all the works of creation and divine providence which fall out in time and have beginning and end are so everlasting for God decreed from eternity that they should be yet it is not in being formally while it bee preached to Adam after his fall and there is required faith on all the Saints part to lay hold on the Covenant Esai 56.4 and to make it a covenant of peace to the Saints in particular 2. Faith is the condition of the covenant 3. Christ the mediator of it 4. Christs blood the seal of it 5. The Spirit must write it in our heart But the love of election is a compleat free full love before our faith or shedding of blood or a mediator be at all Object We are not saved nor justified nor taken in Covenant by faith as a work saith Crispe for then we should not bee saved by grace and grace should not be grace but wee are justified by faith that is by that Christ which faith knoweth according to that by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many therefore faith is no condition of this covenant Answ. The contrary rather followeth 1. Seeing Crisp doth say none under heaven can bee saved till they have believed We are not taken in covenant by faith neither wee nor scripture speak so taking us in covenant is before wee can beleeve but we lay hold on Christ and righteousnes by faith not as a work but a necessary condition required of us 2. I leave it to the consideration of the Godly if beleeving in him who justâ—fieth the ungodlâ— be no condition a work justifying I do not think it but onely I beleeve and know that Christ justified me before I beleeved from eternity as some say when I was conceived in the womb â—s Crispe saiâ—h and that the threatning he that believeth not iâ— condemned already carries this sence he that believeth not that he is not condemâ—â—d hee is already condemned Who can believe such toyes 2. Beleeving is a receiving of Christ Ioh. 〈…〉 Christs dwelling in the heart Ephes. 3.17 Then to 〈◊〉 must bee to
predeterminating grace did keep the Saints and stirre them to every act 3. Who is the Author and finisher of our faith Christ and who perfecteth the good work once begun but Christ and who but he bringeth many children to glory Not we when the soule is distempered under desertion the soule is so tender and excellent a piece love so curious and rare a work of Christ that let all the Angels in heaven Seraphims and Dominions and Thrones set their shoulders and strength together they cannot with Angell-tongues let them speak heaven and Christ and glory calme a soul-feaver and words of silk and oyle dropped from the clouds cannot command the love-sicknesse of a sad soule Will ye look to heaven while your sight faile and weep out two eys while Christs time come you cannot find ease for a broken spirit when Christ breaketh can Angels make whole The conscience is a hell-feaver the comforter is gone can you wiâ—h a nodde bring the physitian back againe can golden words charme and calme a feaver of hell can you with all the love-waters on earth quench a coale of fire that came from heaven Send up to heaven a Mandate against the decree and dispensation of God if you can if the gates of death can open to thee or if thou hast seâ—ne the doores of the shaddow of death or can doe such great works of creation as to lay the corner-stone of the earth or hang the world on nothing which Iob could not doe chap. 37. chap. 38. But who can command soule-furies onely onely Christ. The soule is downe amongst the dead wandering from one grave to another Can you make a dead Spirit a Gospel-harp to play on of the springs of Zion the songs of the holy Ghost Christ can doe it Can you cry and finde obedience to your call O North O South winde blow upon the Garden Christ hath his owne winde at command hee is master of his owne mercies Can you prophecie to the winde to come and breathe on dead bones Christ onely can Can you breathe life soule and five senses on a coffin could you make way for breathing in the narrow and deep grave when clods of clay closeth the passage of the nostrils Christ can Isai. 26.19 Thy dead men shall live together with my body they shall arise awake and sing ye that dwell in dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead Can you draw the virgins after the strong and delitioâ—s smell of the ointments of Christ but if he draw the virgings â—unne after his love Cant. 1.3 Christ indictes warre are you a creator to make peace he cryes Hell and wrath can you speak joy and consolation are you an anti-creator to undoe what Christ does Christ commandeth fury against a people or person can men can angels can heaven countermand Position 3. The Lords suspending of his grace cometh under a twofold consideration 1. As the Lord denyeth it to his own children 2. As to wicked men also As he witholdeth grace especially actuall and predeterminating It falleth under a threefold respect 1. As it is a work of the free and good pleasure and Soveraignty of God 2. As it is a punishment of former sinnes 3. As from it resulteth our sinne even as the night hath its being from the absence of the Sunne Death from the removall of life 4. The Lords denyall of Grace is seene most eminently in two cases 1. In the parting asunder of the two decrees of election and reprobation 2. In Gods with drawing of himselfe and his assistance in the case of â—â—ying the Saints In the former the Lord has put forth his soveraigntie in his two excellentest creatures Angels and men if wee make any cause in the free-will of Angels I speak of a separating and discriminating cause whâ— some Angels did stand and never sinne some fall and become divels wee must deny freedom of Gods grace in the predestination of Angels now the Scripture calleth them Elect Angels how then came it that they fell not from fre-will No Angels are made of God and for God and to God then by the Apostles reason they could not give first to God to ingage the Almighty to a recompence they could not first set their free-will to work their owne standing in Court before God did with his grace separate them from Angels that fell Rom. 11.36 Esai 40.13 2. Make an election of Angels as the Scripture doth when some are called Elect Angels and some not then it must bee an Election of grace an election of works it cannot be because Angels must glory in the Lord that they stand when others fell Rom 4.2 as men do Proverb 16.4 Ier. 9.23.24 2 Cor. 10.17 Rom. 11. â—6 for no creature Angels or Men can glory in his sight for Angels are for him and of him as their last end and first Authour Rom. 11.36 then they gave not first to God to ingage the Lord in their debt vesr. 35. for if so then glory should be to the Angels but now upon this ground that none can ingage the Lord in their debt Paul vesr. 36 saith to him be glory for ever because none can give to him first and all are for him and of him then so are Angels 3. Angels are associated in the Element and orbe of free grace to move as men with graces wings to fly over the Lake prepared for the divel and his Angels whereas others fell in otherwise Christ the Lord Treasurer of free grace cannot bee the head of Angels Col. 2.9 as of men Col. 1.8 Ephes. 1.20.21.22 23. for as art not nature can prevent a dangerous feaver by drawing blood or some other way even as the same art can recover a sick man out of a feaver whereas another sick of that same disease yet wanting the helpe of art dieth So the same free grace in nature speece and kinde not free will hindeâ—â—â— the elected Angels to fall where as by constitution of naâ—uâ—e and mutabilitie being discended of that first common poâ—r 〈◊〉 â—ase house the first spring of all the creation of God meere and simple Nothing the mother of change and of all defects naturall and morall in every the most excellent creature thâ—y were as an humorous grosse body in which the vessells are full and in a neerest propension to the same feaver that devils fell into even to the ill of the second death if the grace of God had not prevented them 2. In men God has declared the deep Soveraignty and dominion of free grace in calling effectually one man Iaakob not Esau Peter not Iudas in having mercy in time on whom hee will and hardening whom hee will I humbly provoke all Arminians all Libertines who dash themselves the contrary way against the same stone to show a reason why one obeyeth and actively joyneth with the draught and pull of the right arme of Iesus Christ Ioh. 12.32 and his father
of our own 3. Wee are to beleeve in the generall we being within the covenant the Lord will keep his promise Deut. â—0 6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heaâ—t and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule that thou mayest live Ezech. 11.19 And I will give them one heart and I will put a new Spirit within you 20. that they may walke in my Statutes Ezech. 36.27 then are we so to set to these duties of waâ—king in the Lords way as wee are to beleeve he will nor deny actuall grace necessary for our perseverance because it is his expresse promise Ier. 31.33.34.35.36 Ier. 32.39 â—0 Esai 59.19 20 21. Esai 54 10.11 Ezech. 36.26.27 1 Ioh 2.1.2 Matth. 16.18 Luk. 2â— 3â—.32 though in acts not fundamentall and simply nâ—cessary for our being in the state of grace the Lord hath reserved a latitude of independent Sovâ—raigntie to act the soule in these and these particular aâ—ts as seemeth good to him that every new breathing of the Spirit of â—esus may bee a new debt and obligation of free grace to Christ. We are absolutely to pâ—ay for the breathings of Christs Spirit to goe aâ—ong wiâ—h us in all the particular acts of a gracious and spirituall walking but we know the Lords absolute good pleasure is his rule hee walks by so here our desires may bee absolute in seeking where the Lord gives upon condition of â—is owne good will nor are our desiâ—es in prayer to bee conformable to Gods decree or free pleasure but to his revealed will Grace is the culours of the inhabitants and citizâ—ns of the house of the lower and higher roomes of the new Ierusalem all the way and all the home the Sainâ—s walk in this white Christ keeps not his Spouse in a close chamber it is not one great act of free grace onely when all were in one day redeemed on the crosse but dayly Christ weareth his Church as a bracelet about his neck as a seal on his heart as his Royall diadem and a crowne of glory on his â—ead as his love-ring on his hand this day grace to morrow new and fresh supply of grace the next houre grace hee has strowed all the way to heaven with new grace every day new wine new Spiknard new peâ—fume new ointments When will Christ grow old and gray-haired Never Will his heart evâ—r grow cold of love No Will hee tyre of love will he weare out of delight in the Spouse that lyeth for eternity betweene his breasts No no The love of â—hrist is alwaies greenâ— as young-like as fair and white today as from eternity this rose is not altered a whit Who knowes how grace and love in Christs breast solaced themselves in these infinite revolutions of ages before the creation how Christs heart was cheering it selfe and rejoycing to have the first day of the creation dawning that he might enjoy the love of the sonnes of men not then created Proverb 8 3â—.31 as if grace and love had thought long to finde a channell with wide banks to flow in as if Christ having infinite love within him in that long long age to borrow that expression should say when shall time begin and sinfull men and my mysticall body and desired spouse my Church have being in the world that I may out that grâ—ce on her I have love within me and lying beside me I rejoyce to have a lover as if grace in Chriâ—t hâ—d been in too naâ—row banks in the inâ—â—nite acts of the infinite minde of God and the heart of Christ and longed to have Men and Angels to give a vent to his love And that long avum the ages that were before the world was brought it green to us that long long endlesse and vast duration when time shall bee no more cannot make Christs love change the colour or grow lesse or root one Saint out of his heart When God leaveth off to bee God â—râ—ce will leave off to bee Grace Make Christ repent of Grace if you can as Christ has washen his Spouse and in regard of the guilt of sin has made her all fair and spotlesse so doth he dayly lick and purge and cleanse her in regard of the inherent bâ—ot while shee bee faire as the Sunne and all a new heaven Asser. 7. In the third consideration from this suspension of divine influence cometh our sinne as a necessary consequent and result yet so as the Lords suspension and our transgression fall both in the bosome of divine providence The Lord knoweth why be withdraweth his grace that we mâ—ght know how weighty a thiâ—g grâ—at heaven is laid upon our poor shoulders and that we would make foule woâ—k out of all wee have received and the flock the second Adam has given is if we had not Christ to stirre the ship to lead the minors to heaven to keepe the inheritance to the little heirs of Christ should evanish to nothing Poâ—tion 9. If wee consider the Lords denyall of Christ from wicked men they câ—nnot turne to God but that impotency lay in the womb of will it is not weaknesse onely but also wilfulnesse Matth. 23. verse 37. I would have gathered you saith Christ yee would not Ioh. 5.6 Christ saith to the sick man wilt thou bee made whole Then there was a stop in his will as well as in his weaknesse er 44.16 As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the Name of the Lord we will not heaâ—ken to thee 2. Love and delight to do ill is from the strength and marrow of the will not from weaknes only the seruant that would not leave his master because he loved him is a slave for ever through love to slavery rather then through impotency to bee free In those that dâ—light to doe eâ—il Will hath a strong influence in the evil they doe every sinner esteemes his prison of hell a heaven hiâ— fetters of sinne on his legs as a gold chain about his neck 3. It is a journey of a hundreth miles to Christ it is unpossible to the naturall man to compasse it yet he may walk two of these hundreth miles though not as a part of the way he will not so much as cast a sad look after Christ the will not bestow one sigh after Christ nor know his own weaknesse nor dâ—spair of his own hability nor lie at the water-side and câ—y Lord Iesus come carry me over he positively hates Christ were it possible that the unrenewed man had the two eyes of a renewed man to see the beauty and high excellenâ—y of Iesus though he had still his own lame legs he would weep out his eyes for a Chariot to carry him to Christ hee would send sad love-challenges after Christ could these that ' are scortched in hell-fire and hear the howling of their fellow prisoners and see the ugly Devils the bloody Scorpions with which
bee of the same minde with us and extoll Mortification and Regeneration and say we cannot be the sons of God except we be borne againe and if we belong to God the old man must in us bee crucified the old Adam must perish and our flesh must be mortified but they destroy all holinesse and tansforme themselves into beasts when they explaine to us their regeneration and Mortification they say regeneration is the restitution of man to that innocency in the which Adam was created And they expound it thus This state of innocency was to know nothing neither good nor ill black nor white not to know or feel sinne because this was Adams sinne to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evill so by the minde of Libertines to crucifie old Adam is no other thing then to discerne nothing not to feel sinne in our selves as Mr Eaton saith but all knowledge of sinne being removed it is according to the custome of children to follow sense and naturall inclination hence they drew into their mortification all the places of Scripture in which the simplicity of children is commended Eaton just so Honey-Comb p. 165. unto naturall reason or sense objecting if we be perfectly holy in the sight of God then we may live freely as we list in sinne Paul Answers Nay that is unpossible for saith he how can we that are dead unto sinne live yâ—t therein that is as if a man be by justification restored to the case of the first Adam or perfectly freed from all sin in the sight of God as hee is freed from the troffick and businesse of this life that is dead which must needs be if we be made perfectly holy in the sight of God from all spot of sinne Nay he cannot chuse but shew and declare the same by holy and righteous living to the sight of men and mortifie them to himself and to his own feeling and sense as he is by justification dead to them in the sight of God Consider if Antinomians and Libertines doe not both joyn in this that though sinne in our conversation and before men as to walk after our lusts we being once justified is truly contrary to the Law of God yet to mortifie sin to our sense is to attain to a sense and feeling that it is no sinne to us and before men as it is no sin in the sight of God and in the Court of Iustice because it s freely pardoned this is the currant Doctrine of Antinomians Parallel 2. When Libertines saw any man troubled in conscience with sinne they said to him O Adam knowest thou somewhat yet Is not the old man yet crucified in thee If they saw any stricken with the fear of the judgement of God hast thou yet said they a taste of the apple beware that that morsell strangle thee not sinne yet raignes in thee So Mr Town the Antinomian said pag. 103. David confessed his sinne not according to the truth and confession of faith but from want and weaknes of faith and effectuall apprehension of forgivenesse pag. 97. I can look on my self my actions yea into my conscience and my sins remaine this is the sense of the old Adam the unmortified flesh but look into the records of Heaven and Gods justice and since the bloodshed of Christ why were no the fathers pardoned before Christ shed his blood I can finde there nothing against me but the band by my surety is satisfied and cancelled and even these present sinnes which so fearefully stare in my face are there blâ—tted out and become a nullity with the Lord I need not cite Mr Denne Eaton Crispe Saltmarsh for Town and all the Antinomian race teach that it is unbeliefe a work of the flesh of the old Adam and our weak sense and want of mortification that the justified person feels sinne sorroweth for sinne complaines of the body of sinne as Paul doth Rom. 7. For in that Chapter saith Crispe he doth not act the person of a regenerate person but of a scrupulous and doubting unbeliever But for the justified person it s more then he ought to doe if he confesse sinne crave pardon mourn fast walâ— in sack cloth he has peace saith Towne pag. 34 Security consolation joy contentment and hapâ—inesse except his flesh rob him of these It s legall and bewrayeth the man to be under a Covenant of works if upon the committing of Incest or the greatest sinnes he doubt whether God be his deare Father Rise â—aign error 20. And after the revelation of the Spirit neither the Devill nor sin can make the soule to doubt Error 32. Parallel 3. Libertines said sinne the world the flesh the old man was nothing but an opinion or an imagination and these were new creatures that were free of that opinion that sin was any thing or such as believed sin to be nothing and the benefit of Christs death they place in taking away that opinion by which the first sinne of Adam entered into the world and under this opinion they comprehended all scruple of conscience sense of judgement or remorse or sorrow for sinne and when this opinion is taken away then there is no more sinne nor the world nor the Devill nor the flesh Antinomians come well-neere fully up to Libertines in this for in their writings they tell us that what sinnes justified persons fall in being once justified are sinnes sath H. Denne of our conversation and before men not sinnes in the conscience and in the Court of Divine justice or as Eaton saith Honey-Combe pag. 165.166 Before God they are no sinnes and in his sight they are perfectly abolished yea and become nullities saith Mr Town Assert of grace pag. 97. But to our carnall sense and feeling saith Eaton they are sinnes till our sense be mortified and when we look on our selves our own actions yea on our own conscience Now the adulteries murthers denying of the Lord Iesus that David and Peter and other Saints fall in after their justification cannot be sins in themselves but only in the opinion and sense and feeling of such as commit these sins and in such a sense as is contrary to faith and the light of faith that believeth 〈◊〉 jusâ—ification in Christs death and must be abolished and removed by perfect mortification then all the justified are to believe what â—ver sins they commit in their conversation and before men are no sins in themseves or the court of Divine Iustice or in relation to a Divine Law but they are sinnes in their sense or erâ—oneous opinion If Ioseph be only dead in the opinion and in his Fathers mistaking judgement then hee is not really dead but lives 2. Vnder this head Libertines said mortification was not in abstaining from fleshly lusts that warre against the soule but in removing the opinion and sense of apprehending sinne to bee sinne and so Saltmarsh forbiddeth 1. Any man to doubt whither his faith be true faith
to Christs Spirit that yee are the sonnes of God Now if the â—ommands of the Gospel urge us not to personall obedience but to beleeve that Christ as S. saith has obeyed for us and that in the Gospel way they cannot oblige us in a law-way as they teach so by law and Gospel wee shall bee freed from all personall obedience and mortiâ—â—cation Saltmarsh and Libertines bid us bee merry and beleeve that Christ has done all these for us 5. A fleâ—â—ly presumer walking after his lusts may beleeve that Christ mortified sin for him obeyed the Law repented for him so if a hypocrite as an hâ—pocrite a presumer vainly puffed up void of all down-casting and conscience of sin beleeve that Christ has repented and mortified sinne and beleeved for him though he live as the devil beleeving and trembling hee is not to doubt his faith If they say that men beleeving savingly and sincerely cannot goe on in a constant walking after their lusts never humbled for sinne never dispairing in themselves never out of love constraining them to please God and strive to walk in Christ as they have learned him for if they be such their faith is but wilde oats and empty presumption then they say 1. Men know their faith to be found by holy walking 2. Men may call in question their faith if their works bâ—lie their faith 3. They deny that a fleshly man as such and never humbled can beleeve this is our doctrine Asser. 2 Never any of our Divines said that pure mortification is the not acting of sinne or the not conceiving of lusts nor that it is the meere absence of the body of sinne this is a foule slander which if willfull Antinomians though in their owne eyes perfectly holy in the sight of God must answer to God for nor is that any argument of weight to prove that mortification is not the absence of the body of sin because then saith hee dead and sick men were mortified persons except wâ—e admit such new vaine divinitie that a bodily ague or sicknesse does extirpate the body of sinne out of the soule which mad or frantick men would not say and if it bee truth that the body of sinne dwelleth in us in this life this body of sinne is either sinne or no sinne if it bee no sinne lâ—t Libertines speak plaine truth wee deceive our selves if wee have no sinne If it bee sinne Then let Libertines resolve us how Crispe and Eaton and Denne say we are all as holy and cleane from sinne being once justified as our surety Christ is and as spotlesse on earth as the Angels and glorified that are in heaven that stand before the throne now certaine neither in Christ nor in Angels is there any spot of sinne or any indwelling body of lust and Crispe gives this reason why sinne dwelling in the Saints is no sinne It cannot sink saith he into the head of any reasonable person that sin should be taken away by the Lambe of God Ioh. 1.29 and yet be left behind it is â— flat contradiction if a man be to receive money at such a place and he doth take this money away with him is the money left in that place when he hath taken it away Mr â—enne has a fine 〈◊〉 for this hee saith there is sin in the conscience and sinne in the conversation Christ hath taken away sin out of the conscience of his called people 1 Pet. 3.21 Heb. 10.22 The whiâ—e rayment wherewith the Saints are cloathed â—â—gnifieth not only cleannesse before God but also purity and cleannesse of conscience confiâ—ing in the apprehension of that glorious estate and â—ondition in Christs death so there is no sin at all in the Saints 1 Ioh. 1.8 and the blood of Iesus Christ shall purge you from all sin in the conscience does joy and gladnesse dwell and there is no more place for sorrow and sighing and there is sin in the conversation or hands now a man may be strict in conversation and yet not pure and cleane in Conscience So its possible a man hath beene an exceeding sinner and yet is not wholy cleansed from all wickednesse in conversation if this seeme a mystery to you that sinne in the flesh in the body outward man or conversation should stand wiâ—h puritie of conscience take these reasons if purity of conscience could not be found but where there is purity in the flesh a pure conscience could not at all be found on earth for there is none that doth good no not one Rom. 3.12 2. Puritie of conscience ariseth not from puritie of conversation but the original of purity of conversation is from the consciences apprehension that all our impurities and sins were laid on Christ and in regard of sin in the conversation if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves 1 Ioh. 1. and 1 Ioh. 3.9 He that is born of God doth not commit sinne Answ. 1. Sinne in the conversation and outward man is essentially sin to â—ill my neighbour with my hands to speak with an unbridled tongue to the Apostle Iames argueth a vain religion and must be pardoned else such sins condemn for he that offends in one is guilty of the breach of the whole law Ergo sinne in the conversation must be sinne in the conscience and the distinction must be vaine for the one member is essentially affirmed of the other Now when John saith if wee say wee have no sinne wee deceive our selves hee must mean of sinne in the conscience and of sinne before God and not in the flesh and conversation only because if sinne in the conversation bee no sinne then when wee commit sinne in the conversation we faile against no Law of God and doe nothing that can bring us under eternall condemnation and if in committing sinne in the conversation we do nothing contrary to Gods Law wee may well say wee sin not and yet not lye in saying so 2. Iohn must understand sinne in the conscience and in the sight of God when he saith if wee say wee have no sin wee lye because that of that same sinne of conversation of which Mr. Den supposeth Iohn to speake hee addeth in the next words 1 Ioh. 2.1 If wee sin wee have an advocate but the sinne which has need of an advocate has need also of a pardon and is a sinne against the Law and in the sight of God and in the conscience 3. By this wee may bee pardoned pure in conscience justified in Christs blood and yet before men in the flesh outwaâ—d man and conversation under sinne and yet not bee guilty before God so drunkennesse murther Sodomy incest denâ—ing of the Lord Iesus Christ before men shall bee no sinnes before God for that which is pâ—rdoned is no more sinne then if it never had been committed as Libertines say and is no more sin then any thing that ever our Saviour Christ did or the elect Angels now the sinnes which
they call sins of conversation and the Apostle Peters denyall of Châ—ist and all the sinnes of the Iustâ—fied Saints their Murthers Adulteries Parricids c. are pardoned before they have the being or essâ—nce of sinne ere they bee committed ergo when they are committed they are no morâ— sins before God and in the Court of Conscience and no more capable of pardon then they were before they had any being and were not as yet committed at all the murther that David is to commit some twenty yeers before ever he bee King of Israel and shall commit it is no more his sinne to bee charged on him in the sight of God then originall sinne can be charged on David before David or his father lesse bee borne what may be charged as a sinne on David in regard hee is not yet borne is no more his guiltinesse as yet then the guiltines of any other man Now Davids murtheâ— Peters denyall they being justified from these sinnes and pardoned ere the sinnes have any being in the world cannot bee sinnes at all nor such as are charged on Mankinde Rom. 3. Psal. 14. There is none that doth good no not one for this sinne stops the mouth of all the world makes them silent guiltie and under condemnation before God v. 19.20 and how Mr Den can cite this to prove that there bee some sinnes of conversation distinâ—t from sinnes in the conscience let the Reader judge Yea to my best understanding by these reasons while I bee resolved Otherwise Libertines must hold neither the elect before or after justification can sinne any at all 4. It is most false that a man strict and upright in conversation can have a foule and polluted conscience if you speake of true sincere strictnesse and uâ—rightnesse of conversation as the scripture speaketh Psal. 50.23 To him that ordereth his conversation aright I will shew the salvation of God Psal. 37.14 The wicked drawes his bow to slay such as bee of upright conversation the principle of a sounâ— conversation is the grace of Gâ—d 2 Cor. 1.12 the sound conversation is heavenly mindednesse Phil. 3.20 and is in heaven and must be as becometh the Gospel of Christ Phil. 1.27 a good conversation Iam. 3.13 wee are to be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 and so even before men God beholdes the sins that we doe to men no lesse then our secret sinnes wee commit againâ—t God and the scripture requires in our conversation that it bee holy 1 Pet. 1.15 honest 1 Pet. 2.12 chasâ—e 1 Pet. 3.2 without coveteousnesse Heb. 1â— 5 not vain 1 Pet. 3.16 not as in times past in the lusts of the flesh Ephes. 2.3 But the putting off of the old man Ephes. 4.22 In charitie in Spirit in Faith in puritie 1 Tim. 4.12 Now every conversation contrary to this argueth an unjustified and unpardoned man and must â—e an unpardoned and sinfull conversation so as there is neither strictnesse nor uprightnesse nor any thing but sinne and an unpardoned estate where this conversation is not what ever Antinomians say on the contrary beeing in this as in other points declared enemies to the grace of sanctification But if we speak of a strict and upright conversation in an hypocriticall outside It s true many are as Paul was strict Phariseeâ— precise Civilians painted tombes without but within full of rottennesse and dead mens bonâ—s But this way Sathan onely saith Iob is a strict walker and serveth God for hire and the enemies of Christ joyn with Antinomians in this to say that the justified in Christ have but sinne in their conversation but wide consciences because they study strictnesse of walking with God but puritie of conversation as the places cited prove must bee unseparably conjoyned with puritie of conscience separate them who will Christ hath joyned them Mr. Eaton and Mr. Town call the sinnes of justified persons sinnes according to their sence or the flesh but in regard of faith they are cleane of all sin and without spot in the sight of God So Eaton Hony combe chap. 5. page 87. God freeth us not of sins to our sence and feeling till death for the exercise of our faith yet in his owne sight he hath perfectly healed us chap. 5. pag. 95. So Saltmarsh Free grace page 57. chap. 3. article 3. calls it the lust of sinne the just saith he shall live by faith which is not a life of sence and sanctification meerly but by beleeving of life in another I should gladly know if sinne in the justified be sinne really and indeed or against any Law I beleeve not 1. Eaton saith â—in hath lost its being in the justified Saltmarsh part 2. chap. 32. If a beleever live onely by sense reason exâ—erience of himselfe as he lives to men he lives both under the power and feâ—ling oâ— sin and the Law Now hee should not live so this is the use of unbeleefe ergo He ought to beleeve that hâ— hath no sinne and so hee hath no sinne nor doth he sinne onely the blinde flesh falsely thinketh that is sinne which is no sinne But faith is not to beleeve a lie then a beleever may say he has no sin Iohn saith that is a lie Assert 3. Mortification essentiall is in abstaining from wâ—rldly lusts and in remisse and slacked acts of sinning and in begun walking with God and acts of holy living yet so as all these do flow from faith in Christ another mysticall or Gospel-mortification is unknown to the Gospel Rom. 6. â— Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism unto death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father so we also consider the formall acts of mortification should walk in newnesse of life ver 5. For if we have been planted together in the liknessâ— of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection ver 6. â—nowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Then as it is one thing to sinne and another thing to serve sinne so acts of mortification must be in abstaining from greedy sinne as hired servants make it their life and work to sin and in remisse and weakned acts of sinne as a dying mans operation are lesse intended and hightned then of a strong man in vigor and health as for the plenary mortification expiring and death of the body of sin we think iâ— cannot be so long as we are in the body Col. 3.3 Yee are dead ver 5. mortifie therefore your members that are upon earth fornication uncleannesse c. To mortifie fornication must be the none-acting of foâ—nâ—cation 1. Because it is an abominable sense to imagine that we mortifie fornication when we believe that Christ abstained from fornication for us 2. On to believe that Christ dyed for our fornication and uncleannesse for both these may hold forth mortification of fornication
and by law and yee are Sonnes in him The Law was a bloudy bond and our names and soules were inked with the blood of the eternall curse but blot out saith Christ my brethrens names out of the bloody bond and writ in my name for blood and the curse of God and there was a white Gospel-bond drawn up and the Elects names therein Then the two writs runne this in the new Covenant Christ was made a curse and lyable to pay all our debts and law-penalties to the blood and death and the poore sinner eternally blessed in Iesus Christ even to perfect imputed righteousnesse and everlasting life Christ changed your bleeding even to the second death and made it blessings for evermore to new and everlasting life Vse 1. If Christ dyed such a violent and painfull death then death violent or naturall is not much up or down 1 Sweet Iesus had it to his choice hee would choose the sowerest of deaths to go to the grave in blood Christs winding-sheet was blooded a good prince a reformer of the house of God Iosiah dyed in blood Many of the worthiest that dyed in faith dyed not in their beds were Heb. 11.35.36.37 tortured had tryall of bonds and imprisonment they were stoned they were sawne asunder were tempted were slaine with the sword The first witnesse in the Christian Church after the Lords ascension Steven a man full of the holy Ghost and of faith was stoned to death Psal. 79.2 The bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat to the foules of the heaven the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the earth Many thousand Martyrs have been burnt quick extreamly tormented with new devised most exquisite torments as to be rosted on a brander to be devoured with Lyons and wilde beasts 2. Violence more or lesse is an accident of death as it is the same hand folded in or the fingers stretched out violent death is but death on horse-back and with wings or a stroak with the fist as the other death is a blow with the palmes of the hand Naturall death is death going on foot and creeping with a slower pace violent death unites all its forces at once and takes the Citty by storme and comes with sowrer and blacker visage Death naturall divides it selfe in many severall bits of deaths old age being a long spun out death and nature seemes to render the Citty more willingly and death comes with a whiter and a milder visage the one has a salter bite and teeth of steele and yron the other has softer fingers and takes asunder the boards of the clay-tabernacle more leasurely softly tenderly and with lesse din as not willing that death should appeare death but a sleep the violent death is as when apples greene and raw are plucked off the tree or when flowres in the budde and young are plucked up by the rootes the other way of dying is as when apples are ripened and are filled with well boyld summer-sap and fall off the tree of their own accord in the eaters mouth or when flowers wither on the stalk Some dying full of days have like banquetters a surfet of time others are suddenly plucked away when they are greene but which of â—he wayes you die not to dâ—e in the Lord is terrible yee may know yee shall dye by the fields yee grow on while ye live a beleever on Christ breaths in Christ speaks walks prayes beleeves eateth drinketh sickens dies in Christ Christ is the soyl he is planted in hee groweth on the banks of the paradise of God when hee falleth hee cannot fall wrong some are trees growing on the banks of the river of fire and brimstone when God hâ—ws downe the tree and death fells them the tree can fall no otherwise then in hell O how sweet to be in Christ and to grow as a tree planted on the banks of the river of life when such dye they fall in Christs lap and in his bosome be the death violent or naturall its all one whether a strong gale and a rough stormie shoar the childe of God on the new Ierusalems dry land or if a small calme blast even with rowing of oars bring the passenger to heaven if once he be in that goodly land 2. To dye in faith the righteous has hope in his death is the essentiall qualification to be most regarded that is the all and sum of well dying make sure work of heaven and let the way or manner violent or naturall be as God will it s amongst the indifferents of death Saints have dyâ—d either way to dye in Christ in the hope of the resurection is the fair and good death to die in sinne Ioh. 8.21 that is the ill death and the black death 3. To dye ripened for eternity is all and some it s said of some they dyed full of dayes Object How is a man full and ripe for death Answ. In these respects 1. When the man is mortified to time and is satisfied with dayes he desires no more life he lies at the water side near by death waiting for winde and tide like a passenger who would fain be over the water so dying Iacob in the midst of his testament Gen. 49.18 Lord I have waited for thy salvation Lord when shall I have fair passage Iob saith chap. 14.14 All the time I am on the sentinell or the time of my warfare I will wait till my lasâ— change come So Paul saith Phil. 1 2â— having a desire to be dissolved and to bee with Christ which is farre better the man desires not to stay here any longer 2. He would goe to Sea when all his land-busines is ended the Courts are closed and if the Sunne bee low and near his setting loe the way ends with the day see the lodging hard at hand 2 Tim. 4.7 I have finished my course I have kept the faith 8. henceforth is laid up for mee a crowne of righteousnesse Sweet Iesus ere he dyed said It is finished all is done hee is on the skaffold and nods on his executioner Death friend come doe your office I pray you see your task be ended 3. The man seeth the crowne hee is come to the stone wall or the hedge of Paradise and seeth the apples of life hanging on the tree and hears the musick of heaven Steven Acts 7.50 I saw heaven opened 4. He goes not away pulled by the hair but willingly gladly Heb. 11.8.15 They desire a better country Iob 5.26 Like a shock of corne in his season it would bee the losse of the corne to bee longer out of the barne death shall not come while it be welcome Iob. 7.3 As the hired servant panteth for the shaddow so hee for death All these four were in Iesus Christ. Had Christ so much pain in his death that his death and the crosse were all one so as hee had five deaths on him at once foure on his body death on every hand death on
the law ruling and directing and this law-ruling of it selfe giveth no grace to obey buâ— this is a calumnious consequence the promises of the Gospel in the letter giveth no grace to obey the Spirit bloweth when and wheâ—e â—e listeth and giveth grace freely to the gospel preached yet we reach not that any can beleeve and obey the gospel without the grace of Christ. 3. The law so is passive of it selfe to Christ to Adam in the sâ—ate of innocency in this sence that the law as the law commandeth obedience to both but containeth not any legall promise of giving grace to obey to either Adam or Christ As the Gospel containeth a promise of bestowing grace to beleeve in all the elect Now if this be the cause why the justified are freed from the law as a rule of Righteousnesse because there is no legall promise made to them by which they aâ—e inabled to keep the law then was Christ Ieâ—us and Adam in his innocency freed from the law as a rule of Râ—ghteousnâ—sse which is most absurd for the law as the law commanded Christ to fuâ—fill all righteousnesse Matth. 3.15 but so did it Adam â—uâ— show a legall promise made to Christ by the law that he should have grace to obey the law indeed the Lord promâ—sed hiâ— the Spirit above measure but this was no law-promise So God created Adam according to his own image with perfect concâ—eated strength and power to keep the law but the law as the law made no promise to Adam that hâ—e should be kâ—pt in obedience But if this be called action or activitie in the law to rule guide direct and command obedience as a rule then the law is no wise passive it s more then the Kings high-way No way cryeth to the conscience of the traveler this is the way no Kings way showeth the traveller his errour as the law in its directing ruling and teaching power breaketh in upon the conscience and declareth to the justified man the way he should walk in and convinceth him of his unrighteousnesse and dayly faults Towne pag. 10. The Law wrappeth every man in sinne for the least transgression so that while a man remaineth a sinner hee necessarily abideth under this fearfull curse Answ. Still Antinomians bewray their engine If wee say even being justified we have no sinne we lye and who can say I have cleansed my heart I am pure from sinne and There is not a just man on earth that sinneth not 1 Ioh. 1.10 Prov. 20.9 Eccles. 7.20 Then there cannot bee a man on earth but he is under the curse of God but Antinomians say and that truly that the justified persons are freed from the curse then they have no sinne nay they cannot sinne by their arguing for they will have the curse essentially and unseparably to follow sinne which is most false sinne dwelleth in all the justified so long as they are here but they are here delivered from the curse Our deliverance from misery and the bondage of the law is two fold as our misery is twofold 1. There is a guilt of sin or our obligation to eternall wrath and all the punishments of sinne according to the order of justice by the law of God The other misery is the blot of internall guilt of sin by which sin dwelleth in us by nature as a King and lord Tyrant awing us by the law of sinne In regard of the former Christ is our Saviour meritò by the merrit of his death in regard of the latter Christ is our Saviour efficacia by giving us the holy Ghost and faith to lay hold on Righteousnesse in Christ and grace to walk holily before him In regard of the former wee are freely and perfectly justified and pardoned at once from all sinnes in our person and state through the sence of this and in regard of deliverance from temporall judgements and doubtings and fears of eternall wrath eveâ—y day while we seeke dayly bread we desâ—â—e â—hat our sinnes may be forgiven nor is this prayer a temporâ—rie pattern that perished with Christ as some perveâ—sly 〈◊〉 for Peter aâ—ter the Lords ascention saith to Simoâ— Magus Act. 8.22 pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may â—e forgiven thâ—â— In regard 〈…〉 are saâ—ctified by dâ—gâ—ees nâ—ver 〈…〉 sin is removed in 〈…〉 thâ—reof in justification only sin â—welleâ—h in us while we aâ—â— here In regard of the â—ormer miserie faith in Christ is the only 〈◊〉 and way to gâ—t out of our bondage and misery in â—egaâ—d of the â—â—â—ter Râ—pentance and the whole trace of our new obedience are the the means to escape out of this miserie nor do we make acts of sanctification compartners and joynt causes or conditions in the work of justification for this is from Christ alone solely immediately as by looking on the brazen serpent onely the stung Israelites were cured Nor doth weeping or acts of mens obedience move the Lord to wash justifie and pardon our sinnes but repentance and new obedience are means tending to our escaping out of the latter bondage as the rising of the sunne is a way to the full noone-light day though we can attaine to no Meridian nor full noone day of sanctifications while the body of sin keepeth lodging in us in this life but the Law of works is not so enwrapt and entwined together as Mr. Towne dreameth that if a man lay hands on any even the least linke he inevitably pulleth the whole chaine on himselfe as hee that is circumcised Gal. 5. made himselfe debter to the whole Law For circumcision not only in the matter of justification but also of sanctification is now unlawfull So to repent and love the brethren to obey our parents as looking thereby for remission of sinnes should be unlawfull and a falling from Christ but in the matter of Sanctification and of testifying our thankfullnesse to Christ for the work of our redemption and as the way to the possession of the kingdome they are noâ— unlawfull but commanded as necessary duties by which an entrance is ministered to us into the heavenly kingdome Yea our holy walking since it is no merit but a fruit of grace and a condition required in such as are saved and have opportunitie to honour Christ that wâ—y taketh not away the freedome of Grace for where the Scripture saith wee are sâ—ved by Grace without works as Tit. 3 Ephes. 2. salvation is spoken of there in regard of the title right jus or claim the Saints have to heaven excluding all merits of works our obedience is not full compleat and perfect only they are counted so and accepted in Christ Phil. 4.18 Heb. 13.15 16. Col. 3.17 Mr Towne answereth with other Antinomians The just and wise God who accepteth every thing by due weight and measure as it is found to bee hee doth not nay cannot account that which is but inchoat and partiall for full and compleat obedience nor can it stand with justice
to accept any thing which is not first perfect seeing that perfection and absolutenesse is the ground of acceptance both of our persons and performances yee must make both the tree and the fruit perfectly good before God 2. What God saith he hath manifested to be detestable and accursed that he cannot accept but hee hath manifested by scripture that what ever is not absolutely perfect is detestable and accursed Gal. 3.10 Hab. 1.13 Rom. 1.18 The proposition is grounded on the immutablenesse of Gods nature who cannot deny himselfe Iam. 1.18 and his exact justice who will not suffer the losse of the least title of his righteousnesse Mat. 5.18 God is no respecter of persons his Law inviolable and can suffer no abatement Answ. God in justification accounts us righteous in Christ and positively guiltlesse as freed from obligation to eternall wrath and cloathed with Christs righteousnesse but hee accounts not us non-sinnets and free from indwelling sâ—nne that should be an unjust account for wee are not so but God accounteth our works perfect only negatively that is such they are before God as he will not enter in judgement with us for them but graciously pardoneth the sinnes of thâ—se works but God doth not account these works positively worthy of life eternall even in Christ as he accounteth our persons far lesse doth he judge them meritorious hence there is a twofold accâ—eptation one of Good will to our persons in Christ that is that Good will of free election by which he renderâ—â—h us accepted in his beloved there is another acceptance of complacencie according to which God is said to love and reward our good works even to a cup of cold water Ioh. 14.21.23 Matth. 10.42 2. Thess. 1.7 Heb. 6.10 and that of free-grace they are called perfect as perfection is opposed to hypocriticall but not perfect simply Phil. 3.12 but the acceptance of our works in Christ is an acceptance inferior to the acceptance of our persons in justification hence God takes pleasure in thâ—se that feare him because they feare him not as though his love quoad affectum in it selfe had a cause in the creature or can wax or encrease or can admit of a change but because he bestoweth the fruits of his love out of free-grace and a gratious promise to our sincere walking and this is rather the fruit of his love amor quoad effectum then Gods love it selfe all this proceedeth from a grosse mistake of the nature of justification I answer 2. to that That which is inchoat sinfully defective and imcompleat that the righteous and unchangeable God cannot account perfect and compleat or that which is sinfully defective or that which is sinfull God cannot account not sinfull It is true it were an erroneous and unjust account now the proposition is true but the assumption most false the good works of the regenerate and justified are sinfull But Gods accounting of them perfect putteth no contradiction on them to account them not sinfull God accounts not Davids adultery to bee an act of chastity This is the Papists argument against the imputed righteousnesse of Christ which Antinomians being utterly ignorant of the nature of justification bring against us the other part of the distinction is That which is sinfull and defective in it selfe and inherently or really and physically that God cannot account perfect that is God cannot account it and the doer legally free from obligation to eternall wrath for the satisfaction of another the surety of sinners who has payd and suffered for it that is most false and should destroy the Protestant justification when we say God accounteth the good works of believers good and perfect so as the imperfection and sinne of them is removed we meane not by removing of the sinne of these works the totall annihilation of sinne in its essence root and branch it dwelleth in us in its compleat essence while we are here Rom. 7.17.23 Prov. 20.9 1 Ioh. 1.8.10 only the dominion by sanctification is abated and the guilt or obligation to eternall wrath is removed in justification and this Argument may well be retorted Who ever is a sinner the righteous and immutable God whose judgâ—ment is acâ—ording to verity and cannot suffer the losse of the least titlâ— of his righteousnesse Matth. 5.18 cannot esteeme him just and perfectly righteous But all men even the regenerate are sinners No answer no distinction can be accommodated to this Argument which may not be applyed to their argument for God is no lesse just righteous immutable true no respecter of persons and his Law inviolable in his accounting of persons righteous and perfect then in accounting of works righteous and perfect Now that the fruits and the tree are both good and simply perfect and all the works of the justified perfect in Christ is a point of new divinity very contrary first to Scripture which saith Iam. 3.2 in many things we offend all 1 Ioh. 1.8 If we say wee have no sinne we deceive our selves ver 10. If we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in us Antinomians say Iohn speaking of a mixt multitude is to bee meant to speak of the unregenerate mixed with the justified Answ. 1. Iohn takes in himselfe 2. He speaketh of such as confesse their sinnes and are pardoned ver 9. 2 of such as have an Advocate in heaven if they sinne chap. 2.1 and these are the justified and regenerate and Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my heart cleane I am pure from my sinne hee speaks not there of a mixed multitude but sendeth a Law-defiance to all mankinde justified or not justified yea Eccles. 7.20 There is not a just man on earth that doth good and sinneth no these words are so wisely framed that they exclude not the justified in Christ who undoubtly do good but they do not so good saith Salomon but they sinne so Paul complaineth of sinne dwelling in him Rom. 7. 2 Sinne originall after justification to Antinomians must be no sinne as to Papists its no sinne after baptisme 3 If our works bee perfect in the sight of God then wee may be justified by our works for Antinomians say if Christ esteeme our works perfect he may account us righteous for them and we may bee said to be justified both by works and by grace because its free grace that the Lord accounts our works Righteous 4 Wee constantly deny that Christ by his death hath given to our good works a power of meriting heaven but if God in Christ count then simply perfect there is no reason to deny this because our works are simply perfect by Antinomians way this is more Pharisaicall then Popish justification FINIS Psâ—â— 53 8. Town asser of 〈◊〉 pag. 76 77.78 Eaton Honey combe of justifiâ—atiâ—n ca 11 pag. 338.339.340.341 c. Saltmarsh Free grace pag. 140. Luther in an Epistle to D. Guttel against the Antinomians Zach. 13.7 Opening of the words It s
punishment The ill Angels created good as the elect Aâ—gels Ill angels saw God before their fall as did the elect The ill Angels before their fall knew nothing of the incarnation of Christ. Satan knoweth not the thoughts of the heart Satan hath no immediate power over free-will nor tempteth he to aâ—l sins that are committed in the in-most Court of the heart Satans knowledge naturall and acquired Satan hath a lâ—gall power over man It s not certain by Scripture that Beelzebub loseth the Princedome over his fellow-Angels at the last judgement How Satan keepeth still and exerciseth his power of tempting though he hath lost his Princedom by Christs death Satan a prince for his power over other Satan an enâ—mie not to be dâ—spised for his lownesse What it is to tempt and how Satans power is put forth in tempting Gâ—l Paâ—isiens tâ—act 〈◊〉 Chaâ—twright Catâ—â—h c. 4â— Satan can not fire the wil against our will Every tempted creâ—ture is a sufferer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perforo tento It s good to know when we are tempted and what God and Satan ayme at Every temptation cometh under the vaâ—â— of good Things are â—ligiblâ— ratâ—er because lawfull and honest then because good and pleasant How temptations teâ—d to sinne Satans power on the outward man It s no good argument we can dâ—e and all this on our selves therefore Satan can doe it We have a greater power over our owne uâ—dâ—â—standiâ—g and will then â—iâ—her good or bad Angels can have Devils have power over our naturals â—â—t our morals God onâ—ly knoweth the â—eart and thoughts and acts thereof considerable gâ—ounds thereof The true reason why God onely knoweth the hâ—art the reason of Suarez refused Suarez tom de Dâ—o Angelâ—s lib 2 de potentia inteâ—lectiâ—a Angeloâ—um natura câ—p 23. n 17. Satan hath no power over our â—ill but whâ—t leaveth guiltinesse on us Satans power over the creatures Satan acteth at one time on sense and on reâ—son Saâ—an worketh on the soul throâ—gh the body and on the body throâ—gh the soule A double sin and a double punishment of Satan Climbing men-like the devil Satan first marâ—ed the comâ—ly order of creation Satanâ— second sin and how hee is yet in acting his first sinne Satans sin the sâ—nne in nature with the sin against the holy Ghost Punishments inflâ—cted on Satan What sadnesse is in Satan Satans naturall knowledge hurt his practicall knowledge that was found is lost The devill a foole Satan hath no infused grace What faith Satan hath Satans despair without all hope Satans obduration Christ is Satans Judge and caster out Christ Satans Iudge and how Satan foiled man as a tempter a Man destroyeth Satan as a Iudge Viâ—â—oâ—y over the Dâ—vils by thâ— man Chrâ—st mâ—râ— gloriâ—us thâ—n â—f Gâ—od aâ—soâ—utâ—ly haâ— sâ—bdueâ— hâ—m Hâ—â—ven not cuâ—â—ered by a surprisall or wilâ—s but â—y open warrâ— 5. Vse 1. The Lords knowing the hearts should teach us sâ—ncerity Vse 2. State-wit against Christ jolly Vse 3. Theolog. Germanica chap. 2 p. 5. Vse 4. It s to jâ—â—low the Devill to sinne against light Vse 4. Oâ—dâ—ration Vse 5. The good fight The reall expressions of our obligation to the conqueror of Devils â—ix considerable points touching Christs drawing of sinners Foure considerable points touching drawing Drawing is by either violence wiles or persâ—asion He draweâ—â— No proper violence in drawing the will How there is no violence in being drawn and yet a necessity from new principles A twofold consideration of dispâ—sitions going before conversion Men have reason why they will perish Hen tam dulce est perire Will the nearest cause not weaknesse only why men are not drawn to Christ. We naturally hate Christ but we see it not Men naturally hate Christ more then the Saints Men have no stirrings of desires for a life above them No similitude between the naturall mans dâ—sires and Christ. The place Ioh. 6.44 No mâ—n can come to me c. opened Will most averse to Christ. Will not weakenesse the nearest câ—â—se of our not comming to Christ. Free grace the strong and only cause why men are drawn Christs love can over-save and out-live the world The magnitude of free grace The way of Graces working gratious and free The place Ezech 16.8 And when I passed by thee c. Opened Articles of free love Thâ—t Christ is gratious for hire is an abasing of Christ. Christ superlative How like free gracâ— is to God The wonder of grace in heaven Whâ— grace in Christ now glorified Grace the onely birth of heaven What preparations goe before conversion A fourefold consideration of preparations before conversion No preparations from nature No preparations can have effective influence in our being drawne to Christ. Preparations before conversion no formall part of conversion There be no Moâ—all precepts before conversion to which any promise iâ— annexed No promises out of Christ. (a) Saltmâ—rsh â—ree-grace c. 2. pag 1â— 18. (b) M Denne Coâ—fâ—renâ—e â—etwâ—eâ—e the Sick man and a 〈◊〉 p 3. In what seâ—se a desire to pray and to bâ—leeve is prayer and faith Materiall 〈◊〉 so more in some 〈…〉 Dispositions 〈…〉 conversion God may use a prerogativâ— Royall in coâ—verting without dispâ—sâ—tions or in working them most swiftly Not any Protestants ever taught that Evangelike Repentance is a previous preparation to conversion Antinomians salumniate us in this Antinomians yeeld preparations which is refuted a Saltmarsh Free grace cap. 2. pag. 16. b Eaton Honey-combe â—a 2. pag. 7.8 True and lively feeling of sin 〈◊〉 not goe before but must so low after conversion Objections of Antinomians especially of Saltmarsh Free grace c. â— pag. 1 20. c. removed To doe duties without relying on them is not to seeke righteousnesse in our selves They are coâ—mandâ—ed to 〈…〉 have nâ—t the Spiriâ— without which they cannot pray Dispairing of salvâ—tion in our selfe no part of such but wâ—â—ught by the Law in â—â—ry never converted Christ take us in our 〈◊〉 before we â—eleeve Saltmarsh Christ onely 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 Crisp Vol. â— Ser. 1 130.1â—1.132.1â—3.134.135 Wrath is to be preached to bâ—leevers and how A namâ—lâ—sse pamphlet of Antinomian answered â—y N. Hiâ—de Saltmarsh Saltmarsh Sâ—lâ—marâ—hes owne experience Thâ—â—zspanâ— prâ—sumpption aâ—d to beleeve a lye Faith is not formally the apprehension of Gods eternall love of election A contradiction in Salâ—marsh All come to Christ with foule faces that ordinarily come Notâ—ing in our selves can â—itâ—y 〈…〉 â—or 〈◊〉 No waâ—t of qualifications should binder us to come to Christ. The order of redemption and of drawiâ—g sinners to Christ not one How many wayes we are justified Antinomians make the Saints blocks in all the good they â—oe (a) Râ—se reign and 〈…〉 4 pag 19. (b) Er. 6â— pag. 13. (c) Er. 52. pag 10. (d) Er. 57.11 (e) Er. 59. (f) Er. 43. (g) Er. 1. Er. 2. (i) Saltmarsh Free grâ—câ— cap 4â— p. â—79 (k) Rise reign c. er 49. pag. 9. What place we give to preparations before conversion Divers flâ—sâ—ly
a worse end in the farre largest part of mankinde Faith cannot rest on a common generall good Saving Faith the fâ—rst dawning of election to glory The Arminian hope and comfort not in Scripture The Arminian Divinitâ— their faith hope c. Collat. Piscat Voâ—sâ—iâ—s non tam suâ—iâ—o sorâ—asse Deus voâ—â—it Pharaoâ—em populum dimittere The comforts of Armiâ—iaâ—s not in Scâ—ipâ—ure The generall good will of God to save all comfortlesse The fountain Good will of God separated electeâ— persons from oâ—hers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arminians resolve all one mans will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We cannot choose but glory in our selves and not in the Lord â—f free grâ—câ— sepâ—rate not the believâ—ng man from the not believing God equâ—lly intended his two great ends in men and Angels The ground of Pauls crying out O the depth c. It s grace and free grace â—nly that maketh oâ—â— diffâ—râ—râ—m another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graâ—e faâ—leth 〈◊〉 pâ—oâ—oâ—ns such as I and we How indeâ—ring is separating grace What aâ—oundance oâ— gâ—ace bâ—stâ—wed on single peâ—sons and yet nothing of it can be wanting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How active love is No lip-love nor any â—mâ—ty love in God but that which is effectuall and râ—all to work tâ—e good hee dâ—siâ—eth to the party loved A threefold loâ—e in God effectuall Christs love of election cannot miscarry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christs love active Sin proveth not repâ—obation Sin continued is no argument why I should not belâ—eve Finall obstinacy and â—eaâ— sâ—râ—ow and nâ—ppâ—ng â—â—e of minde to believe seldâ—m fall in one person No unconvâ—rted one capablâ— of â—uch are 〈◊〉 to beliâ—ve aâ— a belâ—ever 〈…〉 us to bâ—lieve yâ—t tâ—e proud as proud cannot bâ—lieve No saving humilâ—tie before faâ—th All the Gospel expressiâ—nâ— of the â—eekâ—eâ— of Christ argue a diâ—ease in us to conceive Christ to bee rough lordly cruel to have a heart liâ—e the nether milstone How all are to beleeve though salvation be not purchased for all Neither is faith before all Repentance nor eevry Repentance before all faith If Christ draw all we should be drawn Christ can draâ— as gâ—ilty as thou art Vse 6. Be not satisfied till you come to such a nâ—ck of Christian walking as is attainable by no hypocrite Vse 7. Christ cannoâ— be spared as not necâ—ssary in the work of redemption Doct. It is a matter of greâ—t conceâ—â—ment â—hat sinâ—â—â—st come to Chriâ—t and to Christ only Grâ—unds of the excellency of being drawn to Christ only Christ anâ— home and a house of rest and of love A noble life in Châ—â—st which cannot be brought What excellency is Christ. Three parts of Christs compleatnessâ— 1. 〈◊〉 or fulnâ—sse 2. primacy 3. excellency What fulnesse is in Christ. Câ—â—ist the first and principaâ—l of all things The singular excellency of Christ. None câ—n write or speak of Christ as he is To be dâ—aâ—en to Christ iâ— a â—igh woâ—k The Father gives us to the Sonâ—e not by aliâ—nation (a) Story of the â—ise reign and â—uine of the Antinomians error 41.8 p. Libertâ—nes teaâ—h that we are several seasons under tâ—e working â—f every person of the Trinity What a sin it is to resist Christs drawing None so good at drawing of sinners as Chriâ—â— Nâ—thing like Christ to allure soules Christ the sweet singer of Israel The lower Christ is in his love he is the more drawing Heaven and the Church on earth but ene house It is an honour to dâ—e in the Lord young Christ dying and drawing sinneâ—s in his deatâ—â—â—d câ—mâ—â—nds his love to us Resisting of Christs drawing of sinners near to the sin agaiâ—st the holy Ghoâ—t Maâ—ks of meeâ— Moralists never drawn to Châ—ist Naked proâ—ession a vaine thing Errors of Libeâ—tins touching free-wâ—ll (a) A sâ—ort Story of the rise reign and ruine of the Antinomians c. error 1. pag. 1. (b) Rise reign error 2. p. â— (c) Râ—se reign error 7. p. â— (d) Rise reign error 14. p. 3. (e) Rise reign error 15. p. â— (f) Râ— Town assertion of Grace p. 11. 12 (g) Rise reign c. error 18. p. 4. (h) Rise reign error 23. p. â— (i) Râ—se error 35 p. 7. (k) Rise reign c. â—rror 36. p. 7. (l) Rise reign error 49. p 9. (m) Rise and reign unsâ—â—ory spech 4. p. 19. (n) D. Crisps Christ alone exalted ser. 6. of the N. Covenant pag. 163.164 The life and light of man ch 1. pag. 4. The will minde and end of the internall operative Spirit and life is to be a livâ—ng active Lord God in a dead passive creature as I live yet not I but Christ liveth in mâ— (o) Ro. Towne assertion of Grace against D. Taylor pag. 47 48 49. What activity we have in our conversion In our first conversion we are meer patients The naturall powers in our conversion are not destroyed The Grace in us inherent is not the person of the holy Ghost Henry Nicholas a German a blasphemous Libertine saith c. 34 sent 10. God hath raised up mee H. N. the â—ast among the the Holy ones of God which lay altogether dead and without breath and life among the dead from the death and made me alive through Christ as alsâ— annointed me with his godly being manned himself with me and Godded me with him c. The holy ghost in person immediately worketh not in the Saints Reasons proving that the person of the Holy Ghost is not unâ—ted to our soules but hee is in us in his operations and his effects of graces and gifts Christ and the inherent grace of Christ iâ— us are two different things Grace and ouâ— freeâ—will are said to act together in a foure-fold sâ—nse Grace is simply necessary in all supernaturall actions Golden words and morall swasion cannot give lâ—fe Grace and free-will are not two collaterall and independent causes in the same supernaturall act as two men drawing a boat Free-will in supernaturall aâ—tioâ—s not a meer patient but an Agent Martinez de Ripalda de ente su 〈…〉 1. dâ—sp 29. sect 1. n. 3.4 Concil 〈◊〉 sess 6. c. 5. c. 4. Free-will an agent acting by the strength of grace in supernaturall actions and nâ—t a patient Antinomians dreame The blessednâ—sse of the Saints actiâ—e and not passive only as Antinâ—mians say D. Crispe Serm. 6. pag. 160. Comfortable differences between the Law and the Covâ—nant of Grace Dâ— Crispe 2. arg Grace in the old and New Testament the same grace in nature and essence but different in degrees The justified cannot sinne according to the doctrine of Libertines God never promised in his Covenant to keep the Saints from these particular sins they fall in nor are these such sins as break farre lesse anull the Covenant of grace Faith is a condition of the Covenant but not this â—r that particular act of faith which wee ought to perform when we misbelâ—ve God The Covenant of grace is â—ot formally the love of God but flowes
O how admirable was his love and that love was Christs last work in this life he dyed of no other sicknesse but love love love was Christs death-work Christs Testament Christs winding sheet Christs grave he took his Bride lapped in his love and hart to Paradise with him his last breath was love The myrrhe when it is withered has the same smell and a sweeter that it had while it was gâ—een Christ that bundle of myrrhe that lyeth all the night between the Churches breasts when withered and dead smelled of love for hee opened the graves and raised the dead and took a repenting sinner to Paradise with him which are acts of great love its considerable that hee is at one time a dying a drawing and a loving Saviouâ— and ask what was Christs last act on earth it s answered he dyed in the very act of loving and drawing sinners to his heart Vse We are engaged to love him and if so to keepe his commandments and to draw him after us his owne image hoâ—inesse in the Saintâ— takes Christ and causes him fall in love with us Cant. 4.9 Thou hast ravished my heart my sister my Spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes with a chaine of thy neck It s much love that ravishes Christ yâ—a it so overcomes him that hee professes its above him hee must desire his Spouse to looke away Cant. 6.5 Turne away thine eyes from me for they have overcome me Cant. 7.5 The king is held in his galleries holinesse makeâ— our king the Lord Iesus a captive for eternitie he will delight to see the Lambs wife his bride when shee shall bee decked up with endlesse glory Bee holy and the king shall desire your beauty ingage Christ more to love you deck your selves with chains with bracelets be attired in raiment of needle work the braver in this apparell you are yee are the lovelier to Christ the wedding garment makes you fair to the king put on the crowne of grace on your head and bee highly beloved of this Prince Ver. 33. Now this he spoke signifying what death he should dye The last article in Christs drawâ—ng of sinners is the exposition of the Evangelist Iohn who openeth to us the sense of Christs words to wit what was meant by Christs lifting up from the earth for it is not an ordinary phrase to expresse dying on the crosse therefore saith Iohn hee meaned by his lifting up from the earth the kinde and manner of his death to wit that he should bee crucified and dye the shamefull and ignominious death of the crosse it would seeme that the exposition of Iohn may be referred to the whole verse 32. What is the sense of this If Christ be lifted up hee will draw all men up to him that is if he be crucified by that shamefull and painfull death and the merito thereof he will draw all men to him and translate them from the kingdome of darknesse to the state of saving grace which is true in it self but seemeth not to bee the sense of the words 1. Because the Evangelists use to expound what may appeare ambiguous to the hearers as Ioh. 7.8.39 But this he spoke of the Spirit â—oh 20.23 Then went this saying abroad among the Brethren that that disciple Iohn should not dye yet Iesus â—aid not to him hee shâ—ll not dye So Matth. 2.16.17 18. But that Christ draweth sinners by his death was not so much controverted for to come to Christ to beleeve in Christ to bee drawen to Christ were Phrases obvious enough and known to all 2. It is most pertinent to the text that lifting up from the earth which is ambiguous and may seeme to allude to Elias his beeing carried up to heaven should bee expounded by Chriâ—â—s manner of death to wiâ— by crucifying 3. Because the holy Ghost expoundeth not the connexion of the conditionall proposition If I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all men after me which he must doe if the sense goe thus but onely speaketh of the kinde and nature of Christs death which was known to the â—ewes to bee both shamefull and cursed but in his exposition hee speaks nothing of the fruit of Christs death but of the kinde and manner of death Now that the Evangelist expoundeth the sence of Christs words what he meaned by being lift up from the earth it holdeth forth to us a necessity that the Lord speak plaine language to us in scripture and that one scripture expound another In finding the meaning of scripture these considerations may give light 1. The Scripture in the plainest expressions is dark that is high and deepe in regard of the matter which is deepe high above the reach of reason and yet the language plaine obvious easie that a virgin shall be a mother the antient of dayes a young sucking infant that through one man death digged a hole in the world and sinne passed on all through a second Man life and heaven entered again are high and deepe mysteries yet is not the Gospel obscure as Papists say 2. In meer historicall narrations and prophecies foretelling the wars of the Lamb the Dragon and the Beast the Antichrist their persuing the woman in traveling in birth to bring forth a man child the matter subject is not profound nor deepe yet the expressions are dark and covered while the works of the Lord bee a key to open his word Here 's the wisdome of God that in deepe and high mysteries necessary for salvation the Lord is plaine and lower and easier stories are foretold more darkly articles of faith are not set downe in dark and enigmaticall prophesies but plainly whereas histories of things to come are more mysteriously proposed 3. The Scripture in no place is in the popish sense dark that is that we are not to take any sense for the word of life and the object of our faith but that which the Church giveth as the sense in regard the Scripture is a nose of wax with equall propension to contradictory senses except the mistris of our faith the witch of Babel expound it and then it is for such formally the word of God as she expoundeth it 4. The holy Ghost the Authour of Scripture has concreated with the words the true native sense which all the powers on earth cannot alter Then when we sweare a covenant with the Lord in plaine easie countrey language not devised of purpose to bee ambiguous or to hold forth that all sects Antinomians Socinians Arminians Prelatiâ—all halters Anabaptists Seekers c. may salve every one his owne way and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what hee thinks good to obtrude any authoritative interpretation on this covenant which it holds not forth in its owne simple words to the reader is the greatest tyranny and equivocating jugling in the world and we may easily distinguish and dispute our selves out of a good conscience or rather confesse wee had never any
intent to keep it or acknowledge it was our sin we did swear it and because unlawfull it obliges us not When wee accuse the scripture of darknesse wee would but snuf the Sun and blow at it with a pair of bellowes to cause it shine more brightly But the mischief is that wee either charge our soules beyond their stint thinking to compasse that world of the deâ—pe wisdome of God with our shorâ— fingers or we stumble at the wisdome of the Scripture because it is eccentrick to and complâ—es not with our lusts and here 's a deep not seene God intends to carry Pharoah and blinded reprobates to hell through the wood of his mysterious works and word they being blinded and hardned and they intend the same but in another notion God aimes at the same end materially with them but God levels at the glory of his owne unviolable justice they levell at the word the works of God to flatter their lusts and take up a plea with both from the womb What death he should die Two things offer themselves to our consideration 1. Christs dying 2. The kinde of his death What death he should dye Christ came into the world with as strong intention to dye as to live and to be a pained an afflicted man as to bee a man In Christs dying these considerations have place 1. The love of man can goe no farther then death greater love then this hath no man that a man should give his life for his friends Ioh. 15.13 For this Love can goe no farther then the living Lover now hee cannot goe one â—eppe beyond death Chriâ—t went on to the first and second death so farre as to satisfie justice love is like lawfull necessity neither of them can live when God is dishonoured Christ's love burnt and consumed him till he dyed love followed and persued his lost Spouse through the land of death through Hell the grave the câ—â—ses of an angry God though Christs love was both ancienter then his man-hood and survived his death love was of longer life in Christ then his life as man this Sun of love buâ—nes hard down from heaven to this day 2. It was a hard law that Christ subjected himselfe unto that die he must Heaven Angels the World could not save his life This faâ—re â—ose had life and greenesse in abundance and yet it must wither this fountaine of heaven had Sea 's of waters yet dryed up it must bee this beauty of highest glory was full and vigorous yet it must fade the Lilly of the excellentest Paradise that cast Rayes of glory and Majesty over the foure corners of the Heaven of Heavens and out-shadowed Angels Men and the large circuit of the whole Creation must finde its death-moneth and must cast its faire and timely bloome The love of loves must become pale and droup that fire of love that warmes Angels and men must become cold and there was strong and invincible necessity thus it must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 26.54 Christ must die Mar. 8.31 the Sonne of man must suffer many things Luk. 22.27 For I say unto you saith Christ that that which is written must have an end in me Ioh. 3.14 The Son of man must be lifted upon the Crosse. Christ could not passe to heaven another way death was that one inevitable passe that he behoved to goe through there was no passable foord in the river but one there was but one strait passe and fort between Christ and his Father his glory and a saved Church and justice kept this passe Christ must lay out himselfe his life bloud estate and glory for his Church to gaine this fort and save his people from their sinnes The Law laid it on him 2. Love laid it on him 3. Our necessities and everlasting perishing burthened him 3. Might not the dead all wonder there was never before nor after nor never shall be such a Christ amongst the dead as the Lord of life all these in the dust could say O life what dost thou here among the dead the wormes and clay might say O Creator canst thou lie neare to us Would not the fountains be offended that they could not have leave to furnish a draught of cold water to their Creator who made the the Seas and the Rivers and divided Iordan with his Word would not life it selfe grieve at such a dispensation that it could stay and lodge no longer in the body of the Lord of life but behoved to be gone and leave the Prince of life to fall that he could not stand on his own feet was not bodily strength discontented that sweet Iesus complained Psal. 22.15 My strength is dryed up like a Pot-shard ver 17. I may tell all my bones Would not joy and beauty take it ill that sweet Iesus was a sad Saviour and his face foule with weeping and his faire countenance that was like Lebanon all marred and our lovely Redeemer was put to his knees to pray with strong cryes and teares Esai 52.14 Heb. 7.5 If there had been sense and reason in all the Purples Silks Fleeces wooll fine linnins that ever the earth had they would think themselves unhappy that they could not cover the holy body of the Redeemer of men and their Creator when he complained Psal. 22.18 They part my garments among them and cast loâ—s on my Vesture 4. It was to much in regard of our deservings that the Lord of life should discend to a naturall life to be under the â—owly condition of base clay but that this tent of clay that the Lord was to dwell in should be of the finest and most pretious earth that can be would seeme reason it might be said it were fitting for the glory of the God-head united in a personall union with the Man Christ that the body of the Son of God should be above paine weaknesse or the Law of death that it should be more glorious then all the pearelesse and pretious stones of the earth yea then the Sunne in the Firmament yea but Esai 53.2 he hath no forme nor comlinesse and when we shall see him there is no beauty that wee should desire him But this was incomparable condiscension of love that the Lord would take his own death upon him and assume the manhood of sick weak pained sad sighing and dying clay Esai 53.4 Surely he hath born our sicknesses and carryed our sorrowes 5. If there be any that ever tasted the sweet of life it being the most noble and desirable of created beings if it were from a glorious Angel to a poore gnat or a base worm they keep possession of life with all their desire they will part with all things men even with teeth and skin ere they quit their life Iob 2.4 The more excellent life is they struggle the more to keep it a young man will doe more then an old man for it and the old man who