them seeing that by this craft they get their living Let it not be grievous therefore for these high Lytae and stately Regents to stoop down to this inferiour Science as they deem it because it is more profitable for them than all their sublime Arts and Sciences can be without it and because it precedes all other wisdom even the sacred Scriptures themselves Quoad nos This strong Foundation well laid will bear up stoutly all that shall be fairly built upon it This plain Rule will try the truth of every Proposition There will be no tottering Hypotheses nor crooked Conclusions if the analogy and proportion of Natural truths be faithfully inspected and followed We may all agree in all main things if we would all look this way and fairly comply in these Principles Amphibologies Equivocations Distinctions Fallacies Tropes and Figures will be found as so many vizards and fucus's to cast a mist before the eye of the Mind and darken the clear light of the Understanding and so in time will be abandoned by all wise men This is the Light under God by which together with the Supernatural light thereupon I have wrote these things not without many failings God knows and by the same Lights they are to be examined and understood or not at all For I have had no other meaning than what is contained in natural and supernatural Revelations whatsoever is more than these is Error By these 't is safe to abide and as safe to be tried And so every man may judge and satisfie himself in his own and others Notions as well as he can and be content And this is all that can be done when all is done Do but bring all things to the common Test touchstone and standard of this Light of natural and supernatural Law and we shall all quickly meet agree kindly and pardon one anothers mistakes and be in a fairer way of mending all that is amiss every day more and more This is the way to truth and peace But alas Proud men strongly interested for honour favour and riches Ignorant men Self-conceited men Opiniators Flatterers and Lazy men that resolve to stick to their education and practice and the sentiments of their Ancestors with the Examples and Doctrines of their admired Masters will never go this way to work while the World stands There is therefore no remedy for these things but Patience The World it is to be hoped will grow older and wiser but still there must be errors and sects for the trial of steady and unbiassed Souls and the Truth at last will be no loser thereby Magna est veritas praevalebit THE CONTENTS OF THE First Volume of the Will of God To the Reader RIghts Laws Jural sense of Scriptures Title of Scriptures Distinction of old and new Testament Legists Hugo Grotius c. Will of God Superstition Fathers Schoolmen Rosicrucians Promises preached Pacification Means to understand Scriptures Mercurial spirits Principles Christianity unmixt Aspire to perfection Valn Sciences Right reasoning Sound Judgment Eloquence Demonstrations Confutations Papists Offences Two Testaments Quotations True Eloquence Prolegomena Title 1. Of Principles Theology and Laws Axioms Moral Entities Demonstrations Mathematicians Topicks Principles Aristotle Demonstrations The Authors Apology Compendiums Rules of Civil law Precepts of the law of Nature p. 1 Title 2. Of God Soul imperfect Soul under a Law Soul hath vast desires Works of God magnificent Works of God beautiful Works of God harmonious Idolatry p. 12 Title 3. Of Religion Natural Religion Supernatural Religion Revelation p. 17 Title 4. Of Scriptures Of Scriptures Writings Traditions Inspiration Testament Ethnick Theology p. 19 The First Book Of a Testament Title 1. Of Ownership Owners Proprietaries Power Gods absolute Propriety Gods disposition p. 23 Title 2. Of a Testament Testament Berith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Covenant Sanction Asseveration Title of Scriptures Other Covenants Old Covenant New Covenant Proofs for the title of a Testament Acts of a Testament Confirmation of a Testament Instrument Inheritance Dispositions Oath Testament to Christ. Law no disannulling of Testament Law given 430 years after Promise p. 25 The Second Book Of a Covenant Title 1. Of the Nature of a Covenant Definition Precept Penalty Promises Free grace All hope from Covenant God our God by Covenant Covenant advances the Creature above Nature p. 34 Title 2. Of a Covenant with God To give ones self to God To give our Souls to the Devil Claim by Covenant p. 36 Title 3. Of the distinction of Covenants First Covenant with Adam Second Covenant with Adam Resemblance of Covenants First Covenant inculcated from the Creation Second Covenant inculcated from the Creation Law written Spirit more plentiful in the Gospel Predestination of Rewards in Christ Men would be Gods to themselves Natural to have a God Natural to be in covenant with God p 38 The Third Book Of the Law or Old Testament Title 1. Of the Nature of the Law Definition of Law p. 53 Title 2. Of Moses Law Letter Spirit Promises Precepts Judgments Works Contract Revelation of Eternal life reserved Temporals prepare for Eternals Outward obedience Sufficient means under law Love of God Love of Neighbour Life Christ expounded the law p. 55 Title 3. Of the Weakness of the law Eternal life Rites troublesome and chargeable Permission Things not originally good Sacrifices Sacrifices first from men Imperfection Rigour p. 59 Title 4. Of the Deceit of the law Sin deceives Grace undeceives My Defect Fruition High understanding Ignorance True knowledge Means to discern Truth Rules Principles Authority Infallibility Will. My lust Vnderstanding Physical and Moral Agents Will. Casual Cause of sin Law p. 63 Title 5. Of Deceit without a law Law of Nature Law Positive p. 67 Title 6 Of Deceit with a Law By all good Law Lust a Law Law a Restraint Law an equivocal word Law of mind Law of Flesh Law of God Law of sin Grace a sole Remedy By all bad Law By one Law in the same law Words and sense of Law Letter and Spirit By one Law in another By the Law of God in the law of Man By the law of Man in the Law of God By one Moral law in another By the law of Nature in a Positive law By a pretended Law of God in a certain law of Man By a Private law in a Publick law By the Moral law in the Ceremonial law By the Ceremonial law in the Moral law By one Law in all other laws p. 69 Title 7. Of the Reasons of Deceit Deliberation by halves Judgment by likelyhood Ampliations and limitations of Law Weighing my action by one Law Suspense between two Laws Sin hath the casting voice Reason of Law p. 78 Title 8. Of slavery under the Law Transition Nature of slavery Tye of slavery p. 80 Title 9. Of the Seat of slavery The Soul Spirit 's free p. 81 Title 10. Of the Cases of slavery Restraint from proper end Restraint from proper guide Restraint from proper act Restraint from
and saving Faith as shall be shewn hereafter Contrary unto this is our Covenanting with the Devil and the World To give our Souls to the Devil and the Flesh in giving away our Souls and Bodies for propriety and our Faculties and Estates for usufruct to these Enemies of God and our selves to our destruction and this is Infidelity and renouncing all Covenant or Communion with God So I give me and mine to God and God receives what I give and I am his So God gives Himself to me and I receive what he gives and He is mine And this is a perfect Covenant betwixt God and me and holds all the while I keep my Faith and true Allegiance unto him During the continuance of which Faith that maintains this League and Covenant betwixt God and my Soul Claim by Covenant I may claim all Gods Promises as my due with a holy boldness and he may challenge all mine and that we may first make and afterwards maintain and keep this our Covenant with God unto the end we have alwaies free access unto the Throne of his Grace for Grace sufficient to help us in the time of all our needs The CONTENTS First Covenant with Adam Second Covenant with Adam Resemblance of Covenants First Covenant inculcated from the Creation Second Covenant inculcated from the Creation Law written Spirit more plentiful in the Gospel Predestination of Rewards in Christ Men would be Gods to themselves Natural to have a God Natural to be in Covenant with God TITLE III. Of the distinction of Covenants Of the distinction of Covenants TO speak clearly and properly according to the Analogy of Faith concerning Gods two most eminent Covenants with Mankind Thus First Covenant with Adam I. The first Covenant that God made was with the first Man Adam in which was one Negative Commandment The Condition was to abstain from tasting of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil The Promise was to eat of the Tree of Life in the earthly Paradise and by the help thereof to live for ever The Threatning was if he did break this Law he should pass his time in labour and sorrow be shut out of Paradise and at last die the death This is not the same Covenant with that of Moses Law 1. Because the Condition was diverse To obey all the Commandments which God then gave Ten whereof he wrote with his own Finger the rest he dictated to Moses and commanded him to write them in a Book 2. Because the Promises were diverse To enjoy long life honour Friends plenty peace and victory in the Land of Canaan 3. Because the Threatning was diverse Stoning scourging hanging c. Second Covenant with Adam II. The second Covenant that God made was with the first Man Adam The Condition was Love to the Seed of the Woman Enmity to the Seed of the Serpent The Promise was That the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head Thou shalt break his head The Threatning was That the seed of the Serpent should bruise the Womans heel And he shall bruise thy heel This may not be the same Covenant with that of God in Christ 1. Because the Condition was diverse viz. Faith and Love 2. Because the Promise was diverse viz. Eternal life and in order thereunto Remission of sins the Holy Spirit Resurrection and Ascension 3. Because the Threatning was diverse viz. Eternal death The first Covenant Resemblance of Covenants may in part resemble the Covenant of Works by the Law of Moses because of a prohibition from one thing and a permission of all the rest because of a promise of one Earthly Paradise because of the threatning of a Bodily Death The second Covenant may in part resemble the Covenant of Grace by the Gospel of Christ Because of the condition of Love to the true Seed of the Woman which is Christ and of Hatred to the true seed of the Serpent which is the Devil because of the true breaking of the true Serpents head which is the Devil by the true promised Seed of the Woman which is Christ And because of the true bruising of the true seed of the Woman by the true seed of the Serpent But though there were Promises many and Covenants many yet in the Scriptures it is evident that there are but two Covenants of God eminently and properly so called which are I. The Law of Moses which is the Old Covenant of Works The Condition was Obedience to the whole Law The Promise was the Land of Canaan and Rest therein The Threatning was Temporal punishments and Death without mercy The Mediatour was Moses The Duration was till Christ should come in the flesh II. The Gospel of Christ which is the New Covenant of Grace The Condition was Faith The Promise was Life eternal in Heaven The Threatning was Death eternal in Hell The Mediatour was Christ The Duration was till Christs second coming in Glory Yet no body can deny First Covenant inculcated from the Creation but that the first Covenant of the Old Testament was hinted from the Creation for the Precepts in the Law of Nature written in the heart and for the Promises and Rewards due to the obedience of a happy life on Earth never to have end and for the Threatnings of Calamities and Death never to end And so also the second Covenant of the New Testament was hinted from the Creation in the revelation in part of a Spiritual Law Second Covenant inculcated from the Creation to those that did obey the Law of Nature and in the obscure revelation of spiritual and eternal Promises to those that embraced the carnal and temporal ones But still there was no Law written in Tables till Moses and still there was no full Revelation of the spiritual Law and of spiritual and eternal Promises till Christ came and wrote them perfectly by his Spirit in the heart Law written Therefore when the writing of the Law of Nature upon the heart was almost quite worn out by habits and practices of unnatural Evils and the universal Examples of Wicked men turning from God to Idols and walking after the imaginations of their own hearts continually God made a Covenant with the Children of Abraham by Moses for the performance of Carnal duties and fruition of Carnal rewards to lead them on farther and prepare them to the practice of spiritual Services and enjoyment of eternal Rewards which to them as to Children were represented and shadowed out by several Rites and Ceremonies and temporal Prosperities These lesser and weaker Commands and Promises God gave unto them for that time of their Minority and reserved the manifestation of his higher and stronger Commands and Promises till the fullness of time when all things should be made perfect Spirit more plentiful in the Gospel Therefore God sprinckled a lesser portion of his Spirit upon some before and under the Law according to their present capacities But afterward when
more Persons which are but two Parties for something to be had or done For when one Person or Party frames his or their will or wills to the will or wills of another person or party such a mutual agreement of Wills is a Covenant So by the agreement of the Peoples will unto Gods will at Mount Sinai the Precepts Penalties and Promises of the Decalogue are framed into a Covenant severally and joyntly between God and the People Gods Will is for the Precepts that the People should observe them Precept framing their wills to his will and so the Precept becomes a Covenant Gods Will is for the Penalties Penalty that the People should endure them in case they should transgress the Precepts To this Will of God the People agree and so the Penalties become a Covenant Gods Will is for the Promises that the People should enjoy them Promises in case they observe the Precepts To this VVill of God the People agree by accepting the Promises and so the Promise becomes a Covenant v. Ex. 19.5 8. Ex. 34.10 Deut. 4.1 13 23. Deut. 5.2 3. Some Covenants are Personal and some pass into Succession as this of Gods Covenanting in both his Testaments to us and to our Seed or rather to Christ and to his Seed It is a great grace and favour to make a Testament Free Grace and therein a bequest of temporal and eternal Inheritances to such as had no hopes nor used any means by themselves or others for the procuring of the said grace which therefore was absolutely free But besides this original Grace here is a farther condescension in God that gives it to make a Covenant with them to whom he gives it So God Covenants with his Creatures as a King with his Subjects and a Father with his Children or a Lord with his Vassals to do them good Thus God is every way good and gracious in both his Testaments and Covenants as a Testatour and Donor in his Promises and as an Ally and Confederate in his Propositions and Conditions From both which Promises and Commands of God giving to All Hope from Gods Covenant and Covenanting with Mankind Mankind doth derive all their Comforts and Assurances especially for eternal blessedness And without these by their Creation or otherwise they could have no right title nor claim to the Inheritance of eternal life which only comes by promise and gift upon condition or covenant Thus God is and must be our God by Creation whether we will or no God our God by Covenant but he cannot be our God by grace and favour without our consent to his Covenant This lifts the Creature up to nearer Relation to its Creatour for life eternal which nature could not do Covenant advances the Creatures above Nature because a Creature is of its own nature frail and finite therefore cannot be eternal which is impregnable and infinite and also because let the Creature serve God all it can it cannot merit eternal life because it is Gods Creature and owns a duty to its Creatour and does no more than it ought to do But when Grace comes and proffers Blessedness to which the Party to whom it is proffered Mankind may have a right if they will accept of the Promise and keep that Right so had and obtained by obeying the Covenant or Condition or Command annexed to the Promise Then is the poor Creature nearly allyed to his God as his Son by Adoption and Heir also of the gift of the Inheritance and as his Friend in intimate communion and society with him by Covenant or Agreement of will to accept of what he hath given him and do what he hath commanded him The CONTENTS To give ones self to God To give our Souls to the Devil Claim by Covenant TITLE II. Of a Covenant with God Of a Covenant with God NOw to be in Covenant with God is this To give a mans self Soul and Body to God to be his propriety We are Gods Propriety already passively but being reasonable Creatures we may by act of our own from Gods grace so enabling us give our selves to God again for his propriety As he hath given us to our selves To give ones self to God and for his own so we give our selves again to him to be his own by our own consents A Captive is his who hath redeemed him whether he will or no but if he give himself freely to him this is a more special interest between both Parties and proceeds from the love of the Redeemed to him that did redeem him who therefore first loved him that he might love him again and be in League with him as his Friend as well as Servant yea as his Son and Heir To give all the powers and faculties of our selves i. e. of our Souls and Bodies for the usufruct and service of God To give all our Honours and Estates for Gods glory This must of necessity follow from a deed or gift of Propriety to him with whom we are also in League that this Gift of our selves should be for the use and behoof of him to whom we give our selves and all that we are or have or shall have As Slaves that are bought with mony are their Lords goods for Propriety and Dominion so also for Interest and Profit their wit their strength and labour and all the products and issues of them all internal or external accrue to their Lord that is their Ingenuities plots and contrivances their Off-spring of their Bodies the works of their hands they being not their own themselves all that they have contrive or do acquire by most just right is claimed by their Lord and Owner They were Lords of their own wills before and free in Soul though not in Body But if they shall farther surrender up as they have their Persons by act of their own so also their Wits and Wills and all their strengths to their Lord and Master who was so before and make him their Lord and Master again by their own Love yea even their King and Father this creates a special Right more excellent than the former to all intents and purposes of love and kindness and profit too to the Inferiour especially who is the Beneficiary the Superiour being the Benefactour and Patron Thus by Covenant we give our Persons our Wits our Children or Labours and Possessions unto God who hath so graciously given himself also for our Propriety to be our God besides his Creation by an act of Grace of his own superadded as also to our usufruct in all his actings and operations and also in all his estate and blessedness All which are Himself made ours altogether to our benefit and nothing at all accrues from us to his advantage as is usual to Temporal Lords Friends and Allies This it is to be in Covenant with God when God gives himself to us and we give our selves again unto God And this is the nature of true
Christ came and brought Life and Immortality to light he poured out a most plentiful portion of his Spirit upon all flesh and gave more Grace under the Gospel according to their present Receptibilities Tantae molis erat Divinam condere Gentem Thus by degrees Mankind arrived to the highest Revelations and Dispensations of Gods love by Jesus Christ Predestination of Rewards in Christ Therefore God from all Eternity intended and predestinated the Promises of his last Will and Covenant of Grace to be confirmed and executed by his Son Jesus Christ in the fullness of time which he had appointed by virtue whereof all that feared or do fear or shall fear God shall be rewarded of God in and through Christ from the beginning of the World unto the end thereof under all the former inferiour and imperfect adumbrations and Dispensations and under the present sublime and perfect substance and Oeconomy of the Gospel And so this everlasting great and true Covenant of Grace expressed in Gods last Will and Testament revealed by his Son Jesus Christ hath and doth and shall take full force and effect to all intents and purposes respectively to every faithful Soul all the World over for Grace and Salvation as they are able to receive it according to the measure of the dispensation of his mercy at all times God still accounting the will for the deed after the riches of his Grace according to what a man hath not according to what a man hath not and rejecting none that come unto him as well as they are able making them more able For in all Nations Act. 10.35 those that fear him and work righteousness are accepted of him And all this in Christ who is the Beloved with whom God is well-pleased and in whom and through whom God is and will be well-pleased with all men because by him he reconciled the World unto himself and so loved the World that he sent his only begotten Son into the same that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have life everlasting Thus it is demonstrated that there are two eminent distinct Covenants or Testaments the one of the Law and the other of the Gospel The Law is one Husband the Gospel another The Law is a School-master of Rudiments and Elements the Gospel a Doctour of Sciences and Perfections Repentance is not fully in the Law but in the Gospel yet often inculcated by the Prophets Adam Abraham and the Patriarchs had no better things promised expressly than Earth yet by faith they looked for better things which God by his Spirit though not in words had revealed yet obscurely and afar off Thus the Law given by Moses is stiled in Scripture the first Covenant the Gospel given by Christ is stiled the second Covenant 1. Thus it appears Corollaries That God gave a particular Command to Adam to try his obedience upon a promise of Life 2. That God made a Covenant with Adam and a promise of Christ so to the Patriarchs so to Abraham and so the Inheritance came by Promise not by Works 3. That God made a Covenant of Works to Moses in the Law called the first Testament formally made 4. That the Promise of Christ was made to Adam Abraham and the Fathers but it was not framed into a Testament till Christs death 5. That the Law of Nature was made to Adam and all his Posterity but it was not made into a Testament till Moses confirmed it by the blood of Beasts 6. That thus the Law of Grace was to the second Adam and all his Posterity but it was not made into a Testament till Christ confirmed it by his own blood 7. That many Covenants there were then of God but no Testaments save only the Old and the New 8. That before the Law the Promises of the Gospel were in part darkly revealed but never clearly and fully till Christ came 9. That the Precepts of the Old Testament were in express words but for external obedience in Moses Law but the Prophets hinted out Internal obedience 10. That the Promises of the Old Testament were in express words but for Temporal blessings in Moses Law but the Prophets hinted out Eternal Blessings 11. That both Precepts and Promises were spiritual and eternal by Christ 12. That that which the Scripture calls the Covenant of Works is Moses Law 13. That that which the Scripture calls the Covenant of Grace is Christs Law 14. That every Covenant is by Faith and mutual Promises of both Parties for Works to be done and Rewards to be had 15. That the Covenant of the Gospel is meer Faith in God promising and Man accepting and Re-promising not for Works to obtain Righteousness but for Faith alone 16. That Faith is not a credence or belief of story or trust but a Promise Covenant Affiance and Alliance He is a faithful Subject not that believes the Commands of his Prince to be true but that keeps his faith and Allegiance with his Prince 17. That there is a Reformation there is Shadow and Substance there are two Mediators two Laws two Priesthoods and two Services Two Temples two Altars two Sacrifices two Tabernacles An Expiation of Carnal and Spiritual Sins a Purification of Body and Soul a Carnal and a Spiritual Worship A general Correction and Amendment of all things in the most excellent State and Condition that can be imagined 18. That the First Tabernacle is fallen the old Priesthood turned from the Altar And into the Second and True Tabernacle of Heaven Christ the great High-Priest is entred 19. That all along the first Testament for the Promises made to Abraham and confirmed by the Death of Beasts and Birds for the Land of Canaan was in the Letter but mystically and eminently for Heaven in the Spirit 20. That the first Testament for the Precepts made to Moses was confirmed by the Death of Beasts for the Land of Canaan in the Letter but mystically and eminently for Heaven in the Spirit 21. That the Second Testament for the Promises and Precepts made to Christ was confirmed by the Death of Christ for Heaven 22. That the Gospel was not contained and comprehended in the Law as blended both together in one but is a distinct Thing from the Law subsisting by its self as Carnal and Spiritual Temporal and Eternal Life and Death Heaven and Earth are distinct Things 23. That the Law of Nature was before Moses's Law not loaded with so many Positive Precepts but that they were brought in afterwards upon the Promise of the Land of Canaan God then instructing them by a more familiar Conversation as occasion did offer 24. That Judaism is younger and different from Christianity Moses from Christ 25. That Salvation was by Christ who was to come before and under the Law and by Christ already come under the Gospel 26. That by the Publishing of the Gospel the original Law of God is not abrogated continuing still the Rule of all mens Actions but rather
there have been that have made it a Substance and there have not been wanting those that made it nothing at all It is my Choler saith the Revenger It is my Melancholy saith the Desperate one It is my Blood saith the Wanton It is my Appetite saith the Glutton It is it is not what every one pleaseth Well be these darknesses in the Understanding and these perversnesses and slaveries of the Will and these pollutions of the whole Man what they may be yet for all them nor for all the Devils in her that are about them we shall not sin nor die unless we will our destruction is from our selves 1 Cor. 6.12 And if such we were all yet now we are washed now we are sanctified now we are justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ And the Leper who is cleansed complaineth no more of his scab but returneth to give thanks and strives to keep himself sweet and clean None but dogs will return to their vomit and none but swine when they are washed will wallow in the mire The Blind Man who is cured will not return into the ditch and impute it to his former blindness but rejoyceth in the light and walketh therein And we cannot without soul ingratitude deny but what we lost in Adam we have recover'd in Christ with manifold improvements for not as is the offence Rom. 5.15 19. so is also the free-gift For as by the offence of one many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous Made so not only by imputation for that would please us well have sins removed and be Sinners still but made so that is supply'd with all helps and strengths necessary to perfect that Holiness which is required of them that are justified by Faith in Christ Jesus For is not the Gospel above the Law Grace above Works God above the Devil the Second Adam stronger than the first the Spirit above the Flesh Mighty for the casting down of the strong holds of Sin and Satan and for the translating us from the power of darkness into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God To conclude If in Adam we were all lost and crowded into Hell in Christ we are all saved and advanced into Heaven And if we are weak yet in God is our strength And therefore why will ye die O ye house of Israel Take we heed of sowing pillows under our own elbows and if they be not soft and easy enough to sleep on beware of bringing in a good meaning and honest intention to stuff them up least on these we sleep so securely as Sampson did on the lap of Dalilah till our strength go from us indeed and be fit for nothing but to grind in his prison and to do him service who put out our eyes able to die and perish but not able to live and be saved strong to do evil but feeble and lost to all good And as we pretend Original Sin to be our driver into all other evils and calamities so we pretend the want and insufficiency of Grace to save us and as we know not what that monster of Sin is so we understand not the Beauty of God's Grace Grace as Sin is in every Man's mouth the sound of it hath gone through the Earth Ebrius ad phialam mendicus ad januam The drunkard speaketh of it in his cups and vows 't is better than Wine and by the Grace of God he will be drunk no more The Beggar maketh it his Topick and hopeth that God's Grace will melt the hearts of the Rich to relieve his wants and he will promise to fall to work for his living but the one adds drunkenness to his thirst and the other hath no power to unfold his idle hands for all this Even they that are Giants for Learning leading Men of the first rank and file that say they know it and have it have kept it to themselves or but slightly discovered it to the People in that simplicity and nakedness that upon the first sight they may say This is it Sometimes they represent it to be an infused Habit sometimes a Motion or operation sometimes they know not how to distinguish it from Faith and Charity it is one and the same and yet it is manifold it exciteth and stirreth us up it worketh in us and it worketh with us it goeth before us and it follows us Thus they handle Grace as the Philosophers do the Soul they tell us what wonders it worketh but not its Essence they tell us what it doth but not what it is In all that I have written I profess not to slight or jeer at that original Weakness or attainder of Sin and Death which all of us have cause to bemoan but my scope is to attest the Justice and Mercy of God who hath been made too much the author of Sin and Death And to satisfie the ignorant that Sin is not entailed upon us by fate or Blood nor Grace neither whether we will or no. They have been too long made to believe that Sin and Grace have been real infusions and Physical operations from the evil and the Good Spirit working sensible alterations in the Flesh and Spirit without any concurrence or operation of the Will of either Upon this inevitable necessity of sinning and damnation on the one hand and of Grace and Salvation on the other hand they are moved to lie still under the one which they cannot help and wait for the other if ever it be decreed to come which they cannot call nor invite unto them The People are astonished when they are told of their blindness and lameness and deadness to all good and of the necessity of a real descension of the Spirit into the Heart which being stark blind and stone dead is not able to know what is done unto it in the Reviving thereof no not so much as to consent to receive what shall be given it If Sin were inevitably decreed and accordingly infused by the Devil into all Souls beginning at Adam it should be non-sense to define Sin to be a transgression of the Law and a covenant with Satan And if Grace were inevitably decreed and accordingly poured by God into all Souls beginning at Adam it should be non-sense to define Grace to be an obedience to the Gospel and a covenant with God There was never yet any Covenant made without consent of Wills between both parties The Devil and the Sinner are agreed and God and the Godly are agreed also And this Agreement must be free on both sides for a forc'd will is no will nor can the will be forc'd either by God or Man Nullum pertinaciae remedium posuit Deus aut homo There is no remedy against the obstinacy of will either from God or Man God hath made in Man a Free-will to work freely neither can it work otherwise neither will God destroy the work of his own hands nor is there any reason
within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the redemption of our Bodies 2 Cor. 5.2 In this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house from Heaven SECT XV. 3. A right of Possession to enter upon and enjoy all these things Possession whereto we have a present right to be inducted invested installed and enthroned to pass over Jordan to possess the Promised Land This is the best fullest and perfectest Right of all compleating all precedent Rights Well done thou Good and Faithful Servant enter thou into thy Master's joy Come ye Blessed Children of my Father inherit the Kingdom of God prepared for you before the beginning of the World The Rights to all things for Salvation were intended and prepared for all Men by Creation but were no sooner enjoy'd by Adam in their Names but were lost by him to him and his Posterity by his infidelity and disobedience The Rights to all things for Salvation by the Grace and Favour of God were re-intended and re-prepared for all Men by Redemption and are enjoy'd by Christ in their Names and for them and if lost are lost by them that will not embrace them nor covenant with God for them by infidelity and rebellion To have Right and to do Right is a state of Grace Life and Liberty To have no Right and do no Right is a state of sin death and slavery The CONTENTS Free-Grace Titles Birth Purchase Desert Favour Condemnation Gifts Impunity Election Glory Boasting Will of the Receiver Will of the Donor Free-Grace begins at God's Will Free-Grace makes the Title stronger Free-Grace makes for God's Grace and Glory Justification is the best State of Love All Rights are from Grace Donation Election Promise God justifieth Christ justifieth The wrong Title Law Allegory of the two Covenants Ishmael and Isaac Hagar and Sarah Law a Covenant of Bondage Gospel a Covenant of Liberty Jacob and Esau Works TITLE IV. Of the Title of Justification Free-Grace Transition THe Title of Justification is Free-Grace 'T is fit thou shouldst understand thy self concerning thy Title to this right of Justification lest otherwise upon occasion thou beest to seek and thy Soul put to some trouble thereupon For to many Men many troubles do arise for want of due knowledg of their Titles to those Rights which they possess Free-Grace is either by Election or Postulation or meer Grace Election is a Grace of the Elector to choose a Person that is both worthy and capable by Law Postulation is a Grace of the Postulator to admit a Person who is worthy but not capable by Grace Meer Grace is a free donation to a Person not worthy nor capable but accepted and made worthy and capable by Grace for Grace When thou hast that good which thou deservest and is due unto thee thou hast right and that right comes to thee by Law When thou hast that evil which thou deservest and art punished just according to thy deserts and sufferest so much as thy sin requireth neither more nor less all this while thou hast Law But when thou hast less evil than thou deservest and art not punished so much as thy sin requireth then thou hast Grace When thy sin requires hanging and quartering if then thou art but beheaded thou hast Grace yet this is but a low degree of Grace the groundsel or half-pace of it But when thou hast more good than thou deservest or much good when thou deservest much evil then also thou hast Grace such Grace is of high degree and is exceeding gracious St. Paul had a right to the Freedom and that right came by Law for it was his due by birth I was free born saith he And Lysias the Chief Captain had the same right and his right also came by Law not by the same Law but by another for it was his due by purchase With a great summe obtained I this Freedom The Labourers in the Vineyard had a right to a penny Math. 20. and that right came by Law yet not by the same Law but by another for it was their due by works by desert service or earning For they laboured all day in the Vineyard SECT I. So the Titles whereby Men generally acquire and procure those rights they enjoy are two either by Law or by Grace Titles Some Men have their Title by Law When thou hast evil that is due unto thee just so much as thy sin requires there the Title whereby the Magistrate doth punish thee is by Law for all punishment is by Law The strength of sin is the Law saith St. Paul i. e. all the Title and power that sin hath to punish is by virtue of the Law Contrarily when thou hast that good that is due unto thee just in the measure whereby it is due then also thy Title is by Law because all dues must come by Law for where there is no Law there is no sin so where there is no Law there is nothing due And Title by Law is commonly threefold Either by Birth or by Purchase or by Works For the Law doth convey and settle rights upon us either upon our Birth or our Purchase or our Works St. Paul had a right to the Freedom of Rome and that right came by Title of Law for it was his due and the Law whereby it was due was his Birth Lysias the Chief Captain had the same right for he also was Free of Rome and his Title was by Law for it was his due and the Law whereby it was due was his Purchase Jacob had a right to Leah and Rachel and his Title was by Law for they were his due and the Law whereby they were due was his Work and Service for he had served Laban fourteen years for them Some have a Title by Grace When thou hast more good than is due unto thee or when none at all is due then thou hast Grace and when thou hast much good done thee when thou deservest much evil there Grace is exceeding gracious Such Grace had Abraham to the Land of Canaan Such Grace hath the incumbent to his living If a Woman seized in Fee-simple marry have Issue and die the Husband living that Husband hath a right of Free-hold in her Estate yet this Title to that Estate is no way by Law neither by Birth Purchase Marriage or Works but only by Grace or as the Lawyers term it by the Courtesie of England For farther illustration The Titles whereby Men enjoy their Right may be reckoned four By Birth Purchase Desert or Favour SECT II. Birth 1. By Birth or inheritance so Esau had a right to the Estate of Isaac it was his Birth-right he was his first born Among us ordinarily the Title to Lands descending is by Birth and the Heir at Common-Law proves his Title by Birth as descending from him that was tenant in Fee or Fee-Taile Our Title to the right of Salvation is not by Birth the right of the Father to
the Son hath above the Servant not to be ejected or punished for every fault as the Servant may doth give the Son this priviledge in faults only such as are ignorances and infirmities but excuseth him not in crimes such as are malignities and wilful presumptions from being disinherited As a Malefactor relapseth into the same crimes or worse after pardon destroies himself As a Slave after liberty sells himself again to bondage is the author of his own ruin My unthankfulness therefore is the cause of the forfeiture of my right by Faith Not that I have no Faith for then I could not be justified but my Faith for want of works becomes dead It had life enough to accept of the promises and legacies of God's Will and Testament but not of the precepts and conditions So my Faith not working by Love dies and looses the right to Blessedness except it revive again by Resipiscence SECT II. Reason Breach of one party disobligeth the other Because God promiseth me a present Right to a future Blessing I accept the Promise and thereupon have right unto it and by this acceptance I do tacitly re-promise unto God that duty which as a beneficiary I owe unto my Lord by the Law of Nature and Equity Now if I for my part perform not this my promise God for his part is disobliged from the performance of his promise of which my unfaithfulness is the cause who have broken the Covenant betwixt God and my Soul My ungraciousness is also the cause of the forfeiture of my right by Faith This is a high degree of unthankfulness 1. To God so High a Person 2. For so Great a Grace as to be his Son and Heir 3. For so Free Grace without any desert desire or motion of mine or any other only my Faith to accept it If therefore to this Great God for so great Grace so freely bestowed upon me I do not return that love honour and obedience with all my heart and with all my Soul as is due from me a Son to such a Father then this extream unthankfulness and ungraciousness of mine deprives me of that benefit which I should have received from it SECT III. From hence will flow these Consequences Mutability of Justification 1. That my state of Justification is mutable It is in it self stable and permanent it may and should be perpetual but during my Natural Life and before I die it may be defeated and destroyed I do not say It must be defeated and destroyed for the mutability of it is not necessary as is the mortality of the Body which must die But the mutability thereof is possible for as it may so it may not be defeated It may not be defeated 1. It may not be defeated For when I was made a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven this state was intended to continue to me for ever For when I am dead and dissolved into dust God still remaineth my Father and my God and Christ my Elder Brother and Co-Heir and from the dead I shall be raised to the possession of my Father's Blessing for God is not the God of the dead but of the living For as Marriages so rights of Inheritances are not temporary for term of years but of perpetuity for ever Hence the Son is said to differ from the Servant because The Servant abideth not in the House for ever John 8.35 i. e. hath no right to abide for ever but the Son abideth for ever i. e. hath right to abide for ever 2. It may be defeated It may be not defeated Gal. 2.18 Else how could I build again my first state of sinfulness which once I destroyed If therefore my state may be not destroyed it may be destroyed I find by good history and sad experience that states of perpetuity have been defeated and destroyed that many a Man which had a good Estate in Fee-simple to him and to his Heirs for ever yet by making himself a transgressor against his Lord and King hath forfeited that his Estate to him and his Heirs for ever That many a Woman who was married for life till death should depart her and her Husband yet by making her self a transgressor against her Husband hath been divorced from her Husband and lost her Husband and her Dower That many a Son who was Heir apparent to his Father's Estate yet by making himself a transgressor against his Father hath been disinherited and lost his Estate And the like is possible concerning my Estate of Justification see the Scriptures Joh. 5.14 Rom. 11.20 1 Cor. 10.12 1 Tim. 1.19 Heb. 3.12 1 Pet. 2.11 Math. 12.43 44. Heb. 6.4 Heb. 10.26 27. 2 Pet. 2.20 As also consider the examples of Aaron David Solomon c. which exhortations and examples do necessarily demonstrate the mutability of my Justification Because to a thing that is impossible there needs no Exhortation Reason or Dehortation And Because of a thing impossible it is impossible that there should be any Example The Grand Reason that my state of Justification may be defeated is because it is Conditional for though God's donation of my present right to be his Son and Heir is absolute without any condition or preceeding act on my part except it be the passive act of my Faith to accept thereof yet my future possession of that inheritance whereto I have now a present right is conditional and that condition runs upon my good behaviour of deporting my self as becomes the Son of God for this condition is sufficiently expressed in God's last Will and Testament Or supposing but not granting that in God's Testament there is no mention made of any such condition yet such a condition must be understood because the very Nature and Equity of the thing requires it And the state of a Son and Heir wherein I stand doth necessarily draw this duty along with it and so bind me thereto that for non-performance thereof my state may be destroyed Yet every trespass will not destroy it neither because God will forgive me a thousand faults upon my repentance and commands me to pray unto him therefore and promises to forgive my trespasses and commands me to forgive my Brother that repenteth though he sin against me seven times in a day nay seventy times seven times Therefore certainly he being my Father will upon my repentance forgive me more times for all the daies of my life For because I am his Son therefore I am not so much under his Law as under his Grace i. e. God will not deal rigorously and strictly with me according to Law to reject or punish me for every trespass like a Slave who is under the will and pleasure of his Lord but he will use me mercifully and kindly to correct me in measure or to forgive me like a Son who is under the love and grace of his Father But if I rise up in open rebellion against my
Gods turning hardning softning opening or shutting of Mens hearts as Men do of the motion of natural bodies by strength or wit not considering that these things are spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of Men Metaphorically for our apprehension And if wise Men are able by solid reasons to convince Mens judgments and Eloquent Men are able to incline their wills and affections how much more is the Alwise God by his Spirit able to clear our understandings to a full satisfaction and to draw our desires to those divine truths which he hath revealed by Jesus Christ What more there is in the work of God's conversion of Men by his calling Justification and Sanctification of them let any Man satisfie me fairly Saving Faith Et erit mihi magnus Apollo If Saving Faith properly so called be an entring into Covenant with God in assenting to the promises of his Last will and Testament and making reciprocal promises to him again for Justification And if Holiness be a keeping of our Covenant or faithfulness to our promises for Sanctification And if expectation of Glory be a hope of that Blessedness to which we are justified and sanctified Then where is the infusion of any habit or physical change insensibly made in the Soul But rather as in all Covenants is there not 1. A free offer or promise from God 2. A free consent of acceptance from Man 3. A free observation of obedience to God 4. A free expectation of reward from God All things are free in rational Agents and Patients A rational free Agent thus works upon a rational free Patient 1. By propounding his will in Doctrine 2. By intreaties and exhortations in promises This is Divine and Humane working and drawing with the cords of Love So Wisdom enters into the Soule Not as water out of one vessel into another while one vessel knows not what another doth but by illumination of Wisdom precept upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little This is our forcing and fashioning anew our partaking of the Divine Nature and of the precious promises of God our regeneration our new Creation our Translation from the power of Darkness into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God This is to be in the state of Grace to be Elect to have our Names written in the Book of Life to be in Covenant and Alliance with God to be his Children Heirs and Co-heirs with Christ If Faith comes ordinarily by hearing or otherwise Means of Faith where there is no preaching even by Conversation Contemplation observation of Divine Providences or by other unknown instincts and revelations All these waies and means are informative and persuasive and the more because they come from a Divine Spirit and offer a Divine reward and carry a Divine assistance along with them This is a more God like and Man like way from a free Creator to a free Creature than an insensible irresistible plastick power upon a dead stock or stone It would be mockery to a Soul in that senseless and slavish condition to bid it hear that is deaf or see that is blind or run that is lame Then to what purpose is Reason Will or Memory or are they lost by our fall and where are they if we can answer without blushing God can do all this and more Object God can do nothing but wisely and justly Answ It is not wise to save a Man without or against his Will or to make him willing whether he will or no. Therefore God cannot do it It is not noble to give any thing to one that refuseth or to continue it to him that after acceptation and reception will not use it or improve it As for the notion of a New Heart and a New Spirit A New Heart It is as when a Man is advanced to any Dignity or Rule He is a New Man and hath another Spirit yet the same individual Soul and Body remains How much more when a Man by being in League and Covenant with his God is advanced to the Dignity of a Son and Heir of Heaven hath a Man a New Heart and Spirit yet the same individual Soul and Body remains so doth he live above himself and all the World to what he did before yet he is the same Person though altered in his conditions And God gives this Spirit to this Faith which is the Gift of God 1. To hear his Word outward inward 2. To understand it 3. To love and embrace it 4. To persevere in it 5. To hope for Eternal Life by it So God is all in all not essentially by his Substance in our Hearts working as in a Shop but virtually rationally liberally operating and cooperating by his Spirit with our Spirits teaching moving helping in all our internal and external actions Amen The Fourth BOOK OF SANCTIFICATION The CONTENTS Transition Spirit the first Agent Hidden Man Outward Man Natural Man Supernatural Inspiration Penal and grievous Beneficial and gracious Holy Spirit Spiritual Man TITLE I. Of the Spirit THE Act of the Understanding apprehending the truth of Divine promises and the Act of the Will assenting to them The Transition and covenanting with the Promiser is the act of Faith justifying the Soul to all the Rights of God's Estate and engaging the Soul to all the Commands of God's Will The Act of the Understanding apprehending the Truth of Divine precepts and the act of the Will consenting to them and performing the Covenant is the act of Love sanctifying the Soul till it come to perfect holiness in the fear of God for the obtaining of the Inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by Faith which is in Christ Jesus Thus the Entrance into Covenant with God is the Exercise of Faith to Justification and the continuance in that Covenant is the practise of Faithfulness or Holiness to Sanctification and Glorification by the Spirit SECT I. There is scarce any word in the whole Scripture that hath more various significations than the word Spirit I shall pass by most of them and shall only lead the understanding to the sense which this word beareth particularly to the point in hand Spirit the first Agent That secret Engine which is the first mover in a Watch which moveth all the wheels but is moved of no wheel and without which no wheel doth or can move as to the going of the Watch is called the Spring of the Watch. And that secret fine substance which is the first Agent in Man which doth act all his Members but is acted of no Member and without which no Member doth or can act as to any humane action is called the Spirit of Man Whereof the knowing faculty which affirmeth or denyeth matter of truth or falshood is called the Mind or Understanding and the moving faculty whereby the Spirit chooseth or refuseth matter of good or evil is called the Will or Affection And the judging faculty which accuseth or excuseth acquitteth
have these things in my memory and keep them in my paper and do them not in my life and conversation I say therefore in brief He that hath ears to hear for every one hath ears to hear let him hear as well as he can And he that hath eyes to see for every one hath eyes to see let him see as well as he can And he that hath a heart to understand for every one hath a heart to understand let him understand as well as he can And he that hath a memory to remember for every one hath a memory to remember let him remember as well as he can And he that hath a will to choose for every one hath a will to choose let him choose as well as he can And last of all he that hath a hand to act for every one hath a hand to act let him act as well as he can Fac quod in te est Use thy Talent to the best advantage and God shall reward thee with a Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful in a little thou shalt be Ruler over much In a word Add to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance 2 Pet. 1.5 c. and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity For if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall never be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ but he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see far off and hath forgotten that he was once purged from his old sins Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall SECT VII 1. If therefore Election be a Decree then it is no Promise but a Necessity A Promise may be freely made and effected and may not but a Decree must be made and effected by consequence of Justice upon sin A Promise may take effect by the will of the Accepter but a Decree must take effect against the will of the Sufferer 2. If Election be a Promise then it is no Decree but a thing voluntary A Promise is free to be made or not made a meer grace upon consideration of pity and bounty for Reward undeserved But a Decree is a peremptory sentence in judgment of Law upon consideration of guilt of sin for revenge and punishment 3. If Faith be the Approving and Choosing of God that first approved and chosen us This is Election 4. If Infidelity be the Disapproving and Rejecting of God that hath therefore disapproved and rejected us This is Reprobation 5. A Reprobate is rejected for his Wilfulness 6. An Elect is accepted for his Willingness Ergo From these Premises I conclude with all humble submission to better Judgments 1. That Election with God is not as it is with Men A particular Free Grace of a certain picking and culling out of some few and passing by all the rest though as well deserving and standing in as much need and as willing every way to come in if they could with all their hearts and thank them too that should do them that great favour and benefit 2. But Election with God is an Universal Free Grace offered to all men that they might be saved and willingness that none should be damned upon no desert at all but meerly for love in his Son provided only that they be but a willing People which is the least thing that can be desired namely to accept of Gods choice and to choose him again or else they must needs reprobate themselves and judge themselves unworthy of eternal life Quod erat Demonstrandum Now what mad work have the Disputes of this World made upon this plain Question I leave to the wiser sort of the World to judge 'T is high time for such men and no shame at all to learn better Religion prudence and manners than to think and speak of God in this point after such a fashion I appeal unto the unconceivable Mercies of God to his poor Creatures and to the universal scope tenour and purport of the whole Scriptures of the Old and New Testament Amen The CONTENTS Transition Contracts Real and Personal Marriage Devil an Enemy to Marriage Excellent Laws for Marriage Originals of Marriage Definitions of Marriage Effects of Marriage Who may lawfully marry Members of Christs Church Just Generations of Men. Virginity Why Marriage was ordained Benefits of marriage Abuse of marriage Bastardy Rights by marriage Laws about marriage Age of Persons Quality of Persons Infamous Captives Pupils Officers Kinds of marriage Confarreation Co-emption Vse Rights of a Wife Two Wives at one time Concubine Annus Luctûs Coelibate Marriage for all Estates and Degrees of men TITLE VIII Of Marriage THE Church is the Spouse and Wife of Christ Transition Contracts are either Real by which men communicate or convey their Estates and Patrimonies one to another or Personal by which their very Persons are as it were communicated and conveyed one to another Of this nature are Feudal Personal Contracts and Leagues Contracts Real and Personal where persons covenant to be true and just and loving one to another as if they were of one Soul both in rule and subjection betwixt King and People and in fellowship and communion of the Head with the Members and of the Members one with another unto which are subordinate real feudal Contracts and Conveyances of giving and receiving of holding and keeping the use and profits of the Lords Allodium and propriety upon a Personal Contract of Faith and Allegiance homage and service to him the said Lord and to his heirs and successors for ever Personal Contracts of this nature are the highest endearments and strictest obligations of love friendship and unity that can be imagined because they are the unions of Souls which must be more than of Bodies or Estates because they are Covenants for pure love not for honours or profits or pleasures of goods Because to give our Estates and Honours is a great grace but to give our selves our Souls and Bodies one to another is the greatest grace that can be given Such are the Covenants and Leagues between friends and their Allies and such is the Contract of Marriage which is for communion of Soul and Body in all temporal and spiritual things such are not the Quasi-personal Contracts of Tutor and Pupil Curator and Minor c. SECT I. Marriage Therefore this Title of Marriage with those that follow relating thereunto are not any ways exotick or disproportional with the design of this present book For as in all Feudal kingdoms the Kings are Fathers to their Subjects so in the Church the Fathers of Families are kings to their Children who as Subjects hold in Fide Amore Honore as much as Subjects do to their Princes Subjects are so by election to their Kings and Children