proper rule Restraint from proper state Restraint from proper right Constraint to base actions p. 83 Title 11. Of the Subject of slavery The Sinner habitual p. 87 Title 12. Of the Reasons of slavery Restraint from proper end Restraint from proper guide Restraint from proper act Restraint from proper rule Restraint from proper state Restraint from proper right Captivity Constraint to base actions p. 88 Title 13. Of the Lord of slavery Sin Satan p. 91 Title 14. Of the Innocency of the Law Grace cannot deceive p. 92 Title 15. Of the Mystery of the Law Mystical Precepts Mystical Providences p. 96 Title 16. Of the History of the Law Writing in Tables Law lost Law found Law lost again Law restored Septuagints Translation Law burnt Maccabes Sects of Jews Christ's coming Law on Mount Sinai the same with that of Adam in Paradise The renewal of the Covenant of Works The equivocal word Law p. 99 The Fourth Book Of the Gospel or New Testament Title 1. Of the Reformation Law changed Priesthood changed Sacrifices Gospel a Covenant of Faith God may change the law Law advanced to Spirit Types Secret of Christ understood by degrees Divine Dispensations Creation Fall Promise Faithful Vnfaithful Gentiles feared God Law written Rites why commanded Civil law Rule Outward service trusted in Prophets sent Christ sent Jews Idolaters before Christ's time Jews destroyed Gentiles called Old Religion antiquated Aaron's Priesthood Christ's Priesthood Typical Redemption from typical sins Real redemption from real sins Salvation of all men No more Changes p. 105 Title 2. Of the Nature of the Gospel Few Disciples in Christ's time Resipicence True Wisdom p. 115 Title 3. Of the Gospel a Testament What the Old Testament contains What the New Testament contains Gospel a Testament rather than a Covenant p. 117 Title 4. Of a Testament the best Deed. Evidences Promises Earnest Oath Security Donation Testament a single Will A last Will. In force alone Confirmed by death Testament the Noblest deed Solemn Nuncupative Declarative Witnesses Plainness Heir Finishing by Hand and Seal In giving all In dying Testament most solemn Most liberal Marriage A near Vnion Acquisition of goods Love of God Love of Saints Communion Adoption Heir the most beloved Definition of the Gospel Definition of a Testament Testatour Appellative name of Believers Consent Testament of Father to Children Testamentum ad pias Causas No Praeterition No inofficious Testament p. 120 Title 5. Of the Grace of the New Testament Definition of Grace Nature Free-grace Right Nature Law Throne of Grace Wrath. Works Free grace Rich grace Assurance Jews loth to leave the law p. 128 Title 6. Of the Confirmation of the New Testament Writing Testimony Confirmation Execution Christ the Executor Executorship conditional Flesh and Blood Christ's Ascension Spirit 's Mission p. 132 Title 7. Of the Testament compared Spiritual Lively In force for ever Literal Deadly Abrogated for ever Consequences Cautions Instructions Exhortations p. 136 Title 8. Of Liberty Nature of Liberty Form Loosness from all Incumbrances Largeness p. 142 Title 9. Of the Seat of Liberty Soul p. 143 Title 10. Of the Terms of Liberty Recess from Evil. Access to Good p. 145 Title 11. Of the Cases of Liberty Loosness to proper end Loosness to proper guide Loosness to proper act Loosness to proper rule Loosness to proper state Loosness to proper right p. 146 Title 12. Of the Subject of Liberty God Christ Faithful Term of recess Bondage Term of access Sonship p. 149 Title 13. Of the Allegory of the two Covenants Ismael Isaac But two eminent Covenants State of Christian liberty p. 153 Title 14. Of the Minority and Majority of the Church Fulness of time Jews a childish people Time of Minority Redemption Adoption Plenage Gentiles exempted from Minority Popery Administration of both Testaments Idolatry Remedy against Idolatry p. 159 The Fifth Book Of a Mediatour Title 1. Of the Name and Thing Transition Mediatour Reconciliation Moses p. 167 Title 2. Of the Person of Christ Two Natures Vnion Incarnation p. 170 Title 3. Of the Mediatorship of Christ Christ sole Mediator God is one All Nations sinners Jews and Gentiles made one Christ a Soveraign Mediator Testament includes a Covenant Wherein Christ's Mediatorship consists Mediator and Testator how concurring p. 177 Title 4. Of Christ's Priesthood Christ's offering One God to mediate to One Man to mediate for One God and Man to mediate One Ransom to mediate by Christ a Man Christ the greatest and truest High Priest Christ offered Self p. 180 Title 5. Of the Dignity of Melchisedec A Priest A singular Priest A perpetual Priest Greater than Abraham Abraham paid Tithes to Melchisedec Melchisedec not of Aaron's Tribe Abraham blessed of Melchisedec Sacerdotal Blessing Levi paid Tithes to Melchisedec Actions of Fathers transmitted to Children Levi blessed of Melchisedec Melchisedec immortal p. 184 Title 6. Of the Order of Melchisedec Christ of that order Christ's pedigree Joseph's pedigree Maries pedigree Christ no Priest by birth Christ made a Priest by oath Christ a Royal Priest Christ Priest and Sacrifice Christ ministers in Heaven Tabernacle imperfect Sanctuary a worldly manufacture Ordinances arbitrary Way to Holiest not made Christ first enters the Holy place Faithful enter at the last day Services imperfect Christ's blood dedicates the Holy of Holies One offering Christ offers Self in heaven Christ reigns in heaven Melchisedec a type of Christ Of the offering of Christ Through the spirit Without spot Once In Heaven p. 189 Title 7. Of Christ's Humiliation Extent of Christ's obedience To all Law Above all Law Against all Law Extremity of Christ's obedience Rarity Shame Curse Reasons of Christ's obedience To confirm Testament To expiate sin and misery p. 202 Title 8. Of Christ's Exaltation Victory over sin Imputation of righteousness Jural righteousness Reasons of victory over sin Light conquers darkness Sin no native Propension in Nature to its proper state Genuine nature of the Spirit Superiour faculties predominate Active cooperation Christ's victory over Law Outward Covenant of Works Inward state of Mind Alive to sin Dead to Law Carnal liberty to sin Legal perfection Our victory over Law Grace stronger than Law Spirit of Grace stronger than spirit of Law God delights more in mercy than vengeance Man object of Gods love Christ's pleading undeniable to God Christ's victory over death Victory procured meritoriously by Christ's death Victory obtained by the spirit of Faith Our victory over death Sin conquered Law conquered Devil conquered Christ entred into the Holy of Holies p. 210 Title 9. Of mistakes of the effects of Christ's Humiliation and Exaltation Nothing for us to do Trust to outward Mortifications Superstition Natural complexion for Divine grace Rhetoricating Consequences of Christ's death and resurrection Material Cross Spiritual Cross Material resurrection Spiritual resurrection Material ascension Spiritual Ascension No oblation pleased God but Christ's Every one that comes to God must offer Christian Religion most spiritual and glorious No Mediatour but Christ End of
any other name by which the World can be saved but only by the name of Christ who is the same yesterday to day and for ever in whom all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen There have been different Dispensations but the same Grace Yet still I say Believers were never under the Law as it was the Covenant of Works were allways under the Law as it was the Covenant of Grace St. Chrysostom expounds the History of the two Twins Hom. 42. in Gen. Gen. 38.30 which Thamar brought forth by her Father in Law Judah by the Mystery of Christians and Jews By God's appointment he that first put forth his hand was last born that thereby might be signified the entrance of the Law which yielded unto Faith For Abel Enoch Noah Melchisedec and Abraham before the Law pleased God as Christians do after the Law But that there might be some suppression of the over-flowings of sins in the world the Law was given which though it did not quite extinguish Sin yet it restrained it much by Terrible Punishments which in the last Place Faith utterly took away by most comfortable Mercies Come on therefore thou Covenant of Grace and we shall be saved by thee that could not be saved by the Covenant of the Law We have an holy boldness to appeal from the Throne of Justice unto the Mercy-Seat from Works to Faith from Law to Gospel from Bondage to Liberty from Death to Life This is the height of all perfection Behold I shew unto you the most excellent way God demonstrating his great kindness to the Sons of men he gave grace before more sparingly but now most largely and generally full measure pressed down and running over Grace for Grace This is the Standard of the Lord set up upon a hill Flie to it all ye Nations that are heavy laden with the burden of your sins and ye shall find rest for your Souls in the Dispensations of Righteousness Grace and Glory Why will ye groan under bondage and never look out for freedom Why will ye die O ye Sons of Men Come on let us leave Moses behind us and follow Christ Come O come to my Soul thou that art highly beloved of the Father full of Grace and Truth and of thy fullness we shall all receive grace for grace Come Thou Fairest of ten thousand to the Jew labouring under the costly Ceremonies and deadly Injunctions and relieve him into a spiritual Worship and a lively Commandment To the Gentile groping under darkness and stooping under Satan's load and give light and put thy easie burden upon his shoulders Trust not Thou Jew in thy Flesh and in thy Law for the Righteousness thereof but trust to the Spirit and to the Gospel for the Righteousness thereof Trust not Thou Gentile to thy Arts or Arms but trust to the saving knowledg and power of Christ and to the lively Oracles of God Let both Jew and Gentile come up to a better Rule approach to a higher Sun Ye were in Plato's care before and saw nothing but shadows Come forth now into the open Light and see the Beauties of the Substances themselves See what a Dispensation the Gospel is Heretofore a little Grace and a great deal of wrath Now all Grace and no Wrath Heretofore a little Rule a Law Form a Temporal Law of Wrath Now a vast Direction a high Tribunal an Eternal Law of Grace Heretofore Cursing now Blessing Heretofore Threatnings and Fears now Promises and Hopes Heretofore a Law that could wound now a Law that can cure A Law that could kill now a Law that can make alive Never such a Dispensation as this Nothing done by judgments and Fears but all by Mercies and Love that casteth out Fears Transition This is the Reformation that is so welcome to the World that for so many Ages was longed for The Consolation so long waited for The Hope of all the Ends of the Earth and of them that remain in the Broad Sea The Fourth BOOK OF THE GOSPEL OR New Testament The CONTENTS Law changed Priesthood changed Sacrifices Gospel a Covenant of Faith God may change the Law Law advanced to Spirit Types Secret of Christ understood by degrees Divine Dispensations Creation Fall Promise Faithful Vnfaithful Gentiles feared God Law written Rites why commanded Civil Law Rule Outward Service trusted in Prophets sent Christ sent Jews Idolaters before Christ time Jews destroyed Gentiles called Old Religion antiquated Aaron's Priesthood Christ's Priesthood Typical Redemption from typical sins Real Redemption from real sins Salvation of all Men. No more Changes TITLE I. Of the Reformation AND it was high time for a Reformation and it brought mighty Changes with it and all for the better 1. Because the Priesthood was changed Heb. 7.12 Law changed Priesthood changed there was a necessity of a change also of the Law for the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Covenant did Of this the Prophets foretold Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my Covenant they brake although I was a Husband unto them saith the Lord But this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those daies saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People For they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more I will not reprove thee for thy Sacrifices Ps 50.8 c. or for thy burnt Offerings I will take no Bullock out of thine house Sacrifices nor Hee-goat out of thy fold c. Offer thy God thanksgiving and pay thy vows to the most High c. For thou desirest not Sacrifice else would I give it Ps 51.16 c. thou delightest not in burnt Offerings The Sacrifices of God are a troubled Spirit a broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Sacrifice and Burnt offering thou didst not desire but mine eyes hast thou opened Ps 40.6 Burnt offering and Sin offering hast thou not required Then said I Loe I come in the volume of the Book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me Is 1.11 c. I am full of the Burnt offerings of Rams and the fat of Beasts and I delight not in the blood of Bullocks or of Lambs or of Hee-goats When ye
Christ's Mediation to bring us to God Cross to be gloried in Cross outward and inward Effect of Cross-crucifixion Procured by outward cross Philosophy Christianity Christ the Sacrifice and Priest Christians true Sacrifices and Priests Decrees Christ's doing and suffering our doing and suffering Corollaries Christ a Priest Christ quickened by his eternal spirit Christ a Prophet Christ a King p. 224 APPENDIX OR Application to the Clergy and Laity Title 1. Of the Clergie's Calling Word Sacraments gospel-Gospel-spirit p. 243 Title 2. Of the Clergie's Doctrine Precepts Promises Conditions p. 244 Title 3. Of the Clergie's Persons p. 246 Title 4. Of the Clergie's Study Law Law-terms p. 247 Title 5. Of the Laitie's Calling p. 251 Title 6. Of the Laitie's Doctrine ibid. Title 5. Of the Laitie's Persons p. 252 Title 8. Of the Genius of the Gospel Joy Fear Decrees Gospel dispensations Worship spiritual Ceremonies Difference of Mosaick and Christian Rites Church of Rome Perfection of Christianity Spiritual perfection Ritual worship abolished No other Rites to be superinduced No Rites ever pleased God Greater perfections in the Christian Religion Prayer and other duties are Relativi Juris p. 254 THE CONTENTS OF THE Second Volume of the Estate of God The First Book Of Rights Title 1. Of Things TRansition Testament Things Method God's Donation Things to be had Things to be done Free-will Right p. 287 Title 2. Of Persons Personality Forfeiture Freedom Falling Recovery p. 293 Title 3. Of Rights Transition Right Definition Instances Independency Indifferency Liberality Creation Donation Declaration Faction Reception Justification Private right Publick right Justice Rights to God Rights to body and soul Rights to wife Rights to children Rights to estate and honour Rights not to be violated Day of Judgment Shame To be right To make right To bestow right To have right To do right Collections Rather hurt self than others Moral honesty not doubted of Vse Reason Reason of Nature Equity of Conscience Tricks in law Severity of old in the Church Man's judgment Relations Friendship Possibility of law Fates Justice in God and Man Wrong none Truth evident Caution p. 295 Title 4. Of Actions Transition Intention Execution Free-will Imperfection Willingness Implicit faith Social actions Jussion p. 316 The Second Book Of Titles Title 1. Of a Sinner Transition Vnjust legally Vnjust morally Vnjust jurally Oppressed Blemished Distressed Tainted p. 322 Title 2. Of Original sin Rom. 5.12 explained Recapitulation Accounting Adam's will not ours Levi's paying of Tithes All mortal in Adam Righteous in Christ Immortal in Christ Every Individuum acts for it self Sinner legal Sinner moral Sinner jural Psal 51.6 explained Ephes 2.3 explained Soul a spirit Good most common Good lovely v. lib. 7. Tit. 3.2 Vol. Argumenta Laciniata p. 326 Title 3. Of a Just man Just Just legally Just morally Just jurally Right Accounting God righteous 349 The Third Book Of Justification Title 1. Of the Name of Justification The term Justifie Accounting Synonyma Bondage Freedom Burden Corporation Other names p. 357 Title 2. Of the form of Justification Imputation Logick Logistick Christ's Righteousness p. 364 Title 3. Of the Matter of Justification Right Corporation Impunity Liberty Provision Protection Audience Alliance Resurrection Jurisdiction Glory Rights of Christ Expectation Supplication Possession p. 371 Title 4. Of the Title of Justification 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 p. 380 Title 5. Of the Continuance of Justification Relapse a revolt from God Breach of one Party disobligeth the other Mutability of Justification Kingdom of God Natural man Spiritual man Forfeiture Example of Israelites p. 398 Title 6. Of the Tenure of Justification Transition Works James 2.18 explained Works of love p. 405 Title 7. Faith Notions of Faith Credence Trust Promise given Promise taken Re-promise Courage Hope Covenant Faith in Christ Christ the conveyer of faith Christ the author of faith Declaring God's will Proving God's will Testament ad pias Causas Physical operation Moral operation Saving faith Means of faith A new heart 409 The Fourth Book Of Sanctification Title 1. Of the Spirit Transition Spirit the first Agent Hidden man Outward man Natural man Supernatural inspiration Penal and grievous Beneficial and gracious Holy spirit Spiritual man p. 421 Title 2. Of Conscience Definition Seat Vnderstanding Will Memory Reflection p. 424 Title 3. Of the disposition of Conscience To direct To urge To register To testifie To accuse Before the action In the action After the action p. 425 Title 4. Of the indisposition of Conscience Suspension of the offices of Conscience In good men In evil men Ignorance Learning Riches Poverty Self-love Idleness Prejudice Companions God 's not regarding Cross sins Success Satisfaction Want of a spiritual Clergy p. 431 Title 5. Of the restitution of Conscience Believe Conscience Not believe Conscience Self-examination Forsake sin Confess sin Collections p. 440 Title 6. Of a New Creature Transition Old man Old leaven Natural man Carnal mind New man New lump Spiritual mind New birth First resurrection Old creation Concurrency of God and man p. 444 Title 7. Of the Flesh and Spirit Transition Sensual and Spiritual life Mind and will of Flesh and Spirit Life in man threefold Spiritual senses and passions Life of Faith Corollaries Conclusion p. 450 The Fifth Book Of Assurance Title 1. Of the Nature of Assurance Transition Promises Publick Faith Spirit Waiting p. 455 Title 2. Of the Grounds of Assurance Matter of Fact Matter of Right Matter of Witness Spirit of Assurance Ability Sealed Earnest p. 460 Title 3. Of the Kinds of Assurance Names Species p. 465 Title 4. Of the Abuse of Assurance Doctrine of Masses Of no Salvation without the Pale of the Church Of lying still in sin Imputed Righteousness Collections Cautions Obstructions Rules Election p. 468 The Sixth Book Of Tenures Title 1. Of Allodium Transition Estates Allodium Lordship Model from the Goths Etymology Crown Lands Caution Apology p. 476 Title 2. Of Feudum Name Definition Promise Investiture Felony p. 481 The Seventh Book Of Christ's Church and Kingdom Title 1. Of a Feudal Kingdom Transition Feudal Customes Feudal Kingdoms best Goths and Vandals Goths honest Goths endowed the Church first with Lands and Lordships Jus Feudale Manners of Goths Resemblances of a Feudal Kingdom Blessedness Cursedness Church Militant Church Triumphant Tenure of Heaven conditional Holding of God Absolute dominion Feuds a middle government Christ sole Judge Customes in a Feudal kingdom Excellency of a Feudal government Collections Parables run not on all four Tenure of
That therefore the Law is spiritual Ro. 7.14 and a Grace Joh. 1.16 17. of his fullness we have all received and grace for grace for the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ the Grace of the Gospel instead of the grace of the Law 1 Cor. 2.13 The Gospel is in words not taught by mans wisdom but by the Holy Ghost comparing spiritual things with spiritual i. e. the Spiritual things of the Gospel as signified by the Law to the same spiritual things as revealed by Christ So the Righteousness of God in the Gospel from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 i. e. from the faith under the Law to the faith under the Gospel Most true it is as hath been observed that this Spirit of the Law was not discovered in the Law but by revelation of Gods Spirit that made it and that chiefly to Princes and Prophets the Priests had little knowledg besides the Letter The Prophets therefore called up the People higher than the Carnal Ordinance to the spiritual Service of Law Noah is called the Preacher of Righteousness not of the Law of Rites which then was not and they that resisted are charged for resisting the Spirit of God that called them to it 2 Pet. 2.5 St. Stephen taxeth the Jews all along for resisting Gods Spirit under the administration of the Law and now for resisting Christ himself As the Israelites would not understand the power of Gods Spirit in Moses by that act of killing the Egyptian that did the wrong and offering to make peace between the two Israelites that he was sent to be a Judge among them And as the People were rebellious to Moses in the Wilderness so they were to the Great Prophet whom Moses had foretold he concludes thus Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears ye do alwaies resist the Holy Ghost Act. 7. as your Fathers so you also Which of the Prophets did not your Fathers persecute killing those that foretold of the coming of that Righteous One of whom you are now become the Traitours and Murtherers And all that we read in the Old Testament of the grace of God to that People and of their ungraciousness to him in resisting his grace tends to the same purpose 41. That it is truly said indeed In rendring two kinds of Reason the true Reason being unknown why Christ came not till towards the latter end of the World That God meant first to shew the World that other means which he thought fit to use to reclaim the World by the Fathers and by the Law and by his Judgments and Favours were not efficacious that the necessity of Christs coming might appear 42. That this is not to be understood as if God meant to render them inexcusable by using insufficient means that could not take effect But that dispensing to those times such means of Grace as the reasons of his secret Counsels did require proportionable to the obedience and service which he expected at their hands he reserves the full measure of them to the coming of his Son proportionable to the difficulty of bearing the Cross which he purposed for the condition of those Promises which he brought And the same is to be said of the Fathers under the Law of Nature who by walking by that Rule did please God and were advanced farther by his Spirit to nearer Communion with him as appears in the Book of Job presenting large Instances both of Gods correspondence with the godly of the Gentiles and of the Piety of their conversation with him And if God gave his Creatures so much understanding and liberty as he was pleased to allow and as he knew to be sufficient for them if they shall put forth these their abilities to the utmost of the power that God hath given them shall that which he gave for sufficient when used be counted insufficient and they be condemned for doing according as God did enable them Or shall he give them no means at all sufficient and reject them for the insufficiency which he set them in or will God require more than he gives and be so hard a man as to reap where he did not sow and gather where he had not strawed and require Bricks without Straw These are hard thoughts far be it from us to speak or think after this fashion Shall not the Judge of all the World do right 43. That it cannot be supposed that God should employ his Creatures in his service and not reward them for it much less that he should create them with a decree that they should never have power to serve him and be condemned for it 44. That we may not safely think that because Christ came late into the World therefore the benefit of his coming was the less and that all or most of the Nations besides the Jews or most of the Jews did perish for want of Christ No by no means Christ is the same to day yesterday and for ever and the merit of his Mediation extends to all before at and after his coming in the flesh unto the Worlds end 45. That to close up this long Title I conclude with submission not magisterially That seeing the Holy Ghost hath distinguished between the Law and the Gospel none ought to presume to mingle them together as one and the same in their Nature or as one and the same in effect and operation or that one is contained in the other the New Testament in the Old 46. That to let pass therefore the oratorical and hyperbolical expressions of the Fathers in this and other points who were most of them bred in the Schools of Rhetoricians as also the School Terms and other strained expressions of Modern Systematicks let us choose rather to adhere to the form of sound words delivered in the Scriptures which are the Pandects or body of Divinity that we must trust unto and for explication of our conceptions upon them make use of those Jural words that are most homogeneal unto them And to be sure this is the safest way because all Heterogeneous and Exotick terms must needs puzzle the understanding more than such as are genuine and nearer related to the Subject These are connatural and familiar and obvious the other remote difficult and forced Take this Cause and hold it and it may bid fair for the Peace of Christendom Amen Thus Man at first did not like to keep Covenant with God Adam and Eve had a desire to be greater than God thought fit to make them and would fain have been as Gods to themselves without such dependance of God as was by a Covenant to do Gods will for they had a mind to do only their own will and to know Good and Evil and to be Immortal for so was God and so would they have been When therefore out of an aspiring mind they had tasted of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil in hopes to be made
Ro. 5.13 sin is not to be imputed where there is no Law In this Term of Recess there is some difference between the Jewish and the Gentile Christians Because the Jewish Christians are free from being Children and Servants under God's Law but the Gentile Christians are free from being Aliens and Strangers unto God's Kingdom for they never served under that written Law SECTION V. Term of Access Sonship The Term of Access whereto we are freed is a state of Son-hood unto God to be Filiifamilias Deo Free-men of the Heavenly Jerusalem Free in the Family and Policy of God To this state of Son-hood are consequent two Rights 1. Of Maintenance to be nourished and educated as the Sons of God by the Spirit of God called the Comforter 2. Of Inheritance to be Heirs of all Blessings promised in their mystical spiritual and divine intendment to Abraham For though God be free to Adopt whom he will to be his Sons yet after Adoption he is bound by the Law of Adoption to justifie them or give them a Right to Maintenance and then to a Right of Inheritance Because by the Law of Nature both these are due to the Native Son therefore by the Law of Adoption they are due also to the Adoptive Son But in this Term of Access there is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile Christian but both are equally the Sons of God in equal Right to Maintenance and Inheritance No difference of Persons with God Jew or Gentile Bond or Free Male or Female all are alike to him Because the Manumission of the Jew from being a Servant and the Denisation of the Gentile from being an Alien concur into one and the same state of Christian Liberty The Author whereof is God the Mediator and Collator Christ 1. In all this Christian Liberty it is to be noted that there is a Loosness from the Rigor Bondage and Curse of the Law but not from the Rule of the Law of God which is the Light of Nature and the Revealed Light of Grace in the Scripture and from the Laws of Men derived from them both it being the Nature of true Liberty alwaies to consist with true Obedience to Laws and the more obedient the more free for the Service of God is perfect freedom And when we are free only to good without Indifferency then are we in the true resemblance of God and Angels who will Good only without all reluctancy or inclination to Evil. 2. In this Christian Liberty also it is to be noted that God's free Grace and Man's free Will do very excellently well consist together And the more Man 's free Will follows God's free Grace the more free it is because God's free Grace doth free the Will by loosing it from all Evil and leading it into all Good In which condition when the Will is so fixed without hovering to and fro trembling as the Needle in the Compass but freely and undoubtingly pointing in its first motion to God and all Goodness then is our Absolute Perfection come upon us which we aspire unto in this life In the mean time till we attain to this full Freedom as they that search for the Philosopher's Stone which though they find not yet they discover excellent Rarities so we meet with admirable Experiences of breaking through the revocations of a sensitive Will in the tendencies of the Rational desire to the Coelestial Objects of Love Most things have their Counterfeits and whatsoever is in deed may be in outward shew As there is Christianity in deed and in shew so there is Liberty in truth and Liberty in appearance Slavery in truth and Slavery in appearance And these Counterfeits that would seem to be the same with the Real are quite Contraries As the Devil appears to be an Angel of Light but is the Prince of Darkness so Licentiousness would be called Christian Liberty but is Antichristian Bondage The True Freedom is from the Son of God and the True Slavery is from the Devil The CONTENTS Ismael Isaac But two Eminent Covenants State of Christian Liberty TITLE XIII Of the Allegory of the two Covenants THE Bondage of the Law and Liberty of the Gospel whereby the Two Covenants are exactly distinguished one from the other is accurately described by St. Paul by the Allegory of the Two Mothers Agar and Sarah the Bond-woman and the Free-woman and of their two Sons Ismael and Isaac For these saith he Gal. 4.24 are the Two Covenants By these two Women Abraham had two Sons principally named Ismael and Isaac For Abraham had took Keturah and by her had six Sons after Sarah's death when he was past ordinary Generation at one hundred and forty years of age for the abundant fulfilling of the Promise of a Numerous Off-spring Gen. 25. SECTION I. I. Ismael the Eldest Son was by a Bondmaid his Natural Son Ismael not Legitimate For Agar by Nation was an Egyptian by State and Condition Sarah's Bondmaid by Use and Service her Waiting-woman or Hand-maid probably bought by Sarah when she was in Egypt and by an Act of Priviledge given by Sarah her Mistress to be Abraham's Concubine or Wife quasily and usually Gen. 16.3 for she had neither the Dower nor Power from Abraham in his house as a True VVife but remained still a Bond-woman to her Master and Mistris and when she had served both and done her work was fairly turned out of doors SECTION II. Isaac II. Isaac the youngest Son was by a Free-woman his Legitimate Son by a lawful Wife For Sarah was Free-born and lived free a Matron had the true Right of Bed and Board of Dower and Power dignity of Rule under Abraham over the Family For Liber est qui Jus habet sui ipsius Servus qui nullum Jus habet sed est alterius He or she is free that hath Right but a Servant hath none but is another man's Right And as the two Mothers Conditions were contrary one to another so were their two Sons For Partus sequitur ventrem the one therefore was a Bond-man as his Mother was a Bond-woman and the other a Free-man as his Mother was a Free-woman The one therefore had no Right to the Inheritance because he was no Right Son but a Bastard and the other had Right because he was a True Son and Legitimate So the Law and the Gospel are contrary the one to another because their states and conditions are contrary The Law is a Bond-woman and the Gospel is a Free-woman and the Sons of the Law and of the Gospel follow the state and condition of their Mothers for the Sons of the Law are as Ismael who though a Son had neither the state of a Person nor the Right of a Son but was a Bastard and Bond-child because he came from a Woman who had not the state of a Woman nor the Right of a Wife but was a Bond-maid and a Concubine And the Sons of the Gospel
another but to outward Mortification of the Body by Austerities of Fasting hard Lodging Pilgrimages Whippings and such Penances or to the Vertue of Crosses Holy-water Reliques of Saints Indulgences and Pardons by Bulls Masses Dirges Prayers of Saints Merits of their own or others and such like That by these God is perfectly reconciled and as often as they commit sin which they take no care to kill in their hearts they shall be forgiven by the Repetition of their former Penances and Carnal Services and so they run out their course of Life in Jewish and Heathenish Ordinances without regard to the Evangelical Spirit or Power of Godliness The vanity and folly of these men will quickly appear to all those that seriously read the New Testament Superstition 3. Others are alwaies upon Scruples and Doubts every thing troubles their Consciences and is called Superstition though it be harmless and commanded only for Order and Decency It is Superstition to lay the stress of Religion upon Outward Rites and Ceremonies and neglect the weightier Matters Justice and Judgment It is Superstition to make nothing at all of any Rites or Ceremonies and lay the stress of Religion in abhorring them utterly As if those outward things did either hallow or defile the Soul as if Salvation or Damnation depended upon the using or not using them The Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof consisteth not in Circumcision nor Uncircumcision in Eating or not Eating in Observation of Daies or not Observation of Daies in using of Ceremonies or not using them And therefore Negative Superstition is equal to Positive both alike calling off mens attentions from the main power of Godliness by ingaging them over-much about the use or disuse of small inconsiderable things 1 Cor. 7.19 Consider well these Scriptures Circumcision is nothing and Uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandements of God The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edifie another for meat destroy not the work of God Rom. 14.2 c One believeth that he may eat all things another who is weak eateth herbs Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateh for God hath received him One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike Let every one be fully perswaded in his own mind He that regardeth a day regardeth it unto the Lord and he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it He that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks Luke 17.21 The Kingdom of God is within you But the sober Christian that neither places the Substance of Religion in External Ordinances nor yet is Superstitiously Anti-ceremonial but thinks himself obliged to have a due regard to the Commands of lawful Authority in adiaphorous things and to preferr the Peace and Unity of the Church of Christ and the Observation of the Royal Law of Charity before the satisfaction of any private Interest of himself or any other And so he will be aware of that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which many run into by banishing away all the solemnity of External Worship under the notion of Ceremonies out of the World To conclude Unless there be a due and timely regard had to the Injunctions and Orders of lawful Authority in indifferent things for Order and Decency and Unity in the Church it may easily be foreseen that the Reformed Part of Christendom will at last be brought to confusion by crumbling so long into infinite Sects and Factions till it come to utter ruin 4. Natural Complexion for Divine Grace Some mistake the Vices of their Natural Complexion for Supernatural and Divine Graces As stupid Melancholy for Christian Mortification Turbulent and fiery Zeal for the Vigour of the Spirit Whereas Sadness Joy Zeal and Love are those ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã those harmless Passions or at least of a middle Nature neither good nor bad in themselves but which as they are circumstantiated with their several Adjuncts may indifferently become either Vertues or Vices There is a true Divine Zeal of Sorrow Joy Love Anger c. which is no Corybantick Extasie of Bacchanals but a sober calm and regular Heat of Passion guided and managed by Light and Prudence and is carried out principally neither for indifferent Rites and Opinions nor against them but for those things that are essentially good and fundamental to Religion alwaies acknowledging a due obedience to that Power Civil or Ecclesiastical which God hath set over us There was amongst the Jews a certain Right called Jus Zelotarum whereby private Persons by extraordinary impulse from God might do some extraordinary Acts of Peace or Warr to reward Vertue or Punish Vice which God under that Dispensation did permit As when Elias called for fire from Heaven upon the Captains and their Companies and Elisha slew the Children that called him bald Pate by Bears As when Phinehas slew Zimri and Cozbi and the Maccabes raised War against the Enemies of the Jews and Christ whipped the buyers and sellers out of the Temple And these men were never questioned by the Magistrates for it So that it was a kind of Legal or Regular thing yet so as in some cases of doubt they might be accountable to the Sanedrim and approved or punished as they saw cause for what they did But it is not so now nor may any such private Persons under the Dispensation of the Gospel take upon them to call fire from Heaven as the zealous Disciples would have done if they could or would have Christ to have done because they could not For Christ rebuketh them for it and tells them they know not what Spirit they are of So may not private Persons now presume they are called of God to reform publick Abuses in Church or State against the consent of Princes by making Vows or Covenants among themselves to take up Arms contrary to Laws or justifie any unwarrantable proceedings by their Zeal for God's Cause or to set Christ upon his Throne as they speak God needs no man's help to promote his ends by doing unjust things for him To speak wickedly for God or talk deceitfully for him or to do any Evil that Good may come thereof This is to mock God as one mocketh his Neighbour or to glorifie God by our Lyes as if God were a man that he should be mocked as if God were such a one as themselves and could do nothing without our help These are Dogmata Reipublicae noxia amongst many others Cavete Principes Rhetoricating
Sacrifices and Services that are acceptable unto God He is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 3. Because he qualifies all our Sacrifices and Services through his Perfection all our Imperfections are hid and covered 4. Because he only made an Attonement for the sins of the Whole World Christians true Sacrificers and Priests II. Christians are True Sacrificers and Sacrifices in their Bodies and Souls offered as living Sacrifices which is their reasonable service not of themselves nor by themselves but in Christ and by Christ 1. Because Christ is the Head of the Church 2. Because Christians are the Body All are offered by Christ the Priest and Christians Priests all suffering together Christ for us and we under him for our selves to fill up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ for his Bodie 's sake which is the Church Decrees III. We are told of a Decree and of Decrees 1. Of Absolute Election from all Eternity Christ's Doing and Suffering 2. Of Christ's doing and suffering all that is to be done or suffered for our sins to pacifie God's Wrath and Merit Happiness Our Doing and Suffering 3. Of our doing nothing and suffering nothing what think we Is Faith nothing are Hope and Love and Good Works and Tribulations all nothing and just nothing True we and all our Faith and Love and Good Works and Afflictions are all nothing and worse than nothing in themselves and out of Christ considered but in Christ and for his sake Christ hath made them something yea and all acceptable to God too and rewardable too by God for his sake Reasons 1. Because they are Spiritual Acts and Spiritual Acts are pleasing to the Father of Spirits as 1. Killing of Lusts and corrupt Affections 2. Consuming them 3. Offering up holy desires to God 2. Because they keep the Covenant of Faith with God 3. Because they flow from an habit of Holiness to justifie true Faith in God 4. Because they do good to Men. 5. Because they obtain Reconciliation with God I do not say they procure or purchase or merit it at God's hands but that they obtain or receive it at the hands of God for the Worthiness of Christ 6. Because they are the weightier Duties of the Law Tithes of Mint and Cummin Sacrifices Offerings and other Rites were the weighty duties of the Law of Moses But Justice and Judgment and Mercy are the far weightier services of the two these must and ought to be done but not to leave the rest undone So Prayer Alms Fasting Hearing Preaching Praising Communicating Baptizing c. are the weighty duties of the Law of Christ but Mortification Crucifying Self-denying Regeneration New Creation c. are the far weightier services of the two these must and ought to be done and not to leave the other undone And these must first and last be done leave all the rest undone till this be done Leave thy gift at the Altar and go and first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come again and offer what thou hast to offer Wash your hands ye Sinners and purifie your hearts ye Double-minded and then come and offer a spiritual offering Offer to God Thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the Most High and this is better than a Bullock that hath horns and hoofs Obedience is better than Sacrifice and to hearken than the Fat of Lambs Go learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice 1. So then there is a God that is offended Corollaries 2. So then there must be a coming before this God to answer for those offences 3. Outward Sacrifices of Bulls and Goats of old and other services of Circumcision Sabbaths c. when brought before him could not do the deed 4. Outward Sacrifices among us Christians as of Prayer Sacraments c. when brought before him cannot do the deed 5. But Christ's Sacrifice of himself once offered to God through his Eternal Spirit in Heaven hath done the deed by his merit 6. And Christians Sacrifices of themselves often offered to God through Christ's Spirit in Earth do the deed by our duty I. See then what true Religion and the power of Godliness is Pure Religion and undefiled before God is this for a man to visit the fatherless and widow in their distress and to keep himself unspotted from the world The rest are but the forms and outsides of Religion 1. As among the Jews Sacrifices and Oblations Tithes Fasts Feasts Sabbaths Circumcision Passover Washings c. 2. As among Christians Prayers Praises Preaching Sacraments Fasts Feasts Offerings Penances Burnings Prostrations c. The Substance is Spiritual Prayer Communicating Fasting Feasting Justice Equity Mercy Humility c. II. The Christian Law requires more than any Positive Law Justice is the most that any Positive Law besides requires but Mercy to our very Enemies and purity of heart and poorness of Spirit c. no Law but this doth urge Called the Law of Love and Grace a Law above all other Laws III. 'T is good but Law living according to the Law of bare Nature as 1. To defend ones self 2. To nourish young 3. To do no wrong Natural Justice and Love IV. 'T is good but Law living according to the Positive Law of Nations as 1. Suum cuique tribuere to give every one his own 2. Neminem laedere to hurt no body 3. Honestè vivere to live honestly Positive Law These are good steps to farther Justice of Equity Grace and Mercy And yet but a small matter V. 'T is good and high living according to the Law of Christ in the Gospel as 1. To love our Enemies 2. To offer Life and all for Truth 3. To do Equity and Mercy c. This is that that God requires of all The Christian Law This is Perfection Covet after the best Gifts But behold I shew unto you a more excellent way This is above all Law Super-Justice VI. A Rebuke 1. To all Rigor and Extremity of Law 2. To all carelesness of others sufferings and wrongs Who cares what becomes of all Miserable persons Let them starve or hang or damn they care not A merciless Spirit worse than an unjust spirit No bowels nor yernings nor pity that 's a hard case VII A Rebuke to all formal Religion as 1. In outward Ceremonies 2. In outward acts of Justice Honesty and Love Opus operatum trusting in the Work done 3. In sinful compliances and worldly correspondencies for friends gain honour and favour fair shews complements no real honesty or love Worldly policy VIII Rebuke of Pride as 1. For Honour and Greatness 2. For Riches and Estate 3. For Power and Prowess 4. For Beauty 5. For Learning and Wisdom 6. For Wit and Cunning. Worldly Pride We are all fellow creatures we are all partakers of the same Grace without merit or desert we have nothing but what we have received there is no respect of persons with God IX Many a habit
by Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all honour and glory now and for evermore Amen APPENDIX OR APPLICATION TO THE CLERGY and LAITY The CONTENTS Word Sacraments Gospel-Spirit TITLE I. Of the Clergie's Calling SAint Paul saith 2 Cor. 3.6 God hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Old not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life We must therefore consider our Calling Heb. 7.12 the Priesthood is changed therefore there must of necessity be a change also of the Law The Gospel is the Royal Law the Law of Faith the Law of liberty and of perfection that nulls the servile Law of bondage and works The Word therefore of this New Testament we must preach Word the newness of the Spirit not the oldness of the Letter and that in season and out of season and that carefully for wo be unto us if we preach not the Gospel and cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently and having put our hands to this plow we must not look back Sacraments 2. The Sacraments of this New Testament we must administer as 1. Baptism which is not by Water only but by Water and Blood for without blood there is no Remission of sins and Baptism is for the remission of sins therefore we are baptized into Christ's death in which is blood that our sins might be buried in Christ's grave and we buried with him in Baptism and rise again with him in newness of Life 2. The Lord's Supper containing 1. The Body of Christ which is given for us Sacrifice and Burnt-offering thou wouldest not have but a body hast thou prepared me This is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for you This is the New Testament in my Blood and no Testament can be confirmed without Blood And hereby we shew the Lord's death until he come again Gospel-spirit Let us aim therefore at a Gospel-Spirit for behold I shew unto you a more excellent way both in your Doctrine and in your Persons I do not take upon me to be a Magisterial Dictator to the Clergy but as having received some helps from the Lord I hope I may become an humble and modest Adviser and Director The CONTENTS Precepts Promises Conditions TITLE II. Of the Clergie's Doctrine I. IN Your Doctrine therefore consider what high Preceps and what high Promises you are to publish to the world For surely we are no Old-Testament-Divines but Ministers of a better Testament than that was and established upon far better Promises Precepts The Precepts you are to teach are very pure no less than Spiritual and perfect Holiness which is the condition for the obtaining of God's Promises For Godliness hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come and without Holiness no man shall ever see the face of God The Promises you are to teach are no less than Spiritual and Eternal Happiness and the graces that tend thereto as Forgiveness of sins Promises Adoption Liberty Protection Priviledges the Earnest and Comfort of the Spirit Resurrection and Life Everlasting Fear not little Flock for it is your Father's pleasure to give you a Kingdom Come ye Blessed children of my Father inherit the kingdom of God prepared for you from the beginning of the world Greater Precepts cannot be enjoyned and greater promises cannot be made and surer cannot be performed For they are the Gifts and Legacies of God devised by him in his last Will and Testament conveyed and administred by Christ the Executor The conditions upon which these high things are given are as noble Conditions so as easie and favourable written upon the Tables of our hearts by the finger of God's Spirit Thy Law is within my heart therefore easie to be known and as easie to be done by the help of the same Spirit which shall lead us into all truth and help all our Infirmities and do our work for us and in us I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me My Grace is sufficient for thee Take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easie and my burden is light Embrace wisdom for her ways are always pure and pleasant and all her paths are peace Every Wise man will make his Last Will and Testament his best Will and Testament most plain and easie to be understood that the Heir and Legataries may know their several Duties and Dues how to perform them and how to claim by them And every good man will make his last Will and Testament his most favourable and bountiful Will and Testament bestowing the best things and commanding the easiest and less irksome Conditions Much more will the great and wise God who is wisdom and goodness it self make his last will most clear and most gracious For if we that are evil know how to give good gifts to our children how much more will our Heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to those that ask him Hit therefore this Basilick vein find out the pretious Pearl pour in this Balm of Gilead open this Phoenix Nest this bed of Spices this pretious Box of odoriferous Ointments Let your Speech be seasoned with Salt and let such gracious words proceed out of your mouths as may administer Grace unto the Hearers Be not sons of Thunder as if you came from Mount Sinai but rather sons of consolation as coming from Mount Sion Be sure ye utter no Principles against the Justice and Mercy of God nor Dogmata Reipublicae noxia nor Doctrines hurtful or disgraceful to Princes or Common-Wealths Remember that Religion is first pure and then peaceable not reflecting upon the Dishonour of God nor injurious to any man Be not as the Seditious Zealots among the Jews before and at the destruction of Jerusalem nor like the factious and rebellious Philosophers Orators and Poets among the Gentiles especially in Greece and Rome Beware of all Judaizing or Heathenizing by Cabbalistical Sophistical vain Philosophy insinuating deceivable Rhetorick Flourishes Gingles and Querks of Flashy Wit Preach the plain good will and mind of God plainly and kindly Hide your Art and that will be your chiefest Art Tell poor Souls what a large Portion they have in God's Will and Testament how their Namss are written in that book of Life Tell them the mark of the price of the high Calling which is laid up for them in Christ Jesus the crown of Righteousness the exceeding great Recompence of the Reward for all such as diligently seek him Freely you have received this treasure into your Earthen Vessels freely give it to them to whom it belongs distribute the favours of your bountiful Lord and Master with a courteous hand let not your eye be evil because God's is good be you willing as God is that all men should be saved and come to the knowledg of the truth be not rigid austere morose sullen saturnine ghostly
my poor wife and Children for I know my doom and accordingly am hastening as I am driven into Hell And I can expect no help from thee And this he expressed with a sedate mind as one that was earnestly going a journey The example of Francis Spira is fearful although there were not wanting some signs of hopes in him Alas the Church of Rome is a sad Mother leading her Children in a Maze affording them no assurance in Life or Death ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for the most part her Teachers deny the certainty of Salvation unless it be to some choice and eminent Saints and that not without a special Revelation As for others they have but poor hopes Yet Ambrosius Catharinus and Martin Eisengenius incline to the orthodox judgment Catharinus and Sotus oppose one another and Vega both The sense of the Council of Trent is versatile like the Oracles of Apollo Some were for a revealed Assurance some for no Assurance at all Some confessed ingeniously their ignorance in the point SECT I. 1. Doctrines of Masses c. The subtilty of maintaining this Doctrine of the uncertainty of Faith is contrived to uphold the Doctrine of Masses Dirges Indulgences Purgatory visiting of Saints Shrines c. such filthy gains as they daily make by such delusions which otherwise would altogether come tumbling down headlong to the ruin of the Politick Church One of them saith I have many a time and often visited the sick M. Eisenc and them that have died and no Man can say of me but that after they had declared their repentance and Faith I exhorted them with all diligence to have an undanted and certain confidence He farther saith That all the chiefest Divines of the World taught the same Doctrine ever since the Apostles daies So say Fisher of Rochester Gropper the Divines of Colen Ruard Dean of Lovain Castalius Vega c. So forcible is the Truth that falls from the mouths and pens of those that unreasonably oppose it SECT II. Doctrine of no Salvation without the Pale of the Church 2. The subtilty of maintaining the Doctrine of the certainty of Faith and absolute Assurance of eternal Justification is invented to uphold as the Doctrine of the Romish Church no hope of salvation without the Pale of that Church so to maintain the Doctrine of other Selected Churches of no hope of salvation without the narrow precincts of their several Conventicles So that as the Great Vicar holds the Keyes of Heaven and Hell at his girdle and hath all his Children at his beck even so the Petty-Vicars pin their Election or Reprobation on their sleeves And make their Subjects admire or fear their favours or frowns and dare not stir or budge from them upon pain of eternal damnation This Great and Lordly one over God's free People and Inheritance makes them 1. Slaves in their Judgments to believe all that their Grand Superintendents magisterially dictate unto them though it be never so absurd painful and costly 2. Slaves in their Persons to ride go or row dig or torl in the Gallies or Mines like Beasts or any other slavish and foolish actions even to Planting and watering of a dry stick to try their obedience To marry into what Families they please to enrich the Church or State 3. Slaves in their Estates to give all they have at or before their death from their Parents Children or Kinsmen Friends to Strangers of their own Sect. SECT III. Doctrine of lying still in Sin 3. The subtilty of this Doctrine of maintaining the Certainty of Faith and absolute Assurance of Eternal Justification is invented by Satan as his greatest stratagem to make him who is his vassal and lives in sin to believe that he is the Child of God and in the state of Grace that he may commit sin and not be the servant of sin but have his share in Christ An Assurance without a Warrant from the Spirit subscribed with the hands of Flesh and Bloud Perfection we would learn and pretend to attain it without ever learning to attain it by working it out with fear and trembling and making our Calling and Election sure Freedom we like but not to be restrained by the Laws of Christ which makes perfect Freedom Assurance we build upon but never build up our Assurance SECT IV. Imputed Righteousness We dare to talk of the imputed Righteousness of Christ while we have no real Righteousness of our own Boast of God's Spirit and Grace while we grieve the one and turn the other into wantonness This we call appearing clothed in our Elder Brother's Robes or as Jacob did we may steal away his Blessing Thus the Adulterer may say I am chast with Christ's chastity the Drunkard I am sober with Christ's temperance the Covetous I am poor with Christ's poverty the Revenger I forgive with Christ's charity The irregenerate and voluptuous dead in trespasses and sins I am born again mortified crucified dead and buried in Christ and with Christ Sen. Calvisius Sabinus fancied that he did every good work which his Servants did If they were Poets Orators Artificers c. he was all this So we say what Christ did we do what he suffered we suffer though we never so much as do or suffer any thing like him Therefore as Seneca said of that Grand Opimator I never saw a Man whose happiness did less become him So may it well be said of these who like Men clothed in Lions Skins or Owls with the Feathers of other Birds Their borrow'd Graces and Vizards do full ill become them their gay apparel sits ill upon them We talk of applying the promises to our selves which they may do that as enemies to the Cross of Christ never perform any one of them The applying of the promises of Christ is not a speculative but a practical thing an act much rather of the Will than of the Understanding If we keep God's word the promises will apply themselves when the Will of Man is subject to the Will of God The Blessing of God will fall like dew from Heaven of it self If we walk according to God's Rule God's Grace Mercy and Peace shall be upon us and upon the Israel of God If we put on the Lord Jesus Christ by imitation of his Righteousness obedience and Love in this his likeness he will own us and approve of us SECT V. 1. We may not think uncharitably Collections Uncharitableness that every one that is not of our Sect though he be an honest Man and feareth God is a Reprobate by the same uncharitable Rule they may think the same of us who differ just as much from us as we do from them and are as confident of their being in the right as we are of our being in the right 2. We may not think that our judgment of our own Estate or our Enemies judgment of our Estate shall be the rule by which God will proceed to judg both
The Nature of the Two Testaments OR The Disposition of the WILL and ESTATE Of GOD to Mankind FOR HOLINESS and HAPPINESS BY Jesus Christ Concerning Things to be done by Men AND Concerning Things to be had of God Contained in his two great Testaments The LAW and the GOSPEL DEMONSTRATING The High SPIRIT and STATE of the Gospel above the Law In Two Volumes The First Volume of the WILL OF GOD. The Second Volume of the ESTATE OF GOD. The First Volume Of the WILL OF GOD Concerning Things to be done by Men. By ROBERT DIXON D. D. Prebendary of Rochester LONDON Printed by Tho. Roycroft for the Author MDCLXXVI Imprimatur Ex Aed Lambethanis THO. TOMKYNS TO THE READER THE principal Wisdom in all Learning is the knowledg of Rights made and granted by God or Man Rights and to whom they are made and granted and how why and when and for how long and how they are obtained and kept how lost and how recovered That men might be holy in themselves and righteous to others understanding what is their own and to do well to themselves and to all men that they and others might be happy He that can discern and judge rightly of these things is an Oracle amongst men and fit for all business in Church and State Other knowledge is very good Laws and greatly ornamental and useful in its kind but this Learning of Laws divine and humane excells all the rest as the Sun the Stars for the excellency of Piety Equity and Reason that is in it and for the infinite use and benefit that redounds by it to Soul and Body to Ecclesiastical and Civil Societies for this life and for a better I undervalue no Learning hereby but give every Art its due in its time and place and so I give this sublime Faculty of Laws its due also Hereby I do no more than perswade to choose the best things and to find out the most excellent waies Jural sense of Scriptures In order therefore to the understanding of the Scriptures which are Gods Laws I prefer the Jural sense as most genuine and kindly and make use of Jural Terms borrowed from Laws Ecclesiastical and Civil in their proper style as most homogeneal and sutable to the Divine Law in which God hath condescended to humane capacities by propounding his Will in the nature of Laws by his Servant Moses and by his Son Jesus Christ and this is the most stately eloquence for all business There are in the Scriptures which are the two Laws and Testaments of God published by the two Mediators Moses and Christ certain âccessories and Consequences as Histories and Prophecies to the explaining whereof Philosophy and Chronology may be very helpful But for the principal and essential Will Word Law Covenant Testament of God concerning mans salvation by Faith in Jesus Christ let any discerning person judge whether it be not expresly revealed by Christ and his Apostles especially St. Paul that great Divine and Lawyer as that other Testament by Moses and the Prophets in terms of Law Such as Predestination Election Justification Adoption Faith Grace Gift Covenant Will Testament Heir Inheritance Possession Liberty c. as shall be made more largely to appear hereafter So the Laws of God being described in terms of Law after the manner of Men are more aptly interpreted by the Science of Law than of Philosophy or any other Art whatsoever This I lay as a principle and foundation to my ensuing discourse Title of Scripture There is nothing more ordinary in our Discourses and Writings than the Laws and Testaments of God which are the Titles of the Scriptures and yet how few regard the Nature of these so considerable Titles For the Subject of every Book is best apprehended by the full Name and Title that is given to it expressing the Nature of the thing contained in it But because this is a New untrodden path and that I am almost alone in this Manner of speaking therefore unsearching and undistinguishing men that are lazy withal and hang upon others Judgments are shie of this Way and pass it by giving it no good report The terms of Philosophy and Oratory are pleasantly swallowed down by them because usual but the terms of both Laws stick and will not go down as harsh and crabbed Sure this doth mightily betray the Ignorance of these men I do not use any barbarous words as are in some Laws but the pure and elegant expressions of the best of humane Laws far more learned and significant than the froth of Rhetoricians or the Fustian stuff of Schoolmen or the Canting Rosicrucian Enthusiastick nonsense of Fanaticks This is our shame that so many Divines and Lawyers reject that most illustrious Faculty so highly useful to them and to the Nobles and Princes of the World in comparison whereof all other inferiour Arts are pedantick and base I take them to be the best Divines Distinction of Old and New Testament that distinguish best between the Old Testament and the New that preach the New Testament and not the Old the Spirit and not the Letter the power of Godliness and not the form A clear distinction between the two Testaments the Law and the Gospel I take to be the principal excellency of a Divine and a noble vein that should run through every Theological Treatise For which I note the most Illustrious Hugo Grotius Dr. Hammond Dr. Taylor Dr. Lushington Dr. Spencer Mr. Thorndike Mr. Farindon c. to be the most eminent in giving light to this great Point which deserves to be more enquired into For which cause I have offered my poor Endeavours hoping to find acceptance from all searching and free spirited men Such divine Lawyers as these I take to have the soundest Notions and the clearest and fullest Expressions no disparagement the World knows it Legists The Linguists and Disputants and Humanists make much ado with their Criticisms and subtilties and Fineries but 't is the wise Legist that must do the business in Church and State A wise Jurisconsult in my opinion knows more of Religion Equity and Government than the profoundest Platonist Aristotelian or Ciceronian of them all I admire the most Excellent Grotius for his rare knowledge in all things but especially for his wisdom in the Laws both divine and humane which makes him shine among all other Writers H. Grotius Tanquam Luna inter minora sidera And thence spring those incomparable Notions digested by a judicious and moderate spirit his Enemies being Judges Many Currs bawl about him that mighty Giant of whom the World was not worthy and spare not to abuse him now he is in his grave who were not worthy to carry his Books after him These and such as these are the Men that divide the Word of God aright like workmen that need not to be ashamed clearly unfolding the good will of God without taking any side or party wholly aiming at satisfaction to
Judgment and moderation and meekness withal to use it it will cheat him unreasonably For he will as Narcissus dote upon himself and be puffed up with his vast knowledg and memory and will think he hath all Judgment and count himself an Oracle to foretel all Contingencies and resolve all Difficulties when a plain honest man of good understanding shall see farther into a Milstone than he But if withal this full-fraught person can brave it out with the fine come off and twang of a golden Tongue Eloquence he shall catch the Vulgar by the ears All he saies or does shall be Gospel the simple Rout shall hang upon his lips and he will hug himself with the Excellencies that are in him and drain the purses of the Rich of poor apprehension And now he is come up to his ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã understands all Necessaries and searches no farther for satisfaction in any thing The Common Truths are enough for him and indeed for his capacity and they that go farther he says will speed worse and things dear bought and far fetcht are good for Ladies and such are counted fools for their pains or worse that trouble themselves to understand more than their Neighbours In a word a smooth Tongue and well hung to let flie at any thing shall jangle and descant upon any tune but a judicious ear finds out the jars and discords therein A man may colour over a rotten Post rant it highly in the Pulpit and carry all afore him but when all comes to be scan'd by a judicious and discerning Soul it cannot possibly hold water With all this their Learning they are not wise and how can these men be honest all this while I 'de very fain know that preach what they know cannot be justified but for gain and applause they hold it out and rail at honest and judicious men that speak home and plainly as they should do though they get not the wealth and glory which they have And such are our systematical Methodmongers blundering in their Dichotomies after the way of Ramus or Keckerman And such are our more aery and subtil Schoolmen vapouring in the way of Aristotle and such are our fluent long winded Orators expatiating in the way of Cicero and such are our sublime intoxicated Enthusiastick Behemists and Rostcrucians and such are our whining Devotionists floating in their blind and zealous Formalities I bear them record they are good and well-meaning Souls and if they would but use their own Judgments might prove excellent Doctors Demonstration In Arts and Sciences why should I rest upon meer probabilities and topical turnable Arguments Why should there not be as high Demonstrations in the Reasons of things as there are of numbers or lines or figures or experiments There wants a deeper search into things to satisfie the Judgment as well as to tickle the fancy or imagination I would not be a fool in my knowledge but especially in my practice Law-makers of all men had need be wise by whom others must live though they like not the Rule they live by In Faith and Religion I yield my Reason to the Scriptures which is but reason but to Superstions and Will-worship I yield not As for Confutations as they are used they are odious Confutations reproachful and uncharitable Let every Error be fairly answered without dirt cast upon the person or sect of any Let both causes be heard once and let them say all they can say on both sides with candour but no Duplications Triplications Quadruplications c. in infinitum tossing the Ball of contention everlastingly and let the world judge I hate no man for differing from me for I differ as much from him and put this to that But if the error be a Blasphemy or hurt the Will to make it dishonest or disturb the peace I stand aloof from that Monster This is all I mean I am not willing to swallow every gudgeon nor to draw in every Notion that goes off roundly but not soundly in an embroidered discourse I would gladly be satisfied with less gawdy words and more solid sense Of all Sects Papists the Papists have most imposed upon the world by Judaism and Paganism which they so abound with that the power of Godliness is little discerned How do they most shamefully deny marriage to some men contrary to the Laws of Nature and Nations What a Masse of Ceremonies do they load the People withal and to what purpose and who hath required these things at their hands How do they lay all the stress of Baptism the Eucharist Confession c. upon the Priest who if never so little failing in order intention or execution all is a nullity as if Faith were not all in all to make us all Priests or all that we do or is done to us to be effectual through Christ What a stress do they lay upon Fasting Sackcloth Pilgrimages Reliques Confessions Indulgences Dirges Masses Avemaries Agnus Dei's Rosaries and such Trumperies How like are they to the Heathens in their Images and Purgatories What a stress do they lay upon Infallibility Supremacy Succession c. The truth is all is policy ambition and covetousness God forgive their Leaders The poor people are greatly to be pitied for their Ignorance because the most part being bred to trades and worldly business either have no capacities or no leisure to examine the fooleries of their Religion but if they do they dare not speak and so fear and custome and gain and pomps lull them asleep Offences But what should I more say for the time would fail me to speak of all the vulgar Errors and Fallacies of the Sons of men I conclude with our Saviours words Wo be unto the World because of offences but wo to them by whom the offences come and except they repent they had better never have been born or been like the untimely fruit of a woman which never saw the Sun Two Testaments To conclude at last having been a little too far transported The reason of my undertaking this present Work is because I observe our vulgar systematick Divines that take all upon trust do generally blend the two Testaments both together making them but one in effect as if First and Second Old and New Bondage and Freedom Law and Gospel Works and Grace Justice and Mercy Letter and Spirit Time and Eternity Shadow and Substance Earth and Heaven Body and Soul Curse and Blessing Merit and Gift Death and Life Hell and Heaven were not two distinct things I need premise no more the Reader may easily observe all along throughout the whole discourse this vein runs of distinguishing the Law from the Gospel A point I humbly conceive which as it much conduces to the true understanding of the Scriptures in dividing the word of God aright in which appears the wonderful and manifold Wisdom of the Most High So is the Interest and Peace of the Church much to be
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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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
c. and when they were gone out of sight they erected their Statues and conceited that the power of their Numens was confined to those Stocks and Stones and raised Temples to their honour that they might keep them near to themselves and have recourse to them in all their necessities As the Children of Israel who though they heard Gods voice and saw fire upon the Mount and the Pillar of a Cloud and of fire in the Red Sea as visible tokens of his presence yet because the Thunder and Lightning was terrible they could not endure it and because Moses was gone up to the Mountain for forty daies they gave him for gone whom they wished to speak unto them and now they lacked some visible Gods such as they saw in Egypt and forced Aaron to make them a Golden Calf and cried saying Make us Gods to go before us for as for this Moses we know not what is become of him And when they had their Idols to their mind they said with joy These be thy Gods O Israel Thus the greatest part of Mankind though they had in them by the light of Nature ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã sufficient knowledge of God yet they glorified him not as God neither were thankful Ro. 1.21 c. but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened professing themselves wise they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like unto corruptible Man and to Birds and four-footed Beasts and creeping things wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own Bodies between themselves who changed the Truth of God into a Lie and worshipped and served the Creature more than the Creatour who is blessed or evermore Amen And this carnal and gross humour cauled the opinion of carnal Gods and of a carnal worship by them of the true God Wherefore God knowing the dull temper of the Jews and their fond disposition of being like unto the rest of the World commanded them Altars and Sacrifices of Beasts and Birds to the true God which otherwise they would have erected and raised to false Gods Till the time of Reformation God winked at this Ignorance in them and the rest of the World and brought in by his Son the full revelation of the True God and his True worship in Spirit and in Truth The CONTENTS Natural Religion Supernatural Religion Revelation TITLE III. Of Religion ALL men being convinced that there is a God from what they are and from what is within their Souls and Bodies as also from the Magnificent Beautiful and Harmonious works of God in the World round about them and that he is most Powerful Wise Holy Just and Gracious c. It must necessarily follow that this God ought to be worshipped and served Natural Religion which is the Natural Religion due to God from all his Creatures who do also express it in one kind or other but more especially the Rational Creatures who are most able and most obliged to give unto God this their reasonable service and most especially Mankind who have most need and who stand in peculiar relation to God who made them but a little lower than the Angels and Lords of this Inferiour World and designed them for the Inheritance of Glory with Angels and Arch-Angels in heaven To which Estate they should have passed by Grace and Favour if they had kept his Law which he first gave them and then all their religious Applications to God should have been in the quality of Saints in Honour and Praise and Thanksgiving for evermore But since the First man did disobey and die all since do and suffer the same sin and death therefore all their religious Addresses to God must be made in the quality of Sinners and Sufferers Being therefore thus sinful and miserable in all their transactions from time to time with a Deity they have been complaining and bemoaning their condition and imploring relief and mercy to cleanse the stain of their Guilt and to remove their sorrow and plague and after pardon to return praise and thanks For this purpose they all along poured out their Supplications and offered their gifts and Sacrifices of their best things even of their Children sometimes by a blind zeal thinking to pacifie and attone if it might be the wrath of a provoked God This way of Service in their approaches to Heaven Nature prompted them unto even to do the best they could to purifie themselves and appease their Maker Yet even this they quickly forgot and performed the same Devotion to the Creatures that were below themselves and forsook their Creatour out of an idle fancy that they could not see him nor hear nor feel him because he was far above out of their sight and reach Therefore this Natural Information of Divine duty and worship did not do the work as is proved by the experience of Idolaters for some thousands of years Supernatural Religion Therefore it was necessary that there should be a supernatural Revelation from God to Man for his conduct and guidance in the way of Religion In order to which practice and the end of Salvation whereto it was to tend God that was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself revealed his Will what he would have done by Man and his Promises what was to be had of him for a Reward by degrees more and more till Christ came from the bosom of his Father who brought in all Perfection and taught us all things As namely 1. By common instinct unto all men 2. By special Impulse to the first Fathers 3. By Dreams and Visions to the Prophets 4. By Providences and Dispensations of all sorts 5. By Miracles and great Wonders 6. By Christ Jesus saying This is my welbeloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Heb. 1.1 So great is that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past to our Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last daies spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath made Heir of all things That is Before the Law immediately By the Law Angels and Moses mediating By the Gospel Christ and his Spirit mediating Revelation The Subject of Gods Revelation all along more or less is Gods Bounty Blessedness and Mans Duty Holiness The Manner all along move or less is Instinct oral Instruction Writing in Tables Writing in Heart the Law Will Testament and Word of God This Divine commerce and interposure of Revelation of Gods Will is the true means of serving God aright which was never wanting in some degree sufficient to all that endeavoured after it But through Carelesness and Sensuality the greatest part of Mankind have been imposed upon by fantastical Dreams and magical Divinations of Astrologers Sooth-sayers Poets Philosophers Enchanters Prophets Priests Running to Oracles and Entrails of sacrificed Beasts and Flying of
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
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
made These are Subtleties and true as to matter of outward action of Positive Law that cannot be intended by a man against himself or a Subject against his Prince in foro humano But nevertheless in plain truth and equity a man may be bound firmly to himself and a Prince to his Subjects by the Law of Nature and the action hold good in foro divino and God may require the obligation of his Creature and punish the neglect Because a Man by promising to take care of himself in tying up himself to any good is obliged to do it as he is the Servant of God and a Member of humane Society and be punishable by God and Men for not doing it As that Servant that shall disable himself from doing his Lords service or that Member of a Society that hath lamed himself or otherwise from doing his Country service is justly punishable by them both As was the Souldier that cut off his finger because he would serve no longer in War c. But to wave all niceties still this is evident and plain That in all Covenants to make them perfect there is required the Will of the Promisee and the Will of him to whom the Promise is made for where this is wanting and that this Party refuseth to accept of the thing promised though the other Party hath confirmed his Promise by an Oath yet the right of the thing so promised and sworn remains entirely with the Promiser because no man can be willing to obtrude his own Goods upon a Person that is unwilling to receive them it being alwaies a condition necessarily supposed That any man gives a thing no otherwise than if the Party for whom he intends it shall accept thereof Neither can any man be imagined so void of reason as simply to renounce his own Right and to leave those things pro derelictis at random for any body which he hath laid at the foot of the Refuser but they are his still as fully as ever The Third BOOK OF THE LAW OR Old Testament The CONTENTS Definition of Law TITLE I. Of the Nature of the Law A LAW is a publick Will Of the Nature of the Law universal and perpetual for all Persons to all Ages except necessity cause a change Definition of Law Laws and Ordinances of Men are often changed but Wills and Testaments of God or Man are never changed As a Testament is a private Will particular and temporal for one Person for his own time i. e. for the Executor so a Law is a publick Will for all Persons for all Ages As the Laws of England are the publick Will of the State for all Persons for all Ages for if the Will be not publick and perpetual it is a Testament and not a Law if not universal it is but a Decree if not perpetual it is but an Ordinance but God's Laws are publick universal and perpetual for all Men and all Ages God's Will is sometimes private concerning a single person as that Abraham should offer up his Son Isaac No Law God's Will is sometimes publick universal and perpetual concerning a whole Nation for all Ages as that of Circumcision for the Israelites God's Will is sometimes publick universal and perpetual concerning all Nations as the Law of Nature to all Mankind From this general and perpetual Law of Nature to all Mankind flow those particular Laws to some Nations but to all in those Nations intended to be perpetual but as emergencies may fall out changeable but still those Laws that succeed must be as the former agreeable to the universal Law of Nature to all Mankind which is the common fountain The Law of Moses was for the Moral part a draught of the lowest Laws of Nature which were in great part obliterated and forgotten by constant habits and examples of sin And for the Ceremonial and Judicial part sitted for that Nation at that place and time for signification of higher Rites and Rules of Perfection that were to come The Law of Christ is the perfection of the Law of Nature never revealed so fully before being the compleat and last Will of God for all to walk by for ever This new and royal Law of Christ did refine the Moral abolish the Ceremonial and Judicial Law of Moses for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof The Moral part was weak because it consisted of the meanest and lowest Laws of all and had no Spirit to give strength against the committing of sin but only to declare it and punish it without mercy And as for the Ceremonial part it was unprofitable because no part of Natures Law and only for the state of the Jews minority and was of its own nature to vanish as a shadow when Christ the great Law-giver came who was the substance of them all It is therefore called a New Commandment because it gave forth more spiritual and Coelestial Precepts and was established upon better Promises and endeared by new instances of infinite Love and gave more excellent graces and assistances by the gift of the Holy Ghost not abolishing the old matter of the Law of Nature by Moses but superadding thereunto and spiritualizing the same to the highest systeme of regularity and conformity with Christ The CONTENTS 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 TITLE II. Of Moses Law AS therefore concerning the Law of Moses Of Moses Law the Subject now in hand That Law strictly taken is the whole body of Orders and Rules for life given to the Children of Israel containing 1. Promises of Blessings peculiar to that Nation 2. Precepts of Duties 1. Moral in nature as the Decalogue 2. Ceremonial in Gods pleasure 3. Judicial for their Polity or Government 4. Judgments and Punishments to the Transgressours The Law of Moses is taken at large for the Pentateuch and for all the Moral Historical and Prophetical Books of the Old Testament The Law of Moses was established by the death of Beasts because there must be blood in the case for all such Sanctions of Covenants and Testaments compare Exod. 24.5 6 7 8. with Hebrews 9.18 19 20. 2 Cor. 3.14 The Law because of the Precepts and Judgments thereof is called a Covenant of God for the observation of those Precepts and Judgments For unto Gods will to command was joyned the Peoples will to obey All that the Lord hath spoken we will observe and do Exod. 19. Exod. 24. Which agreement of Wills made up a Covenant This Law was Gods old and first Testament ordained to stand in force till the time of Reformation by the Gospel the second and everlasting Testament In this Law there is a Letter and a Spirit Ro. 2.29 the one is oldness and the other newness Ro. 7.6 the one is killing the other giving life 2 Cor. 3.6 I. The Letter
as it was at first spoken or written Letter was understood by all as Laws ought to be the Doubts were only in the use and practice and to be resolved by the Priest In this sense the Promises of the Law were terrene as long life health power victory c. V. Lev. 26. and Deut. 28. And such in the Letter were the original Promises made to Abraham viz. Canaan In this sense the Precepts of the Law were terrene proportionable to the Promises sitted also to the rudeness and childishness of the Jews called therefore Rude and beggarly elements of the World Gal. 4 3.9 For the Moralities were the least and lowest Precepts of the Law of Nature or restraints from acts unnatural The two Tables are barrs from Impiety and bridles from Inhumanity not made for righteous but for wicked men The Ceremonies were chargeable and troublesome and numerous A yoke which the Jews were not able to bear 1 Tim. 1.9 as Circumcision a painful mark or brand upon their flesh to distinguish them from other people as Sacrifices Washings c. The works were servile external for eye-service and fear of death under the Spirit of bondage In this sense the Judgments of the Law were terrene as violent death by burning stoning c. and other corporal punishments ordinary and Wars Famines and Plagues extraordinary when the Rulers hand was slack to punish according to Law Spirit II. The Spirit of the Law was not understood generally but by extraordinary Revelation to some of better Spirits but never publickly and perfectly revealed to all till preached by Christ who did away the Veil and brought in life and immortality by the Gospel For Promises 1. The Promises thereof are Heavenly as eternal Holiness Life Rest Glory and Joy with God Saints and Angels Precepts 2. The Precepts are masculine sprightly and most refinedly pure and spiritual as poorness of Spirit pureness of heart mercifulness mourning peaceableness meekness hungring and thirsting after Righteousness patience c. unto all which the general and capital Commandment is Love refined beyond legal and natural love as to love our Enemies and to pray for them that hate us c. to bless and not curse c. Judgments 3. The Judgments are eternal death pain and anguish with the Devil and his Angels Works 4. The Works of the Gospel are Cordial as Circumcision of the heart Sacrifice of the Spirit c. Liberal in the free and noble way of Love answerable in some measure to Gods Love who is a Father to us Sons a giver of an Inheritance to us Heirs They are also perfect for universal and perpetual Obedience full and blameless for the reward of Eternal Salvation by Christ Contract The Law of Moses expresly contracted nothing of Eternal Life yet God meant them more than in words he declared And then under that Law there was a sufficient ground for the perswasion thereof God inviting their Obedience by Temporal Blessings they might well believe he would not rest there for such a reward was not suitable to his Greatness to give nor for his own peculiar people to receive So he promised Abraham that he would be his exceeding great Reward yet in terms he expressed nothing but the Land of Canaan nor had he that in possession nor his posterity after him for many Generations but were Pilgrims and strangers yet these all dyed in Faith waiting for that good Land Heb. 11.16 and looking for a better Country that is an Heavenly for which Cause they were content to endure all sorts of Afflictions God having provided some better thing for them being assured that he would provide a recompence for his Servants Sufferings more than this Earth could afford but how or which way or what they did not could not distinctly know Heb. 11.13 14. but seeing them afar off they were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were Strangers and Pilgrims on earth For they that do such things declare plainly that they seek a Country So the Kingdom of Heaven was mystically intimated but not openly propounded as a Condition of Gods Contract in the Law under which there wanted not a sufficient means to attain unto it but this was not the Works of the Law it self but Faith in the Promises And that the wiser and purer sort of Jews had such thoughts as these is plain by the question of the Rich man to our Saviour Master what shall I do that I may have Eternal life To which the Answer is Matt. 19.21 keep the Commandements to which he replyed that he had kept them from his youth up But this would not do being an outward Observation without the inward Love of the heart to God above all things so as to part with them all to gain the Treasure in Heaven The Souls Immortality and the Reward of good or bad after death was revealed though darkly before the Law And accordingly their Conversation was then and under the Law as Strangers not yet arrived to their Country For Adam Enoch Noah Abraham and all those Fathers obtained a good report through Faith not having received here on earth the full Promises of God God having provided some better thing for them Heb. 11.39 40. that they without us should not be made perfect Yea in all their Sufferings their noble Souls were content because they had an eye still to the Recompense of the Reward of the World to come of whom this World was not worthy But that the Law should condition this Eternal Life expresly to be believed there was no need at that time Revelation of Eternal life reserved because it was reserved till the Fulness of time in which the Fulness of all Gods promises and the exactness of all his precepts should be universally proclaimed by his own Son Jesus Christ In the mean time this Law of Moses was tendred as the Civil Law to the Jews and so it was not strange that God should not covenant farther with them than to acknowledg him only to be their God and to serve him as he then should appoint and to depend upon him for their Reward which was the Land of Canaan immediately set before their Eyes for the present to raise them up to outward Obedience at least by that Encouragement but God left them not without witness of higher things giving them to understand by his Prophets that he looked for the inward Obedience of the heart and that they might expect a greater recompense then the Princes of the World were able to bestow These carnal Commandements and Temporal Promises made way Temporals prepare for Eternals as God would have it for the Spiritual Precepts and Eternal Rewards of the Gospel which Moses did not but Christ did covenant for else there had been no need of Christ his coming to make a Covenant which was made before nor of so many and great Miracles when he
was come to convince the World that this was the great meaning and intent of the Law Thus the Precepts of inward Obedience were translated out of Natures Law into that of Moses which the Prophets did often inculcate because the People were gross of Understanding readily supposing at first sight as all idle and carnal People are apt to do that an external Obedience would answer the Letter of the Law well enough teaching them to regulate the inward Obedience of the heart which even the Law it self did tacitely require and their Fathers expresly taught before the Law was given in Writing Outward Obedience It is plain then to considering men That they must not trust to the outward Observations of the bare negative Precepts of the Moral Law nor to the Ceremonials or Judicials that Moses had enjoyned so as from thence to promise to themselves the Favour of God and the Reward of the World to come as by not having any other Gods not worshipping Images not swearing falsly not doing Murther not committing Adultery c. or by paying of Tithes Sacrifices Washings Sabbaths c. For which conceipts Christ reproved the Jews as the Prophets had done before as if the offended Deity were to be bribed with Sacrifices Feasts or Fasts or any other Performances Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites Matt. 23.23 c. for ye pay Tithes of Mint and Annise and Cummin and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law Judgment Mercy and Faith these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone c. Luk. 11.42 Mar. 7.48 Mat. 12.1.12 Psa 40.7.12 Ps 50.8.13 Ps 51.18 Isa 1.1.20 Isa 58.3.10 God requires no Sacrifices so much as Obedience Jer. 7.21 22 23. Patience and Hope in Afflictions Lam. 3.25.33 The Calves of the Lips Hos 14.2 Mich. 6.6 7 8. Zach. 8.16.19 In all which Instructions and Exhortations to the inward Obedience and Worship of God in Spirit and in Truth they have shewed themselves the true fore-runners of Christ and his Apostles Sufficient means under the Law So that still they had sufficient means before and under the Law unwritten and written considering whose Law it was and by the teaching of the Fathers and Prophets to make them understand the Spiritual Duties and Rewards that were so far hinted and to oblige them to expect the coming of the greatest Law-giver who should teach them all things more clearly Love of God The Sense therefore of that great Law Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy strength though so far as it depends upon the bare Covenant of the Law it is limited to the Observation of those Precepts which God should confine their Civil life unto in the Service of him alone for a temporal Reward yet in the full latitude it may contain all that Christianity requireth Love of Neighbour And as for that Precept of loving their Neighbour as themselves it meant no more at first sight than of loving the Israelites their Brethren and friends but hating the Moabites c. which were Strangers and Enemies But really and truly according to the Law of Nature it meant all Mankind Matt. 5.43 be they never such Strangers or Enemies In like manner the Commandments Lev. 18.5 Ez. 20.11.21 Life which if a man keep he shall live in them they are first meant of this life but their last meaning extends to the life to come for they are large Commandments and fit to contain both internal and external obedience and large Subjects for the Prophets to preach upon as they did and for Christ to expound as he did in the highest sense they ought to bear Christ expounded the Law Lev. 18.18 according as it was foretold to Moses I will raise thee up a Prophet from among thy Brethren like unto thee and I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto thee in all that I have commanded him Which was fulfilled answerably for God approved of him by a voice from heaven saying This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him This is the secret and spirit of God's Law and Covenant which he sufficiently manifested to those that severely kept the outward and civil part according to the Letter v. Ps 25.13 15. and 19.9 10. and 119.18 The CONTENTS Eternal life Rites troublesome and chargeable Permission Things not originally good Sacrifices Sacrifices first from Men. Imperfection Rigour TITLE III. Of the weakness of the Law AS to the main Body of the Law Of the weakness of the Law it was weak and imperfect in the Letter thereof in many respects There was no Command in all the Law for spiritual Prayer Instance 1 i. e. for spiritual and eternal Blessings as for Remission of sins Sanctification of the Spirit Mortification a new Creature Resurrection and Life eternal We read of few that made publick Prayers but Kings or Priests or Prophets whereas the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication is poured upon all People in the Gospel The Sadducees denied the Resurrection Angels and Spirits yet were Instance 2 they learned in the Law Teachers and great for Rule and Power which argues that there was no clear demonstration of these things in the Law Some glimmering of these things they had in their Sufferings especially in and after the Captivity towards the dawning of the day of the Gospel when they had lost the glory of their Land and were subjected to forreign Powers to shew that these Temporal felicities were forfeited for their disobedience and that they must look for a higher Covenant and Felicities more durable by embracing a purer Worship and Conversation they having failed in the Law and Services first given them for which neglect they were all taken away and their Temple and Country afterward laid waste and became a Curse These Spiritual things they could not discern to be meant because not expressed in the Law but Christ proves the Resurrection by the Law saying Matth. 82.30 c. Ex. 3 6. Have you not heard that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living V. Mar. 12.18 Luc. 20.27 But had it been plainly covenanted for in the Law none durst openly to have denied it yet he bids them search the Scriptures for it for in them ye think to have eternal life Joh. 5.39 and they are they which testifie of me And the word Think is a term of abatement Insinuations and Intimations they had but no plain Demonstrations thereof As Is 26.19 Ezek. 33. 1 Mac. 12.1 2. Job 19.25 Ps 73.2 20. Jer. 12.1 2. Mal. 3.13 18. Hab. 2.3 24. Ps 16.1 Is 37.10 21. Ps 17.15 and 126.5 6. Heb. 7.19 10.19 8.6 9.15 7.19 and 9.14 2 Tim 1.9 10. Aug. Ep. 122. St. Austin saith Mihi in
Evangelio permittuntur regna Coelorum quae vetus Testamentum omninò non nominat In illo Testamento quod vetus dicitur datum est in Monte Sinai Eternal Life non invenitur opertissime permitti nisi Terrena foelicitas In the Gospel the kingdom of Heaven is promised to us which the Old Testament doth not so much as name In the Old Testament which was made on Mount Sinai there is nothing openly promised but Earthly felicity Therefore it is truly said Legens Legem legens Prophetas nunquam invenitur regnum Coelorum In all the reading of the Law and of the Prophets there is no mention made of the kingdom of Heaven Instance 3 Rites troublesom and chargable The Rites of the Law were troublesome chargeable shadowy unable to wash away sin fitted for the weakness of the capacity of that People exceeded in practice by the lives of the Patriarchs that were before it and by Moses David and the Prophets and others that were under it and by many Gentiles that were not comprehended by it And as the Heathen Law-giver being asked if he had given his Citizens the best Laws that could be given he answered ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã He gave them not altogether the best Laws but the best that he could fit for them in that condition So did God with the Israelites for reasons best known to himself Instance 4 God permitted some things in which he had no pleasure nay which he hated Permission for God hated putting away yet he suffered them to put away their Wives for the hardness of their hearts Instance 5 Moses Law consisted of some things which were not naturally and originally good Things not originally good but only as relating to persons time and place And therefore it was a Law without which many Ages of the World did live Not obligatory to other Nations And when it was made it obliged only the Jews to whom it was given Adam Abel Enoch Noah c. knew nothing of it the Prophets never reproved the Heathen for disobeying of it because if it had consisted of natural and essential Rectitudes it had been alwaies and every where of force and practice As Sacrifices which God never of old commanded nor when he did Sacrifices delighted in them Sacrifice and Burnt offerings thou didst not desire Psal 40.6 but mine Ears hast thou opened Burnt offerings and Sin-offerings hast thou not required For thou desirest not Sacrifice else would I give it thou delightest not in Burnt-offerings The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit Psal 51.16 17 a broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise I will not reprove thee for thy Sacrifices and Burnt-offerings to have them continually before me I will take no Bullock out of thine house Psal 50.8 c. nor He-goat out of thy Fold c. Offer unto God Thanksgiving and pay thy Vows unto the most High c. To what purpose is the Multitude of your Sacrifices unto me saith the Lord Jer. 1.11 c. I am full of the Burnt-offerings of Rams and the fat of Beasts and I delight not in the Blood of Bullocks or of Lambs or of He goats When ye come to appear before me who hath required this at your hands c. Jer. 7.22 I spake not unto your Fathers nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the Land of Egypt concerning Burnt-offerings or Sacrifices But this thing I commanded them saying Obey my Voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my People I hate and despise your feast days Am. 5.21 and will not smell your solemn Assemblies Things you offer me burnt-offerings and your meat-offerings I will not accept them neither will I regard the Peace-offerings of your fat of Beasts But let Judgment run down like water Hos 6.6 and Righteousness as a mighty stream c. I desired mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledg of God more than Burnt-offerings Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the High God Shall I come before him with Burnt-offerings with Calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams with ten thousands of Rivers of Oil Shall I give my First-born for my Transgressions the fruit of my Body for the Sin of my Soul He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God These and many more places plainly shew Sacrifices at first from Men. that God afforded many blessings to his people before ever he commanded any Law for Sacrifices And therefore Sacrifices were not Necessary in themselves and that while the Children of Israel did sacrifice fourty years in the Wilderness they perished all of them for their sins and that originally Sacrifices were brought in by the Invention of Men and not by express Command of God till God thought fit to busie that Carnal People of the Jews that were so apt in Egypt and afterwards to follow the Customs of other Nations with those Sacrifices to the True God which others offered to false Gods the better to keep them from Idolatry but no ways in their own nature necessary The Law could not make the comers thereunto perfect nor purge them Instance 6 in their Consciences it being in it self imperfect Imperfection serving only to discover and convince and punish sin but nothing at all to reform the sinner nor affording any Pardon at all Col. 2.16 Nor taking away any sin as pertaining to the Conscience Therefore the Ceremonial part is wholly void and the Judicial also so far forth as it belonged wholly to the Polity of the Jews only the Moral part as published and perfected by Christ remains Eternal And now by all that hath been said it is plain to perceive that there needed a Reformation To Disanull that Commandment which made nothing perfect and to bring in a better hope which did and drew us nearer to God Heb. 7.18 The Holy Ghost this signifying that the way unto the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing Which was a Figure for the time then present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make them that did the service perfect as pertaining to the Conscience which stood only in Meats and Drinks and divers washings and carnal Ordinances imposed on them until the time if Reformation But all this while to come upon a Review it is to be noted That notwithstanding all this weakness there was a Spirit and Life in the Law yet not so strong as to be able to advance the comers thereunto unto Salvation Yea the more spiritual and lively it is the more deadly and fatal it proves to our Carnal mindes the more it searcheth and findeth out sin the more it condemns it
but the less it suppresseth it or provideth any Remedy at all against it Rigour The Meer Law as it is the first Covenant of Works contains in it nothing but Rigour and Justice but no Grace nor Mercy at all A Rule it is to declare what is Right and what is Wrong but no means of it self efficacious to the doing of Right or the not doing of Wrong And therefore there is an extraordinary Weakness therein as to the Justification of a Sinner Heb. 7.18 Rom. 8.3 What therefore the Law could not do for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof through the flesh Christ taking the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit And that the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus might make us free from the Law of Sin and Death Rom. 7 5 6 For when we were in the flesh the Motions of Sin by the Law did work in our Members to bring forth fruit unto Death But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in newness of Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter So sin taking occasion by the Commandment works in us all manner of Concupiscence For without the Law sin is dead And so we were alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came Sin revived and we died And the Commandment which was ordained to Life proved in effect to be unto Death But sin taking occasion by the Commandment deceived us and by that Commandment slew us All this while the Law is holy and the Commandment holy and just and good And that which is so holy and just and good is not directly nor truly the Cause of our Death nor can it be so God forbid by its own Natural operation for out of good nothing but good can proceed but Sin that it might appear sin naturally worketh death by the occasion of that which is good For Sin taketh occasion by the Commandment to become exceeding sinful The CONTENTS Sin deceives Grace un-deceives 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 TITLE IV. Of the Deceit of the Law THis seems to be a mystery Sin deceives that we should be deceived into sin by the Law of God It will not therefore be a Digression nor altogether unprofitable if it were to shew how a Law and a good Law and the Spiritual Law of God in the Old Testament should be said by St. Paul to be though but an occasion to deceive us into sin and death Strange that that which was so good should be made so much as the occasion of Evil and of the greatest of Evils to death it self and the greatest of deaths to a death in sin How then did Sin take this occasion by the Commandement of God first to deceive us and then to kill us if we can tell And how great then is the Power of Grace O the depth of the Riches of God's mercy that only can make us alive unto God Grace undeceives and be a death unto Sin and to the death of Sin and kill that which would kill us when nothing else can do it That when Sin did so abound by the occasion of Good Grace might so much the more abound by the occasion of Evil For which we must thank God who hath given us this great victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. When therefore Sin urges the strength of the Law against us and advances the Sword of Justice to strike us to death and that by the accusation of the Devil who hath the power of Death then Grace lays her hand upon the Sword of Justice and stops the mouth of Sin and the clamour of the Law and of the Devil that lays the Law against us and saves us from the stroke of Death and giveth us Victory over all those through Jesus Christ our Lord. So we may be deceived after a sort by the Law but we can no waies be deceived by Grace But yet we have not answered this point How the Law or rather Sin by the Law comes to deceive us This I say then Sin deceives me by misinforming my Understanding and by misguiding my Will The Law orders me to life but Sin deceives me in and by the Law unto death It will be sit therefore to consider here these four Points 1. My defect I am deceived that 's for certain 2. The direct efficient Cause of my deception is Lust 3. The casual or accidental Cause of Sin the Law 4. The Innocency of the Law My Defect My Defect I am plainly deceived He is said to be deceived that akes one thing for another this is all one with an errour or mistake in the Understanding and this in the Will declining to follow right Reason an Erratum He is properly decieved who fails of some end which he intended and aimed at Decipitur de quo aliquid capitur he is deceived from whom something is taken away which he should or would enjoy This is Fraud God praeordained every thing to its proper end All Unreasonable Creatures attain their ends but if they should not they cannot be said to be deceived because they understood them not that they might aim at them Reasonable Creatures fail of their Ends because they are deceived in their Judgments and Endeavours God in the Scriptures opens and offers Eternal life and gives me Understanding to apprehend it and a Will to accept it a Law to direct and his Grace to assist my Humane frailties But I am deceived 1. In my Apprehension by infinite Errors mistaking Falshood for Truth Vice for Vertue Pleasure or Profit for true happiness Temporal life and glory for Eternal 2. In my Prosecution by infinite Errata misdoing evil for good Fruition 3. In my Fruition which I fail of in the end and I deceive my self by way of fraud My Understanding I speak not of her privative Ignorance but of her Errors her oblique and depraved knowledge the more I have the more I am deceived High Understanding An elevate transcendent Understanding frames most irregular conclusions A fine Wit hath more refined Errors Learning it self is but a kind of progress in Error Ignorance When I was quite Ignorant I had no error in me but now I have got a little knowledge I have learned some Rules to erre by Learning is a remedy to Nescience but no bar to Error and Truth carrying the same countenance I have no perfect skill to discern them and especially because little Ore amongst a great deal of Dross and a pound of Error to a dram of Truth We are all deceived in one thing or other Truth is hard to come by and there
deceive by some Instrument and that Instrument must be Good For Sin is ugly and therefore naturally to be abhorred It must therefore put on the fairest Visage and Shape of Good that is naturally desirable the better to deceive us 1. Sin deceives of it self without a Law 2. Sin deceives by another much more with a Law The CONTENTS Law of Nature Law Positive TITLE V. Of Deceit without a Law SIN deceives of it self without a Law Law of Nature Properly Man is not without a Law for the Law of Nature is in all Mankind And there are Laws Positive Divine or Humane given to all Nations upon several occasions at sundry times But though there be in my heart a Law of Nature written with visible Characters to the eye of the Mind yet except I see a Positive Law written with Characters visibly to the eye of my Body I think my self safe As for the eye of my mind I care not to open it nor whether there be such an eye at all and if it be open whether I will or no I do all I can to shut it and labour to forget what I know But so long as Sense knows no Law I sin the more boldly and comfortably 1. Because there is no plain outward Contradiction to what I do as for the inward I pass that by and no body knows it but my self 2. Because there is no punishment against what I do as for the inward pain of my Conscience I pass that by and no body can read it in my face and no body feels it but my self I owe a debt in Conscience Instance but because there is no express Law to force me to pay it by reason there are no Specialties nor Witnesses in the Case therefore I will not pay it I am bound in Conscience but not in Law for there is no Law to take hold of me By this an honest man is known from an Hypocrite For an honest man will do Righteous things whether there be a Law or no Law but an Hypocrite will do nothing without Law 1 Tim. 1.9 Therefore the Law is not made for a Righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient for ungodly and for Sinners Gal. 3.19 for unholy and profane for murtherers c. And Laws are added because of Transgressions Or if there be a Law yet if it watches not me or cannot find me out or the Officers of Justice be blinded and will not lay hold of me I am well enough I can do a thing in secret that it shall never be known or if it be I have a Trick in Law to come off or I can bribe and buy it out Any way to deceive my self Rom. 2.14 The Scriptures say They that have no Law are a Law unto themselves But this they can evade well enough My Conscience checks me and bids me hold Rom. 2.15 when my Lust urges me to do what my Spirit forbids This shews the work of the Law written in mens Hearts their Conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Rom. 5.13 For until the Law sin was in the world but sin is not imputed where there is no Law Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul of Man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile but glory and honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first also to the Gentile Rom. 2.9 c. For as many as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law When the Commandment came Rom. 7.9.5 sin revived and I died The Motions of sin which were by the Law did work in my members to bring forth fruit unto death and by the Law came the knowledg of Sin Law positive So the Law of Nature is in all and the Law Positive is given to all But Lust broke all these Laws and the long habits of sin and frequent and constant examples of evil Practicers obliterated the Law Natural in good part and caused an oblivion willful for the most part of all Positive Statutes The Law of Nature consists of general Principles and Common Notions So that the Collections and Consequences of Reason from them to be applied to particular cases and occurrences are difficult and the remembrance of those generals very faint Wherefore God renewed this General Law 1. By his own Revelation to the Patriarchs 2. By his own Writing to the Israelites 3. By the Writings of Lawgivers as of Solon Lycurgus Romulus c. to the Gentiles In the mean time before this extraordinary Revelation and Writing Sin was in the world sufficiently even until the Law was written by God and Moses but sin was not so strongly imputed by the bare writing in the heart as it was when over and above to make them without all excuse it was written upon Tables that he that runs may read it for then it confuted them with a witness of a high contempt of Natural and Positive Law both written Rom. 2.9 So all were concluded under sin and are without all excuse and shall be judged for sin as well those that are without Law as with Law Rom. 3.20 But by the Law written came the greater Knowledg of sin and the greater Conviction of sin and the greater Punishment for sin so that the Sinner that before went on rashly in pleasing his lust without much conviction or fear was by the coming of the Law in writing more strongly convinced and frighted and smarted too for it though all this while it raged and broke out more than before to the working of all manner of Concupiscence The CONTENTS 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 TITLE VI. Of Deceit with a Law SIN decieves with and by a Law Sin is a transgression of a Law Of deceit with a Law whether it be written or not written but especially written because of the express Precept and Penalty therein contained And by how much the more the Law is good by so much the more I set my self in opposition against it 1. Because it is a grievous contradiction of my will which I would fain fulfil 2. Because it is a sore punishment to my Soul and Body or
to my Estate Honour or Relations which I am loth to endure I am Deceived 1. By all good Laws 2. By all bad Laws 3. By one Law in the same Law 4. By one Law in another Law 5. By on Law in all other Laws SECTION I. I. By all good Law Divine or Humane which is holy just and good 1. By all good Law pure spiritual and the very will of God Reason Because Lust would be a sole Law and would have none of these to be a Law Lust a Law therefore it opposeth all good Law It would rule alone over the whole Man and all he hath or doth and when controlled by God's will grows the more sullen and contumacious Our wills we say are our own and who is Lord over us And what is the Lord and what are Lords that we should not do what we lust We would be Gods to our selves and Lords to our selves and walk after the imaginations of our own hearts and that continually doing what is right in our own eyes Reason Because the Law is a Restraint Law a Restraint I will endure no Bridle nor Curb the Law by my good will shall not have its will of me My Will will endure no bounds nor enclosure I would walk at large and never be stopt I would fulfil the lusts of my flesh in every thing that pleaseth me and crown my self with Roses before they be withered and let no delights pass over me untasted say the Law what it will can I not live a quiet life I strive against the Law because it strives against me for I am contrary unto it and contraries do alwaies oppose each other I am not able to endure it Before the Law came darting upon me I sinned in quiet and thought my self safe and lived freely but now I am disturbed and crossed in my desires and threatned if I do so or so I do not like it I do not call this a life I am dead to what I was before But still have a stout heart and I will not be born down if I can help it by words nor by a few blows Thus the Law would determine my Will as it ought but my Will would determine it self as it ought not Therefore I do well to be angry because I am angred and to be cross because I am crost This is my pride and the naughtiness of my heart All Law I see is against my Will and therefore my Will shall be against all Law And so whereas I deceived my self before I had a Law now I deceive my self much more after the Law is come upon me Thus I am a fool by willing to be lawless whereas if I were wise I should be guided as all wise men are by a Law Thus I am a slave by willing to be a Lord whereas if I were wise I should be commanded as all wise men are by a Lord whose service is perfect freedom My First Parents were of this humour they would eat because they were forbidden I will make and worship Images because they are forbidden I will fare best upon Fridaies because I am bidden to fast If a Book be called in I will therefore buy it I will therefore meet in private Conventicles because I am commanded to be present at publick Assemblies Every thing naturally resisteth that which doth oppose it The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh for both these are contrary to each other Contraries do inter-intend each other by Anti-peristasis Denial sharpens my desire The Law puts a difficulty upon my Action and threatens a kind of danger but my generous sin so anciently and nobly descended will not be out-braved shews her mettle will be under no Coward will not be blankt by the Law Besides this Law of God I find another Law in my members Law an equivocal word Ro. 7. warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of Sin which is in my members For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man which is the law of my Mind Law of Mind but I hate the Law of God after the outward man which is the Law of my Flesh Law of Flesh With my mind I serve the Law of God with which the law of my Mind doth very well agree Law of God but with my flesh I serve the law of Sin Law of Sin to which the law of my Flesh does very well agree I know that in me that is in that part of me which is my Flesh dwelleth no good thing but in me that is in that better part of me which is my Spirit dwelleth many a good thing For there to will that which is good according to the Law of God and the law of my own Mind is present with me but how to perform that which is so good in my Flesh I know not In my Mind I am Spiritual and free unto Righteousness but in my Flesh I am carnal and sold under Sin and a slave to Iniquity Ro. 6.16 A servant of obedience unto Righteousness in my Spirit unto life but a slave to disobedience unto sin in my Flesh unto death By the infirmity of my Flesh I have yielded my Members servants to unrighteousness and to iniquity but by the strength of my Spirit I have yielded my Members servants to Righteousness unto Holiness While I am the servant of Sin I am free from Righteousness and while I am the servant of Righteousness I am free from Sin That which I do in my Flesh I allow not in my Mind and that which I do in my Mind I allow not in my Flesh What I would not in my Spirit that I do in my Flesh and what I hate in my Spirit that I do in my Flesh By which I do plainly consent to the Law that it is good and if I yet do the contrary it is not the Law of God which is in fault nor yet the law of my own Mind for both prompt me to do the godly deed but it is Sin that dwelleth in me that is in fault it is my Carnal appetite or Fleshly lust that is in fault That when to will good by my Rational faculty is present with me to will evil by my Irrational faculty is present with me and I suffer it so far to prevail upon me that I cannot find in my heart to do that good Video meliora proboque Deteriora sequor And I can find no reason for it but merely I will do worse though I know better because I will stat pro Ratione voluntas Now then if the case be thus what shall I say I say It is no more I but Sin that dwelleth in me And what a case am I in all this while I go the high way to destroy my self by the wilfulness of my own Carnal will in suffering my self in my worser part to prevail over my self in my better part which
Son of a Priest or that no Son of a Priest should possess a Living from his Father or any other Basilius Macedo the Emperour when a Stag fastned his horn in his Belt was tossed about and in great danger one of his Guard not knowing how to save his Master any other way upon a sudden cut the Princes Girdle and so saved his life But the poor man was unjustly put to death because by the Law it was a capital Crime for any man to draw his Sword upon the Prince Because the Law intended not to make it death to save the Prince's life Necessity in this case might have been a sufficient excuse if it had been a fault as it was none Leo Isaurus promised to two Astrologers that if he was Emperour he would grant any desire of theirs He came to be Emperour and they asked of him leave to pull down all the Images in his Dominions he gave them leave but when he had done took them and slew them for asking leave to do such a thing as he had no mind should be done So he kept not his Promise for he intended not when he made it to reward them with a mischief but yet he kept his word because he granted them their Request F.T. de R.J. True therefore is the Rule in Law in all such cases Fraudem facit Legi qui verbis Legis inhaerens contrà Legis nititur voluntatem Sententia Legis aequè ac verba est Lex i. e. He deludes the Law who sticking to the bare Letter thereof doth quite forsake the true intent and meaning For the Sentence of the Law not the Words is a Law When God commands outward Service and Worship he meaneth that the inward and spiritual as the chiefest should be performed for that is more to God's glory and our comfort When God commands outward Sacrifices he means that we should kill our Lusts When God commands falling down in body his meaning is Reverence of Soul and Body In the Law of outward action I may be deceived in the Law of inward intention There is a sense beyond the Letter a Command without this the work of the Law is not done Letter and Spirit By the Letter I may be deceived in the Spirit and by the Spirit I may be deceived in the Letter of the Law By Rigour I am deceived in equity not è contra By Legal forfeitures I may take the Mortgage or Re-enter at the day when next day or shortly after I may be satisfied and so my Tenant is undone and so I am a dishonest man For Non omne quod licitum est honestum Summum jus est summa injuria Every thing that is lawful in Rigour is not honest in Equity Extreme Rigour is extreme Injury In the law of Forfeiture I am deceived in the law of Honesty In the law of Justice I may be deceived in the law of Mercy and in the law of Mercy in the law of Justice As in the law of Beggars I am deceived in the law of Charity and in the law of Charity in the law of Beggars By the letter of the Gospel I may deny the Spirit and by the Spirit I may deny the Letter I may be all Letter and no Spirit or all Spirit and no Letter I may be all Grammar and no Allegory or all Allegory and no Grammar Hoc est Corpus meum and Tu es Petrus for their senses have had fiery Trials SECTION IV. 4. By one Law in another 1. By the Law of God in the law of Man IV. By one Law in another Law As 1. By the Law of God I am deceived in the law of Man So the Jews would be governed by no Heathen or Uncircumcised person because God had promised while they were obedient none else should rule over them So Christians because they are bidden to stand fast in the Law of Liberty spurn at all humane lawful Authority do nothing but what is expresly set down in the Letter of God's Word 2. By the Law of Man I am deceived in the Law of God 2. By the Law of Man in the Law of God Because of the Canon Nos Sanctorum I renounce my Allegiance to my natural Prince or Parent by an Act of Parliament against Vagrants and sturdy Rogues I am deceived in the Law of Charity Instances by the Traditions of Men God's Law is made of none effect They teach for Doctrines of God the Commandments of Men Mat. 15.3 6 9. because of Corban or the publick Treasury I am taught to dishonour and rob my Parents 3. By one Moral Law I am deceived in another 3. By one Moral Law in another By the second Commandment Thou shalt not worship any graven Image I am deceived in the third and take the name of the Lord in vain Instances by this third Commandment I am deceived in the sixth Thou shalt do no Murder as because of my Oath I will spill the innocent Blood as Herod did because of the Covenant or Engagement I will rebel or kill the King as the Presbyterians and Independents did by the fourth Commandment I am deceived in all that follow as because I religiously keep the Sabbath as I ought to do therefore I will dishonour my Superiors kill commit Adultery steal lye or covet against all Charity to my Neighbour as I ought not to do This among other deceits seems to be derived from the Pharisees who said of our Saviour Christ this man is not of God Joh. 9.16 because he keepeth not the Sabbath-day that is he kept it not as they would have him to do no good to his Neighbour upon the Sabbath-day by an Act of Parliament I am deceived in an Act of Charity because there is a Statute for each Parish to maintain their own poor therefore I will not give a Penny more to a poor Soul Having a hard heart I will find Law enough to make a Brief a Nullity by a Law of an Indult or Priviledg I will plead Law for a general Prohibition because a Law of Pluralities of Benefices is in some Cases granted to some choice learned Persons every inferior Person aims at it as if it were universally lawful by the Law of Popular Policy I am deceived in the Law of Regal Soveraignty I will appoint the King what Servants he shall have what Bishops he shall make or what Wife he shall chuse for the Prince 4. By the Law of Nature I am deceived in a positive Law 4. By the Law of Nature in a positive Law Because Nature teacheth a Worm if trod upon to turn again therefore I will take up arms against my Soveraign My Sin plays the Tyrant over me and I say 't is the King by Eating and Drinking and Copulation Instances I am deceived in Gluttony and Drunkenness and all promiscuous Procreations of Fornication Adultery Incest by Courage and Self-defence I am deceived in Revenge Murder
Rebellion by providing for my Family I am deceived in Covetousness Extortion because I am a Gentleman I must not starve therefore I will take a Purse upon the High-way because I have a Wife and many Children and poor Kinred to maintain therefore I will gripe and grind the faces of the Poor and take all the unjust courses I can by a Community I am deceived in levelling and denying all Propriety and Superiority 5. By a pretended Law of God in a certain Law of Man Instances 5. By a pretended Law of God I am deceived in a certain Law of Man As by the Jewish Ceremonial and Judicial Laws now abolished which were once established by God I would have Adultery to be death and Theft punished only by Restitution a Tooth for a Tooth c. By Dominion pretended to be founded upon Grace I would deny all legal Propriety and none but the Babes of Grace should have right to any of the Creatures By imagination of Christ's reigning a Thousand years upon Earth I would destroy all the wicked in the World by Community of all things I deny the Propriety in any thing by God's seeing no sin in his Children I affirm they sin not at all or most of all and yet shall never be punished by the work of Grace irresistibly and absolute Assurances of salvation I presume to run on in wickedness till God call me and to be free from all doubts and fears 6. By a private Law in a publick Law Instances 6. By a private Law I am deceived in a publick Law I will be true to my Neighbour but false to the State I will sell cheaper than others on purpose to engross all the trade to my self and cheat so much the more those that I employ to work under me I will tithe Mint and Cummin and devour Kings Priests Widows and Orphans houses I will be quiet at home and factious and tumultuous in the Church and State an Angel in the Church and a Devil in my House I will use private Prayers by the Spirit and Fast and Preach in close Conventicles and despise publick Set-forms of Prayer and Fastings and Sermons in the open Church 7. By the Moral Law in the Ceremonial Law Instance 7. By the Moral Law I am deceived in the Ceremonial Law Because of Spiritual worship I will endure no Bodily worship because I may worship God in every place I will not worship him in a Set-place commanded because I must serve God every day I will observe no Holydaies 8. By the Ceremonial Law in the Moral Law Instance 8. By the Ceremonial Law I am deceived in the Moral Law Because I worship God in External forms I will not be careful of the sincere worship of my heart If I am baptized and receive the Sacrament and pray and fast and give Alms I will trust to the opus operatum the work done I will draw near to God with my lips when my heart is after my Covetousness SECTION V. 5. By one Law in all other Laws Instances V. By one Law in all other Laws By the Law of Zeal I would be quite lawless I would be as Elias Phinehas the Maccabees the Jewish Zealots the Stoicks the Roman Tribunes the Lacedemonian Ephori like Tully Demosthenes the factious Oratours and Poets the Oracles and Soothsayers kill steal lie flatter or do any thing as if by divine impulse break through all Laws for the glory of God and the good of the Commonwealth I would as Jehu drive furiously kill and slay and rob a Kingdom and say Come see my zeal for the Lord. I would like Brutus Cassius Cateline Sylla Marius Mauritius Phocas Ravilliac Massenello Cromwell Bradshaw c. banish proscribe murder massacre assassinate Kings Nobles Priests or People for God's Cause or my Countrie 's good I would preach Christ and persecute his Members I would propagate Religion by the Sword as the Turks do and say the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon and write upon my Sword Holiness to the Lord and cry cursed is he that witholdeth his hand from blood and doth the Work of the Lord negligently And curse ye Meroz curse ye bitterly those that come not to the help of the Lord against the Mighty This is the Zeal that sets the World on fire these are the daring men that have their Fates written in their Foreheads that are canonized for Saints and dye the Martyrs of Jesus or Mahomet and are called of God to be his Executioners to destroy all the wicked of the World to ride up to the Horse bridles in blood to carry all clear before them possess and rule all the Earth and after all mount up to rights into Celestial Mansions Cavete Principes Sacerdotes Nobiles c. My Zeal to Rome makes me cross the Law Temporal my Zeal to Geneva the Law Ecclesiastical and make them Ropes of Sand. This is the Hercules that clears the Augaean stable the St. George and Amadis de Gall that rids the World of Monsters and relieves all distressed Souls These sight the Lords Battels these are the Favourites and Darlings of Heaven and the Jewels of the Earth these are taught of God by the Impulse of the Spirit seeking God and finding Kingdoms these have signal Victoies and are as signally destroyed as ever that Egyptian Theudos the Gaulonite Moses Barchochebas David George John of Leyden Knipperdolling and Cromwell were By this Law I will outlaw the Law maintain and make the King a Subject My care of the Clergy and consistory would subordinate the Prince to the Priest and my love to the Lay-Presbytery would make Princes truckle under the People Iterum atque iterum cavetè Principes By this Law I walk alone in the pride and loftiness of my spirit By virtue of my zeal for the Lord of Hosts I am above all Laws I tread upon the necks of Kings and trample Lions under my feet Nay I sore aloft in the Clouds and disdain the poor Ants crawling upon this Mole-hill and fly swifter than the Wind upon the wings of the Spirit Alas poor vile Souls I have some pity in my holy anger I could tell them of higher and statelier conducts but they are not able to bear the ravishments and raptures of the Spirit Thus much inspired Learning makes me mad and Madmen will be subject to no Laws So with and without a Law I am deceived and will be deceived any way I care not God help me The CONTENTS 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 TITLE VII Of the Reasons of Deceit THE Reasons in general why one Law deceives me in another may be these Deliberation by halves I. To resolve upon my Action I deliberate to halves I grant the conclusion upon demi-Principles I lay an Action in the balance stript from those
good hath no will at all As because Light is the proper object of seeing that Eye that cannot see the light hath no sight at all But as a blind man whose eyes are covered with a Film hath the faculty of seeing for he hath a Soul and organs of sight for he hath eyes but not the sense of seeing for he doth not see so the sinner hath the faculty of Will for he hath a Soul and the organ of Will for he hath a heart but not the Act of will he doth not will for his heart is hard and strong as the Scripture termeth it harder than the Neather Mill-stone The Regenerate have the first Act of the will to good but they fail in the second they cannot perform it Rom. 7.18 To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not The sinner hath neither the first Act nor the second not a will to do good much less to perform it for to will evil is not exactly evil but an act contrary thereto for which we have no name IV. Because Restrained from his own proper Rule Restraint from proper Rule i. e. the Law of God The Law of God is no Rule to the sinner for he will not be ruled by it nor can he enjoy the benefit of it he opposeth the power of it and will not have it The Carnal mind is enmity against God Rom. 8.7 for he is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can he he hath disabled himself from keeping it by making the Law impossible to him and himself impossible to the Law But the Sinner is over-ruled by the Will of the Flesh which orders him at pleasure and carries him captive to the Law of sin and sin being contrary to the Law of God must needs be a Law of Slavery for God's Law is a perfect Law of Liberty God's Law is a Royal Law but Sin 's is a Tyrannical Law and every Tyranny is Slavery V. Because Restrained from his proper State to be a Person Restraint from proper State Sin puts man from the Person of man When God formed him after his own Image Sin transformed him after the Image of a Beast and the Scripture brands him with the name of a beast profane a dog Cast not that which is holy unto dogs Mat. 7.6 Mat. 7.15 Beware of false Prophets which come to you in Sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are Ravening Wolves Herod called a Fox Go tell that Fox c. I have fought with beasts at Ephesus after the manner of men i. e. with railing Jews Chrys Theoph. Antichrist termed a Beast with seven Heads and ten Horns Satan the Author of sin called a Serpent or Dragon The Sinner in lower terms sunk to the dead legally dead in sin Let the dead i. e. Sinners bury their dead As Sin is a dead work that goes for no work so Sinner a dead person that goes for no person Restraint from proper Right VI. Because restrained from his proper Right i. e. the propriety of himself Is not Owner Master of himself Sin rules over him as a Lord over a slave Captivity Three waies a man loseth the Right over himself and becomes a slave by Birth by Captivity and by Sale Psal 51. 1. By Birth in sin I was conceived in sin and in iniquity did my Mother bring me forth For as the Rights of the Father so his Losses are conveyed to his Children by birth 2. By Captivity Captivity makes a slave of whom a man is overcome Ro. 7.23 of him he is brought in bondage carried captive to the law of Sin 3. By Sale he sells himself to sin Ahab sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord. I am sold under sin A sale made by Adam and all his Posterity Constraint to base Actions VII Because constrained to vile and base Actions As to be born in sin is true Bastardy so to commit sin is an act so base as it is all Baseness For as true Nobility consists only in Vertue so true Baseness consists in Vice Gen. 3.14 A Serpent is a base Creature goes basely creeping on his belly fares basely feeding on dust God's Curse An emblem of a Sinner A base service to serve a Beast to feed Swine and not be suffered to eat with them so is a Sinner A menstruous cloth is a base rag such is our righteousness stained with sin How filthy then is our sinfulness The vomit of a Dog is filthy such is Sin as when the Dog returneth to his vomit and the Swine that is washed to her wallowing in the mire The particular acts of Ambition Avarice and Filthiness such as that they must not be named Eph. 5.3 The CONTENTS Sin Satan TITLE XIII Of the Lord of Slavery THE Lord of slavery is Sin Servant of sin Of which sin The Lord of slavery Sin not of that he commits for that is actual sin which is the Sinner's work but the sinner is the servant of sin Original 1. Because sin Original is the lord and makes him a slave to work sin Actual Original sin is indeed in the godly not as a lord Sin shall not have dominion over them for they are not under the Law but under Grace But that sin is in them as a slave over whom they domineer They mortifie and crucifie it and make it a dying sin They that are Christs do crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts But Original sin is in the sinner as a Lord an Inmate that domineers doth mortifie and crucifie the sinner till he be destroyed 2. Because Original sin restrains him from all his several properties from his proper end Eternal happiness from his proper guide a right Spirit from his proper act of choosing good and refusing evil from his proper rule the Law of God from his proper state a person after God's image from his proper right the propriety and possession of himself and constrains him to actual sins which are vile and base acts If the sinner be thus restrained to be a slave then Original sin that restrains him is his Lord because whatsoever restrains is Lord and Master over him that is restrained 3. Because Original sin reigns over the sinner She is a Tyrant usurping soveraignty and hath her Laws whereby to command him those laws are but several lusts i. e. her arbitrary will and pleasure Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof In the godly it reigns not for they obey it not but in the sinner it reigns for he obeys it his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether it be to Sin or Righteousness If then thou obey Righteousness thou art a free servant but if Sin a bond-slave and the more willingly thou obeyest the more slave thou art II. But the Sinner's chief Lord is Satan The Prince of the Air Eph. 2.2 Satan the
Spirit that worketh in the Children of Disobedience Satan is a warlike Prince fights daily against the Saints His Army consists of Principalities and Powers Rulers of darkness Spiritual wickednesses in high places i. e. several Regiments of Devils Eph. 6.12 We wrestle not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers c. All these Spirits are enemies to the godly for he fights against them but they are Commanders over the Sinner for he serves under them As the poor Gadaren had a Legion of Devils that possest him so the poor Sinner hath a Legion of Lords that command him This makes the slavery out of measure slavish because the multitude of Lords doth multiply slavery For one Father to have many Children is an honour but for one Child to have many Fathers to be Filius populi is true Baseness and Bastardy So for one Lord to have many Slaves is a glory but for one Slave to have many Lords is extreme Baseness and Slavery The Use of all is to draw thee from Sin because sin is true slavery Thou detestest Slavery in the least degree when it bars thee of the propriety of thy Goods and wilt thou endure the slavery of Sin the basest-slavery that is Wilt thou fear the highest degree of it when it bars thee from the propriety of thy self and forces thee to vile and base acts Set thy Soul against this slavery by striving to oppose it and God give thee grace to be free from it for Jesus Christ his sake Amen The CONTENTS Grace cannot deceive TITLE XIV Of the Innocency of the Law Transition NOtwithstanding all that hath been said of the weakness and insufficiency of the Law and of the deceit and bondage thereby still the Law is holy just and good because God is so that made it That must needs be Spiritual because God is a Spirit A thing therefore may be the occasion of sin though in it self it be never so harmless As all the good Creatures of God which being abused groan again after their manner and long to be delivered from their servitude So the Law of God gives no occasion to Sin of it self but Lust takes occasion from the Law to stir up sin contrary to the Law And therefore the Law retorts upon Sin again to condemn it so much the more and to punish it so much the more So that the effect of the Law through the sinfulness of sin is to work sin and wrath deceit fear and bondage and to hold men down continually under this trembling condition all their life long through the horrour of death And the Law of Morality besides the penalty of scourging or Death without mercy annexed thereunto to keep men from Transgressions hath also a Ceremonial Yoke to put upon the Shoulders of such as otherwise would fall to Idolatry c. which altogether could not do but was a heavy Yoke too heavy for them to bear And therefore the Law it self for that part thereof which was Typical and Ritual fell of it self as altogether unprofitable and that small part thereof which was Moral fell not but longed for greater perfection and Grace to be added above the Justice and Rigour which was so ineffectual and accordingly the Law was delivered from the Insufficiency thereof as it was but the lowest part of Morality and was fulfilled to the highest pitch of Spiritual Perfection by Christ who came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it And those that were under this Law either written or not written either Jew or Gentile were delivered from this State of Bondage and Fear into the glorious liberty of the Children of God So the Law of Justice must needs be a just Law to direct and a severe Law to punish and when it had directed and punished it did all it could do but reformed none from Sin at least inwardly nor saved none from Punishment so that still it left men sinful as it found them and more too and left men miserable as it sound them and more too So that there is an Impossibility that ever any man should be saved by the Law and an Impossibility that any man can be saved by any thing but Grace II. In all God's Dispensations he giveth us to understand 1. That the Law of nature was not sufficient to keep man in the Innocency in which he was created because he was deceived by his Lust a-against which that Law gave him no strength by the strength of his Will he might have stood but not by the strength of the Law So he was deceived in that 2. That when the Law of Nature came to be written for him to read with his bodily eyes as he might before with the eyes of his mind yet still it would not do And when Poenal Laws were added they might keep him in bondage and bodily fear of Death as they did but never secure him from offending nor spare him when he did offend and still it would not do So Justice still shews us every way and by the Law so much the more So the Law deceives us by shewing us the way into which it had no power to put us but left us to take that right way and threatned us if we should offer to leave it So still alas we are deceived by Law and Justice which both intended us good but our own Lust hindred it from coming upon us But as for Grace and Mercy they can no way deceive us Grace cannot deceive nor will they suffer our Lust to deceive us Law and Justice in themselves do not deceive us but Lust does properly deceive us by them Grace and Mercy in themselves do our Work for us and can no way deceive us directly nor indirectly Law and Justice though they did not directly deceive us yet Lust did for all them for they could not help it though they stood by all the while and looked on But Grace and Mercy they do no ways deceive us nor suffer us to deceived So that there is more power in Grace and Mercy than in Law and Justice For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through Lust that Grace did do in that it was strong through Faith And not only condemned Sin in the flesh as the Law did not but destroyed Sin in the flesh and out of the flesh as the Law could not do by Christ's taking in mercy our Flesh upon him See how God gives us wonderfully to understand the power of his Justice to humble us for sin so much condemned and punished in us and to know the greater power of his Mercy to raise us up from sin so much pardoned and unpunished in us 1. God put Mankind under the administration of the Law of Justice to convince him of his sin and of God's just wrath That he might see there was no help for him in himself nor from any Creature no not from God's Law it self that he might abhor himself and bewail his
sin and look out for a farther remedy than the Law could afford That he might renounce and disclaim all beside God and take him only for his helper by flying from the Throne of his Law and Justice to the seat of his Grace and Mercy admiring and praising the superexcellency of his Grace above all his Works and for ever after deny any hope or comfort in any thing save in the free Grace of God 2. God put Man under the administration of the Gospel of Grace to convince him of God's love and favour unsought for and undeserved That he might see that there was help in the Creatour alone that he might adore and praise his Redeemer and rejoyce in his Love and enjoy his Rewards in full satisfaction to his Soul for ever O the riches of the glory of God's Grace that hath done more than his Law or Justice could do We should never have been undeceived nor unpunished without Grace but had been for ever sinful and miserable without it but now if we will we may be for ever holy and happy with it There was a spirit of Rule and Direction in the Law there is a spirit of Help and Assistance in the Gospel There was a spirit of Anger and Wrath in the Law there is a spirit of Love and Favour in the Gospel There was a spirit of Punishment and Death in the Law there is a spirit of Pardon and Life in the Gospel So God attains to his ends and designs by Grace His end and design is to save and in order thereto to relinquish the rigour of his Justice and draw them out of the fire that run into it by the offer of his Grace To throw out a cord of Love to them that will catch hold of it after they have plunged themselves into a gulf of wickedness So much God delights in his best and greatest Works And now after all this if we will not be saved but sin wilfully or trust to our own Righteousness we can have no excuse Before men might say something though not sufficient that they had no strength to avoid sin though they had sufficient from that dispensation of Grace that then was and that the Law made them know and desire sin more though not properly this last to make them desire it but because forbidden therefore their Lust made them the more desire it But now what can they say They are sinful and therefore miserable Here is Grace to make them holy and happy What shall they do to be saved They must accept this Grace and they shall be saved by it Will they accept or will they not If they will they may nothing hinders them They are not under the Law but under Grace The Lust in their Members strives to hinder them but cannot without their consent The World and the Devil tempt them by their Lust to hinder them but cannot without their consent This is the last and great Remedy of Sin and Misery this will do if men will take it else nothing can do How can a sick man be cured that will not take his Medicine How can any thing do any man good against his will Salvation it self cannot save those that will not be saved Now every mouth must be stopped God can nor will do no more than he hath done What could I have done more for my Vineyard which I have not done c. He hath given the World to understand his two great dispensations of the Law and Gospel 1. How the Law was a Rule to direct and reward those that kept it and punish them that broke it but Lust by it deceived us into sin and misery 2. How the Gospel is a Help as well as a Rule to save those that embrace it and Lust cannot deceive us by it into sin or misery but obstinacy and refusal may and will dam up all hope God therefore hath left off his Threats and Poenal dispensations to all faithful Souls Though he do inflict some Judgments as he did before yet not in that manner nor for that end as formerly The Unbelieving are justly punished but the Faithful are fatherly corrected This is a dispensation of mercy even in Afflictions to them 1. The assistances of the Spirit and the comforts thereof do abundantly recompense and moderate the pains of the flesh 2. The hope of Rewards engages them against hope to believe in hope Still God draws by the cords of Love by Perswasions and Entreaties not by Threats or Compulsions Understand therefore O Man the work of God's grace toward thee Whereas by Law and the Righteousness thereof thou art deceived in trusting to thy self breaking the Law by Lust By Grace and the Righteousness of God thou art not deceived in trusting to Christ fulfilling the Law by love A Covenant of Works by Law could not save thee for they are external only A Covenant of Faith by Grace can save thee by internal Righteousness So no Salvation by Law or Covenant of Works for outward Righteousness But by the Gospel or Covenant of Grace by inward Righteousness This is Faith this is the Righteousness of Faith The CONTENTS Mystical Precepts Mystical Providences TITLE XV. Of the mystery of the Law Of the mystery of the Law GOD gave a Civil Law by Moses to the Jews for their own Government and an Ecclesiastical Law for his own Worship 1. That they might live by no other Laws than God's 2. That they might not worship any other God in any other manner than God had prescribed Upon performance of their obedience to this Law was the Land of Canaan given them a figure at the same time of Heaven This Law had a double sense of Precepts Literal or Carnal and Spiritual or Mystical This Law had a double sense of Promises Literal or Carnal and Spiritual or Mystical Mystical Precepts The Spiritual and Mystical Precepts and Promises for eternal Salvation were ordained before the Law and under the Law not by the Law and after the Law most fully by the Gospel The Sons of men before the Flood departed from these Precepts but the Sons of God kept them and therefore God made a special application to those of them that were of Abraham's stock espousing them to himself and separating them by his peculiar Promises and Commands from all the rest of the Sons of men that followed Idolatry This separation from God began betimes one of Adam's Sons followed the true Worship the other departed from God with his Posterity after their own Will Gen. 4. ult Then did Lamech first violate that Law of Monogamie which was given to Mankind in the state of Integrity from whose Family the old Doctours of the Jews affirm that Idolatry first sprang As Ferity in eating live flesh with the blood thereof and Barbarism from those Mighty hunters who would live for themselves not for the common good of Mankind These Sons of men lived by their own Wills by Force Heb. 11. not
by Law but Abel Noah Enoch c. the Sons of God before and after the Flood lived all by Faith Mystical Providences In all which Dispensations not only the Rites and Ceremonies of Worship the words of the Law and Prophets but the actions of God's Providence were Mystical to represent the things of Faith as Paradise and the Trees of Life and of Knowledge the marriage of Adam and Eve Eph. 5.32 the Calling of Abraham the Ark the Bondage of Egypt and deliverance through the Red Sea the Wilderness the Land of Canaan the Captivity of Babylon c. The interpreters that stick in Literal sense of the Old Testament cleave close only to the outside and bark but never come near the pith and marrow therein contained The History and Letter is not to be neglected but the truth of Faith covered and veiled in the Law and the Prophets and in the Transactions of God is to be searched diligently As the Fathers themselves and Prophets enquired after this Salvation and Grace which was to come unto them 1 Pet. 1.10 which things the Angels themselves desired to look into This is testified in the Scriptures 2 Cor. 3.6 c. God hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit of the ministration of the Spirit and Life and of Righteousness much more glorious than that of the Flesh and of Death and Sin The Fathers were under the Cloud and all passed through the Sea 1 Cor. 10.1 c. and were all baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea and did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ c. Now what is it to be baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea but to pass through the Sea under the covering of a Cloud submitting themselves to the conduct of Moses as the Faithful do under the banner of Christ in Baptism And what are the Meat and Drink and the spiritual Rock but types of the spiritual Meat and Drink and Rock of Christ which the Apostle hints saying Now all these things happened to them for our examples and are written for our admonition verse 11. upon whom the ends of the World are come And Jesus Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 But most clearly speaks the Apostle in these words Now we have received not the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God 1 Cor. 2.12 c. that we might know the things that are freely given us of God which things also we speak not in the words which Man's wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual What are these Spiritual things but the Spiritual sense of Moses Law and of the Prophets compared with the more Spiritual things of the Gospel and of Christ In this sense the Law is Spiritual Ro. 7.14 Acts 7.38 and Moses is said to have received the living Oracles of God And the Jew and Circumcision openly in the Flesh and Letter is distinguished from the Circumcision of the heart and the Judaism of the Spirit This is the Righteousness of God Ro. 2.28 29. Ro. 1.17 revealed from Faith to Faith from the Law to the Gospel Grace for Grace the Grace of the Gospel revealed for that which was concealed in the Law For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.16 17. Luc. 24.45 And they erre that know not the Scriptures of the Old Testament in these senses for in them there is Salvation contained through Faith not the works of the Law as appears by the whole Catalogue of Saints in the eleventh of the Hebrews Indeed the kingdom of Heaven is not expressed in the Letter but in the Spirit of the Law which all did not perceive else how should the Sadduces part of the most Learned and many among the Priests and of the Sanhedrin not discern it Vide Act. 4.1 6. and 5.17 and 23.6 The Promises of the Law are plainly extant Exod. 16.27 28. and 19.5 6. and 23.25 Deut. 26.16 and 27.28 29 30. Lev. 25. per totum Heb. 7.19 and 8.6 and 9.15 and 7.16 and 9.9 14. 2 Tim. 1.9 10. Math. 22.36 Now these Carnal Rewards were not proportionable to a Spiritual Law therefore the Law was Carnal as the Promises were For the Moral Precepts that are of perpetual right are in their office Carnal if they be exerted no farther than the measures of a Carnal life As the Precept of loving our Neighbour respected only the duty of a Civil life among the Jews because the same offices of Civility were forbidden to be exercised by them towards the Ammonites Moabites Idumaeans and Egyptians Deut. 23.3 6 8. and 25.17 18 19. Upon this account Mordecai is supposed to deny to give honour to Haman Esth 2.3 These Precepts were given upon the account of hindering the infection of Idolatry by too much familiarity of Consanguinity Affinity or intimacy of Conversation And these very Enemies of God's People were figures of the Enemies of all Christians And this sense of the Law in this case Christ himself does declare in the Parable of him that fell among Thieves Luk. 19.29 By this way and method if due care were taken the Scriptures might be understood and the Word of Truth rightly divided and things new and old exactly distinguished and the difference between Judaism and Christianity exactly stated By this one distinction of a Mystical and Literal sense the Law of Works might be discerned from the Law of Grace the Righteousness of the Law from the Righteousness of the Gospel â By this we should understand that all that was brought in by Moses is vanished and gone and nothing is of force or virtue to remain but that which was introduced by God of Christ from the beginning to be promulgated instaurated and fully reformed in the fullness of the Gospel times by Jesus Christ in the flesh Only we must take heed That although the reason of God's divine Counsel for the restauration of Man fallen in Adam is more clearly revealed by the Gospel than it was before or under the Law yet nevertheless it is not to be expected that out of the Scriptures we should define the same bounds of offices set by the preaching of the Gospel which were known and received to them that understood the Spiritual Law under Moses which was a Law that vailed a better Law For what should hinder but that while the same Reason of Salvation stands in force at all times there should be some offices proper only for some of those times according to the different manner of God's divine Revelation And therefore now all Carnal offices do cease which never were in their own nature acceptable unto God for they are
infinitely unlike him and disagreeable to his Spirit And only the pure Spiritual offices do remain which are in their own nature acceptable unto God very like him and agreeable to his Spirit This is the dispensation of the Grace of God Eph. 3.2 5. The Mystery which in other Ages was not made known to the Sons of men as it is now revealed unto the holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit The CONTENTS Writing in Tables Law lost Law found Law lost again Law restored Septuagints Translation Law burnt Maccabes Sects of Jews Christ's coming Law on Mount Sinai the same with that of Adam in Paradise The Renewal of the Covenant of Works The equivocal word Law TITLE XVI Of the History of the Law THE History of the Law is this 1. Besides the universal Writing in the hearts of all men much obscured by evil Practice and Examples 2. It was written by God briefly in two Tables Moral Writing in Tables It was farther written by Moses in a Book Ceremonial that it might be read by the King and published by the Priest to all the People in the solemnity of the Feast of Tabernacles Deut. 17.9 3. After that by Malice or Negligence this Book was lost Law lost Then by chance found by Hilkiah the Priest Law found 2 Chr. 34.12 2 Kings 22.8 and brought to Josiah the King and by him published 4. Few years after at the Captivity of Babylon it was lost Law lost again Neh 8.1 Dan. 9.13 or at least corrupted At the Return from seventy years Captivity Esdras Law restored the Scribe and Priest either restored it or amended it as it is now who also expounded it And hence came the Scribes and Doctours of the Law 5. Septuagints Translation This Book by Ptolomeus Philadelphus was translated by the Septuagint into Greek which Original was burnt in the Temple of Serapis by the Souldiers of Julius Caesar while he was dallying with Cleopatra the Egyptian Queen brought to him in Culcitro but by the Providence of God there had been Copies thereof in several places whereby it is preserved to this day Law burnt 1 Mac. 1.42 6. Some years after Antiochus Epiphanes King of Syria compelled the Jews to forsake and burn their Law Maccabes 7. Little more than five years this mischief continued then came Judas Maccabaeus and relieved the Jews Sects of Jews 8. The Assanonaei his Race coming to reign the Law was retrieved but many Heresies and Sects arose as Scribes Pharises Sadduces Essens the Schools of Shanai and Hillel c. who falsly interpreting the Law led the People into Errours by vain Traditions Teaching for Doctrines of God the Commandments of Men. Christ's coming 9. Then came Christ in a corrupt Age and restored the Truth and confuted their vain Doctrines and Manners And abolished the Ceremonial or Ecclesiastical Law of the Priesthood and brought in a New Law and a New Priesthood of his own after the order of Melchisedeck And by this his New Law Gospel Covenant and Testament he fulfilled the Old of Types and perfected the Moral Law of Nature The Law on Mount Sinai the same with that of Adam in Paradise The Law delivered by God to Moses on Mount Sinai and written by him in two Tables of Stone was the same Covenant of works with the Children of Israel which he had made before with Adam in Paradise before his Fall writing it in his heart Do this and live and renewed to Noah Gen. 8.21 Heb. 9.9 to Melchisedeck Gen. 14.18 To Abraham David and all the Prophets And that this was the Covenant of Works appears by that of Moses The Lord made not this Covenant with our Fathers Deut. 5.3 but with us These Fathers were the Patriarchs unto Adam with whom he made the Covenant of Grace after his Fall The Renewal of the Covenant of Works The reason of the Repetition and renewal of this Covenant of Works by writing it upon Tables of Stone was because that Law which was written by God in Adams heart was obliterated and defaced by customes of Idolatry and all sorts of wickedness which the Sons of men gave themselves unto while the Sons of God by keeping the Old Traditions and the help of divine Revelations retrieved the Impressions of God's Law And yet the Posterity of Abraham Isaac and Jacob by conversation and example in Egypt had much forgotten the Old Rules of Nature's Law and the Instructions and Examples of their godly Parents and imputed not their own sin unto themselves because they saw no Law written against their Actions and could not see the Law in their own hearts Ro. 5.13 20. neither heard of any punishment denounced against them for their wickedness and would not hear the checks of their own Consciences And therefore because Sin was in them and increased and death reigned over them for their sin yet they being without a written Law to evidence this sin and death unto their Consciences God saw it necessary that there should be a New Edition and publication of the Law or Covenant of Works to bring them to the knowledge of Sin and Punishment and thereby to stop them in their career of Wickedness by the fear of a Curse and a Fleshly hope of a fruitful Land to dwell in if they would observe his Laws Reserving a greater Blessing if they would trust in his Promises which was the Covenant of Grace by which they were to be justified upon their Faith in those Promises and not by the Works of the Law So the Law was added because of Transgressions till Justification should ome by the Promise of Grace For the Law was weak and unprofitable to the purpose of Salvation but helpful to the discovery and stopping of Sin and the Curse that they might see the need they had of the Grace of God by which they might be saved and not by Works For as the Covenant of Grace made with Adam and renewed to Abraham had been needless if the Covenant of Works could have given Life So after the Promise or Covenant of Grace was once made it had been needless to renew the Covenant of Works to the end that Righteousness and Life should be had thereby Gal. 3.19 It was meerly added because of Transgressions that is not set up as a solid thing in gross sufficient of it self but added or put to the former Law given to Adam which was most forgotten Furthermore this Law given on Mount Sinai was added by way of subserviency and attendance the better to advance and make effectual the Covenant of Grace so that although the same Covenant which was made with Adam was renewed on Mount Sinai yet I say still it was not for the same purpose but it was given to Adam as a Rule of Salvation by it self if he had kept it but it was renewed only to help forward and to introduce another and better Covenant and so to be
a Manuduction unto Christ Observe it then that all this while there was no other way of life given either in whole or in part beside the Covenant of Grace And therefore there was no inconstancy either in God's Will or in his Acts only such was his Mercy that he subordinated the Covenant of Works and made it subservient to the Covenant of Grace and so to tend to Evangelical Perfection And he that truly understands and considers what the Covenant of Works requires and how unable he is to perform it it being though ordained for righteousness and life an occasion of sin and death must needs see just cause to flie from Mount Sinai unto Mount Sion or from the Covenant of Works made with Adam to the Covenant of Grace made with Christ and to admire the unspeakable Wisdom and Mercy of God in suffering the Law to enter in Rom. 5.20 21. that the offence might abound that where Sin aboundeth Grace might much more abound That as sin hath raigned unto death even so might Grace raign through Righteousness unto Eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord. The Law then which was good was not made Death unto me God forbid But Sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good Rom. 7.13 that sin by the Commandment might become exceeding sinful Is the Law then against the Promises of God God forbid For if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin Gal. 3.22 c. that the Promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe But before Faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith which should afterward be revealed Wherefore the Law was our School-master to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by Faith But after that Faith is come we are no longer under a School-master For ye are the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus The obscurity of this Great Point of Theology which I am forced to be so long upon new Notions arising continually is chiefly occasioned as Origen imagineth by the indistinct Aequivocation of the Word Law in the Epistle to the Romans let that place be viewed where it is said The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death Rom. 6.2 3. The Aequivocal Word Law for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit May we not modestly say that the Word Law ascribed to the Concupiscence of the Flesh is not properly but abusively given As it is also in another Place Rom. 7.21 23. where he saith I find a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me for I delight in the Law of God after the Inward Man But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into Captivity to the Law of sin which is in my Members For if Lust be a Law and do bind it hath no Right so to do because Lust is not of force by God's Prime Institution from whence Law hath its virtue but by the occasion of his Justice in punishing the Fall of our first Parents thereby And hence is this Original way of sinning from our Lusts which we are led away with and deceived by though in themselves they are not naturally sinful but became exorbitant against reason and peccant upon forbidden objects by our own consent of Will and God's just Punishment therefore But when the Law of the Spirit of life is clearly meant to be the Gospel preached and alone having the Promise of the Spirit The Law that is weak because of the Flesh that is condemned by the flesh of Christ must needs be understood to be a carnal Law from whence Salvation can never be hoped But that Law by which Justification is had by them which walk after the Spirit and not after the Flesh is Spiritual whether it be the same for the Law of Nature perfected by Christ for the Covenant of Grace or diverse as commanded by Moses for the Covenant of Works When these things are rightly distinguished the difficulty whereof St. Peter as well as Origen complains is taken off for when the Apostle saith Rom. 2.14 That the Gentiles which have not a Law are a Law unto themselves doing by Nature the things contained in the Law shew the Work of the Law written in their hearts It is manifest that although we usurp the Appellation of the Law of Nature indifferently St. Paul doth abstain from giving the Name of a Law to that Light that is in us when he says the Gentiles had no Law but were a Law to themselves because the usurping of the Name Law belongs to the solemn Imposition of that name in the Law of Moses and to the Law of Nature and of sin but by Trope and Figure The Law of Moses is carnal in all men the Covenant of Works The Law of Christ is Spiritual in the Faithful before under and after the Law the Covenant of Grace Therefore the Institutions of Nature in Moses's Law are Scriptures and the Word of God no less than the Gospel but not binding as delivered by Moses but by Christ by whom they were made perfect Neither doth a Believer receive the Moral Law at the hands of Moses but altogether at the hands of Christ Though it be the same Law for Matter and Substance yet in the lowest grounds that was delivered by Moses yet Believers are not to receive it as the Law of Moses but of Christ in the highest perfections thereof For when Christ the Son of God comes and speaks himself Moses the Servant of God must hold his peace as Moses himself foretold A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me Act. 3.22 Him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you And therefore in the Mount Tabor when Moses and Elias were departed and had given place the voice from Heaven came and said Math. 17.5 This is my Well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye Him And though heretofore God hath spoken divers wayes and in sundry fashions to the World by his Servants the Prophets Heb. 1.2 yet now in these last dayes he hath spoken to us by his Son and this is he that we must trust to And they that believed in Moses must believe in Christ and they that believed before Moses did believe in Christ and they that believe after Moses must believe in Christ and so to the World's end For there never was nor will be
come to appear before me who hath required this at your hand to tread my Courts Bring no more vain oblations Incense is an abomination unto me the New Moons and Sabbaths the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemn Meetings your New Moons and your appointed Feasts my soul hateth they are a trouble unto me I am weary of them When you spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood Wash ye make ye clean c. For I spake not unto your Fathers nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the Land of Egypt concerning Burnt offerings or Sacrifices Jer. 7.22 but this thing I commanded them saying Obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my People and walk ye in all the waies that I have commanded you that it may be well with you Wherewith shall I come before the Lord Mich. 6.6 c. and bow my self before the High God Shall I come before him with Burnt offerings with Calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl shall I give the fruit of my Body for the sin of my Soul He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God And he shall confirm the Covenant with many for one week and in the midst of the week he shall cause the Sacrifice and the Oblation to cease Dan. 9.27 and for the overspreading abominations he shall make it desolate even until the consummation Christ saith the Law and the Prophets were till John and no longer and since that time the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence and every man rusheth into it and the violent take it by force We are not under the Law but under Grace Ro. 6.14 We are dead to the Law and the Law is dead unto us by the Body of Christ and free from the former Husband that we should be married to another Ro. 7.4 even unto him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God Gal. 3.19 The Law was added because of Transgressions till the Seed should come to whom the Promise was made When we were Children we were under the Elements of the World Gal. 4.4 5. but when the fulness of time was come God sent his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons Because the Gospel was a Covenant of Faith 2. Reas Gospel a Covenant of Faith quite contrary to the Covenant of Works as the Law was For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Christ is now made our King and Lawgiver and we are his Subjects till the day of Judgment when he shall give up the Kingdom to God the Father No wonder if this change be made 3. Reas God may change the Law For God is the Supreme Law-giver and therefore hath power over his own Law as being Creatour he hath power over his own Creatures God is immutable in himself but his Works are changeable every day He that commanded not to kill might command Abraham to kill his Son And after he had to the Jews given a Law by Moses he gave another Law to the World by Christ For finding fault with the first he established the second Heb. 8. which was a better Covenant and established upon better Promises The former grew old and was ready to vanish away and gave place to the Law of Faith Jam. 2.8 12. Ro. 8.12 the Royal law of Liberty The law of the Spirit of life to make us free from the law of sin and death And as mens Wills are ambulatory till their last Will which is established by death so was God's Will till the Gospel was given as his last Will established by the death of Christ Because Christ advanced the Law and Worship of God from Carnal to Spiritual from childish and imperfect usages to such as were natural 4. Reas Law advanced to Spirit manly and perfective Christ also advanced the Rewards of God from Canaan to Heaven from life Temporal to life Eternal by bringing Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel A consideration of this Change and of Christ that made it 5. Reas Types was in respect of the Types and Figures of the Law and of the Transactions and Dispensations of affairs in the Commonwealth of the Jews under the Law Vide 1 Cor. 10.1 Heb. 11.26 and 13.8 1 Pet. 1.10 2 Cor. 1.20 1 Cor. 15.22 Ro. 5.12 to 19. Heb. 9.15 Act. 13.29 Rev. 13.8 1 Pet. 1.19 Heb. 9.25 28. SECTION I. All did not know then how Christ was their Saviour as we do Secret of Christ understood by degrees Heb. 11. but they understood it darkly and afar off and longed to see that day and waited for the Consolation of Israel This they learned as they were able of their Superiours the Prophets and Judges and Fathers of old who being acquainted with this Secret were to acquaint the People with it sparingly and by degrees as they themselves were but able to do for though great and knowing men in their several times yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater and more knowing than they Of which Salvation the Prophets enquired and searched diligently 1 Pet. 1.10 who prophesied of the Grace that should come searching what and in what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before hand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven which things the Angels desire to look into Divine Dispensations By all which passages it appears how admirable the divine Dispensations have been in all Ages Creation God made Man upright and made a Covenant with him of Obedience for Life Fall which he brake by Disobedience to the heavenly Command and had the wages of Death Promise Then God propounded and promised another Covenant to be confirmed by the promised Seed And man repenting of his Disobedience and believing was restored and saved thereby Faithful After that the Sons of God that were faithful and kept the worship of the true God taught their Children what was revealed unto them of God and delivered to them of their Fore-fathers Unfaithful The Sons of men that were unfaithful were so far from walking after what was taught them that they did not so much as follow the light of Nature
a Testament is the most Noble of all Deeds or Conveyances And that Because it is most Solemn Nuncupative 1. For Nuncupation if by word of mouth Declarative 2. For Declaration if it be written Witnesses 3. For Witnesses seven of old amongst the Romans at least and those all rightly qualified Citizens honest and of good report Plainness 4. For clear expression of mind For if at any time a Wise man will declare his meaning more than ordinary it must be in his last Will before his death because after that he can never interpret if he have left any doubts or flaws therein Heir 5. For Institution of an Heir to succeed the Testatour in all his Rights and to fulfil all his Will as if he himself were alive to do it Finishing by Hand and Seal 6. For exact finishing signing and sealing of his Will at the time of the Declaration thereof to be his true last Will and Testament Death 7. For Death sadly ensuing upon it to ratifie all that was Willed Testament most Gracious Because it is most Gracious In giving all 1. In giving all universitatem bonorum For the Heir succeeds into all the Rights and Priviledges of the Testator all is the Heirs originally as it was the Testator's though some Legacies be taken out of the Inheritance and sprinkled upon the Legataries by the hand of the heir as the Testator might have done while he was alive This is delibatio Hereditatis but a Taste of the Inheritance the main body is the Heirs In dying 2. In leaving all by dying Goods and Life together greater Love than this can no Man shew than to lay down his life to give all to his Heir And there can be no Person more dear than he whom a Man doth make his sole Heir and Successor to live as it were in his stead and to enjoy use and act for him to all intents and purposes as if he were still alive The Form of old expressed this Love quando ego ex rebus humanis excessero tunc tu charissime Haeres meus esto Loe here I dye and leave thee my most beloved Heir to represent my person still and to possess immediately after my decease my Honour and Estate and to do every thing therein which I would or should have done and especially what I have enjoyned to be done according to my quality and degree as if I were alive my self to do it And moreover in particular it is the most noble and gracious Deed above a Covenant SECTION V. Because a Covenant is not so solemn an Act as a Testament is Reason 1 Testament most solemn For Covenants may be made and are made in Mirth and Jollity at a Market or a Tavern without any sad Consideration of Death ensuing But a Testament is alwaies upon most serious Consideration either in a Closet or on a Man's Death-bed or upon any dangerous Adventure or Travel or in acie or when a man is at the point to dye and then is no dallying when Death is before our face Thus Christ a little before his Death declares his last Will to his Disciples and took the solemn Symbols of Bread and Wine that by them they might remember the last Will of their dying Saviour viz. What gifts he gave unto them My Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you c. And what Duty he required at their hands to do or suffer for the Gospel's sake saying Take eat this is my Body which was given for you do this in remembrance of me and this is my Blood of the new Testament which was shed for you drink you all of this and by this they were to shew the Lords Death until his second coming for the full Performance of the Will of God which then he dyed to confirm when he shall give actual possession of the Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers SECTION VI. Because a Covenant is not so liberal as a Testament is Reason 2 Most Liberal it is more penurious strict and covetous tying men up oftentimes to hard Conditions and is without pure Love the Parties covenanting not daring to trust one another without Bonds and Securities double and treble and desperate Forfeitures and Penalties But a Testament is a bountiful Donation of all to the Heir in whom he puts full trust and confidence and whom he most dearly loves above all the World besides And if he do require Conditions they are sutable to the Love of him that dyes to give him all and to the condition of him to whom all is given that he would no more hurt or dishonour him by these Conditions than he would hurt or dishonour himself if he were to live to perform them SECTION VII I know Marriage there are other Contracts and Covenants of great excellency and vertue as between Man and Wife Friend and Friend of rare Endearments to each other but nothing like this of a Testament In Marriages there are gifts mutual the Wife brings her Dowry to her Husband and he gives his gifts ad sustinenda onera Matrimonii and settles a Joynture upon her there is one for the other yea there is a Communion of all things divine and humane between them yea they give their own Bodies to each other for life and when the Husband dies he leaves her part of his honour and third Part of the Estate and by the Imperial Law she goes away with her Dowry that she brought him SECTION VIII A near Union It is a very near and intimate Union I do confess both in Law making but one Person and by Copulation but one Flesh and a Man and Woman must forsake Father and Mother and they two must cohabit and become one Flesh And besides the resignation of Bodies to each other so that they are not their own but have power over each other they may and ought to give their minds and affections mutually and thereby they are not only one Flesh which may be with Harlots but one Spirit also All which things agree most rarely well with the spiritual Mariage which is between Christ and his Church But this Notion is not shut out of the Testament of God but comes in very well under it For we that are by Faith the Sons and Heirs of God are also his Allies and Friends yea his Spouse and Wife and all the intimate Relations that can be imagined Matrimonial Love is of great concernment as to Procreation being the Fountain of all Societies and the enlargement of Mankind but still it makes but one Flesh as it may be with Harlots but the main thing is a harmony of Humours and Conditions and this makes them more one Soul and one Spirit as friends are and they may not be Conjugal Benefits are great to Wives for Honour and Estate but Paternal Benefits are greater to Sons and Heirs for Honour and Estate And for Law
born of the flesh is flesh but afterwards they are made Spirit For that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Joh. 3. And except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven which is the first Resurrection And again Christians must first die as all Flesh must do and afterwards must live as all Spirits must do And as the Soul is alwaies Spirit but not fully sanctified nor fully glorified till after the Bodie 's Resurrection so the Flesh is alwaies Flesh but yet made spiritual by Regeneration but not fully Spiritual till the full Regeneration of Glory after death which is the second Resurrection For thiis Mortal must put on Immortality and this Corruptible must put on Incorruption and this Earth must put on Heaven and this Flesh must put on Spirit and this Terrestrial must be made Coelestial for as we have born the Image of the Earthly so we shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly There are Natural Bodies and there are Spiritual Bodies but first that which is Natural and then that which is Spiritual So without Death Temporal we cannot be prepared for Life Eternal For except we fall we cannot rise and except we rise from the Earth we cannot ascend into Heaven and except we ascend into Heaven we cannot enter into the Inheritance of Glory SECTION I. Christ's Ascension Christ therefore after his death and burial ascended in his own Person far above all Heavens that he might as a King Priest and Prophet fully execute the Will of his Father and our Father which is in Heaven Now he that ascended Eph. 4.9 what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth And he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things or more truly that he might fulfil all things that is by a Plenary Administration and discharging all the Gifts and Legacies devised by God For when he ascended up on high Eph. 4.8 he led Captivity captive and gave gifts unto men And for the preparation of his Church Militant that they may be Triumphant He from thence gave some to be Apostles Spirit 's Mission Eph 4.11 12. and some to be Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the unity of Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Now to do these things is to execute and fulfil the Will of God Wherefore it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the sins of the People For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Forasmuch then as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood Heb. 2.14 he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the Promise i. e. the Promised Possession of Eternal Inheritance This Doctrine was taught by Christ himself Joh. 16.7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you And after his death he said Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day Luk. 24.46 And that Repentance and Remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Thus Christ died for the Testification Coroll Confirmation and Execution of the New Testament and consequently for the Remission of sins Mortification Justification Sanctification Resurrection and Glorification of all the Scripti haeredes whose Names are written in the Book of Life The CONTENTS Spiritual Lively In force for ever Literal Deadly Abrogated for ever Consequences Cautions Instructions Exhortations TITLE VII Of the Testaments compared THis last and greatest and best Disposition of God's Grace to all the World called the New Testament that we may yet the better understand let us compare it with the former and lower way of God's Disposition to the Jews only called the Old Testament as it was established by the Law given upon Mount Sinai in these two points The New Testament is Spiritual lively and in force for ever The Old Testament is Literal deadly and abrogated for ever SECTION I. Spiritual I. The New Testament is Spiritual lively and in force for ever 1. Spiritual 1. Because it is perfect agreeing to the Spirit of God which the other was not being imperfect and Carnal 2. Because it conveyeth Spiritual gifts and graces plentifully which the other did not 3. Because it was written by the Spirit in the Tables of the heart whereas the other was only in Tables of Stone Lively 2. Lively 1. Because it creates the life of Grace and Glory In force for ever 3. In force for ever Because it is God's last Will and ratified by the Death of Christ and therefore unalterable SECTION II. Literal II. The Old Testament is Literal deadly and abrogated for ever 1. Literal Because Carnal rigorous weak rude and beggarly as Rudiments and the lowest principles of Morality and Ritual worship 2. Deadly Deadly Because working nothing but wrath and death making sin appear to be exceeding sinful and affording no Remedy against it 3 Abrogated for ever Abrogated for ever Because ordained only for a time as being shadowy and typical of Substances to come The Law made nothing perfect Heb. 7.19 but the coming in of a better Hope did The Gospel is the only true Service with which God is well pleased For God is a Spirit Joh. 4.24 and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth God will now be served in the newness of the Spirit Ro. 7.6 not in the oldness of the Letter Say not in thine heart Ro. 7.6 Who shall ascend into Heaven to bring Christ down from thence or who shall descend into the Deep to bring Christ again from the dead For the word is nigh unto thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart Ro. 10.6 The words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and Life Joh. 6.63 It is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing The Law of the Spirit of Life hath made
me free from the Law of Sin and Death Ro. 8.1 2. Ro. 8.5 6. And they that are in Christ walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit for to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit The Gospel times therefore were prophesied to be searching times Consequences Mal. 3.1 2 c. The Lord shall suddenly come into his Temple even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in Behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts But who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a Refiner's fire and like Fuller's sope And he shall sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver and he shall purifie the Sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an Offering in Righteousness Then shall the Offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the daies of old and as in former years Thus the thoughts of many hearts will be discovered and it shall be known who will follow the World and who will follow Christ who will live after the Flesh and who will live after the Spirit Who will enter into Covenant with God and who with the Devil Thus the Letter of the Law killeth 1. Because it only discovers sin 2. Because it only condemneth sin 3. Because it stirreth up sin the more 4. Because it punisheth sin without mercy Thus the Spirit giveth life 1. Because it offereth Life freely 2. Because it justifieth them that accept it 3. Because it saves them from Sin Death and Hell 4. Because it giveth them Eternal Life and Glory SECTION III. Digression Cautions Mistake not these words Take heed well what you hear and read He that hath ears to hear let him hear and he that hath a heart to understand let him understand 1. Some will not read the Scriptures nor hear them read or preached by any study or pains by any Art or Eloquence 2. Some will not pray by any forms at sett times or places nor submit to any Discipline nor preach by Meditation or helps of any Comments or Writing nor hearken to any Counsels Exhortations or Conferences nor be ruled by any Laws or Orders of men These trust they say to the Light that is in them and to the motions of the Spirit in their own Consciences which is rather their humor fancy and obstinacy These are above all Ordinances in the letter of the Law of God or Man and walk aloft by the revelations of the Spirit which if it were the true Spirit would never be contrary to the true sense and Spirit of the Gospel written and preached The Spirit teacheth us to pray preach and live Spiritually by the Means of the Word of God and wholesom Discipline of Men. Therefore what is written in the Book and preached by the Voice and commanded by lawful Power is the same with that which is the Mind of God first predestinated and secret then revealed and published to and by the Fathers at last to and by Christ and his Apostles and written in the heart by the Holy Ghost Therefore deceive not your selves 1. With vain Fancies and new Revelations for the Truth is old 2. With feigned Words and canting Expressions for the Truth is plain 3. With framing a Law to your selves as if infallible contrary to Nature's Law to the Laws of Nations and to Christ his Law This must needs be a Spiritual cheat tending to all mischief and confusion Take heed therefore 1. Of Law-Preachers of Curses Hell and Damnation 2. Of Spirit-Preachers of Evidences and Rapture walking without and against all Law and Rule These sort of men are Rigid Surly Morose Self-conceited Opiniators Malicious Proud Scoffers Straitners of God's love to Mankind therefore not of God and having not the Spirit SECTION IV. Leave of vain Disputes and learn 1. To hold all necessary and confessed Truths Instructionâ and contend only for the Faith and a good Conscience 2. To submit to all Orders and Decencies and to fulfil all Righteousness which is the ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 3. To reverence and adore the Manifold Wisdom of God admiring and praising but not prying and searching into the Reasons of his Workings whose waies are alwaies Just but often hid from our eyes because his paths are in the great Waters and his foot-steps past our finding out 4. To embrace the Promises of Forgiveness of sins Adoption Heaven and Happiness This will engage the Soul to live by the Spirit of the Gospel and not merely by the Letter much less by the Law or by Sense This will sublimate the Soul to the spiritual acts of Faith Hope Love Prayer Self-denial against the Carnal acts of Sense Lust Drunkenness c. Forbear ignorant and proud boasting of the Spirit to be above Ordinances and contrary to what is Revealed it is most dangerous Let us not be Fools or Cross 1. In being too superstitiously Formal and trusting to Outward worship 2. In being too Profane and Licentious in neglecting all Conscience and Inward worship 3. In being too superstitiously precise in Inward worship only without any regard to Decency and Order calling it Jewish Heathenish and Popish 4. In being actually Rebellious thereupon by separation from publick Assemblies and rising up in Arms openly and destroying the Powers of the Church and State There is a right way if we could hit upon it as we may without prejudice against any man's Person to take in all the Truths held by them though we like not other things which they are mistaken in The way of Charity is excellent To suffer long and to be kind not to envy or vaunt not to be puffed up not to behave our selves unseemly 1 Cor. 13.4 c. nor to seek our own not to be easily provoked to think no evil not to rejoyce in iniquity but to rejoyce in the Truth to learn all things to believe all things hope all things endure all things There are that hold the Truth in Unrighteousness which ceaseth not to be the Truth because they hold it with other Errors There are that hold the Foundation of Gold Silver and Precious stones though they unhappily build Wood Hay and Stubble and such unworthy matter thereupon There are that sit in Moses's Chair and teach according to the Law and their Disciples are bound to believe and do according as they say though they say and do not There are that preach Christ out of Envy and for Gain and yet Christ is preached and thereat they may rejoyce and should rejoyce If I find a Jewel upon a Dung-hill I will stoop to take it up I will reverence Wisdom in the poor or blind or lame or otherwise
is not hindred from acting it nor forced to act the contrary Thus God doth act his own VVill and the Angels and glorified Saints act their own VVills and this is Liberty IV. A Loosness of Man to his Proper Rule is Liberty Loosness to proper Rule The Proper Rule of Man is the Law As a Restraint from that is Slavery so a Loosness to it is Liberty All other Rules as the Wisdom of the Flesh and the World are strong and impediments When thou art clear from these and loose to live by the Law Jam. 1.15 then thou art free to walk according to the perfect Law of Liberty Not that the Law leaves us to our Liberty whether to keep it or no much less gives Liberty to transgress it but because the observing of it argues Liberty freely to run in the waies of God's Commandments The Law not Conscience is the Soveraign Rule of Man i. e. God's Law or Man's Law where no Law of God declares it unlawful for the Conscience must have a Guide i. e. a Law to rule it or else it is unruly For where there is no Law there is no Conscience seeing Conscience is but the dictate of the Law of Equity which is a Law prescribing to the Law of Justice and over-ruling it And Conscience pretended is but blindness of mind or hardness of heart unless it can see or feel it self in some Law Therefore for a Man to be restrained from his proper Rule that he cannot or may not live by the Law but forced to live without or contrary to Law only at the will and pleasure of another is slavery but the contrary is true Liberty V. A Loosness of Man to his Proper State is Liberty Loosness to proper State The Proper State of a Man is to be a person after God's own Image And as a Restraint from that makes Slavery so a Loosness to it is Liberty All other States as of Sin and Corruption are exotick and forreign heterogeneous and troublesom but when none of the Manacles restrain the Spirit there is Freedom Hence Natural Corruption is a state of Slavery because it deteriorates and depraves thy proper Person diminisheth thy head and defaces God's Image in thee But thy Spiritual Regeneration is a state of Liberty because it meliorates advances thy head and restores thee to the New Man after God and Christ in Righteousness and Holiness And that Spirit of God that doth Regenerate doth thereby adopt and therefore Enfranchise For if Children then free the Spirit of Adoption is contrary to the Spirit of Bondage and the Law of the Spirit of Life makes us free from the Law of Sin and Death The state of Servitude is Death for Slaves as Dead men have no Will no more than Beasts to act any thing in Law VI. A Loosness of Man to his Proper Right is Liberty Loosness to proper Right The Proper Right of a Man is the Propriety in himself and over himself And as a Restraint from that is Slavery so a Loosness from that is Liberty All other Rights as Lands Goods c. are forreign and extraneous When none of these are Clogs and Impediments to the Spirit then there is Liberty Hence Liberty is called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã i. e. a Power over ones self and such as have it are ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã free to Rule over themselves A Man that hath a Dominion of a thing doth dispose and use that thing to his own end so he that hath Dominion of himself doth dispose and use himself to his own end and is Lord of himself and therefore Free God's Dominion over Man doth not extinguish Man's Dominion over himself no more than the Power of a Prince or Father doth extinguish the Liberty of a Subject or Son but rather the more God is thy Lord the more free art thou his Servant The more God is thy Father the more free art thou his Son Because God's service and Sonship is the most perfect freedom for it laies thee open to all his Favours and Rewards Thus the Form Seat Terms and Cases of Liberty shew the true Nature of it which is a Loosness of the Spirit from all Evil unto all Good in all the Proprieties thereof The Use of all this is to confute the Vulgar opinion That Liberty is an Indifferency to do or not to do this or the contrary An Opinion which hath bred many intricate Questions and hard Speeches against God I have therefore laboured to overthrow it not expressly by confuting the Absurdities of it but tacitly and consequently by shewing what is the Truth and proving it so to be â A way which though it be least practised yet is of most dispatch and fullest of Charity for when the Truth shines out clearly all Errors against it do quickly vanish and no ill words pass upon it for they are sooner cut off with one dead stroke at the Root than singly cropt each by it self in the Branches to grow again and increase much more For otherwise there is no end of Disputes and consequently of Sects and so of Animosities and so Pride and all Mischief as woful Experience doth demonstrate in all places But we have learned no such Custom nor the Churches of God VVe know better things and labour to do them And thou Beloved Christian learn thy Duty to perceive those Truths that are evident to them that will use their Reason humbly and to believe those that are not so evident The saying is good if well taken In Necessariis Unitas in Dubiis Libertas in Omnibus Charitas In Necessary Doctrines let there be an agreement of Unity in those that are more obscure a Mutual Liberty but in all things let there be Charity And this is for the Nature of True Freedom The CONTENTS God Christ Faithful Term of Recess Bondage Term of Access Sonship TITLE XII Of the Subjest of Liberty SEcondly The Subjects of Liberty are of three sorts viz. 1. God is the Father of True Liberty 2. Christ is the Son of it 3. The Faithful are the Members of it SECTION I. I. God is the Father of True Liberty ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã absolutely Free GOD. holding from none the Author End and Pattern of all Liberty in the Creature As the Sun is the Fountain of Life so God is the Fountain of Liberty Liber Liberator Free and making all Free that are free As Liberty is the Priviledge of the King for where the King is there is Freedom to himself and others no Man may be affronted arrested or beaten in his presence 2 Cor. 3. pen. So where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty 1. Because God is naturally Infinite no Bounds upon him Reason Omniscient Omnipotent and Omnipresent Ergo Naturally Free 2. Because God is naturally Loose no Bonds upon him So Mighty that he cannot so Constant that he will not be let or hindred Who shall say unto him What dost
are as Isaac who was a True Son and had the State of the Person and the Right of a Son because he came from a Woman who had the state of a Woman and the Right of a Wife and was no Bond-woman nor Concubine So it is plain from this way of Argumentation used by the Apostle That the Sons of the Law that trust to the Law only shall be as little justified or have as little Right to the Inheritance of heaven as Ismael had to Abraham's Inheritance which was none at all because he was born of a Woman who had Works enough for she was a Bond-maid but those could create unto her no Right nor to her Son to inherit But the Sons of the Gospel that trust to the Gospel only shall be thereby as much justified and have as much right to the Inheritance of heaven as Isaac had to Abraham's Inheritance which mas a complete Right because he was born of a Woman who had Faith to conceive when past Child-bearing which did create to her a full Right to be a Mother and to her Son to be an Heir This was the first Difference between the two Mothers and the two Sons on the Mother's side The second Difference is between the two Sons only by the Father's side For though they had one and the same Father yet they were begotten from different principles and operations in Abraham enabling him to beget them Gen. 16.2 1. Ismael came from Abraham as from a natural Father born after the flesh by Abraham's natural power and strength of Generation as also from Agar's natural force of Conception For Abraham was not restrained by Nature from begetting being then but eighty five years old though Sarah was restrained from bearing though not by Nature as being the younger yet by God's will 2. Isaac came from Abraham as from a supernatural Father born after the Spirit by Abraham's supernatural power and strength of Generation from God as also from Sarah's supernatural virtue of Conception by God For Abraham was restrained by Nature from begetting Ro. 10.7 being then Ninety nine years old and Sarah had a double deadness for besides that she was barren she was Ninety years old yet conceived by virtue of God's Promise Ro. 9.8 9. or by the Spirit and power of God upon her Faith So they that will be under the Law which is a Bond-woman and engendring to Bondage though thereby they be the Children of God yet they are but his natural and carnal Children because born after a more natural and carnal way by Works under the Law Heb. 9.10 consisting in carnal and fleshly Ordinances But they that are under Grace or under the Gospel which is a Free-woman and engendring to Liberty they are the True Divine and Spiritual Sons of God because they are born after a more supernatural and Spiritual way by Faith under the Gospel consisting of Spiritual Precepts Thus that which is born of the Law or Flesh is flesh Joh. 3.3 according to the nature of the Law but that which is born of the Gospel or Spirit is Spirit according to the nature of the Gospel And the Sons of God by Faith are Sons by Adoption and Grace Heirs of God and Co-heirs with Christ Jesus Eph. 1.13 and are sealed with that Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of their Inheritance SECTION III. Many more Covenants God made But two Eminent Covenants but these two of the Law and Gospel were the most eminent 1. Because they were National The Law was a Covenant with the Nation of the Jews and the Gospel was a Covenant with all Nations The rest of the Covenants of God were Personal God was one Party and the Counterparty to him was some single Person as Adam Noah Abraham David c. 2. Because these two were Mediatory Covenants made by the Intervention of two solemn Mediators Moses and Christ the rest were immediately proposed by God and had no Interlocutor or Mediator Yet though these two Covenants disagree from all the rest yet are they different and contrary the one to the other Hagar and Sarah and the Children of the Covenant as contrary the one to the other as Ismael and Isaac The Apostle addeth to the Nature of the two Covenants the adjuncts of Place and Effect 1. For the Law the Place it was from Mount Sinai in Arabia Gal. 4.25 the Country of Hagar's Posterity called Hagarens though they would be thought to be of Sarah and called Saracens Exod. 19. Gen. 2â And Hagar her self was originally of Egypt the house of Bondage 2. The Effect of the Law was Bondage engendred thereby For according to the Nature of the Law so are the Spirits and Manners of men under it The Law of Moses burthensom for its Rites and contains only outward Precepts and Temporal Promises and Curses And therefore it self begets a Spirit or Genius correspondent to it of servile drudgery and slavish fear under a Curst Mistress II. For the Gospel 1. The Place it was from Mount Sion in Jerusalem the Country of Sarah and her Posterity which though free in comparison of Arabia yet is in bondage being compared with the heavenly Jerusalem which is absolutely and truly free Gal. 4.26 Heb. 11.10 Heb. 11.16 and is the Mother of us all A City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God in a better Country than Canaan that is the Heavenly Canaan where God hath prepared this City For we are come to Mount Sion and to the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem Heb. 11.22 and to an innumerable company of Angels to the General Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of Just men made perfect This is the holy City Apoc. 21.2 3. the New Jerusalem that comes down from God out of heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband The Tabernacle of God with Men. So the Seat of the Gospel is above whence it was delivered to Christ and from whence Christ brought it to the World below 2. The Effect of the Gospel is Liberty engendred thereby For according to the Nature of the Gospel so are the Spirits and Manners of Men under it The Gospel of Christ is easie and light for its Rites which are but two Baptism and the Lord's Supper and for its Precepts and Promises and Threatnings pure spiritual and eternal And therefore it begets a Spirit or Genius correspondent to it self of Son-like Diligence and filial Love under a kind and tender Mother The Mothers differ so do the Children The Children resemble their several Mothers The Children of their several Mothers resemble one another and are all in a like state of the same Spirit The Children of the Law are chiefly for the Letter The Children of the Gospel are chiefly for the Spirit The Children of the Law are chiefly for Temporals The Children of the
all these So the Church hath her Pupillage and Tutorage and also her Majority and full Age. However God revealed himself at sundry times and after divers manners by his Servants to the infant Church in former Ages Heb. 1.2 yet in these last and riper daies he hath more fully revealed himself by his Son Who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 10 11 12. ready to be revealed in the last time of which Salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the Grace that should come unto you searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before-hand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven which things the Angels desire to look into And these all having obtained a good report through Faith received not the Promise God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect SECTION II. Jews a childish People The Jews are reckoned a childish People who though they had perpetual Oracles Miracles and Prophets among them as evidences of God's Presence and Protection yet they fell of shamefully to Idolatry A Prodigy GOD being daily in their eye and as it were handled by them in Egypt at the Red-Sea by a Pillar of Fire by night and of Cloud by day in the Wilderness giving them the Law and Manna from heaven c. in the Tabernacle and in the Temple when they came into the Land of Canaan That all along they should distrust his Goodness and Rebel against him But after seventy years Captivity that sore and lasting Calamity for all their Idolatries they began to come to their Wits arriving at some degree of maturity and growth The Temple so destroyed and now so proudly re-edified and their Enemies still increasing upon them and God withdrawing his visible presence from them by little and little and no Angel nor Prophet appearing to comfort them they were taught that there was some higher Worship and more Spiritual happiness intended for them than the Law did promse And they began by degrees to elevate their minds to seek him in his proper dwelling place of Heaven and to rely upon Coelestial and Eternal Promises as appeared by the constancy of their Sufferings under Antiochus even to Martyrdom in the Hope that their Fathers the best of them had That they might obtain a better Resurrection Heb. 11.35 Thus their Affections were weaned by degrees towards the dawning of the Gospel and the Day-spring from on high which was shortly to visit them All hopes of Temporal happiness failing them being put under the Roman-yoke also which they so much abhorred the Wisest among them did look up higher than this World and waited for the greater Consolation of Israel who was to be the Hopes of all the ends of the Earth The Glory of the Scepter being at last departed from Judah first ravished from them by one of the Limbs of the Macedonian Lion and afterwards grasped by the Talons of the Roman Eagle after this deadly gripe the Royal Stock was quite extinct and the Office of Aaron perplexed and all things in Church and State so blended contrary to their Original Institution that they were at their wits end as to any Temporal recovery which made the Understanding Party look up higher but the Generality were sorely abused by their Leaders and Teachers Then came John the Baptist the Preacher of Repentance to the Poor people and to the Scribes and Pharisees that generation of Vipers warning them to flee from the Wrath and to embrace the Mercy that was to come and to bring forth fruits worthy of Repentance and not to say any more in their hearts That they had Abraham to their Father for God was able out of the Stones to raise up Children unto Abraham not to trust in the Temple for not a stone shall be left upon a stone and the Axe was laid to the Root of the Tree and every Tree that brought not forth good fruit was to be hewn down and cast into the fire Also Christ was to come with his Fann in his hand who would throughly purge his floor and gather his Wheat into his Garner and burn up the Chaff with unquenchable fire And except men were born again and except their Righteousness did exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees they should never enter into the Kingdom of heaven but must be baptized not with VVater but with the Holy Ghost and with Fire Many mighty Miracles were done by Jesus Christ and his Disciples in all the Regions round about so as it was never heard of or seen before since the VVorld stood At this hearing and seeing of these VVonders the People were amazed and all sorts began to enquire saying What shall we do The Law and the Prophets were until John Luk. 10.16 since that time the Kingdom of heaven is taken by violence and every man presseth into it Thus was the way of the Lord prepared and his paths made streight Every Valley was exalted and every Mountain and Hill brought low Luk. 3.5 c. and the crooked paths made streight and the rough waies made smooth and all flesh was to see the Salvation of God And the Axe laid to the Root of the Tree and every Tree that brought not forth good fruit was to be hewn down and cast into the fire So the Jewish Church was in its Minority under the Law as under a School master which taught them Elements and gave them Corrections i. e. Elements of civil Conversation with others and sobriety in their own persons Principles of Morality as forbidding of Murther Adultery Theft c. sitting them thereby for the prohibition of Anger Malice Lust c. in the New Law of Christ who saith Math. 5.28 Whosoever looketh on a Woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart And he that hateth his Brother is a Murtherer And from Usury he teacheth to lend freely looking for nothing again and from Oaths not to swear at all but let their Yea be Yea and their Nay Nay and from Shadows and Ceremonies to bring them to Substantial and Spiritual worship and from Circumcision with hands in the Flesh to Circumcision without hands in the Spirit Coll 2.11 in putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ All this Service was Servile as 1. To be subject to positive Laws against the Laws of Nature and forced to Punishments for breaking of them An ignorance or neglect of a Statute was expiated by a Sacrifice or Sin offering but a wilful breach by Presumption was
capital the Sinner became a Sacrifice for his own sin Numb 15.32 As he that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath-day This Servility to the Command must be understood to the Literal sense according to which many were blameless For Zechariah and Elizabeth were both righteous before God Luk. 1.6 walking in all the Commandments of the Lord blameless And the Apostle saith he was touching the Righteousness which was in the Law blameless Phil. 3.6 For if we construe Moses his Law so amply as some do 1. VVe make the Law and the Gospel all one 2. The Church of the Jews must have died in their Minority For the Murtherer and Adulterer was to be put to death If then wilful Anger and Lust had been so punished what Jew could have escaped with his life VVhen therefore this VVardship ceased then the Law expired as Tutors went off from Children when they were free Tutores qui dantur ad certum tempus finito Tempore deponunt Tutelam saith the Law J. Quibus modis c. § praeterea SECTION III. Time of Minority The time of this Minority was from the publishing of the Law by Moses till the publishing of the Gospel by Jesus Christ one thousand five hundred and thirty years Gal. 4.4 5. Then did God send his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons I. Made of a Woman ie a Mortal Man an Hebraism born Truly though singularly of a Virgin 1. To shew his great Compassion For Naturally men are Compassionate but especially Sufferers and such was he Is 53.3 Despised and rejected of men a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief c. It behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful High Priest in things pertaining to God Heb. 2.17 to make Reconciliation for the sins of the People Redemption 2. To Redeem Mortals 1. Jews from the Law 2. Gentiles from Satan II. Made under the Law i. e. Born under the Jurisdiction of the Law Circumcised and being obedient to the Law III. To Redeem them that were under the Law i. e. To put an end to the Law During Christ's Privacy the Law was of force and Christ was under the Law but when he shewed himself a publick Person and entred upon his Ministry by Preaching then the Law began to expire and Men pressed into the Gospel to live by its rules For the Law and the Prophets were till John and since that time the Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence Luc. 16.16 and every man presseth into it Gal. 3.13 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Eximere signifies to Exempt he hath redeemed us i. e. exempted us from the Curse of the Law Exemption is a genus to Redemption Emancipation and Manumission Exemption is from God's Statute Law or Positive Law contained in Judgments and Ceremonies not from the Laws of Nature which were in force before Moses and shall be in force for ever for not the least tittle of the Law shall ever fail because Christ came not to destroy this Law but to fulfil it Adoption IV. That we might receive the Adoption of Sons ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies Emancipation really not Grammatically Because the Jews were the Adopted Sons of God before but not Emancipated because not of full Age therefore not free but in a middle estate betwixt two Extremes 1. Children compared to Servants are free 2. But compared to Free-men they are Servants even to their Servants as Tutors are though Lords of all SECTION IV. But when they are Adult and of Plenage they understand their Estate Plenage know their Father's Will and learn to manage his Affairs and are capable to enter upon the Inheritance and to be Sui Juris The Adult have a Right of Impunity from Servile fear 1. Of Correction for Ignorance or Neglect as Servants 2. Of Disinherison unless for Grand Crimes so are not Servants who have no Right to abide in the house for ever but Sons may abide for ever As in a Son adult it is an unworthy and shameful thing to commit a Malicious and Wilful offence against his Father so it is unseemly in the Father not to remit that sin to the Son humbling himself and repenting as the Prodigal did By the Laws of Nature Heirs adult are free from Tutors and Curators at man's Estate Toga donati The Jews though Sons and Heirs yet could not be emancipated till they had served an hard Apprenticeship under the Law as God would have it but the Gentiles immediately after their Faith are adopted and exempted without this Service who never were under the Law nor were to be under it as God would have it And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts whereby ye cry Abba Father SECTION V. The Gentiles were wholly excused and exempted from Bondage at the End of the Jews Childhood Their Law ended to them Gentiles exempted from Minority and to the Gentiles their state of Childhood is remitted and they presently upon their Conversion enjoy their Liberty As in a Society he that is elected Fellow is the same day admitted to the full Fellowship and the years of his Probation are remitted to him so the Gentiles being Elected were at the same time admitted to the full Priviledges of the Jews and the time of their Servitude was remitted unto them Thus the Believing Gentiles who all the time of the day stood idle in the Market and laboured not in the Vineyard till towards the Evening were made equal with the Believing Jews who bore the burthen and heat of the day And what is that to the Jews If God's eye be good why should their eye be evil He may do what he will with his own and he will give unto these last even as unto them The Jews had the Spirit of Servitude under the Law because they were Minors and after their Majority had the Spirit of Freedom but the Gentiles were delivered from a worse servitude under Satan and translated by Faith from the Power of Satan into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God To the Jews pertained the Adoption Ro. 9.4 and the Glory of the Ark and Temple and the Covenant and the giving of the Law and the the Service of God and the Promises But unto Christians belong better Promises better Precepts a greater Spirit a greater Liberty and a more glorious Worship and by degrees they aspire towards perfection till they come to a perfect Man Eph. 4. â3 to the measure of the stature of the Fulness of Christ SECTION VI. This last and best Dispensation of the Gospel in the last times and Adult age of the Church being so highly Spiritual as it is flies in the face of all Superstition and Idolatry and laies them all dead at her foot with one blow Popery
Children that descend from him and what he then ordereth or doth as concerning his Goods the same in a manner his Heirs are accounted to do and may be bound to do as his Heirs Executors Administrators or Assigns Hence may easily be understood that which together with the Author of the Hebrews we affirm That such external Acts of the Parents concerning their Honours or Estates not their Manners or Conversation good or evil must be extended or imputed to their Children whether by Nature Law or Adoption it is all one or Posterity that succeed in their Estates or Honours otherwise if the Estate or Honour be spent or forfeited or the Children disinherited or otherwise that the Inheritance fall and is not conveyed as in a stream or line of Succession Then whatsoever any man orders or disposes as to his Estate and all that belongs thereunto cannot be attributed or imputed at all to his Posterity SECTION VII Levi Blessed of Melchisedec Because Levi received a Blessing from Melchisedec Levi was a Blesser of others but here Levi himself is Blessed by another Levi did not Bless others in his own Person because he was not then in being but in his Posterity neither did he receive a Blessing properly in his own Person because he was not subsisting but in his Father's Person If at that time Levi had been a Person separated from Abraham his Father then he had been capable by the consent of his own Will to have received the Blessings from another's Will and so this Act of Abraham's Reception of the Blessing from Melchisedec had been nothing to him But because Levi was so united and joyned to Abraham as that he was part of him and one Person with him as fast asleep in his Causes and close locked up in his Loyns therefore also he is justly reckoned or imputed to have received a Blessing from Melchisedec in or from or through Abraham his Father Melchisedec Immortal 3. Because Levi was Mortal but Melchisedec Immortal He that blesseth and receiveth Tithes dieth and another comes in his place and dies also and so the Priests still die one after another But Melchisedec both Blesseth and receiveth Tithes and never dies having no Successor Heb. 7.8 but abideth for ever Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Psal 110.4 The CONTENTS Christ of that Order Christ's Pedigree Joseph's Pedigree Maries Pedigree Christ no Priest by Birth Christ made a Priest by Oath Christ a Royal Priest Christ Priest and Sacrifice Christ Ministers in Heaven Tabernacle Imperfect Sanctuary a Worldly Manufacture Ordinances Arbitrary Way to Holiest not made Christ first enters the Holy place Faithful enter at the Last day Services Imperfect Christ's Blood dedicates the Holy of Holies One Offering Christ offers Self in Heaven Christ reigns in Heaven Melchisedec a Type of Christ Of the offering of Christ Through the Spirit Without Spot Once In Heaven TITLE VI. Of the Order of Melchisedec CHRIST a Priest of the Order of Melchisedec Christ of that Order Christ was not a Priest after the Order of Aaron Because Christ came of the Princely Tribe of Judah Christ's Pedigree which by Law had no right to the Priesthood nor never gave any attendance on the Altar as Priests For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah Heb. 7.14 of which Moses spake nothing concerning Priesthood Judah was the Tribe Royal the Kings of that Tribe were called the Kings of Judah of this Tribe was the Virgin Mother of Christ and by Family of the House of David the Family Royal Luk. 1.24 c. for the Kings of Judah were all of that Family Joseph also was of the same Tribe and Family but in Line different from Maries Joseph's Pedigree Luk. 3. For Joseph descended from David by his Son Solomon in whom ran the Line of the Kings who ruled before the Captivity Maries Pedigree But the Virgin descended from David by his Son Nathan from whom ran the Line of the Dukes who ruled after the Captivity So Joseph came from the Line of the Kings and Mary from the Line of the Dukes 1 Chr 3.16 Jer. 22.30 who were the Princes of the Blood and possessed the Government when the Line of the Kings failed in the Issue of Jeconiah Math. 1.11 Luk. 3.31 St. Luke describes this Pedigree of Mary from the Tribe of Judah and Family of David Luk. 3.23 descending by his Son Nathan to her natural Father Eli or Eliakim the Father-in-law of Joseph Heb. 7.14 The Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews supposes this for granted because he wrote to the Jews that believed that Jesus was the Christ who by the Scriptures was to come from David Judah and Abraham and did come accordingly by being born of the Virgin Mary the Wife of Joseph who was of the Seed of David Judah and Abraham For any Son that is born of the Body of a Man's Wife whose Body is accounted the Husband's Body though he be not begotten by the Husband so it be not begotten by another Man that is not her Husband is and must be his Son who is the true Husband to the Woman Because God hath free Power to give a man a Son which way he pleaseth that is either naturally by generation of the Husband or supernaturally without the generation of the Husband or Wife either as in the case of Isaac by Abraham and Sarah both dead as to Generation So by the Law of God it was ordained that when the Husband died without Issue his Brother should marry the Widow and if he had any Child by her it should be called the Seed of the Husband that was deceased to whom his Brother was to raise up Seed by his Widow With how much more reason may Christ be called the Son of Joseph and therefore of David Judah or Abraham though conceived and begotten of the Holy Ghost upon Mary the espoused Wife of Joseph after a supernatural manner SECTION I. Christ no Priest by Birth 2. Because not a Priest by Carnal Law or Birth as Aaron and his Sons were For The Priesthood was bound to the Tribe of Levi and to the Family of Aaron in that Tribe but Christ's Priesthood was clear another thing not after a Carnal Commandment but after the Power of an endless Life Christ made a Priest by Oath Heb. 7.10 3. Because Christ was made with an Oath to make his Priesthood immutable but Aaron without an Oath An Oath declares the truth and strength of a thing Now the things which God will have to be firm strong and unchangeable must needs be better than those that are weak and mutable such as the things are to which no Oath is added but God will have them to depend only upon his will and pleasure to retain or remove as it shall seem good unto him For those Priests were made without an Oath but this with an Oath Heb.
him Melchisedec a Type of Christ 1. Because he blessed so Great a Man as Abraham was the Prince of God the Father of the Faithful one to whom the Promises were made 2. Because he tithed Abraham and Levi himself that tithed others paid Tithes to Melchisedec in Abraham's Loyns 3. Because he was a Singular Priest neither was there any more of that Order nor shall be for ever 4. Because he was a perpetual High-priest 5. Because he was of the Tribe of Judah Heb. 7.14 of which Moses spake nothing concerning the Priesthood 6. Because he was made by an Oath Heb. 7.20 And inasmuch as not without an Oath he was made Priest For those Priests were made without an Oath but this with an Oath by him that said unto him The Lord sware and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec 7. Because he is a Royal Priest as was Melchisedec King of Salem Heb. 7.1 and having offered his Blood as a Priest he sits at the Right hand of God as King ruling over his Church 1 Cor. 15.24 till he have put all his Enemies under his feet and shall deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power SECTION V. Christ offereth Himself he offered himself without spot to God Of the Offering of Christ Heb. 9.14 Heb. 7.27 Heb. 9.26 1 Tim. 2.6 Gal. 1.4 Gal. 2.20 for this he did once when he offered up himself he hath appeared to put away Sins by the Sacrifice of himself he gave himself a Ransom for all who gave himself for our Sins who loved me and gave himself for me 1. Because he only was worthy to give and to be given to God Reason 1 2. Because in him only God was well-pleased for so God testified Reason 2 from Heaven This is my Well-beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased Christ offered through the Spirit Through the Spirit Heb. 9.14 1 Pet. 3.18 Ro. 1.3 4. who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself unto God being put to death in the Flesh but quickned by the Spirit Who was made of the Seed of David according to the Flesh and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the Resurrection from the dead The last Adam was made a quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 Heb. 10.20 Heb. 7.15 16. By a New and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Veil that is to say his Flesh After the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another Priest who is made not after the Law of a carnal Commandment but after the power of an endless life Christ therefore is a Living Sacrifice and so are they that are Christ's that present their Bodies a living Sacrifice Rom. 12.1 holy and acceptable to God which is their reasonable Sacrifice So Christ is the Living bread which came down from heaven Joh. 6 51. Heb. 7.8 25. and went up to heaven here men that die receive Tithes but here he receiveth them of whom it is testified that he liveth Wherefore he is able to save them to the utmost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Reason 1 1. Because the Flesh was weak and died and no dead thing can offer it self or any thing else Reason 2 2. Because the Spirit is strong and liveth to offer the Flesh quickned thereby and to be offered in the Person of God and Man to be a Living Sacrifice Such a Sacrifice was Christ first slain and then quickned by the Spirit and offered by the Spirit unto God the Father of the Spirits Without Spot Heb. 9.14 1 Pet. 1.19 Christ offered without Spot he offered himself to God without Spot i. e. of all sin or infirmity when immortal redeemed with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot so we are found in him without spot and blameless so is the Spouse of Christ cleansed and adorned 2 Pet. 3.14 without spot or wrinkle or any such thing holy and blameless Reason 1 1. Because Christ was so conceived by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary therefore that Holy Thing which was born of her was called the Son of God Thou art the Holy One of God Thou wilt not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption Reason 2 2. Because he purged away all our Sins that were laid upon him which though they were as Scarlet yet shall be as white as Snow and though they be red like Crimson Is 1.18 yet they shall be as Wool Once Heb. 9.25 c. Christ offered Once only Not that he should offer himself often as the High-Priest entreth into the Holy Place every year with Blood of others for then he must often have suffered since the foundation of the World but now once in the end of the World hath he appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself And as it is appointed unto all men once to die ond after death cometh Judgment So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without spot unto Salvation Heb. 10.1 2 c. For the Law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the Things can never with those Sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the Comers thereunto perfect for then would they not have ceased to be offered i. e. they would have ceased to be offered because that the Worshipers once purged should have had no more Conscience of sin But in those Sacrifices there is a Remembrance again made of sins every year For it is impossible that the blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away sins Wherefore when he cometh into the World he saith Sacrifice and Offering and Burnt-offering and Offering for Sin thou wouldst not but a Body hast thou prepared me In burnt-offerings and Sacrifices for Sins thou hast had no pleasure Then said I lo I come in the Volume of the Book it is written of me to do thy Will O God By the which Will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all And every Priest standeth daily ministring and offering the same Sacrifices which can never take away Sins But this man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his Enemies be made his Footstool For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Whereof the Holy Ghost is a witness This is the Covenant that I will make with them in those days I will put my Laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them and their Sins and their Iniquities will I remember no more Now where Remission of these is there is no more offering
it self is the Mercy-Seat in Heaven and everlasting Grace and Glory with God The Way thereunto is Christ Jesus who first preached it and made his Personal Sacerdotal entrance into the highest Heavens Therefore the Veil of the Temple was rent in twain at the Death of Christ to shew the opening of the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers The Temple-Service went on constantly by Law for its own time but after Christ's Death Resurrection Ascension and the Mission of the Holy Ghost there was a New Dispensation and a Cessation and Nullity in Law as to God of all the Jewish Worship For the Time was come after Christ offered in his Holy Temple of Heaven and from thence bestowed gifts of Doctrine and Government upon his Church that Men should no longer worship God at Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim in either of the Temples there after the manner as formerly but in a way of Reformation all Men are called to worship God in all Places after one pure spiritual and perfect manner For God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth which is highly acceptable to God through the most efficacious Ministry of our Great High-Priest before his Father in Heaven This shews the infelicity of those Times of the Law comparatively to these of the Gospel in which they were ignorant of that Grace and Glory that is now revealed and the poorness and baseness of the Service as of rude and beggarly Elements after the manner of the World in comparison of the rich and magnificent Ministration of the Gospel of Grace unspeakable and full of Glory performed by Christ himself in the immediate presence of his Father and of those that are Christ's by his Mediation offering their Spiritual Services in his Name and by him acceptable to the Father By all this Spiritual Discourse we learn to understand the great Offices of Christ's Mediation as Prophet Priest and King by which he shews himself the Author and Finisher of our Salvation and how and where and when they were performed in those two Estates so vastly different from each other viz. his Humiliation on earth and his Exaltation in heaven His obedience to Death Shame and a Curse his Rules to Life Glory and Bliss The CONTENTS Extent of Christ's Obedience To all Law Above all Law Against all Law Extremity of Christ's Obedience Rarity Shame Curse Reasons of Christ's Obedience To confirm Testament To expiate Sin and Misery TITLE VII Of Christ's Humiliation ALL aim at Happiness or at least to that which is Pleasant and gets a Name but we mistake the way know not the Lets neglect the Furtherances viz. chiefly Pride they are the Lets they carry us in a smooth way tending to Death but the Furtherances and Means are chiefly two to wit Humility and Obedience they carry us in a rough way that brings us to Life These St. Paul shews us by the Example of Christ He attained to the height of happiness God gave him a Name above every name All Power both in Heaven and Earth Phil. 2.8 9. How By Humility and Obedience I. Humility in stooping from the Majesty of God to the Meanness of Man 1. The Majesty of God equal with God and yet robbed him of no glory but sate him down at the Right hand of the Majesty on high 2. The Meanness of Man He made himself of no reputation but took upon him the form of a Servant and was found in fashion as a Man II. Obedience in yielding from the life of a Man to the death of a Malefactor SECTION I. I. The Extent of his Obedience In CHRIST are two Natures of God and Man Extent of Christ's Obedience and therefore two Carriages or Deportments 1. As God to Rule and Command all 2. As Man to Obey and Submit to all By Birth he is the Son of God by Obedience the Son of Man below Man A Worm and no Man For though he was the Son of God yet learned he Obedience by the things which he suffered 1. Obedient to the Will of God by fulfilling it and suffering it God's Will was done by him and done upon him Joh. 4 24. Joh. 6.38 It was his Meat and Drink to do the Will of his Father He came down from Heaven not to do his own Will but the Will of him that sent him I delight to do thy Will O God yea it is within my heart 2. Obedient to the Will of Man Obedient to Pilate to the Souldiers to the Jews As a Lamb that is dumb before the Shearers so he opened not his mouth When he was reviled he reviled not again he turned his Cheek to the Smiters and suffered the Plowers to plow upon his back and made long surrows This was the vast compass of his Obedience from doing of all Right to the suffering of all Wrong 1. Obedient to all Law never committed Sin To all Law neither was Guile found in his mouth 2. Obedient above all Law payed Tribute Above all Law Math. 17.24 though free and priviledged because he would give no offence 3. Obedient against all Law suffered all wrong Against all Law suffered his own Disciple that eat of his bread to betray him endured Bonds Stripes Buffetings Spitting Mocking Crucifying The Obedience of the Rechabites was something to drink no Wine The Obedience of Hosea more to Marry a Whore Yet all this was but a Living Obedience for Wine Houses Wife c. But Christ's Obedience was beyond Life to Death Abraham's Obedience was great to offer Isaac his only Son miraculously born to him by Promise This Obedience came near unto death but not to death yet had he slain him he had but been obedient to the death of another his son but Christ was obedient to the death of himself Isaac was obedient to the death of himself but was rescued and did not die so was not Christ for he died the death indeed Christ his death was for no fault of his at all Pilate cleared him Luk. 23.22 so did the Thief and the Centurion Christ his death came from no force of others as he took his life when and how and of whom he pleased so he laid down his life when and how and by whom he pleased no man could take it from him he bowed freely and yielded up the Ghost SECTION II. Extremity of Christ's Obedience II. The extremity of his Obedience to the death even of the Cross an Ignominy beyond death To suffer death and to be put to death is common some have offered themselves to death and dared to die But this is the worst kind of death As there are several kinds of life so of death some are better than others As a life with ease pleasure honour and riches is better than another so a death with shame and a curse is worse than a plain simple death Christ then did worse than die for he hanged upon the Cross and was Cursed In
and purity of an Evangelical spirit We dwell too much upon outward and carnal things which are lawful as of Water in Baptism Bread and Wine in the Communion Fasts and Feasts Rites and Ceremonies Penances Judgments Prosperities and stretch them too far or lay too hard a stress upon them The two Sacraments ordained by Christ and the other decent Orders of the Church for edification and the Dispensations of outward Punishments and Blessings are reverently to be observed and practised but not in the outside and Gaiety only to move humiliation and fear but in the intrinsecal and essential virtue to create spiritual Communion Love Joy and hope of Glory To use Rites is comely and for Edification but to multiply them to distraction is Jewish and Paganish and of it self a dead way without any spirit or life at all Covet therefore after the best of Gifts and behold I shew unto you a more excellent way to make it our meat and drink to do the will of God to fulfil all Righteousness outward but not to rest there but to taste the good Word of God and the Powers of the VVorld to come and to have our Spirits throughly exercised to discern the Truth in all Shadows I will not slight but reverence every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake and for Conscience sake I will read and hear and see the description of Christ in a Book or Sermon or Picture but I will come nearer to Christ and close in my Soul with his Spirit I will be ravished with his Love that died for me and rose again and admire and draw a Curtain and be silent when I cannot describe nor imagine the infiniteness of his Shames and Glories Call me to Joy and Gladness after I have tried all other waies and to a constant walking with God and full Assurance of Heaven 1. Because Christ hath entred into his Temple and opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers 2. Because Christ hath offered and presented himself to God for all his Saints 3. Because Christ sits and rules in Heaven and by his Spirit in all Saints and over all his and their Enemies 4. Because Christ as a Prophet teacheth us and leads us into all Truth 5. Because Christ makes Intercession for us 6. Because Christ will come again in great glory to raise from the Dead to Judge and to call to the full possession of Glory And this practice is truly and solidly comfortable unmixt with Carnal VVorship or VVorldly Policy Nothing but honesty and love in all this no scandal of the Cross because of the ample recompence of Reward No true and proper Priest Prophet or King but Christ All Priests and Prophets and Kings in Christ who is all in all God blessed for evermore The Second Use therefore is to conform to his Exaltation and Glory The CONTENTS Victory over Sin Imputation of Righteousness Jural Righteousness Reasons of Victory over Sin Light conquers Darkness Sin no Native Propension in Nature to its proper state Genuine Nature of the Spirit Superior Faculties predominate Active Co-operation Christ's Victory over Law Outward Covenant of Works Inward state of Mind Alive to Sin Dead to Law Carnal Liberty to Sin Legal Perfection Our Victory over Law Grace stronger than Law Spirit of Grace stronger than Spirit of Law God delights more in Mercy than Vengeance Man object of God's Love Christ's Pleading undeniable to God Christ's Victory over Death Victory procured meritoriously by Christ's Death Victory obtained by the Spirit of Faith Our Victory over Death Sin conquered Law conquered Devil conquered Christ entred into the Holy of Holies TITLE VIII Of Christ's Exaltation CHRIST's Resurrection manifested his Death to be effectual against Sin 1 Cor. 15.57 Law and Death else our Faith had been in vain and we yet in our sins For he was delivered to death for our sins and rose again for our Justification Ro. 4. If Death had held him then neither Sin nor Law nor Death nor Satan that hath the power of Death had been conquered and then Sin and Law and Death and Hell must have held us for ever This therefore is the greatest of all Christ's Miracles for the World to believe him to be a perfect Saviour which without it could never have been believed This takes away all scandal of the Cross for we worship not one was as the Jews call him ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or as Lucian ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Crucified or Staked-God But when the Lord was Risen then Faith revived The Disciples thought this had been he which should have restored the Kingdom to Israel but he was dead and buried and therefore all their hopes of that ever coming to pass were dead and buried with him But now he is Risen from the Dead both theirs and ours is risen up again with him who though he was crucified through weakness yet he liveth by the power of God Christ's Resurrection assures us of Life after death of which the World was never assured before 'T is he that hath abolished Death and brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 Who after he had overcome the sharpness of Death did open the Kingdom of heaven to all Believers The Reasons of Philosophy to prove the Soul's Immortality and the Bodie 's Resurrection though demonstrative enough yet are so thin and subtil that they glide and slip away quickly from Vulgar Apprehensions But Christ his Soul being in Paradise during the Body's abode in the Grave and his Resurrection Appearances and Conversations and Visible Ascension into heaven do put the matter out of question and more strongly affect Vulgar minds By and after Christ's Resurrection he was made Lord and Christ King and Saviour Christ's Oeconomical Kingdom is calculated from the Epocha of his Resurrection and Ascension and sitting at the Right hand of his Father in heaven Let all the house of Israel know assuredly Act 2.36 that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a Tree him hath God exalted on his Right hand Act. 5.31 to be a Prince and a Saviour He humbled himself to the Death Phil. 2.9 even to the death of the Cross wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a Name above every name that at the Name of JESUS every knee should bow c. All Power is given to me both in Heaven and Earth Matth. ult 1 Cor. 15.27 God hath put all things in subjection under Christ's feet the Vicegerent of God a Mediatorious King till he hath put down all Rule and all Authority and Power and hath delivered up the Kingdom to God the Father that God may be all and in all A great Comfort that one of our Flesh and tempted as we and therefore knows the better how to pity us and succour us when we are tempted A great Comfort that our Flesh is in Heaven already as
power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death Phil. 3.10 If by any means I might attain to the Resurrection of the dead not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus This is the New man put on and the old man put off and the renewing of the Spirit the New Birth and the new Creature Christ formed in us our crucifying dying rising with Christ This is the internal real inherent Righteousness of Poorness of Spirit Mourning Pureness of heart Meekness Patience Love to Enemies c. According to the Precepts of Christ far exceeding the negative Righteousness of Moses to be no Adulterers no Swearers no Murtherers c. And farther Act. 3.26 God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities 1 Cor. 7.18 The Preaching of the Cross is to them that perish Foolishness but unto them which are saved it is the wisdom and power of God beating down the strong holds of Sin and Satan Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquities and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good Works ye were not redeemed with corruptible things 1 Pet. 1.18 as Silver and Gold from your vain Conversation c. The Gentiles that followed not after Righteousness have attained to Righteousness Ro. 9.30 c. even the Righteousness which is of Faith But Israel which followed after the Law of Righteousness have not attained to the Law of Righteousness Wherefore because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the works of the Law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone Ro. 10.3 They being ignorant of the Righteousness of God and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God For Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth Act. 26.18 I have sent thee to open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of Sins and an Inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith that is in me I have searched all I can to make out this Imputed Righteousness but cannot for my heart find it I should be glad to be better informed But the true Inherent Righteousness by Faith is plentifully discovered in the Scriptures to be the True Gospel Righteousness which Christ came to set up in the heart And this is the wish of every true Christian to have an inward healing and not an outward hiding of his inbred Corruptions The Principle of a new Life the Seed of God the Spirit of Christ inclining our Spirits to the love of God and of all Righteousness And this is a thing correspondent to our true Nature which is desirous to act freely and ingenuously in the waies of God out of the Principle of a Living Law written in the heart and to eschew Sin as contrary to a Vital Principle This was somewhat hinted at by the Philosophers of Old who judged Vertue not to be merely ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a thing taught by outward Rules and Examples like an Art or Trade and Aristotle is bold to affirm that Men are ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Good by a divine Inspiration Whether or no this be not that Evangelical Perfection which St. Paul called the Resurrection from the Dead Phil. 3.12 towards which he so much pressed I leave it to others to judge And doubtless they that by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern Spiritual things and understand the wisdom of Perfection and hunger and thirst after it notwithstanding the Irregularities of sensual Motions and violent assaults of Passions and daily incursions and obreptions of Infirmities through Ignorance or Inadvertency shall be accepted of God in the honesty and meekness of their Souls through the worthiness of Jesus Christ 4. There is a Jural Righteousness Jural Righteousness For our Faith is imputed to us for Righteousness or which is all one we are justified by Faith as will be proved hereafter But this is not the Moral or Legal Righteousness of another made ours but our Faith gives us a Right and Title to be the Righteous Sons and Heirs of God and Co-heirs with Jesus Christ who maketh us partakers of his Rights not individual his Personal Rights but specifical procuring for us the Right of Adoption and Sonship after his likeness by Grace who is the Son of God by Nature and by the Means and application of Faith made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption Thus I have endeavoured to prove by the Scriptures That by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ God hath given us through Faith a Spiritual Resurrection from sin and a Victory over Sin inwardly by the inherent Righteousness of the Spirit SECTION II. I shall farther labour to prove the same comfortable Truth by these Reasons Victory over Sin We have a real Victory over Sin and a real Righteousness of heart by the Spirit of Christ 1. Because it is the property of Light to conquer Darkness Light conquers Darkness Truth is the Light in us This Truth is of God who hath made it innate and cognate with the Soul Falshood and Lies are Darkness This Falshood is of the Devil who hath made it adnate and allied accidentally to the Soul When the Natural Light which was created in the Soul is used by Faith in the Promises it is enlightned farther with the supernatural light of Grace and so the unnatural Darkness of Sin is dispelled by the Beams of a Heavenly Illumination 2. Because Sin is no Native Sin no Native but a Stranger and Intruder into the Mind which is the Lord's inheritance therefore Sin may be conquered and beaten out and shall be beaten out when a stronger than she is come upon her An adventitious and extraneous thing is expellible by the Original The true and ancient Nature of the Soul suffers violence by these Strangers Sin is the Praeternatural state of Rational Beings Men are born free and ingenuous Servitude is unnatural Therefore as Sin was not Primary or Connatural with the Soul so we have no reason to think that it should be perpetually adherent or unalterable there-from A jarring Instrument may be set in tune A dyscrasy of Body may be rectified A discomposed ruffled Passion may be laid The Soul was harmonious as God first made it till Lust disordered the strings and faculties thereof And God the great Harmostes is able easily to put it in perfect Concord again The Soul was perfectly sound and Righteousness was the health thereof till Sin made the dyscrasy And God the great Physitian of Souls is able to bring it to the right and
perfect temper again Propension in Nature to its proper state 3. Because there is a great propension in Nature to return to its proper estate by casting of what is heterogeneal thereunto So Medicaments are subservient to Nature by removing obstructions but Nature it self and the inward Archeus being released and set at liberty works the Cure The whole Creation groaneth and longeth to be delivered Ro. 8.21 Bodies bent out of their natural place and violently forced from their proper position of their parts have a spring of their own and an inward strong tendency to return to their posture again This is Motus Restitutionis as if the Air be driven into a narrow compass it hath a spring or Conatus to come back to its proper state So a stone thrown upwards hastens to fall to its Center Sin is a violent and preternatural Estate Returning to God and Righteousness is Motus Restitutionis Liberationis a motion of Restitution and Liberation The Elater and spring in the Soul being quickned and enlivened by God's Grace hath a natural Conatus to return to its proper Estate I delight in the Law of God after the inward man but I see another Law in my Members Ro. 7.21 warring against the Law of my Mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of Sin which is in my Members This is called Spirit the Mind of the Spirit Inward Man Law of Mind an Innate propension of the Soul awakened to return to its genuine condition as it is intellectual and free to its ancient Nature When the Spirit of God promised to Believers acts from the Spirit or Soul of the Faithful there is 1. An Assent to yield unto God 2. An Acceptation to receive his Promises 3. A Concurrence to work with him Here is no external force or violence offered to the Soul to free it from a state which it would alwaies continue under but a sweet and gentle Call to return to its proper state which the Soul it self longs for Where the Spirit of the Lord is 2 Cor. 3.17 there is Liberty The Freedom of the Spirit is the Soul 's acting from an inward principle and spring of its own Intellectual Nature Longing to be restored and endeavouring with God's Grace to return So that there is not a mere outward Impulse of the Spirit of God but an inward Concurrence of the Spirit of Man The Soul is not like a Boat tugged or driven by Oars or Winds but it goes on Secundo flumine according to the genuine Current of its own intellectual Nature with the help of the gentle gale of the Divine Spirit Genuine nature of the Spirit 4. Because it is the genuine Nature of the Spirit to do that which is agreeable to the Spirit and pleasing to God of whose Nature the Spirit doth partake Vertue and Honesty are homogeneous Vice and Wickedness are heterogeneous There is in the Spirit Cognatio quaedam cum Deo A certain kindred with God 5. Because it is natural to the superior Faculties to be predominate Superior Faculties predominate They are ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of a Lordly nature and made to rule and the inferior Faculties are of a Servile disposition and made to obey It is then but Jus Postliminii for Equity Light and Reason to be re-inthroned in my Soul there to command and suppress the Exorbitant affections that rise up against it This is the design of God in the Gospel to restore us to the rectitude and perfection of our own Beings Wherefore he calls us off from the perishing vanities of this World so infinitely below us not to debase or pollute our Spirits by them not to gratifie our lower Faculties the Brute that is in us but the sublimer Angel above The outward objects are but Baits to the outward relishes and sensations of the Body The outward World is like an enchanted Palace seemingly ravishing but a mere Spectrum or shadow that which pleases is the Vital energies of our own Spirits to Vertue and Goodness 6. Because we are not merely Passive Active Cooperation but an active Co-operation is required in us The Spirit of God in Nature that Spiritus intus alens produceth Vegetables and Minerals beyond Art and Industry yet it doth not work absolutely unconditionally omnipotently and irresistibly but requireth certain preparations and dispositions of Plowing Sowing c So the Spirit of God requireth some preparations and dispositions in our Spirits forasmuch as it may be stirred up or excited in us or resisted and quenched by us Unless the Husbandman stirrs up and plows the ground the Spirit of God in Nature will not give any increase So we are bidden to plow up the Fallow-ground of our hearts that is to do our earnest endeavours to work out our own salvation to fight the good fight of Faith to run the Race and to enter in at the strait-Gate Be not therefore merely Passive but move and co-operate with God Fac quod in te est do what is in thy power to do and God that gave thee that power if thou use it will give thee more ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã do but breath a desire and long to come to God and God will meet thy desires and draw thee after him with the Cords of his Grace and Love It is a never-failing Rule He that hath shall have more full measure pressing down and running over shall God give into his bosom But he that hath not from him shall be taken away that which he seemeth to have For all Motions unto Sin and from God are unnatural retrograde excentrick unkindly forced cross unprofitable dishonourable SECTION III. Of Christ's Victory over Law Hitherto I have spoken of the Inward Victory over Sin by the Resurrection and Spirit of Christ Now in the second place of the Victory attainable by the same Power over the Law by Christ his Victory over the Law Where Sin is there is alwaies a Law and where there is no Law there is no Transgression The Law is considered two waies Outward Covenant of Works 1. As an outward Covenant of Works by which Death is to all that break it in Morals or Ceremonials And all men are naturally under the Law and are convinced thereby of Sin and Death and are therefore in bondage and fear of death all their life long without mercy This outward Letter or Covenant of Works is conquered by Christ's Death on the outward Cross Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 being made a Curse for us as it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith That we might be free from the Obligation to the Commandements which were not good Exod. 20.25 Christ having broke down the middle-wall of Partition Eph. 2.14 15. that was between the Jew
and the Gentile abolishing in his flesh the Enmity even the Law of Commandements contained in Ordinances for to make to himself of twain one New Man so making peace And that he might reconcile both unto God in one Body by the Cross having slain the enmity thereby Blotting out the Hand-writing of Ordinances which was against us Col. 2.14 which was contrary to us and taking it out of the way nailed it to his Cross Inward State of Mind 2. As an Inward state of the Mind wrought by the Law and Truth of God in the Heart and Conscience Begetting in the Mind 1. A Conviction of Duty 2. A Conviction of Sin 3. A Conviction of Wrath. But no strength to enable to Duty nor free us from Sin or Wrath. A State of unwilling Passiveness and Subjection to a Law as to an Enemy for fear that will not suffer us to have our Will nor to escape Judgment A miserable State in which is no rest The Law commanding one way Lust haling us another way quite contrary Curse threatning to find us out every way The Law contrary to us and we contrary to the Law The Law is Spiritual but I am carnal sold under sin for that which I would I do not Rom. 7.14 but what I hate that do I And besides to make my Estate the more miserable I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into Captivity under the Law of Sin O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death From this inward state of Bondage we are not actually delivered by the outward Victory of Christ on the Cross as if it should purchase an Indulgence for us to sin without Control but this Victory is procured for us thereby that by the vertue of that general Conquest outwardly over all Sin Law and Death we might obtain through our Faith the inward Cross of the Spirit of God in our hearts for the particular Victory of Sin and Law and Death in our Regeneration They that are under the Law are as a VVife under a harsh Husband There are two waies for a Wife to be free 1. By breaking loose from the Bands of Wedlock in which case she is an Adulteress 2. By staying till her Husband be dead in which case she is free to marry in the Lord and is no Adulteress So there are two ways to be free from the Law 1. By illegal breaking loose from it and marrying to carnal Liberty miscalled Christian Liberty 2. Legal marrying to Christ when the Law is dead by crucifying and mortifying of Lusts The Law of the Spirit of Christ hath made me free from the Law of Sin Rom. 8.2 and Death From hence I collect Three Estates of men 1. Such as are alive to sin and dead to the Law Alive to sin I was alive without the Law once that is the Conscience was asleep Rom. 7.9 and I sinned freely without check of Law or Conscience thereby as if I had no Law nor Conscience at all 2. Such as are alive to Law and to Sin both that is Alive to Law the Conscience was convicted of sin by the Law and yet hath still a power and love to sin both struggling in the bowels of the Soul which is a shattered and broken Estate when the Soul hath a Love to sin which she knows to be a sin and condemned by the Law and her own Conscience This is to be slain by the Law For I was alive without the Law once Ro. 7.9 10 11. but when the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed and the Commandement which was ordained to Life I found to be unto Death For Sin taking occasion by the Commandement deceived me and by it slew me In this condition there is no peace All Distraction and VVar betwixt the Law of God the Law of the Mind the Law of sin and the Law of Members 3. Such as are dead to the Law and sin Dead to Law and alive unto God and Righteousness The Law of the Spirit of Life hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death That is the Law is subdued Rom. 8.2 and Sin is conquered and the Soul free from the Curse of the one and the Dominion of the other and at liberty to be the servant of God and of Righteousness They that are in the first estate are Sin 's Free-men They that are in the second estate are Bond-men to God and Righteousness and Slaves serving for fear of Death and so abstaining from outward Acts not inward Lusts Children of Hagar the Bond-woman They that are in the third state are Free-men of God and Righteousness as Sons serving God for Love Children of Sarah the Free-woman So it appears that there are great Mistakes concerning freedom from the Law Carnal Liberty to sin 1. By fancying a Carnal liberty to sin such are free-men to sin and wickedness which is a most deplorable Thraldom These men call themselves Saints holy in all profaneness and for God too by opinionative zeal of Enthusiasm and Seraphicism Metaphysically abstracted from all mixtures below and highly united and conversant with God in the Spirit Epicurizing in the mean while and making a God of the Flesh God seeing no sin in them his Children needing no Preachings Prayer nor Good-works but rapt up in the extasie of Faith and Love and absolute Assurance leaving poor Reprobates in the fetters of Law and torments of Sin and Damnation while they enjoy all Liberty and Pleasures in familiarity with God who affords them the Liberty of the Creature which they enjoy to the full as having the only true Right unto them and Sin not in all they do This may be called Antinomian Liberty under the pretence of Free-Grace and a gospel-Gospel-Spirit because Christ hath done all to their hands and therefore nor Sin nor Law nor Death can reach them sinning out their sin and so much the rather because where Sin aboundeth Grace doth much more abound Legal Perfection Ro. 7.5 19 20. 2. By satisfying themselves with a Legal Perfection only The Good they would do they do not but what they hate that they do and the Evil they would not do that they do And 't is no more they that do it but Sin that dwells in them and they cannot help it and they are excused because the Law of Sin in their Members is against the Law of their Minds and leads them captive whether they will or no unto the Law of Sin which is in their Members And so all is well enough because it can be no better And God is Merciful And in this opinion they continue a sinful and miserable life betwixt Hope and Fear Hearing and Praying and Communicating all the while and trusting to the Work done and in the End hope all is well and will be well And thus they look no farther still feeding themselves especially the Papists
with Penances and Reliques and Indulgences and Outward performances never regarding the Inward killing of Lusts nor expecting a Living Law written in the heart This is to forsake our Husband Christ and cleave to the bondage of the Law which is dead to us by Christ's Cross and might be dead in us by his Spirit if we would believe And the ground of all this Error is from a Novel Interpretation of that Paragraph of the latter part of the seventh of the Romans contrary to all Antiquity Sense or Reason SECTION IV. The Reasons for this Victory over the Law are these Because Grace is stronger than the Law Grace stronger than Law Mercy rejoyces and prevails over Justice The absolving power of the Gospel is stronger than the condemning power of the Law The Mercies of God are above all his Works Prerogative is above Law Custome overcomes Law Mercy much more The Sword of Justice is strong and sharp but Mercy keeps off the blow and holds the hand of Justice from striking If the Law calls aloud for Justice Christ's blood calls louder and pleads for pardon If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father and the blood of Christ is the Propitiation for all sins God will have mercy because he will have mercy and what is that to the Law It is the will of God to pardon and pass by Iniquities Transgressions and Sins and to remember them no more When the strong man enters into the house he keeps it and all that is therein but when a stronger than he comes upon him he binds him hand and foot and casts him out So is the Gospel to the Law 2. Because the Spirit of Grace is stronger than the Spirit of the Law Spirit of Grace stronger than Spirit of Law The Spirit of Sin is strong in it self Lust hath a violent impulse and vehement motion The Spirit of Sin is stronger by the Law and rages and takes on much more for being opposed Like a Lion scorns to be kept in but breaks down all barrs and bounds to run abroad at randome But the Spirit of the Law is stronger for though it cannot curb sin from sinning yet it keeps it under the Curse that it cannot escape it But when the Spirit of Grace in Christ comes it preacheth deliverance to the Captives and recovery of sight to the blind and opens the prison doors to them that were fast bound in misery and iron and publishes the acceptable Year of the Lord. The Word of God is mighty in operation throegh the Spirit for the beating down of the strong holds of Sin and Satan As Light is stronger than Darkness to destroy sin so the Blessing of Grace is stronger than the Curse of the Law to take it quite away Though the Spirit of the Law be the Spirit of God's Justice yet the Spirit of the Gospel is the Spirit of God's Mercy which God will have to be more effectual than the other and Blesses whom the Law curses yea and they shall be Blessed 3. God delights more in Mercy than Vengeance Because God delights more in shewing Mercy than in executing Vengeance in sparing than in punishing As I live saith the Lord I delight not in the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn and live Judgment is his strange work Bowels of mercy tender pity and Compassion are his delightful properties 4. Because Man is made to be the object of God's Love not Wrath Man Object of God's Love his Blessing not a Curse Life not Death Heaven was prepared for Men and Angels till they sinned and then Hell was prepared for them and since that for all Hypocrites like unto them We cannot imagine in any reason that God made his poor Creatures for everlasting Destruction We may observe it in our selves though we be evil yet we are not so unnatural as to beget children to starve them or beat out their brains or leave them to the wide World or send them to the Hangman to be tormented to death And if we that are evil know well enough notwithstanding to give good things to our children not a Scorpion for a Fish nor a Stone for an Egg how much more then shall our Heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him and how infinitely more pitiful and compassionate is he than we can imagine or express Christs Pleading undeniable to God 5. Because the Pleading of Christ for Mercy purchased by his own Blood is undeniable to God above all the Pleading of the Law or the Devil that lays the Law against the Brethren whose malicious accuser he is God will not cannot deny his own Son and whatsoever we shall ask the Father in his Name he will deny us nothing SECTION V. Victory procured meritoriously by Christs death 1. This Victory is meritoriously procured for us by Christ's Death O Death I will be thy death O Grave I will be thy destruction And his Resurrection was the pledg to assure us thereof 2. This Victory is really effected and performed in us by the Spirit of Christ raising our Souls from the death of sin to the life of righteousness and our Bodies from the Grave to the life of glory If the Spirit that raised up Christ from the dead dwell in you Rom. 8.11 he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you As if he should have said If the Spirit of Christ dwell in you regenerating your Souls to a New Creature which is the first Resurrection from the first death then the very same Spirit shall also immortalize your Bodies which is the second resurrection from the second death that upon them the second death shall have no Power Thus abundantly hath God provided for us by Jesus Christ both in respect of our Souls and of our Bodies Our Souls raised from the death of sin and the curse of the Law Our Bodies raised from the Grave The Natural Body is raised a Spiritual Body the Corruptible puts on Incorruption Dishonour turn'd into Glory Weakness into Power a Change to be as the Angels in Heaven Rom. 8.23 2 Cor. 5.2 We Groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Bodies In this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven Victory obtained by the Spirit of Faith 2. But no obtaining this Victory over death purchased for us till by the Spirit of Faith we obtain a Victory over Sin which is also procured for us by Christ who hath received the Promise of the Spirit for all that believe This is that Crown of Life that Christ the first born of God and first begotten from the dead shall set upon the heads of all those that have fought the good fight of faith and have been more than Conquerours For as death proceeds only from Sin for sin is mortal so life
the Language of the Scripture and the Sense thereof and therefore may be understood and they that give their minds to it are found able to express themselves in it very well to the great comfort of themselves and others Obj. But how shall I partake of Christ and the Benefits of his Death Passion and Resurrection Sol. By the easie and only way of Credence Acceptation Covenanting and keeping Faith with God agreeable to the mind of the Spirit and renouncing the World the Flesh and the Devil Care must be taken for the Soul more than for the Body If God had asked some great thing must thou not have done it How much more when he saith Believe only and thou shalt be saved Ask and you shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you If there be first a willing mind it is accepted of God according to what a man hath and not according to what a man hath not If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature And God giveth his holy Spirit to those that ask him So Christ by his Death and Resurrection hath externally conquered Sin Law and Death for all men So Christ by his Spirit doth internally conquer Sin Law and Death in every believing Soul and creates inherent holiness therein So by Faith the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us to be the Righteous Sons and Heirs of God by Grace and Adoption as Christ is by Nature and Generation So by the Spirit of Faith we are inherently sanctified in Love and Good Works which maintains and upholds our Justification by Faith So Imputed Righteousness by Faith is our external Righteousness of the Spirit of Righteousness or Justification to Eternal Life So our Inherent Righteousness by Works is the inward Sanctification of the Spirit of Holiness In all this Book I have laboured to demonstrate Christ's Mediation between God and us especially as he is an High Priest I. In the outward Temple on Earth preparing himself for a Sacrifice by the sufferings and death of his Flesh II. In the inward Temple of Heaven by finishing the Sacrifice in the oblation of his blood to God He entred into the out ward Temple by his Birth and there he suffered and died He went out of the outward Temple by his Resurrection He entred into the Inward Temple by his Ascension and there he ministers as a Priest 1. By offering or presenting himself unto God by his Eternal Spirit 2 By Intercession at the Right hand of God 3. By Teaching and instructing of his Church 4. By Protecting and ruling by his Spirit He shall come out of the Inward Temple at the last day 1. To Judg of all that are capable of the Inheritance devised by God in his last Will. 2. To Admit and give Possession as an Executor of God's Testament 3. To give up the Kingdom to God the Father that God may be all in all The Head being thus entred into Heaven gives assurance for the Members to follow after In the mean time 1. They have a Right to enter 2. They do enter by Faith 3. They wait by Hope for a full entrance The Soul waits after death in Paradise Abraham's Bosome The Body waits in Corruption No Oblation ever pleased God but this of Christ No Oblation pleased God but Christ's Because Pure and Holy High and Heavenly and prepared by God himself For 1. The Person is heavenly that offers 2. The Sacrifice is heavenly that is offered 3. The Spirit is heavenly by which it is offered 4. God is heavenly to whom it is offered 5. The Place is heavenly wherein it is offered 6. The Blessings are heavenly for which it is offered Dead Sacrifices were fit for the Dead Law Living Sacrifices fit for the Living Law Earthly Sacrifices were fit for the Earthly Law Heavenly Sacrifices fit for the Heavenly Gospel No True Priest Altar Sacrifice or Temple but Christ We are Priests have Altars Sacrifices and Temples but all in Christ and in his stead do all offer all in his Name All was Earthly Typical and Carnal under the Law All is Heavenly Mystical and Spiritual under the Gospel 1. Baptism is the sprinkling of the Soul with the blood of Christ and the washing of the Holy Ghost 2. Communion is the Spiritual eating of the Flesh and drinking of the blood of Christ by Faith 3. Prayer is the Act of the Soul towards God 4. Conversation is in Heaven 5. The Kingdom of God is within us ruling and subduing our Lusts 6. The Kingdom of God is above us Triumphing 7. The Temple of God is within us in our Souls and Bodies offered a Living Sacrifice to God 8. Temple of God is above us in Heaven with Christ Every one that comes to God must offer Every one that comes to God must offer 1. Christ comes to God and offers Himself 2. Christians come to God and offer Themselves Religion is an Offering to God of our selves our Goods and Actions Atheism makes no acknowledgment by offering to God either our Selves our Goods or Actions Atheists live and die to themselves without God in the World All that offer in Christ are accepted of God for Christ's sake All that offer to God and all that is offered to God must be pure as God is pure Offering is an Acknowledgment of Subjection of Thankfulness of Liberality To God to Princes to Priests that are in God's stead Christian Religion most Spiritual and Glorious The Christian Religion is most spiritual and glorious 1. Christ the Author of it is God and Man Humbled in Sufferings and Death Exalted in Resurrection Ascention and Session at the Right Hand of God 2. The Gospel of Christ is the full Revelation of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven and the most perfect Rule of Holiness 3. Christ's kingdom is over all inwardly in our hearts outwardly over our bodies and over all creatures 4. By Christ a new Creation new Heavens and a new Earth and new creatures 5. Christians are sons and heirs of God abstracted from Jewish and Heathenish Rites and from all carnal and profane conversation pilgrims strangers on earth wise to salvation pious to God righteous to men perfect as God is perfect Christianity is quite another thing than the World takes it to be 1. No carnal worship therein Altars Masses Idols Pilgrimages Reliques Sackcloth Ashes Whippings Crosses c. Exotick Paganish 2. No worldly Policy therein Infallibility Supremacy Miracles Pomps c. Cheats Spirituality Innocency Heavenly-mindedness Simplicity Obedience Love Quietness Chastity Temperance Patience Prudence Meekness Faith Hope c. are the Laws and Customs of the Church The scandal and shame of the Cross offends the World but was endured and despised by Christ and is endured and despised by Christians having an eye as Christ had to the recompense of the Reward and to the price of the High Calling
Correction Work Payment Church Elders Bishops Priests Deacons High Priest Altar Sacrifice Tithes Oblations First fruits Dedication Consecration Expiation Propitiation Excommunication Idol Faith Vow Covenant Contract Promise Oath Stipulation Sacrament Seal Intercession Hand-writing Mediator Obligation Assurance Evidence Conveyance Alliance Affinity Consanguinity Tribe Stock Familie Degrees Line Birthright Succession Dominion Lordship These and other learned Titles of the Law with the profound judgments of renowned Antecessors upon each of them serve more to the enrichment of the treasury of wisdom for the furnishing of apt Interpretations and Glosses upon the Laws divine than all the Arts or Learning of the World Besides the aptitude of resolving cases and doing business with prudence honesty and gallantry is created by them after the rellish of those equitable and brave Souls that made them The CONTENTS Of the Laitie's Calling AND as to the Laity I say consider your Calling we may not speak the mind of God in learned and unknown Tongues to the high ones only that Pearch on the Towers but in Vulgar language to the meanest that sit on the wall Quod omnes tangit ab omnibus tractari debet That which concerns all ought to be understood by all We will not hoodwink you to make your Ignorance the Mother of your as blind devotion we will not captivate your minds by Magisterial dictates of us men and hide from you the Royal Commandments of your God TITLE VI. Of the Laitie's Doctrine I. I Say then boldly Consider your Calling For Doctrine 1. From beyond the lowest Law of Nature 2. From beyond any Laws written upon Tables 1. To the Law of the Spirit and of Grace 2. To the Law written upon the Heart To the best of Precepts of Evangelical perfection taught by Christ in his famous Sermon upon the Mount and other occasional Discourses and by the Apostles and other holy Men of God that had the same treasure in earthen vessels To the best of Promises Viz. Forgiveness of sins Liberty Adoption Spirit Resurrection eternal life These are the Laws that are so high and yet so easie few favourable and pleasant for the wayes of Wisdom are wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace I exhort them therefore to a high belief and full assurance of Heaven by the seal and earnest of the Spirit to be partakers of the holy Unction of Wisdom and Perfection to be a Royal Priesthood and a peculiar people by vertue of the promises that belong to you and to your Children of high exemptions and priviledges of great honour and estate TITLE VII Of the Laitie's Persons II. FOR your Persons Look therefore to your selves that ye walk worthy of so great Salvation and having such an hope in you so full of a glorious and blessed Immortality see that ye purifie your selves even as God is pure and become a people altogether zealous of good Works perfecting Holiness in the fear of the Lord that at last you may obtain an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith which is in Christ Jesus Fear not therefore little Flock for it is your Father's good Will and pleasure to give you a kingdom Your hope is laid up for you in heaven And neither eye hath seen nor ear hath heard neither can it enter into the heart of man to conceive what things God hath laid up for those that fear him When Christ the favourable Mediatour and Executor of God's Testament shall put the Faithful into actual possession of Eternal Glory saying Come ye Blessed Children of my Father receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the World Aim therefore at a Gospel-Spirit 1. Care not for unnecessary Disputes God's Testament is a plain Testament of Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ As Men's Testaments are to be seen and read by all that are concerned so is God's Will to be seen and read by all Col. 2.6 c. As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him and stablished in the faith as ye have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the traditions of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ 2 Tim. 2.23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strifes also Genealogies and contentions and strivings about the Law for they are unprofitable and vain 1 Tim. 1.4 Neither give heed to Fables and endless Genealogies which minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in Faith If any man teach otherwise 1 Tim 6.3 c. and consent not to wholsome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to Godliness he is proud knowing nothing but doating about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envy strife railings evil surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth supposing that gain is godliness Jude 27 c. from such turn away Remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly Lusts these be they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit But ye Beloved building up your selves in your most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal Life and of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garments spotted by the flesh Let the Clergy exhort and teach these things and whatsoever else belongeth unto sound doctrine with all long suffering and patience as the stout Soldiers of Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 6.20 And let them be sure to keep that which is committed to their Trust avoiding profane and vain bablings and oppositions of Sciences falsly so called which some professing have erred concerning the Faith Tit. 1.14 Let them not give heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men that turn from the truth nor yet to endless genealogies which minister questions rather than godly edification 1 Cor. 2.4 Let not your speech nor your preaching be with the entising words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power Speak Wisdom among them that are perfect the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our Glory For other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid 1 Cor. 3.11 c which is Jesus Christ Now if any man build upon this foundation Gold Silver Pretious stones Wood Hay Stubble every man's work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall trie every man's work whatsoever it is If any
of God have been thoughts of love and kindness in him all along from the beginning of the world but especially in the days of the Gospel And that God's love was always to mankind though not so clearly demonstrated as it is now by Christ How therefore this frowning face of terrors and amazements in his dealings here giving mortals no rest for the little space he hath afforded them to stay in this world and plunging them into eternal torments in the world to come can consist with the gentleness and justice of his nature I can in no wise be satisfied I am not able to conceive of a good Prince but that he will be always careful to preserve the lives and fortunes of his good Subjects and use all possible means to reduce the rebellions and still to be sparing of the blood of his People even where his Justice calls for it Nay every petty King of a Town or Family will do the same within the circuit of his power How much more then shall the Great and Gracious not only Potentate but Creator and Redeemer of the World hover over his poor creatures and servants for good and be infinitely and therefore inexpressibly tender of their Temporal and Eternal Wellfare But I am told that God reprobates the far greatest part of the world to shew the Glory of his Justice and absolute Soveraignty over his creatures And here I must cry out ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã O the Depth and if I be one of these Cast-aways must be as the rest contented and for ever silent 'T is true I must if so and there can be no help for it nor must Mortals complain for who art thou O Man that thou shouldest dispute against God But how these men more than others of equal judgments should come to this pitch of Knowledg to determine this thing thus I cannot imagine nor whence they had this revelation And how this agrees with God's declaration of himself to be willing that all men should be saved and come to the knowledg of the Truth and not to delight in the death of any Sinner will put them to a stand Well however it is I am sure that God is good and if God hath given men reason to understand what is Justice and Mercy how the wisdom of God though infinitely above should be as infinitely contrary to this our humane understanding will be very hard to conceive Still Justice is Justice and Mercy is Mercy in God or Man though in vast differences of degrees We shall never know how but we may always know that God is Just and can and will do us no wrong I take the safest side therefore I hope if I interpret humbly all his dispensations though seemingly never so harsh to be cum favore that if he do as certainly he does severely punish yet he will as graciously reward those that fear him for all their miseries in this life And if God inflicts as he doth the same Calamnities now under the Gospel as he did before under the Law yet it is in a different manner in the Church's Majority from what it was in her Minority And that though the former Dispensation was in wrath yet now it is in Grace and was always just Well let the Inhabitants of the earth work righteousness as well as they can and trust God for his Mercies and through the tender mercies of God they shall be sure never to miscarry I am certain Grace is Grace and above Wrath though I suffer never so much And that God does not dodgenor lie upon the catch with mankind to destroy them but rather waits for their conversion to save them I will trust in God therefore though I am never able to understand the reasons of his workings From henceforth I will never go about to measure the depths of God's Providences by the shallowness of my comprehensions I will be meditating and doing good and leave all to God But it is high time to leave this dreadful Subject of mis-representing God in his Counsels so fatal to mankind Gospel-Dispensations Let us see what other mis-understandings there are of God's Dispensations God was pleased suitably to the non-age of the Church to address himself very much to the lower faculties of the Soul and the outward senses that were nearest to them and did most affect them Therefore he ordained splendid Types solemn services and many miracles as the pillar of a Cloud and of Fire the walls of water in the Red Sea the burning Mount Sinai the tabernacle and rays of Glory visible therein the Temple c. But they which look for any such apparent Expressions of Divinity now mistake the Genius of a Gospel-Dispensation to a Church Adult and capable of higher Administrations All things since Christ's coming are managed in a sedate smooth and serene temper The mysteries of the Gospel came forth in plain and intelligible forms of Speech from Mount Sion without drawing the Soul into Raptures and Extasies of amazements God doth not fright men into heaven by visible Terrours God expects now a reasonable Service a Judicious Religion acted by the Spirit of Love and of a sound mind under the Graces Truths and Glories of a Gospel-state for ever to endure This Spirit of the Gospel arriving to our Spirits in this aimable and winning manner creates a generous Spirit above the Evils or Goods in this world resolved to go through them and overcome them and settle upon absolute Eternal Goodness When men's hopes and fortunes are most embarqued in the Ship of this World without Faith They are in continual fears of Shipwrack because then all is lost that is before their sense But when men's hopes and fortunes are all embarqued in one bottom of Divine Faith they are in continual Hopes and Assurances of arrival in the Haven of Glory because then all is found that was before their Spirit in the Eye of Faith This Hope so full of glorious and blessed Immortality hath supported the spirits of such as live by their Faith better than all the Fatality of the Stoicks or the Jollity of the Epicureans These can look Sin and Death in the face by the Spirit and not be daunted by the Flesh The high Religion of the Gospel teacheth higher things than ever that of Moses or the Law of Nature or Nations or Philosophy could do Reformation This great Reformation of Religion in the World Christ declared plainly to the woman of Samaria requiring of him as a Prophet to tell her the place of worship whether it was not to be upon Mount Gerizim in Samaria where the Fathers had worshiped and not in Jerusalem as the Jews believed Upon this occasion he told her that neither she nor the Samaritans her Country-men nor the Jews nor yet the Gentiles of the World should from that time ever trouble themselves about the place or manner of Divine worship For it should be neither confined to Samaria nor Judea but should
be enlarged to all places in the World and that not after this nor that manner of outward and carnal worship but after the only manner of inward and spiritual Service John 4.24 for God was a Spirit and therefore the true worshippers of God should always worship him in Spirit and in Truth From hence therefore the world is given to understand the two great Doctrines First That the true worship of God is onely Spiritual Secondly That there is greater perfection in Christianity than in Judaism or Heathenism Worship Spiritual 1. That the True Worship of God is only Spiritual Religion is a Spiritual service that is Prayers Praisings Eucharists Acts of Love Acts of Faith Acts of Hope Acts of Humility Fasting Alms c. Excepting the two Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper whose effects are Spiritual Sense mysterious Rites easie and number smallest I dare in meekness and charity challenge all perswasions to shew me if they can in the whole Digest of the Christian Law any other external Rite or Ceremony enjoyned or that is necessary that it should be enjoyned Reason Because as the Christian Religion intends wholly an exclusion of all Mosaick Ceremonies made by God so it will not admit of a Body of new and superinduced Rites made by men for they are or may be as much against the Analogy of the spiritual Worship of Jesus Christ as the body of Rites made by Moses and more because they were made by the Will of God but these meerly by the Wills of men Ceremonies The Ceremonies of the Christian Services may be Practised but must be no part of Religion it self but either the Circumstances thereof or the imperate acts of some moral Virtue As thus The Christian must be in some place when he prays and that place may and it is fit it should be determined by Authority for the publick prayers and thither he must go and yet for his private prayers he may go any where else And so for preaching And because the Religious actions of a Christian are finite therefore they must be done as in a place so at a time and that time may and it is fit it should be determined by Authority and then he must do his Devotions in publick at that time only but for his private devotions he may do them at any time else The Religious Actions of a Christian must be in some posture of his Body and that posture may be appointed and it is fit it should be appointed by Authority for the publick worship as to kneel or stand or bow c. and then he must do it in that posture that he is commanded in that publick place and yet he may use what postures he pleases at any other time or place for his private devotions And when the Christian comes to the publick place at the time appointed for Publick Prayer his prayers though in the Spirit must be of some form or manner of expressions by words and that form and manner of expressions by words may and it is fit it should be ordained by Authority for the whole Congregation openly and yet he may be and is at liberty to use what other form he pleases in his private addresses to God And this is enough to satisfie all those that have the true spirit of Christ who though he had no need of the Circumcision of the Law nor yet of the Baptism of the Gospel because there was no superfluity of evil to him to be cut off nor any stain of sin to be washed away yet he suffered himself to be circumcised and baptized and did obey that Law which he came to abolish and was subject to those Powers that were then over him in the world and quarrelled at nothing but was willing to fulfill all Righteousness And if our Fanaticks had the true spirit of Christ they would do as he did and be obedient to his Laws and to the Laws of the Powers that God hath set over them The Differences betwixt the Mosaick Rites under the Law and the Christian Rites Difference of Mosaick and of Christian Rites besides what Christ himself hath ordained under the Gospel are these 1. The Mosaick Rites were only appointed by God but these Christian Rites are appointed by men 2. They were necessary parts of that Religion that then was so far as it was discerned but these are not 3. The Mosaick Ceremonies did oblige every where but the Christian only in publick 4. They were integral parts of the Jewish Religion but these are but circumstances and investitures of our Religious Actions 5. They were done all of them in the spirit of Bondage and great fear but ours are done in the Spirit of Liberty and great Love They were lasting as long as that Religion was to last but ours are alterable though our Religion be everlasting 7. They were many and burdensome and very costly for they were at greater charges to buy Cattel c. for the Sacrifices and the Priests and Levites were as Butchers and Porters and Cooks to knock down Oxen or cut the throats of Calves c. and slay them c. but ours are few and easie and cheap but neither theirs nor ours did or ever will please God The sum is the Ceremonies of Christians they may be the accidents of their worship they must be no more but a just investiture of Time Place Form Habit and Posture He that would have his body decently vested must not wear five and twenty Cloaks a Stole and a Tunick will suffice some thing for warmth and something for ornament does well But as the tender and delicate Woman that will scarcely vouchsafe to set her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness and thinks no ornaments curious enough for her head and the rest of her body makes it the work of half a day to dress and deck her self is a slave to her fine trinkets and thinks neither her Soul nor Body but her habiliments to be the principal part of her care So they that are superstitious and over much righteous in Will-worship and count no formalities nor bodily exercises enough to set out their Devotions are servants to their Beads and trumperies and think not of the substance of Religion but make the out sides thereof the principal part of their care Church of Rome Thus the Church of Rome whose Ceremonies are described in a great Book in folio Quem mea vix totum Bibliotheca capit and my purse strings will not stretch to buy it And although by such means Religion is made pompous and apââo allure them that admire their gay nothing yet then it also spends their Religious passions and wonderments in that which effects nothing upon the Soul The Priest must be intent upon his Rubrick that he miss nothing of his Bowings Crosses Anointings Sprinklings Perfumes c. and the people are taken up with staring upon the dumbe Images the Larges and the Priests
Actions with hearkening to the unknown Service and the loud Singings and melody of Instruments all which noises and starings conjure up their joys dolours and amazements to the dazling of the understanding and confounding of the Memory and Will of the Inward man during the hurry that is upon the Senses of the Outward man Thus the Heathens made their Religion a Systeme of pitiful Rites sneaking and beggarly Entertainments Hay and Stubble fit enough for such Deities as they served but most nasty and unbecoming and odious to the Most High God Whatever is grave decent and orderly in the Outward Worship of a Christian is not to be rejected but if it be not these it is not to be imposed and when even these become numerous or grievous they are to be removed by the same lawful hand that brought them in Now although the Spirituality of the Gospel excludes all shadows of Ceremonies and all bodily Rites from being of the substance of Religion yet this Spirituality does not exclude the Ministry and Service of the Body For the Worship of the Body may also be Spiritual it is a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Rom. 12.1 and therefore Spiritual Thus the Body Bowing Kneeling Standing Eyes and Hands lifted up to Heaven in Prayer and Praise in Hearing and Communicating in bowels of Yerning Compassion and giving of Alms are all acceptable upon the account of the Spirit because the Body serves the Spirit and the Spirit serves God and all is made a Spiritual worship Reason The Virtues of a Christian are acts and habits of a sanctified Soul whose faculties have each a proper organ of the Body that as the Graces and Endowments of the Soul are commencements and dispositions unto glory So the Spiritual Ministeries of the Body may dispose it to its perfect Spirituality in the Resurrection of the Just But then these Ministeries of the Body are then only to be judged Spiritual service when the Soul and the Body make but one entire agent the act of the soul and body being but one and the same product of Religion whereof the soul is the principal agent and from thence the Actions of the Body are denominated spiritual Whatsoever act of the body is an elicite or imperate act of Virtue or the proper and specifick act of Grace in the Soul is a part of Religion otherwise it is the instrument of vice or vanity and not of the Soul As to give all our goods to the Poor to give our bodies to be burned to have all faith to the removal of mountains c. are but the outsides of Religion and good for nothing unless they proceed from Charity a willing and loving spirit a heart true and right to God for then such a faith justifies such giving to the poor is true Alms and such giving the body to be burned is true Martyrdome 2. Perfection of Christianity That there is a greater Perfection in Christianity than in Judaism or Heathenism Because the Old Testament made nothing perfect therefore the New Testament made all things perfect being established upon better Promises 1. Endeared to us by new instances of Infinite Love and 2. We enabled by many more excellent Graces of the Holy Spirit 1. The Christians under the New Instances and the Jews under the Old Covenant do both of us pray but we are commanded to pray more frequently fervently and continually 2. They and we must be both charitable but they were tied only to their friends and neighbours but we to our enemies and strangers We have more brethren and more neighbours and therefore more is our duty than theirs They were to do their brethren and neighbours no hurt but we must do them and our enemies all good They were to forgive upon submission and repentance but we must invite them to repentance and offer pardon if they will not repent They were to give bread to their needy brethren but we are in some cases to give our lives for the brethren 3. They were to love God with all their Souls and with all their strength and though we cannot do more than this yet we can do more than they did For our Strengths are more our understandings are better instructed Eph. 6.10 c. our Wills more raised our helps far greater our shield stronger our breast-plate broader our armour of Righteousness more of proof than theirs was Dares and Entellus did both contend with all their strength but because Entellus had much more strength than Dares therefore he was the better champion of the two A Child and a Giant do both put forth all the strength they have but because the Giant is stronger than the Child therefore he is the more perfect A Scholar and a Master do both teach the best they can but because the Master hath the greater knowledg therefore he must needs teach far better 1. In the internal acts of virtue a Christian is to be more zealous and operative aiming at excellencies and perfections 2. In the external acts of virtue a Christian must out-do a Jew in prudent zeal They adorned their Temple gave gifts loved all of their perswasion laboured to get proselytes but were uncivil to all others They were bound to pay tithes we are commanded to allow an honourable Maintenance not more work but more love In those Graces which are proper to the Gospel literally and plainly exacted of us and but obscurely insinuated or collaterally required of them we are to adorn the Gospel and advance to an higher and brisker duty Because we have a more spritely Law a clearer revelation greater threatnings better promises and mightier aids 1. Every man must observe the new sanctions or new interpretations of the Old super-added by Christ in his Sermon upon the Mount 2. Every man must do in proportion to all the aids of the Spirit ministred in the Gospel all that he can do which will amount to more than the usual rate of Moses's Law 3. Every Christian must be infinitely removed from Jewish sins such as were Idolatry Obstinacy Hypocrisie Oppression of Strangers sensual and low Appetites of Honour Peace Plenty c. 4. Every Christian must do all their works in Faith and Love In faith to make them accepted because without faith 't is impossible to please God though they be imperfect In love to make them as perfect as they can be Reason Because every Christian hath clearer hopes of a glorious and blessed Immortality The State of our Religion is high for 1. The purity of Commandments 2. Gracious Aids and Endearments 3. The great Example of Jesus 1 John 3.2 3. We are the Sons of God and it does not yet appear what we shall be but this we know that when Christ shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and appear with him in Glory And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as God is pure That is 1. We are the
Adopted Sons of God by Grace 2. We are sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise 3. We are renewed by Regeneration 4. We are Justified by his Grace through Faith 5. We are invited by his glorious Promises greater than we can understand Now he that considereth this state of things and hopes for the state of blessings will proceed in duty and love towards the perfection of God never giving out till he partake of the purities of God and his utmost Glories perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord till he obtain an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus In the practice of these spiritual duties there is no difficulty but what is made by the careless lives and actions of outward Christians and by their lazy and unholy Principles So that after the rate such Christians live now it is hard to know how and in what instances and in what degrees our duty ought to excell that of Moses's disciples though a Greater than Moses is here But they that love will do the thing that is good and so understand the Rule of perfection Obedite intelligetis Obey and ye shall know all that is necessary to be known for God shall lead you into all truth and love is the fulfilling of the whole Law We cannot be too careful for ignorant and weak and carnal persons especially for hypocrites because both pretend the one sort really as knowing no better but the other falsely and basely to the shame of Christianity that 1. This so high and spiritual worship inclines the minds of men to scruples and dislikes of all orders and rules in the Church and so because Christians must have but few Rites therefore they will endure none at all or such only as are of their own making We protest utterly against this spirit of men that it is an abuse of Christian Liberty and a cloak of maliciousness in hypocrites and a grievous cheat to all weak and well-meaning Christians 2. That this leads into rebellion against the religious Powers that according to their bounden duties do establish order and decency in all things belonging to the Service of God It is the principal care of the Magistrate to see that God be honourably served in Publick with decency at set times and places with set forms and postures to avoid confusion Now these pretenders to spirituality only do strongly set themselves against the face of Authority under the shew of Conscience This is a very wicked thing most contrary to the meaning of the Spirit and Power of Godliness For God hath ordained Princes to rule and Subjects to obey But these unruly Spirits under a feigned zeal for God's Cause set up their own Cause and set the whole world on fire by their ungodly Rebellions Take heed therefore of this one thing The True gospel-Gospel-Spirit minds most of all a True Spiritual Service But if Lawful and Religious Power commands a few innocent Forms to be observed in publick only to avoid Distraction they submit peaceably and still continue to worship God in the Spirit in publick In the Time Appointed by Law In the Place Appointed by Law In the Posture Appointed by Law In the Form Appointed by Law And in private too at any time place and in any form or posture as they themselves shall please What can be done more If men were not unreasonable they would be contented and come in to the Publick Worship and not proudly separate themselves as they do This did not the Jews though they had different opinions otherwise and this do not the Papists though they have several Orders and Perswasions amongst them For all Jews came to the same Temple and all Papists to the same Mass But our Sects are more unfortunately cross and more unhandsomely disobedient to Ecclesiastical and Temporal Authority than all the world besides the more is our misery Learn to be wiser and make it a matter of Conscience to fulfil all Righteousness to take your liberty in God's name in private no body desires to hinder you in the least Have ye not houses to pray in Mat. 3.13 Why despise ye the House of Prayer Shall I praise you for this I praise you not Do not forbear the assembling of your selves together as the custome of too many is to do It is spiritual Pride it is not only rebellious but uncivil and very rude to flock together to unlawful meetings or to stay at home or walk in the fields or streets or be at Ale-houses or Taverns as people unconcerned when better men than you are gathered together in the fear of God and Obedience to the Laws to Pray and Praise God and to hear his Word and to give Alms to the Poor O how decent a thing it is for Brethren to meet together in Unity And how prudent is that Devotion that places all the substance of Religion in the heart and yet uses the circumstances of order to avoid the confusion of wild Extravagancies Certain it is that if every one were left to serve God in his own way there would be no Face of a Church One would be Working or Playing while another was Preaching or Praying ignorant men and women would take upon them to teach and the blind would lead the blind till they both fall into the ditch We have greater cause therefore to bless God for establishing Powers over us without which we should be as herds of Wild Beasts rather than sober men and fall foul of one anothers persons and estates But God is the God of Order not of Confusion and we have no such unmannerly Custome nor ever had the true Churches of God Abhor therefore if you be wise all Fanatick Expressions That all Time all Places are alike so they are but not for publick Offices and that any Postures Gestures or Habits may be used so they may but not in Publick Service God and Man have given us our Liberty in Private only for the Publick we are restrained This is enough to give content to all Parties if Reason would do it for this is decent and comely in the sight of God and Man And thus it becometh us to dispute no more about such matters but to fulfil all Righteousness Spiritual Perfection From what hath been delivered at large I collect these Reasons for Spiritual Worship and Gospel-Perfection Reas I Because the Ritual Worship induced by God is abolished Believe me Ritual Worship abolished John 4.23 the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit Col. 2.16 c. and in truth Let no man deceive you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moon or of the Sabbath
the Magistrate Thus it becometh us to contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints and not to quarrel about such matters but to fulfil all Righteousness I have said all this to satisfie if it might be all Parties concerning the spiritual service and perfection of the Gospel and especially to convince the Fanaticks that the Church of England is neither Jewish nor Heathenish nor Popish but the purest Reformed Church in the world for the Antiquity of its Doctrine and Discipline for the paucity easiness significancy and decency of its Ceremonies avoiding all Superstition as much as possibly she can as you have an account given in the Prefaces before the last book of Common Prayer to the intent that all Separatists might be perswaded to conform having no just cause of scandal given them to crie out against us as they do for Carnal Preaching and Worship We call Heaven and Earth to witness we have done all we can but still they are not pleased If we pipe unto them they will not dance and if we mourn unto them they will not weep We must leave them till they be of a better mind As for us and our Churches we will strive to worship God with our Spirits and with our Bodies also We will pray with the Spirit and we will pray with a Form also we will sing with the lifting up of the Spirit and we will sing with the lifting up of our voices also Eph. 5.19 Speaking to our selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord. We desire to be filled with the knowledg of his Will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding Col. 1.9 that we might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and encreasing in the knowledg of God That our hearts might be comforted Col. 2.2 3. being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledg The last Reason for spiritual Service Prayer and other duties are Relativi Juris which I shall conclude withal to Reas V rivet all the rest is this Prayer Praise Hearing Fasting Meditating Alms are no Ceremonies but are clothed with them as Offices But yet even these Holy Duties are but Relativi Juris much more are their Rites that is Duties not to conclude upon but to use for a farther end But Self-denial Crucifying the Flesh Putting on the New Man Cutting of the Right Arm Plucking out the Right Eye Sincerity Love Dying to Sin Rising to Righteousness these are done for themselves and have no other end So that when we are come thus far we have no farther to go in the way of Holiness I mean These Duties have their ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as Aristotle speaks of Sapience they have their end in themselves And other Duties together with their Rites attending them are Means Spiritual for the Spiritual Ends of Sanctification to the Heavenly Ends of Eternal Glory Amen The End of the First Volume The NATURE of the Two Testaments OR The DISPOSITION of the WILL and ESTATE Of God to Mankind For HOLINESS and HAPPINESS By JESUS CHRIST Concerning things to be done by Men AND Concerning things to be had of God Contained in his two great Testaments The LAW and the GOSPEL Demonstrating the high Spirit and State of the GOSPEL above the LAW The Second Volume Of the ESTATE of GOD Concerning things to be had of God By ROBERT DIXON D. D. Prebendary of Rochester LONDON Printed by T. R. for the Author MDCLXXVI TO THE READER I Have travelled through the large Field of the Disposition of God's Will by way of Testament and Covenant in the Law and Gospel dispensed by the Mediation of Moses and Christ concerning his Laws and Commandments I am now coming to treat of the Disposition of the Estate and Inheritance of God by way of Testament and Covenant in the Law and the Gospel dispensed by the same Mediation of Moses and Christ concerning Blessedness and the Rights Titles and Tenures thereof This will be the ground of Future Enlargements upon Faith and Justification Liberty and Assurance of this Divine Estate thereby In which if as before I use many Jural Notions according to the State of Law I hope the Learned will not take offence I am sure the best learned in the Laws will not I may not of right be denied my liberty of expressing my self as well as others and if they like not my Notions I may be even with them and not like theirs But some body may like them and if the wiser sort do it sufficeth But let not the Newness prejudice the Trueness of my Rational Sentiments Discovery Here is no New Truth but a new way of Discovery of the Old Truth and it may be hereafter found to be a better way for peace and quietness than hitherto hath been used no disparagement to the improvements of our Learned Antecessors Enlargements there are in all Arts and Sciences in Ages far remote from the first which is no disrespect at all to the first Inventors and Founders of them It is pleaded by some that nothing can be said but what hath been said already I would gladly understand upon what sober and rational account such a saying can proceed from any wise considering man or who can say unto the Almighty with reverence to the unsearchable riches either of his Wisdom or Grace hitherto thou hast glorified thy self in giving wisdom and understanding unto the Sons of Men but farther thou canst not or wilt not go thy Treasures are exhausted or thou wilt not open them any further God's wisdom is inexhaustible and his Grace is not sparing to communicate it more and more It may be that some New Veins of Golden Oar are found out which ancient and learned Indagators could not come at and our new men being too confident that all was done to their hand and lazy withal never looked after And this is the cause why so many excellent men have raised the Line of Evangelical knowledg among us so little above what was delivered unto us by our first Reformers Such are become guilty of doing little else with that talent of Gospel-light which God gave them at first as a stock to set up and trade withal for him but only to put it in a Napkin not adding a hair's breadth to their Stature in the knowledg of Christ Hereby falling into that ignoble Principle to believe as the Church believes and take all upon Trust Is there any greater Slavery than that of the Mind Slavery to be imposed upon to believe and do all that is magisterially dictated Must I have no Judgment nor Will left for my self but another perhaps more ignorant and wicked must understand and choose for me
condemned as Children of wrath that is after the Hebrew phrase such as have deserved punishment as Sons of deat hare such as have deserved death Vide 2 Sam. 12.5 John 15.12 2 Thess 2.3 1 Câr 11.13 14. So the Apostle disputeth Judg in your selves i. e. according to your natural Reason is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered Doth not even Nature it self teach you that if a Man have long hair it is a shame unto him c. That is not plain Nature but Customs far and neer in all Ages observed which are the Laws of Nations which are secondary Laws Rom. 1.18 c. springing from the original Laws of Nature For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men who hold the Truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shew'd it unto them But they when they knew God glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned professing themselves wise they became fools For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections for even their Women did change the natural use into that which is against Nature And likewise also the Men leaving the natural use of the Woman burned in their lusts one toward another Men with Men working that which is unseemly and receiving to themselves that recompense of their error which was meet And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledg God gave them up to a reprobate mind to do those things who are not convenient without natural affection Col. 4.8 c. doing service to them which by nature are no Gods Others of the Gentiles which had not the Law writen on Tables did by nature the things contained in the Law these having no Law were a Law unto themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another SECT XI Thus it appears that Nature teaches good and by her Dictates they that walk contrary to the course of Nature are condemned as guilty of the wrath of God and are therefore called Sons of wrath But to call these unnatural courses of Adult persons by the name of Original Sin Actual in which we are conceiv'd and born and for which we are liable to eternal death is so strange and so heterogeneal a consequence as by no considering unbiast way of reasoning can justly be deduced from such premises That Nature is good and teaches good appears in that all Men naturally desire good enquiring what is good what is Truth and who will shew us any good as 1. To do good to our selves and to others not to hurt our selves nor others 2. To keep our promises to all 3. To give every one their due This is God's Image It is as natural for Man to be good Quintil. as for Birds to flie and Fishes to swim 1. Because the Soul is a Spirit Reason and it is the nature of a Spirit to desire God and Goodness Soul a Spirit I delight in the Law of God after the inward Man Spirits delight not in corporeal things the Soul draws near to his proper object God and Goodness The breath of God breathes after God The Soul is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Receptacle of God as mattter is of form As there is a sympathy between the Seed and the Womb to conceive thereby so there is a sympathy between God and the Soul God the Seed the Soul the Matrix Man is a kind of Mortal god Tertul. In homine quid optimum Ratio hâc antecedit animalia Deos sequitur saies Brave Seneca Senec. what is the best thing in Man It is Reason by this he excels all other living creatures here below and follows God himself The Soul hath ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a certain formative quality from the kindly aspect and incumbency of God's Grace hovering and brooding over it Ephes 4.24 which makes the New Man which after God is created in Righteousnes and true Holiness SECT XII 2. Because Good is the most common and communicative thing that is Good most common ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Faith Hope and Love are the Common Laws and Notions tending to the common salvation God dispenses not Good sparingly he shuts it not up as Gold and Metals in the bowels of the Earth or Pearls and Jewels in the bottom of the Sea Say not therefore who will shew us any good or ascend into Heaven to fetch it down from thence that we may hear it and do it or who will go down to Hell if it were there to fetch it up from thence that we might hear it and do it for it is nigh even in thy heart it is the light that is in us which if it be darkned how great is that darkness The most excellent things of God are the most common and offered to all when other things are rare and present themselves to few God is every Man 's good that will Aquinas his Sister ask'd him how she might be saved he answer'd her If you will The Predestinarian makes a cross consequence from this Object That Salvation depends upon Man's will If the King pardon and the Malefactor sues it out and takes it Answ does the King's Grace therefore depend upon the Malefactor's will should he be forc'd to take it whether he will or not Is this reasonable If Men reject the Grace of God their destruction is from themselves but their Salvation is from God The goods thing of God arrive certainly at the persons that desire them So is it not in the things of this world Every covetous person is not rich though he rise up early and goes to bed late and eats the bread of carefulness yet all will not do Every Ambitious Man is not the highest though he aspire and labour never so much to climbe up to the top of Honour yet he is forc'd to stay below and move in an inferior Orbe Every Student that sits in the Vatican is not a great Clark and there are few good in any one Trade But in Divine things it is far otherwise for every one that asketh hath and every one that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh the gates of Wisdom are opened Every one that hungreth and thirsteth after Righteousness shall be satisfied Fastidiosior est scientia quà m virtus Learning Riches Honours c. are more nice and coy than Virtue is though Virtue be most lovely yet she is not so delicate and scornful as they that have far less beauty and worth in them Paucorum est ut literati seu Divites c. omnium ut Boni Very few can attain to great Learning Honor c. But all may be good and besides Honours Wisdom Power c. when they are gotten are
we shall be saved from wrath c. Do we then make voyd the Law Rom. 8.32 through Faith God forbid yea we establish the Law In all the letter and scope of Scriptures upon this point the form of our Justification appears to be the Imputation or Accounting of our Faith for our right or Justification to the rights promised Ro. 5.17 8. There is mention made of Abundance of Grace and of the gift of righteousness And that by the righteousness of one the free-gift came upon all Men unto justification of life And that by one Man's obedience many were made righteous Phil. 3.9 St. Paul also desires That he may be found in Christ not having his own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by Faith No Man is justified by the Law in the sight of God for the just shall live by Faith and the Law is not of Faith but the Man that doth them shall live in them Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us For it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree That the Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith And the promise that Abraham should be the Heir of the World Ro. 4.13 was not to him or to his Seed through the Law but through the righteousness of Faith SECT III. But in all those places or any other Christ's Righteousness I cannot find any imputation of Christ's Righteousness The Righteousness of Faith and the Righteousness of God by Faith I find but no other By the Righteousness of Christ must be meant his personal obedience to the moral Law which cannot be made ours or translated to us or accounted to us and reckoned as ours for diverse and weighty reasons First because Christ's obedience was the obedience of a Mediator fitted exactly for such a Person and Office and no other A High Priest harmless undefiled separated from sinners c. Hebr. 7.26 one that makes all Men just and righteous and is made unto them righteousness sanctification and Redemption and is God our Righteousness That hath the Spirit of Righteousness without measure that is anointed above all his Fellows with that fulness from which we all receive Grace for grace whose Glory is the Glory of the only Begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth and much more than the Tongue of Men or Angels can express Now for a Man to be clothed with the Robes of this Righteousness as they speak is to appear before God not in the habit of a righteous and justified Man but of the justifier of the Sons of Men whose righteousness is too excellent and glorious for our condition of a Mediator God and Man We are the better for his active and passive obedience for it is the cause of our Righteousness by Faith The Members partake of the benefit of the Head The Wife is endow'd by Marriage with all her Husband's goods but the virtue of the Head is not appropriated though communicated nor made over to the Members nor is the estate of the Husband past away or made over to his Wife The Endowment of the Wife is no formal cause nor ingredient of Marriage but a fruit or consequent thereof So our justification or our right to the Righteousness of Christ that is to his Rights and Priviledges accrues to us by our Marriage with Christ which is by Faith the formal cause thereof The Estate Wisdom and Righteousness is Christ's but the benefit of them and of all that is Christ's is ours as is the Wealth and Wisdom and Honour of the Husband to the Wife In a word Christ's Righteousness is that for which Faith is accounted to us for Righteousness Ergo the Personal righteousness of Christ himself is not accounted to us Secondly Because Personal moral virtues cannot be past over to others by act of Nature or Law as by Descent Donation Succession Cession Dereliction Degradation Deprivation or any other way or means Because they are inherent habits of the Mind and therefore inseparable from the Mind and if separable altogether inconveyable to the Mind of another by deed of gift Descent of Blood or any other conveyance whatsoever during life or after death But Jural Rights are of that nature as that they may be derived by act of Law not Nature from Parents to their Children from Predecessors to their Successors or Alienated from the Proprietary to any other Person not only to be reckoned but to be really his or theirs to whom the alienation reversion or derivation is made by any act or deed according unto Law to take place in life or after death Also some act of mine may be accounted for a right to my self as my labour for my wages my purchase for my Estate my Faith for my justification Thus Moral Righteousness is inseparable from the Person to which it doth belong and cannot be reckoned to another but Jural Rights are separable and may be accounted to another I may possibly be respected and saved for another's Virtue and Worth but his Virtue and Worth can no waies be made mine Virtue Learning Vice and Ignorance are habits and qualities which are a Man 's own without accounting but Riches and Honours we have as rights accounted unto us or else we cannot have or hold them My Health or Sickness of Body may be propagated to me and from me to another but not the Health or Sickness of my Soul Who can be healthy by another Man's health while he possesseth it Who can be sick by another Man's sickness while he possesseth it Who can be rich by another Man's riches while he enjoyeth them Who can be honourable by another Man's honour while he enjoyes it Who can be disgraced by another Man's disgrace while he suffereth it Who can be poor by another Man's poverty while he endures it Who can be learned by another Man's Learning while he hath it Who can be virtuous by another Man's virtues or vicious by another Man's vice These Virtues or Vices are really his who hath them not really mine whose they are not or how can these things in another be so much as reckoned or accounted to be mine I may be reckoned guilty of another Man's sin and so of his punishment by consenting or helping c. but not for his acting or suffering I cannot be reckoned virtuous by another Man's virtue or sinful by another Man's sin or miserable by another Man's misery If I have many virtues others may have as many virtues or more than I and I have no less than I have but if I have many rights to such or such things others can have no rights to the same things If they be taken away from me in part I have the less if in full I have none at all but others
are in the Corporation but not of it As the Bastard is in the Family not of it he is disabled from inheriting because he is a Person unlawful and unright He is not right himself and therefore he can have no right he is not born as he should be therefore not born to what he should be As the Slave is in the Family but not of the Family he is uncapable of possessing any thing because he himself is possessed he can be no Master of any goods because he is his Master's goods All his acts are nothing because he is dead in Law As the Alien is in the City but not of the City he hath no right there he is not Homo legalis because he is not born there as he should be As an unbeliever is in the Church but not of the Church he hath no right he is not Homo fidelis because he is not born again as he should be Contrarily some Persons have right they are in the Corporation and of it they have title to claim the benefit and power to sue for it As a Son hath right in the Family to succeed his Father if he dies intestate As a Wife hath right of Dower for her joynture or her Thirds As a native Subject in a Kingdom is free to enjoy and dispose and hath a suffrage in Elections and other Priviledges to which he is born As a Believer is in the Church and of the Church he hath right to Christ and to the ordinances of Christ the Word and Sacraments because he is Homo fidelis and born again as he should be Now when he that had no right is made to have a right he is said to be justified to it or he that is absolved and released from some burden is justified from it All Legitimation is a justifying for therein a Child is released from the burden of Bastardy All Absolution is justifying for the party is released from the burden of some Bond. All Purifying and cleansing under the Law was justifying for therein the party was released from the burden of uncleanness And so Men were justified in the Law of Moses in some things but not in all Acts 13.39 But Faith justifies from all things from which the Law of Moses could not justifie All Pardoning is justifying for therein a Sinner is released from the burden of punishment The Romish Writers quarrel with our Divines when they place Justification partly in the Remission of sins for indeed that is a part or branch of it for all pardoning or remitting of sin is justifying but all justifying is not pardoning He whose right is declared is justified the Judg justifies the party whose right was controverted and doubtful The Matter of right the Judg creates not but only declares what was concealed He whose right is restored is justified All restitution is justifying for thereby the party hath his right again and repossesseth that which was his own before All In-lawing is justifying for thereby the party out-lawed is restored to his former right So as Legitimation is to a Bastard as Manumission is to a Slave as Naturalization and Enfranchisement is to an Alien so is Justification to a Sinner The Reasons are these 1. From the Names that are given to Persons justified before justification We are Bastards not born right but born in sin And God was our Natural Father not our Legitimate not our Spiritual Father For except a Man be born again he can never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Joh. 3.3 Bastards are not born as they should be We are Aliens and Forreigners we should be born in Paradise where our first Parents dwelt in Innocency and Immortality but we are born in the World a place of banishment to them and us where God is our Ruler only Eph. 2.12 not our King Without Christ we are Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel strangers to the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the World That is having no right in Christ nor hope of Inheritance in Glory but dead Men as Slaves are in Law i. e. morally dead in trespasses and sins and therefore jurally dead as to the capacity to any right For the dead loose all other rights save only that of Burial we are not born where we should be 2. From the Names that are given to the acts of justification As Joh. 17.20 1. Uniting or making us one with God and Christ That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Ro. 12.17 2. Grafting Christ is the true Olive stock the Jews the natural branches the Gentiles wild branches till ingrafted into Christ 3. Marrying while we were in the Flesh we were married to the Law but when justified by the Spirit we are dead unto the Law and married unto Christ Ro. 7.4 4. Adopting Redeemed from being under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons Gal. 4.4 5. The Spirit of the Son sent forth into our hearts crying Rom. 8. Abba Father We have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear but the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father As many as have received him i. e. have believed on him to them gave he power i. e. a right Joh. 1.12 as in the Margin to be called the Sons of God which is their justification by Faith For we are all the Sons of God by Faith in Christ Jesus 5. From the Names given to our state in Christ after justification as 1. Our being in Christ As the Wife is in the Husband the Child in the Parents Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus Our Fellowship with Christ the first born and heir So we are born again die with him rise with him Co-heirs with him shall co-rule with him Reign together with him in Heavenly places God hath called us to the Fellowship of his Son 1 Cor. 1.9 And we have fellowship with the Father and the Son 3. Our Corporation with Christ Our ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is in Heaven Our Bodies are the Members of Christ Phil. 3.10 1 Cor. 6.15 Eph. 5.3 we are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones not naturally but jurally The matter of our Justification being our right of Incorporation into God and Christ in general from thence may follow these three principal rights in particular 1. A right to things present 2. A right to things in future 3. The degrees of our Right to both these things in present and in future SECT II. 1. A right to things in present As 1. A right of Impunity or Pardon of sins Impunity That all his sins whatsoever he hath committed or shall commit hereafter are forgiven God may correct his Children in this Life otherwise they should not be his true Children but Bastards but he will not punish them in the Life to
come for he hath given them a right to be forgiven here and therefore they cannot be punished hereafter The Gospel is the word of promise for the forgiveness of sins not only for the act but for the right thereof To them that are justified there can be no condemnation Ro. 8.1 Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus i. e. To them that are incorporated into Christ and justified but all their trespasses are forgiven them You that were dead in your sins Col. 2.13 hath he quickened together with Christ He that is pardoned is fully acquitted from the guilt of his sin and from the punishment due for the same Be it known unto you therefore Acts 13.38 39. Men and Brethren that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses God's Pardon is not specially restrained to this or that sin at such a time but generally for all sins at all times The King's Pardon is with exceptions of persons and crimes and times and places but God's pardon is without all exceptions of persons times places or crimes excepting only that of the Holy Ghost And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your Flesh hath he quickened together with him having forgiven you all your trespasses SECT III. 2. A right of Liberty from the slavery of sin Liberty and the Bondage of the Law We are loose from all evil and free to all good adopted naturalized endenized made the Lord's Free-men Free 1. To the Fruition of God 2. To the Guidance of his Spirit 3. To act the will of God 4. To the Rule thereof God's Law 5. To a state of bearing God's Image 6. To the possession of God If the Son have made you free then are you free indeed Joh. 8.38 Rom. 8.2 Gal. 5.1 free from the law of sin and death Stand fast therefore in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free SECT IV. 3. A right of Provision for Soul and Body Provision as the Son hath the right of aliment from his Father for the Children make not provision for the Fathers but the Fathers for the Children Christ therefore forbids all immoderate carefulness for our Heavenly Father careth for us Mat. 6.31 O we of little Faith we have good reason to be content for God will never leave us nor forsake us Can a Mother forget her Child that she should neglect the fruit of her womb yet she may but 't is contrary to Nature if she doth yet will not God forget us when our Father and Mother forsake us the Lord taketh us up God will never leave us nor forsake us The Lions shall lack and suffer hunger but no good thing shall they want that fear the Lord. He that hath given us Christ how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 1 Pet. 5.7 Cast therefore all your care upon God for he careth for you SECT V. Protection 4. A right of Protection to defend us from all our enemies and from all injuries against the subtilty and malice of Satan As the Subject hath in the King a right of Protection to defend him liegely against the injury done by any of his fellow-subjects or any other Subject to any other King whatsoever so have the justified a right of Protection in God to defend them from all evil When God justified Abraham he gave him the right of Protection Fear not Abraham Gen. 15.1 saith God I am thy shield i. e. thy Protector The same right Holy David claimed in God Psal 3.3 Ps 18.2 Ps 33.20 But thou O Lord art a shield for me I will not be afraid for ten thousands of People that have set themselves against me round about The Lord is my rock and my fortress my deliverer my strength and my buckler Our Soul waiteth for the Lord he is our help and our shield Sons have right of Protection from their Fathers and to whom else should they flie for succour in their distress Satan sought to sift thee said Christ to Peter as the wheat is sifted but I have pray'd for thee that thy Faith fail thee not The Gates of Hell shall not be able to prevail against us Resist the Devil and he will flee from thee We shall bruise Satan under every one of our feet And as from Satan so God protects us from the World Fear not little flock I have overcome the World Abimelech was witheld from Sarah Laban from Jacob Balaam from cursing Israel Saul from destroying David and God protects us from our selves restrains us from lusts Sin shall not have the dominion over us nor rule in our mortal Bodies that we should obey it in the lusts thereof SECT VI. Audience 5. A right of Audience To hear and grant all our petitions prayers and suits The prayers of the wicked are not heard but return into their own bosom but the justified have the right of Audience that their prayers should be heard God heareth not sinners but if any Man be a doer of his will Joh. 9.31 him he heareth They are heard for themselves and for others Abraham undertakes for Sodom the City of sin descending from fourty to ten The prayer of a righteous Man if it be fervent availeth much And this is the confidence that we have in him Jam. 5.9 that if we ask any thing according to his will 1 Joh. 5.14 Mat. 21.22 he heareth us Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing ye shall receive Vid. 1 Joh. 5.14 SECT VII 6. A right of Alliance to be the Friends and Allyes of God Alliance God is an enemy to the ungodly because they are enemies to him because they are friends to Satan who is God's enemy But to the justified God is a friend for by his justifying he gives them a right of being his friends for he not only grants them his peace but his alliance to be his friends Christ calls the Apostles Friends and adds the reason because he acquainted them with his actions Henceforth I call you not Servants Joh. 15.13 for the Servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but friends for all things that I heard of my Father I have made known unto you Abraham being justified Jam. 2.23 had this right of Alliance and was called the Friend of God For God imparted himself unto him and so communed with him as a Man doth with his Friend Moses communed with God face to face David a Man after God's own heart Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I do Such know the mind of God as Friends understand each others minds and they open the secrets of their bosoms one to another The Justified are related unto God besides friendship in his Nature of which they are made partakers and in a manner
Deified made one with God and he one with them 2 Pet. 1.4 God hath given unto us exceeding Grace and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature They that hear the word of God and do it are my Brother Mat. 12. ult and Sister and Mother SECT VIII 2. A right to things in future 1. A right of Resurrection The wicked shall rise again but theirs is not of Right but to wrath Resurrection a curse as malefactors have right to Execution But the Justified have a right to the Resurrection as a mercy which God hath promised them for a farther right to Immortality and Glory Whoso eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood hath Eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day Joh. 6.54 Man's promise gives a right to the Benefit promised much more doth God's Joh. 11.15 I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live c. SECT IX 2. A right of Jurisdiction or Judicature Jurisdiction to sit as Judges at the day of Judgment There the wicked shall be condemned and the Justified shall judg them 1. By assisting Christ in the Judgment 2. By approving the justice of it 3. By testifying against the wicked and for the Godly Make you Friends of the unrighteous Mammon Luc. 16.9 that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting Habitations Make the Godly poor thy Friends for at the Great Judgment they shall be thy Judges and if thy cause go hard there they shall testifie of thy charity and so thou shalt be received St. Paul forbids the Justified to go to Law before unjustified Judges 1 Cor. 6.2 but rather before the Saints Because they have a right of Judicature at the day of Judgment Know you not that the Saints shall judg the World The Queen of the South and Men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment against the Generation of the Jews and shall condemn them SECT X. Glory 3. A right of Glory or Inheritance of God's Kingdom That is an Universal right to all God's Estate to all his Kingdoms and Blessedness which he himself enjoyes As the only Son and Heir hath a right to his Father's whole Estate For if God do justifie thee and incorporate thee into himself he doth thereby estate thee in all that he hath And God hath given thee Christ and his Spirit as an Earnest and Seal of this Inheritance And Christ himself as Executor of God's Will shall admit thee and put thee in possession at the last day who is gone before to prepare a place for us that where he is there we might also be Fear not little flock for it is your Father's pleasure to give you a Kingdom Come ye Blessed Children of my Father Mat. 25.34 receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the World 4. A right to the Righteousness of Christ i. e. to have all the benefit of it imputed to them For as by their Generation they have the burden of Adam's sin i. e. the guilt and pain of it cast upon them so by their Regeneration or Justification they have a right to Christ's Righteousness and the benefit and reward of it accrues to them i. e. All his active Righteousness whereby he suffered the Law and all his passive Righteousness whereby he suffered death is theirs done for them and in their stead to as full effect as if they had fulfilled all the Law in their own persons and had died for their own sins SECT XI Rights of Christ 5. A Right to all the Rights of Christ And they are so many and so great that neither eye hath seen nor ear hath heard neither can it enter into the heart of Man to conceive them We may touch one or two Hath Christ the right of a Son so hath a Christian to be the Son of God he by Generation thou by Adoption Christ thy Elder Brother the First born among many Brethren Hath Christ the right of a King is the Kingdom of Heaven his and doth he reign there Thou hast also the right of a King the Kingdom of Heaven is thine Math. 5. 2 Tim. 2.12 and thou also shalt reign there Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him Col. 3.4 Hath Christ the right of Glory so hast thou When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in Glory He shall change our vile Bodies Phil. 3. ult and make them like to his glorious Body And all because we are the Sons of God and if Sons then Heirs Heirs of God and Joynt-heirs with Christ And all Joynt-heirs have equal Rights 1 Joh. 3.2 Is Christ like God we are not so yet but we shall be like him When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is He a partaker of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 so we not yet but shall be Like a Fee-feminine where all the Daughters are Co-heirs Like Land in Gavel-kind where all the Sons are Co-heirs SECT XII 3. The Degrees of Rights to these things The right of the Righteous is not equal all alike at all times but gradual SECT XIII 1. A right of Expectation of future things Expectation Acts 7.5 as Abraham had a right to Canaan Yet he had not so much in possession as to set his foot on no inheritance in it yet God promised that he would give it to him for a possession and to his Seed after him when as yet he had no Child This possession was to be four hundred and thirty years after So the Heir in his Minority hath right but he must stay for the possession till the time appointed of his Father This is our Hope that through the Spirit we wait for the hope of Righteousness by Faith Gal. 5.5 Job 14.14 All the daies of mine appointed time will I wait till my change come SECT XIV 2. A right of Supplication for future things Supplication for seeing these rights come not to us by Law but only by Grace we have no right of Petition to sue for them and claim them by Law because matters of Grace are not sued for and pleaded for as Dues of Law but pray'd for and stay'd for as Rights of Grace due only upon Grace So the Israelites after four hundred years were expired supplicated for their right to Canaan sighed cryed and groaned and God heard and remembred his Covenant with Abraham Ex. 223. So Students in Arts after the expiration of the time appointed and Exercises performed do humbly supplicate for Grace to obtain their Degrees The whole Creation groaneth and travelleth for their redemption from bondage and we also our selves that have the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8.22 even we our selves groan
Dower nor power from Abraham in his House as a Wife but was still a Bondmaid to her Mistress and when she had served both and done her work as a slave she was fairly turned out of doors 2. Isaak the younger by a Free-Woman his Legitimate Son by a lawful Wife Sarah free born and free living a Matron that had right of Bed and Board Dower and Dignity Power and Rule under her Husband over the Family As the two Mothers conditions were quite contrary the one to the other so were the two Sons for Partus sequitur ventrem one therefore a Bondman the other a Freeman one had no right to the Inheritance because a Bastard the other had right because a lawful Son So those under the Law unjustified are in the condition of Ishmael who though a Son had neither the state of a Person nor the right of a Son but was a Bondchild and Bastard because he came from a Woman who had not the state of a Woman nor the right of a Wife but was a Bond-maid and a Concubine So the Sons of the Law that trust to their Mother Bondwoman shall be as little justified or have as little right to the inheritance of Heaven as the Law can afford them which is none at all for Righteousness comes not by the Law and by the Law no flesh can be justified even as little right as Ishmael could have to Abraham's inheritance who was born of a Woman who had works enough for she was a Bondmaid yet no right by them for she had no right in her Person But they that are under the Gospel are justified are in the same condition of Isaak who had the state of a Person and the right of a Son because he was born of a Free-Woman who had the state of a Woman and the right of a Wife So the Sons of the Gospel that trust to their Mother Free-Woman shall be as much justified or have as much right to the Kingdom of Heaven as the Gospel can afford which is All right Even as much right as Isaak had to Abraham's inheritance who was born of the Free-Woman who had Faith enough for she was free and therefore All right by her Faith for she had all right in her Person This was the first difference between these two Sons on the Mother side because born of several venters The second difference is on the Father's side For though they had one and the same Father yet they were begot from different principles operating in Abraham and enabling him to beget them Gen. 16.2 1. For Ishmael came from Abraham as a Natural Father born after the Flesh by Abraham's natural power and strength for though Sarah was restrained from bearing yet Abraham was not restrained from begetting at eighty five years old 2. For Isaak came from Abraham as a Supernatural Father born after the Spirit by a Supernatural power of God when he was ninety and nine years old and Sarah ninety years old and was ever barren which was a double deadness of age and custom This Generation and Conception was by God's promise Rom. 9.8 9. or by the Spirit and power of God So they that will be under the Law which is a Bondwoman and therefore engendreth bondage though thereby they be the Children of God yet they are but his Natural and Carnal Children because born after a meer natural and carnal way Heb. 9.10 and live under a Law consisting of carnal and fleshly ordinances But they that are of the Gospel which is a Free-Woman that engendreth Liberty and Freedom one of the Divine and Spiritual Sons of God because by means of their Faith they are born of the Spirit For that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh but that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Joh. 3.3 Ephes 1.13 And because after that Faith they are sealed with that Spirit which is the Spirit of Promise SECT XXIX Many more Covenants God made but these two of the Law and the Gospel were the most eminent Because 1. National and OEcumenical Covenants 1. The Law was National to the Jews only 2. The Gospel was OEcumenical to all the World The other Covenants that were made were but personal or famular to one single Person or Family as to Adam Noah Abraham David c. 2. Mediatory and Testamentary Covenants by the intervention and execution of two solemn Mediators and Executors Moses and Christ The rest were immediately proposed and executed by God and had no Interlocutor nor Performer beside Though these two Covenants and Testaments do disagree from all other Covenants and Testaments yet they are as different and contrary one to the other as was Hagar and Sarah SECT XXX 1. The Law was a Covenant of Bondage 1. From the adjunct of place from Mount Sinai Law a Covenant of Bondage Exod. 19. Gen. 25.18 the place in which the Law was given and the Country of Hagar Gal. 4.25 2. From the adjunct of Bondage engendred according to the nature of Law so are the Spirits the Genius and manners of Men. The Law of Moses is carnal and burdensom for its rights and contains only Temporal promises and curses accordingly therefore it begets servile labour and servile fear a hard Mother a curst Mistress SECT XXXI 2. The Gospel is a Covenant of Liberty 1. From the adjunct of place from Mount Sion Gospel a Covenant of Liberty the place in which the Gospel was given and the Country of Sarah Jerusalem which yet is in a kind of bondage too compared with Jerusalem which is above which is free and the mother of us all Hebr. 12.20 Hebr. 11.10 Rev. 21.2 3. 1. The Seat is above 2. The State is free 3. The Issue general Because the mother of us all the true Spouse of God by whom he begets Children by his Promise and Spirit John 3.8 Gal. 4.29 He that is born of the Flesh persecuted him that was born of the Spirit Law published on Earth by an Angel Gospel published in Heaven to Christ and from Heaven to the World Heb. 12.25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven Sarah Mother but of one Nation Jerusalem the Mother of all Nations Is 54.1 Glorious then but after the Captivity more glorious So will the Gospel be after many Ages of barrenness Isaak's Posterity double to Ishmael's New Covenant more large and more lasting than the Old The Jew persecuted the Christians as Ishmael persecuted Isaak by mocking him The carnal Christian who persecutes his Brother learnt it of the infidel and carnal Jew But the Son of the Bond-Woman shall be cast out for he shall not be heir with the Son of the Free-Woman 2. From the Adjunct of Liberty As is the Gospel so are the Spirits of Men. The Gospel Spiritual and easie a
kind Mother and Mistress This Ishmael was born after the flesh of Hagar a young Woman and Abraham able to beget by her Isaak born after the Spirit of Sarah an old Woman and Abraham an old Man not able to beget but Abraham was supernaturally enabled Heb. 11.12 especially Sarah who was both old and barren 1. Ishmael typifies those that seek Justification by the Law or works 2. Isaak typifies those that seeks Justification by Grace or Faith They that seek Justification by works depend upon themselves and their own natural goodness or strength or the works of Law They who seek Justification by Faith depend upon God's Grace and free Promise â Note here by the way that Isaak was a Type not of personal Election from all Eternity but of such as shall be justified by Faith in the Promise For the scope of the Epistle is in opposition to the Jewish confidence to prove that Justification is not by the Law So that the conceit of Election and Reprobation from this place is quite and clear Eccentrical from the scope and business which the Apostle aims at in this place 1. From whence I observe That the Mysteries of Salvation are declared not by words only but by Providences and Dispensations 2. That God without acceptation of persons may advance one above another in temporal benefits Acceptation of Persons hath place only in Judiciary rewards not in Dispensations of Grace and Mercy to eternal Rewards SECT XXXII Gen. 25.3 Jacob and Esau Besides that Allegory of Jacob and Esau denotes two Nations for the Text saith Two Nations are in thy womb and is by the Apostle applied to the Freedom of God preferring the younger Brother the Gentiles before the Elder the Jews Ro. 9.11 c. not upon any account of works For the children being yet unborn neither having done good or evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth it was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger As it is written Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated But the Preferring of the Gentiles before the Jews was only upon the account of Faith by the which they were justified and the Jews could not be justified because they stood upon their works So Jacob and Esau were not Types of a Personal Election and Reprobation but of a specifical National Election and Reprobation whosoever how many or how few soever not to an Eternal but to a Temporal Inheritance 2 Sam. 8.14 For the Elder shall serve the Younger and so the Edomite did serve the Israelite v. 2 Sam. 8.14 Je. 60. 1 Chron. 18.11 13. And the Idumaeans revolted Psal 137.7 Ez. 35.5 10. yet were they subjects 1660 years Jacob signifies the People of the New Testament by Faith Esau signifies the People of the Old Testament by Works Object Gal. 3.17 The Covenant that was confirmed of God before in Christ the Law that was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disannull that it should make the promise of God of no effect Solut. These words prove not that the Gospel or Covenant of Grace was before the Law or Covenant of works but before that solemn repetition or new Delivery thereof upon Mount Sinai When there was a Brief Transcript of it written and delivered unto Moses in Tables of Stone by God Rom. 5.20 Gal. 3 19 c. The Law entred that the offence might abound The Law was added because of transgressions till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made c. And that the Law or Covenant of Works was in being yea in force in the World before the publication of it from Mount Sion appears For untill Law sin was in the world Rom. 5.13 that is from the beginning of the World until the giving of the Law in words and writing from Mount Sinai And Consequently a necessity of the Law because where no Law is there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 but sin is not imputed where there is no Law that is Ro. 5.13 sin is not charged upon Men or punished nevertheless death reigned from Adam inclusivè unto Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression and consequently there must needs have been a Law without the breach whereof Men had not been obnoxious unto death Yea not only the Moral Law properly so called was extant in Men's hearts and delivered by Tradition but some particulars of the Ritual Law practised in the World before the delivery of the same Law much disused and forgotten to Moses in Writing upon Tables of Stone upon Mount Sinai As appears by the offering of Sacrifices of old and of the Sabbath and of Circumcision commanded to Abraham and his Seed and by the Marriage of the Widow of a Kinsman dying without Issue before the Law Yea the Law or Covenant of Works was as ancient as Adam and by transgression thereof he and all his Posterity incurred the guilt and punishment of Death Therefore the Law or Covenant of Works was the first born Testament or Covenant of Works made by God with Mankind And upon this account they who are of the Law i. e. who seek for Justification by the Law of works are resembled by Esau the Elder Son and they who expect Justification by the New Testament or Law of Grace i. e. by Faith are properly typified by Jacob the Younger Brother When God said to Rebecca Two Nations are in thy Womb â and the Elder shall serve the Younger he mystically signified that his absolute will and purpose was never to own for Sons and Heirs of Heaven the People of the Elder Covenent i. e. those that should seek for Justification by the Law but to assign over those for Servants or Bondmen to his Children i. e. those of the later or younger Covenant who should seek the Adoption of Sons or Justification by Faith Thus God was pleased to declare to the World that his purpose according to Election might stand firme and unchanged and that he meant not to elect or make choice of those whom he should or would adopt by the rule of Works or by any rule that Men should commend to him or desire to impose or obtrude upon him but only by the Rule of his own most free gracious and wise pleasure which he hath declared to be the Rule of Faith Inasmuch as in equitable Right the making his own choice in this kind accrueth unto him as he is the sole Magnificent Founder of this Blessed Feast of Justification calling and inviting the World from all Quarters to come unto it For a Clench to keep this Interpretation from stirring The Prophet Malachi brings in God thus Saying Was not Esau Jacob's Brother Mal. 1.2 c. yet I loved Jacob and hated Esau and laid his Mountains and Heritage waste for the Dragons of the wilderness He gave Esau a lesser portion of an earthly
promise by a solemn oath See Gen. 13.15 and Gen. 15.18 and Gen. 22.16 and Gen. 26.3 and Gen. 28.13 And they had farther an assurance of this right settled upon them by many miracles and tokens 1 Cor. 10.1 c. For they all were under the cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all baptized in the cloud and in the Sea and did all eat the same Spiritual meat and did all drink the same Spiritual drink c. Hath any Christian a better right or a greater assurance to the Kingdom of Heaven than the Israelites had to the Kingdom of Canaan yet many of them by reason of their carnal sins of lust idolatry fornication and such like did never enter that inheritance but were overthrown and destroyed in the Wilderness for God in his wrath retracted by oath that promise which before by oath he had confirmed See Num. 14.23 and Psal 95.11 and Ez. 20.15 and Heb. 3.18 2. Now all these Judgments happened to them for our examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come 1 Cor. 10.11 12. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall The mischief therefore that regularly follows upon our walking after the Flesh and committing of carnal sins is a Disherison or exclusion of us from the actual entrance and possession of that Heavenly inheritance whereto by Faith we had a right and title For although our good works are not sufficient enough to create us a title to that Inheritance yet our evil works are miscreant enough to defeat us of the title we had by Faith and to draw upon us a forfeiture of our former rights because our evil works argue us to be the Children of disobedience who will not be led and ruled by the Spirit of God they convict us of ungraciousness and unthankfulness for the Grace of God and condemn us to endure the wrath of God For although the Gospel be a Charter of Grace yet this is the Law of it against evil works because thereby we not only despair but we do despite to the Spirit of Grace which is an affront unto God who grants it and so justly we lose the benefit of the Grant through our own default Quod erat demonstrandum The CONTENTS Transition Works James 2.18 explained Works of Love TITLE VI. Of the Tenure of Justification MY state of Election requires a Tenure Transition For because the state of it is thus mutable therefore it requires a Tenure to preserve and hold it And because my state of Justification had a cause to create it so also it requires a cause to conserve it That which I have my Estate by is my Title by Gift or Birth or work or Purchase and that which I hold my Estate by is my Tenure or Homage by serviency Escuage or Soccage i. e. by Court-service War-service or Plough-service And because Estates are in this Life transitory and defeisable to come and go to be had and lost therefore when I have an Estate I must use the means to hold it otherwise I may make no benefit by it And this is necessary in all Estates to have a Title to get and a Tenure to keep or else no Estate would be permanent yea the whole World if it were not upheld by him that made it would eternally fall to ruin The Tenure of my Justification is works Therefore this assertion Works A Man is justified by works and not by Faith is as much the word of God as this assertion A Man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ and both are equally true 1. Faith is the Title of Right to my Justification 2. Works are the Tenure of this Right and Title till I am to possess the Inheritance which my Faith gave me Right and Title to The Reasons by which St. James proves this Justification by works are these 1. Because works keep Faith alive The act of Faith without them is of no effect though it did justifie to a right because without works following we can have no benefit of our Justification As a Bill or Bond or other specialty of Writing without a Seal or Hand is voi'd cancell'd to all intents and purposes contained in them So c. 2. Because Faith is by works made perfect it being alone a thing imperfect and ineffectual For in justifying it gives a Right and Title of Institution and Expectation claims Interest and Hope of a future inheritance which Right is escheatable and may be destroied but Faith seconded and animated by works 1 Pet. 1.4 finishes and compleats our Right to a fruition of the Inheritance seized upon invested in us and subject to no defeisance An inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us Thus Abraham was justified by works when he had offer'd up Isaak his Son upon the Altar And Rahab was justified by works when she had received the Messengers and had sent them out another way Faith alone without works is like the Devil's faith who tremble without any hope or works And Faith without works is like the Body without the Soul But though my Tenure of Justification be works yet Faith is not excluded Not works alone nor Faith alone but both together do conserve the Title of my Justification which I had by Faith only And herein Faith hath the preeminence Faith without works doth justifie me to have my Right and Title but works without Faith do not justifie me to hold my Right and Title I say not works with Faith but thus Faith with works doth make me hold my Right Faith is the Principal and works are the Accessaries thereunto to animate enable and render Faith effectual to the possession of an Inheritance which that Faith gave right unto but could not bring to a full enjoyment without works And farther it is most certain that works do also justifie declaratively by manifesting that Faith to my self and to the World which did justifie me efficiently James 2.18 explained Shew me thy Faith without thy works and I will shew thee my Faith by my works â Note here also That Paul by his assertion that a Man is not justified by the works of the Law but by Faith only opposeth the Judaizing Christians who were still operaries and rituaries of the Law thinking to be justified by them to the Evangelical Christians who were fiduciaries and spiritualists of the Gospel thinking to be justified by Faith only And that James opposeth the Gentilizing Christians who were still fiduciaries and libertines standing only for Faith and Freedom and neglecting and disgracing all works to them that were truly Evangelical that stood to their Faith and Liberty but admitted and honoured all good works also allowing therefore to the Verb justified these two senses of creating and conserving Justification it will follow That Faith only without works doth create
and formality And these only are the works that are the Tenure of my Justification by Faith These supernatural and superlegal works of the Gospel that flow from a pure heart and make a Christian perfect and conformable to his Redeemer will find acceptation at the last day when the Sentence shall be pronounced saving Come ye Blessed Children of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World for I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a Stranger Mat. 25.34 and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me And in as much as ye did it to one of these least of my Brethren ye have done it unto me And for default of these Evangelical Works the Sentence will be pronounced accordingly Depart from me ye workers of iniquity for I know ye not The CONTENTS Faith Notions of Faith Credence Trust Promise given Promise taken Re-promise Courage Hope Covenant Faith in Christ Christ the Conveyer of Faith Christ the Author of Faith Declaring God's Will Proving God's Will Testament ad pias causas Physical operation Moral operation Saving Faith Means of Faith A new Heart TITLE VII Of the Instrument of Justification FAith is a thing indefinite so high and universal Faith as that it hath no genus above it to define it by And Faith is a thing so notable and so well known that there are not words more known whereby to express and teach the Nature of it Such are the transcendent words Deus Ens Unum Verum Bonum which every body knows but no body is able to define SECT I. Certain * Notions of Faith Notions or Cases may be layd down as signs or marks to breed a competent understanding thereof 1. An â High esteem of God high esteem of God's Existence Greatness and Goodness is Faith in God for Faith is opposed to despising or having a low and base esteem of weakness and badness of any Person 2. An â Acceptance of promises V. Ro. 10.9 1 Joh. 15.10 Mat. 9.28 Math. 21.32 Mat. 9.23 24. Joh. 5.24 Joh. 20.31 Acts 8.37 Rom. 4.3 Heb. 11.2 Jam. 1.6 7. Mat. 11.23 24. Joh. 1.12 Hebr. 11.13 Heb. 12.25 Joh. 12.48 Luc. 7.30 Substance of things hoped c. Evidence of things not seen acceptance of God's Promise is Faith as obedience to God's Precepts is works God by his promise willeth unto us two distinct things 1. A present Right to the Blessing promised 2. A future possession And then answerable to both these God requires 1. an Acceptance or taking of the present right to the Blessing promised 2. an expectance or trusting to the future possession of it The acceptance is Faith the expectance Hope the refusal unbelief The Non-expectance despair God's promise is Faith given our acceptance is Faith taken 3. The substance of things hoped for is faith i. e. where things hoped for that really do subsist in their own Natures do spiritually subsist as to us and where things truly to come as to us though in present being as to themselves are made as present virtually to us there is Faith 4. The evidence of things not seen is Faith i. e. where there is a sight in spirit of things not yet to be seen as they are in themselves there is Faith Credence 1. Faith is vulgarly taken for Credence Credulity or Belief upon the credit or report of one that is worthy to be believed An assent to a truth in point of Law or fact opposed to unbelief Trust 2. Faith is taken for trust or confidence hope assurance or reliance upon the honesty authority and power of another opposed to distrust Promise given 3. Faith is taken for a promise made Do fidem an engagement to do such or such a thing An obligation or tye opposed to disengagement or Liberty Promise taken 4. Faith is taken for a promise taken or embraced Accipio fidem an acceptance an obligation to take the thing offered opposed to rejection or refusal Re-promise 5. Faith is taken for a re-promise or responsion a League Covenant Alliance or Fief Homage Allegiance Loyalty Performance opposed to disloyalty and treachery a keeping of Faith fidelity faithfulness God is faithful Men faithful Courage 6. Faith is taken for Courage Heart valour opposed to fear Why are ye fearful O ye of little Faith Hope 7. Faith is taken for a Hope or looking for things to come as those worthies Hebr. 11. who lived by Faith and died in Faith having not received the promises but afar off believing that they should presentially receive them SECT II. Covenant But the principal acception of Faith I humbly conceive as to our purpose is a Covenanting with God A mutual making and keeping promise by both parties giving taking and keeping Covenant with each other By our faith or stipulation with God comes our justification or right to the things covenanted for for God to give and us to receive By our fidelity or faithfulness to God comes our sanctification or maintaining of the right to the things covenanted for by good works Faith actually given is crediting or trusting with the things bestow'd Faith passively received is to be credited or trusted with the things taken Faith performed or kept is the discharge of the credit or trust imposed by the giver to the receiver and of the giver himself each is faithful to promise give receive and keep 1. God's promise is his sponsion or faith given a single act of his will to devise to us a present right to a future inheritance 2. The Access of our acceptation of God's promise is our responsion or faith taken A single act of our will to embrace this present right to a future inheritance and to repromise to keep what is given to take and commanded to do 3. This consent of wills of giving and receiving makes a perfect Covenant whereby God and Man are sure to each other and mutually obliged as in all Contracts to each other For faith is that that binds both God and Man Law binds not God but Man only Because God is above his Law and may change it but God is not above his faith and promises he cannot change them Search then and see if there be any evidence or conveyance that can create a better right or settlement for any Estate in Heaven or Earth between God or Man than Faith can do 1. God binds himself by promise and oath as he is the Creator and Lord promising of and for himself and swearing by and for himself and more than all this takes his death by substitution of Christ upon it 2. Man binds himself by promise and oath to God as he is his Creature and Vassal then he binds himself over again in his Baptism as he is his Creature and Heir and takes his death upon it by
or condemneth for the approving or rejecting of truth or falshood is called the Conscience For the Mind Will and Conscience are faculties of that substance which is the Spirit Hidden Man This Spirit is the very Being and Person of a Man called in the Scripture the Hidden Man and the Inward Man because it is a fine secret substance which is both unseen and invisible and because it dwelleth inward within the Body as in a moving Tent or House which in Scripture is called the Outward Man i. e. a poor weak cottage framed of a few slender bones Outward Man clouted together with rags of Flesh plaistered over with a skin of Parchment and thatched over head with a shag of Hair which after a few years is half blown off and after a few more the whole hovel is quite blown down to the ground for it is but a sorry composure of Flesh and Bloud mire and clay God knows Natural Man And while this Native Spirit or inmate or inward Man to the Body acteth no otherwise than according to that native force and strength which he hath by Nature so long is he called the Natural Man and the Carnal Man Supernatural Inspiration But moreover when any supernatural influence or ability is inspired into the Native Spirit of Man it is also called the Spirit For such an ability inspired is as it were a Super-spirit or Spirit upon Spirit or an After-spirit whereby the Spirit of man is changed altered and moved to act otherwise than by the course of Nature it could or easily would And this Supernatural inspiration is differenced by the effects which it operateth upon the Native Spirit Penal and grievous For when the Justification is penal and grievous to depress deject and vex the Native Spirit then it is called in Scripture an Evil Spirit Such an evil Spirit was upon the Native Spirit of Saul after his disobedience Such were the evil Spirits 1 Sam. 16.14 Luc. 7.21 Luc. 8.2 whereof Christ cured many And such was that evil Spirit mentioned Acts 19.15 16. Beneficial and gracious And when the Inspiration is beneficial and gracious to elevate and exalt and sublimate the native Spirit of man refining re-enforcing and strengthening the native fineness force and strength thereof then it is called a Good Spirit Which Good Spirit is again diversified according to the diverse effects which it worketh upon the native Spirit Hence we read The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him Is 11.2 the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding the Spirit of Counsel and might the Spirit of Knowledg and of the fear of the Lord. And again 2 Tim. 1.7 God hath not given us the Spirit of Fear but of power of Love and of a sound mind But when this good Inspiration is beneficial in a peculiar manner Holy Spirit for pious uses and holy purposes exalting the native Spirit of man to such a degree that thereby he disrelisheth despiseth and forsaketh vanity worldly and earthly things relisheth affecteth and aspireth after Divine and Heavenly things performeth or is enabled to perform the true Service of God in the duties and works of true holiness according to the precepts of the New Testament then this good Inspiration is called the Holy Spirit and many times singularly The Spirit in an Eminent and excellent sense And the man whose native Spirit is inspired with this Holy Spirit Spiritual Man is called the Spiritual man the New man and a new Creature because by this Holy Spirit his native Spirit is sanctified regenerated or re-nated i. e. begotten again born again new formed or new created The Spirit then is a supernatural ability of man's native Spirit to form the works of true Holiness And the words Mortification Sanctification Regeneration and Renovation and the like signifie either that thing or the effects of that thing whereof the name is the Spirit For the works of true Holiness are Love Joy Peace long suffering Gal. 5.21 gentleness Good Fidelity Meekness Temperance and such like all which are called the Fruits of the Spirit This Spirit which sanctifieth the knowing faculty of the mind of Man to discern between good and evil as also the moving faculty of the Will to choose good from evil doth also farther sanctifie the judging faults of the conscience to accuse or excuse acquit or condemn rightly and truly as it ought to do keeping a conscience in all things void of offence both towards God and towards Men. The CONTENTS Definition Seat Vnderstanding Will. Memory Reflection TITLE II. Of Conscience Definition COnscience is the judging faculty of the Soul of a Man regulated by a Law for the practise of life and conversation Seat There needs no dispute about the Seat of Conscience whether it be in the Understanding Will or Memory for it is in them all even in the whole Soul Understanding The Understanding speculative considereth Universals Principles Axioms that is Notions or Rules natural or revealed for contemplation of wisdom so the conscience intends the truth of things The Understanding practical considereth particulars consequences and conclusions that flow from those natural Axioms in order to action So the conscience intends the goodness of things and both these are one and the same faculty Will. The Will is created with liberty to follow the dictates of the understanding for the exerting of internal and external actions in the practise of life and conversation Memory Reflection The Memory is the Treasury of all that is done in the whole Man And when the conscience in all these faculties hath speculated considered directed and willed it doth also reflect upon all these internal acts and glances shrewdly upon all the external acts that flow from them judging exactly and impartially upon every one of them and passing sentence accordingly For which cause it may be fitly described Judicium hominis de semetipso The judgment of a Man upon himself A Watchman an Intelligencer ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Porter of the Soul ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Houshold God ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã an Overseer upon the place an Universal Spye to all our practises or if you will God's Vice-gerent in our own breasts The CONTENTS To direct To urge To register To testifie To accuse Before the Action In the Action After the Action TITLE III. Of the Disposition of Conscience THe Disposition of the conscience is rightly to perform these several Offices 1. To direct 2. to urge 3. to record 4. to testifie 5. to accuse or excuse for grief or comfort SECT I. 1. To direct as a Law This is that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The Law of the mind To direct the Spirit that delights in the Law of God Ro. 7.23 James 1.21 Rom. 1.19 Arist That ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã those ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the common notions in all nature the work of the Law written in the heart
the Law to our selves whereby we do by nature the things contained in the Law This is called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Gatherer and Preserver of prime natural reasons of immediate or mediate Revelations of acquired wisdom by Arts and Sciences especially Laws of daily experience and observation from all which as from a Fountain should flow all the actions of life but that Passion Humour and Fancy under the name of Conscience and Reason hurry us into their actions quite contrary SECT II. 2. To urge or prompt to do according to the Law in the conscience To urge A vehement protrusion a binding of conscience to do good and an abhorrence or reluctancy from evil loathing as the stomach all that is contrary to it St. Paul was thus urged to his duty 1 Cor. 9.16 Woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel Thus the Prophet Jeremiah though much disheartned in so much that he had thoughts of silence and speaking no more in His name for the which he was so derided yet he recollects himself and his conscience thrusts him forward to do his duty against all discouragement For the Word was in his heart as a burning fire shut up in his bones Jer. 20.9 and he was weary with forbearing and could not stay Job 32.18 c. Thus Elihu said of himself I am full of matter the Spirit within me constraineth me My belly is as wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles I will speak that I may be refreshed The Apostles that were witnesses of Christ could not but speak the things which they had seen and heard Acts 4.19 20. St. Paul was a debter to the Greeks and Barbarians to preach the Gospel in season and out of season to become all things to all Men that by all means he might gain some Acts 20.23 Ro. 13.5 1 Cor. 10.28 Ps 39.3 Gen. 39.9 He went bound in the spirit to Jerusalem not knowing what thing should befall him there We must obey for conscience sake Eat not for conscience sake My heart was hot within me at last I spake with my tongue Gen. 39.9 Joseph was restrained by his conscience when he said How shall I do this great wickedness and so sin against God Balaam had this conscience in him when tempted by Balak Num. 24.13 If Balak would give me his House full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the Word of the Lord to do less or more If doubt be made of this Man there can be none made of St. Paul who when his Friends besought him not to go up to Jerusalem for fear of bonds answered Acts 21.13 What mean ye to weep and break mine heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Was he a reprobate that said Si scirem Deos mihi condonaturos homines ignoraturos adhuc peccare erubescerem propter peccati turpitudinem What can a Christian say or do more if he be as he should be as good as his word If I were sure that God would forgive me and that no Man were privy to my sin yet I would blush to commit it for the filthiness thereof And surely the Mistresses of our vile affections are so ugly that we cannot kiss them if we did but view their deformity we should loath them And if we would observe the beauty of Virtue we would be ravished therewith for the waies of Wisdom are pure and pleasant The Conscience naturally suffers not to do otherwise than she suggests unto us and as naturally it doth loath a foul action although the carnal Will be fierce upon it as Hector said of Achilles in his violent passion ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã O that my conscience would give me leave to do that I long for even to devour thy flesh chopt in pieces But I can get no leave from conscience to do so as my revenge would have me There is an unwillingness in the rational will to do the will of the Flesh she is more noble of her self than to serve base lusts which was born to serve the Queen of Reason She is free to do good as agreeable to the Spirit Rom. 7.22 23. I delight in the Law of God after the inward Man but I see another law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members SECT III. To register 3. To register or record the intrinsecal and extrinsecal actions of the whole Man 1 Cor. 4.4 St. Paul saith I know nothing by my self yet am I not thereby justified The Brethren of Joseph were not conscious to themselves of the Money put into their sacks if they had done it they must have known it but Non est in conscientiâ nostrâ it is not in all our consciences we cannot find that we have done any such thing Gen. 43.21 if it were in our hearts we should find it We know not who hath put our Money in our sacks 1 Cor. 2.11 Eccles 7.21 From hence the Conscience is called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã What Man knoweth the things of a Man save the Spirit of Man which is in him Thine own heart knoweth that thou thy self hast cursed others Here things are written with a Pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond and with a beam of the Sun Ps 51.3 1 Kings 2.44 that he that runs may read them My sin is ever before me As Solomon said to Shimei Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to Coarguit conscientia ipsos sibi ipsis ostendit The conscience of wicked Men shews themselves to themselves A Court of Record is kept in their own breasts by God's own Vicegerent SECT IV. 4. To testifie for us or against us To testifie The Conscience is a thousand witnesses Their Consciences bearing witness This is our rejoycing Ro. 2.15 2 Cor. 1.12 Ro. 9.1 Jâb 16.19 Prov. 14.15 Jer. 59.12 even the testimony of our consciences I lye not my conscience also bearing me witness My witness is in Heaven and my witness is in my own heart And a faithful witness will not lye Our sins testifie against us and as for our iniquities we know them For the iniquity which he knoweth At one time or other the Conscience will speak the truth the whole truth 1 Sam. 3.13 and nothing but the truth SECT V. 5. To accuse or excuse for grief or comfort To accuse Thus the accusers of the Woman taken in adultery were convicted by their own consciences When they cast up their accompt they shall come with fear Joh. 8.8 and their own iniquities shall convince them to their face Wisd 4.20 But the Righteous Man shall stand in great boldness and when they shall see it they shall be troubled with terrible
punishment 9. Judicium discernens voluntatem Dei pertinet ad quemlibet pro semetipso The judgment to discern the will of God belongs to every one for himself 10. Lex Dei in mente est regula Conscientiae The Law of God in the mind is the rule of Conscience 11. Conscientia est ignis Inferni Vermis rodens The Conscience is the fire of Hell the Worm that never dies 12. Coelum Terra in Corde humano Heaven and Hell are seated in the Heart of Man 13. Conscientia ante bonum calcar post bonum consolatio The Conscience is a spur unto good and a comfort afterward 14. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã We do not easily fairly judg of our selves without partiality 15. Inter Deum Conscientiam noli vereri nisi causam tuam Betwixt God and thine own Conscience fear nothing if thy cause be good if thy Heart be honest The CONTENTS Transition Old Man Old Leaven Natural Man Carnal Mind New Man New Lump Spiritual Mind New Birth First Resurrection Old Creation Concurrency of God and Man TITLE VI. Of a New Creature Transition THe Conscience being rectified to do all its offices faithfully argues the rectification of the Understanding and Will and all the passions which is the change of the whole Man or the New Creature SECT I. Old Man The New Creature implyes the Old Creature done away which is called in Scripture 1. The Old Man Our Old Man is crucified with him Old Man Ro. 6.6 that the Body of sin might be destroy'd that from henceforth we should not serve sin Put off concerning the former conversation Eph. 4.22 which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renew'd in the Spirit of your minds Put off the Old Man with his deeds and put on the New Man Col. 3.9 which is renew'd in knowledg after the image of him that created him SECT II. 2. Old Leaven Purge out therefore the Old Leaven Old Leaven 1 Cor. 5.7 that ye may be a New Lump as ye are unleavened for Christ our Pass-over is sacrificed for us SECT III. 3. Natural Man Natural Man 1 Cor. 2.14 The Natural Man received not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither indeed can he because they are spiritually discerned SECT IV. 4. Carnal Mind The Law is spiritual but I am carnal Carnal mind Ro. 7.14 Ro. 8.7 sold under sin Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be I speak unto you as unto Spiritual not unto Carnal even as unto Babes in Christ 1 Cor. 3.13 Ro. 8.6 2 Cor. 10.4 c. To be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual mighty through God to the pulling down strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledg of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ and being in a readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled 5. Gall of bitterness Act. I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and bond of perdition 6. Flesh That which is born of the flesh is Flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit 7. Old Birth Joh. 3. Except a Man be born again of the Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven This is the old heart the old Spirit the stony-heart the wrong Spirit old affections and lusts c. SECT V. 2. The New Creature which is called in Scripture 1. The New Man Put on the New Man New Man Eph. 4.24 Col. 3.10 2 Cor. 5.17 which after Christ is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Put on the New Man renewed in knowledg after the image of him that created him If any Man be in Christ he is a New Creature SECT VI. 2. The New Lump Purge out therefore the Old Leaven New Lump 1 Cor. 5.7 that ye may be a new Lump c. SECT VII 3. Spiritual mind To be carnally minded is death Spiritual mind Ro. 8.6 Ro. 12.2 Tit. 3.5 but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may know what is that good and perfect Will of God By the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost For this cause we faint not but though our outward Man perish 2 Cor. 4.16 yet the inward Man is renewed day by day Be ye renewed in the Spirit of your mind Hebr. 6.6 c. If they shall fall away to renew them again by repentance Col. 3.1 c. Set your affections on high seek those things which are above c. SECT VIII New Birth Joh. 1.13 4. New Birth Born of God born not of Blood nor of the will of the Flesh nor of the will of Men but of God He that is born of God doth not commit sin 1 Joh. 3.9 for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot commit sin because he is born of God 1 Joh. 4.7 Every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God 1 Joh. 5.4 18. He that is born of God overcometh the World and this is the victory that overcometh the World 1 Joh. 2.29 even our Faith Every one that doth righteousness is born of him Tit. 3.5 The washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost SECT IX First Resurrection Rev. 20.5 6. 5. The first Resurrection He that hath his part in the first Resurrection upon him the second death shall have no power This is the New heart the heart of Flesh the new Spirit the right Spirit Ez. 11.19 I will put a new Spirit within you I will take the stony-heart out of the Flesh Ez. 18.31 and I will make you a new heart and a new Spirit for why will ye dye Ez. 36.26 O ye House of Israel A New heart will I give you and put a new Spirit within you Ro. 7.6 and I will take away the stony-heart and give you an heart of Flesh 1 Pet. 2.2 Serve God in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter As new born Babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Gal. 2.20 This is crucifixion with Christ I am crucified with Christ I live yet not I Gal. 52.4 but Christ that liveth in me They that are Christs have crucified the Flesh with the affections and lusts Gol. 6.14 This is living in the Spirit and walking in the Spirit Glorying in the Cross of Christ by which the World is crucified unto us and we unto the World This is a death unto sin a burial with Christ a rising with him a partaking of the Divine
Nature the state of Grace Freedom the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ a perfect Man Christ fashioned in us to be one with Christ and Christ to be one with us to dwell with Christ and Christ with us to have communion with Christ to savour the things of God Math. 16.23 to taste of the Word of God and of the powers of the World to come Hebr. 6.4 5. to be enlightned and taste of the Heavenly Gift and to be partakers of the Holy Ghost 1 Pet. 2.3 to taste how good and gracious the Lord is to awake from sin to be under Grace to have the heart opened to be begotten again to be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire to be partakers of the Heavenly Unction to be adopted to enter into Covenant with God This is Repentance ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the change of the Mind Redemption Reconciliation Renovation Hungring and Thirsting after Righteousnes spurity of heart poorness of Spirit to have our senses exercised Spiritual discerning going out of self Self-denyal Understanding the things of God Mortification Sanctification After all this Description of the New Creation I observe SECT X. Old Creation 1. That the Old Creation had no subject matter to work upon for all things were created out of nothing and God spake the Word only and every thing came forth from God that had no being in themselves before But the New Creation hath a subject matter to work upon i. e. the Mind and affections which were before 1. Because that which before was darkned with ignorance Reasons or shadowed with Types is hereby enlightned with the knowledg of the Truth And the affections which before were corrupted by fastning irregularly upon their natural objects and so captivated habitually unto sin are hereby reformed to the obedience of the Truth by being obsequious to the Spirit walking after the Spirit and being led by it and not by the lusts of the Flesh 2. Because this new Creature is not corporeal or physical but moral or changed in qualities and conditions 3. Because the effect or work of this new Creation in general is Love which is the keeping of the Commandments of God Joh. 13.34.35 A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another Joh. 15.17 These things I command you that you love one another Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God 1 Cor. 7.19 In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision Gal. 5.6 but Faith that worketh by Love Be ye merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful Luc. 6.36 4. Because the Principal Agent in this new Creation is God For God by his Will commands it and by his Spirit initiates it and enables to operate it 5. Because the ministerial Agent is Man For Man by his obedience applies his mind and affections to understand and do the will of God and seconds the motions of God's Spirit in the operations thereof by the works of his own Spirit co-working with God SECT XI That Man is a subordinate Agent Concurrency of God and Man concurring with God the principal Agent appears by these Reasons 1. Because the new Creation is covenanted between God and Man in the new Covenant of Grace And a Covenant being a concurrence of Wills of both parties must needs also require a concurrence of actions in them both For the parties to a Covenant being several do severally undertake for actions between them to be generally done or suffer'd by them 2. Because Man is commanded and seriously exhorted by God to action of newness and renewing and turning to God and to cleanse and purge himself to put off the Old Man to be transformed to walk and serve God in newness of Life to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the Armour of Life to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather to avoid them to be planted in the likeness of Christ's death and resurrection to try all things and to hold fast that which is good to prove what is that good and acceptable Will of God to purge out the old Leaven to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit to hate the garments spotted by the Flesh and to keep themselves unspotted from the World Creation therefore here doth not signifie the real and sole act of God in creating anew but the action of Man also flowing from that state of Man's new Creation in respect whereof he is said to be a New Man and a New Creature which action of God and Man is said to avail in Christ Jesus Gal. 6.15 in opposition to Circumcision which was an act of God commanding and of Man in obeying which availeth not in Christ Jesus It will not therefore be safe to say That God is the sole Agent in the New Creation as he was in the Old without all concurrence of Man's action Nay with all reluctance that Man can possibly make while God is in the act of Man's Renovation For It is one thing to frame that Man who hath neither life nor being and another thing to reform that Man who is already existent and living endued with Understanding and Will and so to change him not for his Essence but for his Judgment affections and manners i. e. to raise in him the knowledg and desire and act to follow some certain Religion or course of life and so to work in him the will and the deed after the manner of a Rational subject Unto the former of these actions in Man's framing Man can no way concur because he is not till God hath made him to be but unto the latter action of Man's Reforming Man must concur because he is and God hath made him rational and able to concur And this Reformation neither must nor can be done without the act of Man and his concurrence thereunto 1. It must not be done without Man's concurrence because by doing it so there would be an irresistibility of Judgment and Will contrary to both and Men should understand and âill if it were possible contrary to their Understanding and Will And by so cross unimaginable working altogether unreasonable for the âost wise God there would be no ground left for Man's Virtue or obedience to God's Spirit nor for Man's vice or disobedience to his Spirit But all the Nature of Religion and Holiness and also of irreligion and wickedness and consequently all Laws for Direction Prohibition Reward or Punishment would be wholly everted and taken away 2. And it cannot be done without Man's concurrence because it is necessary that Man should both will and do something But how can Man will or do any thing without some will or action of his own Let Great Apollo unriddle me these things if he can A Man would
thereunto that is temporal 10. The rewards of a Spiritual Life are adequate and homogeneal thereunto that is Eternal SECT I. Thus there are two Minds or Understandings Transition Mind and Will of Flesh and Spirit that I may so speak and two Wills or Appetites in Man The first is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Mind of the Flesh ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Will of the Flesh the other is the Mind of the Spirit and the Will of the Spirit Or which is all one there is in every Man Sense and Reason and the Sensitive and Rational appetite a part Terrestrial and a part Celestial a Brute and an Angel According to these Principles and essential parts constituting the Persons of Men so they do and must live both the Life of sense and of reason But if the sensitive powers are predominate then the Rational faculties lye still and the life is just like the life of a Beast and no more purely sensual But if the Rational faculties prevail then the sensitive powers are kept in compass and the life is the true life of a Man and no more purely Rational But if the Spirit of Faith come upon the Soul it advanceth the Judgment and directs the Will to the greater mortification of the Flesh and suppression of the unjust desires thereof and the life is the true exact life of a Christian purely Spiritual So there is a threefold life in Man of sense of Reason and of Faith Life in Man threefold Natural Animal Spiritual 1. The Life of Sense is unregenerate for that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh and no more as it came from its principles So the Flesh acteth and satisfies it self in Hearing Seeing Tasting Feeling and Smelling as do the Brutes 2. The Life of Reason is the Embryo tending to Regeneration and almost Christian for that which is the off spring of Reason is Reason and no more as it came from its principles So the Soul acteth and satisfies it self in understanding willing and choosing and reflecting as do Angels and Men with themselves and with one another 3. The Life of the Spirit by Faith is the consummation of Regeneration and a new Creation and altogether Christian for that which is the off-spring of the Spirit is Spirit and all true Sense and Reason as it flow'd from its principles So the Soul acteth and satisfies it self in more sublime Judgment Love and Choice and rare Recognitions and Contemplations as do Saints and Blessed Spirits with God and their own Souls So there is the Life of Natural Sense the Life of Natural Reason the Life of Supernatural Faith and Reason 1. The Life of Nature is good quà Nature or Sense till it exceed the bounds of Natural Reason and positive Law for sin is only a transgression of Law 2. The Life of Reason is better till it opposes unreasonably the Reason of Grace and Faith 3. The Life of Grace is best of all which regulates the Sense and Reason and perfects both SECT II. The Soul hath her Spiritual Senses of Seing Hearing Tasting c. as well as the Body Spiritual Senses and Passions The Soul hath her Spiritual Food and Raiment as well as the Body meat and drink indeed and clothing indeed which the Body knows not of nourishing and cherishing and adorning her unto everlasting Life The Soul hath her Passions of Love Joy Hope c. which reason and Faith and the Spirit of God moderate and refine into perfect Holiness and Sanctification till it arrives unto Glory The Soul hath joy indeed when she rejoyces in the Lord and is ravished and sick of love labouring to know and feel the height and the length and the bredth and depth of the Love of God which passeth all knowledg to enjoy the Peace of God and a good Conscience which passeth all understanding to have fellowship and communion with God to relish Heaven and to taste of the powers of the World to come There are Riches for the Soul as well as for the Body which are the true Riches the treasure layd up in Heaven where neither rust nor moth doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal There are Honours for the Soul as well as for the Body to be the Servant and Friend of God the Spouse of Christ the Son and Heir of God and Co-heir with Christ There is the Wisedom of the Soul as well as of the Body to be wise to Salvation to know God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent The fear of the Lord is true wisedom all other wisedom is but foolishness Scientia contristans scientia sine capite A sorrowful and imperfect knowledg and altogether unsatisfactory See a most lively description of a Carnal Life in the second chapter of Wisedom Life of Faith You have seen the Life of Sense and Reason but oh the life of Faith how sublime and lofty is the state thereof above them both 1. It is above all Prosperity whatsoever it knows how to use this World as though it used it not is treads the Moon under her feet and counts all things but loss and dung to gain Christ it is not ravished nor transported by letting out the stream of affections upon the World even the stupidity and madness but looks higher and hath an eye to the recompense of the Reward and to the price of the High Calling is the more humble and thankful and fruitful in good works in an advanced Estate abounding therein in all piety and love 2. It is above all Adversity whatsoever it knows how to want as well as to abound in the midst of apparent dangers it stands still to see the Salvation of God not knowing when nor how Believes above hope and contrary unto hope retains her integrity when tempted to curse God and die Though he kill that Soul yet will she put her trust in him though she stick fast in the deep mire and clay though she be gone down to the sides of the works and to the roots of the everlasting Mountains and the weeds of despair be wrapped about the dying head in the Judgment of weak Flesh and Bloud yet will she look up once more toward the Holy Temple of God and never leave hoping and trusting in him who she knows will never leave nor forsake her This Ship can tell how to live in all storms amongst all rocks and quick-sands this House can stand all the blustering winds and roaring waves because it is built upon a Rock In a word the Life that the Soul lives she lives by the Faith of the Son of God and her life is hid with Christ in God who is all in all unto her abundantly above all that she is ever able to ask or think and she can do and suffer any thing through Christ that strengtheneth her SECT III. 1. Thus the Life of the Flesh is a poor obscure Corollaries low and inconsiderable Life 2. The Life of
the Flesh is a base fordid and slavish Life 3. The Life of the Flesh is a dull stupid and sottish Life 4. The Life of the Flesh is a vexatious toilsom and uncomfortable Life But on the contrary 1. The Life of the Spirit or of Faith is an high towring and Stately Life 2. The Life of the Spirit is a free generous and noble Life 3. The Life of the Spirit is a clear brisk and most ingenious Life 4. The Life of the Spirit is a pleasant and fully contented Life 5. The Life of the Spirit is an everlasting Life 6. The Mind and Will of Sense and the Mind and Will of Reason were the Gift of God by Creation passing to Mankind by the means of Generation without sin and before sin and Law that made sin to be known 7. The Mind and Will of the Spirit perfecting and sanctifying the Mind and Will of Sense and the Mind and Will of Reason were the Gift of God by Promise or Covenant and Faith of God and Man convey'd to Mankind by the means of Regeneration without sin and after sin and Law that made sin to be known by Grace and Pardon through Jesus Christ 1. Thus the Life of Sense is natural and good till it exceed in its operations the rules and limits of a law put upon it For sin is the transgression of a law and where there is no law there is no transgression but still the sense is unregenerate 2. The Life of Reason is natural and better in a tendency to Regeneration while it acts like it self by rules of right Reason and the Law of Nature till it be debauched by the carnal Mind and Will and drawn down to unreasonable notions and appetites 3. The Life of Faith is Supernatural good and best of all which is the state of Regeneration and a new Creation of a new and perfect Man in Christ Jesus SECT IV. 1. Therefore we are to do all in Faith Corollaries 1. Acts of Sense and Passions of love joy fear c. 2. Acts of Reason Arts Sciences and Mysteries Speculative and Practick So we live above all these 2. Therefore we are to suffer all in Faith 2. Sense pain sickness scorn shame c. 2. Reason ignorance errour and all failings So we live above all these 3. Therefore we keep integrity in all Conditions 1. Peace health honour wealth favour and all prosperity 2. War sickness shame poverty and all adversity 4. Thus we may try and judg of both estates the Old Man and the New the Flesh and the Spirit the Old Creature and the New the unregenerate and the Regenerate the Child of the Devil and the Child of God 1. Consider a Man that leads a Carnal Life He is very busie about what pleaseth his sense and carnal reason he takes care for his health and pleasure he hunts after gain honour and pride he studies for Learning Arts and Sciences Well what will all this do Ask him when he comes to die Where 's his pleasure profit Learning c. all is gone and he is going from all and what comfort have they left behind Now he must die and all 's left behind He enjoy'd his worldly wealth as long as he could and now some body will sing O be joyful and throw it away as fast as he raked it together and faster too 2. Consider a Man that leads a Spiritual Life He is very busie about what pleases his Soul he takes care for his Soul's health he searches for the true gain he studies for the true Wisdom Well what will all this do ask him when he comes to die Where 's his pleasure profit Learning c. all is present with him and go along with him his end is Peace and he enters into Peace He dies a wise and holy Man and he is happy and gone to God and his memory is precious 5. Thus by Faith I am justified to the promise By Faith I enter into the Promise by Faith I receive the Spirit of Promise the Adoption Sanctification Hope Comfort Love and Glory by Faith I labour in the works of Love and work out my Salvation with fear and trembling by Faith I hold out in prosperity from being translated ravished or overcome by peace wealth c. By Faith I hold out in adversity and live in all storms from being overwhelmed by pain grief c. into despair By Faith I resist and overcome the Devil by Faith I live by Faith I die and rest in hope to enjoy the end of my hope Everlasting Life Conclusion Therefore without Holiness there can be no happiness for to be carnally minded is Death but to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace for if we live after the Flesh we shall die but if we through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Flesh we shall live Ergo 1. In Feudation is Adoption Justification and engrafting into Christ By Faith 2. Homage is Regeneration Re-creation and Sanctification by works Quod erat demonstrandum The Fifth BOOK OF ASSURANCE The CONTENTS Transition Promises Publick Faith Spirit Waiting TITLE I. Of the Nature of Assurance OUR Justification doth create unto us a present right to the future possession of Heavenly Blessedness Transition The matter whereunto the Right claimeth is the Heavenly Blessedness it self the Title whereby this Right is acquired or had is Faith by the higher Title of Free-Grace the Tenure whereby it is continued or held is Sanctification or Works and the Services of Love and the Assurance whereby it is witnessed or proved is the Spirit by Faith For where a Right is imparted convey'd or settled upon me Reason it is good reason that besides my Title and my Tenure I should have some good Assurance from the Donor or Granter whereby the truth of such conveyance may be witnessed and proved in case the Donor or Granter should fail or deny or recal such conveyance But especially this Assurance is to be made where the Gift or Grant is imperfect as alwaies it is in all Promises For by force of a Promise there is convey'd unto me only a bare right or interest to a thing and not any possession of the thing it self but the actual delivery of it is suspended until some time future And therefore in the mean time some Assurance is most necessary for me that thereby I may know how to witness the Promise formerly passed unto me for my future possession of the thing promised when the time thereto assigned shall be expired 1. In the Old Testament God promised unto Abraham the inheritance of the Land of Canaan and Abraham believing God or accepting the Promise had by virtue of such his Faith a present right thereto But because he had not the present possession of it he requested some Assurance whereby he might know that he should inherit it Gen. 15.8 And he said Lord whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it And God gave him an Assurance by
a solemn Sacrifice of a Heifer a Goat and a Ram and a Turtle-Dove and a young Pigeon And before that when God made a general promise unto Abraham That he would be his exceeding great Reward Gen. 15.2 Abraham said Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go Childless and the Steward of my House is this Eliezer of Damascus As much as to say Who shall enjoy this thy Gift after me seeing I have none to succeed me Therefore give me an Assurance of an Heir of my Body lawfully begotten lest a Stranger a Servant enjoy it and that will be as no Gift at all to me Then God spake unto him and said This Servant shall not be thine Heir but one that shall come forth of thine own Bowels shall be thine Heir And for his assurance of that he brought him forth abroad and said Look up towards Heaven and tell the Stars if thou be able to number them And he said unto him so shall thy Seed be 2. In the New Testament God promised to Believers the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven and Believers by the virtue of their Faith of God have a present right thereto But because their possession of this inheritance is not present but future Therefore upon their request God also gives them the Holy Spirit Luc. 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good things to your Children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me In my Father's House are many mansions Joh. 14.1 c. if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am there ye may be also And whither I go ye know and the way ye know I will pray unto the Father and he shall give you another comforter Joh. 16.7 c that may abide with you for ever Nevertheless I tell you the truth It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you And this Gift of the Spirit is our Assurance whereby we know that we shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Because by this Spirit we know that God abideth in us 1 John 3.24 And he that keepeth his Commandments dwelleth in him and he in him And hereby we know that he abideth in us 1 Joh. 4.13 by the Spirit which he hath given us Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit Every Man ought to be satisfied and fully perswaded in his own mind and judgment concerning himself whence he is and what he is and what he hath and what he hopeth for and for what end and for how long But more especially in the business of his future Estate and Salvation with God And this is to be sought for here in this life as much as may be according to our utmost capacity in the revelations of God concerning this matter That Blessedness which we have right and title to have Transitionâ and a tenure to hold it by we must needs also have assurance of to the end we may wait for the possession of it through the Spirit which is given us by Faith For we in or through the Spirit by Faith wait for the Hope of Righteousness Gal. 5.5 The Jews quite contrary in or through the Flesh waited by works for the hope of Righteousness That is they sought for Justification by the works of the Law which they could by no such means be assured of Because without Faith it is impossible to please God For when they went about to establish their own Righteousness they came short of the Righteousness of God That therefore which is our Right or Due from God by our Justification through Faith we may be assured of from God because it is his promise and all his promises are sure For SECT I. 1. The nature of a Promise is to give a present Right Promises to him that accepts it 2. The work of a Promise from a sure person is to beget an assured hope of possession God and good Men never fail of their promises to give every one their Dues We know what things by God's gracious promise we ought to have and hold by We know what things by God's holy Precepts we ought to do and continue in We know these things are promised and commanded and confirmed in God's Testament by God's Oath by Christ's death by God's Spirit and therefore they are settled upon us by the publick Faith of God and our publick Faith in God There is a Private Faith and there is a Publick Faith and therefore there is a Private Assurance and a Publick Assurance SECT II. 1. A private Faith in a private person is but a weak security Private Faith 1. Because of mortality private persons that promise though they intend to perform and be able to perform yet they may die before they perform their promise and must die at last and may be disabled before they die that they cannot perform it And though they do live and be able to perform and do perform yet they cannot live ever to maintain nor protect them to whom they have promised and performed 2. Because of unfaithfulness of private persons they are but weak at the best though never so faithful but few are true amongst them 3. Because of inability They may be honest and yet not able and so all hope and dependance upon them faints though they cannot help it But SECT III. 2. A Publick Faith in a publick persons or persons Publick Faith is strong Security 1. Because of immortality Princes States Kingdoms c are immortal Such Persons and Corporations never die That is they are not presumed to die or if they do not so soon as others 2. Because of Faithfulness Publick persons and Bodies Ecclesiastical and Civil are very sure and faithful Hence Fides Romana the Roman Faith was such a Rock and so Sacred an Asylum that other poor Nations having by League sheltred themselves under their protection counted themselves sure upon their Publick Faith which give them their due they did highly stand upon and would not violate 3. Because of Ability Publick Persons and States incorporated are the greatest strength in the World and most lasting To shew nothing is perfect in this World to secure our Faith in them the greatest and strongest and richest and wisest and justest Corporations of Kingdoms Empires and States As of the Egyptian Babylonian Persian Median Graecian Roman c. have breathed out their last and lye in rubbish and scarce the relique of their Glories are to be found Therefore we are taught to look up higher to the
Publick Faith of the Most High God immortal faithful and Omnipotent and there we may rest secure and no where else Therefore by our Faith we have full Assurance of the hope of a glorious and Blessed immortality by which we may draw near unto God with a holy boldness in the Spirit Faith is taken for a Credence a Trust an Acceptance and a Covenant into and with God Gal. 3.2 Gal. 3.14 Eph. 1.13 Hebr. 11.6 The Spirit is a fruit of Faith which we receive not by works but by the hearing of Faith And the promise of the Spirit is through Faith And after we believed we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise And the works of the Spirit have their acceptance from Faith without which it is impossible to please God which shews the two main differences between the Gospel and the Law 1. Because the nature of Works under the Law is external carnal servile but under the Gospel they are internal spiritual and liberal 2. Because the motives to the Works under the Law are bondage fear and a curse but under the Gospel liberty hope and a Blessing SECT IV. The Spirit The Spirit is the Spirit of the hope of Righteousness i. e. the Reward of Righteousness or the Right of the inheritance to which we are justified and of which we are assured by Faith called Righteousness 1. In respect of it self because the substance of this Blessedness is Moral Righteousness which is the principal thing in the nature of Blessedness whereto the Accessaries are eternity of Life Joy and Glory 2. In respect of us because it is that inheritance whereto we are justified and wherewith we shall be qualified to be really and perfectly righteous in eternal Life Joy and Glory 3. In respect of God because our Justification thereto is not an act of God's Justice proceeding from his Law but an act of his Righteousness or kindness proceeding from his Grace and Gospel whereby he gives us a present Right to future Blessedness and an expectance or Assurance thereof that we should hope and patiently wait for it Called therefore the Hope laid up for us in Heaven Col. 1.5 1 Th. 5.8 Tit. 3.7 1 Pet. 2.3 4. The Hope of Glory and Salvation and Blessedness to which we are made heirs A begetting to a lively Hope to an inheritance incorruptible that fadeth not away of which the Spirit is the Earnest Seal and Witness The Reasons of Hope are 1. Because every Inheritance is an expectance The Institution of an Heir preceding the Induction 2. Because God hath commanded us to wait Now if God had never intented this inheritance for us and promised it unto us by his Son Jesus Christ he would never have bidden us to wait for it nor have given us his Spirit as an earnest thereof before hand 3. Because we have accepted it Now if it were never given nor accepted we would not be such fools as to look for that which either was never offered or refused by us when it was offered But now every Faithful Soul may justly look for that which is their due from God or good Men and they shall be sure to have it if they faint not For God and good Men will be sure never to fail of their promises Heaven and Earth may fail and shall fail but not the least title of the word of God shall ever fail God is faithful in promises and keeping Covenant for ever His word is a more sure word than the Laws of the Medes and Persians which are said not to alter though both their Laws and Kingdoms are long since altered and gone But God liveth ever to perform what he hath promised and sworn who is Truth it self and cannot lie Nothing therefore can hinder Assurance on God's part but breach of Faith on our part None therefore can fail of their hopes but hypocrites because they are unfaithful in not keeping the Covenant made with God therefore their hopes shall perish and their expectation shall be cut off as the spiders web before him They are fallen from Grace and have disinherited and destroy'd themselves but in God was and might have been their help SECT V. Having therefore such a Hope and full Assurance of Faith Waiting it is worth the while to wait for the end of our Faith and hope the Salvation of our Souls It is good to wait upon God and the patient expectation of the meek shall not perish for ever 1. To wait in life all the daies of my appointed time will I wait till my change come 1. In prosperity for higher comforts not to let out the stream of our desires to the ravishment of our Spirits with the enjoyments of carnal things So to be transformed and infatuated by them as to neglect cleaving to nobler objects 2. In adversity for the exceeding great Reward that will more than satisfie for all the sufferings of this life so as not to rage blaspheme or despair because of the sharpness or continuance of any divine scourge But to look beyond them all at the price of the High Calling laid up for us In our patience possessing our Souls that Patience may have its perfect work in us to endure to the end 2. To wait in death for strength of Spirit to bear the agonies and terrors of that dismal encounter and for victory to overcome that Ultimum supplicium that last and worst of woes 3. To wait after death 1. For the recovery of the Body from dishonour and corruption to Glory and Incorruption 2. For the consolation of the Soul in the state of solitude and separation by the society of other blessed Spirits and of Just Men made perfect and of the Visitations of Angels and the irradiations from the most excellent Glory 3. For the Re-union of Soul and Body never to be separated more 4. For fruition of Eternal Blessedness The CONTENTS Matter of Fact Matter of Right Matter of Witness Spirit of Assurance Ability Sealed Earnest TITLE II. Of the Grounds of Assurance 1. THe first Ground that all the Assurance that is possible and convenient to be had in this life concerning our Salvation is in matter of Fact procured for us is SECT I. Matter of Fact 1. That Christ was in this World actually in the Flesh and conversed openly with Men taught them wrought Miracles died among them and rose again and was seen of them after his Resurrection 2. That Christ was a Person sent from God to preach and publish his last Will and Testament to all Mankind and he began with the Jews and sent his Apostles to the Gentiles saying Go preach the Gospel to every Creature That this Christ was exactly fore-told by all the Prophets and was testified to be the Son of God by the voice of God from Heaven saying I am well pleased hear ye him And that he justified himself to be the Son of God and the Author and Finisher of our Salvation who was crucified
us and them at the last day 3. We may not think of our selves or others that when we or they have honestly and constantly endeavoured after goodness and come short of what is indeed perfection therefore we shall be all rejected and left under woful disappointments God is not so hard a Master 4. We may not think that every one that in heat of passion despairs or makes away himself is lost for ever or every Mad-man or Fool is damned These have no Will and therefore no sin for the time and therefore cannot suffer justly for such actions but for what they did while they were themselves if ever they were so If never they are sufferers not Sinners no shame to them but for God's Glory 5. We may not think that every one that boasts of his Assurance is sure and of his Perfection is perfect There is cause to suspect such most who least suspect themselves 6. The Cares and Loves of God are not altogether without some fears and jealousies Pietas etiam tuta aliquindo pertimescit Piety though in a safe condition is now and then fearful The liberal Man mistrusteth his Bounty The Believer his Unbelief Lord I believe help thou my unbelief If this be a fault it is a safe one Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall Be not high minded but fear Every Man hath not a Mansion in Heaven that pretendeth to it nor is every Man shut out who doubteth of his evidence for Heaven Diffidence is a character of a good Man who would fain be better Though he hath built up his Assurance as strong as he can yet he thinketh himself not sure enough but seeketh farther for Assurance and fortifieth it with his fear and assiduous diligence to make it stand fast for ever The case of every one that uses desperate words is not desperate if they proceed from distempers of Body or ignorance of Mind and not from corrupt consciences We may be bold to say If real despair hath killed her thousands Presumption hath slain her ten thousands Despair is the Daughter of Sin and Darkness but Presumption is the ludibrium of Hope But holy confidence is the Genuine Off-spring of a pure conscience 7. Neglect not the Grace of God nor receive it in vain nor turn it unto wantonness nor sin that Grace may abound But be vigilant and careful and wisely fearful Fortis saepè victus cautus rarissime A strong Man over confident oft falls but a wary Man seldom SECT VI. Proofs For a Close to leave my own Conceptions I will lay most of the Scriptures together concerning this point and let the Reader try what I have said from them or what he himself can gather out of them And they are these Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God by which ye are sealed unto the day of your Redemption And not only they that is the Creation but our selves Ro. 8.23 which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our Bodies Eph. 1.14 The Spirit which is the earnest of our Inheritance untill the Redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory Ro. 8.15 Ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Gal. 4.5 6. To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons and because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts crying Abba Father Joh. 1.12 As many as have received him to them gave he power to be called the Sons of God 1 Joh. 4.13 Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit 1 John 5.16 If any Man sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death There is a sin unto death I do not say ye shall pray for it Ro. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Joh. 16.22 I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice and your joy no Man taketh from you 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoicing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our conversation in the World 1 Joh. 3.21 Beloved if our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God 1 Joh. 16 17. We have known and believed the love that God hath to us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 Joh. 5.15 And if we know that he hears us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the Petitions that we desired of him Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name he will give it you 2 Pet. 1.10 The rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure For if ye do these things ye shall never fall Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect Ro. 8.33 c. it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the Right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Being perswaded that he that had promised was able also to perform Ro. 4.21 Ye know that all things shall work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 even to them who are the called according to his purpose We know that we have passed from death unto Life 1 Joh. 3.14 16. because we love the Brethren he that loveth not his Brother abideth in death Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren Verily verily I say unto you he that knoweth my Word Joh. 5.23 and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting Life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from Death unto Life The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want Ps 23 1 c. he maketh me to lie down in green pastures c. In thee O Lord do I put my trust let me never be ashamed c. Ps 31. i. He that
them with safety to God's Honour and his own Reason God must needs mock us and be the Author of Sin and Misery to his poor Creatures which is the highest blasphemy 6. If God decreed Justification and Salvation from all eternity then what needs the dear purchase of Christ his precious Bloud Is not this Socinianism to take away the Satisfaction of Christ judg all Men 7. If the Covenant of Grace be not made with all Men then all Men are not bound to the Condition but all Men are bound to the Condition therefore the Covenant of Grace is made with all Men. If there be no ground to believe for some because they have no hope of help being shut out by inevitable Fate and none can tell who these be why should all Men be bound to believe when all Men cannot be assured because Christ died not for all Men. And though the Gospel be preached to all Men yet the Promises thereof belong to very few and God only knows who they be and woe be to the rest of the World whether they believe or no if it were possible for them to believe SECT XII Object Christ died sufficiently but not efficiently for all Men. Answ Then Christ's Bloud must be spilt in vain for the greatest part of it and so the Bloud of Christ might have been spared Object Not spilt in vain but for the farther condemnation of the Reprobates Answ Worse and worse What shifts are these As if God made the Sun for darkness or sent Christ for damnation Whither will they go that are lost what will they not say that will not yield after once they have undertook a bad cause But let the Scriptures speak Joh. 3.17 Joh. 12.47 Joh. 1.29 God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved I came not to judg the World but to save the World Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the World Christ died sufficiently but not intentionally for all Men. Object Then God hath two Wills a Revealed and a Secret Answ the last contrary to the first Then God means one thing and speaks another Sancta quaedam simulatio then God mocks us Then there is no God no Religion then we are found lyars then Atheists have got the day Nabal was rich enough to relieve David and all his Men if he had intended it but understanding him to be such a miser such a churle such a Son of Belial as he was they had no sufficient grounds to believe it and though he had told them he would yet he never intended to do it they might have starv'd for all their hopes in him if they had any Do Men seek water from a flint is any bound to look for Grapes from thorns or Figgs from thistles Hope is for that which is to be had and may be had If God hath Salvation and never intendeth it for the most who can have any grounds of hope or comfort 8. Because denyal of Grace raises jealousies and fears and hatred too from the Creature to the Creator which cannot be avoided 9. Because it is greater Grace to provide for many than for few 10. Because it is a Rule to interpret all Favours most largely and to offer them with a courteous hand But to restrain odiums into as narrow compass as may be And this is when all is done the safest way How Noble a thing is it to plead for God yet he needs it not but it becomes us to think and speak reverently and magnificently of his Grace and Mercy How Noble a thing is it to accept of his Free Grace freely and upon such honourable terms It is the wisedom of God to make us labour for our Reward Is there or can there be any nobler way for God to give or for Man to receive than the way that God gave the Kingdom to Christ and he received it upon the condition of his obedience And if Christ could have it no other way how can we Should the Servants fare better than their Master Delicate membra non decent sub crucifixo capite Crucified members best become a crucified head It is an honour to be conformable to him in sufferings to fill up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ to bear his Cross and to wear his Crown SECT XIII COLLECTIONS It appears therefore by all circumstances and fair resemblances Collections That Christ's Kingdom is a Feudal Kingdom wherein both the King and Subjects are in perfect Covenant and Fee together And that this Kingdom is a Kingdom of the greatest Grace that can be imagined because it is constituted and maintained wholly by Grace and Love on both sides and therefore a Kingdom of the greatest unity and strength and safety for what is stronger than Love and Faith which overcome Death Many waters cannot quench Love neither can the Floods drown it SECT XIV 1. Christ hath and holds his Kingdom of his Father in Love 2. Christians have and hold their Kingdom of Christ in Love So God's covenant of Grace is with Christ and all his Seed his Subjects are all his children redeemed and saved by him so long as they be true to him and abide in his love The King loves all his Subjects The Subjects all love their King They all love one another They all communicate one with another They all obtain their Estate by Grace They all keep their Estate by Grace They all depend upon Grace They are all Fideles Homines Covenant-keepers a Traytor is cut off from amongst them Every Tenant is conditional a perfect covenant if no condition then no dependence Then all should be kings for Kings only are absolute and independent Such a kingdom is God's and those kingdoms are the best that are most like unto God's In all Feudal Kingdoms the Kings convey the exercise of their power in Fee to their chiefest Captains and Leaders under them So in Christ's Kingdom the exercise of his power is committed in Fee to Kings and Priests under him SECT XV. Power Sacred All power is a Sacred thing and very tenderly to be handled because it is God's I dare not think nor speak of it without great reverence It is a Godlike work to use power well To give all their due exactly to protect distressed and forlorn wretches cast out by the World to instruct the ignorant to confirm the weak hands and to strengthen the feeble knees to raise up them that are fallen to wait on the Altars of Religion and Justice and Mercy and to officiate as from God to Man and from Man to God in things pertaining unto God or Man Who is sufficient for these things These are gods under God and have a Godlike Spirit given them Cavete Principes cavete Sacerdotes The power of the Sword the power of the Keyes What are they how to be used This is Jus publicum the Art of Arts the Law
unwritten unrevealed to private Souls The hearts of such great ones are in the hands of God and he teaches them Worldly Policy Self-pleasing Self-interest Pride Revenge c. must have no place here O that they that wear Crowns and Miters were wise that they would consider their vast Charge and remember their later end that they might not do amiss SECT XVI And what shall we poor Subjects do but stand aloof off and admire and obey Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm Violate not the Persons nor the Rights nor the Estates of Princes or Priests God is in them he feels the hurts and revenges them The Powers that be are ordained of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Procul ô procul ite prophani Swell not O Rulers for God in Sacred or Civil matters Illustrious is your calling Mutuato splendetis lumine but your Glory borrow'd Ye are gods but ye must die like Men. Use both Swords as equally as gently as 't is possible O! how blessed shall ye be of God and Men for Justice Equity Mercy Piety to the Souls Bodies and Estates of the Dear Saints and Subjects of the King of Heaven and Earth And as on Earth so in Heaven your glory shall outshine all others SECT XVII 1. Thus Christ only as Mediator King Priest and Prophet Corollaries hath and holds his Office and Power of God immediately 2. The Church is a Corporation and Kingdom that hath and holds only of Christ their only Head and King and Prophet and High-Priest in Fee 3. The Keyes and Supreme Powers of the World have and hold immediately under Christ in Fee 4. The Priests and Ministers of Christ have and hold immediately from Christ in Fee 5. The Clergy and Laity owe subjection immediately to Kings and Supreme Powers under Christ 5. Ergo Kings only are Christ's Vicegerents and Vicars upon Earth to whom all Clergy and Laity are bound to be subject for Christ's sake and for Conscience sake and for the peace and welfare both of Church and State That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty My Kingdom saith Christ is not of this World And there was a strife among them which of them should be accounted the greatest Luc. 22.25 c. and he said unto them The Kings of the Gentiles Exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise Authority upon them are called Benefactors But ye shall not be so but he that is the greatest among you let him be as the younger and he that is Chief as he that doth serve Jesus called them unto him and said Ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise Authority upon them But it shall not be so among you Matth. 20.25 c. but whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister And whosoever will be the chief among you let him be your servant Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his Life a Ransom for many Ergo The true right justifying to the Estate of Blessedness of God in Christ is Faith and the true Tenure to hold this Blessed Estate of God in Christ is Holiness Feudum is Grace Ergo Allodium is Glory Quod erat demonstrandum The CONTENTS Transition Catholick Church Scriptures Collections TITLE III. Of the Laws of Christ's Kingdom Transition CHRIST hath the sole power of Legislation and Jurisdiction in his Church and Kingdom the Ministers of Christ are Ambassadors under him to declare his will and pleasure not to exercise Lordship over God's Inheritance Est in universis servientibus non dominium sed ministerium He that is greatest amongst you sayes Christ let him be the least and servant unto all A Judicatory power is granted unto Regal Vassals as Lords in fee over their inferior Vassals to exercise not for themselves but for their Supreme Lords in peace or war For otherwise they are all Vassals and par in parem non habet imperium Still ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Legislative power is reserved to Kings They may have a kind of delegated power to make By-Laws consonant to the High Law of Christ and some laudable Customs in the Church are Quasi-Laws or By-Laws as in other Societies but they must be significant charitable easie and few SECT I. Catholick Church The Catholick Church is a faithful witness of the Truth committed to her charge and a record of all those necessary Truths but properly makes no Laws that is a prerogative reserved to the King Besides the Spiritual Laws of Christ I know not what Laws of Faith can be added And besides the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper I know not what Rites can be added for Worship only for decency and order and those few ambulatory pro re nata tempore loco populo according to the occasion time place and People with great Wisedom Charity Moderation and Christian Liberty They talk highly of the Laws of the Church the Laws of Christ given to his Church I know other Laws I do not know properly so called Let me know what Church must be the Catholick and how can the Catholick Church meet and if they could what power to make Laws Hath not Christ made sufficient Laws already In a Feudal Kingdom there are Principum placita the Rescripts of Princes but not Senatusconsulta nor Plebiscita nor Responsa Prudentum All are Pragmatical Sanctions The Prince rules all neither hath Christ any Deputy or Vice-gerent Man or Men upon Earth to rule with him or for him in his Church whereof he is the only Head But Princes under him are bound to be nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers to his Church to defend the Faith they are to be wise and learn this knowledg to kiss the Son lest he be angry and so they perish if his wrath be kindled yea but a little And he hath sent his Ambassadors and Ministers under him to serve in his Gospel by the power of his own Spirit to be subject to Princes SECT II. The Scriptures only are God's Will and his Laws Scriptures in them are his Precepts and Promises and the rule of his Worship which are the true intrinsecal and acceptable Service of God If any thing else be commanded it is extrinsecal and only for decent order and so to be esteem'd and used cum favore The Laws of a Spiritual and Military Kingdom as Christs is are Spiritual The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but Spiritual and mighty for the casting down of the Spiritual and strong holds of Principalities and Powers and Spiritual wickedness in high places And all Christians or Souldiers take the Sacrament or Military Oath in Baptism to be true to their General to fight under the Banner of Christ against the World the Flesh and the Devil to their lives end This is the good