A TREATISE CONCERNING the free grace of God the Father and of the love of Jesus Christ In which is contained the Fountain of precious Consolation to all the Saints beloved and redeemed PSAL. 46 4. Yet there is a river whose streames make glad the city of God even the sanctuary of the tabernacles of the most High By TIMOTHIE BATT LONDON Printed by T. P. and M. S. for Ed. Blackmore at the Angel in Pauls Churchyard 1643. TO THE BELOVED Churches in God the FATHER and in IESUS CHRIST the blessed Redeemer living in Transilvania sanctified in Christ Jesus grace and mercie be multiplied from God our Father and from Jesus Christ whom he hath sent DEarly beloved seeing we are bound by the deare love of Christ not to conceal the mind of Christ and that we are not our own but every one bound by the bond of dear affection to tender the good one of another not onely in temporall and common affairs but also in spirituall and celestiall matters and not to retain as churlish Nabal but rather dispence as Booz unto Ruth I therefore upon the aforesaid considerations am determined according to the strength and power which Christ hath given unto me to bring to the view of the Saints this heavenly Doctrine of free grace of vocation by the Spirit of Adoption of Mediation by the Lord of life and glory of Reconciliation by his blood of sanctification by the Spirit of union through faith and love and of glorification through that sweet communion which we shall injoy in him who is the Lord of life and blessednesse for ever To whom shall I present these lines except to you who know the mysterie of life and salvation who are heires and coheires with God in Christ who have interest in all that is the Fathers and Jesus Christs whom he hath sent and walke in the light as Christ is the light of truth and Redemption I am perswaded of your intire loves and affections to the Word of life and salvation and that nothing is so dear unto you as to heare of the praise of your beloved In the true knowledge of what is Christs consists the true solace of heart joy in conscience and contentment of mind What joy what peace what consolation can be without this knowledge that God communicates to his grace undeserving that they are called from the kingdome of Satan to the kingdome of Christ that they who were slaves and captives of hell are made the brethren of Christ that they are united to the beloved Christ from whom they receive their being and well-being that they are sanctified by the Spirit of life which frees them from the law of sinne and death that they are clothed with the royall robes of Christ and that they shall for ever dwell with Christ in the heavenly Jerusalem This fountain is as Gileads balme and Damascus rivers As a continuall spring of the sweetest repast as a fountaine of over-flowing pleasures and the delightsome delectation of all the faithfull Hath eyes seen hath eares heard or mind conceived the admirable joyes that God hath laid up for them that love him or hath eye seen eare heard or mind conceived the singular consolation which comes from the knowledge of these to the Saints through the hand of a Mediator Was Jacob joyfull because Joseph was yet alive was Isaac comforted because of Rebeckah his wife and may not the Saints be consolated in this divine love and favour through the testimonie of the Spirit O the height of favour O the deepnesse of love O the breadth of grace and the longitude of free immense and in comprehense mercie of God to his poore servants that the clouds are discussed the mists and foggs of darknesse dispersed and the Saints behold the mirror of divine glory in the face of Jesus Christ I confesse beloved brethren that my talents in number answereth his who had but two and the composure of these lines are as the gleanings of the vintage yet doubt I not of your loving and sweet acceptation therefore I rest upon your loving acceptance yet will I never rest nor cease day and night imploring and beseeching the Father of supereminent grace and bountie to seal these spirituall and heavenly benedictions to your souls wishing your strength like Judah's your blessing like Josephs and your triumph like Gads through the good will of him who was in the bush and the sweet pleasure of him who died on the Crosse that so you may be preserved from miserie unto eternall felicitie through the Son of everlasting righteousnesse and glory to whom be ascribed all glory and honour for ever and evermore Amen Yours in all love and dear affection in the Rock Christ TIMOTHEUS BATT TO THE CHRISTIAN READER Christian Reader THou art not ignorant that the barren ground is not answerable to the fruitfull soyle notwithstanding through the dewie drops which cometh from the clouds it yeeldeth fruits for the use of man Though that the expressions of lines do not superabound with the sweetnesse of phrase or curiousnesse of stile yet according to the strength which from Christ I have received I have not been wanting for thy use or benefit Insensible creatures expresse according to that which to them is communicated and shall not man who is a sensible creature expresse according to communication The divine and abundant love of God binds not onely life but pen to move if it may make for his glory and the honour of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent Both the great and little foxes run abroad to obscure the doctrine of grace and justification It is neither knowne to the Papists nor taught in the Churches of Arminians it is our Crown and dignitie not onely to hold forth the Word of life and salvation by preaching but also by writing Light is given to the Sun that the lower region might be enlightned In the plejades is placed the strengths of influence that of inferior things it might be received The end of Gods donation to rationals is that to others it might be revealed Every element moves to its proper place the earth and water downward and aire and fire upward every good Christian moves to his proper end to wit to the glory of his Maker and the good of his brethren If a man plants a vineyard it yeelds its fruits in time convenient If we have spent our labours in studies shall it not be declared in time expedient What is hotter then fire Love Love as a fire within my breast hath burned a long season Therefore I could not chuse but set my pen to paper in the course of indictment these have I not indicted because they are not known but because they are known or that the yongnes of dayes could equall the gravest sentences of the ancient or that my ambition is to answer the meanest of Rhetoricians but because my candle is lighted and two talents must not be interred sith that for the benefit of others it is
not called from Pharaohs dungeon but from the dungeon of darknesse to be a sonne of God the Father and a brother to the Prince of grace and glory therefore I shall see my Fathers face and behold his glory Rev. 22.4 And they shall see his face and his Name shall be in their foreheads Verse the fift And they shall reigne for evermore CHAP. VI. Concerning Adoption Definition ADoption is the gracious sentence of God through which he doth accept of the faithfull for sonnes and daughters in Jesus Christ 1. Joh. 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sonnes of God therefore the world knoweth us not because it knew him not In Adoption there is a gracious manifestation of the good will and pleasure of God that he would adopt us in Christ for his peculiar who by sin were the children of wrath and of the devill and were by nature the children of wrath as well as other Ephes 2.3 4. But God who is rich in mercie for his great love wherewith he loved us Ephes 1.5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself according to the good pleasure of his will Adoption proceeds from Gods decree it is collocated in Christ and sealed to the Saints through the Spirit of adoption Rom. 8 15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Adoption is not onely for Christs sake who hath merited the same for us but it flows also from Gods benignitie and bountie towards his elect and chosen Galat. 4.6 And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father The faithfull do not onely look for eternall life through the title they have by redemption but also through the title they have by adoption Rom. 8.23 And not onely they but our selves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groane within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body The sweetnesse and consolation of the faithfull ariseth when instead of the sons of the devill they through faith apprehend themselves to be the sonnes of God Joh. 1.12 But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that beleeve on his Name 7 As the Lord Christ in justification is applyed as a garment to cover sinnes so in Adoption he is applyed as the Prince of our life and salvation Hebr. 2.10 For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings 8. This conjunction is so strong that although Christ is properly the Son of God by nature hence tearmed the first begotten of God notwithstanding by this grace of adoption and communion with God in Christ all the faithfull are called the sonnes of God 2. Cor. 6.18 And I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almightie 9. Although Adam was the sonne of God by creation yet not by the mysticall conjunction and union with Christ as we are by adoption Joh. 17.21 That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may know that thou hast sent me 10. The dignitie which we have through adoption doth not onely superabound that common relation which every creature hath to Godward but also that which Adam possest before he relinquisht his puritie and integritie 11. God hath taken the adopted into the number of his own flock or family and given to them his name and hath undertaken to be their eternall protector in the time of danger Revel 3.12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the Name of my God and the name of the City of my God which is the new Jerusalem which cometh down out of heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new Name Isa 4.4 5. the 4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Sion and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgement and by the spirit of burning The 5. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Sion and upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glorie shall be a defence 12. The inheritance to which the faithfull are adopted is eternall life glorious communion and everlasting blessednesse Joh. 17.2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternall life to as many as thou hast given him 13. That blessednesse which belongeth to the Saints redeemed and beloved is not communicated to them for their merits or deservings but through free grace through which they have obtained the dignitie of sons through adoption or filiation Isa 56.3.5 Neither let the sonne of the stranger that hath joyned himself to the Lord speake saying The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people neither let the Eunuch say Behold I am a drie tree The 5. Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better then of sonnes and daughters I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off 14. Divine Adoption is not ordained to succession but to the participation of an inheritance assigned Ephes 1.18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glorie of his inheritance in the Saints 15. The proper adjunct of adoption is the testification of the holy Spirit which is given to the faithfull Hence they are said to be sealed by the Spirit 2. Cor. 1.21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God The 22. Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts 16. God hath adopted his elect unto himself not that he had no other Son for Christ was tearmed his beloved and onely begotten Sonne but amongst the sons of men he had no other untill they were adopted to be beloved in Christ Gal. 3 26. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus 17. Through the Spirit of Christ we have faith through which we lay hold on the death of Christ Mediatour and the promise of God our benevolous and gracious Father by which we are adopted to be sons and daughters Galat. 3.26 vide 18. By Adam we were alienated from God wherefore God hath sent his onely begotten and beloved Sonne that through him he might chuse many sons out of humane generation Hence
my glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world 5. This union is produced through effectuall vocation through which the Saints are brought from the worlds delectation to love the Lord Christ with a deare entire and tender affection 1. Cor. 1.9 God is faithfull by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Sonne Jesus Christ our Lord. Cant. 1.2 Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better then wine 6. By how much the Saints feele the sence of Gods deare and sweet bountie and injoy sweet communion with their Lord that bought them by so much the more they rejoyce in the love and fellowship one of another 1. Joh. 1.7 But if we walk in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Sonne cleanseth us from all sinne 7. There is so strong an union betwixt Christ and his Saints that there is no need of his corporall presence in this vaile of miserie sith more excellent benefits redounds to the Saints by his presence in heaven then if he should remaine on earth Hence he is said to have consummated the work of our redemption to sit at the right hand of God to make intercession for us and to go to his Father to provide for us an habitation Joh. 14.3 And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that Where I am there ye might be also 8. The greatest dignitie under heaven is to be a member of Jesus Christ a branch of the vine Christ and one of the spouses to Christ our royall and loving Bridegroome Hence the Church glories in her priviledge Cant. 2.16 My beloved is mine and I am his he feedeth among the Lillies Revel 19.7 8 9. Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour unto him for the marriage of the Lambe is come and his wife hath made her self ready 8. And to her was granted that she should be arayed in fine linen cleane and white for the fine linen is the righteousnesse of Saints 9. And he saith unto me Write blessed are they which are called to the marriage of the Lambe 9. All the strength power might of all the enemies of salvation cannot separate the branches from the vine the members from the head or the spouses of the Lord Christ from Christ her deare and loving Bridegroome Because they are made perfect in one through union with Christ and with the Father in Christ Joh. 17.23 10. Christ by the grace of complement will crown all his absolutely with full fruition in the kingdome of beatitude and with the grace of supplement in the kingdome of grace and primary communion that they might not want in the day of fiery trials a supply by his gracious hand of dispensation Revel 22.5 And there shall be no light there and they need no candle neither light of the Sun for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reigne for ever and ever Joh. 1.16 And of his fulnesse have all we received and grace for grace 11. There is an inseparable linke betwixt union with Christ the peace and obsignation of the Spirit of glory and the fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse to the glory of the Father Joh. 15.5.8 the 5. I am the vine ye are the branches He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing The 8. Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit so shall ye be my disciples 12. The united have interest in God through Christ from whom they receive the spirit of Adoption which worketh in them effectually that they might be delivered from sin and regenerated to the hope of eternall life 1. Cor. 3.22 Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours 1. Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which ac-ac-according to his abundant mercie hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Josus Christ from the dead 13. The members of Christ are moved by the same Spirit known by the same badge of love fruit and charitie and have the same end which is life eternall and salvation Joh. 15.16 Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained you that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remaine that whatsoever ye shall aske of the Father in my Name he may give it you 1. Pet. 1.9 Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls 14. Though the Saints who are united unto Christ may appear to be dead in themselves yet the life which they received in their first communion and union with Christ cannot be utterly abolished or extinguished The ground is this sith there is an inseparable conjunction betwixt the perpetuall communion and everlasting union of the Saints with and in Christ their Lord that loved them and bought them with an eternall worth or price impervestigable Contemplation VVHo could search the depth of the waters of the Sanctuary or who can search the depth of this glorious and heavenly mystery It is a mystery of mysteries a depth of depths and a riddle past finding out If I had the tongue of a thousand Angells the rationality of a thousand men yet could I not relate the excellency of this union betwixt Christ and the soule and the soule and Christ Rare is the influence of celestiall bodies in sublunary creatures Rare is the vitall motion in rationall creatures but more is the working of Christ in them who are his redeemed and united people O my soule when thou wast as far from Christ as heaven is from hell as the East is from the West the North from the South thy Lord came by his oyntments powred out by his drops of liquid myrrhe by his precious incomparable bloud and made thee one with him who was so distant from him thou wast a dead branch fit for the everlasting burnings thou wast a dead member fit for hells interring thou wast a divorced Spouse not worthy of enjoying yet his eye of love was deare over thee and thy Lord hath made thee a branch not of hell but of the Vine of Consolation a member not of death but of himselfe the head of his Church and sweet dilection a Spouse not of an earthly Prince and Monarch but to himselfe the beloved his Fathers delectation Oh! what love is this that my Lord should goe to the gates of death the barres of hell to the tribunall seate of Justice to the chained under the blacke swadle bands of the devill and fetch my soule from thence and make me one of his Oh! what mercy is this to my soule that my Lord is become my Bridegroom to satisfie me with pleasurable and delectable delights my head to fill me with wisdome
I will shew thee my faith by my works 26. In the justification of the Saints through faith we must consider the remission of sinne and transgression The imputation of divine and celestiall righteousnesse the gracious acceptation of the Saints prayers and praises and that free and gracious reconciliation with God our bounteous and celestiall Father 27. True justifying faith hath alwaies joyned with it a certain perswasion of the bountie and exceeding mercy of God the Father in Christ Jesus Hebr. 6.18 19. That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Which hope we have as an ancre of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the vaile 28. Though the Saints after their justified estate and condition may aske the pardon of sin and the forgivenesse of iniquitie notwithstanding the end thereof must be the further assurance thereof the exaltation of the riches of grace and the praise of the blood of Christ which is the cause of condonation or remission The grounds are these that diffidence and unbeleef may be removed and the exaltation of the love of God in Christ may be exalted 29. The new creature presented in Christ unblameable and unreproveable in the sight of God through reconciliation made perfect and pure in the presence of God through justification endewed with the heavenly pure grace of sanctification is so freed from sinne iniquitie and transgression that God beholds no more sin in it then in the Lord Jesus Christ Joh. 17.23 I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me 30. O admirable change O garment most sumptuous O royall and beautifull robe of Christs puritie and divine righteousnesse wherewith the Saints are adorned his chosen invested and his beloved friends and brethren enrobed that they may be for ever and evermore presented glorious in the sight of God who is most righteous and holy Revel 3.4 Thou hast a sew names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy Revel 7.13 14. And one of the elders answered saying unto me What are these which are arayed in white robes and whence came they And I said unto him Sir thou knowest And he said to me These are they which came out of great tribulation and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe Contemplation THe Church of Christ is all glorious within through the rare induements of the Spirit of grace she is all glorious without through the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to her God her Father beholds her compleat in the garment of her elder brother if she sin she is washed if she is washed she is purified if she is purified she is spotlesse being she is purged by the blood of the Lambe Christ Jesus The robe of righteousnesse wherewith she is attired is not beggerly but rich not impure but pure not finite but infinite Though the world judge her poore naked and miserable yet she is holy pure and cleane she is as she is made to be compleat in Christ who is her head and bridegroome we beleeve there is an holy Catholique Church we see it not for it is invisible notwithstanding Gods imputation is not to be gainsaid by the rabble of unlearned Doctors If God speak the thing it is so if God impute her just shall it not be so If the Son make her free she is free indeed if God account her just she is just indeed If a King forgive a rebell who shall impute that fault to him If God acquit his Church who shall lay any thing to her charge When Jacob was clothed with the garment of Esau his nakednesse appeared not to the sight of his old father Isaac The Church being clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ her nakednesse appears not in the sight of God her heavenly Father through this garment wherewith she is so strongly invested she is worthie to follow the Lord Christ from earth to heaven not onely by the ascent of heavenly meditation but by ascent of soule after her pilgrimage is ended For what ends to participate of all the rich and celestiall treasures which have been prepared for her before the foundation of the world and to see the face of her loving Father in celestiall glory What now shall fear her shall wrath shall anger divine justice or indignation No for she is beloved through her well beloved Christ the very Angels rejoyce because she is rich and full of treasures beautifull and exceeding amiable through the beautie and amiablenesse of Christ which is given to her Had Benjamin a suit passing the suites of his brethren and hath not the Church a righteousnesse passing the righteousnes of Pharisees Hence she loveth knoweth nor acknowledgeth any other righteousnesse save the righteousnesse of Christ she detesteth even her own works in matter of justification she will weare no linsie-wolsie garments for her pride is great and her ambition much in that particular All her glorie is in the Lord her righteousnesse all her thoughts is now to love and praise her Saviour and cease from working any more in the way of justification confessing that of and from and in him she injoyeth it ascribing continually to him the praise of righteousnesse She giveth the glory of glory to the Prince of glory she rendreth the praise of life to the Lord of life she ascribeth the honour of peace to the Mediator of peace and she attributeth the dignitie of righteousnesse to her Lord of righteousnes She is in Christ as a branch in the Vine through union She is in Christ as a man in the Sunne by glorification she is in Christ as a man in his garment through Justification Shee desireth none to rest in her but Christ the hope of glory she requesteth to be in none but Christ her everlasting righteousnesse for his righteousnesse is the righteousnesse of God and it is his Fathers pleasure that he should become the Lord her righteousnesse Upon which consideration he is tearmed the God of her righteousnesse Psal 4.1 Heare me when I call O God of righteousnesse for thou hast set me at libertie when I was in trouble have mercy upon me and hearken unto my prayer CHAP. XI Concerning Sanctification Definition 1. SAnctification is a reall transmutation from the filthinesse of sinne unto the puritie of the Image of God Ephes 4.22 23 24. That yee put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts And be renewed in the spirit of your minde And that yee put on that new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse 2. There are two degrees of