Our Spirits witness in the light of the Spirit as 1 Cor. 9. 1. My Conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost 5. A Testimony of the Spirit giving an Evidence of Pardon without any Evidence of Grace is not according to the Word of Grace for the Word of Grace never declareth any Sinners are pardoned but believing penitent Sinners It is not as mere Sinners the Word pardoneth for it flatly condemneth and leaves Guilt on all impenitent Unbelievers as I have proved chap. 8. 12. Therefore if there should be a Voice a true Voice of God carrying it 's own Evidence saying Thy Sins are forgiven it doth at the same time and by the same Voice witness to the truth of our Grace because he forgives no other according to the Word of the Gospel And if the Spirit should say to an impenitent Soul Thou art pardoned while such it is no Promise in the Gospel nor according to it but a new Promise and not to be tried by the VVord and the Writers thereof having had more of the Spirit than any now can pretend to it 's dangerous to rest on that Voice which will not bear the Tryal by the VVord c. 6. To have the ordinary way of Assurance to be as it 's stated by the opposite Errour hath very dangerous Consequences Most Saints must quit their Hopes and Assurance for they never had this Voice though they have greater stamps of the Spirit than any I ever knew pretend to this It makes all Examination useless and vain It overturneth one of the great Uses God hath assigned to the work of his Grace on the Heart It makes Assurance impossible without this miraculous Voice which can hardly carry its Evidence to a Soul that hath no Grace at all It 's a way too far Enthusiastick to be allowed in so stated a Case It gives the Devil a great advantage against Sinners to live in Sin and against honest People if once they find cause to question this Voice Yea it sets up the Spirit against it self if any can boast of Assurance by this Voice when their State is justly challengeable by the Gospel as wanting all sight of Gospel-Marks TESTIMONIES The Assembly in Confes. ch 18. a. 2. say It 's an Infallible Assurance of Faith founded upon the Divine Truth of the Promises of Salvation the inward Evidences of those Graces unto which these Promises are made the Testimony of the Spirit of Adoption witnessing with our Spirits that we are the Children of God And a. 3. they tell us A Believer being enabled by the Spirit may without extraordinary Revelation in the right use of ordinary Means attain thereunto And therefore it is the Duty of every one to give all diligence to make his Calling and Election sure that thereby his heart may be enlarged in Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost c. as say the Cong Elders chap. 18. a. 3. See a. 4. Both shew how Assurance may be revived from the Graces in the Heart The Synod of New-England oft confute the contrary Errour which it seems was one that sadly troubled them Errour 44. No createâ— Work can be a manifest Sign of God's Love Errour 47. The Seal of the Spirit is limited only to the immediate witness of the Spirit nor doth ever witness to any Work of Grace or Conclusion by a Syllogism Errour 67. A Man cannot evidence his Justification by his Sanctification but he must needs build upon his Sanctification and trust to it Errour 72. It 's a Soul-damning Errour to make Sanctification an Evidence of Justification Errour 77. Sanctification is so far from evidencing a good State thâ—â— it darkens it rather and a Man may more clearly see Christ when he seeth no Sanctification than when he doth The darker my Sanctification is the brighter is my Justification The Synod shew at large how each of these are contrary to the Scriptures And one 〈◊〉 the evil Speeches they confute p. 19. I may know I am Christ's Not because I do crucifâ—â— the Lusts of the Flesh but believe in Christ that crucified my Lusts for me See Errour 63 69. The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake Because the Spirit of God is a Comforter therefore he cannot comfort us by helping us to see the VVork of his Grace in order to Joy in his Blessings Because the Spirit was to convince the World of Christ's Righteousness as what alone could procure Life therefore he tells Men that they have an Interest in it without shewing them any change on their Hearts Because he was to take of Christ's Fulness and shew it to his Disciples therefore he immediately speaks peace to the hearts of such as are or at least appear his resolved Enemies Because by the Spirit of Adoption we cry Abba Father therefore we need not find any love to God to know that we are his Children Because the Spirit witnesseth with our Spirits that we are the Children of God therefore he witnesseth alone without so much as revealing to our Spirits that we have the temper of Children Whereas there are many great Effects of the Spirit manifest on the Souls of them to whom the Apostle speaks Rom. 8. 11 12 14 15 16. And the design of the place is more to express our Dignity and free Access to God under a Gospel-state than mere Assurance of Forgiveness Because a Natural Man cannot perceive the Riches of the Promise and the Spirit enableth a Spiritual Man by his Teachings to perceive the nature of them therefore by an immediate Voice he discovers to the Natural Man his Propriety in them even while he is and appears Natural Because there is Imperfection in the Graces of a Saint therefore he cannot see the Sincerity of them by the help of the Spirit without an immediate Voice CHAP. XVI Of God's seeing Sin in Believers and their Guilt by it c. TRUTH THe Sins of Believers have the Loathsomness of Sin adhering to them which God seeth and accounteth the Committers guilty thereby And they ought to charge themselves therewith so as to stir up themselves to Repentance and renew their Actings of Faith on Christ for Forgiveness Nevertheless they ought not thereby to fear their being out of a Justified State further than their Falls give them just cause of suspecting that Sin hath dominion over them and that their first believing on Christ was not sincere ERROUR God seeth no Sin in Believers though he see the Fact neither doth he charge them with any Sin nor ought they to charge themselves with any Sin nor be at all sad for them nor confess repent or do any thing as a Means of their Pardon no nor in order to assuring themselves of Pardon even when they commit Murther Adultery or the grossest VVickedness Proved that this is Dr. Crisp 's Opinion Reader Note That the Doctor speaks most of this concerning a Person as Elect though he uses the word Believer sometimes because he alone knows that he is Elect by
l. 5. for was r. is p 62. l. 30. blot in put p. 78. l. 4. blot out I am p. 91. l. 10. add 616 617 l. 15. for 616. r. 609. p. 92. l. 5. for 618. r. 100 101 p. 93. l. 14. r. ununited 3. 98. l. 4. for Mr. r. Mrs. p. 101. l. 21. remove from freely to work p. 140. l 22. for way r. may p. 166. l. 8. for its Instrument r. joynt Agent p. 182. l. 4. for mad r. made p. 198 l. 26. for is r. as p 214. l. 16. for hears r. hear p. 208. l. 29. add to p. 217. l. 20. for 1. r. 14. p. 234. l 27. r. Meditation p. 236. l. 10. for with r. unto p. 66. l. 4. for Grant r. Grace GOSPEL-TRUTH Stated and Vindicated CHAP. I. Of the State of the Elect before effectual Calling Truth IT is certain from God's Decree of Election that the Elect shall in time be justified adopted and saved in the way God hath appointed and the whole meritorious Cause and Price of Justification Adoption and Eternal Life were perfect when Christ finished the Work of Satisfaction Nevertheless the Elect remain Children of Wrath and subject to Condemnation till they are effectually called by the Operation of the Spirit Errour The Elect are at no time of their Lives under the VVrath of God nor are they subject to Condemnation if they should die before they believe yea when they are under the Dominion of Sin and in the Practice of the grossest Villainies they are as much the Sons of God and Justified as the very Saints in Glory Proved that this is Dr. Crisp 's Opinion The Doctor tells us Pag. 363. 364. It is thought by some that in case such a Person should happen to die before God call him to Grace and give to him to believe that Person had been damned and that Elect Persons are in a damnable Estate in the time they walk in excess of Riot before they are called Let me speak freely to you and tell you that the Lord hath no more to lay to the Charge of an elect Person yet in the height of Iniquity and in the excess of Riot and committing all the Abominations that can be committed I say even then when an elect Person runs such a Course the Lord hath no more to lay to that Person 's Charge than God hath to lay to the Charge of a Believer Nay God hath no more to lay to the Charge of such a Person than he hath to lay to the Charge of a Saint triumphant in Glory Pag. 368. The Elect of God they are the Heirs of God and as they are Heirs so the first Being of them puts them into the Right of Inheritance and there is no time but such a Person is a Child of God And this is a Principle he oft asserts and labours to prove P. 354 355 365 577 578 579. But the Readers will object Sure he meaneth no more than that the Elect are sure to be justified and adopted and that Christ hath fully merited it for them but not that they are actually justified and adopted before they are called Answer The Doctor frequently endeavours to prove that we are actually justified before we are born before we are baptized before we believe before we are converted and reduceth the Sum of his Thoughts P. 374. in these VVords But when did the Lord do this Viz. Justifie us He answers He did it from Eternity in respect of Obligation but in respect of Execution he did it when Christ was on the Cross and in respect of Application he doth it while Children are in the Womb. And then shews that they do mistake who judge that God applies the Pardon of Sin at the time of Conversion In other Places he saith We are actually justified c. Wherein the Difference is not The Difference is not 1. Whether God hath eternally decreed That certain Persons freely elected by him shall certainly be justified and adopted 2. Nor whether these elect Persons are the Objects of God's Love of Good-will even while they are Sinners 3. Nor whether God continues his gracious Purpose of doing them good in his appointed ways notwithstanding their Provocations 4. Nor whether Christ hath made full Atonement for Sin and merited eternal Life for the Elect which shall be in God's time and way applied and that he left nothing to be done by us in a way of Atonement and Merit 5. Nor whether there be not a great Difference between an elect Sinner and others as to what they shall be in time All these I affirm Wherein the real Difference is 1. VVhether the Elect while uncalled are actually pardon'd and adopted to Life This the Doctor affirmeth and I deny 2. VVhether the Elect while dead in Sin and Unbelief are Children of VVrath condemned by the Law and not justi ed by the Promise This I affirm and the Doctor denies The Truth confirmed 1. The Scriptures expresly declare the Elect before they be effectually called to be Children of Wrath Eph. 2. 2 3. Enemies Col. 1. 21. Which were not my People and not Beloved Rom. 9. 25. 2. The Gospel bars all Unbelievers and dead Sinners from Pardon and Adoption and denounceth the Continuance of Condemnation against them limiting its Benefits to such as believe Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned Ver. 36. The Wrath of God abideth on him 1 Cor. 16. 22. And if any Man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such were some of you but you are justified 3. If it were not so neither the Spirit nor the VVord of God have any Influence in the saving of Sinners which so oft they are affirmed to have This is plain for these influence on our Persons in time and therefore suppose us in no State of Salvation before See Tit. 3. 5. He saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Joh. 5. 34. These things I say that you may be saved 2 Thes. 2. 10. They received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved Jam. 1. 21. Receive the Word which is able to save But the want of the Gospel would be no Damage if we be Heirs in the VVomb we should be freed from VVrath if we never heard it 4. Gospel Benefits imply that there is a time when we are actually guilty and miserable There could be no Forgivenss if 〈◊〉 were not guilty Rom. 4. 7. They were at Enmity of whom the Apostle saith Now hath he reconciled Col. 2. 12. If Men were always Sons they could not be said in time to be adopted nor to pass from Death to Life 5. The Doctor may as well infer VVe are sanctified and possessed of Heaven in the VVomb for God hath elected us to these as well as to Pardon and Christ merited these also Reader Dost thou not find God justifies none but whom he calleth Rom. 8. 30. Would there be such Joy in Heaven at the
it was when his Body was in the Grave Luk. 23. 43. Alas how can any bear to think that as the Doctor affirms he never saw God's Face all that while Where was he Yea What tormenting Agitations of Soul must he be under even after Death in the unseen State The Papists indeed tell us he was in Hell but they assign Purposes more becoming Christ's being there than the Doctor 's Position imports It was the height of Hell for Christ to be banished from God's Face and be under his very Wrath and Abhorrence all that time and his Mind tormented with the Filth of sin made his He never would have been a Saviour on Terms so inconsistent with his Person But the whole Notion is contrary to Scripture for under the greatest Abatements of Comfort he owns God's Presence and Relation My God My God Matth. 27. 46. and just upon his loud Cry he said Father into thy Hands I commit my Spirit and having said thus he gave up the Ghost Luk. 22. 46. Was there a Separation or Abhorrence when he thus addresseth himself to God as his God and his Father Did he never come near God all that while when God received his Spirit or rejected his Prayer which God never did reject Joh. 11. 42. Me thou hearest always See Ps. 69. 13 14 15 17 18. Ps. 22. 18 19 20 24. Heb. 5. 7. He was heard in that he feared which refers to this time Testimonies The Opinion I oppose is such that I will only instance the Words of Doctor Owen of Justif. P. 286. There was no reason why God should hate Christ for his taking on him our Debt and the Payment of it And suppose a Person out of an heroick Generosity of Mind an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for another so as to answer for him with his Life Would the most cruel Tyrant under Heaven that should take away his Life in that case hate him And then the Doctor shews here and P. 287. the Word Hate signifies either an Aversion or Detestation of Mind or only a Will of Punishment In the first Sence saith he there was no ground why God should hate Christ on the Imputation of Guilt unto him sin inherent renders the Soul polluted abominable and the only Object of Divine Aversation But Christ was undefiled c. The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake The Doctor doth not distinguish between the Affects of VVrath and the Effects of VVrath Because God forsook Christ as to the usual Degrees of Comfort he thinks Christ was separated from God Because he that is formally a sinner is odious to God therefore he thinks Christ was odious to God who had on him the Punishment of sin with the Guilt or Obligation to bear this Punishment by his own Consent neither of which have any thing of the Loathsomeness of sin I know not why he thinks Christ came not near God from the time of his Death to his Resurrection unless because of his Conceit that the Loathsomeness of sin being on him God could not bear the sight of him till he had sweat it out a Reason too horrid for me to say more to and indeed inconsistent with the Notion of a Mediator for the sins of others CHAP. VII Of the Change of Person between Christ and the Elect and their being as Righteous as he Truth THE Mediatorial Righteousness of Christ is so imputed to true Believers as that for the sake thereof they are pardoned and accepted unto Life eternal it being reckoned to them and pleadable by them for these Uses as if they had personally done and suffered what Christ did as Mediator for them whereby they are delivered from the Curse and no other Atonement nor meriting Price of saving Benefits can be demanded from them Nevertheless this Mediatorial Righteousness is not subjectively in them nor is there a Change of Person betwixt them and Christ neither are they as righteous as he but there remain Spots and Blemishes in them untill Christ by his Spirit perfect that Holiness begun in all true Believers which he will effect before he bring them to Heaven Errour Every Believer or elect Person is as righteous as Christ and there is a perfect Change of Person and Condition betwixt Christ and the Elect he was what we are and we are what he was viz. perfectly holy and without Spot or Blemish Proved that this is Dr. Crisp 's Opinion P. 270 271. The Doctor saith Mark it well Christ himself is not so compleatly righteous but we are as righteous as he nor we so compleatly sinful but Christ became being made sin as compleatly sinful as we Nay more we are the same Righteousness for we are made the Righteousness of God that very Sinfulness that we were Christ is made that very Sinfulness before God So that here is a direct Change Christ takes our Person and Condition and stands in our stead we take Christ's Person and Condition and stand in his stead What the Lord beheld Christ that he beholds the Members of Christ to be c. So that if you reckon well you must always reckon your selves in anothers Person and that other in your Person And P. 180. God gives his Son Christ c. God gives the Person of Christ to Men as much as to say God gives Christ to stand in the room of Men and Men stand in the room of Christ. So that in giving Christ God is pleased as it were to make a Change and all the Loveliness the Person of Christ hath that is put upon us and we are as lovely with him even as the Son himself And P. 158. Here is a Person in Blood in a loathsome Condition but for all this as loathsome as the Person is in himself and in his own Nature yet here is Perfection of Beauty c. On the account of this he saith P. 428. We appear before God perfect in Holiness And P. 419 420. Christ draws up and exhales that Impurity which Men live in c. and when Men are without Spot and all fair God falls in Love with them c. The Church hath no Blemish at all no Imperfection See more of this in Chap. Of Union Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not whether the mediatioral Righteousness of Christ habitual active and Passive be a Righteousness sufficient to and designed for the Salvation of the Elect. 2. Nor whether our Justification and all other Benefits when we are made Partakers of them be the Fruits of this Righteousness as the only meritorious Cause of them 3. Nor whether Christ's Sufferings and Obedience were so in our Stead that God cannot exact from us any other Atonement for Sin or meriting Price of any Gospel-blessings 4. Nor whether Christ by his Righteousness merited for all the Elect that they should in his Time and Way be certainly Partakers of its saving Effects and did not only purchase a conditional Grant of those Effects viz. That Proposition He that believeth shall be
they preached the Gospel See their Call to turn to God from Idols as part of it 4. The nature of the Gospel requires that the Ministry should include these things and it be preached in this manner It 's the Gospel of the Kingdom Luk. 9. 60. It 's the Law of Christ to whom all Judgment is committed Gal. 6. 2. The Law of Liberty The Law of Faith c. The great design of it is to destroy Satan's Empire and recover lost Sinners to God To this end it reveals that Salvation is to be had in Christ if we come to God by him though we be lost in our selves And it is the Call of God in Christ to come to him and hear him Nay it 's the Charge of Christ who is for dying made Lord both of the dead and living Now can any think that many Duties must not be parts of the Gospel as well as Believing Or That Christ hath not Arguments from Benefits and Dangers from Promises and Threats to strengthen his Charge The Preceptive part of the whole Law is in his hand and there is Authority in all his Injunctions and Calls Else what means Obeying the Gospel Subjection to the Gospel Disobeying the Gospel Obeyed the Truth Obedience of Faith and many such Expressions And that there be Gospel-Threats and Promises annexed to his Precepts I have fully proved And I could easily shew that the Substance of all Obedience is said to be Obedience to the Law Truth and Word of Christ. If things be so can we think that we preach not the Gospel when we preach Duties Or that we preach not the Gospel when we urge Obedience to these Duties from Gospel-Promises and Threats As if all Christ's Commands were mere Counsels It 's no Preaching with Authority if we omit this It 's no answering the Eng of Gospel if we wave this There 's no aptitude in the Ministry to draw Christ without this The Apostle gives us another Specimen Col. 1. 28. whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every Man perfect in Christ. What 's Snatching Men as Brands out of the Burning Compelling to come in c. What Pleas do the Apostles use Rom. 12. 1. 1 Pet. 4. 17 18. 2 Pet. 3. 11 12 14 c. 5. They do not preach the Gospel of Christ at all who preach contrary to the scope of this Truth no nor they duly who neglect to Preach according to it Christ never sent such News to Sinners That they were always Pardoned and Adopted and they need only believe it to know that it is so He never told them That they have nothing to do to the Participation of Saving Benefits he hath Believed for them and Repented for them c. Woe to them that will live as believing this Christ knew how to support the Honour of his Grace without overturning his Throne To Preach at this rate may excite the Affections of some but without a Miracle will never Convert a Soul and it needs an Antidote which I hope some of the Upholders of it have It 's the same with the Language of the Tempter the Arguings of the Flesh and the Conceits of presumptuous Sinners Could they that knock'd at the door Mat. 7. 21. be kept out Or the five foolish Virgins be excluded who went out to meet the Bridegroom if this be true Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come will be the Language of the Spirit to the Impenitent Mat. 3. 7. He is my Brother saith Christ that doth the Will of my Father Mark 3. 35. If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholsom words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to godliness he is proud knowing nothing c. 1 Tim. 6. 3 4. He that talks of preaching Christ without preaching his Laws his Title to rule us his Offers his Method of Grace and his Motives to urge Men profaneth and plays with that sacred Name TESTIMONIES The Assembly and Elders at the Savoy have given us their Thoughts in what I have cited of the Conditionality of the Covenant the Necessity of Faith to Union with Christ and Justification Free Offers of Christ to Sinners and Necessity of Holiness Consult the places See Large Catech. Q. What doth God require of us that we may escape his Wrath and Curse A. He Requireth of us Repentance towards God Faith towards our Lord Jesus and diligent Use of the Outward Means c. The Elders at the Savoy Declar. ch 20. a. 3. The Revelation of the Gospel unto Sinners made in divers times and by sundry parts with the Addition of Promises and Precepts for the Obedience required thereto c. But I cannot enlarge or I could shew how Doctor Owen pleads for this Gospel-Ordination and shews there be Threats and Promises therein See what the New-England Synod say on the former Heads They cite Errour 33. To act by Virtue or in Obedience to a Command is legal They thus confute it So is it also Evangelical The Mystery of the Gospel is said to be revealed for the Obedience of Faith 〈◊〉 16. 25. The Lord is Author of Eterâ—â—â—â—alvation to all that obey him Heb. 5. 9. c. The 29th Errour of Mrs. H. was That such Exhortations as these Work out your Salvation with Fear Make your Calling and Election sure are spoken to such as are under the Covenant of Works Mr. Norton Orth Evang. p. 211. Believers obey the Gospel perfectly with the Perfection of Parts The Gospel is the Law in Christ The Rule of Righteousness is the same in the Law and in the Gospel though the Manner and End of Obeying are changed P. 105. The Obedience of good Men is rewarded by the Promise annexed to the Precept See what all these say in the Chap. of the Conditionality of the Govenant The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake Because Christ's Sufferings procured Salvation and assure it to such as Obey the Gospel therefore the Gospel enjoyneth nothing to be Obeyed Because the Law enjoyned Doing as the perfect Righteousness for which Life was a Debt therefore the Gospel requireth nothing to be done as the Means of Partaking of that Salvation which is merited by Christ. Because it's legal to Preach the Sanction of the Law of Innocency therefore it 's not Gospel to press the Gospel-Sanction The Reverend Mr. Cole affirms There 's Law enough in the Gospel The Gospel holds forth the Danger and Remedy too See his Treat of Regen p. 101. Had Doctor Crisp noted this Truth many Mistakes had been prevented CHAP. XXI Of Legal Preaching BEfore I proceed let me inform thee That Legal Preaching hath an uncertain Sound 1. If by Legal is meant the Precepts and Revelations of God in Christ for the Conversion and Government of lost Man under Gospel-Threats and Promises then to be Legal Preachers as Preachers of this Law we account our Duty and Honour All
Impenitent as the Penitent 2. VVhat I have stated as Truth doth acknowledge and exalt this Free Grace of God I have affirmed and would admit the fullest Expressions to testifie that in these is the Free Grace of God in Truth Of mere Grace he elected some certain Sinners to Life upon no moving fore-seen Condition but yet to obtain it through Sanctification of the Spirit to Obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Of mere Love to Sinners no way deserving it he gave his Son to die for them who also undertook to bring all the Elect to Salvation in the way appointed between the Father and him He without any thing in Man to deserve it gave his Gospel and thereby offereth in the virtue of his Son's Blood Pardon and Eternal Life to every one that will repent and truly believe and no penitent persevering Believer shall miss of Life by a failure of this Promise He freely and of mere Grace bestows Faith and Repentance yea gives his Spirit to create these and any other good VVork in worthless vile Sinners And though he will not forgive any that finally refuse to believe and repent nor save any ungodly barren apostate Man yet Pardon and Life are his free-Gift and no Grace or Duty merits them they being no more than the required Conditions or Means of our partaking them as the Gifts of God through Christ and so hereby he honours his own Government and no way indulgeth the boastings of Men. 3. The Opinions of Dr. Crisp as they differ from these Truths do not exalt the Free Grace of God His Notions may seem more to represent an unlimited Grace as blind and so more suitable to wicked foolish Men But it is not agreeable to the holy Nature nor just or wise Government or the revealed Will of God but greatly reflects on God's Grace beyond what I will mention Is it the honour of God's Grace that all the Graces of the Spirit should be needless to promised Benefits when he promiseth those Benefits to them Is it the Grace of an holy God not to esteem a Man filthy by the greatest Abominations and yet abhorr his own Image in his Saints as Dung Is it the Free Grace of God to account an Elect Person in the heighth of his VVickedness as pure and as lovely as a Saint in Glory and yet with-hold his Spirit from him many years Is it the Grace of God to leave his Precepts without any Sanction when he removed the Curse of the Law Never to express any displeasure when most provoked yea when he doth correct To have no regard to Good or Evil in Men in his judicial Distributions To leave Men so Imperfect in a VVorld of Temptations and State of Tryal free from all fear of Caution and to have nothing in them to influence their Perseverance and Holiness except a Principle of Gratitude though their Love be weak Can it be the Grace of God that his Subjects must have no Eye to his Rewards or Threats fear none of his Displeasure when they offend be confident of the Pardon of the worst Offences before they confess a Fault never fear a Rebuke for or Hurt in or by any Sin yea condemn any trouble on that account though he blame the contrary and his Spirit causeth these Relentings Is it the Free Grace of our God which renders him a Respecter of Persons in his judicial Acts as the Ruler and Judge of the VVorld because he bestows Grace as an Act of Sovereignty It cannot be his Free Grace who hath so wisely contrived the Kingdom of his Grace that he prevents Idleness and Neglect in Men as well as Boasting that he makes the Sinner speechless for being his own Undoer by wilfully refusing Christ as well as he secures the acknowledgment of his Free Mercy by all that are saved Can that Grace be his which nullifies all his Threats weakens the Authority of all his Commands turns all his Pleadings with Men into empty VVords nay direct Fallacies Is it the Grace of God that overturns the stated Order wherein Grace exerts it self becoming all the Perfections of God God's Grace first calls and therein unites us to Christ first quickens then dignifies first gives Faith then Forgives c. But by the Doctor 's Opinion this Order is inâ—erted all Privileges are applied to the Sinner before Grace hath made any Change on the Sinner It 's not the Grace of God which â—ets up his Decree in Opposition to his revealed VVill Acquits whom he declares Condemned Enervates the Ministry Seareth the Conscience Encourageth Spiritual Sloth Discourageth Obedience Reproacheth Godâ—iness gives Advantage to the Tempter Destroys the Rule of Judgment and Opposeth the general and plain scope of the Scripture the Experience of Saints and the Nature of Man as Rational as well as his Relation to God as a Subject in the way to an Eternal State It cannot be God's Free Grace which renders Men as safe for Eternity if they never heard the Gospel as by hearing of it for if they be united to Christ and pardoned in the Womb they need the Gospel only for Assurance but not for Title to change their Apprehensions but not their State How many more and some grosser Objections might be offered against that being the Free Grace of God which Dr. Crisp and his Followers speak of as Free Grace I desire to live adoring the Riches of that Grace that freely elected to Grace and Glory in Christ as the great Means of accomplishing this Purpose so many apostate Sinners that freely offers Life to the worst Enemies on Gospel-Terms with so much help as leaves the Blood of the Impenitent on their own Heads that freely bestows the Spirit to work the Dead and Ungodly to an Obedience to the Terms of the Gospel that freely gives by the Promise for Christ's sake Pardon to the penitent Believer and such amazing Dignity to such as he enableth to persevere in Faith and Holiness as the Rule of the Promise doth require This Grace I adore and own the best to merit nothing to forfeit all yea to deserve Hell by the Law of Works And I do renounce all that Saints have or do as any Atonement for Sin or Purchasing Price of the least Benefit much less of Salvation But yet I disown any Free Grace to be the Free Grace of God which overturns his Benefits from being Motives to Duty denies the total neglect of Duties with their contrary Evils from being a Barr to our Interest in those Benefits which by the Gospel he promiseth to those Duties and requires those Duties in order to this Rectoral Distribution of Blessings it being wisely provided for in the Dispensation of this Grace that he may Rule and Judge us according to his Relation to us and according to our rational Nature in a state of Tryal for a future Condition READER There are other Mistakes of Doctor Crisp's which I might instance as his Notion of the Nature of our