holy men how farther they advance in the truth please themselves the less therefore do more understand that they have need of Christ of his Righteousness given unto them wherefore they relinquish themselves and leane upon Christ alone This cometh not to passe because they become of a more base Law spirit Yea the further they advance in holiness they are of greater spirits see more clearly FINIS Arguments against Universal Redemption AS concerning the point of Universal Redemption we finde various sentiments or various explications of the matter given to us by Adversaries for they do not all agree in their apprehensions of the thing Some explaine the matter thus God sent his only begotten Son to be a Redeemer and Propitiator for Adam and all his Posterity who by his death did pacific an angry God and restore Mankinde to their lost inheritance so as all who are now condemned are not condemned for their former sins and guilt for Christ hath abundantly satisfied for these but for their Unbeleef for not beleeving in the Redeemer of the world and for rejecting the Reconciliation made the grace of God declared in the word And thus they must say that Christ hath died for all sinnes but Unbeleefe and that salvation doth not certainly follow upon this Reconciliation and so that it is rather a Reconciliableness than a Reconciliation and they must necessarily maintaine that this matter is revealed unto all and every son of Adam who otherwise cannot be guilty of Rejecting this reconciliation other wayes it shall be of no advantage to them unless they say that the want of the Revelation putteth them out of a capacity of being guilty of Unbeleefe and so they must necessarily be saved and thus their condition shall be undoubtedly better than is the condition of such as hear the Gospel and then the revelation of the Gospel shall be no Favour but a Prejudice rather And in reference to this they devise an Universal Antecedanious Love whereby God out of his Infinite Goodness was inclined to desire the happiness and salvation of every mothers son and therefore to send his Son to die for as if God had such Natural Necessary Inclinations and as if all his Love to Mankinde and every appointment of his concerning us were not the free act of his good pleasure and as if there were any such Antecedent Conditional will in God that could or might have no issue or accomplishment but as Lord Freewil would and as if the Love that sent Christ were only such a Poor Conditional Inclination towards all Mankinde which the Scripture holdeth forth as the greatest of Loves as the ground or all the Effects Grants which mans full Salvation calleth for But why could not this Love effectuat the good of all Therefore they tell us that Justice being injured by sin unless it were satisfied that Love of God whereby he wisheth well to all sinners could effectuat nothing as to the recovery of any upon this ground they imagine Christ was sent to make an Universal Atonement so Justice being satisfied might not obstruct the salvation of any whose Freewill would consent unto termes of new to be proposed Others hold forth the matter thus Christ according to the eternal Counsel of God did properly die for this end and by his propitiatory sacrifice obtaine that all and every man who beleeve in Him should for his sake actually obtaine Remission of sins Life Eternal but others in case they would Repent Beleeve might obtaine it But thus we hear no word of Christs obtaining any thing to any in particular no word of his obtaining Faith Repentance and what Counsel of God can this be to send Christ to die for persons upon that condition which he knew they would not could not performe And what by this meanes hath Christs Propitiatory Sacrifice obtained more than a meer possibility of salvation to either one or other Shall we imagine that God designeth good to persons who shall never enjoy it Or that God hath Conditional Intentions Designes By this means Christs death was designed and no person designed thereby to be saved yea Christ should be designed to die and that for no certain end unless to procure a meer possibility by stopping the mouth of justice that it should not stand in the way but then we can not say that God sent Christ to die for any man much less for all Others express the matter thus Christ out of the gracious Decree Purpose of God did undergoe death that he might procure obtaine Reconciliation with God for all sinners whatsomever without any difference before that God would open againe the door of salvation enter into a new Covenant of Grace with sinners But this Reconciliation hath no more force or import but that God might enter againe into a Covenant with sinners and so there is no Actual Reconciliation of sinners unto God And all that is obtained is for God nothing for man save a Possibility of Salvation by a new Covenant nor are we told whether Christ hath satisfied for the breach of the First Covenant so that that sin is fully pardoned unto all or not untill the condition of the second Covenant be performed nor are we told upon what account the sins against the second Covenant are pardoned Or if they be unpardonable Others explaine the matter thus Christ died for all and every man not only that God might without any violation of Justice enter into a new Covenant with sinners upon what condition he pleased but that it should be upon this Condition that man should be united with Christ the Cautioner and not only that Redemption Salvation should be possible to all but that really most certainly Salvation should be bestowed on such as Christ thought good But seing Christ knew that his death would profite none but these few whom he had designed to what purpose should he have laid downe his life for the rest And how can his death be a price of Redemption for the rest How can Christ be said to satisfie for the rest Did he purchase Faith to these few and would he not purchase Faith to the rest yet lay downe the great price for them What was the end obtained for the rest was it only a Possible Call of all Justice bein satisfied But of what import could that Possible Call be if Salvation was not also possible unto them And whereunto is that Call They will not say it is unto Salvation but to Faith But did not Christ know that this call would not be obeyed by them Did he procure Grace unto them to obey it then he procured Faith and if he procured Faith than he procured Salvation Againe if Justice be satisfied for these others why are they not liberat If they say the new Condition is not fulfilled Then it cannot be simply said that Christ satisfied Justice on their behalfe for
even those who were purer in appearance pressing the moral duties practical doctrine of pietie I mean the followers of that famous Minister Mr. Richard Baxter did corrupt the true Doctrine of Justification because they adopted Universal Grace and Redemption For suspending such an Universal Redemption as Conditional upon the vertue of Faith taught that Justification is depending upon this vertue and consequently that a man by Faith as a vertue must be justified and because Repentance should be acknowledged as a Condition of eternal happiness beside the vertue of Faith therefore they imagine that Justification may be suspended even upon Repentance so that we must believe that Justification is not only by Faith but also by Repentance But O my Brethren ye are out of the way ye have left your first love Remember therefore from whence ye are fallen and repent and do the first works Remember the former dayes and years Remember your former Divines at the beginning of the Reformation Iuel Whitaker Perkins and other glorious stars once shining in your Countrey Remember the Apologie of your Church against that harlot of Rome written by that most excellent Divine J. Iuel B. of Salisbury approved of your Fathers Remember your Confession aggreeing with all the Confessions of Reformed Churches and confirmed in the dayes of Q. Elisabeth An. 1562. by a Synodical decree yea by the Parliament of your Kingdome Remember the former ages when the Doctrine of Anselme Bradwardine Archb. of Canterbury against Pelagianisme sounded obtained in your Churches Yea Bradwardine his book de Causa Dei opposed to the Cause of men defended by Pelagianisme printed first in this age An. 1616. in the dayes of King Iames who himself was a great Adversarie to Arminian tenets by the care and studie of George Abboth a worthy successour of that great Divine because he loved the Doctrine of Grace and could not endure that Arminian errours should infect the Church of England to that time depending onely upon the grace of our Saviour Jesus Christ. But what great iniquitie is it now to neglect this grace and leaving the principles of Protestant Religion to rely upon and trust to our own works for Salvation My Brethren how think ye to mingle the Law with the Gospel the Righteousness of Christ with your own your faith depending alone upon your Saviour with your works What will ye say when you wil dye this weighty case of Conscience comes to be resolved how shall my poor guiltie sinful Soul be justified before a Righteous God How can ye thus prepare the way to return and lead your followers back again unto Babylon What fellowship hath Righteousness with unrighteousness or what communion hath light with darkness Yet glory be to God in the highest who hath reserved by his grace many Protestant and Learned Divines against all these and the like errours And hence we have the learned Labours of the worthy J. BURGES J. OWEN A. PITCAIRN and other eminent Divines worthy to be remembered in all ages And to those great Doctours we may very warrantably add the worthy Author of the following Treatise Mr. JOHN BROUN whose praise liv's deservedly in the Churches and whose light did for a considerable space shine here in our Low-countreys when through the iniquitie of the times he was because of his zeal pietie faithfulness and good Conscience obliged to leave his native Land Yet was he not idle for while he was here he wrote with a great deal of wisdom against the Philosophers of this time who would subject the Scriptures to Philosophie setting up humane Reason for a Rule of Scripture-Interpretations Moreover he was known in our Churches by his Books of the Perpetual Moralitie of the Sabbath written with a great efficacie of Arguments and approved by Fr. Spanheym that worthy and most famous Divine of our age besides what other Treatises he wrote in English But we have here his work of Justification as a Posthumus full of Wisdom Doctrine and Pietie The Author had committed the care of it to his very intimate and dear acquaintance the Reverend and Learned Mr. JAMES KOELMAN who while he was alive had the care of it at the press but before the work was perfected he was called home to his Masters joy after he had faithfully served God in his generation And I being now desired to prefix the accustomed Ceremonie of an Epistle to this excellent book of Mr. JOHN BROUN I undertook it most cheerfully with all my heart For I must give Testimony to the Reverend Learned Author of this work that he wisely expounds the mysteries of Justification according to the Doctrine of the Gospel the principles oft he Reformed Churches that he confirms the expounded Doctrine with efficacious arguments able to stop the mouths of all Adversaries that he prudently dissolves all their vain oppositions that he shows himself a true Christian Minister and a Scribe well instructed by the Holy Spirit unto the Kingdom of God And therefore this excellent book was worthy to be printed to be esteemed and loved amongst the best Treatises upon this great and weighty Doctrine of Justification I need say no more the work will speak for it self and the Judicious Readers oun experience will testifie that it is written in the Demonstration of the Spirit Power profitable for Doctrine Reproof Correction Instruction in Righteousness and Consolation of penitent souls I pray the God of all grace that he would give the Readers the Spirit of Wisdom and of a sound mind that having the eyes of their understandings enlightened they may know what are the great mysteries of Redemption and may be sound in the Faith in order to this fundamental point of Justification here expounded and vindicated with this full persuasion of mind that the Reformed profession is the true way of Salvation able to save a sinner eternally according to the Covenant of Grace revealed in the Gospel MELCHIOR LEYDECKER S. S. Th. D. Prof. Dabam Ultraj. 1 Apr. 1695. P. S. Atque haec quidem ego Britonum Sermone ut potui Si quid commissum est culpae adversus linguae genium id condonandum Belgae est Conari imitari exterorum linguam eruditis haud vulgarem satis erat Interim si Latino Sermone uti licuisset pluribus Doctrinam Ecclesiae Reformatae de Gratia Justificatione explicuissem ut forte horum animum moverem qui prima Principia ipsius Euangelii a Paulo ad Romanos ad Galatas ad Ephesios demonstrata neglexerunt ac deseruerunt Nunc sufficiat ex Confessione Anglicana quosdam Articulos notasse in quos digitum Praefatione intendebam uti habentur in Corpore Syntagmate Confessionum fidei quae in diversis Regnis Nationibus Ecclesiarum nomine fuerunt Authenticè editae Haec enim ibi medium habet locum quod cum caeteris accurate conveniret Utinam tali haberetur hodie veneratione quali fuit habita antiquitus quando
sap life influence from the head much more must this be the way of getting the first change made from death to life And this way or not much different of argueing in this same debate we see the Apostle followeth Rom. 4. where from what was said of Abraham a considerable time after he was a beleever he proveth justification by faith without works or that Abraham was justified by faith not by works The Import then of the Testimony is that this life whereof beleevers are made partakers is begun continued carried on by faith therefore it is not by the works of the Law but by faith that they are justified brought into a state of life If it be true that without faith even belevers cannot be supported nor in case to live as becometh to the glory of God to their own peace Comforth in new Trials Difficulties much more is it true that without faith those who are in nature in state of Enmity to God cannot live the life of justification with it alone they can shall Before we come to speak particularly to any Truthes deducable from the words we shall premise some few things considerable CHAP. II. Naturally we are inclined to cry up Selff in Justification THe Apostle as we see in all his writtings about this matter is very carefull to cleare the question of justification so as Man may have no cause of boasting or of glorying in himself upon the account of any thing he hath or he hath done in order to justification that hereby he might cast a copie unto all such as would approve themselves faithful unto the Lord in being co-workers with Him in the Gospel that he might so much the more set himself against that innatelusting of heart that is in all naturally unto an exalting crying up of Self in the matter of their justification before Acceptance with God and especially we finde how zealously how frequently with what strength multitude of Arguments he setteth himself against cryeth down that which men do so naturally with such a vehement byasse incline unto to wit justification by their own works or by their own obedience to the Law to the end their innate pride may have ground of venting it self in boasting glorying before men From this we may premit in short the consideration of these Three things to prepare our way unto the clearing-up of the Gospel-Doctrine in this matter First That there is a corrupt byasse in the heart of men by nature a strong Inclination to reject the Gospel-Doctrine of free justification through faith in Christ to ascribe too much to themselves in that affaire as if they would hold the life of justification not purely of the free grace rich mercy of God through Jesus Christ but of themselves either in whole or in part in one measure or another Secondly That it is the duty of all who would be found faithful Ambassadours for Christ after the example of the Apostle so to preach forth the Grace of God in this mystery to explaine the same as corrupt Nature within such without as are byassed with mistakes about this matter are led away with proud carnal self conceits may have no apparent or seeming ground of boasting nor be confirmed in their natural prejudices Mistakes therein Thirdly That in very deed free Gospel-justification is so contrived ordered as that none have any real ground of boasting or of glorying in themselves or of ascribing any part of the glory thereof unto themselves as if they by their deeds works did contribute any thing to the procuring thereof It will not be necessary to speak to these at any length but only briefly to touch upon them to make way unto what followeth to be said on this weighty subject which is of so much concernment to us all As to the First of these to which we shall speak little in this Chapter thereafter of the rest in their due order it is too too apparent to be a truth from these grounds following I. This is most manifest from the many Errours false opinions that are Vented Owned Maintained with so much Violence corrupt zeal all to cry-up Self in less or in more to cry down Grace Hence so many do plead with great confidence for an Interest of our works in our justification Such as Papists who quite mistake the nature of true justification Socinians Arminians Others who side with these in less or in more will plead for a justification by our inherent Righteousnoss or works of Righteousness which we do Others that will not plead for such an early Interest of our works in this matter will plead for faith as our Gospel-Righteousness affirme that the very act of our Obedience in us is imputed for a Righteousness to us is accounted such by God so hath the same place in the New Covenant that compleet perfect obedience had in the Old Covenant of works made with Adam which as shall hereafter appear driveth us upon the same rock II. It is manifest likewise from the large frequent Disputes about this matter that we have in Paul's Epistles If there had not been a great pronness in man by nature to cry-up himself to set up his own Righteousness in matter of justification why would the Spirit of the Lord have been at so much paines to speak so to cry down Self our works in this matter as He is in these Epistles of Paul if He had not seen the great necessity thereof by reason of this strong Inclination that men Naturally have hereunto We must not think that any thing is there spoken in vaine or that the Spirit of the Lord would have left that Doctrine so fully cleared wherein our works are so expresly excluded if there had not been a necessity for it if it had not been as necessary in all after ages of the Church as at that time when first written Whatever the truth be that is so frequently pungently inculcated in the Scriptures we may saifly suppose that as the faith practice of that truth is necessary so there must be much reluctancy of Soul in us to receive the same to close with it and a strong Inclination to beleeve practise the contrary III. In the Infancy of Christianity we see what a strong Inclination there was to cry-up works what we do the Law as the only ground of justification or at least to have a share with Christ in that Interest which gave occasion to the penning of these Epistles of Paul where this matter is so fully clearly handled particularly that to the Romans that to the Galatias unto the speaking less or more hereunto in almost all his other Epistles And this Inclination to the crying up of works the Law in Opposition to the pure Gospel-way of
Conviction Acknowledgment of his own Beggarliness Poverty Nakedness of his being a dyvoure non-solvendo haiving no Righteousness of his own renounceing all that is in him in order to his own justification as it were a swearing of himself bare a laying hold upon a Righteousness without him even the Righteousness of Christ who is the End of the Law for righteousness to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10 3 4. resting upon it a producing of it as the ground of his Absolution in face of court to his own shame to the glory of his Cautioner So. far is it from being the mans Righteousness that it is a plaine open declaration that he hath no Righteousness but must go to Christ for a Righteousness And so far is the beleever from reflecting on it as his Righteousness from darring to present it to God as his Righteousness plead for absolution upon the ground thereof as if it were perfect a full Righteousness according to the Gospel that he only thereby saith in the Lord have I Righteousness he looks upon it as most weak imperfect being encouraged by the free promise of God he laith hold on Christ with the trembling weak hand of faith which he hath ostentimes so far is he from having any confidence in his faith that with much doubting hesitation he as almost despairing of being the better thereby seeing no other outgate or remedie ventureth with a peradventure he may be saved so that how ever he can but perish How far such a soul that is fleing to Christ for refuge is from conceiveing any ground of boasting in himself is sufficiently plaine the sense experience of all so exercised can declare VIII Even this Act of the soul looking out going to gripping laying hold upon Jesus Christ His Righteousness held forth offered in the Gospel to all self condemned sinners despairing in themselves is not of themselves it is the gift of God Ephes. 2 8. The Spirit of Jesus boweth inclineth the soul hereunto determineth the doubting man unto this choice maketh him willing whether it be in a lesser or in a greater degree to flee to Christ for shelter from the storme of wrath to be saved from the Curse And though the soul in the meane while be not in case to observe take notice of the powerful workings of grace herein Yet afterward he is in better case to see it to celebrate the rich free grace of God who hath visited him in his low condition began à work in him never left him untill he landed him in Christ in whom was all fulness he found he was compleat through whom he obtained that delivery from wrath which he was seeking after meerly out of his wonderful free grace mercy CHAP. V. In Justification there is a State of life HAving premised these three particulars not unworthy of our consideration serving to prepare the way unto what followeth to be spoken unto we come more particularly to handle the words to see what may be drawn out of them for our Information Edification that we may be instructed concerning the nature of this noble Privilege concerning the way how it is brought about persons may be made partakers thereof as also stirred up unto a right Improvement of the truth herein whether we be already made partakers thereof or are yet strangers thereunto We Intend not as we hinted at the beginning to touch upon far less to discuss at lenghth all the many perplexed controversies that are moved both of old of late by men of different Principles perswasions Nor do we intend to handle the several Arguments which the Apostle adduceth for confirmation of the Truth in this matter But our purpose only being to touch upon at least to endeavoure the clearing of some of the Principal Questions moved in this matter in reference to the forementioned ends we shall satisfie our selves at present with speaking to such particulars as the Text will give ground for The words having been cleared the Scope of the Apostle declared which cannot be hid from the eyes of any who will read the purpose there are only two things which call for our Consideration First The Conclusion which the Apostle is disproving confuting with a manifesto to wit That no man is justified in the sight of God by the Law or by the works of the Law Next The argument which the Apostle maketh use of to this end for the just shall live by faith The Apostles way of argueing here elsewhere with the same or the like Argument whereby he stateth an Inconsistency yea an Opposition betwixt justification by the Law justification by faith saith that it will not be very necessary to speak much to that which is here the Apostles Conclusion that is to cleare that justification is not by the works of the Law for the clearing of justification by faith will enforce that of it self We shall not therefore insist upon that howbeit we may in end consider what is said by some for justification by works what way such think to shun the odium of manifestly contradicting the Apostle of maintaining that Errour which he setteth himself so perempâ—orily against as acted by the Spirit of God The Principal thing then which we have here to do is to consider the Import of the Apostles argument for the just shall live by faith yet we are not to consider these words in their just length breadth nor particularly in reference to the use which the Prophet Habbakuk maketh of them Hab. 2 4. this same Apostle Heb. 10 38. of this we have spoken elsewhere But only in reference to the use which the Apostle here maketh of them in clearing up the way how justification is brought about And considering them in this respect we will have two things only to take notice of First The assertion of justification by faith Next The Influence that this assertion hath into the Apostles Conclusion to wit That therefore justification is not by the Law nor by the works of the Law In speaking to the First we will have occasion to speak both to the beginning the nature ground of this change made in justification as also to the continuance of that state of justification And then we will have occasion to show how both the beginning Continuance of justification is by faith for as the sinner at first becometh just or is brought into a justified state by faith so is he carried on continueth in that state of life to the end this being alwayes true that first last the just liveth by faith faith beginneth faith carrieth on this life untill the justified man be glorified The Apostle that we may come to speak something to cleare the nature of this State of justification is asserting
Spirit of God Inclining Drawing Perswading Causing the heart beleeve are real strangers to this grace whatever great Enduements Gifts or ordinary effects of the Spirit they may be possessed of The author of a Discourse of the two Covenants a book recommended to us by Mr. Baxter in his preface prefixed thereunto as a Treatise which will give us much light into the Nature of the Gospel pag. 24. tels us that man himself is not wholly passive in this change or what goes to the making of it but is so far active in it as to denominate what he doth by God's assistance to be his own act Whereby he sufficiently discovereth an Arminian designe yet so qualifieth his expressions as may abundantly show he intendeth to evade For he will not say that man is not at all passive in this change but only that he is not wholly passive and yet he dar not say this confidently but must adde or what goes to the making of it and how much he may comprehend under this who can tell But if man be not passive he must be active How far then is he active So far saith he as to denominate what he doth by God's assistance to be his own act That the act of Faith is mans act is most certain for it is he that beleeveth but the question is what change is wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God before the act of faith be exerted and what hand mans labours and endeavours have in the infusion of the new Principle the Divine Nature Is not the man purely passive in the receiving of the effect of that creating act or in the work of Regeneration That the Lord prescribeth the use of ordinary means wherein the man is to waite for the free gracious working of the Spirit is true but there is no connexion made by the Lord by any Law or Constitution betwixt the use of these meanes and the gracious work of faith nor betwixt ordinary Light Conviction and the like common effects of these meanes and Saving Grace Yet he tels us afterward that if man do but what he can do through the assistance of God's common providente in whom we live move have our being God is most ready through his good pleasure or out of the goodness of his will pleasure to work in him both to will to do savingly to carry the work quite thorow But what Scripture doth teach us this Sure I am that Phil. 2 12 13. with which he ushereth in this discourse giveth no ground for this for that is spoken to such in whom the work of Salvation is already begun and who are commanded to work it out to say that the case is the same is to overturne the whole Gospel and present us with pure Pelagianisme is there as sure certane a connexion betwixt mans work of nature God's gracious works of Grace as is betwixt the work of grace Begun Carried on His adducing afterward p. 25. the commands to make ourselves a new heart to repent c. to enforce this is but the old Pelagian argument brought againe upon the stage to which I have said what I hope will befound Consonant to the Scripture in my book against the Quakers But this man discovereth himself more plainly afterward pag. 28 where after mentioning some acts of men which cannot be called acts of super-natural grace he tels us if men will but go thus far as they can out of a real-desire to â—e happy I should make no question but that the Spirit of God would yeeld them his assistance to carry them quite through in the work of conversion Beside that connexion whereof he maketh no question though the orthodox have hithertill denied it writting against Pelagians Iesuites Arminians we may observe this here That nature can carry the work of conversion quite through having only the assistance of the Spirit of God and what difference is there then betwixt Nature Begun Grace for begun Grace needeth the assistance of the Spirit of God to work Salvation quite thorow and Nature needeth no more where are then the Infused Habites Is Regeneration only brought about by assistance Need they who are dead no more but Assistance If this Author help us to clearness in the doctrine of the Gospel it must be the Gospel that only Pelagians Iesuites Arminians Quakers owne but not the Gospel of the Grace of God revealed to us in the Word which telleth us of something more requisite unto the Conversion of a sinner to the bringing of him to Beleeve Repent than the Cooperation of God's assistance as he speaketh pag. 25. mans endeavours He tels us pag. 26. that there is a promise of divine assistance to Man using his â—ndeavours in doing what he may can do towards the performing the condition of the Covenant But he showeth us not where that promise is to be found and pag. 17. he talks of an implicit promise and this he very wonderfully inferreth from the Gospel that was preached to Abraham for thus he speaketh for God in promising blessedness to the Nations through Abrahams seed therein promised all that was absolutly necessary for him to vouch safe to make them blessed without which they could not be blessed And if so then he therein implicitly promised to assist the endeavours of men to perform the condition of the promise without the assistance of whose grace they cannot savingly beleeve repent obey Whence it would seem 1 that all men are comprehended within this promise and 2 That no more is promised in reference to the Elect than to the Reprobat 3 That the promise of faith Repentance is but a promise of of Assistance 4 And this promise of Assistance is not to assist Grace but to assist Nature 5 That the promise of Faith Repentance was but an implicite promise This is a sufficient taste of this Authors Pelagian-Gospel 4. We proceed This work of the Spirit upon the soul whereby the man is brought to a closing with and to a resting upon Christ is ordinarily wrought by the word for faith cometh by hearing hearing by the word of God Rom. 10 17. The Lord hath established that great Ordinance of Preaching for this end and for this end he blesseth it unto his chosen ones we meane not this exclusivly as iâ— the word could no other way be-blessed for he blesseth as he seeth good for this end the Reading of Meditation on the word also though the grand special mean be the Preaching as we see Act. 2 37 41. 8 26-30 26 18. The Lord it is true may send wakenings by his Judgments by other like Occasions may blesse the private Endeavours of Parents friends by their private Instructions Admonitions yet all these are no way prejudicial unto but rather contribute to the confirming of the privilege of the word as the Principal Mean