sense before either Justification or Pardon but that mighty Rays and Beams of each must be broken out to the Soul before it enters into the Beginnings of Eternal Life by Faith and Repentance is very hard to understand except Faith and Repentance are ascrib'd to Man as the Products of his own Power and Will If they are from God his Justifying Righteousness and Pardon are come near when-ever where-ever he gives Faith and Repentance And as it may be most necessary in some regards to Preach Faith and Repentance as in order to Pardon and Justification so is it no less necessary to be as Free and Large that without graciousest Approaches of the Righteousness of God and Christ brought near Faith and Repentance lye for ever dead that every unconverted Person may gasp up to God and Christ for that Grace that is abundant in Him The intention is not that Pardon or Justification can be without Faith or Repentance but whether Justification doth not draw and excite its own Faith and Pardon it s own Repentance So that they are rather before Faith and Repentance than Faith and Repentance before them And which Preaching is most to be preferr'd in the Nature of Things without respect to the Present Necessity and for the Time Being That which is most abundant in ascribing to the Principal or in pressing the Less Principal and Subordinate I make no doubt the Singing the new Song before spoken of Rev. 14. will in a short time determine And yet I defer all that ought to be deferr'd to those whose Spirits are both enlarg'd and enabled to offer to the Souls of Men the things wherein God appears as the Rector of the World offering Faith and Repentance in order to Justification and Pardon while the Secret Springs of his Justifying and Pardoning Grace give the very Faith and Repentance required But surely great respect may be had to what is to be without violating what is even as Sacrifices are debas'd Esa 1. in foresight of their final removal by Christ Head 13. Sinners have much to do to be saved Conciliation Even the Righteous arc scarcely saved For with Men it 's impossible but with God all things are possible I can do all things through Christ strengthening me My Yoke saith Christ is easie my Burden is light I will run the way of thy Commandments when Thou shall enlarge my Heart The Joy of the Lord is Strength His Delight is in the Law of the Lord Faithful is he that hath Promised and will Perform it to the Day of Jesus Christ Great and Precious Promises are given whereby we are made Partakers of the Divine Nature We can do nothing againstst the Truth but for the Truth All these with innumerable more of the like shew the Certainty and the Easiness of the Salvation of God's Elect. And yet as we look to Man and his Motion and Action these Things are impossible For there is no doubt Holiness and New Obedience are the Paths wherein though with many Imperfections Falls and weaknesses in the present state God carries his Elect to Life and Salvation And the Way is narrow and the Gate strait and require striving to Enter But God is their strength who keeps their Foot from being taken that they walk in their way safely and their Steps are not straitned He makes their Feet as Hinds Feet and sets them on High Places They that wait on the Lord run and are not weary They walk and faint not He girdeth them with strength By him they leap over a Wall Head 14 15. I joyn these Two together The Gospel hath Threats and Promises Holiness and Good Works are necessary to Salvation Conciliation As upon the gracious Councels of God before All Worlds Began so upon this very Point among all the Disposes of God in time the Hinge of these Points turns For if the Gospel be a Law full of all Holy and Righteous Precepts to which Faith and Repentance introduce us arm'd with its Promises and Threats and so setled as a Covenant that who of himself accepts the Terms of it by Faith and Repentance under the Assurance of the Assistances of the Divine Spirit are accepted and shall have All the Benefits of it and whoever will not shall be Damn'd and his Judgment shall be more intollerable because he refuses such gracious Terms offerr'd This doth I confess perfectly overthrow Dr. Crisp's Scheme For then Christ comes in as a Law-giver and having all Judgment committed to him and there is a Mediatorian Law and Covenant in the Hand of the Mediator of more gracious condescention than that of the Covenant of Works but the last result of all is into the free Will of Man and his Action in compliance with this Covenant Thus of the Law and the Covonant of Works as the First Law there is a Perfect Abrogation as a Law but as the Holiness and Righteousness of it are transplanted into this New Law so here is as to that Law a perfect Antinomianism and all Mankind are only under this Law and Justification Salvation or Death and Condemnation are according to Obedience or Disobedience to this Law or Gospel-Covenant of which the Conditions are Faith and Repentance But if the Gospel in the Supreme Intention of it and in the Propriety of its Nature be a Covenant of Grace wherein God is pleas'd to be from his own free purpose of Grace the Soveraign Covenantee and his Elect bear the Analogy or part of Covenantees as at the other Extreme and Jesus Christ the Mediator Surety and Testator pass between both that all may be perform'd Mediating with God for his efficacious Grace in giving the Divine Dispositions promised in this Covenant as if perform'd by the Covenantees So bringing every thing in effect from God to us and from us to God and by his Death having right as a Testator to bestow the very things upon All given to him by God to give Eternal Life to them John 17. 2. Then shall the Gospel or New Testament be supremely a Ministration of the Spirit of Righteousness of Life according to 2 Cor. 3. And in its Subordinate Nature it shall be a Publication of the Divine Grace and Love to Mankind in general upon the Terms of Faith and Repentance The Law all this time stands in its own place as the Eternal Sanction of Holiness and Righteousness and can never be abrogated because it is Eternal Righteousness but it is as a Covenant so far mitigated as to accept the Satisfaction it requires from a Mediator and so it is in the Hand of a Mediator Gal. 3. 19. Towards whom it commands Faith and Repentance or return to God by him even as it is a Law of Eternal Righteousness Requiring Faith and Obedience to all Manifestations from God sufficiently testified to be from him and as these Manifestations of Grace are the only possibility left to a fallen Nature to return into a State of Agreement with God Hereupon the Law
becomes a Standard by which the full Value of the Satisfaction of Christ by his Sacrifice and Obedience unto Justification and the Infinite Grace of God in Pardon is tryed and made glorious by which the Duties of Humiliation Confession of Sin Application to Christ for Righteousness Repentance should be both understood and urged Here is the Rule for Holiness and new Obedience out of which all the Holy Precepts of the Gospel are drawn Hereby the Remainders of Sin are Discern'd and Humiliation under them wrought Hereby is the Infinite Grace of Christ towards his Legatees his Redeemed set at full Light in working an Inward Conformity to this Holy Law in all parts of it And hereby the Government of God committed to Christ is continued with Relation to all Mankind even to all not given to him For they who have the Gospel Preached to them are judged not only according to the Law of Righteousness first written in the Heart but according to this Divine Revelation and Grace which highly aggravates their Disobedience and makes it more Tollerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for them Mat. 10. 24. They who have not the Gospel are judged according to that Law and Light of Nature They have concerning the Law and that Witness of an Intention of Grace God gives to them in giving Fruitful Times and Seasons and all the Discoveries of his Patience Leading them to Repentance even as the King of Nineveh who shall rise up in Judgment and condemn Heathens who have not by such a Light from the forbearance of God argued to Repentance as he did And thus are the Secrets of all Hearts judged according to the Apostles Gospel as he said Rom. 2. 16. Some Ombrage of which Heathens have Thus the Law is established and preserved in its full Authority and the Gospel is also establish'd as Divine Revelation and in its High purely promissory Part as a Ministration of the Spirit And if the Designation of the Gospel be particularly singled out for the most powerful Preaching of it by some and yet in the mean time the more large and universal Motion and Doctrin of the Gospel be Preach'd more universally by the most of the Preachers whom the Spirit of God according also to the general Stream of Scripture hath so Missiond Commission'd and Enabled I cannot see but here may be the Sweetest Union and as great a Conspiration as between the Apostle Paul and the Apostle James while one tells us a Man justifyed by Faith without Works and the Last tells us by what of Faith viz not by the Body of Faith or a Confession of Faith but by the Spirit of it the Vis Essectrix or Operatrix the working Efficacy of it which I take on great Reason to be the very true Expedient of Reconciliation between the two Apostles and yet in both by the Righteousness of Christ by Faith alone and that Faith given only by Christ So all is of Grace Ephes 2. For Faith and all its Works flow from the Blood and Righteousness of Christ drawing nigh to his Elect People to Regenerate and to justifie together Titus 3. 5. c. And surely by a close and universal Compare of Scripture The Day of Judgment must be according to this very same Grace For when the Spirits of Saints are immediately with Christ and He receives them who Dye and Sleep in him in a Moment in the Twinkling of an Eye made Perfect and when they are Raised Incorruptible he brings them with him and they together with Christ Judge Angels and the World And it is given to them to Appear in Robes wash'd white in the Blood of the Lamb and to be Cloathed in Linnen white and clean which is the Righteousness of the Saints and he presents them to himself without Spot Wrinckle or any such Thing It cannot be understood that the Day of Judgment in relation to the Saints is by way of Tryal of Judgment on particular Actions But their very Appearance is their Absolution and Adjudgment to Glory as Clad in the rich Robes Wash'd in the Blood of the Lamb All their Graces and Holy Duties fill'd up and their Sins perfectly blotted out and remainders of Corruption effaced by Grace perfected in Glory On the other side The wicked have Appearances in their Sins having found them out covering them as a Garment of Dishonour and as filthy Garments that expose them immediately to Condemnation And as if their particular Sins were written upon them and the Condemnation together with them And thus each appear visibly before the Throne Tribunal and Judgment Seat of Christ during the whole Thousand Years of his Kingdom One Crowned with Glory and Honour the other cover'd with Shame and Contempt If any should object Christs insisting on the particular Duty of Visiting Cloathing Feeding Mat. 25. either as perform'd or neglected It is to be observ'd each sort first were set one on the Right Hand the other on the Left one as Sheep the other as Goats So the Tryal was easie If it be further said God will bring every Work into Judgment whether it be Good or Evil. This I attribute to the mighty Power and Wisdom of God giving together with every Person before his Judgment all the Holy Actions of Saints wash'd and perfected in and by the Blood of Jesus and fill'd up with his Grace and by the Spirit as in a Moment an Atom of Time the Twinkling of an Eye and their Sins so taken away as not only not to be found but not to be Whereas the Talents of wicked Men that is any good Things they had here not being purged by his Blood perfected by his Obedience and fill'd up by his Spirit are taken from them and they appear All in their Sins And thus the Order of Things at that Day is according to the free Grace of Election Calling Justification and Sanctification covered under Justification in that Chain of Salvation Rom. 8. and Glorification springing from all Head 15. Holiness and good Works are necessary to Salvation Conciliatiion Good Works are so as they are the Provision and Preparation of God even of his Eternal free Grace in furnishing us with them and as we are his Workmanship in Christ Jesus Created to them But the Number Measure Elevation of them in higher or lower Degrees of Excellency so diverse in Saints shew the Foundation of our Salvation as well as Justification rests elsewhere Head 16. Good Works are profitable and please God Conciliation They do so as they are the Fruits of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Disposalls of his free Grace in us and to us and so by us And as God is pleas'd to shew himself as the Supreme Rector and Governor according to his Holy Law but yet so that the Poles on which Salvation moves are the Grace of God in our Election and his Acceptation of us to Righteousness in Christ and if he leave any of his Servants in their Service and
there are to the other and the one are sav'd and brought home to God under the same means the other are lost 7. This Inward Grace and the Outward Administration exceedingly differ For the Inward Grace is Love Spirit Life the Outward Administration is to speak nothing now of the Government of Christ by the Laws and Light of Nature where his Word is not in Outward Administration where it is by the Overtures of his Word upon the Understanding Wills Affections and Consciences of his Subjects one with another By that Ministry of his Word he presses upon all the Obedience of Faith Repentance and Holyness the Duties required of us which according to the Inward Grace and Love to his own he gives the Inward Efficacy and Almighty Operation of 8. In the Inward Grace and the Operations of it there is a vesting them in the Faculties of his Election and a Conduct of their Internal Action upon their own Minds and Hearts and of the Principles of Outward Action which flow in all Conformity and Agreeableness thereunto so that the Vehicle is our selves but the Inspiration is God's and Christ's 9. From all this it is evident That although there is on many Accounts after to be given a large Field and Scope of Preaching and Discoursing upon and according to the outward Administration yet it is of Superior Necessity to preserve the Fountains of Grace and Love of Power and Spirit clear the Foundations sure and firm and though there may be Fault in not being large enough upon and according to the outward Administration because it shews the necessity of and as a School-master brings to the Inward and manifests how it diffuses it self yet the Error and Danger is greater in not sufficiently both securing and illustrating the Doctrin of the Inward Grace For many more have perish'd in sticking upon the Outward without being led in the Inward than by applying most to the Inward For that always when it is admir'd ador'd and receiv'd diffuses it self into the Outward So that if Eternal Love and Grace is Christ be so taught as that its Efficacyes are always shewn to be in all Holyness and Purity If it pleases the All-wise Spirit to carry any of the Spirits of his Servants wholly upon the Inward Grace seeing he ballances them by many Men of his Servants largely insisting upon the Outward Administration therefore such his Servants are not to be blam'd but God is to be acknowledg'd in his manifold Graces and unspeakable Gifts by the one and by the other 10. The Glorious Appearance of all these is not till in the Fulness not only of Time as in our Lord 's Coming but in the Fulness of Times viz. of all Time in the Kingdom of Christ Then shall be a Recollection a Recapitulation a Gathering and a Gathering together of all in Christ Then shall the Riches of Inward Grace be found to Praise and Glory And the Wisdom Righteousness and admirable Long-Suffering and Patience of the External Administration and Government of God and Christ as Rector and Judge of the Universe be admir'd and ador'd also towards even the Lost Having thus laid a general Scheme I come now particularly to make brief Conciliations of the true and most enlarg'd Apprehensions and Discourses upon even Eternal free Grace in Christ towards all the Elect of God according to Dr. Crisp with Mr. Williams's weighty and most valuable Considerations upon the Outward Administration of the Gospel Covenant according to his Heads of Discourse at the end of his Book Head 1. To the first Head The Elect are Children of Wrath till effectually call'd As it may be oppos'd to all Dr. Crisp hath said concerning the Elect being before Faith and Repentance as much deliver'd from Wrath even as the Believer is or as a Saint Triumphant in Heaven is Reconciliation If we speak as Creatures of Time the Elect are Children of Wrath but why may there not be a Declaration of that great and supreme Truth setting out the Eternal Love of God in Christ to all his Elect even while they are of and in themselves in the Gall of Bitterness and under the Bond of Iniquity For without Relation to the having done Good or Evil in the mere Estate of Nature which is in fallen Men a State of Wrath. It is said Jacob have I loved Now what more contrary to the State of a Child of Wrath than to be Loved of God So concerning Reconciliation as by the Death of Christ the Apostle says God commendeth his Love to us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ dyed for the Vngodly When we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son Rom. 5 8 10. Here then is the Case God the Supreme and Eternal Being beholds all things in as they speak a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a just now even Dr. Hammond however so great an Enemy to a particular Predestination acknowledges this view of all things by the Eternal Being The Question then is Whether an Eternity of Love and Grace an Eternal Duration in Happiness after the short time of Life and some parts of that short time of Life rescu'd from Wrath also may not preponderate in giving the Denomination to the Elect Or why may not the Preaching of Gods Infinite and Eternal Love and Grace be made an Instrument of the Divine Spirit for the winning in the Souls of his Elect to himself When God says I have Loved thee with an everlasting Love therefore with loving Kindness have I drawn thee Jer. 31 3. Or why should an◠Man hereupon presume to continue in Sin When it is agreed on both Parts Electing Love and Reconciliation by the Death of Christ have most indispensable efficacious Emanations into Holyness while therefore there is a black and dark side of being pass'd over by God hanging over all continuing in Impurity to work upon Men by Terror and Affrightment out of Sin why may not the setting out that Grace Work every way effectually both by the Bands of Love and the Goads of Fear to move Persons home to Christ and we know Men are naturally desirous of and ever Industrious after whatever they account Tokens of what they call being Born to good Fortune and as naturally fly from all the Marks of what is call'd ill Fortune I see therefore no Reason but it should strongly affect Men among whom Scripture is setledly receiv'd and so ought to be universally Preached when they hear of so Gracious a Choice of God to desire with greatest Vehemency to find in themselves any Manifestations of it it being the surest Ground of Hope and to be under the Dread of any of the black Marks of Rejection as being pass'd by of God Of which Efficacious Holyness or Unholiness are respectively the Tokens and Indications And though it must be acknowledg'd There is a Point of Time in which God speaking as in the Language of Time does style his Elect Children of Wrath even as others