the firmament that is clothed with the glorious robes of Christs perfect righteousnesse making her wheresoever she sitteth or walketh to shine as glorious in Gods eyes as the sunne shineth glorious in our eyes when shee shineth in her brightest hue Thus hath Christ made his Church to himselfe a glorious Church Ephes 5. 27. And hath the moone under her feet that is the righteousnesse of the Law directing the feet of her walking and conversation here before men and shining by sanctification declaratively to man-ward Matth. 5. 16. as the moone shineth and giveth light that is man walking in the dark night of this world and yet hath this moone of sanctification on under her feet as of small esteeme in comparison of the glorious sunne of Christs perfect righteousnesse with which she is clothed Phil. 3. 8 9. And hath a Crowne of twelve stars upon her head that is hath the doctrine of the Gospel taught by the twelve Apostles and all faithfull Ministers likened to stars Rev. 1. 16 20. in highest esteem as her chiefest ornament or crowne And thus we see how Christ who knew no sin was made sinne for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God by true faith in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. And thus much bee briefly spoken of the excellency of the two parts of free iustification 4. Fourthly and lastly for the right understanding and powerfull laying forth of the excellency of free Justification we must deeply consider and diligently lay forth the excellent effects and precious fruits of free Justification which are briefly all needfull blessings both temporall and eternall but chiefly and especially these sixe following 1. First that by this free Justification we are reconciled to God and so restored into his love and favour again that all anger and displeasure of God being ceased and abolished towards us God is well pleased and at peace with us as it was notably prophesied by the Prophet saying I will heale their backslidings and I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him Hosea 14. 4. But how came wee to bee thus healed why Christ was wounded for our transgressions Christ was broken or bruised for our iniquity The chastisement of our peace was laid upon him and with his stripes we are healed Esay 53. 5. Therefore saith the Apostle being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5. 1. 2 The second excellent effect is that by the very hearing meditating and reading to search into the truth and learning of this benefit of free Justification the holy Ghost is freely and experimentally given unto us to dwell in us and to take up our souls and bodies to be his blessed temples to dwell in us as these and such like Scriptures teach Received ye the spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith that is of free Justification preached Gal. 3. 2. For whilst Peter was preaching of the death and resurrection of Christ justifying and freely saving Gods people even whilst he was speaking the holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word Acts 10. 44. Therefore saith S. Paul Know you not that your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost which is in you 1 Cor. 3. 16. and 6. 19. For if any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8. 9. For when Paul preached the resurrection of Christ that from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses by Christs resurrection every one that beleeveth is justified Then the beleevers were filled with joy and with the holy Ghost Acts 13. 39. 52. 3. The third excellent effect of Free Justification is that the justified person is by the holy Ghost thus dwelling in him so united and truly married as a glorious Bride and Queene so effectually unto Christ that he is made a very member of Christ flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Therefore did the Apostle say Know yee not that your bodies are the members of Christ Yea he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit 1 Cor. 6. 15 17. For saith Paul As the body is one and hath many members and all the members of the body though they be many yet are but one body even so is Christ for by one spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be bond or free and have beene all made to drink into one spirit 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. Now therefore ye are the body of Christ and members for your part vers 27. Yea I say so truly and effectually that wee are members of his body and of his flesh and of his bones Ephes 5. 30. Oh how truly doth the Apostle call these benefits thus freely wrought upon us by the blood of Christ unsearchable riches Eph. 3. 8. God make us to search into them deeper 4 The fourth excellent effect of our free Justification is that hereby we are adopted and made the true children even sonnes and daughters of the living God Therefore doth St. Iohn say As many as received him namely to justifie them by his blood and death to them he gave the prerogative or dignity to bee the sonnes of God For Christ hath redeemed us from under the Law that wee might receive the adoption of sonnes And because we are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into our hearts to cry Abba father Gal. 4. 5 6. And therefore S. Iohn crying out in admiration of this great dignity said Behold what love the Father hath shewed toward us that wee things of nothing Psal 144. 4. should be called the sonnes of God And now we are the sonnes of God but it is not made manifest what wee shall be but wee know that when he which is the son shall appeare we shall be like him 1 Iohn 3. 1 2. 5 The fifth excellent effect of this free Justification is that by it wee are made assured heires of eternall glory For so saith S. Paul That we being justified by his free grace are made heires of eternall life Tit. 3. 7. For if we bee children we are also heires even heires of God and joint heires with Christ Rom. 8. 17. For whom God justifieth them he also glorifieth Rom. 8. 30. And therefore is free Justification called the justification of life Rom. 5. 18. Wherefore Paul testifieth thus I reckon that the sufferings of this life are not worthy to bee compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us Rom. 8. 18. 6. The sixth excellent effect of free justification is that by it we are made as the upshot and fulnesse of all that our hearts can wish truly blessed For saith Saint Paul David pronounceth that man or that woman to be a blessed man or a blessed woman to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without works Rom. 4. 6. whereof hee testifieth further to the Galathians saying The Scripture that is the Spirit of God speaking
THE DISCOVERY of the most dangerous Dead Faith BY JOHN EATON Mr of Arts and sometime Student in Trinity Colledg in Oxford and 15. yeers Minister and Preacher at Wickham-Market in Suffolk The second Impression with an Addition of Abrahams Steps of Faith and The true Treasure of the Heart By the same Authour LONDON Printed by R. Bishop for William Adderton and are to be sold at his shop in Duck-lane 1642. THE DISCOVERY of the most dangerous Dead Faith BY JOHN EATON Mr of Arts and sometime Student in Trinity Colledg in Oxford and 15. yeers Minister and Preacher at Wickham Market in Suffolk Heb. 2. 12. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe in departing away from the living God LONDON Printed by R. Bishop for William Adderton and are to be sold at his shop in Duck-lane 1642. The Preface to the READER Christian Reader THE elect vessel of God St Paul gave two speciall and cleare prophesies of things to be fulfilled before the second comming of our Lord Iesus Christ the first of the rising reigne and fall of Antichrist as he saith 2 Thes 2 3 4. that the day of Christ shall not come except there come a falling way first to wit from faith and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition who opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God Concerning whom the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times men shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils speaking lies in hypocrisie having their conscience seared with an hot iron forbidding to marry and commanding to absteine from meats which God hath ordained c. 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 3. All which we now see to be in these latter times clearely revealed and plainly fulfilled and that the man of sin is consumed with the Spirit of Christs mouth that is the Word of God and shall be destroyed to wit utterly with the brightnesse or glory of his comming 2 Thes 2. 8. The other Prophesie followes this plainly describing these our last daies wherein the truth of the Gospel being againe restored and the purity of faith againe professed yet people should be such sleepy embracers of the same and such dead unprofitable unfruitfull atheisticall and unthankful receivers and professors of it that these last dayes should bee farre more perillous and dangerous than the former Which prophesie although some seeme to conjoyne it as all one with the former which for the neer following one of another may beare the more easie interpretation yet Saint Paul doth distinguish them and plainely sever this later from the former as being for time the later yea in the last dayes and for nature the more perillous and dangerous and therefore he saith not in the later times as in the former Prophesie But this know saith he also that in novissimis or extrem is diebus in the last dayes of all shall come hard and perilous times Wherein hard and perilous Because saith he men namely such as professed themselves reformed Christians shall be lovers of their owne selves covetous boasters or braggers proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankfull unholy without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers or make-bates incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God Must it not needs bee a very hard and dangerous living in these last dayes with such a viperous generation as these But that which followes after is more hard and dangerous namely having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof 2 Tim. 3. to the 5. Marke I pray that herein lieth the great perill and danger of these last dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is having the forme shew and appearance of faith piety and true godlinesse they deny or are farre from the truth vertue or power of faith and godlinesse having indeed neither faith nor love and so are not only overwhelmed themselves in the most dangerous dead faith to the fearfull deceiving and utter destruction of their own soules but also doe so dangerously inwrap the very elect in this dead faith that if it were possible the very elect might finally bee deceived and perish therein And hereby for a time may be deceived because they doe not mark that there are two sorts of such as are in this dead faith The first sort are such and those very many as being borne and brought up in the outward visible Church can talke of Christ and of some generall points of God and his Gospell saying that they hope to be saved by Christ because they thinke that they beleeve and are of that true Religion that all their Countrey is of but being ignorant of the horrible filthinesse of sin before God and of the infinite pure and righteous nature of God against sin and thereby ignorant and carelesse of free justification that only heales them doe continue in their old corrupt natures and are Crab-trees bringing forth only the sower and bitter Crab-apples of a prophane life and a secure and carelesse loose conversation who though they sooth and flatter themselves in this ignorant dead faith and hope they shall doe well enough or at least as well as their neighbours yet doth God by the Prophet Esay denounce against them saying It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will have no mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Esay 27. 11. Therefore hell hath enlarged her selfe and opened her mouth above measure and their glory and their multitude and their pomp and hee that rejoyceth shall descend into it Esay 5. 14. The other sort that are in this dead faith are such as seeme to be awaked out of this dead lethargie and professing a better feeling of sin and a deeper consideration of their lost estate and misery by sinne aspire with a stronger desire and a far greater earnestnesse to life and salvation But because they are naturally conceipted that the meanes to attaine this life and salvatition is to leave their sinne and to become good holy just and righteous therefore they neglect free justification the only true meanes and way to life and salvation and set light of faith in Christs righteousnesse which doth perfectly justifie before God and are carried with a blinde preposterous zeale after their owne good workes and well doings secretly seeking to become good holy just and righteous before God by their diligent keeping carefull walking in all Gods Commandements and so by a carnal understanding of justification are carried away from Christ and true free justification to hang upon their own good works and well-doings and thereby instead of life and free salvation doe drowne themselves in sinne death and eternall damnation and yet under a deepe conceit of great holinesse and righteousnesse
sepulchre with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of Asps is under their lips whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse their feet are swift by anger and malice to shed blood destruction and misery are in their wayes and the way of peace they have not knowne there is no feare of God before their eyes And whereas the naturall man in the dead faith will by his civill honest and supposed sanctified life put all this away from himselfe to such as are profane and grosly wicked saying that this is spoken of them that are meerly and wholly in the estate of nature and that so peradventure he might have been such a one but now thanks be unto God he is not such a one yet the true sanctified children of God that are truly enlightned to see the spirituall meaning of the Law doe grant and truly feele that by their daily and continuall spirituall breaches of the Law they are truly such indeed as Paul here describeth so shut up under sin both they and all their best sanctified good works Gal. 3. 22. that there is not one that doth good no not one Whereby they feele that every mouth even of the most sanctified is stopped and all the world is found subject to the judgement of God A cleare example of the truth hereof is Paul himselfe who although he was one of the most sanctified amongst men yet he cried out saying The Law is spirituall but I am carnall sold under sinne for to will is present with me but I finde no meanes how to performe that which is good Rom. 7. 18. And thus feeling in himselfe with the Prophet Esay that all his righteousnesse of sanctification was as foule menstrous filthy rags Esay 64. 6. because in all his good works he brake the tenth Commandement and so as much as lay in him did destroy himselfe in all his good works Hosea 13. 9. Even death it selfe being in the pot of his most sanctified good works and best actions therefore hee cried out O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. This is to bee slaine by the Law this is to understand the Law rightly especially the tenth Commandement And this is the first means to come out of this dead faith and to call others out of the same being throughly marked and deeply considered 2 The second meanes to come out of this dead faith and to call others out of the same is truly to understand and open unto others the excellency of free justification That as the spirit hath convinced us and all our best works of sinne by the looking-glasse of the Law so the spirit may also convince us of free given righteousnesse Joh. 16. 8 9 10. namely that wee and all our works are of unjust made just that is perfestly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely by faith only without works And mark how I say not simply free justification but the excellency of free Justification must be diligently looked into and deeply considered in foure principall respects 1 First in the most excellent and glorious causes of it being the glorious work of the whole Godhead wherein God the Father in giving his sonne and God the sonne in pouring forth his blood and life and God the holy Ghost in applying it to us and in cloathing though mystically yet truly our souls and bodies with this wedding garment and in creating the new eyes of faith to see these spirituall riches doe all work severally and wonderfully to effect the same upon us and that also freely onely by free grace that is God respectign no goodnesse or worthinesse in us to deserve the same but rather that we feele our wretched misery nor respecting no evils or unworthinesse in us to hinder the free taking of his rich grace That it might be to the praise of the glory of his free grace wherewith hee hath made us freely accepted in his beloved one Eph. 1. 6. And for this cause doth God bestow this benefit upon us that is upon the young children of Christian parents usually and ordinarily in our baptisme even when wee were little Infants God pitying our misery when we could not pitty our selves and washed us from the spirituall blood of our originall sinne Ezek. 16. 6 9. with the washing of the new birth and renewing of the holy Ghost that we being iustified by his grace should be made heires of eternall life Tit. 3. 5 6 7. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having made us pure and clean by the washing of water through the word That hee might even when wee were little senselesse Infants and thereby as good as double dead to all sense and feeling in trespasses and sinnes and by nature the children of wrath make us to himselfe a glorious Church not having now at this present time as the Greeke and Latine participles signifie one spot or wrinkle of sinne or any such thing but are holy and without blame Ephes 5. 26 27. Because wee are made thus perfectly pure and clean before God not onely from that one offense of our originall sinne but also from all the many actuall sinnes of our whole life even in our baptisme even when we are Infants that is utterly helplesse in our selves that all this blessednesse may be the more freely upon us And that as Saint Paul saith Although the iudgment was by one offense unto condemnation yet the gift is not so but the free gift is of many offenses to iustification Rom. 5. 16. So that if by one mans offense death reigned by one much more they that receive that abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse shall reigne in life by one that is Iesus Christ vers 17. And thus wee see that as there is no difference of young or old but all have sinned and are deprived and come short of the glory of God so all that receive this free gift of righteousnesse are justified freely by Gods grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Rom. 3. 23 24. And thus much of the excellent causes of free justification briefly touched 2. Secondly wee must consider deeply the excellent nature it self of free iustification in that it is the head and chiefest benefit of the Gospel whereby by the power of Gods imputation we are so clothed with the wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse that of uniust we are made iust before God that is so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely by faith alone without works That as St. Paul speaketh wee are made the righteousnesse of God in him that is in this faith in him The excellency of which benefit was so rightly marked and so diligently considered by Chrysostome that he thereupon breaketh out into these words of ioy and admiration of the same saying Qualis sermo what a saying is this what heart or understanding can