of Faith ch 14. a. 2. Declarat ch 14. a. 2. of Saving Faith By this Grace a Christian believeth to be true whatever is revealed in the Word for the Authority of God speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular Passage thereof containeth yielding Obedience to the Commands Trembling at the Threatnings and Embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come But the principal Acts of Saving Faith are Accepting Receiving and Resting upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life by virtue of the Covenant of Grace Reader weigh this sound Account of Faith Which if it were regarded and no Essential part of it excluded when Faith is considered as a Condition of any Gospel-Benefit How much vain Disputes would be prevented as well as Danger to poor Souls And one would think no Man need prove That it is not Saving Faith when any Essential part of it is wanting And that it must be Saving Faith when we mention Faith as the Condition or Moral Instrument of any Saving Benefit ERROUR Saving Faith is nothing but our Persuasion or absolute Concluding within our selves That our Sins are pardoned and that Christ is ours Proved that this is Doctor Crisp 's Opinion The Doctor tells us pag. 493. The whole Essence of Faith is nothing else but the Echo of the Heart answering the foregoing Voice of the Spirit and Word of Grace Thy Sins are forgiven thee saith the Spirit and Word of Grace My Sins are forgiven me saith Faith And the Soul that can assume thus from the Spirit and Word of Grace hath the whole Essence of Believing When the Doctor pag. 107. puts a Man on examining his Faith he hath these words How do I know I believe in Christ He Answers Do I rest my Heart upon this Truth Do I receive it as a Truth that I do believe Or do I reject it and will not receive it Then I do not believe But if you sit down and rest upon this Truth and receive it and do in reality believe it then you may absolutely conclude Christ is yours And pag. 296. If the Lord I say again give to any to believe this Truth That it is his Iniquity the Lord hath laid on Christ God himself cannot charge one Sin on that Man And pag. 158. he makes the difference betwixt a strong and weak Believer to consist in the Degree of this Persuasion See more in chap. 10 11. Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not whether Assurance be attainable in this Life as the Effect of Faith 2. Nor whether a Sinner ought to apply yea doth personally apply the general Offers of Christ and Life by his own Compliance with the Terms of the Gospel For upon a true Acceptance of a whole Christ he is mine in virtue of the Gospel Promise which God will perform in giving Christ and Life to all that accept of him as he is proposed for our Acceptance 3. Nor whether a convinced Sinner hath at first a more especial regard to Christ's Priestly Offices and Sufferings as what are more sensibly fitted to his guilty State 4. Nor whether every thing recorded in the Scriptures must not be dwelt on with the same regard concern and assurance as the Essentials of the Covenant of Life 5. Nor whether Faith contain in it a reliance on Christ as the only Saviour and on his Satisfaction and Merits as what alone purchased our Pardon and Acceptance as well as it includes the realizing Assent to the Truth and unfeigned fiducial Consent to and Acceptance of a whole Christ in all his Offices All these I affirm The real Difference 1. Whether the whole Essence of Saving Faith consists in an Inward Persuasion or Assurance that our Sins are pardoned and Christ is ours This the Doctor affirms and I deny yea I deny that it is at all of the Essence of Saving Faith 2. Whether Saving Faith include not in its nature that powerful efficacious Assent to the Word and fiducial consenting Acceptance of Christ as Prophet Priest and King with a Reliance on his Merits and obediential Regards to God as the TRUTH above-mentioned doth express This the Doctor denies and I affirm The Truth confirmed 1. Faith is not an Assurance or Inward Persuasion That Christ is ours and our Sins are pardoned For 1. Men may have this Persuasion who do not savingly believe They in Mat. 7. 22. had this when they cried Lord Lord open to us Neither did the foolish Virgins seem without it Mal. 25. 1 2. Yea it's what the most profligate Sinners grow secure by to their own Destruction and this upon the general Word of Grace 2. Many true Believers have not this Persuasion let common Experience be consulted 3. Such as have had Assurance do by the Doctor 's Opinion fall into the Sin of damning Unbelief whenever they doubt their Interest in Christ and especially if they conclude that they have not this Interest A sad Doom on many pious Souls 4. This Persuasion should suppose an Interest in Christ and doth not give it It 's a false Conclusion That Christ is mine before he is so And must the great term of Life be a Lye We are to examine our selves whether we be in the Faith and so whether Christ be in us before we assure our selves that he is in us 2 Cor. 13. 5. And where hath God made this Proposition My Sins are laid upon Christ to be the Object of Saving Faith This Proposition is not God nor Christ nor any part of the Scripture unless you suppose a General Redemption and that to the actual Pardon of every Sinner And as the Word of Grace promiseth Pardon to none but a Believer so the Spirit speaks it to none but to the Believer as a Believer 2. Saving Faith includes the Essentials expressed in the above-mentioned Truth as Assent Trust Consenting Acceptance of Christ Reliance c. This appears 1. Faith can be no less than the Soul's Answer to the Call of God in our effectual Vocation And to this all those things are necessary 2 Pet. 1. 3. 2. The Scriptures describe Saving Faith by all these Acts It 's the Evidence of things not seen and Substance of things hoped for Heb. 11. 1. It 's a Receiving of Christ Joh. 1. 12. which must be as God gives him and that is a Witness a Leader and Commander of the People Isa. 55. 4. Acts 3. 26. to bless us in turning every one of you from his iniquity Rom. 15. 12. In him shall the Gentiles trust Isa. 44. 5. One shall say I am the Lord's and another shall subscribe with his Hand unto the Lord which express consent 3. Christ cannot be received as a Saviour nor as the Way of a Sinner to God if Faith include not these Great things He is not a Saviour if you exclude any of his Offices and as an intire Saviour we must receive him Mat. 1. 21. Can any Man receive
Brethren Universal Obedience Sincerity and Singleness of Heart and all other inherent Qualifications are not Signs by which we should judge our state Serm. 16. he calls the Revealing Evidence of the Spirit and endeavours to prove this Immediate Revelation P. 473. he puts this Objection We will not deny but it is the Voice of the Spirit will satisfie the Case But suppose I hear such a Voice c. Here is the doubt If the Word it self did bear witness to this particular Voice of the Spirit then could I be satisfied this were the Voice of the Spirit of God that speaks but if the Word do not bear witness to this Voice c. I dare not trust it He Answers This Voice is always according to the Word But P. 475. he tells us The Word according to which the Spirit of the Lord speaks when he speaks Peace to his People is the Word of Grace And that Word of Grace is no more but this God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them This is the Word of Grace according to which it speaks reconciling the World to himself even the World when Men are no otherwise but merely Men of the World Reader Thou seest that the Spirit 's Voice according to the Word is no more than according to the general Account That Christ came to save Sinners And so if any Sinner have this inward Voice that Voice is according to the Word whether he be a regenerate Person or no. The Doctor in this Page and Page 476. shews That if this Voice be according to this general Rule we must not try it by any thing else or question it And adds As for Example There is the Voice of the Word of Grace we are justified freely by his Grace and there is this Voice in the Spirit of Man telling him according to this word That his Sins are forgiven him How shall I know saith he that this Voice is the Voice of the Spirit of God For Answer let me ask but this Question Is there any thing in the world of better credit than the Spirit himself And P. 474. Beware that you make not the credit of the Voice of the Spirit to depend upon the Word Obj. But he seems to allow Faith to give Assurance But I Ans. he tells us p. 491. Not as a Revealing Evidence nor as an effecting Evidence but it is a Receiving Evidence or it is an Evidence as it doth receive that Testimony which the Spirit holds out c. Faith doth take possession of that which the Spirit reveals and manifests to a Person c. It clears the Title to us though good in it self before c. And P. 493. Faith is the Echo of the Heart to the Voice of the Spirit The Doctor 's meaning is That Faith doth not evidence our Pardon as it is a Grace wrought in the Soul by the Spirit or as a holy Qualification but only as it doth assent to and rest in this inward Voice Obj. But he seems to own that Sanctification is some Evidence A. He tells us how P. 482. viz. When the Testimony of the Spirit is received by Faith and the Soul sits down satisfied with that Testimony of the Lord then also the gifts of God's Spirit do bear witness together with the Spirit of the Lord and the Faith of a Believer You see there must be Assurance first and then these do witness after not to guide our Hopes but over and above See P. 100. There 's no better way to know your Portion in Christ than on the general tender of the Gospel to conclude absolutely he is yours Wherein the difference is not 1. It is not Whether the Spirit witnesseth by his miraculous Operations to Christ and the Gospel which is a Truth and the meaning of many of the Texts which the Doctor produceth 2. Nor Whether the Spirit as a Worker of Grace in the Heart be an Earnest of Glory and Witness to our State 3. Nor Whether the Spirit witnesseth by and with the Conscience in the Manifestation of our Graces for Assurance 4. Nor Whether the Spirit of God may in some extraordinary Cases give an immediate Testimony by a Voice or some equivalent Impressions But then there is the Truth of Grace in the Heart though it was doubted before and nothing utterly inconsistent with true Grace either is in the Heart nor then appeareth to the Conscience All these I affirm The real Difference 1. Whether none attain Assurance but by the inward Voice of the Spirit pronouncing the actual Forgiveness of their Sins without manifesting their true Grace and Sanctification This the Doctor affirms and I deny 2. Whether the usual way of attaining Assurance is by the Conscience upon trial discerning and concluding through the help of the Spirit that a Man hath those Graces or Signs which describe a Man blessed and pardoned according to the Gospel This I affirm and the Doctor denies The Truth confirmed 1. This is the way which God appoints to attain Assurance 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not that Christ is in you except you be Reprobates Here we are to try What 's our great Enquiry to be about Are we in the Faith which may respect Faith inherent or the Doctrine of Faith professed He concludes they must inferr Christ is in them except they had vile Hearts or were Men as to the frame of their Hearts unapproved by God For so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure How was this to be done By adding Grace to Grace abounding therein and carefully looking that these things be in you See from ver 5. to 11. 2. This is the way whereby the Scripture-Saints were assured They concluded their Justification by Sanctification and a State of Peace by the Truth of Grace 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren Ver. 9. And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him How was this See Ver. 18. Let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth and hereby we know c. Thus David Paul and other Saints concluded the safety of their state 3. Conscience is bound to condemn every Man in whom the contrary to these Graces do appear yea where it 's evident that they are wholly wanting It 's otherwise a seared Conscience 2 Tim. 4. 2. It is not the Candle of the Lord in Man Now there can be no Assurance where the Conscience condemns as the Apostle argueth 1 Joh. 3. 19 20 21. 4. The Spirit witnesseth with our Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 16. It doth not witness before our Spirit doth witness It is not a separate Testimony from our Spirits but it concurs with our Spirit as its Instrument
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
And this is not in order to an Interest but to our Knowing it P. 106. The Dr. saith I must tell you There is no better way to know your Portion in Christ than upon the general tender of the Gospel to conclude absolutely he is yours c. Say to your selves and let not this be contradicted seeing Christ hath reached out himself to Sinners as Sinners My part is as good as any Man's Set down thy rest here question it not but believe it c. Venture thy Soul upon it without seeking for further Security But some will say He doth not belong to me Why not to thee he belongs to Sinners as Sinners and if there be no worse than Sinfulness Rebellion and Enmity in thee he belongs to thee as well as to any in the World A. 2. Not Believing or not Coming to Christ is nothing with the Doctor but not Concluding within one's self that Christ is mine Pag 203. It would be welcome to them to be certainly satisfied that his Blood is their Ransom and that their Sins are blotted out thereby but they dare not yet close with Christ they dare not set up their rest there they dare not sit down with any such Conclusion but still there is something or other that remains that must be removed out of the way before they can make this certain Conclusion Christ is their Christ. Now my Errand is to this sort of People whose hearts tell them If it could clearly appear that without danger to them they may say Christ is their Salvation and sit down with this c. but they dare not something or other is wanting they dare not lay hold on Christ and it's Presumption for them to sit down satisfied that Christ is their Christ. See p. 36 44 432 490. Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not Whether there is in Christ a sufficiency of Merit and Grace to save the worst of Sinners 2. Nor Whether Christ is offered to the worst Sinners if they will accept of him on the Terms of the Gospel 3. Nor Whether the worst Sinners are often the Objects of God's Effectual Calling in order to an Interest in Christ 4. Nor Whether there may not be Knowledge Assent Convictions Humblings and feigned Resolves and yet a Soul fail of an Interest in Christ for want of true Conversion though they are hopeful Signs All these I affirm 5. Nor Whether the degrees of Convictions and Humblings be equal in all This I deny 6. Nor Whether Preparatory Qualifications do merit True Grace Yea Or Faith or Repentance do merit an Interest in Christ This I deny and say That their whole Use depends on Christ's Ordination 7. Nor Whether a Soul may neglect to accept of Christ as Prophet Priest and King because they feel not that degree of these Humblings and Convictions which they desire and expect This I deny 8. Nor Whether these Preparatory Qualifications be the Work of the Spirit by Common Grace This I affirm 9. Nor Whether their immediate Influence be to prepare the Soul for a true consenting Acceptance which they are hereby less averse to and more disposed for This I affirm though Dr. Owen adds No Man that wants these is a Subject capable of Justification See Treat of Justif. p. 109. Wherein the real Difference is 1. Wheâ—her Coming to Christ is an Inward Persuasion that Christ is mine This the Doctor affirms and I deny Of which see Chap. IX Of Saving Faith 2. Whether Christ is offered to Sinners with a design that they may conclude they have a Saving Interest in him before they are regenerated by the Spirit and savingly believe This the Doctor affirms and I deny 3. Whether the Soul of a Sinner as to its habitual Disposition and Purpose is under the reigning power of Enmity Rebellion and Filthiness till after it hath a Saving Interest in Christ This the Doctor affirms and I deny affirming this Disposition is altered in our Effectual Vocation and there can be no true Coming to Christ for Pardon and especially for Sanctification without that purpose 4. Whether some degrees of Convictions and Humiliation of Soul be necessary Prerequisites to the Soul 's true Acceptance of Christ for Pardon This the Doctor denies and I affirm The Truth Confirmed The main Question is decided by what I have spoken of Saving Faith For if Coming be not this Persuasion and Saving Faith be necessary to our Interest in Christ there remains little to prove Of this last see ch 11. Of Union and ch 8. Only consider That Christ cannot be offered to be ours on any lower Terms than such as by which he actually becomes ours by the Gospel-Grant It remains then that I briefly prove the Truth as contained in the Third and Fourth Questions 1. The Soul of a Sinner as to its habitual Disposition and Purpose is not under the reigning power of Enmity Rebellion and Filthiness till after it hath a Saving Interest in Christ. You see I speak not of Degrees of Sanctification nor Change of Practice but of a Disposition of Heart and Purpose of Mind This Truth appears 1. Effectual Vocation makes this Change in the Habitual Disposition of the Heart and this Vocation is necessary to our Interest in Christ. The Elders at the Savoy and the Assembly agree Decl. and Conf. ch 10. a. 1. That this Call lies in enlightning their Minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God taking away their Heart of Stone and giving them an Heart of Flesh renewing their Wills and by his Almighty Power determining them to that which is good effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ yet so as they come most freely being made willing by his Grace And a. 2. Until being quickned and renewed by the Holy Spirit he is thereby enabled to answer this Call and embrace the Grace offered and conveyed in it Thou seest what a great Change is made on the Heart and Mind by Effectual Calling and that our Answer to this Call which lies in a Consent answerable to this Change in the Faculties is the Means of our Interest in the offered Grace which is Christ and his Benefits It 's a Call to Life see Joh. 5. 25. The Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live It 's a Call to Holiness 1 Thes. 4. 7. Hence called a Holy Calling 2 Tim. 1. 9. A Call to Light 1 Pet. 2. 9. If any doubt whether our Vocation be a Means to our Interest in Christ see 1 Cor. 1. 9. God is faithful by whom you are Called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 2. How inconsistent with Vocation Regeneration and Conversion are Hearts of such vile Disposition Is this a Heavenly Calling Heb. 3. 1. What would it avail to make such a Calling sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. Is this being Born not of the Will of the Flesh but of the Will of God Joh. 1. 13. Doth the new Birth or Circumcision
of the Heart agree herewith 3. That cannot be a true Faith or Acceptance of Christ which consists with such vile Dispositions and is void of a Purpose to be otherwise Can he be said to accept of Christ who as the Doctor saith Hath a Knife in his Hand and Thoughts in his Heart to murther Christ and that without so much as laying down his Arms P. 210. What is rejecting Christ if this be not What is saying We will not have him to reign over us Do not we prefer our Lusts before him And can we thus marry him Nay What a carnal selfish thing is Believing a meer using Christ for our own Safety in our Abominations which we resolve shall rule over us without one Desire to be rid of them 2. Some Degrees of Convictions and Humiliations of Soul are necessary Prerequisites to the Soul 's true Acceptation of Christ for Pardon We find it 's the Weary and heavy laden that Christ invites to come to him for Rest Mat. 11. 28. I came not to call the Righteous that is the Conceited and Secure but Sinners to Repentance Luk. 5. 31. 32. The Converts recorded in the Word found such a Work on them those were pricked in their Hearts and cried What shall we do Act. 2. 37. The Gaoler felt the same humble Concern Act. 16. 30. Paul knew what this Trembling was Act. 9. 6. So Zacheus and the Prodigal Luk. 15. 14 15. Where the Word Even begins to take Effect the Man is convinced of all and judged of all The Secrets of his Heart are made manifest falleth down on his Face c. 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. It 's a meet Order that Man should in some degree pay this Homage to God and thus resent his Apostacy to God's Glory whom he hath provoked Yea These are absolutely Necessary to bring a Man to be willing to close with Christ. Were there no Weight no Remorse no Sense of Sin or Misery Christ would not be regarded much less complied with Yea to come to Christ cannot be an Act of the Will it thus having a contrary Biass and the practical Judgment determining against it TESTIMONIES You have already heard the Sence of the Assembly and Elders at the Savoy You may see in Larg Catech. Q. What is justifying Faith They tell us That the Sinner is convinced of his Sin and Misery who receiveth Christ. And in the Directory for Visitation of the Sick they are for propounding Christ and his Merits to penitent Believers and Endeavours are to be first used to humble the Sick under the Sense of his Guilt and the Wrath of God c. Doctor Owen tells us There is nothing in this whole Doctrine that I will more firmly adhere to than the Necessity of Convictions previous to true Believing Of Justif. P. 133. The Necessity of them yea Antecedency of them to true Faith and Pardon he proves P. 98 99. as also Displicency Sorrow Fear a Desire of Deliverance with other necessary Effects of true Convictions P. 102 103. And he tells us The Belief of the Pardon of our own Sins is not proposed to Men in the first Preaching of the Gospel as that which they are first to believe And P. 140. Neither is it possible there should be any Exercise of this Faith unto Justification but where the Mind is prepared disposed and determined unto universal Obedience Mr. Norton of New England proveth at large That there are certain preparatory Works between the Carnal Rest of the Soul in the State of Sin and effectual Vocation or Christ in his ordinary Dispensation of the Gospel calleth not Sinners as Sinners but Sinners i. e. qualified Sinners immediately to believe These are his own Words which he proves Orthod Evang. from P. 129. to 140. The Ground of the Doctor 's Mistake Because they that truly come to Christ shall have an Interest in Christ therefore he thinks whoever can perswade himself that he hath an Interest in Christ doth come to him because sometimes the worst Sinners are made the Subjects of Preparatory Works and of effectual Calling as God's act on them therefore he thinks that these Sinners are invited to conclude they have an Interest in Christ before they do at all answer that Call But his greatest Cause of Mistake is that he thinks the worst Sinners if elect have as much Interest in Christ as the greatest Saint Therefore indeed they need no more Faith than to know it and that must be by a firm Perswasion that he is theirs because Christ calls Sinners to Repentance therefore Christ is theirs while impenitent CHAP. XI Of Union with Christ before Faith Truth EVery Man is without Christ or not united to Christ untill he be effectually called but when by this Call the Spirit of God enclineth and enableth him willingly to accept of Christ as a Head and Saviour a Man becomes united to him and Partaker of those Influences and Privileges which are peculiar to the Members of the Lord Jesus Errour All the Elect are actually united to Christ before they have the Spirit of Christ or at all believe in him even before they are born yea and against their Will Proved that this is Dr. Crisp 's Opinion The Title of Serm. 14. is Christ is ours before we have gracious Qualifications P. 430. But sure the Doctor intends only to exclude Works and not Faith A. No he tells us of dangerous Consequences that must follow on it if Persons are not united to Christ and partake not of Justification before they believe And addeth There is not I say such a thing as an uniting and cementing or knitting Power in Faith as that Faith doth or should become the Instrument to unite a Soul to Christ P. 6â—â— Obj. But he may intend only to exclude the Merit or Efficiency of Faith but not the Presence of it or the Divine Ordination of it to that end A. No he denies the Presence of Faith to this end he spends much time P. 614. c. to prove That Christ is ours before we come to him and that our not coming to Christ doth not import a State of Disunion with Christ. And P. 104. He tells us You may as soon conceive that a Man is able to see whiles he hath no head as think a Man can have spiritual Eyes whether the Eye of Faith to behold Christ or the Eye of Mourning to lament ones Wretchedness before there be actually the Presence and Conjunction of Christ the Head to such a Body Obj. But must not the Spirit be given before we are united to Christ. A. The Doctor saith We partake of the Spirit only by Virtue of this Union which he attempts to prove from the too gross use of the Metaphor of a Vine P. 599. and sundry other Places Obj. Sure he meaneth only this Union is decreed before Faith A. To prevent this his Words are P. â—â—â— I do not mean as some do that God did actually decree that Christ should be Christ
is their Father though they resolve against being Separate Men can though God saith they cannot partake of the Table of the Lord and of the Table of Devils 1 Cor. 10. 21. For Union and Communion with Christ be the Heart of the Benefits included in partaking of the Lord's Table Reader Weigh these things and thou canst hardly conceive what Act of God an Union before Faith can be ascribed to It 's not to the Decree for that only resolveth it shall be in future It 's not to God's appointing or Christ's engaging to be a Mediator for thereby he undertook in time to raise a Seed which in the fulness of Time God would gather in one in him Eph. 1. 10. It 's not in Christ's assuming the humane Nature for that admits all Mankind to be united to him as well as the Elect. And what Mr Sterry and others talk of a radical Union with Christ as he is the top Branch or the universal Spirit of the Creation in a Nature distinct from his Divine and Humane it's fordid to such who know of but two Natures in Christ and if granted would not prove the Doctor 's Notion of actual Union TESTIMONIES The Assembly Confess Ca. 26. a. 1. and the Elders at the Savoy Chap. 27. a. 1. affirm That we are united to Jesus Christ by-his Spirit and by Faith A. 5. Only the Elders add We are not thereby made one Person with Christ. The Lesser Catechism hath this Question How doth the Spirit apply to us the Redemption purchased by Christ A. By working Faith in us and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual Calling The New England Synod confute this as Errour 37. We are compleatly united to Christ before or without any Faith wrought in us by the Spirit They sum up their Confutation of this in these VVords If there be no Dwelling of Christ in us no coming to him no receiving him no being married to him before and without Faith But the former is true Errour 16. which Boston Church charged Mr. Hutcheson with was That Union to Christ is not by Faith Errour 38. The Synod Confutes is There can be no true closing with Christ in a Promise that hath a Condition expressed Errour 69. Though a Man can prove a gracious VVork in himself and Christ to be the Author of it if thereby he will prove Christ to be his this is but a sandy Foundation He never read Doctor Owen who did not find him as express in this as any Man can be Norton Orthod Evang. P. 291. Union in order of Nature though not of Time followeth Vocation P. 181. Union not without the Act of Faith P. 222. It 's by the Spirit and Faith The Grounds of the Dr's Mistake Because Christ is appointed and given to raise a Body eternally elected thereto therefore he thinks they are this Body before they be raised Because all After-Grace is from Christ as our actual Head therefore he thinks Christ cannot by his Spirit work the first Grace as our designed Head VVhereas the Spirit makes us an Habitation to God Eph. 2. 22. And it 's a strange conceit that Christ can exert no Act of Power on a dead Soul in order to Union but Men must infer that Union prior to it Because the natural Body cannot see without a Head therefore Christ cannot convert a Sinner to bring him into his mystical Body One might better infer the Head cannot see without the Body and the Body sees as much as the Head and the Head sees no better than the Body and so conclude Christ can see nothing till every elect Person be a Member and every Member seeth as well as Christ and the dim Sight of every Member makes the Sight of Christ as blind as his Because Christ received Gifts for the Rebellious that God might dwell among them therefore God dwells among them before those Gifts operate or be communicated to them Whereas the Apostle Eph. 4. 10 11 12. tells us how these Gifts are the Means by which the Elect are converted and made Believers and so come to partake of Union with its peculiar Effects Because from the Parable of the Vine the Gardiner puts the Graff into the Tree before there 's Sap or Fruit therefore he thinks a Man is in Christ before God puts him in Christ by the Spirit and Faith which is the only ingraffing the VVord tells us of besides external Church Privileges Rom. 11. 17 19. I may as well argue a Member of Christ must always do wicked VVorks because the Graff bears always Fruit of its own Kind and not after the Kind of the Stock into which it is ingrafted How sad is it to strain and abuse Parables or Metaphors against the Scope of the Gospel because God condescends to explain some Truths thereby as if all that belongs to the Metaphor teach and prove any Doctrine because that one Point for which the Lord useth it is illustrated thereby VVhat VVork may soon be made by fond People if this be true Because we are chosen in Christ from eternity that is elected to obtain Life by him as Mediator therefore we are one with him before any uniting Bonds Reader I forbear to represent the Nature of this Union as he seems to state it P. 104 105 648 649 615. hoping he meant better than many of his VVords do import but for thy own Good know that upon believing we are made Partakers of Gospel-Benefits we are related to him for all the Advantages which the Metaphors of this Union express He loveth enricheth and honoureth us as a Man doth his Wife He directs rules and quickens us as a Head doth the Members He ministers Grace for Fruit and Exercise as the Root doth to the Branches Yea This Relation he 'll keep undissolved and yet more the very Spirit that his Humane Nature received in Fulness abides in and worketh a Conformity to the Life and Temper of Christ in all his Members which at last he will perfect to the utmost of our Capacity But yet fansie not that we are deified with God or christified with Christ or one natural Person with him as if he had a superangelick Nature which was a sort of a commen Soul or that our distinct Personality shall ever cease with other Notions destructive of God's Government and of all Judgment Beware of confounding God and the Creature or making Christ the Subject of our Graces because he is the Author of them Obj. But you said in the Errour that Men are said to receive Christ against their VVills A. The Doctor tells us Our first receiving of Christ is when Christ comes by the Gift of the Father to a Person while he is in the Stubbornness of his own Heart and the Father doth force open the Spirit of that Person and pours in his Son in spight of the Receiver P. 99. In P. 98. It 's as a Physician poureth Physick down the Patient's Throat and so it works against his Will
he looking upon them in his Son is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere although accompanied with many Imperfections Both also tell us Chap. 18. a. 2. That the Promises are made to Graces The Elders Chap. 15. a. 2. say That Believers Sinning are renewed through Repentance to Salvation Of the Necessity and Benefit of Faith I have given their Judgment before The Assembly and Elders Chap. 1. a. 7. tell us Those things which are necessary to be known believed and observed for Salvation are clearly propounded The Assembly's Large Catechism Q. How doth Christ execute the Office of a King A. Among other things they say In rewarding their Obedience and correcting them for their Sins Q. How is the Grace of God manifested in the second Covenant A. Among other things Requiring Faith as the Condition of their Interest in him c. Giving his Spirit to his Elect c. to enable them unto all holy Obedience as the Evidence of the Truth of their Faith and as the Way which he hath appointed them to Salvation Q. What hath God required that we may escape the Wrath and Curse c. A. That we may escape the Wrath and Curse of God c. He requireth of us Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus and the diligent Use of the Means c. You see they think Obedience and Good Works are rewardable that the Exercise of Graces do us much Good that Obedience is the Way to Salvation that we have much to do and that to escape the Wrath and Curse I shall transcribe part of the New-England Synod's Confutation of that Speech of the Antimonians If I am Holy I am never the better accepted of God If I be unholy I am never the worse This I am sure of be that elected me must save me To this the Synod answer This Expression imports that though a Man's Conversation be never so holy and gracious yet he can expect never the more Manifestation of Gods Kindness and Love to him Contrary to P. 50. ult and Joh. 14. 21. It implies That though a Man's Conversation be never so vile yet he needs not fear nor expect any Expression of God's Displeasure and Anger to break forth against him contrary to 2 Chron. 15. 2. And in a Word it imports That God neither loved Righteousness nor hated Sin and did take no Delight in the Obedience of his People Contrary to Psal. 45. 6 7. and 147. c. It 's true the Foundation of Election remaineth sure but it 's as true that whom he chooseth he purposeth to bring to Salvation through Sanctification of he Spirit 2 Thes. 2. 13 14. The 19th Errour of Mr. H. All Commands in the Word are Law and are not a Way of Life Errour 43. the Synod Confutes is The Spirit acts most in the Saints when they endeavour least Errour 48. Conditional Promises are legal Errour 50. It 's Poverty of Spirit when we have Grace yet to see we have none in our selves Doctor Owen Of Justif. P. 222. We grant that 1. God doth indispensibly require of him a justified Person personal Obedience which may be called his Evangelical Righteousness 2. That God doth approve of and accept in Christ his Righteousness so performed 3. That hereby that Faith whereby we are justified is evidenced proved manifested in the Sight of God and Men. 4. That this Righteousness is pleadable unto an Acquitment against any Charge from Satan the World or our own Consciences 5. That upon it we shall be declared righteous at the last Day and without it none shall be And if any shall think meet from hence to conclude unto an Evangelical Justification or call God's Acceptance of our Righteousness by that Name I shall by no means contend with them Where-ever this Enquiry is made not c. but how a Man that professeth Evangelical Faith in Christ shall be tried judged and whereon as such he shall be justified We grant that it is and must be by his own personal sincere Obedience P. 156. It is commonly said Faith and new Obedience are the Condition of the new Covenant c. If no more be intended but that God in and by the new Covenant doth indispensibly require these things of us in order to his own Glory and our full Enjoyment of all the Benefits of it it is unquestionably true P. 158. our whole Obedience through his gracious Appointment hath a rewardable Condecency with respect unto eternal Life P. 207. These Duties are so far necessary unto the Continuation of our Justification as that a justified State cannot consist with the Sins and Vices that are opposite unto them So the Apostle affirms If we live after the Flesh we shall die P. 208. If this be that which is intended in this Position That our own Obedience and good Works are the Condition of the Continuation of our Justification namely that God doth indispensibly require good Works and Obedience in all that are justified so that a justified State is inconsistent with the Neglect of them it is readily granted The Ground of Doctor Crisp 's Mistake He thinks because God eternally intended us all Benefits in the way he determined therefore he appoints nothing to Men as the Means of partaking of those Benefits Whereas this way Christ himself may as well be excluded by the Decrees he not being the Cause of Election but the Means of effecting it and all Endeavours for Life Health Estates c. may be as well prevented for God hath determined how long we shall live how rich we shall be c. Because a Sinner can obtain nothing by virtue of the Covenant of Works therefore what a Believer doth can avail nothing by the Grace of the new Covenant Because Christ hath merited all things as a Priest with a Right and Purpose to bestow them on the Elect therefore he can fix on no way to bestow them on his elect Subjects as Motives to obey him as a King Because he hath delivered us from the legal Rule of Misery and Happiness therefore he hath no Promises or Threats to govern us by in this State of Trial. Because Christ is the only Way of Atonement and Purchase therefore there can be no other way of his own ordaining to obtain the Effects of his Purchase Because we can merit nothing as of debt for doing therefore we can of Grace receive no Benefit by doing though God doth promise it Because we can do nothing for Life with a Thought of buying it therefore we may do nothing for Life as the End that moves us in the Use of indispensibly required Means Because God of his Mercy saves us at last therefore he shall not in the mean while duly govern us in order to Salvation Because we cannot merit Pardon therefore God can order no Grace or Duty to be through Christ rewardable with any other Blessing CHAP. XIV Of intending our Souls Good by Duties we perform TRUTH THough we ought
fear it before we commit it though not after Why should Saints desire Heaven to be rid of Sin Can that be a small Mischief that dishonoureth God reproacheth the Name of Christ grieves the Spirit pleases the Devil offends the Good hardens the Wicked puts the tender Heart on Mourning for it in it self yea in others Psal. 119. 136. If Sin be no hurt Grace and Holiness as the Contraries to it are not Good nothing is a Blessing as a Prevention of it Where shall I stop Yet each of these refer to the Sins of God's own People and some of them more affect their Sins than the Sins of other Men. 2. There 's great Hurt befalls God's People for committing Sin Doth not God hide his Face the Spirit abate its Influences Is not the Conscience oft seared the Heart oft less capable of Impressions by the VVord the Soul streightned in Duty great Decays in Grace and Vigour too oft never recovered this side the Grave Many are rendred incapable of Service by Reproach for Sin or by Poverty Diseases c. VVho hath not found by Sin what he must call Hurt VVhat Pains Loss of Friends Ruine on Estates Blasts on Undertakings Are VVars Plagues Fire Removal of Ordinances Famine cursed Relations c. no Hurt Sure so many will not be proselyted to this Opinion as to Transubstantiation But what can be offered for it Obj. God will order all this for the good of a Believer therefore none of these hurt him 1. A. I do not know where God hath promised ThatSin shall do us good and in its Nature it hath no aptness to Good and the best Good it can do is to prevent it self Rom. 8. 28. saith All things shall work together for good c. But it speaks of Sufferings for Christ not Sins against him and though God should over-master it to some Concurrence for Good yet it were a greater Mercy to receive that same Good by other Means 2. A. Though Sins or corrective Afflictions may be ruled to do us good yet that doth not hinder but that they do us hurt This may be evinced not only because it were a greater Mercy to have that Good another way which but for Sin we should not miss of But also 1. VVhatever God threatens to inflict that thereby he may dissuade from Sin must needs be a Hurt or Damage It is not a Threatning if it include no harm and it 's a Reproach to our God in his Government to think otherwise VVhat confounding of Promises and Threats would it inferr Doth not God intend to awe Men with some Hurt when he saith Rev. 2. 5. Remember c. or I will remove thy Candlestick out of its Place and was this no hurt when it befell them I might instance a thousand Places of this kind 2. Saints with God's Approbation bewail and deprecate Sins and Punishments for Sins as a real Hurt Why hast thou hardned our Hearts from thy Fear c. Isa. 63. 17. For the Hurt of the Daughter of my People I am black astonishment hath taken hold on me Jer. 8. 21. The Book of Lamentations Haman's David's Moans are forgotten Read Pauls Complaints of himself and others 3. God himself accounts these things to hurt his People for he calls it Patience and Long-suffering in him to forbear inflicting them He oft declares his Pity of his People when under them and a ceasing to Pity when he inflicts them Isa. 63. 9. Joel 2. 8. Jer. 13 4. The Removal of these he declares to be an Act of Mercy and Goodness Read the Prophets and you 'll find what Terms he gives these viz. Wounding Smiting Spoiling c. He oft testifieth against Insensibleness of these as evil and afflictive things and threatens to encrease them to beget a duer sence of Sin and Judgments Sure I need not add That Mercies opposite to these are Blessings and promised as such all the good in Repentance argues the Hurt we get by Sin and by the Effects of it If these things will not prove Sin brings hurt we must declare Patience in Saints to be no Grace or find a new Description of what is a Hurt in this VVorld The Doctor indeed calls us to this when Sin is made so innocent and present with-holdings of more Grace from us is a Mercy as he affirms P. 541. Let me add that by Sin a Saint's degrees of Glory may be diminished in another VVorld for sowing sparingly he shall reap sparingly and he therefore that shall break one of the least of these Commandements and shall teach Men so he shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5. 19. That 's unprofitable for you Heb. 13. 17. TESTIMONIES The Assembly and Cong Elders chap. 19. a. 6 tell us The Threatnings of the Law are of use to the Regenerate to shew what even their Sins deserve and what Afflictions in this Life they may expect for them although freed from the Curse threatned in the Law Chap. 18. a. 4 True Believers may have the Assurance of Salvation divers ways shaken and diminished c. by falling into some special Sin which woundeth the Conscience and grieveth the Spirit by some vehement Temptation by God's withdrawing the Light of his Countenance Chap. 17. a. 3. Saints may fall into grievous Sins and for a time continue therein whereby they incurr God's Displeasure and grieve his Holy Spirit come to be deprived of some measure of their Graces and Comforts have their Hearts hardened and their Consciences wounded hurt and scandalize others and bring temporal Judgments on themselves Turretin tells us Instit. Theol. par 2. p. 650. That a Believer falling into gross Crimes incurreth the Fatherly Indignation of God loseth a present Meetness for Glory contracts damning Guilt So that if he remain Impenitent in that State he ought to conclude himself liable to Death and certain to perish except he return Do not Divines generally conclude That if David had not repented of his gross Sins he fell into he had perished Dr. Owen as much discovers the hurt of Sins to Believers as most Men do See Mr. A. Burgess of Justification lib. 1. from 240. to 245. The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake Because there is no Eternal Condemnation lies against a Believer therefore there is no penal Present Affliction upon a Believer Whereas there 's much hurt below Hell and and that it is not Hell that follows the Sin of a Believer is not from the Innocency of Sin but the Grace of God that brings him to Repentance and Faith in Christ for Remission Because all Sufferings for Christ work for Good therefore all Sins against Christ can do no Harm But allow that Sins and Sufferings for Sin were included then thus it reasoneth Because God can and doth over-rule these to some good at last therefore they do no harm in the mean while nor in any degree Because a Believer is freed from the damning Curse of the Law therefore no Gospel-Threatning
Union with Christ as if we were One Natural Person with him His Difinition of the New Creature as if it stood only in our New Relation to Christ. P. 90. The strange difference he makes between the way of Salvation before Christ's time and since P. 254 255 256 258. Their Sins were pardoned on Condition of Doing not given for all Sins at once much Dust left and they were subject to Lashes for Sin but now the Covenant is contrary in all these respects How contrary to the Sense of the Assembly and Elders at the Savoy ch 11. a. 6. The Justification of Believers under the Old Testament was in all these respects one and the same with the Justification of Believers under the New Testament He forgets that most of his Proofs be fetch'd from the Old Testament as Ezek. 16 c. Jacob loved in the Womb c. and seems not to distinguish the Covenant of Grace and that of Peculiarity But these with other Errours I pass by THE APPENDIX I Shall here repeat what I delivered in Pinners-Hall-Lecture which some Persons seemed greatly to resent and I leave it to any impartial Man to judge from what I have described as Dr. Crisp's Opinion whether I charged Men of his Persuasion with Falshood After I had fully acquitted Men of my Judgment from Pelagianism Socinianism and Arminianism which the Antinomians accuse us of I added with these Men It 's not enough that we hold That we were from Eternity elected to Grace and Glory unless we add That we were actually United to Christ and Justified from Eternity and in the Womb. It 's not enough that we say Christ did in the Covenant of Redemption undertake to save the Elect in his appointed way and time unless we add That there is no other Covenant for the Application of Christ's Benefits wherein God requires Faith and Repentance as the indispensible Means of our Pardon It is not enough that we own That Christ absolutely Redeemed the Elect so as to purchase Saving Graces as well as Benefits to be infallibly theirs unless we add That all others are in state of Devils as having no real Offers of Life on Gospel-Terms nor is their Salvation possible if they will repent and believe It will not please them that we affirm The Punishment of our Sins yea the Guilt of them as an Obligation to Punishment were laid upon Christ our Sponsor unless we add That our Sins themselves in their blot and filthiness were also transacted on Christ. It is not enough that we own That the Righteousness of Christ avails us as much as if it were personally our own yea was always intended for us and is so imputed to us as to be the Foundation of and Security for our Pardon and Right to Life and no Atonement for Sin or purchasing Price of Life can be demanded from us unless we also add That God esteemed us to have done and suffered what Christ did and suffered It sufficeth not that we say That we are Justified only by Christ's Merits as the sole procuring Cause or Righteousness for which we are Justified unless we deny That Faith and Repentance are the indispensibly required Conditions or Qualifications of those Persons to whom the Merits of Christ are applied for Justification It will not serve that we assert That Justifying Faith must be a Reliance on Christ as Priest and sole Atonement unless we deny That Faith must be also a fiducial Acceptance of a whole Saviour i. e. of Christ as Prophet Priest and King It 's not enough that we say We are upon Repenting and Believing put into a Justified state hefore any other Work unless we add That our Obedience to particular Precepts do not benefit us and that God doth not judicially approve of our sincere Actings as according to the Rule of the Gospel-Promises of those Benefits It is not enough that we say The absolute Promises are made to Christ for the be nefit of the Elect and pleadable by him unless we deny That the Gospel is an authoritative Command on Men to Believe and that under the Gospel-Sanction of Life and Death So that he that believes stall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned It will not please that we say That Christ purchased all Grace for us and by his Spirit worketh all Grace in us unless we add That he Believed Repented and did all for us so as we have nothing to do in order to Salvation It 's not sufficient that we own The Grace by which we do any Duty is from Christ and the Good promised to any Duty is for the sake of Christ unless we deny the ordained Connexion betwixt that Duty and that Benefit They say We set up Man's Righteousness if we tell Men that they must be holy and do good and take comfort therein as an Evidence of Grace and of their Title to Christ and as answering the Rule of the Gospel-Promises though we assert They must be Members of Christ and accepted through him or they cannot partake of any Saving Benefits thereby It is not right that we say God sees no Sin in Believers so as to cast them out of Covenant nor out of a Justified-state for it unless we add That God sees no Sin at all in them as theirs when they most offend It 's not enough that we affirm That Sin committed shall not eventually damn a Believer because he shall by the Spirit be brought to Repentance unless we add God is never angry with Believers for Sin nor ever corrects them as guilty of it With these we are Legal Preachers if we urge Faith and Repentance in order to Pardon though we declare that Faith and Repentance are the Gifts of Christ and Pardon is not the Effect of these Graces but of the Promise in the virtue of Christ's Blood or of his Blood applied for Forgiveness by the Promise We are Legal Preachers if we perswade to Holiness as the way of Salvation by the Ordination of Christ though we affirm that it is no way out of Christ nor but with a respect to Christ for whom it is accepted as what answers the Rule of the Gospel-Promise How are we decried as Legal if we urge Threatnings though as Motives to close with Christ and to walk in him Which being used to this end and the threatned Evil being avoidable on Gospel-Terms and pressed on fallen Man for his recovery they are Gospel and not Legal Threatnings It 's not enough That we assert and press Assurance unless we affirm That Justifying Faith is nothing but Assurance It 's not enough we say That we need the Spirit to discover to us our inherent Grace and to assist Conscience in it's Sentence That Grace is inherent unless we add That we must not try our State and conclude of it by Gospel-Marks of Sanctification but depend on an inward Voice of the Spirit saying Thy Sins are forgiven which we must believe if it agree but to the general Word viz. Christ came to save Sinners and believing this is all that Saving Faith the Gospel speaks of Herein I have in part described the state of the Case between them and us It 's true there are some small Differences among the Orthodox in Wording some of these things But shall we hereby give Advantage to such Errours as overturn the Gospel and Dominion of Christ under the abused Pretext of Exalting Christ and Free Grace Bear with this which for the sake of Christ and dying Religion I have ventur'd to declare not for the Irritation of any but the Edification of all especially some mistaken well-meaning People Conscience binds me not to palliate though I fore-see Reproach from some who would do well to remember the Caution the Spirit of God thought needful to such as boasted of a Faith without Works and still it appears too pertinent If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this man's rereligion is vain Jam. 2. 26. SOME General Heads THE Elect are Children of Wrath till effectually called Page 4 The filth of Sin not transacted on Christ p. 10 The Act of laying Sins on Christ is not the discharge of the Elect p. 17 Mens Sins their own and not Christ's Sins p. 25 Our Sins laid on Christ before he was nailed to the Cross p. 29 Christ not abhorred by the Father p. 33 No change of Person between Christ and the Elect p. 41 Christ's Mediatorial Righteousness not subjectively in us and how imputed p. 42 Believers not as Holy as Christ p. 46 The Covenant of Grace explained and what a Condition is p. 53 57. The Covenant of Grace Conditional p. 63 Faith not a Perswasion that my Sins are pardoned c. p. 75 Prevailing Enmity a Hindrance to our present Interest in Christ p. 85 The Elect not united to Christ without Faith p. 93 What Union with Christ is p. 100 Justification not before Faith p. 105 Repentance necessary to Pardon p. 114 Sinners have much to do to be saved p. 129 The Gospel hath Threats and Promises p. 133 Holiness and Good Works necessary to Salvation p. 139 They are profitable and God pleased c p. 142 143 144 Our own Good should be intended p. 155 Assurance by Gospel-Marks and not by an inward Voice p. 165 God Chargeth Sin on Men and they should repent for repeated Pardon p. 175 Sin may hurt Believers p. 184 God afflicts for Sin p. 192 Sincere Holiness not Dung p. 199 102 Christ doth not repent c. for us p. 211 Conditional Proposals of Benefit on terms of Duty Gospel-Preaching p. 213 To excite Fear in sense of Danger not Legal Preaching p. 228 Christ more Exalted by the former Truths than by Dr. Crisp's Opinions p. 235 The Free Grace of God not honoured by Doctor Crisp though more Freeness be asserted by him than by these Truths p. 239 Part of a Sermon at Pinner's-Hall Anno 1691. The Edition of Dr. Crisp's Works I refer to is the last Anno 1690. FINIS
sinful and vain and no Saving Benefit is dispenced to any of us by this Rule 2. The Gospel includes the Moral Preceptive part of the first Law with some additional Precepts which suppose our Apostate state as Faith in an atoneing Saviour and Repentance for Sin These could not be enjoyned as Duties on innocent Man by a Rule of Happiness and Misery nor could they be necessary to his Right to Life because they would suppose him a Sinner The Gospel is taken in a large sence when I say it includes all the Moral Precepts but yet the Gospel doth so and they are the Commands of Christ as Redeemer to whom all Judgment is committed as well as the Law of the Creator 3. The Gospel hath another Sanction to the Preceptive part of the Law than the Covenant of Works had Though nothing be abated in the Rule of Sin and Duty yet Blessings are promised to lower degrees of Duty and a continuance in a state of Deuth with a barr to the Blessing are not threatned against every degree of Sin as the Covenant of Works did Can any doubt this to be the Grace of the Gospel-Promise Doth it promise Life to all Men however vile and impenitent they be Or doth it threaten Damnation or a Continuance of it on any true penitent believing godly Man because he is imperfect This Change of the Sanction supposeth the Death of Christ and his honouring the Law by his perfect Obedience wherein God hath provided for his own Glory while he promiseth Life by Forgiveness to imperfect Man and yet he insists on some degree of Obedience to which of his mere Grace he enableth us This the Covenant of Redemption secures to the Elect tho' the Grant therein is pleadable only by Christ as the stipulating Party for us and our personal Claim depends on the Gospel-Covenant whereof Christ is Mediator 4. This Gospel-Sanction determines as certain a Rule of Happiness and Misery as the Law of Works did though it be not the same For while it promiseth Pardon to all believing repenting Sinners and declares a barr to pardon to the impenitent Rejecters of Christ and Gospel-Grace it fixeth true Repentance and Faith unfeigned to be the Terms of Pardon So when it promiseth Heaven to the sincerely holy persevering Believer it fixeth sincere Holiness and perseverance in Faith as the Terms of possessing Heaven Hence the Use of Faith Holiness c. to these Benefits is not from their Conformity to the Precept but their Conformity to the Rule of the Promise Our applying Christ's Righteousness and relying on it would no more Justifie us than our sincere Holiness would Save us were it not for this Gospel-Promise That God will Justifie for Christ's sake all such as believe 5. Hence by Gospel-Grace there is a great difference between perfect Faith and utter Unbelief between sincere Holiness and formal Profaneness or Wickedness True Love to God and prevailing Enmity imperfect spiritual Duties and rebellious Neglects c. By the Law of Works nothing was Holiness but what was perfectly so c. But read the Bible if thou doubtest whether there is not a true Faith Holiness Love c. which be short of Perfection 6. God in the dispensing of Gospel-promised Blessings doth judicially determine a Conformity to this Rule of the Promise When he forgives he judicially declareth a Man hath true Faith when he admits into Heaven he judicially declares a Man sincerely Holy and Persevering As upon a view of his Guests he cast out him that had not on the Wedding-Garment viz. True-uniting Faith so he judicially determined That they who were not cast out but admitted to share in the Marriage Feast viz. made Partakers of Union with Christ and the Benefits thereof had True Faith and not a mere Profession As by keeping out the foolish Virgins for not having Oyl in their Lamps viz. the Spirit of Grace and persevering Holiness so by admitting the wise Virgins he judicially declared they had a Spirit of Grace and persevering Holiness Can any think that Forgiving Adopting Glorifying or the conveyance of every other promised Benefit given on God's Terms are not judicial Acts of God as Rector If so doth he dispence these blindly and promiseuously without any regard to our being Believers c. or no Or whether our Faith be true or no Any one would blush to affirm it With respect to what 's above declared the Gospel is called a Law of Faith a Law of Liberty c. and it especially insists on that sincerity of Grace and Holiness which the Rule of the Promise makes necessary in its Description of the Person whom it makes Partaker of its included Benefit And the main of our Ministry consisteth in pressing Men to answer the Rule of the Gospel-Promises and disswading Men from those things which the Gospel threatens shall hinder their Interest in all or any of its Benefits with an Aggravation of their Misery if they be final Rejecters of its Grace We call Men to be reconeiled to God upon which we know God will be at peace with them These things will help thy Conceptions still remembring that the Merits of Christ are the cause of this Gospel-Ordination His Righteousness imputed is the cause for which we are justified and saved when we do answer the Gospel-Rule And I exclude not this Righteousness when I affirm That the Righteousness of God Phil. 3. 9. principally intends the Gospel-Holiness of a Person justified by Christ's Righteousness both which by Faith in Christ all his Members shall be perfect in The Grace of God is hereby stated as free as is consistent with his Government and Judicial Rectoral Distribution of Rewards and Punishments and none need the Riches of Grace more than I. Reader Note That in this Book I still speak of the Adult and not Infants When I say The Difference is not I state my own Concessions and mean not that the Doctor is in all these of my mind Thou must expect to take up my full sence by a view of several Chapters and not only one because sundry Chapters referr to the same Points more or less And forget not That though the Doctor oft in his Book speaks to Men as Believers yet every thing is true of the Elect viz. They have as much a Title to all Saving Blessings only they do not know it This was his Judgment I have carefully avoided any Reflexion on Reverend Dr. Crisp whom I believe a holy Man and abstained exposing many things according to the Advantage offered if by any means this Book may become useful to such as most need it That the Father of Lights would lead us into all Truth and Love is the Prayer of thy Servant in the Gospel London May 4. 1692. D. Williams ERRATA PAge 3. Line 7. add 365. p. 5. l. 8. for ew r. we p. 8. l. 15. for 289. r. 274. p. 10. l. 17. r. Propogation p. 28. l. 4 for Chaist r. Christ p. 38.
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
their partaking of the Virtue of his Mediation in their Justification Adoption and Sanctification and whatever in this life manifests their Union with him So that in their Judgment it 's the Virtue of Christ's Mediation operates on us and not that the Mediatorial Righteousness is in us The Elders at the Savoy c. 11. a. 1. say Those whom God effectually Calleth he also freely Justifieth not by infusing Righteousness into them but by pardoning their Sins and by accounting and accepting their Persons as Righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christ's sake alone c. Again they add By imputing Christ's Active and Passive Obedience unto them The same say the Assemb Conf. ch 11. a. 1. Thou seest it s Christ s Righteousness is imputed for Pardon and not infused The Elders at the Savoy inform us also ch 27. a 1. All Saints that are united to Christ although they are not thereby made One Person with him have Fellowship in his Graces Sufferings and Glory c. and have Communion in each other's Gifts and Graces Thou findest they judge we are not One Person with Christ by our Union and it 's a Fellowship for our good we have by Christ's Graces Glory and Sufferings but they are in him as the Subject and not in us And ch 19. a. 6. they declare The Law is useful to Believers to shew them the Corruption of their Natures and Lives It s plain then with them we are not without Spot or Blemish The Assemb Conf. ch 32. a. 1. and the Elders at the Savoy ch 31. a. 1. agree That it 's after Death our Souls are made perfect in Holiness One of the Speeches condemned by the New-England Synod was this If Christ be my Sanctification what need I look to any thing else in my self to evidence my Justification To which they Answer This Position is unsound because it holds forth Christ to be my Sanctification so as that I need not look to any inherent Holiness in my self whereas Christ is said to be my Sanctification because he worketh Sanctification in us p. 20. p. 63. They observe it as an Errour That Christ is our Sanctification in the same sort as he is our Justification They elsewhere condemn such as made Christ the subject of our Graces Dr. Owen of Justification pag. 509 510. disowns That it can be said we are as Righteous as Christ And then asserts To say we are as Righteous as Christ is to make Comparison between the Personal Righteousness of Christ and Our Personal Righteousness if the Comparison be of things of the same kind But this is foolish and impious for notwithstanding our Personal Righteousness we are sinful he knew no Sin And if the Comparison be between Christ's Personal Inherent Righteousness and Righteousness imputed to us Inhesion and Imputation be things of divers kinds and thus it 's fond and of no consequence Christ was Actively Righteous we are Passively so c. The Righteousness of Christ as it was his Personally was the Righteousness of the Son of God in which respect it had in it self an infinite Perfection and Value But it is imputed to us only with respect to our Personal Want not as it was satisfactory for all but as our Souls stand in need of it c. From the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ it follows only that those to whom it is imputed are redeemed and saved not at all that they are Redeemers or Saviours And pag. 242 243. Imputation is not the Transmission or Transfusion of the Righteousness of another viz. Christ into them that are to be Justified that they should become perfectly and inherently Righteous thereby for it is impossible that the Righteousness of one should be transfused into another to become his subjectively and inherently And the Doctor adds That the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us as unto its Effects hath this sound sence namely The Effects of it are made ours by reason of that Imputation It is so imputed so reckoned unto us of God as that he really communicates all the Effects of it unto us See pag. 310 311. What can be spoken more oppositely to Dr. Crisp I might add Mr. Norton of New-England who tells us Orth. Evang. p. 305. Though Christ obeyed the Law formally yet it 's not the formal working of Obedience or doing of the Command but the good Virtue and Efficacy thereof that is imputed to the Believer What heaps of Testimonies could I produce But I confine my self to these few The Ground of the Doctor 's Mistake Because Christ suffered in our stead that the fruit of his Suffering might be our deliverance from suffering and our being saved at last therefore he thinks there is a Change of Person Because we are made the Righteousness of God that is Partakers of Forgiveness and a Right to Life through Christ's Atonement for us which be Mercies so eminently the Contrivance and Gift of God therefore he thinks the very Mediatorial Righteousness of Christ is subjectively in us Because we are accepted with God for Christ's sake therefore he thinks we have the perfect Cause of that Acceptance viz. All Loveliness upon our selves Because the Church is now without spot so as for Christ's sake to be accepted and not detested by God and is on the account of the beginning 's of God's Image pleasing to Christ and will hereafter be perfectly sanctified without the least blemish or any such thing therefore he thinks it 's now without Blemish or Imperfection Because Christ's perfect Righteousness is Security for our Pardon and inviolable Right to Glory therefore he thinks we are as Righteous as he as to Justification and Sanctification too Because Christ is made of God to us Wisdom Sanctification c. therefore he thinks we are as Holy as he whereas the meaning of that place is That Christ is appointed and given to enlighten renew and redeem us by his Merits and by his Spirit If this be not the sence of it we are as wise as Christ for he is made to us wisdom Reader Observe that the Doctor thinks all these great things are true of every elect Person whiles in his Blood and unregenerate state as much as of any Believer who indeed hath the privilege to know it CHAP. VIII Of the Conditionality of the Covenant of Grace THis being a Point of great Concern I shall premise an Enquiry into some Particulars for explaining the Subject of this Chapter Q. 1. What is the Covenant of Grace A. 1. It is not the Covenant of Redemption between the Father and Spirit as one Party and the Eternal Word the Lord Jesus as the other Party Were this Covenant understood I think many well-meaning People would be undeceived In that Covenant all the causes of Man's Salvation are adjusted and secured all Satisfaction and Merit are on Christ as his Undertaking yea it 's provided there That the Elect shall obey the Terms of Life
Sinner to perform The Judgment-Day is past and a State of Tryal is over when-ever this is proved These things I have premised that if possible I may remove the Mistakes which govern the Minds of some well-meaning people The Truth TRUTH I shall express it in the words of the Assembly The Grace of God is manifested in the Second Covenant in that he freely provideth and offereth to Sinners a Mediator and Life and Salvation by him requiring Faith as the Condition to interest them in him promiseth and giveth his holy Spirit to all his Elect to work in them that Faith with all other saving Graces and to enable them unto all Obedience as the Evidence of the Truth of their Faiâ—h and Thankfulness to God and as the way which he hath appointed them to Salvation Large Catech. Quest. How is the Grace of God manifested in the Second Covenant 1. Thou canst not but observe that the Assembly did judge 1. That though God hath provided a Mediator for Sinners yet they have no interest in him till they believe 2. That the Covenant is Conditional They scruple not to call Faith the Condition of our Interest in Christ and of Salvation by him 3. That Christ and Salvation are offered to all Sinners on the same Condition though God effectually enable the Elect to obey the Condition ERROUR The Covenant of Grace hath no Condition to be performed on Man's part though in the strength of Christ Neither is Faith it self the Condition of this Covenant but all the saving Benefits of this Covenant are actually ours before we are born Neither are we required so much as to believe that we may come to have an Interest in the Covenant Benefits Proved that this is Doctor Crisp 's Opinion The Doctor spends more than a Sermon to prove this And saith P. 81. There is not any Condition in this Covenant Mark what I say I know I shall go against the Strain of some c. P. 82. Observe I pray you and you shall plainly perceive that Man hath no Tye upon him to perform any thing whatsoever on his Part as a Condition that must be observed on his Part and there is not one Bond or Obligation upon Man to the fulfilling of the Covenant or partaking of the Benefits of it P. 84. He puts this Objection Though Works be not the Condition of the Covenant yet we hope you will yield Faith is the Condition of the Covenant He answers I must needs tell you directly that Faith is not the Condition of the Covenant But the Reader may suppose the Doctor only means there be no meritorious Conditions No he excludes all things wrought by Men or in Men as necessary to their Interest in the Covenant Blessings For he tells us P. 81. That after we are in Covenant with God he will bestow these things upon us as Effects of the Covenant And P. 83. The Covenant in the actual Substance of it is made good to a Man before he can do any thing i. e. from Eternity and in the Womb. Elsewhere he says Before our Eyes be opened c. P. 600. c. Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not whether God hath promised and Christ engaged in the Covenant of Redemption that the Elect shall believe and possess Christ c. This I affirm 2. Nor whether there be any Duty on Man's Part as a Condition of Christ's Undertaking or of the Certainty of the Things undertaken in that Covenant This I deny 3. Nor whether the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace be performed in our own Strength or be uncertain as to the Elect. This I deny 4. Nor whether the Performance of the Conditions move God to enact offer or appoint this Covenant whereby the Grace of Christ is applied This I deny and add That God enacted this Covenant before we were born and offers an Interest in it on its proper Terms to Men when Sinners 5. Nor whether the Performance of the Conditions of the Covenant be a purchasing Price or meritorious of the Benefits promised on such Conditions This I deny for Christ alone paid the Price and it 's the Covenant Promise gives the Interest in the Benefits to such as perform the Conditions 6. Nor whether the first Grace by which we are enabled to perform the Condition be absolutely given This I affirm though that be dispensed ordinarily in a due use of Means and in a way discountenancing idleness and fit Encouragement given to the Use of Means 7. Nor whether all the Conditions of the Covenant be of the same Use to the same Purpose or alike compleat Terms of the principal Benefits This I deny for Faith is supposed to all other Conditions and by Faith we are united to Christ c. 8. Nor whether upon Performance of the Conditions the Covenant Grant become not as absolute and the Right to the Benefit no longer suspended This I affirm for the Promise conveys the title as soon as the terms of the Grant are answered The real Difference 1. Whether the Elect have an actual Interest in the saving Benefits of the Covenant of Grace while they live in Unbelief This the Doctor affirms and I deny Of which see Chap. 10 11 12. 2. Whether God doth not offer the saving Benefits of the Covenant upon official Terms as believe and thou shalt be saved This I affirm and the Doctor denies 3. Whether the beneficial Privileges of the Covenant be not suspended on Terms of Duty as Doth not God forbear to pardon us till we believe This I affirm and the Doctor denies 4. Whether God doth engage to bestow the promised Benefits of the Covenant on all such who through Grace perform the Conditions This I affirm and the Doctor denies All may be reduced to this Whether our believing Confent to the Covenant of Grace be absolutely necessary by God's Command and Promise to our Interest in the saving Benefits of that Covenant This the Doctor denies and I affirm The Truth Confirmed 1. Each of the Benefits of the Covenant are offered to Men on condition and not absolutely in relation to God as his People is so Lev. 26. 3 12. If ye walk in my Statutes and keep my Commandments I will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my People That this refers to the New Covenant Relation is plain by 2 Cor. 6. 16. So is Union to Christ with a Communion in the Benefits proceeding therefrom Mat. 22. 2 3 9 10 11. They must come to the Wedding-Supper or have no share in it So is it of Pardon of Sin Acceptance to Life Adoption and Salvation Rom. 10. 9. If thou shalt confess with thy Mouth the Lord Jelus and shalt believe in thine Heart c. thou shalt be saved Rom. 4. 25. To whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord. Gal. 3. 7. They which are of Faith are the Children of Abraham See more of this in
the Chapters of Union Justification c. And note that it's Injustice to add new Terms of any of these Benefits if they be ours by the Covenant as absolute before 2. If the Covenant be not conditional as to the disposing of these Benefits it would follow 1. That all to whom the Offers are made have an Interest in them or it is not a serious Offer no nor a true Offer as not containing a real and mutual Connexion between the Benefit and the Duty 2. Faith it self is no more necessary to our first Interest in these Benefits than any other Grace nay than Unbelief Let no body object it 's a Sign for so is any other Grace yea so might be the Description of Paul by his Name by his Abode yea by his Sin viz. A Persecutor Paul the Persecutor of such an Age and Place would serve as well to evidence him a justified Man as his Faith Abundance of such Consequences to the very overturning of the Gospel and all Religion are unavoidable 3. Men are said to enter into Covenant with God Deut. 29. 12 13. To make a Covenant Psal. 50. 5. To keep Covenant Psal. 103. 18. To perform the Covenant 2 Chron. 34. 31. Take hold of the Covenant Isa. 56. 46. To lye to God in their Hearts not being right with God when they enter into Covenant with him Psal. 78. 36 37. They for sake the Covenant Dan. 11. 30. Broken the everlasting Covenant Isa. 24. 5. See also Jer. 50. 5. Shall joyn themselves to the Lord in a Covenant not to be forgotten Ezek. 20. 37. I will cause you to pass under the Rod and will bring you into the Bond of the Covenant All these Expressions are convincing that there is a Restipulation on Man's part and that it 's a Covenant with respect to that mutual Stipulation between God and us To suppose the Covenant to be the sole Act of God and an Act that 's meerly absolute renders all these Phrases impertinent and impossible Can we be said to make or keep the Covenant which is only God's absolute Grant It was his Act to appoint this Covenant and to enable us to make and keep it It 's his Act to restipulate on his Part but to deny it to be conditional as to the very Benefits is to make God to be the sole Party Covenanting c. 4. Consider the Seals of the Covenant viz. Baptism and the Lord's Supper and you will easily judge that they do not Seal absolutely but conditionally if absolutely then every one that partake thereof are saved If they Seal conditionally the Covenant must be conditional for by them the Covenant is renewed and the Benefits exhibited according to the Tenure of the Covenant it Self They do not Seal to us that we have the Grace to which the Benefit is promised but they seal the Benefits of the Covenant on supposition we have that Grace Hence 1 Pet. 3. 21. Baptism that saves us is not the putting away the Filth of the Flesh i. e. outward Washing but the Answer of a good Conscience towards God i. e. The upright Consent of the Heart to the Vow and Profession made in Baptism If Men would consider that a meer elect Person though by Revelation known to be elect yet whiles unregenerate is not entitled to the Lord's Supper sure they cannot but inferr That this Person hath not an actual Interest in the Covenant and all its Benefits whiles he continues so 5. I might shew that Unbelief and whatever are Sins contrary to the Terms of the Covenant are the only Hinderances to a Sinner's Interest in the Benefits of the Covenant and by these we are said to reject and refuse the Covenant The Scripture is full in this it lays Mens want of Forgiveness on their Unbelief as the culpable Cause c. It 's needless to shew how this infers the Covenant-Benefits are conditional 6. The Gospel promise being the way which Christ appoints to dispense saving Benefits to Sinners must have the same Rules with the Covenant of Grace This Gospel is his Testament and the same with this Covenant the Benefits are the same and the Covenant cannot be a disposition of these Benefits in a way contrary to this Gospel but this Gospel or Covenant tells us 1. That there is a Promise of the first Gâ—aâ—â— made to Christ for the Elect and by the Virtue of that Promise the Elect do consent to the Covenant 2. This Gospel or Covenant is the Means whereby that Faith is wrought 3. This Gospel commands and by the Power of the Spirit works that Faith in order to saving Benefits which Benefits it promiseth to such as do thus believe and to no other 4. This Gospel or Covenant invests Believers in those saving Benefits 5. It secures the Perseverance of Believers in that true Faith and the necessary Effects and Operations of it and thereby secures those Benefits as unforfeited But Christ never bequeathed or promised in the Gospel a Pardon or Salvation to the Unbelievers nor the Continuance of that Pardon or Salvation but on Supposition that this Faith perseveres and if the Gospel Promise say no such things I am sure the Covenant did not 7. The Account of the Covenant which seems most for its Absoluteness implies this conditional Connexion of the required Grace and the promised Benefits Jer. 31. 31 32 33. Heb. 8. 10 11 12. Heb. 10. 16 17. Jer. 32. 40. Ezra 11. 19 20 c. There be others that referr to the Restauration of the Captivity I 'll fix on that Jer. 31. 31. I 'll make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah 33. After those days I will put my Laws in their inward Parts and write it in their Hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People and they shall teach no more every Man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them for I will forgive their Iniquities and remember their Sins no more This is quoted Heb. 8. 10 12. and 10. 16 17. To understand this we must consider 1. Whom is this Covenant made with 2. What cannot be inferred from this Scheme of the Covenant 1. Whom is this Covenant made with It 's with the House of Judah and Israel not the Men in present being but Men to be hereafter It 's after those Days I will make it So that it was after the Mosaick Covenant was to expire Ver. 32. and it could not be the only Covenant of Grace for that had its Being from the Fall And the sincere Israelites did not lose the Advantages of it by the Mosaick Dispensation as the Apostle Argues Gal. 3. 17. The Point before us is to know who this Israel and Judah be 1. They are either the natural Jews to be alive in those Days which this Promise refers to 2. Or true Believers who are inwardly Israel
Rom. 9. 6. 1. If it terminate on the natural Jews it 's the strongest Text for the Conversion of that People and describes the Extent of it viz. to all The Manner of it viz. by an immediate Influence for the most part and forgiving their Iniquities refers to their Sin in crucifying Christ for which that Blindness came upon them that is here removed If you take it in this Sence yet here is a Law written in the Heart which includes Faith in order to God's being their God and the Remission of their Sins 2. If true Believers or they that are inwardly Israel be meant as Rom. 2. 9. then it 's plain that there is Faith in all such who are the Parties with whom God makes this Covenant They are the Children of Abraham by Faith Gal. 3. 7. and no Unbelievers are Israel in this Notion If you take it thus the Text imports Perseverance great Sanctification and high Improvements in Holiness and Knowledge great Nearness to and Amity with God c. as the Benefits secured and reserved for the New-Testament-Times and all these to multitudes 2. It cannot be inferred from this Scheme of the new Covenant that as the Doctor would have it God doth not require any Duty as the Condition of the Benefits which he promiseth to give for here 's Gods Law written in the Heart before our Relation to him as his People or the Pardon of Sins and though this Text includes the Effects and Materials of the Covenant yet it doth not describe the whole Form of the Covenant for in other Places God requires the new Heart as a Condition of Life Ezek. 18. 31. Cast away from you all your Transgressions and make you a new Heart and a new Spirit for why will you die O House of Israel But turn and live Jer. 7. 23. c. Yea our Ministry which is the Ministry of the New Testament 2 Cor. 3. 6. is to preach Faith and Repentance for the Remission of Sin We are to promise the Benefits of the Covenant to all that submit to the Terms of it and to declare that all who refuse the Terms shall therefore be excluded from the Benefits as you 'll see Chap. 10 11 12 21. Testimonies You have already seen that the Assembly say the Covenant of Grace is conditional and Faith is a Condition of our Interest in Christ and Salvation and these are offered to Sinners on that Condition The Congregational Elders at the Savoy affirm as much Chap. 7. a. 3. The Lord was pleased to make a second Covenant commonly called the Covenant of Grace wherein he freely offers Life and Salvation by Jesus Christ requiring of them Faith in him that they may be saved You see they think there 's in the Covenant an Offer of Life if Men will believe and God requires Faith that we may obtain this Life The New England Synod confutes Errour 28. which was this To affirm there must be Faith on Man's Part to receive the Covenant is to undermine Christ. This the Synod say is contrary to Mar. 16. 16. Errour 38. was That there can be no closing with Christ in a Promise that hath a Condition expressed The Synod say this is erroneous and contrary to Isa. 55. 1. Mat. 11. 28. Mar. 1. 5. and adds If the Gospel it self be laid down in a conditional Promise if the Apostles and Prophets laid hold on such Promises to help to Union then there may be a true closing with Christ in a Promise that hath Qualfications and Conditions expressed So they brand as Errour 48. That conditional Promises are legal And Errour 81. Where Faith is held forth by the Ministry as the Condition of the Covenant of Grace on Man's Part c. there is not sufficient Bread which the Synod thus confutes This Position seems to deny Faith to be a Condition at all or at all active and so if Condition in this place signifie a Qualification in Man wrought by the Holy Ghost without which the Promises do not belong to Men. This is contrary to Joh. 6. 48. Doctor Owen saith Treat of Justif. P. 264. That Christ undertook that those who were to be taken into this Covenant should receive Grace enabling them to comply with the Terms of it fulfill its Conditions and yield the Obedience which God required therein How frequently doth he assert that our Interest in the Benefits of the Covenant depends on our answering the Terms of the Gospel 270 303 c. 351. He informs us A Covenant doth not operate by meer Sovereignty it becomes not a Covenant without the Consent of them with whom it is made Wherefore saith he no Benefit accrues unto any or Freedom from the old Covenant by this Constitution unless he hath actually complied with it hath chosen it and is interessed in it thereby Mr. Norton Orth. Evang. 172. affirms That the Gospel holds forth Salvation before Faith indefinitely not definitely Generally not Particularly Conditionally to every one not Absolutely to any one Hence this indefinite Proposition Whosoever believeth shall be saved containeth a Command and a singular or particular Conditional Promise c. He often proves Faith to be the First Condition See Turretin Instit. Theol. pars 2. p. 203. where he proves the Covenant of Grace to be Conditional How poor is the number that denies it The Ground of the Doctor 's Mistake He thinks every thing is a Price to buy a Benefit which is a compliance with the way God hath ordained to bestow the Gift whereas there 's a buying without Price which is our Acceptance of Life upon the Terms of God's Offer Isa. 55. 1. He thinks because God hath promised to Christ That the Elect shall believe therefore God cannot make Faith a Condition of any other Blessing which he resolves to bestow in order after Faith He thinks because Christ is given to be a Covenant that is he is appointed as a Surety to see the great Ends of the Covenant accomplished and secured therefore there is nothing required from Men as the way of their Interest in the Benefits of the Covenant though under the influence of Christ. He thinks because Christ is appointed to work Faith in order to Union and other Benefits therefore we must have an actual Interest in Christ and those Benefits before this Faith is wrought He thinks because all Grace after Union comes from Christ as our actual Head therefore Christ by his Spirit can work no Grace in us as our designed Head He thinks because God sovereignly decreed what Benefits he would bestow therefore he hath as our Ruler stated no rectoral Method of bestowing those Benefits Because the Covenant is everlasting as to future therefore he judged there can be no Condition on Man's part not remembring that the Covenant secures our perseverance in performing those Conditions CHAP. IX Of the Nature of Saving Faith TRUTH I Shall express this in the words of the Assembly and Congregational Elders at the Savoy Confes.
unto such and such Persons before he did put any Qualifications into them But I say farther that God gives actual Possession of this Christ and this Christ takes Possession of that Person before there be any Qualification Obj. When are the Elect united to Christ A. The Doctor tells you Before they are born P. 617. See P. 597 609 611 c. Of coming to Christ against your Wills See the end of this Chapter Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not whether God hath decreed that all the Elect shall be united to Christ. 2. Nor whether God hath appointed and Christ agreed in the Covenant of Redemption to be in time the Saviour of the Elect and that whatChrist did and suffered pursuant to that Covenant was intended for the saving Good of the Elect. 3. Nor whether all the Power by which we believe and the Spirit who works Faith in us be purchased and given by Christ. 4. Nor whether Christ's giving us the Spirit of Grace do begin this Union and the Spirit given in order to saving Operations produceth this Faith whereby the Union is consummated 5. Nor whether Faith unites to Christ by Divine Ordination and not by its own Power or Merit or as a Physical Act. All these I affirm The Real Difference 1. Whether the Elect are actually united to Christ before they are born This the Doctor affirms and I deny 2. Whether the Elect are united to Christ till they are effectually called and truly believe This the Doctor denies and I affirm The Truth Confirmed 1. The Scriptures expresly affirm all uncalled unregenerate Unbelievers to be united to Christ and in a State of Separation from him The believing Ephesians were before Conversion without Christ Eph. 2. 12. Were they always united to Christ of whom Paul saith Rom. 16. 7. They were in Christ before me Or was Paul himself always in Christ Were not the Romans out of Christ while a wild Olive-Tree and untill they were grafted into the true Olive-Tree w ich they were upon their Conversion Rom. 11. 17 19. 2. The Spirit of Christ and Faith in him are the things whereby God hath ordained us to be united with Christ By one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. Christ dwells in our Hearts by Faith Eph. 3. 17. on which account we are said to receive Christ Col. 2. 8. And are Children of God by Faith Gal. 3. 26. 3. The want of this Union is denounced against all such as have not the Spirit and are Unbelievers Rom. 8. 9. If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his i. e. Let the Man be elect or not be the Man who he will if he hath not the Spirit he is not Christ's in this Union And it 's the Design of that Parable Mat. 22. 3. to 13. that they who accept not of the Invitation or do not sincerely and spiritually consent to Christ's Offer shall not be united to Christ or partake of the Marriage Supper 4. The necessary immediate Effects of Union are plainly wanting in all such as have not the Spirit and want Faith He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. Can any unbelieving Wretch pretend to have one Spirit with Christ whiles his Inclinations Purposes and Carriage are so contrary Again If any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. q. d. Let the Man be who he will he is not united to Christ if he be not a new Creature I hope none will doubt he is no new Creature who is carnal who is a Stranger to the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4 24. When the Scriptures describe any Person in Christ Jesus they tell us they at least in purpose have crucified the Flesh with the Affections thereof Gal. 5. 24 and they walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom 8 1. It 's not they that have crucified the Flesh are in Chrâ—st which some might say would render it only a manifesting Sign of their In-being in Christ but these Texts do exclude all others from a present Share in this Union The like Places might be multiplied As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3. 27. If Christ be in you the Body is dead because of Sin c. Rom 8 9 10 But alas these and the like are not only wanting in Unbelievers but the direct contrary thereto prevalently reign in them and each of these Contraries do by a Gospel Rule subject Men to those Miseries as are inconsistent with the Members of Christ As If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die to be carnally minded is Death c. Rom. 3. 8. 6 14. 5. Union with Christ is determined to our effectual Calling This is the Means and Season of that Blessing God is faithful by whom ye are called into the Fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1. 9. Hence the Instruments of our Vocation are said to espouse us to Christ 2 Cor. 11. 2. To beget them for him 1 Cor. 4. 15. This Privilege is peculiar to Christ's regenerate Seed and impossible to any that are not so 6. Unbelievers are not Members of the Catholick invisible Church which is the Body of Christ By one Spirit you are all baptized into one Body and have been all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 13. There is a present effectual Working in every Part of this Body Eph. 4. 16. It 's by the Spirit 's Operation we are Parts of this Holy Temple and fellow Citizens with the Saints Eph. 2. from 18. to 22. Every Member hath a Measure of Faith and Grace Rom. 12. 3 4 5. None of these can be true of Men dead in Sin Nor can they be Members of Christ that are not Members of his Body 1 Cor. 12. 27. 7. Should they that are united to Christ apostatize from Faith they would thereby forfeit and lose this Union If any cease to be Believers they would cease to be Members of Christ. This is the Scope of Joh. 15. 2 3 4 5 6. If a Man abide not in me he is cast forth as a Branch and is withered Every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit he taketh away And is it not apparent that Apostacy sinks a Man into no more Unbelief than what prevailed before he believed at all 8. The opposite Errour would reconcile what the Spirit of God declares inconsistent The Apostle in vain asketh What Concord hath Christ with Belial or what Part hath he that believeth with an Infidel and what Agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols c. 2 Cor. 6. 15 16 17. By this Opinion Christ and Belial can be and dwell quietly in one Man for many Years and he that believeth and an Infidel have the same part in the highest Privilege viz. Union with Christ. In Uncleanness God receives all alike and
Heathen through Faith Must not Faith be at least present It 's impossible to exert an Act by a Thing when that Thing is not 2. Faith is enjoyned as an indispensible Means of Justification by Christ and complied with by All Converts to that End Act. 16. 30. Believe and thou shalt be saved Rom. 10. 9 10. If thou believe with thine heart thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth to righteousness not to Assurance only To be Justified was a Benefit which Paul and the other Converts had an Eye to in Believing Gal. 2. 16. We have believed That we may be justified by the faith of Christ. The Blessing of Justification is limited to a Believer and extended to such by such conditional and indefinite Clauses as these Rom. 4. 23 24. To us it shall be imputed for Righteousness if we Believe on him that raised up Christ from the dead Act. 10. 43. Whosoever Believeth in him shall receive Remission of Sins What a gross Notion would it create That Faith should be required by God in order to a Benefit and this Faith acted by the guidance of the Spirit as a Means to partake of that Benefit and this Benefit proposed and limited to all under an express respect to that Faith and yet that Benefit is ours before Faith hath a Being 3. The Gospel denounceth and declareth All Condemned till they do Believe It declares they are so and denounceth they shall be so Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth not on the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And ver 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already Here 's the Case of all Men by the Fall They are Condemned and under Wrath. Here 's the way of Relief A Christ believed on And they that believe their Condemnation is revers'd Here 's the Case of every Man that believeth not Wrath abideth on him The Condemning Sentence remains and Men are distributed into Condemned or Justified and this as Believers or Unbelievers Oh! that any can think all this Wrath that abides is no more than want of an Assurance that we are Justified Sure it 's more danger Joh. 8. 24. If you believe not you shall die in your sins Mark 16. 18. He that believeth not shall be damned Then they must be liable to Damnation whilst in Unbelief or they could not be Damned for Unbelief To be Condemned and Justified are Opposites at once none can be both Nor can God Justifie a Man whom he then and still Condemns 4. Unbelief is the cause why Men are barred from Justiâ—â—cation and remain obnoxious to Misery Joh. 5. 40. Ye will not come to me that ye may have life What undid the Jews Heb. 3. 18 19. They could not enter because of Unbelief And ch 4 6 7. And if Unbelief did not obstruct Life and a Right to it the Apostle would oddly inferr ch 4. ver 1 2 3. Let us therefore fear lest a Promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it c. for we which have believed do enter into rest How easily might I argue this Point from the Nature of Justification as it 's a judicial Act of God by a Gospel-Rule supposing Christ's Satisfaction As also from the immediate Effects of Justification which are all suspended as to Unbelievers God in all his Carriage not executing the Justifying Sentence on them but the contrary he leaves them many years Slaves to Sin and Satan void of his Spirit admitting them to no Communion with him rejecting their Prayers barring them from his Table suffering them to blaspheme and dishonour him he suffers them to remain Curses and Plagues to other Souls c. Doth God deal thus with the Justified What short of Hell is the Execution of the Curse if these be not Reader I leave it to thy self to judge whether all these things make Faith of no more use than to shew us the goodness of our state which we were as much possessed of before only we did not know it Is that all the change on believing which such great Expressions import Is our being now washed and justified 1 Cor. 6. 11. no more than we now know it Is Assurance all the motive we can honestly use with Sinners to believe Or the want of it all the Danger we have to threaten them with to any beneficial purpose against their abiding in Unbelief TESTIMONIES You have already heard the Assembly and the Congr of Elders at the Savoy Confes. chap. 11. a. 4. saying The Elect are not Justified until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ to them See ch 1. Of the State of the Elect Where I cited this Lesser Catech. Q. What Benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this Life A. They that are effectually called partake of Justification Adoption c. You see that the Assembly do suppose our Calling to our being Justified and Justification is a Benefit flowing from it In the next Answer they tell us We are Justified by receiving Christ's Righteousness by Faith alone So not before Faith The New-England Synod p. 18. thus confute that Speech of the Antinomians viz. To say we are Justified by Faith is an unsafe Speech we must say We are Justified by Christ. The Synod fully prove this is false and add To say a Man is Justified before Faith or without Faith is unsafe as contrary to the language of the Scripture Dr. Owen in his Treat of Justif. p. 299. saith It must be remembred that we require Evangelical Faith in order of Nature antecedently unto our Justification by the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto us which also is the Condition of the Continuation of it This is as plain as can be and this he oft proves p. 306 c. The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake Because God Justifies the Ungodly that is the Man who the moment before he believed to Justification was ungodly yea and who still remains ungodly in the Eye of the Law of Works needing daily Forgiveness by Grace therefore God Justifies him who continueth wholly ungodly fifty years after Because Christ alone Justifies as he whose Satisfaction and Merits are the only Righteousness for which we are Justified therefore he thinks there is nothing else present in our Justification not considering that God Justifies the Spirit Justifies the Gospel-Promise Justifieth in sences distinct from Christ And so doth Faith though not as what meriteth yet as what the Promise requireth in all whom God will Justifie for the sake of Christ's Merits Because it 's Christ the Object of Faith Justifies therefore Faith in that Object is not requisite to Justification though it 's as plain as the Word of God can speak it 's a Christ believed on which Justifies It 's not Faith without a Christ can do it and Christ without Faith will not do it but on
as increase of Peace returns of Prayer Joy c. Truth Though neither Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works do make any Atonement for Sin or are in the least the meritorious Righteousness whereby Salvation is caused or for which this or any Blessing becomes due to us as of Debt yet as the Spirit of Christ freely worketh all Holiness in the Soul and enableth us to sincere Obedience and good Works so the Lord Jesus hath of Grace and for his own Merits promised to bring to Heaven such as are partakers of true Holiness perform this sincere Obedience and do these good Works perseveringly and appoints these as the Way and Means of a Believer's obtaining Salvation and several other Blessings requiring these as indispensible Duties and Qualifications of all such whom he will so save and bless and excluding all that want or neglect them or live under the Power of what 's contrary thereto viz. Prophaneness Rebellion and utter Unfruitfulness Errour Men have nothing to do in order to Salvation nor is Sanctification a jot the way of any Person to Heaven nor can the Graces or Duties of Believers no nor Faith it self do them the least Good or prevent the least Evil nor are they of any Use to their Peace or Comfort yea though Christ be explicitely owned and they be done in the Strength of the Spirit of God And a Believer ought not to think he is more pleasing to God by any Grace he acteth or Good he doth nor may Men expect any Good to a Nation by the Humiliation earnest Prayer or Reformation of a People Proved that this is Dr. Crisp 's Opinion P. 41 42. The Doctor tells us Seeing all things are setled by Christ for us of free Gift all we do is for Christ himself I say that we do we do for Christ not for our selves If we do it for our selves we do but labour in vain if a Man will run a hundred Miles for Money if that Money be proffered to him before he step out of his House at his Door his Journey is in vain seeing he might have had it before he stept out of Door c. Christ comes and brings Justification loving Kindness and Salvation he lays them down presents them delivers them to the Heart when we are ungodly he enters into Covenant that we should become his What needs then all this Travel for Life and Salvation seeing it is here already But seeing we get nothing by it c. Obj. But sure the Doctor intends only That nothing we do can merit but not that they are not required as the requisite Means and VVay to obtain these Blessings A. The Doctor satisfies us he intends the last as well as the first P. 45. 46. I will note one thing before I go on to make clear this thing It is a received Conceit among many Persons that our Obedience is the Way to Heaven and though it be not say they the Cause of our Reign yet it is the Way to the Kingdom c. This he disapproves saying I must tell you all this Sanctification of Life is not a jot the Way of that justified Person unto Heaven c. The Truth is since Redemption is managed by Christ the Lord hath pointed out other Ends and Purposes for our Obedience than Salvation Salvation is not the end of any good Work we do P. 151 152. he puts this Objection We had as good sit still He that works all day and gets nothing more than he had in the Morning he had as good sit still and do nothing He answers Let me tell you the Prevention of Evil if there be reality of Evil in it and the obtaining of Good if there be reality of Good Peace of Conscience Joy in the Holy Ghost Pardon of Sin the Infallibility of Miscarriage the Light of God's Countenance All these I say which you aim at are abundantly provided for you and established firmly on you by the mere Grace of God in Christ before you do perform any thing whatsoever To what purpose do Men propose Ends to themselves which Ends are accomplished before their Proposition And to what purpose then do we propose to our selves the gaining of that to our selves in our Labour and Industry that is already become ours before we do a jot c. Must they now labour to gain these things as if it were referred to their well or evil Walking that as they shall walk so they shall speed c. The Lord doth nothing in his People upon Conditions in his People c. The Lord intends not that by our Obedience we shall gain something which in case of our Failing we shall miscarry of c. That they are to do they are not to do with any Eye to their own Advantage that being already perfectly compleated to their Hands before they do any thing but simply with an Eye to glorifie God and to serve their Generation and therein to serve the Lord c. When you do yield Obedience to God you go to Prayer and fall to Fasting to Weeping and Mourning and Self-denial Keeping the Sabbath Dealing righteously c. What is it you aim at in all this that God may do you good that God may be gracious that God may speak Peace to your Spirits then it follows that Life is that in your Eye that puts you on that which you do c. This is the Righteousness of the Law P. 13. Let Subduing of Sin alone for Peace P. 73. While you labour to get by Duties you provoke God as much as in you lies Obj. But though Holiness or Obedience do not profit us as to saving Good may they not bring us some Good or other Ans. The Doctor tells us No P. 150. I must tell you there is not any Duty you perform when you have attained the highest Pitch that hath any Prevalency and Availableness to produce to bring forth any though the least Good to your selves I say it again there is nothing you can do from whence you ought to expect any Gain to your selves by doing it The Doctor speaks the same as to the Uselessness of Reformation to a Kingdom P. 235 236. But if a Soul get under full sail filled with a stiff Gale of the Spirit when Floods of Meltings flow from it if they can cry mightily and be somewhat exact in observing practical righteous Means to mourn and pray lustily being helpt by the Spirit therein then such Exercises will do Wonders hereby Persons shall get Pardon settle Spiritual Civil and Natural Healings with National such Courses some will think will turn away Gods Wrath c. But he tells us in that Page though these be done by Persons being in Christ though thus assisted by Christ's Spirit though Christ be explicitely owned as the Author of such Assistance the Righteousness so assisted hath no efficacy at all to obtain any thing of the Lord c. So P. 425 426 124 125 24. His common Phrase is
We must not work for Life but from Life Obj. But we may suppose the Doctor saith this only of external Duties but not of the Actings of Grace Answ. No I could shew you how he saith the same of all Graces but it 's enough to instance in that of Faith P. 326. That is the proper Work that God hath given to Believing not to effect any thing to the Good of a Man but only to be the Witness of that Good to the Spirit of a Man and so give light to that which was hidden before Obj. But is not God pleased with us the more for Grace c. A. The Doctor informs us P. 429. If you have more Ability than others in doing let it not come into your Thoughts as an Inducement to think better of your selves as if you were more accepted of God or pleasing in his Sight Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not whether God hath decreed that the Elect shall be holy and obedient and so partake of saving Blessings 2. Nor whether every VVork will fail to save a Christless Unbeliever 3. Nor whether Christ hath paid the Price of Temporal Spiritual and Eternal Blessings 4. Nor whether the essential Blessings of the Gospel become the Inheritance of a Believer as soon as he is united to Christ. 5. Nor whether it 's from the Influence of the Spirit that we are Holy Obedient and enabled to every good VVork 6. Nor whether it is for the Sake of Christ's Merits and Incense and of Free-Grace that any Grace of Duty of ours is rewarded or becomes the Means of any Benefit Each of these I do affirm 7. Nor whether an Holiness internal or external any Obedience VVork or Duty do at all merit the Promise or is the meritorious Cause or Righteousness for which any promised Mercy is bestowed This I deny and own that all is of Gift though given in an Order suitable to our Condition as Subjects in a State of Trial. 8. Nor whether the Law be a Rule of Duty This the Doctor affirms as I also do though he denies any Threatning or Promise to back God's Law as to the Elect. 9. Nor whether the Elect ought to be Holy and will be Holy This the Doctor owns but he placeth it wholly on the Decree and Christ's Care denying that God hath required it as indispensibly necessary to our inheriting any Blessing promised to the Elect and judgeth Christ hath done all for us and injoyneth nothing on us to do in order to any good thing 10. Nor whether a penitent Believer shall be saved if he die before he hath time for further Obedience This I affirm The Real Difference 1. VVhether Faith and Repentance be indispensibly required of us that we may be justified for the Sake of Christ's Righteousness This I affirm and the Doctor denies Of which I have treated Chap. 12. 2. VVhether Holiness and sincere Obedience and Perseverance are the way to Heaven and are required of the Elect as the Conditions of their obtaining Salvation or is Heaven promised to them if they persevere in Holiness and sincere Obedience and the Loss of Heaven threatned in case they continue wicked and disobedient or after Grace turn Apostates This the Doctor denies and I affirm 3. VVhether the good Works of a Believer are rewardable of Grace for Christ's Sake This I affirm and the Doctor denies 4. Whether by the Gospel as a Rule of Judgment whoever is unholy utterly disobedient and altogether wilfully neglective of good Works shall be condemned This I affirm and the Doctor denies 5. Whether God hath promised several Blessings distinct from mere eternal Life to the Exercise of several Graces and Performance of sundry Duties as more Grace to the Improvement of less gracious Returns to fervent Prayer Peace of Conscience to a lively Frame and exact walking his Presence to a conscientious Attendance on Ordinances diverting threatned Judgments on Repentance and Reformation filling the Hungry with good things c. This the Doctor denies and I affirm 6. Whether upon the Acting of such Graces and upright Performing such Duties a Christian may not in the Virtue of such Promises expect such Blessings and fear the Neglect thereof as a Bar thereto This the Doctor denies and I affirm Yet allowing that God may sometimes exert his Soveraignty in giving some Blessings to a Believer not answering these Rules and a while suspend them from the disposed Soul to try his Patience or if the Blessing be of a lower Nature he may exchange it into a greater But yet this I affirm is the stated Rule of our Expectations and Fears and the ordinary Method of God's Dealings with Men. 7. Whether God is not more pleased with a Man in the Exercise of Grace and Holiness than when he neglects them and doth the contrary This I affirm and the Doctor denies The Truth confirmed The Points are too many to admit Enlargement and most of them carry that Evidence that the whole Scope of the Bible must be forgotten when they are denied Can two or three wrested Texts overturn the constant Language of the Scriptures And is it not strange that all Religion and the Humane Nature it self in a State of Trial should be so fully struck at from a gross Conceit that the infinite God cannot foresee and purpose Events unless it must null his Government over reasonable Subjects and prevent his Distribution of Rewards and Punishments by a stated Rule What a Reflexion is it on the Divine Wisdom and the glorious Platform of the Redeemer's Work and Kingdom that he cannot purchase Benefits for Sinners unless he forbear to use them as Motives to Obedience Yea The whole of his serious Pleadings with Men must be a Mockery rather than he must be allowed to bestow his Blessings in a rectoral way He shall merit nothing as a Priest if he dispense it as a King nor be estemed to enable Sinners to act if he appoint them any thing to do in order to a Reward Having occasion to mention some Words which I would prevent thy Mistake of know that by Holiness I mean the inward Renovation and Devotedness of the Soul to God with the Expression thereof in holy Actings By Good Works I mean all the inward Actings of Grace in a sincere Conformity to the Will of God as our loving God our fearing God trusting in Christ godly Purposes and Resolves c. These are good Works called internal There be also external good Works as Praying Hearing exact Walking Alms-deeds and any other Act of Obedience directed by the Word proceeding from Faith and a renewed Principle and intended to glorifie God and save our Souls By Doing the same Actings are intended and so loving God is Doing yea Believing in Christ is Doing it is an Action on our Part even when it accepts of Christ though it is by Divine Ordination made the effectual Means of Receiving or partaking of a promised Christ. Having premised these things I
man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him But we are not of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of their souls Heb. 10. 38 39. Is this a Threatning or not VVill not Christ deal with Men according to it Is it not true of all Persons Do not say the elect Believer will not fall away I think the same but yet is it the less true that even he shall perish if he fall away Nay Doth not God by these Threats contribute to keep him from Apostacy Ask thy self Is not this Threatning such as should govern our Expectations if we should turn Apostates So Heb. 12. 14. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. This is used as an Argument to persuade us to follow Holiness and can you suppose it argueth at a lower rate than this Be Holy or you shall never see God's Face Unholiness will keep you from God's Presence Consider such places as For these things the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience Eph. 5. 6. If you live after the flesh you shall die Rom. 8. 13. 2. Salvation is promised to Perseverance True Holiness Sincere Obedience or Good Works And the Accomplishment of these Promises to these is called an Act of Righteousness These are Gospel-Promises because Salvation is promised on Terms so below Perfection The Texts are innumerable that include these Promises Rev. 2. 10. Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good fight I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge will give me in that day Rom. 18. 3. If you mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit you shall live Heb. 6. 10. God is not unrighteous to forget your labour of love c. 2 Thes. 1. 6 7. The Righteousness refers to the Truth of the Promise not the Proportion of the Work Obj. These describe the Men whom God will save Ans. True but not as mere Natural Signs but as Moral instituted Signs They are Qualifications which God appoints as Pre-requisites to the Blessings They are not Meritorious but they are made by the Promise Necessary to our partaking of these Gifts and the Neglect of them would exclude our Interest in the Blessing Obj. These are Concomitants of them thâ—â— shall be saved Ans. The same Answer thaâ— is given to the last will serve to this And I add They are not instead of Christ they cannot add to what is proper to a Christ nor will they suffice without Faith or an Interest in Christ or without Pardon But they still signifie more than such Concomitants as some esteem them They are not like the Place of one's Birth or our Names or ouâ— Parents or Death c. All which are Concomitants of a Man that is saved but theâ— are Characters designed by the Promise theâ—â— are things without which the Gospel-Rule will exclude Men from Heaven and condemn Men into Hell let their Pretences be what they will Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are that that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in for without are dogs Mat. 5. 20. Except youâ— righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes c. 3. Consider the respect to Glory which ouâ— Good Works have in Scripture-dialect They are as Seed to the Harvest Gal. 6. 7 8 9. As 〈◊〉 Way to one's proposed place Eph. 2. 10. As Means to an End Mat. 5. 8. As Work to one's Wages Mat. 20. 1 7. Foundation to 〈◊〉 Building 1 Tim. 6. 19 c. The Gospel declares no less a Connexion between Good Works and Glory though they merit nothing 4. God declares the Obedience and Works of Believers as rewardable of Grace through Christ. They shall walk with me in white for they are worthy Rev. 3. 4. Great is your Reward in Heaven Mat. 5. 12. If I do this willingly I have a Reward 1 Cor. 9. 17. Col. 3. 24. Rev. 22. 12. Come ye blessed of my Father c. For I was an hungry and ye gave me meat c. Mat. 25. 34 35. It 's true it 's a Reward from the Benignity of a Father not from the Dignity of the Work It 's from the Ordination of the Promise which is owing to the Merits of a Christ and not any Claim of the Performance And so tender is God of the Honour of his Goodness herein that the Second Article of our Creed must be That he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. 5. By perseverance in these Exercises we are to work out our Salvation Phil. 2. 12. We lay hold of Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6. Lay up a treasure in heaven Luk. 12. 33. We run the race for the prize 1 Cor. 9. 24. VVe fight for the Crown c. And is it as good sit still as to be doing thus for to help us Heaven-ward Reader Lay these things to heart and canst thou account persevering Holiness and Obedience useless things Are they so indifferent to Happiness as the Doctor represents them How much of the Bible must be expunged ere his Opinion deserves credit Though I know our corrupt part too well likes a Dispensation from striving to enter in at the strait Gate III. The Third thing I should prove is That many other Blessings besides mere Eternal Life are promised to the Exercise of several Graces and Performance of Duties This is so easie a Task that I would leave it to the most ignorant but to read the Bible with his own Eyes VVhat mean such places The effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous man availeth much Jam. 5. 16. VVill no Prayer or cold Prayer avail as much If these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of Christ 2 Pet. 1. 8. VVill the want or scanty degrees of Grace do the same So 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure c. for so an entrance shall be administred to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of Christ. May one be assured without diligence Or shall we enter Heaven with the same full sail though we be negligent and unassured 2 Cor. 9. 6. He that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully he that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly But then shall we reap as liberally if we sow not at all or sow sparingly VVhere shall I stop when the Scriptures are so full of Instances And sure I need not prove that Repentance and earnest Prayer contribute to preserve a Nation when God so many times urgeth these to this end when he hath promised and performed Deliverance hereupon when he complains so oft that he must destroy for want of these and lays the Destruction of places always on neglect of these Jer. 18. 7 8 9 10. Isa. 1.
a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Were all Doing for Life and an Eye to gain by Service such a legal and wicked thing as some represent it sure the blessed Jesus would have admonished his Disciples and not answer them as he doth Mat. 19. 27 28 29. Then answered Peter and said unto him behold we have forsaken all and followed thee What shall we have therefore And Jesus said unto them verily c. Ye shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel c. 4. The Doctor 's Argument from the Vanity of proposing our own Gain by Labour and Duties because all is fixed and given already is to make the Decree an effectual Means to overthrow the Government of Christ and brand all his Offers to Sinners with Weakness and Falshood Should not poor Sinners pray as they can abstain from Sin consider and apply the Word with an Eye to Conversion Why doth God call them to this Should not they wait and strive to believe and repent with an Eye to Forgiveness and escaping VVrath VVhy else should God encourage them with an Offer of these upon such Terms and tell the Unbelievers that they refuse these Mercies by new Forfeitures But by the Doctor 's Scheme the Elect may be idle and the Non-elect do best when they despair for there 's no Connexion between these Benefits and these Graces or Duties And so the Non-elect are in the same Case with Devils there being no serious Offer to them nay their Case is worse than Devils for these Offers are made to them for no other Design but to increase their Condemnation Nay every Sin of their's is the Sin against the Holy Ghost that is every Sin is alike the Unpardonable Sin and not only that Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost To say no more Christ hath no Rule of distributive Justice but his own eternal Purpose and Men's Regards to his promised Benefits are all forbidden even when our Respect to them is that which subserves his Government and is supposed in all the Methods of it 5. And why should we intend the Glory of God the Service of Christ or the Good of others Are not these as determined as our own Good Hath not God fixed and secured his own Glory Doth Christ need our services more than our selves Shall any other Persons receive more Good than God hath already given and provided for them Why should we intend these in our Duties more than our own Profit the very same Reason excuseth from all and so we ought to intend nothing at all I could shew had I Room that we cannot sincerely aim at our Souls good but we therein aim at God's Glory Nor doth God ever require us to intend his Glory but in a Concurrence with an Eye to our own Salvation TESTIMONIES You have seen in the last Chapter the Assembly's and Congregational Elders Judgment and that we are not the less under Grace for being encouraged to do good by the Promises c. The Case is so plain that I shall only give the Judgment of the greater part of those Reverend Divines whose Names are set in the Front of Dr. Crisp's Works and interpreted by the VVeak to a contrary purpose than what they intended These Divines in the Preface to Mr. Flavel's Book against Antinomianism which they approve of inform us That to say Salvation is not the End of any Good VVork we do or VVe are to act from Life and not for Life were to abandon the Humane Nature it were to teach us to violate the great Precepts of the Gospel it supposeth one bound to do more for the Salvation of others than our own 't were to make all the Threatnings of Eternal Death and Promises of Eternal Life we find in the Gospel of our blessed Lord useless as Motives to shun the one or obtain the other It makes the Scripture-Characters and Commendation of the most Eminent Saints a Fault Had I seen this sooner it might have spared some of my Reasons The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake Because we ought not to do any thing from Carnal Self-love therefore we ought to do nothing from Rational and Spiritual Self-love Because Christ redeemed us that we may not live to our selves as our own Lords therefore we must not in obeying him regard the Rewards he promiseth us as he is our Lord. Because we must aim at God's Glory above all therefore we must not at all intend our own happiness in the enjoyment of this God Because we must aim at the good of others therefore we must not aim at our own good Because we should obey God from Gratitude and Love therefore we should not obey him from any Hope or filial Fear Because God hath engaged to give Life and Happiness to the Elect when they have finished their warfare and work therefore they must not intend the obtaining that happiness in any part of that work or warfare CHAP. XV. Of the way to attain Assurance TRUTH THe ordinary way whereby a Man attaineth a well-grounded Assurance is not by immediate objective Revelation or an inward Voice saying Thy Sins are forgiven thee But when the Believer is examining his Heart and Life by the Word the holy Spirit enlightens the Mind there to discern Faith and Love and such other Qualifications which the Gospel declareth to be infallible Signs of Regeneration And he adds such power to the Testimony of Conscience for the Truth and In-being of these Graces as begets in the Soul a joyful sense of its reconciled State and some comfortable freedom from those Fears which accompany a doubting Christian and according to the Evidence of these Graces Assurance is ordinarily strong or weak ERROUR Assurance is not attained by the Evidence of Scripture-Marks or Signs of Grace or by the Spirits discovering to us that he hath wrought in our Hearts any holy Qualifications But Assurance comes only by an inward Voice of the Spirit saying Thy Sins are forgiven thee and our believing thereupon that our Sins are forgiven Proved that this is Doctor Crisp's Opinion P. 491. Would you know that the Lord hath laid your Iniquities on Christ you must know it thus 1. Is there a Voice behind thee or within thee saying particularly to thee in thy self Thy Sins are forgiven thee Dost thou see this Voice agree with the Word of Grace that is Dost thou see it held out to most vile and wretched Creatures as thou canst be and upon this Revelation of the Mind of the Lord by his Spirit according to that Word doth the Lord give thee to receive that Testimony of the Spirit to sit down with it as satisfied that upon this thou makest full reckoning thou hast propriety in this particularly to thy self If thou dost receive that Testimony according to that Word here is thy Evidence Thou hast thy Propriety and Portion in this On this Point the Doctor spends much time Serm. 15. is to prove That Love to the
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
the Prophets even Isaiah himself yea Christ and his Apostles were all Legal Preachers The Law in this sence is that which Converts Comforts Healeth Saveth c Whatever is spoken in Praise of the Word of the Truth of the Commandments of God and Christ are spoken of the Law in this sence And it is the same with the Gospel as I have proved chap. 20. And they are Enemies to Christ and Souls that disdain to be such Legal Preachers 2. But there is a Legal Preaching which is opposed to the Gospel and this indeed is a Crime the word being used as a Reproach this must be intended if Men understand what they speak of And to that this Chapter refers TRUTH Legal Preaching is to Preach the Law as a Covenant of Innocency or Works or to Preach the Mosaick or Jewish-Covenant of Peculiarity But it is not Legal Preaching to require and persuade to Faith Holiness or Duties by Promises and Threatnings according to the Grace of the Gospel and direct Men to fear and hope accordingly ERROUR Legal Preaching is to call People to act any Grace or do any Duty as a required Means of Salvation or inward Peace or to threaten them with Death or any Affliction to cause Fear if they commit the grossest Sins and backsside and fall away or to promise them any Blessing upon their Obedience to the Commandments of Christ or urge the Threatnings to persuade Sinners to believe and repent Proved that this is Doctor Crisp's Opinion P. 616. If Persons are not united to Christ and do not partake of Justification before they do believe c. then mark what will follow That there will be bringing to life again the Covenant of Works c. Obj. How doth this follow I Answer Thus you must of necessity press upon your selves these Terms or such like I must do that I may have Life in Christ I must believe there is no Life till I do believe Now if their be Believing first then there is Doing before Living P. 561 562. This likewise batters to the ground that way of urging Men to holiness which some hold forth That if Men do not these and these good Works and leave these and these Sins then they must come under the wrath of God c. The Love of God constrains the Faithful and not the Fear of Wrath a sense of being delivered from it not a fear of Wrath to come P. 559 560. Obj. Some will say The Preaching of the Terrours of the Law and the Wrath of God and Damnation and Hell-fire unto Men is a safer way to take Men off from Sin than to preach Gracc and Forgiveness before-hand c. A. I say If we preach Wrath and Damnation we must either make them believe they lyc under the Wrath and that Wrath shall come or we must make them believe that though there be Wrath yet it shall not fall upon them Now if we tell them of Wrath and Damnation and say they are secure from them and they belong not to them to what purpose do we tell them of Wrath we had as good hold our tongues c. And he shews how it 's bringing back the Covenant of Works to tell them that God will be angry with them if they commit Sin or do not such and such Duties Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not Whether it is Legal Preaching to preach Duties or Holiness as if Men must perfectly believe and obey or they shall unavoidably perish 2. Nor That it 's Legal Preaching to denounce Wrath and Hell as Miseries from which there is no relief by Christ in the way of the Gospel 3. Nor That it is Legal Preaching to press Men to Faith Repentance and other Duties as if they were to be performed in their own strength without the Grace of Christ and Influences of the Spirit 4. Nor That it is Legal Preaching to promise Salvation to any Action if the Performer thereof be Unregenerate Unbelieving and Impenitent 5. Nor That it is too much Legal Preaching to be always pressing the Duties of the Law of Nature but to neglect Preaching Faith in Christ and Repentance Regeneration c. and so to neglect to make the Person Offices Sufferings and Intercession of Christ as also our Relation to him and Dependance on him as Mediatour with other Gospel-Mysteries known to their Hearers 6. Nor That it 's Legal Preaching to preach that our Faith Holiness or Good Works stand in the same place now as Perfect Obedience did under the Law viz. To render the Reward to be of Debt or be the Meritorious Righteousness for which we are Justified 7. Or That it is Legal to preach that our best Obedience doth not deserve Wrath by the Law as a Rule of Misery and Happiness Or That it doth not need Forgiveness or is any Supplement of Christ's Righteousness yea or to neglect to call Men to renounce all in themselves as any Atonement for Sin or Cause of Pardon and to look to Christ as the only Propitiation Purchaser of all our Blessings and Cause of the Acceptance of our Persons and Performances 8. Nor That it is Legal Preaching to omit to urge Men to Obedience by Gospel Motives as what Christ Suffered the Love of God in him the Benefits afforded by him the Helps he vouchsafes the Relations he admits us to and the like 9. Nor That it is Legal to shew Men their Misery and Sinfulness and not to inform them of the Gospel-way of Salvation 10. Nor That it is too Legal to neglect to improve holy Souls to an ingenuous Obedience from Love to God as well as a holy Fear 11. Nor that it is Legal to encourage such Fear as imports a Life of Torment destructive to our Hopes and Joy Or as if every Miscarriage should over-turn Assurance though the dominion of Sin be not justly suspected 12. Nor that it is Legal Preaching to assert Judaism or the Mosaic Pedagogie viz. to press Circumcision Sacrifices a Covenant of Peculiarity Jewish Priesthood Sabbath or an Abuse of the Law in Opposition to Christ our Saviour who is the End of all Types c. All these I affirm These indeed make up that Preaching of the Law which is opposed to Christ to Grace and to the Gospel The real Difference 1. Whether it 's Legal Preaching to require People to Repent and Believe that their Iniquities may be forgiven for Christ's sake This I deny and the Doctor affirms against the scope of the Gospel as I have proved chap. 8. 10 12 20 c. 2. Whether it be Legal Preaching to press Holiness and Gospel Obedience as necessary to the Salvation of a Justified Person This the Doctor affirms and I deny upon Reasons given chap. 8. 13. 17. 3. Whether it be Legal to threaten such Penalties as are short of Damnation against such Offences as are consistent with Sincerity and yet avoidable by serious care and diligence This the Doctor affirms and I deny for which see
we submit to the VVord as it brings every Thought into subjection 〈◊〉 Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. Are guided by his Teachings Eph. 2. 20. VVe are the Glory of Christ when we labour in his VVork and walk worthy of his Name 2 Cor. 8. 23. He is all in all when Jews and Gentiles put on the New Man which is created after him in righteousness and true holiness c. Col. 3. 11 12. VVhen we live and die to him as our Supreme Lord and submit all our Actings to his Glory as our End Rom. 14 11 12. These places express that Christ is hereby Exalted consult them and thou wilt find it so 2. The Truths I have stated do tend to the Exaltation of Christ in this manner and none can doubt but they lead to his Glory as he is King All that can be objected is Whether I do exalt him enough as Priest To which I say I have spoken as the Word directs and I am willing to own any thing that lays Man low and exalts Christ as the only Atonement the only Purchaser of all our Blessings the only Procurer of our Acceptance the Author and Finisher of all Grace Nothing can add to his Satisfaction or Fulness Pardon Peace Life all are the Effects of his sole Merits We must do all in his Name act in his Strength daily live on him for all Supplies and look to him for Acceptance without whose Incense the best Man and the best Action were an Abomination What I contend for is his Government so wisely contrived to apply his Blessings to Men in a state of Tryal 3. The Opinions of Doctor Crisp as opposed to these Truths cannot exalt Christ yea by the above Description every one of them cast a Reproach upon Christ. I 'll ask thee Is Christ exalted when he is made the very Blasphemer and loaded with the filth of Sin and thereby odious to God till he sweat it out P. 51 c. Is he exalted in making Sin so Innocent to the Elect when they commit it that though they do the Fact yet the filthy Form of it is not theirs but Christ's and therefore they are not defiled thereby but are as holy as Christ as lovely as Christ even when they Murther c. Is Man debased and Christ exalted when there is a Change of Person between Christ and them we as Righteous as Christ and he as Loathsom as we and we should not charge our selves with Sin when the greatest Enormities are committed Is Christ exalted as King when all his Commands are made mere Counsels He is a King but hath neither Promises nor Threats annexed to his Laws He hath no Right to Chastize for Sin He offers Blessings on Terms pleads earnestly sends his Spirits and Ministers to strive but all this while his Spirit nor Word do nothing to save us our Compliance with his Calls yields no Benefit our Rejection of them puts no Hindrance our grossest Villanies should not be bewailed in order to Pardon nor himself believed in to that end Our Sins can do us no harm at all nor is Holiness though so oft urged by him a jot of our way to Heaven Is Christ exalted as a Head that hath actual Members oft sixty years Slaves to the Devils Enemies to himself and Life and People without his Spirit or a Line of his Image and publick Curses c. Is he honoured as Mediator that Men are invested in all his Covenant-Blessings washed and adopted before they so much as own that God to whom he is a Way or renounce his Enemy the Devil or confess their Sin purpose any amendment see their need of him or desire to fear or love him yea do resolve the contrary Is Christ exalted as a holy Redeemer by being represented so intent on our mere Impunity as to contrive so little for our Holiness he repents and believes for us and requires no such things from us as a Means of Benefits the Holiness he here improves the best to is but Dung and Filthiness though he pretends to encourage expostulate and reprove yet indeed he governs his Elect as Brutes neither Hope nor Fear must influence them he hath no Rule to Judge them but the Decree of Election though he warns us so oft of the Solemnities of the Last Day No Man must intend his own good in any Duty he performs though he speaks so much of his Reward yet they have no respect at all to what we do they will be as much ours for the greatest neglects The Comforts of Assurance it self depends on no Signs of Renovation but concluding in our selves upon an inward Voice that our Sins are pardoned and this all that Faith which the Gospel speaks so much of How many more might I instance which represent Christ inglorious and reflect on the Truth Wisdom Holiness and Justice of his nature The Platform of his Government the Divineness of his Purposes in Redemption and the Substance and Scope of his Word and Gospel CHAP. XXIII Of the Honour of the Free Grace of God I Shall briefly consider whether Dr. Crisp's Opinion or the described Truths do most exalt the Free Grace of God To this end I shall touch on these Heads 1. We must be sure it is the Free Grace of God we speak of This is the Love Mercy and Benignity of God to Sinners To conceive aright of this Note That it is not every thing that Man can fancy to be Free or Grace or Free Grace that is the Free Grace of God No it must be a Grace free becoming the Nature of God suitable to all his other holy Perfections consistent with his Dominions executing it self in the VVay and Instances appointed by his VVisdom limited to the Objects both for Number and Qualifications as described by his VVord and serving all it's glorious Purposes of Redemption This is the Free Grace of God The Grace of God in Truth Col. 1. 6. The true Grace of God which Peter had at large described 1 Pet. 5. 12. This Grace consists with an Atonement made by Christ with the Threatnings denounced in the Gospel with the Ruine of all unbelieving apostate ungodly Sinners with God's peremptorily insisting on Gospel-Terms in the Distribution of Benefits or else it would clash with his VVord c. It 's not less the Free Grace of God because it is not so free as we may dream it is As some do fancy it would have been more Free Grace if he had not exacted a Dying-Sacrifice or if it had alike extended to all sinful Men as well as some or included Devils as well as Men or made the Elect perfectly holy and happy as soon as born excluding all Labour Pain Sin and Sorrow But we see such Free Grace is not the Free Grace of God though it seems more Free or more Grace to vain Surmisers it is not Free as if it dispensed Privileges by no certain Rule and that God is as free to forgive and save the
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