Doctrine of Rome in this particular And as to same others who also plead for the necessity of holiness and righteousness though they in great measure reject the Popish works and wholly disclaim any merit by them and possibly acknowledge Christs satisfaction though since they speak some of them so darkly and undervaluingly of it that may be questioned Yet the efficacious influences of the Sacred Spirit for their assistance in the performance of those acts of righteousness they plead for are not so much acknowledged by them the creature being thought sufficiently instructed with power from nature and reason to repent and believe and obey c. according to the pleasure of his own will And though they seem much to advance the Soveraignty of God over the creature whilst they ascribe to God nine hundred ninety and nine degrees of power and but one of an hundred only to Man yet in conclusion the matter comes to this that this one single degree of power in the creature may and doth at pleasure baffle and defeat and put to flight and triumph over those 999. which are in God i. e. The creatures weakness is stronger than Gods power In short if the question be asked them who made thee to differ The answer will be Ego meipsum But is there any thing said in this whole discourse that lays any foundation for these opinions or that doth so much as add one stone to the building Are our own works any where affirmed to be either the matter of our justification or the meritorious cause of eternal life Or that our duties are performed by our own natural strength without the effectual assistance of the Spirit of God Where is nature and reason advanced above Grace or our own righteousness set up to justle Christ from his Throne and rob him of his Crown Is it not more than once affirmed and proved that holiness and obedience are not the causes but conditions only of our Salvation And that 't is impossible for any creature much less one that is degenerate to merit any thing at the hands of God And that we are justified not by works not by our holiness and obedience which follow justification as the payment of the rent doth sealing to the Indentures but by faith in Jesus Christ receiving him in all his offices And that the several duties of the Covenant are performed not by the sole power of nature but by strength received from the Spirit of God and by the daily supplies of his Grace So that we are doubly indebted to God first to his command to obey that and then to his Grace for enabling us to obey And will â—ny one that is not profoundly ignorant call â—his by the name of Popery and Pelagianism or have so much confidence as to â—ensure and condemn it as a Doctrine inâ—onsistent with the Grace of the Gospel and â—hat righteousness that is by Christ Is not â—his in Judes language to speak evil of â—hose things which they know not And â—o proclaim themselves unskilled in the words â—f righteousness and that Doctrine which is â—ccording to Godliness But suppose the agreement betwixt faith â—nd works Christs righteousness and our â—wn free Grace and the necessity of obediâ—nce in the business of Salvation could not â—fficiently be evidenced to our present reaâ—on must they therefore be exploded as abâ—â—rdities and untruths and things absoluteâ—â— irreconcileable We must then throw aâ—ay not only some of the greatest mysteries 〈◊〉 our Religion but many of the most eviâ—â—nt phenomena and appearances in Philosophy The influences of the Load-stone the ebbing and flowing of the Sea c. musâ— be rejected as fables and our senses no morâ— be credited in what they see since the manner how these things are done is not yet sufficiently understood and explained Thingâ— themselves we know are evident but the modes and manners of things are almost every where latent and unaccountable Thaâ— therefore which we have to do in all matterâ— of Divine faith and practice is only this duly to inform and satisfy our selves whaâ— God hath certainly revealed and made knowâ— to us as his mind and will concerning 〈◊〉 which being done and our minds being satisfied that God hath said it and that 〈◊〉 is the plain meaning of his words we arâ— then without any further debate to believe and do according to his word though possibly at present we cannot so well discoveâ— that mutual accord and agreement whicâ— there is betwixt those several truths revealeâ— by him The positive and plain conclusion of Scripture are humbly to be believed thougâ— they cannot be reconciled by us For this suppose will easily be granted by all as unquestionable That the will of God if wâ— certainly know it to be his will is the uâ—doubted rule and standard both of faith anâ— practice We must believe what 't is certaiâ— he hath revealed And we must do whaâ— 't is certain he hath commanded For the will of God is not to be disputed but obeyed And doth not the Apostle expresly tell us that this is the will of God even our sanctification 2 Thes 4.3 He that hath said he will blot out our transgressions for his own sake and remember â—ur sins no more Isa 43.25 he hath also â—â—id thâ—t we must repent and be converted â—hat our sins may be blotted out when the days of â—efreshing shall come from the presence of the â—ord Acts 3.19 He that hath said that â—e are justified freely by his grace through the â—edemption that is in Christ Rom. 3.24 he â—ath also said we are justified by faith ver â—8 and that we must believe that we may â—e justified Gal. 2.16 He that saith we â—â—e made the righteousness of God in Christ â—ho was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 he also â—â—ith that except our righteousness speaking â—ere expresly of moral and personal righteâ—usness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes â—nd Pharisees we shall in no case enter into the â—ingdom of God Matth. 5.20 And he that â—ith we are saved by grace and not of our â—â—â—ves Eph. 2.8 and according to his mercy â—â—d not by works of righteousness which we â—â—ve done Tit. 3.5 he also saith that we â—ust work out our own salvation with fear and â—â—mbling Phil. 2.12 and that without hoâ—â—ess we shall not be saved Heb. 12.14 Is not all this plain and easy to him that will but understand God hath said it 'T is his will exprest in terms that we must repent and believe and be righteous and work about our own Salvation and follow after holiness that we may not perish but have everlasting life Who then shall shall dare to argue and dispute against it At least here is no ground you see for any humble and sober mind that is but sincerely willing to be governed by the Divine will so to do but rather seriously to apply himself to the performance of these duties that God hath so expresly injoined and made necessary to our Salvation The great reason therefore why men profess themselves so much offended with this Doctrine 't is not because it is or because they in truth believe it to be an enemy to the Cross and Grace of Christ but rather because it is an enemy to their lusts and passions and presumptuous neglects of God An enemy to their present ease and pleasure and worldly satisfactions the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eye and the pride of life An enemy to their false and carnal hopes and empty professions of Christianity Therefore it is that they thus condemn this Doctrine because otherwise they cannot justifie their own faith and practice that are so manifestly condemned by it They must have a cheap Religion Faith without works pardon without the trouble of repentance an Heaven without holiness and a free Grace to save them without obedience or else they are miserable and undone to eternity But be not deceived saith the Apostle God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall be also reap For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting Gal. 6.7 8. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8.13 For God will render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile for there is no respect of persons with God Rom. 2.6 7 8 9 10 11. Be ye therefore steadfast and unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 FINIS
and the doctrine of free Grace THis method of Gods saving sinners by way of Covenant as is before explained is very well consistent with and no way derogatory to either the sufficiency of Christs satisfaction and righteousness or to the doctrine of free Grace in Christ I add this because 't is the common fortress to which Men of more loose and debauched lives and principles in Religion are wont to retire when by the evidence of Scripture and reason they are driven from all their other holds Tell them that they must repent and turn to God and amend their evil wayes and doings and bring forth fruits meet for repentance Tell them that they must come to Christ and believe in him and take his yoak and bear his burden and deny themselves and be obedient to his Laws and love him in sincerity Tell them that they must mortifie the deeds of the flesh and deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and live godly and righteously and soberly in this present world and be pure in heart and holy in all manner of conversation as he that hath called them is holy Tell them that there is an indispensable necessity of all this or else their sins cannot be pardoned or their persons accepted or their Souls saved in the day of the Lord Jesus And give them undeniable reason and plain and express Scripture for the proof of all these commands and promises and threatnings all speaking the same language And what is their answer to all this Why The righteousness of Christ is sufficient and the Grace of God in Christ is free and therefore they hope in his mercy and doubt not of their Salvation though they still indulge themselves in sin and continue in a manifest neglect of God and the great duties of Christianity And all that is said to the contrary that might take them off from sin and vanity and perswade them to any greater diligence and exactness in Religion that is immediately condemned and decried for legal doctrine that disthrones Christ and takes the Crown from his head and destroyes the free Grace of God and tends to bring us again in bondage to the Law And that which makes it the more difficult to take Men off from these mistaken notions they have entertained concerning the righteousness of Christ and free Grace is this that they are the only foundation and hold that these Men have for their hopes of pardon and Salvation So that if you beat them off from these you take away all their hopes and confidence yea their Heaven and happiness from them They have nothing then left whereby to stop the mouths of their own awakened consciences or warrant their expectations of Heaven or to keep their Souls from sinking immediately into despair Their hearts they condemn them for their daily neglect of duty and indulgencies to the flesh and disobedience to the Gospel and alas they have nothing within or from the word to witness for them No broken and contrite spirit no mournings in secret for their sins no acts of self-denyal no change of heart or life no spirit of faith or fear or love or adoption to intitle them to the promise and blessings of the Covenant No neither Sun nor Star appears that might encourage them in their way but as it was with Paul in his voyage to Rome all hopes that they should be saved is taken away and therefore 't is that they do with so much constancy and resolution adhere to and contend for these mistaken notions as their only refuge security And thus though they are not able to conquer or encounter those thundering Legions that are brought against them yet whilest they have this strong hold and fortress to retire to they are little moved by the terrors of the Lord but still apprehend themselves safe and well secured against all that thunder and lightning that is from Heaven poured out against them All is but like the shooting of pointed Arrows against the walls of a Castle which are presently beat back again without making any great impression upon the walls And therefore there is little hopes of ever prevaling with these Men to surrender themselves to the powers either of Scripture or reason though on every hand besieged by them unless this Fortress of theirs be demolished and its Towers broken down and consequently their refuge and defence taken away That is in more plain English unless it be discovered that their notions about the sufficiency of Christ's righteousness and the doctrine of Free Grace are false and vain and that neither the conditionality of the New Covenant nor the necessity of our personal performance of the conditions of it in order to eternal life are any way inconsistent with or prejudicial unto either Grace notwithstanding is still free And the satisfaction and righteousness of Jesus Christ is nevertheless sâ—fficient These are the two things that I am now particularly to speak to and to demonstrate The sufficiency of Christs satisfaction and â—ighteousness is no way either contradicted or prejudiced by asserting the Covenant of Grace to be made not with Jesus Christ but with â—elievers themselves upon certain terms and conditions to the actual performance of which they are personally obliged in order to their receiving and enjoying the benefits â—f it That Jesus Christ hath fully satisfied the demands of the first Covenant and fulâ—â—lled all righteousness and finished his work â—s Mediator and perfected our Redemption â—y his death and suffering And that his saâ—â—sfaction and merit is of infinite value and â—â—erefore abundantly sufficient for the ends â—r which it was intended hath been acâ—nowledged and proved in the foregoing â—â—opositions Propos. 2. and 4. And thereâ—ore I shall need to say nothing here for the â—â—claring my assent to or for the vindicatiâ—â— of these particulars That which I have â—ow to do is only to shew in what sense â—â—operly it may be said to be sufficient and 〈◊〉 remove those mistaken apprehensions that â—â—e concerning it For which purpose it is 〈◊〉 the first place to be observed that by sufâ—iciency here we are not to understand the â—â—â—rinsick worth and value of Christs saâ—â—â—faction and righteousness upon which account it may not untruly be said if rightly construed that 't is sufficient for the Salvatioâ— of many worlds And in this very particular mainly lies the mistake The satisfaction oâ— Christ say they is infinite and his righteousness infinite therefore sufficient for the redemption of this and many worlds if they had been made which as to its absolute valuâ— and dignity is acknowledged But whatâ— then Why Therefore they hope and believe that they shall be saved by it And 〈◊〉 they build their faith and hopes immediately upon the absolute worth and merit 〈◊〉 Christs satisfaction But will this foundatioâ— stand or this argument hold good wheâ— it comes to tryal In this sense 't is sufficienâ— to save the Infidels Jews and Turks Tâ— save the spirits now in
nature that creature is truly and formally happy He is so well that he can be no better and therefore capable of no greater felicity But then since mans being and perfections are not originally from himself but borrowed and derived from God as rayes of light from the Sun and streams from the Ocean it thence necessarily follows that God as Original is the only rule and standard by which all perfection is to be measured and consequently the more or less any creature is approximate and conformed to God the more or less perfect As the excellency of a Picture lying in its exact resemblance to the face by which 't is drawn the more like thereto still the more excellent And this is that which gives Man the preheminence above the rest of the creatures in this visible world They are at a far more remote distance from him and partake less of him but Man is more nearly allied to him and admitted to a more full participation of the divine nature The rest as 't is commonly exprest have only some tracks and footsteps of God but Man his Image And by this resemblance of Man to God is his greatest happiness both as innocent and glorified described in Scripture Gen. 1.26 27. So God created Man in his own Image and after his own likeness There is the happiness of Man in his primitive state of innocency And 1 Joh. 3.2 It doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is There is the chief happiness of the Saints now in glory And indeed nothing less than this can be the happiness of a reasonable creature And to this all the duties of Christianity are so nearly related as that that they really become an essential part of it For either they are such wherein our likeness to God doth formally consist as the more patient and just and merciful and holy and righteous we are still the more like to God since he is so Or else such wherein we express our conformity to God as humility and reverence and faith and watchfulness c. which hold a suteable correspondence to his greatness Majesty faithfulness omniscience c. In the former we resemble God as the picture doth the face it represents And by the latter as the impression in the wax doth the stamp upon the seal that made it as a late Author hath well exprest it in his most ingenious and learned treatise concerning the blessedness of the righteous Did men therefore as they ought consider either what happiness is or how great a correspondence and affinity their present duties have to it they would be so far from thinking the performance of them any diminution of Gods free Grace as that they would rather esteem it as one of the most signal acts of his Grace and favour that he hath provided such effectual means and afforded them so powerful aids and assistances in order to the making them holy and obedient 'T is doubtless an act of kindness and bounty to heal the wounded and restore eyes to the blind and strength and beauty to the maimed and deformed no less than to forgive a poor Man his debt In justification our debt 's forgiven but in sanctification the ruines of degenerate nature are repaired and the Image of God restored And which of these two do you think is the greater kindness That frees us from prison and arrests from misery but this makes us truly and formally happy But lastly 5. Though our personal performance of the conditions of the Covenant be asserted as indispensably necessary to our eternal Salvation yet not by vertue of our own natural strength and power without the assistance of Divine Grace That is no where affirmed but the contrary What remainders of natural strength and ability there may be left in Man and how far they may be improved by him with reference to his own Salvation is not my business now to enquire or determine He is now 't is acknowledged in a state of degeneracy and by his fall the several powers and faculties of his Soul were impaired and weakened though not wholly lost But yet his obligation to duty is not thereby rescinded but remains intire and therefore he is still bound as much as ever to render love and service to his Maker For man's inability to obey cannot take away Gods right to command nor his Apostasie destroy the law of his creation Man is still Gods creature though degenerate and lives daily in a necessary dependance upon him and therefore 't is impossible he should ever be absolved from his engagement to love and honour and obey him since 't is impossible for a creature to become independent The great design therefore of Gospel Grace is not as some foolishly imagine to exempt us from duty and to dispence with our love to God or obedience to his Laws but to repair our strength and assist our faculties and every way to enable us to the performance of our duty That we may repent and return to God and live in all due subjection and obedience to him as becometh creatures Tit. 2.11 12. For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world The same Grace here that is said to bring Salvation the same also teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts c. And both are alike called by the name of Grace Grace teacheth us this lesson and Grace also assists us both in the learning and practice of it For God is no hard Master he doth not gather where he hath not strewed nor reap where he hath not sown Though he gives not succors to all alike but to some more to others less according to the good pleasure of his will yet he is wanting to none but such as are wanting to themselves His promises are no less extensive than his commands No duty is required of us but God himself is engaged for our assistance in the performance of it Must we repent and turn to God Acts 17.3 He then will give us repentance unto life Act. 5.31 Must we come to Christ and believe in him that we may have life Matth. 11.28 29 He then will draw us Joh 6.44 and make us willing in the day of his power Psal 110.3 Must we cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and perfect holiness in his fear 2 Cor. 7.1 He then will pour clean water upon us and cleanse us from our iniquities Ezek. 36.25 and sanctifie us throughout in Body Soul and Spirit 1 Thes 5.21 Must we run with patience the race that is set before us Heb. 12.1 He then will increase our strength that we may run and not be weary and walk and not faint Isa 40.29 and 31. Must we work about our Salvation with fear and
not upon me but him He 's the only Offender in Law not I for where there is no obligation to obedience by Law there can be no sin or offence against it And thus by affirming the New Covenant to be made with Jesus Christ and not with Believers they do not only acquit themselves from all sin and possibility of sinning which is flatly contrary to the express testimony of Scripture but they also in effect charge Jesus Christ with their sins and make him legally guilty of all the violations of the Covenant which are Consequences of so foul and black a nature as that no sober mind can entertain a thought of them or of the Principles whence they spring without abhorrence I have been the more large upon this argument since this opinion of the Covenants being made with Christ and not with Believers as it is of dangerous consequence and evidently destructive to the power of Godliness so it hath gained much upon the minds of men partly from the corruption of Mans nature that readily entertains what ever makes for liberty and promiseth indulgence to the flesh and gives a dispensation from the more strict observances in Religion And partly from the Nature of the Doctrine that tends to take Men off from the trouble of duty and obedience and to gratifie them in their desires of ease and pleasure And partly from the worth and credit of some Seers in Israel that have unwarily preacht and pubâ—isht this to the World either by inadvertency taking it up as a traditional Doctrine without due examination or by mistake not rightly distinguishing betwixt the Covenant of Redemption which 't is evident was made with Christ and the Covenant of Grace which is made with Believers But if Jesus Christ be the Author Mediator and Confirmer of this New Covenant by his death and intercession in the behalf of sinners And if Believers themselves and not Christ are still mentioned in Scripture as the party with whom God Covenants as from the instances of Abraham and Israel and Gospel Saints 't is evident And if it be made their act to stipulate with God therein they enter into Covenant with the Lord and they join themselves to him by Covenant and they cut a Covenant with him and they avouch the Lord to be their God and they subscribe with the hand to the Lord and they pass under the Rod and come into the Bond of the Covenant and give themselves to the Lord And if they be the persons only that seal with God in this Covenant and that this be the proper use and design of those two great Gospel Institutions Baptism and the Lords Supper And lastly if they become guilty of sin in their non performance of the terms of it and are punishâ—ble for their defaults Then 't is no more to be doubted but that Believers and not Christ are the sole parties with whom God transacts in the New Covenant which was the thing to be demonstrated PROPOS X. Of the terms of the New Covenant THIS New Covenant made with Believers in Jesus Christ for life and glory it is not only consistent with but doth necessarily as such imply certain terms and conditions annexed to it which we are indispensably obliged to accept and perform The Covenant is made up of Promises and Commands Priviledges and Conditions the former contain our happiness the latter our duty and these two they must not be separated What a Condition is every one I suppose understands that hath but seen any ordinary Lease or Indenture By that we know there â—s somewhat demised and granted as the â—ree and peaceable enjoyment of the Premiâ—es with all Emoluments and Appurtenanâ—es belonging to it And there is also somewhat therein required and enjoined as the payment of the Rent reserved and keeping the Premises in repair c. which if done and performed accordingly the Tenant is continued in possession But if it so happen that the said Rent be unpaid or the Premises suffered to go to decay then the Lease is forfeited and the party may by Law be ejected So that a Condition you see is that which on our part is required upon the performance of which some good or emolument is to be received and enjoyed by us but in case of non-performance the whole is lost either by forfeiting our right or by having at first no rightful claim to it And thus we say that Faith and Repentance c. are Conditions of the New Covenant God therein indeed gives and grants pardon of sin and eternal life to sinners but with this proviso that they repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ c. which if they do accordingly the Blessings promised become theirs and they are continued in the possâ—ssion of them but if they fail in the sincere performance of these duties their sins shall not be pardoned noâ— their souls eternally saved as is afterwards to be shewn This is that which I call the condition oâ— the Covenant Nor can I see any just reason why any should be offended with the word For do we not in all contracts call that a condition to the performance of which we arâ— by Covenant obliged upon penalty of forfeiture in case of nonâ—performance As if you shall pay such a Fee or Homage to the Court you shall enjoy such an estate otherwise you shall lose the possession of it And in all Agreements those are the conditions which are the terms upon which the disagreeing parties mutually accord As Luke 14.32 it 's said of the King that was not able to war with him that came against him that he sent his Embassadours an desired conditions of Peace And those in Logick conditional propositions upon which the consequent hath an evident dependance upon its antecedent As if you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses Math. 6.14 15. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged of the Lord 1 Corinth 11.31 If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love Joh. 15.10 If thou seekest for wisdom as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God Prov. 2.4 5. If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live Rom. 8.13 If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted Gen. 2.7 If we confess our sins he is faithful to forgive 1 Joh. 1.9 Are not all these conditional propositions Doth not reason and common language teach us to speak thus And who ever yet called them by any other name I have therefore the rather instanced in these Scriptures that you might see how confessing our sins and forgiving others are made conditions of Gods forgiving us And judging our selves is made the condition of our not
destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. Now what can possibly be more plain than that the great blessings of the New Covenant are made over to us upon the conditions of faith and repentance and sincere obedience It tells us indeed that God will pardon our sins and own us for his children and admit us to be heirs of his Kingdom and be our God I but still it is with this proviso if we do repent if we do believe if we do obey the Gospel and by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality I but except we eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus Christ i.e. believe in him Joh. 6.53 And except we repent Luke 13.3 And except we be converted and become as little children Math. 18.3 And except we be born again of water and of the Spirit Joh. 3.5 And except our righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees Matth. 5.20 And except we abide in the vine Joh. 15.4 And except we strive lawfully 2 Tim. 2.5 we shall not enter into life And if these be not plain conditions I would gladly know what then are to be accounted such or how otherwise they may be exprest But thirdly 3. All this is necessarily implyed in that short Epitome of the New Covenant so often repeated in Scripture I will be your God and ye shall be my people The first part I will be your God contains all the priviledges and the second ye shall be my people all the duties of the Covenant First God here promiseth to be our God What 's that Why That he will do all that for us that a God can do and be all that to us that a God can be to a Creature He will pardon our sins and adopt us into his family and put his holy spirit into us and dwell with us and take care of us so that we shall not need to take any thought what we should eat or what we should drink or wherewithal we should be cloathed He will provide for us and give his Angels charge over and protect us in all our wayes and turn all things to our good and never leave us nor forsake us He will hear our prayers and supply our wants and deliver us from our temptations and subdue our corruptions and lead and assist and comfort us by his spirit and make us heirs of his eternal Kingdom In a word he will give us Grace and Glory and no good thing will he withhold from us and after all he will be more than all this to us for he himself will be our reward and portion Thus God promiseth to be our God yea but then we must engage to become his people For those words And ye shall be my people are not only promissory but preceptive and do as well declare what God requires of us as what he will effâ—ct in us or do for us Thus have we God himself often commenting upon and expounding this phrase If you will walk in my statutes saith God to Israel and keep my Commandments and do them Lev. 26.3 Then I will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my people v. 12. And this thing commanded I them saying obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my people Jer. 7.23 And chap. 11.4 Obey my voice and do according to all which I command you So shall ye be my people and I will be your God And thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes and keep his statutes c. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments That thou maist be an holy people to the Lord thy God as he hath spoken Deut. 26.17 18 19. And come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch no unclean thing and then I will receive you and will be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Almighty 2 Cor. 6.17 18. All which is Emphatically exprest by the Prophet Isaiah by subscribing to the Lord Isa 44.5 One shall say I am the Lord and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the name of Israel And therefore it is that God first promiseth to put his Law and Fear and Spirit into his chosen and to cause them to walk in his wayes and observe his Statutes that so they may become his people Je. 24.7 Ezek. 11.20 36.26 27 28. 37.23 27. Jer. 32.38 c. That 's the method in which God makes them his Now whoever is taken into Covenant with God he seals to both these parts that is to take God to be his God his portion and happiness and also to list himself in the number of his people but what 's that you will say Why 'T is as you have heard to cleave to him to obey his voice to walk in his wayes to keep his judgments to observe his statutes to serve him with a pure heart to touch no unclean thing In a word to carry and demean themselves in all things as those that are in a state of subjection unto God and have subscribed with the hand to him and avouched him to be their God to love and serve him with all their hearts and with all their strength and with all their thoughts This is indeed to be the people of God according to the true intent and meaning of the Covenant as before explained Nor is it possible for any whose notions of God are not monstrously degenerate and enormous so much as to imagine that an infinitely wise and righteous God should ever engage himself to any people to be their God unless they also were made willing to be his people to love him and live in a due acknowledgment and observance of him Nor is it to be supposed that any reasonable and ingenuous Creature that understands himself and the reason of his own actings should ever intend otherwise in his Covenanting with God What take God only to serve our selves of him and yet not to serve him What That we may be pardoned and protected and delivered from eternal miseries and yet not give up our selves to him to be ruled and governed by him What only to shrowd our selves under his wings and be fed at his table and enjoy all the priviledges of his adopted ones his paternal love and care and blessing and yet continue prodigal Sons of Belial and children of disobedience and pay nothing of that love and reverence and obedience that is due to him as a Father Is this your language or meaning when you take hold of his Covenant and say Lord be my God Will not common ingenuity then teach you to take up the Psalmists words and say And
will and so absolutely unknown to us that cannot possibly either make any change of our state or become any foundation for any real and forensick distinction betwixt Man and Man 'T is not that which makes this Man a Judas and that Man a Paul The one actually wicked and the other personally righteous And therefore whoever God predestinates saith the Apostle thâ—m also he calls before they are either justified or glorified Rom. 8.30 He makes them to pass under the rod and brings them into the bond of the Covenant and pours clean water upon them and puts his Spirit into them and writes his Laws in their hearts and causeth them to walk in his ways and keep his Judgments before he will own them to be his people and dignify them with the name of Saints and Children and righteous ones Ezek. 36.25 26 27 28. Jer. 31.33 1 Cor. 1.2 Take Paul for an instance He was you know a chosen vessel to the Lord Acts 9.15 Separated in Gods predeterminate counsel from his Mothers womb Gal. 1.15 Yea but was he therefore immediately justified and sanctified and adopted and owned for a Saint a Child of God from his Mothers womb No for all that he will tell you that he was for some years a Pharisee an injurious person a Persecutor a Blasphemer 1 Tim. 1.13 And as he speaks of the Ephesians that he was dead in sins and trespasses a Child of disobedience and of wrath without Christ having no hope and without God in the World Eph. 2.1 2 3 12. To this effect he speaks expresly of himself Tit. 3.3 And may we not now truly say of Paul however elected that he was a wicked Man during his continuance in this state And consequently that he was not righteous since 't is impossible for the same person to be righteous and wicked dead and alive at the same time But how then came Paul to be amongst Gods Jewels his holy ones How God humbles him at the foot of Christ Acts 9.5 6 c. and calls him by his Grace Gal. 1.15 and makes him obedient to his call Acts 26.19 and regenerates him by his Spirit Tit. 3.3 4 5. and causeth him to believe and obey the Gospel Acts 24.14 15 16. and to live intirely to Jesus Christ Philip. 1.21 Thus Paul obtaineth Mercy as he tells you 1 Tim. 1.16 and is listed into the number of the Saints his name now is changed Acts 13.9 'T is no more Saul but Paul no more a Persecutor but an Apostle of Jesus Christ and now he is justified Gal. 2.16 and now he receives a Crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 And thus you see what it is that denominates a man righteous or wicked and what is the only note of distinction betwixt an Heir of wrath and a Child of God not baptism or profession or being in the visible Church or the elective love of God but doing righteousness as John speaks which is nothing else but the actual performance of the Conditions of the New Covenant of which I am treating 4. Why else hath God sent his holy Spirit into the World Is it not plainly for this end that he may help our infirmities Rom. 8.26 and that he may assist us in the actual performance of those duties which are by the New Covenant required of us That we may look upon him whom we have pierced by our sins and mourn Zech. 12.10 that we may believe in Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.13 that we may mortifie the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8.13 that our hearts may be purified in obeying the truth 1 Pet. 1.22 And that we may walk in the wayes and keep the Judgments of God Ezek. 36.27 All this is said to be by the assistance of the Divine Spirit And therefore it is that the ministration of the Spirit is still necessary in order to our Salvation notwithstanding that Jesus Christ hath fully discharged the office and perfâ—cted the work of a Redeemer and Mediator for us Joh. 16.7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth It is expedient for you thâ—t I go away for If I go not away the comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you The Spirit here is expresly promised to be sent in the room of Christ to supply his place and office when he should leave the World as that which should be of more advantage to them than still to enjoy Christs personal presence here on Earth Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away But why expedient For then the Spirit shall come But when he is come what shall he do Why He shall convince the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment ver 8. I but if Jesus Christ hath so done all as that we have nothing at all to do and that his imputed righteousness alone be sufficient to save us without our personal and obediential righteousness to what purpose is the administration of the Spirit His work and office is wholly superseded For what needs a Spirit of mourning to be poured down upon us if so be the Covenant of Grace require us not personally to repent Or a Spirit of Faith as the Apostle calls it 2 Cor. 4.13 if we are not bound to believe Or a Spirit of holiness if it oblige us not to be actually holy Or a spirit of obedience if we may be saved without obeying If then our having of the Spirit and being led or acted by him be indispensably necessary in order to our Salvation so also is our repenting and believing in Christ and loving God and doing of his will and cleansing our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and perfecting holiness in the fear of God and purifying our selves as he is pure since the effecting this in us is the great errand for which he came into the World and the main office he hath undertaken during the time of Christ Mediatory Kingdom The truth is we can no more be saved without the ministration of the spirit than we can without the Mediation of Jesus Christ This argument runs clear in Scripture He that hath not Christ hath not life 1 Joh. 5.12 But he that hath not the spirit hath not Christ Rom. 8.9 And he that is not holy and obedient hath not the spirit Jude ver 19. For where ever the Spirit is he regenerates and sanctifies the whole lump Body Soul and Spirit as the Apostle speaks 1 Thess 5.22 and so becomes in that Soul a Spirit of Faith Holiness and obedience 5. How otherwise shall Believers attain to any evidence or assurance of their Salvation Or come to know that they more than othes are in a state of friendship with God and made Heirs of the promise and vessels of mercy when so great a part of the World are Heirs of wrath and Sons of perdition That they may be thus assured since some undoubtedly have been so and that they all ought to labour for
initial secondly a perfect and consummate right or as the Civilians speak there is jus haereditarium and jus aptitudinale Both which are in their respective order alike necessary fully and compleatly to enstate us in one and the same possession Thus for instance He that is lawfully elected to any office of trust and dignity his meer election gives him an initial right to that office yea but for all that before he can receive the several insignia proper to it or exercise any act of authority in it or actually receive the profits and emoluments belonging to it he must solemnly be installed and take the Corporation Oaths and perform such other ceremonies as are usual in the case and this gives him a consummate right to his place and dignity Again he that seals to an Indenture he thereby hath an incipient right and title to the estate therein conveighed But yet to compleat this there must be seisin and delivery and performance of Covenants payment of rent and repairing the premises and this gives him an actual right to it and continues him in the quiet possession of it Take one instance more A Child in his infancy may have right to a Kingdom as some have been Crowned in their Cradles But yet notwithstanding he afterwards remains as the Apostle speaks under Tutors and Governours and little differs the Lord of all from a Servant until he come of age and then his Kingdom and Government is put into his hand Before he had an hereditary and now an aptitudinal right to or legal fitness for government I have brought all these instances to shew that there may be a different right to the same thing arising from different qualifications and conditions and yet both subservient to the same end And so here faith gives right and obedience also gives right to eternal life but in a different manner that begins it but this continues and compleats it Plainly thus Whosoever doth sincerely accept of Jesus Christ upon Gospel terms which is truly faith he is thereupon not only quit from all the demands of the first Covenant which is properly justification but he also hath by vertue of the Gospel-grant an initial right to the eternal Kingdom purchased by Christ But yet before he can enter into the actual possession of it and enjoy all the glories and bliss and joy that belongs to it he must be pure and holy cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and this gives him an aptitudinal and compleat right to it Faith is as our sealing to the Indenture that first founds our right and obedience is as the performance of Covenants that perfects and continues it That by making us Sons Joh. 1.12 makes us also heirs of the Kingdom Rom. 8.17 and so gives us an hereditary right to it But this being the means to make us holy and like to God and as Scripture speaks perfect Men in Christ that is men of ripe age it thereby gives us a fitness or aptitudinal right to the eternal possession of it And thus I have shewn in what order the several conditions of the Covenant are to be applied for the obtaining the great blessings of it according to the method in which they are dispensed which being attended to will further evidence the consistence of free Grace with their being given out to sinners upon such terms But before I conclude this particular it will be requisite especially since it may add some further light to the thing in hand to inquire into and evince the difference which I have all along in this discourse supposed betwixt faith and obedience for I cannot wholly be of their opinion that make them one and the same without distinction nor yet apprehend them so vastly different as some imagine That they are not the same to me is evident since I find them frequently distinguished both by different names and effects in Scripture Acts 15.9 Purifying their hearts by faith Heb. 11.8 Acts 26.18 By faith Abraham obeyed Tit. 3.8 These things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works Therefore also called the obedience of faith Rom. 16.26 Here you see they are distinguished and elsewhere they are opposed Eph. 2.8 9. By grace ye are saved through faith and not of works Phil. 3.9 That I may be found in Christ not having my own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ And more than once in the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians where the Apostle treats designedly concerning justification which he there once and again affirms to be by faith and not by the works of the law And can they possibly be the same that are not only distinguish but opposed I know 't is said that the opposition the Apostle there makes betwixt faith and works is only to be understood with respect to Jewish works and that opinion of perfection and merit that they had of them But were the works of Paul and the Ephesians and Abraham of this nature were they Jewish and Levitical or have we any reason to think that they had any such opinion of their obedience as being perfect and meritorious And yet in all these instances we find that faith is opposed to works And though Paul 't is true doth in the third Chapter to the Philippians first instance in his legal priviledges and righteousness yet afterwards he adds his Gospel services and sufferings for Jesus Christ and whatever else you can imagine to make up his obedience and righteousness perfect Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things And yet after all he tells us that he desired to be found not in the righteousness of works but of faith ver 9. Again they are not only distinguished and opposed but also delivered to us under different notions in the Gospel As faith is expressed by receiving of Christ Joh. 1.12 Obedience by walking in him as we have received him Col. 2.6 That by coming to Christ this by taking his yoak and bearing his burden Matth. 11.28 29. That by looking unto Jesus this by running with patience the race that is set before us Heb. 12.1 2. That by eating his flesh and drinking his blood Joh. 6.54 56. this by growing up in him Eph. 2.21 that as the principle of our filiation Gal. 3.26 and this as our imitation of God as dear Children Eph. 6.2 And is there no difference betwixt receiving and walking coming and taking seeing and running eating and drinking and growing Betwixt our being children and performing the duties of Children Even common language as well as Divinity teacheth us to distinguish betwixt the Creed and Ten Commandments the credenda agenda in Religion Betwixt believing and doing Believing we ordinarily say is one thing and doing another But is not faith