failing is when he cometh to answer that Question How shall I know that this is the voice of the Spirit A needful Question Because Satan may and doth transform himself into an Angel of light and deceive the soul This is saith he the usual way of men if the Word did bear witness to this particular voice of the Spirit in me then I could be satisfied But if the Word do not bear witness to this voice of the Spirit I dare not trust it The usual way Nay is it not the only way In the Old Testament thus it was all Revelations were to be examined by the written word Deut. 13. 1. Isa. 8. 20. And is it not so also in the New-Testament See that Text of our Savior Ioh. 16. 13. He that is the Spirit shall lead you into all Truth How so For saith Christ He shall not speak of himself but what he shall hear that shall he speak And what is that which the Spirit heareth Is it not that which is already contained in the scriptures So then no Revelation of any Doctrine no nor the Application of it which is not consonant to the Scripture is to be thought to proceed from the spirit but whatsoever is pretended to be revealed by the Spirit doth so far forth call for Faith as is agreeable to the Scriptures Well not to quarrel needlesly nor to be too strict in terms he doth alow it for a truth The Spirit of the Lord never speaks to the heart of a Believer but he always speaks according to the Word of grace revealed But then he addeth two limitations which spoil all 1. That by the Word we must not understand the Law but the Gospel And this I conceive is put to choke them who seek for signs and marks of Inherent Qualifications 2. That you must not make the credit of this voice of the Spirit to depend upon the Word i. e. to receive credit from it And why not Because saith he if you say that the Word is of greater credit then the Spirit wanteth something in it self of credit as if a man were trusted for a sureties sake But this saith he must not be alowed God never intended that any thing should be of such credit as to give credit to the Spirit The issue of all returns to this That the Testimony of the Spirit is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} self-sufficient as the principles of Arts and Sciences which are indemonstrable and must be received as altogether unquestionable and the meaning thereof is this If any urge how shall I be satisfied that this voice thus speaking is the voice of Gods Spirit his Answer is It is so because it is so Or thus I know it because the Spirit saith it So unwilling are these men that the Revelations and Illuminations on which they build their comforts should be searched into too far Object Nay you will say his meaning is I know it because the Spirit speaketh according to the Word Sol. If so Then he must recant what he said That it doth not depend upon the Word And well he may For howsoever the Truth of what the Spirit speaketh doth not depend upon the Word yet the credit of it doth The Scripture is already known and received as the Word of God And what cometh after it must borrow credit from it St. Peter speaking of the voice which they heard in the Mount saith yet We have a more sure Word of Prophecy 2 Pet. 1. 19. How more sure But because it was already received as the undoubted Word of God And so to them and in their Apprehension it was a more sure Word But to draw nearer to the point Doth this voice of the Spirit saying to an ungodly man Thy sins are forgiven doth it speak according to the Scripture True indeed the Scripture saith God justifieth the ungodly God hath reconciled the World unto himself But is it therefore alowed for any one to say I am an ungodly man I am one of the World therefore I am justified I am reconciled Is there then any Universal Reconciliation and Justification taught in the Text of Scripture I mean any such Reconciliation that is absolute and irrespective That Reconciliation is so far wrought by Christ indefinitely for the World of mankinde that whosoever will come in and lay hold upon Christ by Faith shall not perish this is revealed None other do I know or acknowledge Is it not rather taught us in the Scripture That before there can be any conclusion of comfort to the soul by the particular Application of the Gospel Promises any I mean more then this conditional If I will come in also I may as well as others there must come in the work of the sanctifying spirit purifying the soul and conscience and working in it those inherent Qualifications to which the Promise is made and upon which dependeth the conclusion of that practical syllogism which bringeth comfort The Text of Scripture saith They that Repent and Believe They that are lead by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Then that renewed and sanctified conscience saith I do Repent and Believe I am lead by the Spirit therefore And so this conclusion thus deduced if the immediate Testimony of the Spirit manifested by an Heavenly impression and irradiation upon the soul if it come in with his attestation to confirm it we may not doubt of the truth thereof because now indeed it speaketh according to the Word and doth confirm that particular conclusion which was comprehended in the general Text of Scripture For where the Text of Scripture hath not a Quicunque for the Proposition there the Testimony of the Spirit that concludes for hic ille doth not speak according to the Word Object You will say to me there is a Quicunque in that of Isa. 55. 1. and Rev. 22. 17. Whosoever will and our Saviour Joh. 6. 37. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Sol. I grant it No doubt but the Gospel doth hold out Christ to all none exempted Jew nor Gentile But how As a Physitian to cure them not as an Husband to receive them into union with him Or if you will as a Husband to take them into the Bed of love But not till he hath purged them and fitted them for his Bed is it not for this that the Scripture doth call upon sinners to wash and cleanse their hands and hearts Isa. 1. 15. Jam. 4. 8. To separate from the Wicked 2 Cor. 6. 17. with infinite other Texts of Scripture all of them calling upon us to labor for the work of the Spirit upon the soul that so we may finde the fruits of union and communion with Christ and by that work of the Spirit felt in the heart we way be assured that the word of the Spirit speaking comfort to the soul and assuring the conscience of pardon is the word of truth and worthy of belief For as when
God set down the Text of Scripture and revealed the same to the Church of God he confirmed it by his works from Heaven by Miracles which did convince the world that it must needs be the Word of God which was accompanied with such mighty and miraculous operations so when God will by the Spirit speak to the soul the Application of a Text for comfort he doth make way for the credit of it by the work of the Spirit the work of grace upon the soul If not believe it not the spirit of truth is a spirit of holiness There is no truth in that word which speaks comfort to that heart in which is not wrought the work of Holiness Consequently Thy sins are forgiven in the heart of a Drunkard Swearer Whoremonger is not the voice of the Spirit The work and the word of the Spirit go together Nay so evident is this that the Doctor having sought to establish this Revelation of the Spirit as a principle that may not be disputed and that cannot be demonstrated doth yet in the close come in with this Yet something more for the Spirit doth give men to credit what he speaketh His meaning I conceive to be That by this work of the Spirit by which mans heart is framed to receive the Testimony of the Spirit and to believe it by it doth it appear that it is the Spirit of God which witnesseth their Adoption so then it is the voice of the Spirit that saith Thy sins are forgiven and it is evidenced to be the voice of the Spirit because he frameth the heart to believe it It cannot be denied but that it is the Spirit that giveth Faith to believe it nor is it doubted but that if this perswasion do come from the Spirit it doth afford comfort but still the question is Whether this be the work of the Spirit or not of the other viz. The work of sanctification there is no doubt which if it do not accompany that work of perswasion I much doubt whether it be not an over bold presumption 2. Touching Faith This is delivered by the same Author 1. That the Scripture doth authorize Faith to give full evidence concerning Interest in Christ 2. That this evidence of Faith is not Revealing but a Receiving evidence viz. As it taketh possession of what the Spirit Revealeth and doth rest upon it This Faith saith he brings with it unquestionable evidence full assurance and what needs a man look farther The spirit within thee saith Thy sin is forgiven Faith receiveth it and sits down satisfied here is thine evidence saith he and thou hast thy portion For why the Text of Saint John saith He that believeth hath the witness in himself q. d. He hath as much as can be desired when he hath believing in himself And he that believeth not hath made God a lyar q. d. If when God hath spoken man will not sit down with Gods bare Word but seek for signs and marks drawn from his own works this man hath made God a lyar The sum of all returns to this That this act of Faith receiving the Testimony of the spirit that is when the soul doth rest in it without any farther doubting that this I say is the evidence of our Adoption and Justification so then ask him how do you know that sin is pardoned His Answer is because I believe it and rest satisfied in this perswasion And is not this I pray you a very satisfying evidence It is so because I believe it is so In this way what prophane person is there in the world who may not conclude for himself if he will but force upon himself this perswasion Object Nay but it is not meant but of a perswasion which the Spirit hath wrought in the Heart If God saith he hath given thee to believe it this is thy evidence Sol. Yea but how shall I know whether God hath given me this perswasion or that Satan hath suggested it into my Heart Doth the Spirit of God take a man out of the Dunghil of filthiness and instantly without any work of washing and cleansing speak to him that word of comfort pronounce him pardoned and work in him the full preswasion of it or if he do speedily and as it were suddenly work him to this ful perswasion Doth he not at the same instant work a change upon his will and affections by which that light that is set up in the understanding may be discerned to proceed from the Spirit of God Surely thus we have learned Christ and thus we teach The Spirit of God doth work upon the whole soul and all the faculties at once and equally Understanding and Will Conscience and Affections Nor is there mroe light of saving knowledge in the one then there is heat of holines in the other That Faith which doth not purifie the heart and cleanse the conscience is not a saving Faith such a perswasion of pardon is but a presumption that of S. Iames remaineth an everlasting Truth Faith without works is dead Object That Faith saith he is not dead where the whole essence of Faith is Sol. True but wherein consisteth that essence of Faith This is nothing but the eccho of the Heart saith he to this voice of the Spirit Grant Faith to be the eccho of the Heart to the voice of the Spirit though this indeed be but one act of Faith yet by the voice of the Spirit we understand not that suggestion of Remittuntur but the whole Text of Scripture comprehending Precepts Promises Threatnings in all which there is indeed an eccho of the Heart by Faith Psal. 27. 8. But in this the Antinomian is farther off then the Papist The essence of Iustifying Faith doth neither consist in this eccho to the Text of Scripture nor in that eccho to that word of Revelation but in an act that cometh in between them ex gr. The Text of Scripture saith He that believeth shall be saved Is man justified by believing this for a truth or rather by doing that duty which the word Believeth doth intimate viz. The act of confidence and affiance in Christ Again the Spirit saith Thy sins are forgiven Is man justified because the believeth this word Surely no He must have it before the word that saith so be a word of Truth So then the first eccho goeth before the other doth follow after The right act of justifying Faith whence it is so named is that intermediate act of confidence and affiance Understand me to speak of these acts of Faith as first second third in the order of Nature not in the distance of time In the order of Nature justification doth not go before Faith but follow upon it Nor is man justisted because he doth perswade himself that so it is To wade no farther in this Argument By this I suppose it is evident That the new way of evidencing by the word of the Spirit and the subscription of Faith cannot lay the Ground of
Scripture of the Old Testament and New by the Law and Testimony And by it they know that they are not misguided because if any of them that peep and matter that pretend Visions and Revelations speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them These men though they do not plainly speak out their meaning yet would have us to understand them that the Spirit did by Enthusiasms and Revelations move them and guide them so infallibly that they need not the Scripture nor the instruction of the Ministry which what is it else but to revive and call up again that abomination of the Familists long since condemned to Hell the place of its just desert Just I say for take away the written Word of God and then every fancy of a dreaming Elder and doting Sister shall be the Rule of mens godly conversations Object A Law may be acknowledged and a written Law and yet not the Law of Moses not the Moral Law What then why the Law of Christ not the old but the new Commandment the precepts taught by Christ and his Apostles Well but the question is Whether that the subject matter of this new Commandment and of the old be not in both the same viz. Teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts to live righteously godly and soberly in this present world If so Then why should it not be indifferent to alleage the precepts of Moses and the Prophets to prove and press a duty of holiness as the precept of Christ and his Apostles ex gr. If we be agreed that it is the duty of a justified person to honor his Father and Mother what need we jangle about words and quarel about quotations whether we press it out of Exod. 20. or from Eph. 6. since both Texts do preach and press the same duty Is it not the same God who spake to the Fathers by the Prophets and to their Children by Christ and his Apostles Nay more do we not see it that those Precepts of holiness which by our blessed Saviour and his Apostles are taught in the New Testament are taken out of Moses and the Prophets yea and pressed upon the Conscience by this reason Because it is the Law and the Prophets What can be more plain then that Text of our Savior Mat. 7. 12. Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye so unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets So Saint Peter Be ye holy in all maner of conversation for it is written Be ye holy for I am holy 1 Pet. 1. 16. mark that Because it is written By it you see that the Apostle presseth a duty by a Text of Scripture fetcht from the Law So Saint Paul Eph. 6. 1 2. presseth the duty of obedience upon Children and proveth it to be right by citing the 5. Commandment of the Moral Law What will these men say to that Text of Saint James Jam. 2. 8. If ye fulfil the Royal Law ye shall do well But if ye have respect of persons ye commit sin and are convinced of the Law as Transgressors What convinced as Transgressors and yet not bound to obedience Is there any Transgression where no obligation to obedience And is the Moral Law notwithstanding all this abolished Hath it none Office in the time of the Gospel Are we false Teachers who in imitation of Christ and his Apostles do call men to the practise of these holy duties which we finde contained in the Law No we teach the truth of God and in the right way of God Except it be that Christ and his Apostles were ignorant of the way or except these men have received a new Gospel and another dispensation of the grace of God hitherto unknown and unrevealed CHAP. II. Touching the Motives of the Law whether these also be abolished So that to propose the expectation of reward as an invitation to good works and to deter men from sin by the fear of punishment be altogether inconsistent with the Doctrine of Grace NOt only the precepts of the Law are bequarrelled by those men but also the Arguments of perswasion In doing good-works and living a godly and holy life we must not at all look to any Reward from God But must do good works meerly in reference to Gods Glory and the good of others Otherwise our service will be meerly mercenary Grant indeed that we must do good works for these ends Grant also That in the obtaining of these ends there is a full Satisfaction to a Godly and a Gracious Heart And yet why may we not encourage our selves to cheerfulness in our Obedience by having an eye to the Recompence of Reward which God hath gromised Doth not the Scripture propound a Reward for our encouragement And why doth the Scripture propound it but that we should believe it and by believing be put forward to work cheerfully Is it not set down as an act of Moses Faith and a point of his praise That he had an eye to the Recompence of Reward Heb. 11. 25. Doth not the same Apostle shew this That our blessed Saviour by the Joy that was set before Him did stir up himself to go on cheerfully to the end of his undertakings Heb. 12. 2. Nay is not this in part acknowledged by Dr. Crisp he having set down this for a Doctrine That the laying of sin upon Christ is the Lords own Act giveth this reason for it Because none else could give to Christ a proportionable reward And Christ had an eye to some good consideration and for the proof of this he citeth Heb. 12. 2. And God saith he to put him on propoundeth rewards unto him c. Now then if thus it was with Christ why may it not be lawful for the Christian to help his weakness by having an eye to the recompence of reward Will they say that this sevice is mercenary So they do indeed but without any just reason mercenary service is commonly measured by carthly profits and preferments when a man so looketh at them that where there is no hope of such a reward he doth let fall the duty to which he is called Self-seeking is then unlawful and sinful when Self is the ultimate end of our desire But he that in feeking the good of his body and soul serveth Christ i. e. so desireth his own good that he may serve Christ is acceptable to God and approved of man This being so Why are we blamed for pressing men to holiness and encouraging them in it by putting them in minde of that reward which is provided These men flye out upon such exhortations This is not to preach Free-grace this is to bring in Popery and to teach men to hang their Salvation upon their merits to expect their reward for their Works sake No such matter it is not Popery to preach the expectation of a reward upon the conscionable performance of duties enjoyned If it be surely Christ and his
though it be in a person not appointed to love though this his purpose change not yet will he suspend all the effects of hatred yea and with much tenderness of affection put forth the effects of love to this party till he doth wilfully let fall his care of goodness and take up a Resolution of evil yea and that incorrigibly 3. The love of God to the Creature in respect of the effects thereof is not unfitly distinguished into the love of Benevolency and the love of Complacency the former consisting in well wishing or pittying the Creature is absolute and free The other drawing with it delight in or friendship with the Creature is respective and hath an eye to the good behavior of the Creature see both these expressed in that Parable of the wretched Infant Ezek. 16. 6. an emblem and fit resemblance as thereof the Church of Israel so generally of the Elect of God For first God doth cast an eye of pitty upon them in their wretched condition and saith unto them Live His word is operative and did them good as is intimated verse 7. then afterward when his grace hath wrought in them and fashioned them into a comely beauty he doth again pass by them and behold them and lo it is the time of love whereupon he doth enter into a League and Covenant of friendship so that now the soul of every one of them may say as the Spouse in the Canticles I am my welbeloveds and my welbeloved is mine Gods delight is in them and theirs in God These things well understood will easily shew the Inconsequence of the Argument for the Elect may be loved in the purpose of God and yet not actually justified nor God enter into a Covenant of love till by the work of his grace they be fitted for the time of love Again whiles they are workers of iniquity and unconverted to God their sins may be hated and the effects of love suspended notwithstanding the eternal purpose of God No variableness in God because it is his purpose not to entertain them into the effects and fruits of his love and delight till they be converted and fitted for it by the actings of the spirit of grate moving and working in them To close up the point let us to prevent erroneous misconceits which spring from the Confounding of things that dâ—ffer let us I say take notice of this distinction A man may be said to be justified either Intentionally or Virtually or Actually either in God or in Christ or in Himself 1. Intentionally in God i. e. in Gods purpose and decree this is from all eternity But this decree and intention doth not put any thing into a state of actual being but in the fulness of time nor doth it exclude nay it doth include and presuppose Faith in the person justified for though election be of the persons yet Iustification Glorification are of the persons so and so qualified 2. Virtually in Christ may a man be said to be justified And this is from the Day of Christs passion and in the vertue of his satisfaction yet this intendeth no more but this that satisfaction is made and Remission purchased by the blood of Christ Neither doth this exclude the consideration of Faith nay it doth call for it that so there may be an actual Application of the price and purchase We know that in a purchase beside the payment of the price there must be Livery and Seisin given before a man be in actual possession of what is purchased so here there must be application of the Righteousnes of Christ as well as the Effusion of his Blood and this is received by Faith 3. Actually in himself is man said to be justified when he hath the possession of it But this Actual Iustification hath It's degrees of progression The beginning thereof is laid in our first Union and Incorporation into Christ The Consummation of it is not till the Judge at the latter day hath solemnly pronounced the sentence of final absolution so set us in full possession of entire remission Between both these there is a progressive work of Iustification by the constant actings of the Spirit applying the Blood of Christ by the hand of Faith to the quiet and comfort of the soul The first you may term Initial justification the latter perfective and this between I would call progressive it is the fruit of the first and the preludial assurance of the latter This is wrought and sealed in the second Sacrament as the former is in the first Sacrament and both these branches of Sacramental justification are to us the pre-assurance of that Complemental and perfective justification The sentence whereof putteth an end to all fears changing our faith and hope into fruition and ful possession even the first of these acts is not transacted without the seed and spirit of Faith much less the successive agitations and progress of the work Thus every way Faith is considered as equal with yea as foregoing the work of Iustification CHAP. IV. That justification is not transacted all at once nor any pre-remission of sin before it be committed BY his knowledge shall my Righteous Servant justifie many saith God by the Prophet Isaiah cap. 53. 11. Shall justifie is a verb of the future tense the work then at that time was not done the Question is when was it to be done In the day of his passion say some then did he bear the sins of many and take away the sin of the world so that from that time and forward to the end of the world there is no more imputation of sin to any of the elect It hath been commonly said even by some of our best Divines that justification is transacted in our first Union and Incorporation into Christ at which time it is conceived that the pardon of all sin is sealed consequently that it is to us an act already passed Nor can we say He shall but he hath justified But I fear that the mis-understanding of this point not untrue in it self if not mistaken and mis-apprehended hath laid the ground upon which the Antinomian buildeth that unhappy structure which turneth the Grace of God into wantonness Who knoweth not that justification in it's proper acceptation of the word according to the Scripture phrase is the act of a Iudge pronouncing a judicial sentence and according to this I suppose we shall not erre from the truth if we say that the main work of Justification is even to us as yet future and that the time when Christ shal justifie those many in the Text of Isaiah is when he shall condemn the Residue viz. at his sâ—â—ond coming when he shall separate the sheep from the Goats then shall he justifie them and at once absolve them from all accusations and charges laid in against them then shall they receive a final quietus and discharge then shall God wipe all tears from their eyes then shal there be no
more sorrow nor crying no more curse nor fear therof according to the words of the Angel Rev. 21. 4. 22. 3. There is I grant a praejudicium in foro conscientiae a preludial Justification in the Court of Conscience which is a pregustation and foretaste of that final Absolution In the Court of Conscience doth Christ set up his Tribunal there doth he take notice of the Accusations that are put in by Satan against the sinner upon particular occasions and by the power and operation of the spirit working in the Conscience doth he upon the humble confession of the penitent soul pronounce the sentence of absolution by the Ministery of the Word and seal it by the blessed Sacrament and what is now done daily upon emergent occasions shall be ratified at the latter day according to that gracious promise of Christ made to Peter when he gave him the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 16. 19. Whatsoever thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven And the same in effect repeated to the Apostles Joh. 20. 23. Thus in present by the Ministery of Reconciliation there is a work of Iustification in the Court of Conscience But the final consummation is reserved to that day when Christ the Iudge proceeding judicially shal pronounce the sentence of absolution The main work of Iustification therefore is as yet future for to say that justification quatenus it comprehendeth remission of sin is one individual act or that the blood of Christ doth at once wash us from all even future sins in the Antinomian sense I dare not yield It is the blood of Christ and that alone which doth cleanse us from all sin so is it the word and spirit of Christ that leadeth us into all truth yet not all at once Truth it is that in our first union with Christ there is conferred the ground and pledge of future remission for all sins to the end of our lives the Ground of it is our Adoption sealed to us in our Baptism the which is not afterward cut off no not by the greatest sins which the believer doth commit still he is the childe of God though in respect of his sin he may be the childe of Wrath and lyable to punishment still he hath an interest in Christ and upon his repentance he shall have benefit and communion with him in his Merits and Graces The Pledge and pawn of future Remission i. e. of the Remission and Forgiveness of all future sins is that actual Remission of what sin for the present the soul stood guilty of at that time when he was United to Christ All sins past and present were actually pardoned viz. Actual sins in Converts Original in their Insants the guilt of these is remitted and their justification in reference to these sealed in Baptism This favor received is a Pledge of assurance to them that in future also by applying themselves to Christ they may and shall receive the forgiveness of their daily sins He that by the application of a salve hath his wound cured hath he not therein a Pledge of assurance that in the use of the same means upon the like occasion he may receive the same benefit But to say That in our first Union with Christ we receive an actual Remission of future sins is in mine Opinion as incongruous as to say The Cure is done and past before the wound be made I grant That it hath been received and passed for currant in the schools of our Divines That all sins are remitted to the Believer at once all viz. past present and to come so hath it been received That justifying Faith is a particular perswasion of Gods mercy to me But as Amesius hath well observed in Medulla Theol. lib. 1. cap. 27. That this was set down only to oppose that general assent to the Articles of our Creed in which Papists do place the essence of justifying faith And therefore though he granteth that Fides justificans parit hanc specialem fiduciam c. yet he defineth it to be Qua recumbimus in Christum ad Remissionem so I suppose that our Divines did set down this position of Iustification transacted at once to cut off the Popish ground for the Sacrament of Penance not foreseeing what we by experience finde how unhappy a ground is herein laid for loosness and Libertinism Hereupon Amesius ibidem coming to set down his Opinion of the matter doth mince it Remittuntur peccata justificatorum non praeterita solum sed etiam aliquo modo futura Note that aliquo modo Now to explain himself he addeth Hoc tamen est discriminis quod peccata praeterita per formalem applicationem Remissionis nobis in Christo paratae futura autem virtualiter tantum Praeterita in sese Futura in subjecto vel persona peccante The which is in effect to say Non remittuntur nisi in pignore The actual Remission of sins past is the Pledge and Pawn of what shall be upon the use and exercise of Faith But to conceive sin remitted as it were by an Ante-dated pardon is not only against sense and reason but also against the grounds of Religion Sense and reason saith there is no need of Remission before there be a guilt nor is there guilt before the sin be committed no need of a Plaister before there be a wound prepared aforehand it may be and laid ready but application of it must needs come in after the malady Then for the ground of Religion 1. In the fifth Petition we are taught to pray for the pardon of sin Now prayer is an act of Faith and hope and both these are de futuris of things expected and not in present possession Faith looketh upon the Promise hope upon the performance neither of them upon the possession No man prayeth for what he hath in hand or for what is compleatly done and past already I know what is usually said viz. That not the pardon it self but the assurance the feeling and comfort of it is that which is desired in the Petition Nor do I deny but that in respect of sins past and formerly pardoned this is so We play for greater assurance of that pardon because our Faith is like a narrow-mouthed Bottle which though cast into the sea yet is not filled but by degrees Or rather we pray for the continuance of assurance we have received not as if God were off and on with us or would revoke what he had given But because this daily Petition is a mean appointed of God to work that continuance and no sooner do we cease to pray and take off our eye from God in Christ but we cease to believe and receive that continuance Thus I say it is in respect of sins past but now for the sins that daily are committed it is the direct pardon of them which we desire of God in that Petition Nor can the words receive any other sense except we should wrest them
and so wrong the Wisdom of our Saviour as if he could not make choice of such words phrases as might plainly and understandingly express his meaning And if these words Forgive us do signifie Make us to know that thou hast long since forgiven us then why shall not the next words As we forgive receive the same interpretation Nay why not so also in the other Petitions Lead us not into Tentation Give us our daily Bread i. e. in the Antinomian sense Make us to know that thou hast not lead us that thou hast given us our daily Bread Will not this be found a sensless gloss nay an utter perverting of our Saviours intention And why then should it hold only in the fifth Petition and in none of the other 2. Adde this That one end of our daily address to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is to obtain the Remission of our sins by the application of Christs blood The words of our Saviour touching the Wine are these This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you and for many for the Remission of sins That in it as we have often need by reason of our daily Transgressions so we may often look upon that Brasen serpent for the cure of our often bitings Thus what we ask of God in prayer the same in the Sacrament doth God bestow upon us viz. The daily pardon of our daily sins Were it not in this respect needful to provide for our wants was the pardon of all actual sins at once sealed in this Sacrament as is the pardon of our Original guilt sealed in Baptism what necessity to receive this Sacrament any oftner then we do the other sc. once for all 3. And above all it is a ground of Religion that nothing is to be received and believed but what is Revealed to us for a truth by the Word of God Now there is no ground in the Word of God for any particular person to believe that his sins are remitted already before he do repent and believe in Christ The Word of God sets down what counsel hath been given to men that they might obtain Remission Act. 2. 38. and 3. 19. But no where doth the Scripture say to this or that man Thy sins be forgiven And for any man to perswade himself of Remission before it be yea before he hath a word for it is presumption and not saith The Antinomian Doctors say That the Spirit of God doth reveal it in the heart of a man and the Voice of the Spirit is the Testimony of truth In very deed we may not refuse the Testimony of the Spirit nor question the truth of it But in as much as we know that Satan doth somtimes transform himself into an Angel of Light and that there be many false Spirits in which respect the Apostles bids us to try the Spirits nor doth Satan seduce only by the Doctrines of men but also by false suggestions whispering to the sinner comfort upon false grounds How shall we discern the Testimony of the Spirit from the suggestion of Satan They Answer Hereby it is discerned Because it speaketh things consonant to the Scripture Let this be manifested and the question is at an end But where doth the Scripture countenance that Voice of the Spirit speaking to the sinner and saying Thou art justified in the sight of God and thy sin pardoned and that long ago in the day of Christs Passion How I say is this proved to be according to the Scriptures They say The Scripture holdeth forth the Free Grace of God in Christ viz. That Christ is given a Saviour for sinners for Enemies for the Rebellious That God doth justifie the Wicked and the ungodly even when and while they are such That he calleth for no works of mans Righteousness nor any previous dispositions to qualifie men that may come to Christ So that neither Impiety nor Enmity can cast in any bar to hinder him that will lay hold upon Christ This we do not much question but withall we adde That the Scripture doth also call upon sinners to Repent and turn to the Lord that so they may be pardoned and their sins bloted out and in as much as we know that one Text of Scripture is no less truth then another nor may we so cleave to the one as to neglect the other for they are not contradictory if rightly understood we conclude that Christ is held forth a Saviour to sinners but so that they repent and forsake their sins not else no sin not the greatness of any sin no nor the multitude of great Transgressions can bar the humble Penitent Saint Iohn saith If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us 1 Iob. 1. 7. Note that If q. d. If not then there is no ground to hope for it Again we say That God doth justifie the ungodly as Christ doth save sinners in sensu diviso i. e. Not while they are ungodly not while they are sinners but when they have forsaken their wicked ways have turned to the Lord by true and sound repentance That text of Rom. 4. 5. speaking of him that worketh not but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly must not be understood simply of such a one that doth nothing at all but respectively of such a one as doth not rest upon his works nor rely upon his Righteousness but renouncing his own works doth cast himself upon the Free Grace of God nor doth it use that word ungodly in the common sense sâ— for one that hath no goodness in him at all but in a limited sense viz for one that wanteth such a perfection of goodness as on which he may build the hopes of his justification And the reason of this explication is because the proposition is drawn from the instance of Abraham a man certainly not altogether void of works and Righteousness though not so complete and perfect in them as that he durst rest upon them but renouncing his works he did cast himself upon the Free grace of God and so was justified by his Faith Consequently that voice of Revelation in man which teacheth him to comfort himself in the assurance of his justification without any respect to the work of Repentance wrought in him this is not the voice of Gods spirit but the delusion of Satan There is no word of God on which to ground such an assurance and therefore it may not be received nor believed for truth it being a ground of our Religion That nothing is to be received but what is revealed by the word of God I might adde this also Nothing is to be received as a truth which is cross and contrary to the Text of Scripture Now that sins should be actually pre-remitted before-hand and the person actually justified before that by Faith he be United to Christ how doth it not cross that Text of Saint Paul Rom. 3. 25. where speaking of the Remission of sin
the work of the spirit upon the heart of man Hence the conclusion of Comfort is This promise is mine My Portion is in it and hence both peace and joy in the Holy Ghost But now look upon the Antinomian ground of Comfort and let even reason judge whether it can produce any true consolation God hath laid the Iniquity of Sinners upon Christ God justified the ungodly But I am a sinner I am ungodly therefore the Benefit is mine Is it not evident that except all sinners promiseuously receive this benefit there is no certainty of Comfort in the conclusion If it may appear as who doubteth but that it may appear that there be many ungodly that never had nor shall have benefit by Christ Is not the conclusion uncertain True saith the Author aforesaid Names of particular persons are not written in the word But what hinders that thou maist not have part in Christ the Pardon is to all theeves may not each particular take his part This general tender of free Grace is as sufficient for satisfaction of mans Spirit as if his name were written Well But this Pardon is to all Theeves is it not if they will come in And surely it is intended that they come in as Penitents not as perverse rebellious Persons and till they come in thus can they claim the benefit of the Kings pardon And therefore whereas he addeth Hath the Lord given thee an heart to come in that thou fain wouldest have Christ if thou durst it is enough He should deny himself if he should cast thee off This is a precious truth if rightly understood But in his Intention it halteth For besides this that when God giveth an heart to come in to Christ he giveth an holy heart an humble and penitent heart an heart no less ready to take Christ for a Lord then for a Saviour Nay indeed more desirous of this then of that Not that he might merit favor by his service but out of the abundance of Love to Christ he is much desirous that Christ should now be glorified by him as formerly he hath been dishonored before himself be glorified by Christ Besides this I say the conclusion of comfort grounded upon the general tender of free-grace is not by the Assumption I am a sinner I am a theef But by this I do come in Hereupon it followeth that he may not cast me off And this coming in what is it but to believe in the name of Christ Joh. 1. 12. And what is that but to rest upon him for salvation So then the general tender of free-grace made to sinners is conditional as touching the benefit of Pardon viz. If they come in and cast themselves upon the mercy of God in Christ there is hope of Pardon And indeed it may appear that this is that which the Doctor did intend howsoever in the prosecution of the point his words did seem to drive farther for thus he concludeth in one of his Sermons So then notwithstanding any sinfulness which thou findest in thy self thou maist boldly come to Christ and commit thy self unto him as an All-sufficient Saviour Touching the second Author who hath more covertly and more cautelously delivered himself he sets it down as a Doctrine of Antichrist to say That sin is not taken away out of the Conscience till the work of Baptism and of Repentance Particularly touching Baptism this he censureth as a Doctrine of the Man of Sin That Baptism doth take away sin out of the Conscience and out of the sight of God And well he may if it be maintained in that sense which he opposeth viz. As an Ordinance which hath in it a vertue and efficacy of taking away sins not derived from and subservient to the blood of Christ In this sense if any do maintain any efficacy in that Sacrament let him be Anathema But if it be no derogation to the spirit that the Ministery of the word is said to have an effectual working power in the conversion of men and causing them by Repentance to return to God In as much as the efficacy of the Ministery is subservient to the spirit as the Instrument by which the spirit worketh Why is it derogatory to the Blood of Christ that the Sacrament hath an effectual power in this act of taking away sin out of the conscience In as much as it is intended hereby to ascribe no efficacy at all to it save only as an Ordinance of application yea and this also subservient to the spirit The blood of Christ is that that taketh away sin out of the Conscience But then doth it perform this spiritual cure when it is applyed And the Sacrament is a mean of application A mean I say by which the spirit applyeth the blood of Christ unto the Conscience In which respect by a communication of Phrases it is said To wash away Sin Act. 22. 16. And God is said to save us by the washing of Regeneration Titus 3. 5. And Christ is said to cleanse his Church by the washing of water Ephesians 5. 26. Not as if any vertue were in the Water which Saint Peter denyeth 1 Pet. 3. 21. But because the Blood of Christ which hath that vertue in it is applied in and by the Administration of that Sacrament And therefore for him to say That if Baptism taketh away sin out of the Conscience then hath not Christ finished the taking away sin by his one and alone offering This I say is not to the purpose in as much as beside the paying of the price there must also be an Application of it otherwise the work is not done A wound in the flesh is not cured by the preparation of an effectual Plaister but by the Application of it to the wound Nor can there be any perfection to the creature without the Application of this price of this Plaister This he was not ignorant of and thereupon seeketh to make his advantage for thus he argueth Is there saith he any perfection to the Creature without Application Surely no and yet Heb. 10. 14. By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified What he would hence conclude I see not Will he from the word Hath perfected conclude the Application already past viz. From the very hour of Christs Passion How can that be Is there any here said to be perfected by that one sacrifice but they that are sanctified Are any sanctified but by the Communion of Christs spirit Doth not this Communion presuppose an Union Is not that Union with Christ sealed to us in our Baptism Sanctified persons then are perfected by that one sacrifice Yet how perfected All at once Not so But the ground-work of their perfect consummation is laid in that one sacrifice And so laid that in due time by the vertue and power thereof without any other offering they shall be perfected The true meaning therefore of them that say if any do say it in those terms that sin is not taken
but because there is truth in God to perform his Promises And we repent because we believe Remission Here note That to believe Remission may be considered either in the Promise or in the Performance The Promise of Remission is made for the Penitent and Repentance required as a mean to fit men for it Is not this evident by the Preaching of Christ and his Apostles Mar. 1. 15. Act. 2. 38. and 3. 19. The performance of this promised Remission doth presuppose Penitency in the sinner yea and doth put him more upon it So that as of Faith there is one act that doth go before Remission and another act that doth follow after So also of Repentance there is somthing of it doth go before Faith and something also doth follow after Indeed saith this Author Judas Repentance may go before Faith i. e. before the knowledge of Remission But Godly Repentance doth follow after I might reply That is improperly said to go before this Faith when as this Faith doth never follow after Doubtless if Faith be the knowledge of Remission it doth never follow upon Judas Repentance But this I rather reply That it was not a Judas Repentance that went before Remission in the Old Testament nor is it a Judas Repentance which the Apostle doth call for to this end that their sin might be blotted out Act. 3. 19. Nor can it with reason be denyed but that he who saith Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out doth leave them to conclude that unless they do repent their sins shall not be blotted out And again that if they do repent their sin shall be blotted out Consequently there is a Repentance which is required as a mean to obtain Remission and that by the warrant of Scripture-Text And therefore it is no Doctrine of Antichrist not footstep of the Man of Sin to declare Repentance as a mean of Remission But now to return to the Question propounded viz. Whence is it that sin doth trouble and terrifie the Conscience I should rather give this answer The reason is Because sin is not yet taken away out of the Conscience by the Application of the blood of Christ To say that there is no sin at all in the Conscience when we feel the sting and terror thereof is it not in effect to say No mote in the eye no thorn in the flesh when we feel the pain and pricking of it How doth it vex if it be not there Doubtless while it vexeth it is not quite taken forth nor is the rankling of it quite healed The Indisposition of the Body may adde to the distemper of the minde till it be removed and cured by Physick But when the body is in good order and yet the Conscience in spiritual distress doth it not appear that sin lyeth at the Door and must be removed out of the Conscience by the Application of the Blood of Christ Application of the Plaister is no less necessary then the preparation of it The Brazen-serpent set up cured none that would not look up to it Nor doth Christ cure any that will not believe him And how do we believe in him if we do not apply our selves to him for remedy This application of the blood of Christ is wrought by the Minstery of the Word and Sacraments hence it is called The Ministery of Reconciliation In which and by which God dispenseth his favors and comforts to them of his Houshold And by those Ordinances doth he bring home the blood of Christ to the Soul and Conscience of the worthy receiver And as in the Old Testament the guilt of sin was not removed out of the Conscience till the sacrifice appointed for this or that sin was offered which is not improbably aleaged as a reason why the sin of David lay so heavy upon him even because he made no hast to confess his sin and to bring his sacrifice without which no Remission so in the New Testament sin is not removed out of the Conscience till by the Ministery of Reconciliation the blood of Christ be applyed to the Conscience for the cure thereof God hath appointed the Ministery for this end and he will have his Ordinances honored and workings of his spirit in them acknowledged It is not for this cause that many who seek for Comfort with much importunity of prayer and supplication yet are held off for a long time Even because they do not address themselves to God in his Ordinances And here is that necessity and usefulness of Baptism to take away sin out of the Conscience which so much displeased the Antinomian Doctor nor of Baptism only but of the Lords Supper also yea of the whole Ministery of the Gospel Not as if the Word and Sacraments or the Ministery that dispenseth them had any power and efficacy in themselves But as hath been said because these are the Instruments of the spirit in applying the blood of Christ which alone is the remedy of our spiritual malady Note This Ministerial Application is only to the worthy Receiver And none such doth the Text of Scripture acknowledge but him who being truly humbled and grieved for his sin for this and that sin in particular doth judge himself And then by Faith looking up to Christ on the Cross as did Israel look up to the brazen serpent and resting upon the passion of Christ as the only satisfaction of Gods justice desireth to be purged in his Blood And in testimony of his Faith in the blood of Christ doth draw near to the Ordinance of Application that therein he may be made partaker of the blood of Christ to purge his Conscience and quiet his minde And here is the necessity of Repentance without which no Remission the second point of Antichristianism in the Antinomians account Not as if Repentance hath any efficacy of a meritorious yea or of an efficient cause but because Faith neither ought nor indeed can close with Christ and draw vertue from him for the purging of the Conscience but when it self is lodged in a penitent soul The Reason is Because so must the promise of pardon by Christ be receiv'd by man as it is tendred to him And this is not to the sinner as a sinner but to the sinner as humble and penitent as before was shewed So then the Answer of the Question returns to this Sin doth yet terrifie the Conscience notwithstanding that Christ on the Cross hath satisfied for it and so obtained reconciliation for the sinner Because otherwhiles men are not careful to seek for the Application of Christs blood to themselves in the Ordinances appointed What wonder if Israel dye of the serpent bitings if they will not look up to the Brazen serpent so here if men neglect the means of remedy what wonder is it if they lie and languish Object But even they that have often sought to God in these Ordinances yea and with much care have prepared themselves for the worthy receiving of