creation hee was to eate of the fruit of the creation for his nutrimentall sustentation so now of the fruits of this Garden also for the Lord God commanded the man saying Of every tree of the Garden thou mayest eate freely Gen. 1.29 Gen. 2.16 The negative rule was it by which hee was to improve his strength of body and mind to God by obedience namely the forbearing to eate of the tree of knowledge of good and evill but of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evill thou shalt not eate c. Gen. 2.17 And this rule led him to be both passively and actively obedient passively in two things First although in the perfection of the creation all things good for food was due to him by Gods allowance without restraint yet in this Garden or Plantation by this rule hee was to suffer this restraint namely to deny himselfe to eate of the fruit of this Tree of knowledge of good and evill upon paine of most dreadfull consequences for saith the Text In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt certainly die the â—â—â—ath Verse 17. Although in the perfection of the creation God rendred his sweete imbreathings very good and no evill yet in this Garden the obedience of these rules bound them to suffer the imbreathings of the assaults of Satan that evill one in point of triall (a) As did the second Adam Luk. 4.3 2.3.4 And here lay the life of their obedience for without this assault their triall had beene no triall to the improvement of their naturall perfections of righteousnesse and holinesse to Gods Covenant in point of good and evill And againe this negative rule led them to active obedience in two particulars first the fruits of this tree of good and evill being naturally good food it required of them a diligent observation of their naturall appetite lest it might dispose them to transgresse the rule of the Covenant This rule led them in stead of feeding their bodies with the fruit of this tree to feed their soules by beliefe of the signified knowledge of good equivalent to Angels in glory or with the signified knowledge of evill equivalently contrary in eternall misery So much for this point what Adams obedience in the Covenant was Lastly the intended end of Gods Covenant with Adam was of great consequence for it respected God all mankinde the World and the Divell for what if Satans lye to the woman pretended that there was no truth in Gods word for their death if they did transgresse saying yee shall not die at all and what if Satan did make God to them to be but a meere imposture as only pretending that Angelicall good but never intended it for to the woman in the Serpent he said God doth know that in the dâ—y that yee eate thereof your eyes shall be opened and yee shall be as Gods knowing good and evill He not denying a higher good intended in the Covenant but implying Gods command was the only thing that kept him from attayning it I say what of all this for if hee had in beliefe of Gods word abstayned from eating the fruit according to the rule of the Covenant then they had not only freed themselves from being murthered the world had not been destroyed Gods word had not been nullified Satan had not in the beliefe of his lyes bin magnified bâ—t on the contrary from their beliefe of truth working to God by love God over all by his word of truth had bin glorified in two respects 1 Because (b) So that Gods justâ—ce would have bin glorified to all eternity in the â—irst demonstrating his righteousnesse and goodnesse in the eternall felicity of all mankinde with Angells 2. righteously demonstâ—ating his wrath in the Apostate Angells oâ— Divells by Adams repeling their lies yet not but that justice precedeÌ„tly did in the right of Gods glory passe to immediate execution on those Apostat Angels and by their murthering of Adam Gods justice from thence did supâ—rabound upon them by Gods giving way to them to bruise the heele of Christ in the aggravation of their malice so thaâ—â—hey weâ—e not oâ—ly â—â—cluded Angels glory at the 〈◊〉 but shâ—ll dâ—â—w upon themselves the latâ—tude of Gods Attributes glorious in wisdom power and his iâ—efull justice to all eternity wheÌ„ God shall loose their chaines of darknesse by which they are reserved unto that day at the remembrance whereof they tremble by his Justice according to the Covenant the naturall perfections of the Creatures together with man in his pure Naturalls for wages to Adams worke should have received a quickning Spirit and man in the perfection of faith So travailing together towards their celestiall perfections 2. And Satans lyes by beliefe of Gods truth nullified and consequently Satan most justly condemned for a lyer and murtherer of mankinde the destroyer of all the works of God and adjudged for a most impudent blasphemer of God and all this would immediatly have followed upon Adams perfect repelling of Satans temptations For the Justice of the Covenant was expresse for immediate execution even the same day and minute for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die the death Gen. 2.17 Againe a second reason is drawn from the nature of the Covenant which was for good and evill therefore no middle Estate but good or evill immediatly even as upon Adams offence judgement passed upon all to condemnation So on the contrary if Adam had obeyed the Rule of the Covenant there would have bin produced a posterity through all Generations ascending successefully to the Elect Angells in Angelicall glory in perfect union in soule and body for the Couenant was for all mankinde alike in good But it may be objected mans body in its pure naturalls being but flesh and blood Object in an Elementary compound could neither ascend nor be able to inherit the spirituall Glory sutable to the nature of Angells so powerfully glorious therefore that Angelicall glory was not intended in the Covenant Although mans naturall body could not inhabit that Kingdome as St. Paul affirmes 1 Cor. 15.50 Answere yet that body naturall made a spirituall body is a powerfull body as St. Paul affirmes 1 Cor. 15.43 And therefore it could both ascend and inherit with Angells for if Adam had â—â—ept the negative Rule of the Covenant as is declared then as in the perfection of nature he was made a living Soule so in the justice of the Covenant God would have made him to his posteritie a quickening Spirit not only in the perfection of Faith living a spirituall life in his pure Naturalls but would also have quickened his naturall Elementary body with a spirituall Nature powerfull to ascend and inherit the glory of Angells successively to the last man that should live on the Farth but now in the second Adam onely is this twofold quickening Spirit found who only is the Resurrection and the life of man as St. Paul affirmes 1 Cor. 15.45 Object But it may be
whom I will have compassion as if hee should say I respect none of them but with respect to my imputed gift of the Lambs righteousnesse which they reject and apply not themselves to me in it Therefore all those which had seene Gods great workes in the wildernesse and were remisse not answerable by beliefe of truth to this mercy God cut them off from the figure of eternall felicity and caused their carkasses to fall in the wildernesse yea hee spared not Mirriam Aaron nor Moses nor any save Caleb the Sonne of Iephuneh the Kenite and Iâ—shua the Sonne of Nun for they wholly followed IEHOVAH saith the Text clearely proving that God is no respecter of persons but to all and alike Deut. 9.14 Exod. 33.19 Rom. 9.15 Numb 32.10.14.28 and Deut. 32.28 Againe about 407. yeeres after the Law was added to the promise then God gave them a two-fold figure more to lead them to Christ the onely ground of all their good As first that the â—romised seed should come of the seventh sonne of Ishâ—i and the sonne of David King on Sion hill to sit on his Throne figuratively shadowing out in Salomons thronized glory So leading this nationall Spouse by right beliefe of truth to piâ—ch her ultimate felicity in the eternall Throne of the promised seed God-man blessed for evermore 2 Sam. 7.12 13 14. Psal 45 6. Luke 1.32 and 33. Heb. 1.8 The second figure was the glory of the Temple standing in the midst of the Land which also was a figure of the promised seed as to it was related the worship and the most especiall presence of God for to it must the sacrifices be brought and to it did this elect Spouse bring all her divine worship and adoration yea although remote from thence yet towards it must they worship figuratively leading this Spouse in the promised Land to feed on the promised seed as on a tree of life by right beliefe of truth as in the Paradise of God Psal 122.4 2 Chron. 7.12 1 King 8.44.45 Rev. 3.7 Prov. 11.30 Yet although God gave all these severall lines of truth leading by beliefe thereof to the imputed righteousnesse of the seed as it in which hee onely (b) This is the true ground of Election elected them to enjoy this Land to be their day of grace and there to receive his gift of eternall glory Notwithstanding they in the spirit of concision referred their election not to the object of faith but (c) These are false and erroneous grounds of Election to Abrahams flesh whence they were descended and to a worth in their owne workes to the Law as but conversant about the object of Faith and for that cause resisted the doctrine of Christ Esai 8.25 Heb. 10.21 Rom. 10.3 as leading them to submit to that righteousnesse of God imputatively given in him the ground of all their good And therefore Saint Paul Rom. 9. punctually encounters both these errors from the light of Divine truth for having in the 8. Chapter beheld the stable felicity of some Gentiles by belâ—fe of this truth he therefore in this ninth Chapter reflects upon this elect Spouse as neere to the rejection for this resisting of Christ and therefore his griefe for them was beyond measure because they were Israel to whom appertaine the adoption and the glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises of whom are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for evermore Amen Vers 1.2 3 4 and 5. Yet hee implies that these glorious priviledges did not make him so conceive of them as if Gods Word of curse according to his Covenant with Abraham had taken none effect upon them to their rejection for saith hee all are not Israel that are of Israel implying all are not of Israels faith that are of Israels flesh consequently Gods Word of curse might be of force to them which refuse Christ as the object of Faith notwithstanding their precedent election Wherefore he further saith neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children but in Isaack shall thy seed be called that is saith hee they which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed for saith hee this is a word of promise c. Verse 6.7 8 9. implying this figure of Isaack as the promised childe was intended to lead them to Christ the promised seed as precedently is declared And so he goes on to the next figure namely the manner of Esau and Iacobs conception and birth for saith he not onely this but when Rebeka had also conceived by one even by our father Jacob for the children being not yet borne neither having done any good or evill that the purpose of God according to * By election in this text is meant onely of the Iewes to be Christs elect Spouse Nationally and not of any of the Gentiles election might stand not of workes but of him that calleth it was said unto her the elder shall serve the younger as it is written Iacob have I loved but Esau have I hated that is God to manifest his mind rightly in this mysterie loved to preferre the younger in the fleshly line and hated to preferre the first borne to the greatest honour namely to the Nationall election as the first borne after the flesh wherefore God not onely exprest this betweene Ishmael and Isaac and primarily betweene Esau and Iacob as before but also in Iosephs seed God preferred the younger to the greatest honour and the eldest to be inferiour in honour purposely Gen. 49. So likewise in his choyce amongst the sonnes of Ishai he passed by all the eldest to the lowest in the naturall line even the seventh to David and preferred him to the throne therefore it is evident by the testimony of God this love and hatred to those two babes was but to delare his purpose * So that God hated not Esaus person nor hated he him in respect of the foresight of his sinne nor did he love Iacobs Person more then Esaus nor loved he him for the foresight of his Faith and righteousnesse but the truth is God then looked upon them both alike with love to his present and future purpose that is by those Babes to declare that not from any respect of foresight of faith or righteousnesse nor to Abraham or Israels person as they were the naturall root of the Iewes which moved him to extend his mercy to them and to declare on the contrary that the evill of their father Terahs Idolatrous Apostacy hindeâ—ed him not from predestinating them then untorne and to call them in Isack to espouse them nationally to Christ from that Idolatrous den but that the only moving causes was for the glory of his grace by the promised seed as precedently is clearely explained namely to leade this elect
the breadth of this Land is thy Land O Emanuel as saith the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 8. ver 8. Thirdly this was likewise Typified to Christ in that all Sacrifices in the Type were excluded from all places in the world and included only in this Land of Canaan neere the Temple restrictively to expire their lives in the Type Therefore in this Land was the Lord Iesus Christ in the truth Personally to performe the worke of the redemption of the world the which accordingly hee did Againe Christ the Sonne of God as he was man was borne under five relations to this worke First by promise the Sonne of Adam as the seed of the woman immediatly upon the fall and therefore bound by the Law of Nature to relieve his Parents in their Lapsed condition Secondly by promise borne the Sonne of Abraham and therefore bound to the Law of circumcision figuring his cutting off the powers of Satan that is of sinne and the consequences thereof for the Covenant was that all the Sons of Abraham must be circumcis'd in their generations therefore hee was borne in subjection to that Law Thirdly hee was by promise borne the seed of David therefore borne under the Law of the Typicall Mediator as added to the law of circumcision therefore bound to love God with al his heart al his strength his Neighbour as himself in the work of the redemption of the world Fourthly as the Sonne of David so hereditarily to the crowne of the Terrestriall Canaan figuratively leading him by Faith to his eternall Throne in the Celestiall Canaan Fiftly at last all these relations meet in one issue by being borne of the blessed Virgin Mary his Mother for when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Sonne made of a woman made under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sonnes Gal 4.5 Sixtly he was the Sonne of God also by eternall generation the second person in the sacred Trinity and so personally God man and therefore bound to the fulfilling of all the law and the Prophets to the regaining of Gods glory by restauration of the world by redemption as it was said it shall breake thy head the truth is and so he did for as we first in Adam magnified Satans lies for truths and nullified Gods truth for lyes so likewise at that time when hee came to this worke all the world This definition is an answere to Pilates Question viz. What is truth Ioh. 18.38 For Christ as he was the faithfull and true witnesse against Satans lyes did undoe what he had done and so destroyed the works of the Divell but Satans finall bruise shall be at the day of judgement in â—wo paâ—ticulars first when Satan and all mankinde which from the beginning have refused mercy to adhere to him shall receive by the seed of the woman the sentence of their full damnation in immediate execution to all eâ—ernity Mat. 25.41.46 Secondly by rendring up to God all mankinde from Satans power which from the beginning hath died in infancy and that through all Generations haâ—h adheâ—ed unto Christ in right beliefe of truth and so God by Christs ministeriall ordinance shall be all in all that is fully glorified to all eternity according to the simple and plaine meaning of his truth in the eternall life of the one and in the eternall death of the other and as Christs ministeriall Ordinance shall therein terminate so then shall all Creatures be subjected to him as Iudge of quick and dead and so all knees in Heaven and Earth and under the ea th shall bow and bend to him for ever Rom. 14.10.11 both Jewes and Gentiles generally had made God a lyer as much as in them lay for they were all Apostates from Gods guift of Christ his righteousnesse imputed which came upon all men to the justification of life not believing it but following lying vanities so forsaking their own mercies and the truth is the work of Christ was to witnesse Gods truth which wee thus betrayed wherefore of himselfe hee saith to this end was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse unto the truth 1 Ioh 3 8. and for this purpose the Sonne of God was manifested that hee might destroy the works of the Divell Iohn 18 37. And in briefe that truth which Christ made good as the faithfull and true witnesse against Satans lyes may be thus defin'd namely that God never intended his glory upon mâ—nkinde to all eternity but according to two generall Rules First according to the Covenant made with the first Adam a Covenant of works Secondly but according to the Rules of that Covenant as now it is turned by Gods guift of the second Adam into a Covenant of grace and mercy and to the last Christ is the most proper witnesse in Gods behalfe to his glory by the salvation of mankinde as Iohn 3.16 saith hee God so l ved the world that hee gave his only begotten Sonne that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting l fe And he saith God sent not his Sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved Also he saith He that believeth is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because hee beleeveth not in the name of the only begotten Sonne of God Implying that although sinne simply as sinne did not at that time of grace condemne them yet their persisting in their precedent Apostasie from that grace now light and life is manifested unto them this would be their Condemnation wherefore he saith This is the Condemnation that light is come into the world and Men lâ—ved darkenesse râ—ther then light because their deeds are evill And of himselfe he saith Io. 8.45 I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of selfe but the Father sent me Also Iohn 5.36 he saith The worke which the Father hath given me to finish the same worke that I doe beare witnes that the father hath sent me the which was his witnessing the truth as before is proved And hee did it in these paticulars First against the Spirit of Sathans lies in the Saints Secondly in Sinners Thirdly against Sathan hand to hand Fourthly against Sathan in flames of Faith in love under Gods most flaming and dreadfull wrath of these in their order and first in the Saints as in Nichodemus who in the Spirit of Sathan being averse to his sacred doctrine as declaring this truth Iesus said unto him art thou a Ruler in Israel and understandest not these things Ioh. 3.9 Likewise to the Spirit of unbeliefe of this Truth in his Disciples Iesus answered and said O faithlesse and perverse Generâ—tion how long shall I be with you how long shall I suffer you Mat. 7. 17. And to the same Spirit in Peter Hee turned and said unto Peter get thee behind mee Satan thou art an offence unto mee for thou savorest not
the things of God but the things that be of men Mat. 16.23 And to the same spirit in Iames and Iohn He turned and rebuked them and said yee know not of what Spirit yee are of Lu. 9.34 To the same spirit in the two Disciples that went to Emaus saith hee O fooles and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken ought not Christ to have suffered these things and so to enter into his glory Luk 24 26. Likewise saith the Text Hee appeared to the Eleven as they sat at meate and upbraided them wits their unbeliefe and hardnesse of heart Marke 16.14 And to the Virgin Mary his Mother Jesus saith unto her Woman what have I to doe with thee mine houre is not yet came implying in her request something was not sutable to his Spirit of Truth consequently so farre forth according to the lying spirit of Satan Ioh. 2 4. Secondly he also witnessed this truth of God against the lying spirit of Satan in sinners That is Man in the state of unbeliefe as resisting this truth as for instance he proving himselfe to be the light of the world not only by Doctrine but â—lso by a miraculous fact giving sight to the man that was borne blinde then the lying spirit of saâ—an attempted to extinguish this truth by saying give God the praise we knew that God spake with Moses as for this fellow wee know not whence hee is But Christ in the mouth of the man retorts the argument upon them saying herein is a marvellous thing for yee know not whence hee is and yet hee hath opened mine eyes Now wee know that God heareth not sinners but if a man be a worsh pper of God and doeth his will him God heareth and since the world began was it never heard that any man opened the eyes of any that was borne blind Joh. 9.5.6.16.24.29 c. Likewise he being in the Synagogue intermingling this Doctrine of truth with another miraculous fact called to a woman bound by Satan eighteene yeares and by the word of his mouth makes her free from the bondage of satan implicitly telling them that if by the call of his Doctrine they would in beliefe of that truth but as they were able by sense and reason come to him he then would dissolve the power of satan in them and so the truth should make them free but the lying spirit of satan in the Ruler of the Synagogue resisted this truth for he answereth with indignation because that Iesus had healed on the sabbath day and said unto the people are there not six days in which men ought to worke in them therefore come and be healed and not on the Sabbath day But this evill spirit so changed into an Angell of light the Lord discovers and said Thou Hypocrite doth not each of you on the Sabboth day loose his Oxe or his Asse from the stall and leade him to the water and ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham which Satan had bound loe eighteene yeeres be loosed on the Sabbath day and all his enemies were ashamed likewise hee miraculously fed many with small parcells of bread declaring himselfe thereby as by his doctrine that hee was the bread of life to man by beliefe of this truth to nourish him to everlasting life Likewise by raising up the widowes sonne and lairus daughter and Lazarus foure dayes dead declaring by this as by his doctrine that he was sent of his Father to them the resurrection and life to man by their beliefe of truth in him Or the resurrection of faithlesse man to everlasting death for saith hee If yee believe not that I am hee yee shall die in your sinnes that is and rise to perpetuall shame but all this truth in the lyings spirit of Satan they resist by pretence that Abraham and God was a Father to them but he according to truth witnessed the contrary against them saying I know you are Abrahams seed Joh. 8.37 but vers 39. Iesus said unto them if yee were Abrahams seed yee would doe the workes of Abraham but now yee seeke to kill mee a man that have told you the truth which I have heard of God this did not Abraham implying that although they were Abrahams seed in the flesh yet not Abrahams seed in the faith consequently not children to God but to the Divell verse 44. Yee are of your father the Divell and the lusts of your Father yee will doe For although by light of sacred truth they came to know hee was the heire namely the promised seed from God to Adam Abraham and David and so heire to all yet their minds by pride was lifted up with the glory of the Terrestriall Temple and princely Priesthood as a worldly magnificence to their Nation but not to the celestiall mysterie therein leading to the imputed righteousnesse of the seed as the onely ground of all their glory for in their hearts him they hate and attempt to extinguish both him and his doctrine because it tended to put an end to that typicall magnificence and * Man perversly proue by custome in sinne to attaine a glory adequate to his corporeall part namely his mouldering body is therefore an enemy to Gods way as leading him to an eternal felicity sutable to his unperishing part namely his soule and body made spirituall but so farre as man is led by the spirit of Christ he is of another minde worldly glory Marke 12. from verse 7. to the 12. Matth 21.38 and 45. But the Lord Jesus Christ witnessed the truth in plaine termes and said My Kingdome is not of this world my Kingdome (a) If Christ refused to be an ea thly Monarch in Canaan and Sion hill declaring by plainnesse of speech that his Kingdome is not such consequently this Kingdome of Christs Spouse nationall elect was but a figure of that grace that was most cleaâ—ely powred out under the Gospell and also of his eternall throne in moâ—e then Angels glory and not a type of an earthly Monarchy of his of one thousand yeeres in length see this point more cleare in cap. 9. is not from hence Mat. 18. 36 Likewise he refused to be made a worldly King on Sion hill so proving his doctrine to be true by this fact for saith the Text when Iesus therefore perceived they would come and take him by force to make him King he departed thence c. John 6.15 Likewise to his successoâ—s which were to witnesse this sacred doctrine of truth hee gives the same rule not to (b) In the judgement of the Sonne of God it is a safe way to keepe his ambassadors to the worke of his ambassage by keeping them from worldly government and terrestriall pompe yet they must have a compleate competency as is implyed by the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.12.13 14. but the former is the ruine of simple godlinesse in Christs Spouse for saith Gods Spirit Like Priest like People Hosea 4.9 aspire
the ten Fathers before the flood by beliefe of truth reached the Oracle of life from hand to hand through their generations page 53. 54 That God would rather have glorified his mercy in the salvation of the old world then his Iustice in their destruction yet all that perished in that flood perished not eternally p. 55 That upon Noah his offering in a figure Christs satisfactory sacrifice God renewed his mercy universally to the world page 56 57 A particular description how Noahs first off-spring carried themselves to God ungratefully for that mercy and how God proceeded against them for that page 58 From whence all hellish Paganisme did originally spring page 59 Because of mans apostasie from God in the object of justification therefore hee confined the Oracle which conveyed that object to narrow bounds three times pag ibid. What the number of eight did signifie in reference to Noah page 56 In what sense Christ is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe page ibid. That God the second time predestinated man in Christ by covenant with Abraham man being by his universall apostasie then fitted to destruction page 60 61 In what sense God hated Esau loved Iacob p. 65. 72 73 That the Church of the Gentiles shall never totally depart from Christ as hath the Church of the Jewes p. 122. 123 In what sense God hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth page 74 How man comes now to be necessitated to sin p. 83. 84 85 What most properly is Gods Booke of Life page 88 That in heaven amongst the Saints there is no difference of degrees of glory page 89 90 That God gave rules how hee would have man put Christ to death so as hee would be well pleased with them that did it page 82. 83 That the Saints faith is not the condition of the covenant of grace page 87. 88. The Law of Moses distinctly explained page 67 What absurdities doe follow the misapprehending of Moses Law page 78. 79 What made the way to eternall life narrow to mankinde yet in that narrow way man might and some did attaine eternall life Chap. 7. That God directed the second Adam as well as the first by Allegories to his eternall happinesse in the work of the worlds redemption to which he was borne in five relations P. 100 A definition what that truth is to which Christ was the faithfull and true witnesse page 101 What righteousnesse of Christ it is which is imputed or accounted to man in generall or to the Saints more speciall page 113 That God never reprobated man personally to unavoydable damnation page 112. 113 That his powring out of his spirit extraordinarily upon all flesh was twofold page 115. Of the Jewes rejection in wrath page 85. 86 Of the Jewes reception to mercy page 86. 87 Of the Lords Supper or in what sense Christs flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drinke indeed page 66 Of Baptisme page 37. 38 A definition when the spirit of a man under the covenant of grace is dead in sinnes and trespasses page 121 A definition what man is a righteous man Chap. 11. A threefold degree of justifying faith page 128 Justifying faith defined and also the perfection of it page 131. 132 Other faiths distinguished from justifying faith pag 130 In what sense Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck page 123. 124 The different operations of justifying faith perfect and imperfect page 138 139 What reward God rendreth to the Saints for their good and evill workes done in the body page 140. 141 142 The manner how God perfecteth Iustifying faith in the Saints pagâ— 134 to 138 That the naturall liberty of the will is no barre to keepe man from an undissoluble union with God in the object of justification page 150 151 Of Manassâ—s Salomons Pauls and Peters different backslidings pag. 149. 150 God loved Abraham Daniel and David being considered personally no more then the persons of other men generally page 150. 151 In what sense the Saints raigned with Christ a thousand yeeres page 166. In what sense justification is referred to faith pag. 77. That the will of man is no more freed from sin and free to righteousnesse then it is freed by Christ therefore to attribute any thing well done by man from the force of his pure naturalls absurd page 150. 151 That God willed not Adams fall to the damnation of man yet God willeth the damnation of all that perish eternally page 150. 154 A briefe description of the Antichrist p. 155. 156 157 From the whole Treatise as opening the maine scope of the Scriptures is definitively laid downe what was Gods decree before the world was after the counsell of his owne will concerning the eternall state of mankinde page 167. 168 Errata PAge 5 line 15. for God reade good p 6. l. 32. erfections r. perfections p. 7. l. 4. boded r. lodged p. 11. l. 12. Adaras r. Adams p. 13. l. 42. farth r. earth p. 19. l. 36. conditiâ—n r. condition p. 23. cap. 4. l. 5. after work r. of p. 73. in marg untorne r. unborne p. 79. l. 29. blot out farre p. 86. in marg externall r. eternall p. 93 l. 25. wrath r. worth p. 99. l. 9. type r. high p. 114. l. 8. uncircumcised r. circumcised p. ib. l. 29. God r. Gods p. 117. l. 14. at Ephesus r. to the Ephesians A TREATISE OF FREE GRACE CHAP. I. Opening the first Adams pure Naturals which was his first Estate THe first Adam in this world passed through foure Estates two before his fall the third was his fall the fourth was that estate after his fall The first produced him good and not evill and this was the estate of the creation The second propounded to him good and evill and this was the State of the Covenant betweene God and him The third was his transgression namely his fall and this produced him the losse of all good and an hereditary possession of evill totally and eternally The fourth was the State of the Restauration of the world by the second Adams Redemption and this propounded to him and all mankind good and evill The Estate of the felicity of the Creâ—tion produced to Adam a fourefold good First his Personall perfections secondly his continuall support of the same thirdly an onenesse or selfenesse with the parts of the whole creation fourthly the perfections of the whole creation led his reasonable soule in love by his senses to a perfect union with God Of these in their order First his Personall Perfections are described by Moses Gen. 2 7 in three particulars first the Lord God formed man of the dust of the earth and that was the perfection of his body secondly he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and that was his soules creation by infusion thirdly man became a living soule that is compleatly composed in his Vegetative Sensitive and Rationalls or in his Personall
at God as the eye doth follow the light So that if Adam was created in knowledge after the Image of him that created him as certainly hee was then mans originall righteousnesse in his pure naturals was this namely Col. 3.10 Eph. 4.24 man * Mans original righteousnesse operating understandingly from the effect to the cause from the whole creation to the Creator according to the rules of the perfections of the creation as to him in whom he and they did live move and had their being The reason why thus to operate was his naturall righteousnesse is because it was right according to the perfection of that truth which shined in the perfections of the creatures to him Againe his holinesse in his pure naturalls was this his operating according to the perfections of the creatures in the Mans originall holinesse purity of his perfect love to God in all through all and above all living not so much amongst the perfection of the creatures where he was as in God whom he so loved and the reason why in these perfections of love was conteined his naturall holinesse was this Because by it hee did not onely set God above all creatures but also by it hee did rightly dedicate himselfe to Gods use onely and alone with al his soule with al his heart and with all his strength for it is the property of love to adde to the perfection of the thing loved more then to it selfe as wee see in Ionathan and Moses c. That Adam had this in the perfection of it is proved thus if all love in men generally doth arise from that agreeablenesse which is betweene the subject and the object as certainly it doth then in Adam most of all because to him the Subject God the Object did shine in all the perfection of the creation in a sutable agreeablenesse in all things in all respects as before is proved Therefore in Adam there was the truth of that perfect love to God againe and not onely the truth but the uttermost extent of love in the strength thereof for if the beauty of the Object being transparant to the Subject will draw forth all the strength which is in the Subject to it selfe as in Iâ—nathan to David 2 Sam. 1.26 Exod. 32.32 and Moses to God then much more did it draw forth Adams love to God as the most transparent object of beauty being an object of infinite goodnesse excitively drawing out his soule in all his strength in a liking and uniting affections in all through all and above all And from this Principle in his minde did naturally * The first originall of the first Table of the moâ—all law spring the first Table of the morall Law namely to love God with all the soule and with all the strength and here I will note these five observations for conclusion of this Chapter First that man in his innocency in the perfections of his righteousnesse and holinesse was but the receiver of all his good as his being passively by creation and his blessednesse actively by reception as by his sense his reason will and affections he enjoyed God And what had hee that hee had not received for it is proper to God alone to be being and blessednesse in himselfe and of himselfe Therefore both men and Angels are but receivers of all their good from God Secondly here observe that the perfection of the creation in the estate of pure naturalls had no dependancie upon Adams Personall perfections or his perfect operations whereby they could keepe or lose their created perfections by him therefore it was from some other cause whereby they became subject to fall into vanity for in this estate Adam depended upon them for the support of his Personall perfections and operations but not they upon him for they were created in their flourishing perfections before Adam was All being made first in their immediate dependancie upon God but hee last therefore in this estate they had no such dependancie upon him Thirdly here observe that man perfect in holinesse and righteousnesse did not by false apprehensions interpose the good in the Creatures betwixt God and him to cut off his blessed union of love to God nor God from him for hee by that perfect love loded himselfe and all that created good in Goâ— from whom it came and so returning to God the glorâ— of all his workes which hee had created and made and so gave God full content Fourthly observe that in the estate of perfect Creation of the world God establish'd his Glory to returne to him in a mutuall concordancie of mans good and no otherwise and therefore the state of Creation produced man good and no evill for God looked upon all and saw it was all good as liking it well Fiftly observe that although Adam did beleeve God to be being and blessednesse in himself and of himselfe and communicating all blessednesse to him yet this estate to Adam was not an estate of Faith for Adams beliefe of all this did arise to him by naturall demonstration from the perfections of the Creation according with the perfection of his Senses and Reason and so to his will Therefore all to him was but Naturall but in an estate of Faith to live by Faith in God First for the thing beleeved it must be Supernaturall Secondly man his minde must depend for the attayning of it upon the credit he gives to the word of God which only declares the thing to him but so was not this Estate and therefore this was not an Estate of Faith to Adam But his next estate to this was an Estate of Faith namely the worke of the Covenant which is the next ground to be treated of And so much for Adams first Estate being naturally perfect in all CHAP. II. Opening the Covenant betweene God and man GOD having revealed to Moses the Creation of the World hee in the next place makes knowne to him a Garden that was Planted by God himselfe without the helpe of man in which place comes in the second Estate of Adam before his fall and his entrance into this Garden was to enter into Covenant with God and God with him for good and evill for this Estate did not propose good only to Adam as did the Estate of Creation * Adam was by God fitly enabled to perform the Covenant in the behalfe of God and the world before God called him to so weighty a bâ—sinesse and the reasons why God led Adam from one perfect State to a higher aâ—e primarily two first because the created perfections of this world could not direct or admit him to enjoy God answerable to his vast comprehension being a Spirit so neare the Angelicall nature secondly because God was delighted to receive his glory at as high a pitch as his reasonable creature could apprehend or comprehend its felicity to all eternity but good and evill was in the Covenant propounded unto him I call it a Covenant
First because here was Conditions betweene God and Adam for life and death I say for life and death to Adam and all mankinde comprehended in generall under the names of good and evill good to be rendered if hee did obey the Rule of the Covenant evill if he did disobey it Secondly those conditions were agreed on by Adam with a full consent he being then not only in the perfections of the second Table of the Law as to love his Neighbour as himselfe but also in the perfection of the first Table of the Law namely in the truth and utmost extent of his love to God with all his Soulâ— and with all his Strength therefore hee readily concluded this Covenant with God for the world in this different Estate from the former But for the cleare opening of this Second Estate I will propound foure things First what this Garden was 2 What its signification was 3 What Adams obedience in it was 4 What was the end God intended by Adams obedience in this Covenant First this Garden was but a part of the Terrestriall Globe for saith the Text The Lord God planted a Garden Eastward in Eden therefore but a part Gen. 2.8 This Garden was planted by God with Plants some for Adams delightfull consolation and some for his nutrimentall sustentation for saith the Text Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree pleasant to sight and good for food Verse 9. In the midst of the Garden God planted two trees distinguished by two significant names implying some further use for saith the Text God caused to grow the tree of life also in the midst of the Garden and the tree of knowleâ—ge of good and evill Gen. 2.8 Into this Garden came a River to replenish it in fruitfulnesse and comming in but one there God divided it into foure and from thence it did run downe the terrestriall Globe foure wayes as saith the Text And a River went out of Eden to water the Garden and from thence it was parted and came intâ— fâ—ure heads c. Gen. 2.10 This Plantation or Garden being thus finished Adam by God was thither conveyed and the perfections thereof was to depend upon his operations for saith the Text. The Lord God tooke the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dresse it and to keepe it Verse 5. And so much for what this plantation was Certainly this was for some further end and use then was the perfections of the whole terrestriall Globe for all the trees of this Plantation or Garden were vegetables in their perfections as were those on the whole terrestriall Globe Therefore this Garden as a plantation by sequestration and signification made the onely difference between it and the world And the signification in generall was but this that as in future time the land of Canaan with all it 's fruitfull splendor did prefigure the celestiall Canaan As to the second Adam as appeares Chap. 8. So this to Adam in the beginning of time did prefigure the same Angelicall felicity of Divine glory in the Heaven of heavens From this ground God made the Garden to excell the glory of the whole terrestriall globe that by faith Adams soule might be raised to worke by love to God feeding on Angells food by beliefe of truth So much for the generall signification Againe more particularly First whereas God did not commit the whole terrestriall globe but onely this part as the glory of the world to Adams dressing and keeping This figuratively implies that now by vertue of Gods Ordinance the creation had it's dependence for it's good naturall and supernaturall or for an evill equivalently contrary upon Adams operations in this Covenant And here came in the onely ground how by Adam the creation could be raised higher or lose it's supernaturall perfections and become subject to vanity Rom. 8. Whereas God caused to grow up in the midst of the Garden a naturall tree naming it the Teee of life this figured to Adam that he to his naturall posterity in obeying the worke of the Covenant by beliefe of truth should from Divine Justice be as a tree in his branches of naturall perfections growing up to a celestiall life or as a flourishing tree of eternall life But now this tree of life is onely in Christ Jesus the second Adam to all right believers Rev. 2.7 This River running downe it's chrystall streames foure severall wayes from this Paradise of terrestriall pleasure as from the Throne of God prefigured to Adams faith Gods justice as pure streames of waters of celestiall life for his obedience according to the Covenant should successively run downe to render eternall life first by faith and secondly by fruition to his posterity through all generations to the last of mankind that was to descend of his loynes but now this River onely issues from the second Adam in the doctrine of truth and mercy conveying Gods gift of his imputed righteousnesse as the tree of life Rev. 22.12 The other tree which God caused to grow in the midst of the Garden naming it the tree of Knowledge of good and evill prefigured to Adams faith summarily all contained in the Covenant that is the Knowledge of good equivalent to Angels or the knowledge of evill equivalently contrary in either as he did obey or disobey And the ground why God instituted this Garden thus in all these prefigurations and significations was this Because the heavenly glory to Adams terrestriall perfections was supernaturall for it is one thing for Adam to kâ—ow by the perfections of the creation that God was able to create a supernaturall glory he appearing by it Infinite in Wisedome Power and Goodnesse And another thing that hee had created it and would bring him to it if hee did obey the rule of the Covenant for the perfections of the creation did demonstrate to Adam that God was able to doe such a thing but no more but the Covenant by God Word was exprest for a contrary evill And all those prefigurations and significations from the agreeablenesse of the type with the antitype did make knowne to Adam that the supernaturall glory was made and in being also from the word knowledge of good that he should ascend to enjoy it to all eternity if hee did obey the rule of the Covenant or an evill equivalently contrary if he did disobey and therefore because supernaturall all was needfull to strengthen Adams faith to withstand the temptation in point of triall See this point cleared to the 13. Objection in Chap. 12. for God doth nothing in vaine And so much for what the Garden or Plantations signification was with respect to Adams worke in the Covenant Thirdly now Adam was to obey two rules in the Covenant one affirmative the other negative The affirmative was to this end namely to continue his naturall being to be a meanes to a supernaturall end by eating the fruits of this Garden for as in the precedent estate of
and holinesse naturall or supernaturall to the least disposition in either was lost and gone by the fall of â—dam and left in the contrary evill Therefore in mercy comes God and saith I will put that is I will * This gracious and mercifull infusion is only that that since the fall doth originally bend the nature of man towards his ultimate felicity by Châ—ist yet although it doth so bend nature it is not therefore the Law of nature propeâ—ly so called foâ— what that is is described cap. 1. Iohn 1.4.9 infuse some disposition into mans spirit towards mee in Christ in whom I have chosen them Or by this word put I will write or imprint some principles which shall dispose man to my Law in Christ the second Adam in whom is life who is the life of men and enlightneth every man which commeth into this world and in a word God in Christ now put into the universall nature of man the effect of the Law written in his heart from whence he doth by nature the things contained in the Law of Christ and that it is the Law of Christ * See in cap. 4. and in cap. 6. And the truth is the naturall force of this infusion being by man improved he having not the written Oracle of God it will terminate in the circumcision of mans heart as is clearely proved in the seventh Chapter following Secondly and answerably as there is any disposition of the law in mans heart tending towards God by Christ answerably the same tends to this enmity with Satan but more as the same disposition is reduced to act towards God according to truth for the same disposition is enmity to Satan even as the Amity of this world is enmity with God so amity with God is enmity with Satan and in a word this infusion is most properly this enmity with Satan when it comes to the degree of faith actually to receive Christ his imputative righteousnesse as Gods gift to salvation and his rule for imitation Thirdly by Woman in this Text is not meant womans individuall person restrictively but this word Woman is the woman collectively meant as drawing all mankinde in Adams transgression into condemnation for example in the 16. Verse when God said to the Woman I will greatly increase thy sorrowes and thy conceptions in sorâ—ow shalt thou bring forth children Here by Woman hee speakes Relatively as to all women which shall conceive and bring forth and of all mankind which shall be conceived and borne so is this word Woman collectively in this Text to be understood of all mankind implying that this amity by internall disposition to God in Christ was by God infused universally into the nature of mankinde to descend hereditarily in their naturall conceptions whereas in justice none was left before in the fall but contrary dispositions to evill Secondly in the next word God saith to Satan and betweene thy seed and her seed and because the Text saith not onely I will put enmity * See this point cleared to Objection 10. in cap. 12. betweene thee and the woman here is a further matter implyed First by this word Seed what seed soever it was it was certainly the seed of the Divell conteined in this word thy seed and in a word this seed was the foresaid dispositions and mans acquired operations which entred originally into the nature of man by Adams sinne totally and eternally to remaine according to the justice of the Covenant as is declared Chapt. 3. And because in this Text God calls it by the name of a seed it further implyes that by Christs answering of the justice of the Covenant in the blood of the Lambe the nature of Divells namely originall sinne in the nature of man is by grace reduced but to a seed and it must needs be so because Gods foresaid infusion did imprint the principles of amity to himselfe And therefore from this ground onely mankinde now is conceived and borne but with the seed of originall sinne and not divels totally and eternally as justice required and this is the onely ground why men are in naturall dispositions better than divels Againe by this word her seed is implicitly meant Christ the second Adam in one nature and essentially the one God and second person in the sacred Essence and also in his other nature the nature of all mankinde in the Womans seed and in a word here is meant his personall union as God-man by this restriction her seed not of seeds as of many but of one which is Christ Gal 3. Againe this word and relates the precedent words Put and enmity to Christ also to be betweene the Serpent and him for as I noted before that the promise of his conception was without the promise of addition of the tast of sorrow so also this word put as related to him implies his conception and birth not only without the internall principle of originall sinne but also that his conception and birth was in its pure naturalls totally disposed to righteousnesse and holynesse in all perfections for his Mother being overshaddowed by the holy Ghost by which God put this enmity in Christ This Seed therefore which was borne was called a holy thing and so enmity in a superlative sense I will put enmity betweene thy seed and her seed but here note that that Amity with God which was enmity to Satan which was put into all mankinde by infusion and into Christs humane nature more then miraculously was in the generall nature one and the same disposition for as Christ is pittifull so mankinde is naturally inclined to pitty likewise as Christ is mercifull so mankinde is naturally inclined to mercy and as Christ worshiped God purely so mankinde is inclined to worship a Deity c. Yet in another respect farre different for that in men there alwaies remaines some seed of the Serpent at best in this life and therefore perfect but in part but the perfections in Christ from his conception to his expiration of his life was in all the degrees of naturall righteousnesse and holynesse a meanes by Faith and love supernaturall witnessing the truth of God against Satans lyes or Serpentine seed in men or Divells dissolving the works of Satan all comprehended in these words It shall breake thy head as will appeare in the eight Chapter Againe in the third place to the Serpent saith God thou shalt bruise his heele and in this point Christ is considerable in a foure fold respect First as him in whom God elected * Note that this universall election is grounded upon the meere favourable mercy of God so is also that second election or predestination in the beginning of the 6. Chap. from reprobate Divells all mankinde to grace and glory when in the justice of the Covenant all stood rejected and reprobated from him with Divells to the contrary evill as before is proved Yet as God then left them and chose us in Christ from them
so by him then were all men saved from the imputative damnation of Adams transgression wherefore in this respect all mankinde is the heele of Christ in this relation But from this relation Satan drawes us in our remissenesse by lying vanities to forsake our own mercies and so to perish not for Adams transgression but for our owne against this grace in Christ and so are bruised by Satan for thou shall bruise his heele Secondly as God is the Saviour of all men from Adams imputative damnation so more especially hee is the Saviour of them that beleeve and that in two respects First by pardoning their owne personall transgressions against this universall mercy Secondly by estating them in that eternall life by Faith in Christ which they lost by their owne sinne and in Adams for saith Christ he that beleeveth in me hath eternall life and is past from death unto life And because these men by beliefe of truth set to their Seales that God is true in his guift of Christ and his righteousnesse imputed and in the perfection of parts in some degree of inherent righteousnesse witnesse Gods truth against Satans lies or lying vanities Therefore Satan by tentations and other envyous operations as by Cain to Abell doth bruise this heele of Christ or but his heele for this company of the Faithfull here Militant in comparison of that with Christ triumphing in heavenly glory is but the heele of Christ and thou shalt bruise his heele Thirdly because the second Adam did apply all the power of his pure Naturalls of holinesse and righteousnesse a meanes witnessing Gods word of truth for good and evill opposing Satans lyes therefore Satan by himselfe or men adhering to him did by envious operations as he did by Cain to Abel crush Christ himselfe yet it did not extinguish his Faith and love to God and his Neighbour in the least degree but drew it out the more as in due place it will appeare Yet all these envious operations being but extended to the affliction of his body and soule being his nature humane the lowest nature in his Sacred Person therefore it was but his heele as it was foretold thou shalt bruise his heele Fourthly againe as if God should say to Satan true it is that in the first Adams faithlesse fall from me thou didst devour all both heele body and head but against this the second Adam whom I wil raise up in the nature of all men of the seed of the woman to him doe thy worst yet thou shalt but bruise his heele at the most and thou shalt bruise his heele So much for opening of this first out-breake of the object of Faith once given to the Saints in this fourth estate of man Gen. 3.15 As Adams traÌ„sgression and the guilt and punishment was from the justice of the Covenant reckoned or imputed to al mankind in the fall even so by Gods mercy in the free guift of Christs righteousnesse reckoned or imputed to all was that sinne guilt and punishment removed from all and therefore noÌ„e ever perished for that transgression for although Adams eat ng the forbidden fruit and the demerit of it was not any mans indâ—vidually but Adams yet God in the justice of the Covenant did reckon or impute it to all and every individuall of mankinde as if it had bin their own act and demerit even so although Christs righteousnesse and merit of it was his own onely and alone individually considered yet that righteousnesse and merit being to satisfy Gods justice in behalfe of the world it was therefore by Gods free guift in mercy reckoned or imputed to all and every individuall of man generally and to man beleeving more specially as is declared but what this righteousnesse is which was so imputed see the end of the 8. Chap. Againe Rom. 5.18 the Apostle saith for as by the offence of one judgement came upon â—ll men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free guift came upon all men to the jâ—stification of life from these words I will make these briefe observations following First that in the next verse before this Christs righteousnesse is called the guift of righteousnesse but in this Text it is spoken as if Christs righteousnesse were the procuring cause of the guift of it selfe as imputed to come upon all men and the truth is so it was for had not Christs righteousnesse in the figurative lamb to the justice of the Covenant in every respect answered the imputative unrighteousnesse of Adam the righteousnesse of Christ could not imputatively by free guift have come as it did upon all men to the justification of life for till the justice of the Covenant was so satisfied although God was willing to impute it to life yet he could not for as God cannot lye so he cannot deny his truth but all mankinde must certainly have dyed according to Gods-word that death in the day that Adam did sinne Secondly here note that this free guift of Christs imputative righteousnesse came at this time on all men unfought for or unthought on by them for when God brought this guift to them Adam runne away from him therefore here God waâ— found of them which sought him not Thirdly here observe that this free guift of righteousnesse came upon al men when there was not any d) See this justification before mans faith and without faith cleared in the answer to the 10 Objection in Chap. 4. Faith in man for we by Adam faithlessely betray'd Gods truth and at this time as in our naturall roote in his loynes runne from the God of truth Therefore Faith foreseene was now no cause or instrumentall meanes of all mens salvation or election from Divells in Adams imputative damnation 4. Againe observe that this guift of imputative righteousnesse conferred upon all men viz justification for saith the Text It came upon all men to justification Therefore mans Faith can be but the receptive instrument of this justification and justification with Faith or justification without Faith is all one except that in the last mans receptive instrument is of use and this presents unto us two things first a definition of Iustification what justification then was men having not as yet the guift of Faith Secondly what it was not And first in a word this justification by Chriâ—ts impâ—tative righteousnesse was this the pardon and the removall of the imputative sinne guilt and punishment due for Adams transgression as farre as the East is from the West and so gave man a gracious acceptance and at this time this was the justification of all men Secondly mans owne works of righteousnesse was not his justification nor no good works foreseene for as now man by the fall his works were onely so euill as the Divells so all mens works but Christs works in this fourth estate of Restauration at best are but in the perfection of parts by reason of the Serpentine seed which hereditarily runnes down in the
is explained in pag. 32. Or how was the worke of a perfect rest in Christ by Faith and in fruition by hope finished from the foundation of the world as the Author to the Hebrewes affirmes Hebr. 4.3 and as is explained pag. 25. To the second part of the Objection true it is by Adams default hee was as is described pag. 30. dead in sinne farre more deepe then I suppose you meane for man being dead in sins and trespasses against the universall grace of God in Christ is farre different from that in Adams fall as to be twice dead and pluckt up by the roote is different from them both as in the prosecution of the sixth point will clearely appeare To the third part of the Objection true it is mortality seized upon his body but it is also as true that by mercy in the blood of the Lambe mans body came but thus to be mortall for this mortality doth but at most separate the soule from the body which is but the shadow of that death intended in the Covenant for us in the fall of Adam as is described pag. 21. 22. 23. and as will more appeare by the death of the second Adam in the eighth Chapter following Object 4. Your observation is refuted Rom. 5.12.13 c. Are all Infants that die saved if not what is the cause of their condemnation Answ To the first part Rom. 5.12.13 the Apostle to the praise of Gods universall grace parallelling the first Adam to the second Adam hee there layes downe a double Argument the first that although by Adams sinne sinne entred into the world that is originally as the cause of all mens perishing when they were dependant on him in the Covenant for afterwards hee was as are all men Christ only excepted but a private man cap. 5. So that Adams sinne as now it is is but the occasion of mans sinne by his owne default to his eternall destruction and their owne sinne is the onely cause thereof as committed against Christ and the ground thereof is exprest by the Apostle in the 18. verse following Secondly it is further implyed in these two verses that that mans sinnes now so committed that is against Christ to whom all power is given and to whom all stand related for good and evill that the prevalency of their sinne against him doth increase the prevalency of the shadow of death unto them namely the frequency of the separation of the soule from the body and also of death in the substance namely mans separation from God his chiefest good in this relation and united to the contrary evill and by his owne remissenesse being ignorant of all yet then God in mercy to the promise added the Law to reveale to reckon or impute mans sinne unto him that he might see how hee runne on his owne misery wherefore in the 20. verse rightly saith the Apostle The Law entred that the offence as the spring of misery might abound that where sinne abounded grace might much more abound that as sinne had raigned unto death even so might grace raigne through righteousnesse unto eternall life by Iesus Christ verse 21. Therefore my observation is confirmed by the Apostle in these verses and not refuted See these verses further explained in cap. 9. to the second part of the objection yes all Infants are saved and therefore I can shew you what once was the cause of their condemnation namely Adams one offence when he was a publike person and the signe of it now onely remaines in their nature to meet and dispose them as fit subjects successively to receive salvation in the universall grace of God by Iesus Christ as saved creatures namely the poyson of the Serpent as reduced but to a seed the foresaid infusion flowing from the estate they are now in namely Gods universall mercy in the promised seede imputed righteousnesse as is further described pag. 36. 37. Object 5. If Adam fell the ninth houre of the sixth day Pag. 25. how did God in the end of that day see all his workes to be very good Answ I demand of you how he did see all his works the sixth day very good in the end of that day seeing it is not mentioned so in the Text and Moses saith expresly that on the seventh day God ended his workes which he had made and therefore it remaines for you to prove that God said so according to your inference at the end of the sixth day and in what sense Moses meanes that God ended his worke on the seventh day see pag. 34. Object 6. The exposition of the particle Put Pag. 28. savours of Semipelagianisme so doth the phrase of internall disposition infused universally Answ If that exposition which tends to demonstrate God onely in Christ Iesus an unversall good to man and that it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell and so in all things Christ must have the preheminence to communicate even the least good to man as a meanes to his chiefest good and all restored by Christ then surely if this doctrine savour of Semipelagianisme it becomes you and I to be not onely halfe or almost but altogether Pelagians And that this doth so demonstrate God in Christ besides the maine scope of this whole Treatise see in cap. 6. cap. 12. in my answer to the tenth Objection cap. 12. the which doth most clearely prove the point Object 7. The last clause is false Pag. 30. Answ It is not so untill you have proved it so Object 8. The universall election is false Pag. ibid. Pag. 31. Object 9. Men perish for Adams transgression and their owne Answer to both Objections Both these Objections are answered in my answer to the 21. and 22. pages precedently Object 10. That justification without Faith Pag. 33. is against the current of Scripture Ans That this text nominates justification I am sure is true Rom. 5.18 and that the Apostle relates this justification without relation to mans receptive instrument of beliefe is as true for here the Apostle relates this justification to man as meerely passive when God was found of us that sought him not even when wee as Adam received this imputation to life and glory when God came to seeke and to save that which was lost not imputing out sinne to Adam according to the justice of the Covenant Therefore this justification as opposed to the ordinary reception of it by mans instrument of beliefe called justifying * Mans beliefe receiving this justification is therefore called justifying faith Faith was extraordinary and therefore although not according to the current of Scriptures yet according to the Scripture as for example that light which was before the Sunne was made in an ordinary course to communicate light unto the world was true light so this truth is truth though not according to the current of Scriptures in an ordinary course But as for this justification as related to mans receptive
by whom he hoped to attaine all blessednesse Againe His Offring being of the fattest this implied his high respect of this sacred Mistery by beliefe of truth for by Faith saith the Text Abell offred unto God a more acceptable Sacrifice then Cain by which hee obtained witnesse that he was righteous God testifying of his guift Heb. 11.4 As concerning Cain it is also implyed what was well in his sacrificing as first the thing which he brought hee brought it to offer Secondly he offered it not to Idoles but to Iehovah and this was well and because the Text relates his offering with no further commendations it implies that no more good could be spoken of it according to truth So much for hat was well Againe this was not well that his love to this mystery according to truth in the second Adam brought him not to offer for the Text implies that processe of time brought him to this businesse Gen. 4.3 Againe because the Text saith he brought the fruits of the ground to offer to Jehovah this implies his too high respect of things Terrestriall consequently his profanenesse to this Supernaturall Mystery in the promised seed and in a word all his Religion at the best was but to be conversant about the object of Iustification and no way consonant to faith in that object For saith Moses be was not only wroth but very wroth because God gave no respect to his offering which as before I noted implyed Cains too high esteeme of his Earthly offering brought unto God but hee whose heart is so lâ—fted up his minde is not good nor upright in him Hab. 2.4 Againe his heart was so fall'n as appeares by his countenance because his personall operations were rejected this implyed hee came not to be accepted in Gods guift of Christs righteous operations as imputed but in his owne supposed righteousnesse wherefore his owne sinne lay uppon him in his attracted habit guilt and punishment for he that beleeveth not the wrath of God abides upon him But on the contrary that if hee did well he should be accepted God makes it further apparant by removing all personaâ—l respects from Abell for as concerning him saith God to Caine unto thee shall be his desire subject and thou shalt rule over him implying two things First whereas thou art the first borne and so a figure of the first borne of every Creature in this respect Abells desire shall be subject unto thee in love and reverence to that mystery Secondly as hee is thy younger Brother so thou art his protector supporter and instructer in which respects thou shalt still rule over him for I looke not to his person more then to thine but with respect to his submitting unto mee in the fulnesse of my mercy and if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted if thou dost not well sinne lies at the doore but Cain remissely harkened to this reproofe and gracious incouragement for in the next place Moses saith Cain talked with his Brother but tells not what talke it was yet implicitly points it was some hatefull speeches because it ended in his blood for saith the text It came to passe when they were in the field that Cain rose up against his Brother and slew him From whence Saint Iohn rightly affirmes that Cain was of that evill one as implying Cains amity with Satan in the Spirit of concision cutting from his soule the foresaid infused enmity derived in his naturall conception therefore he wâ—s of that evill one lifted up in the Spirit of Satan against Gods way of salvation by Christs righteousnesse imputed for saith Saint John hee slâ—w his Brother because his owne works were evill and his Brothers righteous 1 Joh. 2.12 And for this God comes against Cain for saith Moses Iehovah saith unto Cain where is Abell thy Brother Cain answered in the Spirit of a lyer and murtherer saying I know not am I my Brothers keeper but God charg'd the Fact upon him saying what hast thou done the voyce of thy Brothers blood cryeth unto mee from the earth wherefore God turned the flaming Sword of his wrath which turned every way against Cain by pronouncing this sentence saying now thou art accursed from the earth which opened her mouth to receive thy Brothers bloud from thy hand when thou tillest the ground it shall not from henceforth yeeld to thee her strength a fugitive and Vagabond shalt thou be in the earth To which Cain replies for saith Moses Cain said unto JEHOVAH my iniquity is greater then can be forgiven and so my punishment is greater then I can beare because it shall never be removed ver 12.13 Againe he bids God behold or consider what was his punishment for saith hee thou hast driven mee out from the face of the Earth and from thy face shall I be hid and shall be a Fugitive and Vagabond in the Earth for it shall come to passe that every one that findeth mee shall slay mee To which God answereth him to this effect So that one the same person individually considered may at one time be the subject of Gods unfained or entire grace and mercy in Iesus Châ—â—st and another time the subject of his consuming and everlasting wrath as for my precedent sentence it is now unrevocable for thou who didst refusâ— acceptance and pardon of sinne and life eternall upon my interrogative affirmation if thou wouldest but applie thy selfe to mee in my mercy to thee But thou instead of circumcising the seed of the Serpent hast cut off from thee by custome in sinne my infused principle of Amity towards mee from thy Spirit and joyned to Satan mine adversary against mee in my salvation so freely tendred and fully intended unto thee For thou hast slaine thy Brother only because he submitted unto me in my guift of righteousnesse imputed for his salvation therefore as I told thee if thou didst not well sinne should lie at the dore so thy guilt and punishment now shall rest irrevocably upon thee to all eternity only this will I doe for thee in this worlds contentments for a time I will assure thy abode therefore saith God whosoever slayeth Cain vengeance shall be taken on him seven fold and Jehovah set a marke upon Cain lest any finding him should k ll him Thus when the noble Spirit of man departs froÌ„ Gods presence of grace it setleth its abode in â—erâ—estâ—iall conâ—entments sutable to the corporall body or corruptible part of man but they that sowe to the flesh of the flesh shall â—eape corruption Whereupon Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah and dwelt in the Land of Nod on the East side of Eden and his posterity on Earth began to spring out and multiply hee built a City and called it by the name of his Sonne Enoch And so now I discend from this Modell of Gods impartiall proceedings in these two as to the whole masse of mankinde And Cain thus remaining under wrath Abell being translated
to the glory of Angells by his receiving Christs righteousnesse the object of life Adam and Eve now remained alone to possesse this day of Grace namely this world as a day of Grace for only with them remained the Oracle of eternall life that is a Promise of the seed to breake the Serpents head therefore this Oracle or object of justification as the ground of all true Religion to discend to posterity was altogether unsetled by reason of Abells ascent to blessednesse and Cains abiding under cursednesse as cut off from Gods presence of Grace for saith hee from thy face shall I be hid so went out from the presence of God therefore Cains Posterity as borne and bred remote from the pillar of truth and life of Religion under their Fathers exemplary concision were carried as a streame to all ungodlinesse wherefore when God gave Eve the next man-childe Gen. 4.25 she called his name Seth that is setled sure as saith Reverend and Learned Broughton in his Treatise upon the first ten Fathers And saith Moses Adam knew his wife againe and shee bare a sonne and called his name Seth for God said shee hath appointed me another seed â—nsteed of Abel whom Caine slew Againe Gen. 5.3 the Text saith Adam begat a sonne in his owne likenesse and called his name Seth implying the production of this Childe every way answered the image of Aâ—ams desire that is to enjoy issue which might stand in the same image or likenesse that himselfe did to enjoy this day of grace as a day of grace to convey the Oracle of life to ensuing posterity and therefore hee joyned with Evah in this childes name and called his name Seth So leaving his minde to posterity in his sonnes name that the conveyance of the pillar of truth was setled sure to future generations Againe also to Seth was borne a sonne and hee called hâ—s name Enos Kings translation addeth that then men began to call upon the name of the Lord that is Seths posterity began to multiply being the visible Church containing by tradition the pillar of truth or object of Faith once given to the Saints Yet learned Broughton saith the letters of the name of Enos in the appellative signifieth sorrowfull-grievous that is then beganne corruption touching the calling on the name of God The truth is this ground also is good The Kings translation and Broâ—ghtâ—ns â—econciled for then began the multiplication of Cains posterity as in number so in corruption by concision touching the calling on the name of the Lord For by their exemplary evill it came to passe that those which were the sonnes of God in the profession of this object of Iustification fell away by affinity with them and this is implyed Gen. 6. where it is said it came to passe when men began to multiply upon the face of the Earth and daughters were borne unto them then the sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire and they tooke them wives of â—ll that they chose implying not what God liked c. Wherefore Seth seeing the beginning of this evill hee in the appellative letters of his sonnes name left by tradition his minde to the world telling them this was sorrowfull and grievous unto him and all godly men for so it was to Enâ—s wherefore he named his sonne Cainan that is to lament saith reverend Broughton and yet he whose name signified Lamentation named his sonne Mahalaleel that is as the same Broughton saith a praiser of God implying notwithstanding this lamentable object yet to man believing truth there was remaining a two-fold ground of praise to God First for the light of eternall felicity which shined in his guift of Christs righteousnesse imputed the Lambe figuratively slaine from the foundation of the world and all included in the promised seed as the object of Faith once given to the Saints Secondly to praise God for his firme truth in the certaine destruction of the power of Satan although then it remained in a world of sinfull men for it shall breake thy head wherefore this Praiser of God also leaves his minde to the world by tradition in the name of his sonne calling him Iared that is descending saith Broughton foretelling the worlds descent in ungodlines to misery as without hope of returne wherefore this hopelesse man names his Son Enoch as saith Broughton signifying dedicated or consecrated to God implying he would dedicate him and his to God according to truth though the stream of the world run a contrary way following lying vanities forsaking their owne mercies And God answered this happy resolution in his sonne for hee by Faith in the faithlesse world that then was walked with God and he was not saith the Text for God tooke him away that is he never died but in soule and body joyntly ascended to the glory of Angels by which figure being the seventh from Adam God condemned the faithlesse world that hee really and mercifully prepared that glory in eternall felicity for them But they cast it away by their Apostacy from him and gave themselves up to fleshly and terrestriall contentments implied when God saith My spirit shall not alwayes strive with man for that hee also is flesh Therefore Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied of the destruction of that world saying Behold the Lord commeth with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement and to reprove all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against them Jude 14. Wherefore this man leaves his mind by tradition to the world in the name of his sonne also for he called him Methusalah that is as saith Broughton God sends that is his certaine judgement upon the wicked of the world And Methusalah therefore named his son Lamech as saith the same Author signifying striking implying Gods finall stroke to the destruction of the world did now draw neere Againe Lamech prophesied that God would after that destruction by Christ give a comfortable restauration of the world and left it by tradition in the name of his sonne whom he called Noah which signifieth comforter or restorer as saith Broughton Againe by Noah God prepared the Arke which in a figure was Christ implying that although now God set up his flaming sword turning it every way that none could escape namely the flood signified by Noah's building the Arke Yet by this Arke so long a building was farther signified that God would rather glorifie his mercy in their salvation then his justice in their deserved destruction Wherefore Gen. 6. although he saith My spirit shall nâ—t alwayes strâ—ve with man for that be also is flesh as the bruit beast for that is implyed yet then he saith his dayes shall be an hundred and twenty yeeres implying so long time he would give them to returne to be accepted in his beloved sonne the Arke of salvation And this
he did although hee knew that from Caines exemplary concision the wickednesse of man was great in the earth yea every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evill continually then it * God is said to repent not in any respect of his internall divine glory for in his unmeasurable perfections he is one intire serene stilnesse but God is said properly to repent according as hee doth dâ—aw backe that good or ev ll which he communicates to man by that second definitive rule of truth mentioned ca. 8. by which he ordinarily wills his glory to â—eturne to himself from man repented the Lord that he had made man in the earth and yet all the said time of Noahs preparing the Arke before their eyes God did by it excitively draw them implicitly telling them yet there was mercie for them But this mercy they despise minding onely earthly contentments agreeable to sense as the bruit as is further implyed by the words of our Saviour Fâ—r saith hee in the dayes of Noah that were before the flood they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage untill the day that Noah entred into the Arke And that all this time God did excitively draw them to returne to him by Christ is witnessed by Saint Peter for saith hee God in the spirit of Christ preached to them who sometimes were disobedient when as once the long suffering of God wayted in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was in preparing and as I said before this grace they despised wherefore God spared not the old world of the ungodly but brought in the flood c. Mat. 24.38 1 Pet 3.19.20 2 Pet. 2.5 Yet here we must not judge that all that perished in this temporall judgement perished eternally For godly men sometimes in Gods generall judgements are swept away for their great remissenesse to Gods great mercies extended to them and yet passe through that shade of death to eternall life as did good old Eli and as did meeke Moses whose carkasse fell in the wildernesse amongst the rest yet God let him see the terrestriall Canaan a figure of the celestiall felicity as a pledge of his sure passage through that shade of death to eternall life so also all in this flood who perished being Infants or in childhood or naturall Ideots or the like passed through this dreadfull flood to eternall felicity Therefore O Lord thou punishest unwillingly nor grievest the children of men to crush under thy feet all the prisoners of the earth Lam 3.33 Againe where Saint Peter referres salvation to Noah saying that Noah the eighth person was saved hee meaneth not but the other seven in that Arke which was the figure of Christ were also saved in it from the stood But in the number eight another thing is meant namely as an eighth day was to be the promised seed his resurrection day therefore here the number of eight as referred onely to Noah implyed that although the other seven were saved from that flood in the Ark ye Noah only then was saved in it as risen with Christ by faith in the object of justification by which he built the Arke to the saving of his house by which he condemned the world and became heire of the righteousnesse which is by faith Hebr. 11.7 figuratively implying that God in Christ is the Saviour of all men from Adams transgression and more to live in this day of Grace to receive by faith his free guift of life in glory yet his salvation is more speciall to them that believe as here in Noah wee see and as before is noted Cap. 4. Againe God having in the Arke saved both man and beast at least paires of all kinde At their comming out of the Arke then Noah that by faith rested onely upon the pillar of truth and object of life for the good of this life and a better hee no sooner comes out of the Arke into the world but hee refreshed his heart by faith in the seed of the womans satisfactory righteousnesse as the only ground of all blessednesse Genes 8.20 In Adam puâ—e naturalls man had a naturall â—ight to the creatures and the good of theâ— afterwards by the Covenant not onely that but also a right to the Creatures in a supernaturall relation and then that right in the fall being lâ—st then the second Adam as the first-borne of every câ—eature opened the womb of all perfection towards which it doth travell til now and then God by gâ—ft conferred upon all mankind divine right of this life and that to come so likewise when by the universall apostasy of man that right was deservedly to be cut off yet then God established by Châ—ists satisfactory sacrifice to man a right as to the world to come so to the creatures till time shall be no mo e as here wee see therefore all mankind have a divine right to the Creatures Wherefore God manifested to all of them that on it hee rested also fully contented and satisfied towards the world yea although now God did fore-see the concision of the hearts of the children of men for future times against him as it precedently was in Caines posterity yet upon Christs satisfactory righteousnesse he now ratifies to all mankind this worlds good till time shall be no more to be mans day of Grace to receive Gods guift of eternall glory for saith Moses Iehovah smelled a Savour of rest and Iehovah said in his heart I will not againe curse the earth any more for mans sake for the imaginations of mans heart is evill from his youth neither will I any more smite every thing living as I have done while the earth remaineth Seed-time and Harvest and cold and heat and Summer and Winter and day and night shall not cease vers 21.22 And accordingly in the next Chapter God againe renewes his mercifull production of mankinde for This is the third production of mankind given by God the first before the fall Gen. 1. the second by Christ the second Adam and restorer of all Gen. 3.16 the third is this mercifull restauration saith Moses God blessed Noah and his sonnes and said unto them be fruitfull and multiply and replenish the earth Also he gave man right over the Creatures and a Law to eate flesh letting out the blood thereof also a law against murthering of mankind Verse 2.3 And commands them to consider all this to be the renewing of his Covenant of Grace universally to all mankind For saith Moses God saith unto Noah and his sonnes with him saying And I behold I establish my covenant with you and with your seed after you for ever and with every creature that is with you v. 8. Also God gave them the Rain-bow as a witnesse of this mercy to perpetuall generation Verse 13. and Vers 16. saith God the Bow shall be in the cloud I will looke upon it that I may remember the everlasting Covenant betweene God and every living creature of
God Therefore this fact committed against these transcendent rules thus manifested to them justly called to God for their transcendent punishment and they were no way necessitated to this fact by God but the contrary secondly I grant also that in some respect they were necessitated to this unrighteous fact but it was from themselves and the first step that brought on this necessity The first step to fall from Christ totally was this their remissenesse to God in all his wayes for their good for to them God made it manifest that in the satisfactory righteousnesse of this seed as imputed he conferr'd all good to the universall world figured in the Lambe slaine famously descending by tradition to them from Adam by the ten Fathers as before is proved Likewise God manifested it to them by renewing the same to the universall world by Noah and his sonnes Likewise by renewing the same with Abraham by predestinating in this seed both Iewes and Gentiles to glory Likewise hee manifested it to them in the satisfactory righteousnesse of this seed sealed with his blood figuratively in the paschall Lambe that hee delivered them from the bondage of Egypt and brought them to the blessednesse of Canaan a figure of eternall felicity for applying the Lambs blood upon their dwellings figured that onely in the righteousnesse of Christ imputed God was their safety in the day of wrath Exod. 12.13 All this and more successively was presented before their eyes in that glorious addition of Moses Law to the promise in those prefigurations and significations and all left upon record in holy Writ through their generations Therefore it must needs follow by undeniable consequence that their first step to this ungodly necessity proceeded from their owne remissenesse to God in all his wayes for their good for had they considered these things they would never have destroyed him by whom all felicity came to them And then their remissenesse to that object of faith Celestiall brought on their inordinate intensnesse to sensuall objects terrestriall and to Idolatrous imaginations and so came on their second step necessitating them to this transcendent fact The second step as for example their remissenesse to Moses the Mediator in the type brought on their Calfe and terminating in things sensuall and terrestriall and consequently their crucifying of Christ to themselves by absenting their mindes from Moses in that mysterie for they then not onely worshiped the Calfe but also they did eate and drinke and rose up to play The third step Likewise they so brought on a further necessitie as a third step for the future namely custome in evill hence it is God said to them can the Blackmore change his skinne or the Leopard his spâ—ts Ierem. 13.23 then may yee also doe good that are accustomed to doe evill and now sense commands reason under the pretence of the doctrine celestiall to terminate in a good adequate to sensuality Mat. 26.61 for from this ground they made the Temple and Moses Chaire their plea against Christ and his doctrine not from love to the mysterie included therein as leading to Christ but onely in love to the glory of the Temple as a terrestriall magnificence of their Nation Likewise in their princely Priesthood as it was a worldly ordinance correspondent to worldly pompe and dignity but rejected Christ the inclosed mysterie of that figure Thus by voluntary choyce in the spirit of concision they became necessitated to evill in things that were good in themselves as the felicity of Canaan was good in it selfe and to kill Christ in the truth as Abraham did in the type to the redemption of the world was good but to them evill because they did it in hatred to him as Iohn 8. 40. because his doctrine was an enemy not to them but to their pride in terrestriall felicitie and proud consanguinity and operations And therefore they slew the Lord of glory in the same mind as Cain slew Abel Mat. 23.35 (a) Thus wee may rightly conceive how Pharaoh is said to harden and God to harden Pharaohs heart Wherefore instead of giving them the Spirit of Faith from the speciall grace of the Covenant God delivered them to their owne wills from the universall mercy of the Covenant made with Abraham for them The fourth step and so came on a fourth step of their necessity in sin and consequently their universall rejection from him as the just punishment of their precedent apostasie from Gods salvation imply'd in the words of the Lord Jesus Christ saying O Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets stonest them which are sent unto thee how oft would I have gathered thy children together as a Hen gathereth her brood under her wings and ye would not therefore your (b) That is the Temple implying theiâ— separation from Gods favour in Christ the most proper Temple of Gods speciall presence in the Truth as the Temple was in the Type Luke 13.34 house is left unto you desolate And he further saith Verily verily I say unto you yee shall not see me untill the time come when you shall saâ— blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. These words imply two things the first is because they precedently refuse to see him according to their light as their reason was able in their day of grace therefore God now denyed them the gift of Faith to see his glory in beliefe of truth even when their eyes did looke upon the Lord of glory and saw his great workes Luke 10 8.22 Likewise when he beheld Ierusalem he wept and said O that thou hadst knowne even in this thy day those things which belong unto thy peace but now they are bid (a) That light of truth which formerly men did see would not for that ther may come a time when the light Eternally by Gods spirit shines more cleer yet the sight thereof shall be denied to them as in this elect Spouse we see from thine eyes Luke 19.24 Likewise Saint Iohn in his 12 Chapter saith although Christ had done so many miracles before them yet they beleeved not on him that the saying of Esayas the Prophet might be fulfilled that he said Lord who beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed and Saint Iohn saith therefore they could not believe because Esayas saith againe hee hath blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts and should be converted and I should save them And further saith Saint Iohn these things said Isaiah when he saw his glory and spake of him ver 37. That is These things hee spake of their rejection when in the Spirit of Faith he saw the Lord of Glory rejected by this elect Spouse Likewise Saint Paul Acts 13.40 speaking to this people rejecting the Doctrine of Christ saith behold you despisers and wonder for I worke in your daies a worke which
hee gave all mankinde the fruitfull Seasons communicating unto them food and gladnesse so by a good Terrestriall drawing them by Christ Iesus implicitly to looke up for a good Celestiall in him Hence it is the Apostle affirmes God left not himselfe without witnesse in that he gave them raine from Heaven and fruiâ—ful Seasons filling their hearts with food and gladnesse And saith hee this was that they should seeke the Lord if happily they might feele after him and finde him Acts 14.16 17. Mat. 25.24 Acts 17 27. And the ground why Gods voyce in the creatures doth excitively draw unto Christ in the distilled influence of his Spirit as the dew to the tender hearbe is this because the whole creation is as it were wrapt in the imputed righteousnesse of Christ as in a mantle of mercy for from thence it came to passe that this world is as now it is mans day of grace to receive the gift of eternall glory and therefore as thy tender mercies oh Lord are over all thy works so dost thou by thy kindnesse therein excitively draw man to thee in Christ the hope of glory Psal 145.9 Col. 1 27. And from this ground the Apostle brings in Gods voyce in the creatures joyntly cooperating with Gods voyce in the Gospell begetting Faith in the heart of man so then saith hee Faith cometh by heareing and heareing by the word of God but I say have they not heard yes said he verâ—ly their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the end of all the world compare Ps 19.3 with Rom. 10.17 And from this ground hee tells the beleeving Romans at Heathenish Rome that he was not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ First because it was Gods power to salvation Secondly because it revealed the righteousnesse of God from * Wheâ—efore rightly doth the Author to the Hebrewes leade man to receive the world by Faith Heb. 11.3 and not as made out of that which did first appeare namely the Chaos and that perfection which it received because it being lost by the first Adam it was immediatly restored by the second hee being then the first borne in the Promise of every creature from the dead fall of Adam wherefoâ—e Saint Iohn Rev. 4.24 rightly brings in Christ to be Gods faithfull witnesse and the beginning of the Creation of God joyntly together and aluding to the same ground in his Gospell Chapt. 1. hee brings in Christ as Christ to be the maker of all which was made it being involved in darknesse by the justice of the Covenant for Adams fall and that is implyed beâ—â—use he brings in the second Adam personally God man and so the light and life of man enlightning every man which cometh into the world and alluding to this principle iâ— is that God remembers forgetfull man of his six dayes works as involved in Christ the true Arke of rest to God for man and in him to since all daies as tâ—riâ—ed into an eternall Sabbath of rest here by Faith and there by Fruition Faith to Faith that is from Faith implicite as most weake to Faith expressive as most strong Thirdly because that truth which most Gentiles did detaine in unrighteousnesse God rendered the same to them by his workes in nature for saith hee God shewed it them and then shewes us by what namely the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearely seen being understood by the things that are made Rom. 1. from verse 16. to 20. not that Gods workes doth naturally excitively draw man to God in Christ as naturall but as related supernaturally by Christs opening the wombe of all perfection as the second Adam and first borne of every creature from whence ever since the first blessed seventh day morning it travaileth untill now to be pertakers of the supernaturall glory as precedently is proved So much for the second externall meanes in this narrow way leading to eternall life Againe that this meanes was efficacious to bring these Gentiles thus by nature to eternall life is from Scripture proved implicitly and also more expressively First implicitly by Gods bending his mercifull eare to the Idolatrous Mariners praying so confusedly unto him and yet hee gave them a temporall salvation likewise to Abimilech he pleading to God his uprightnesse according to his light God accordingly acknowledged it to be so and gave him a temporall salvation Likewise the Heathenish Ninivites whom hee threatened with vnavoydable destruction * The faith of the Ninivites was a ceâ—taine beliefe of Gods Word for their temporall destruction mingled wâ—th a dependant hope in him for mercy to remove that misery yet they imploring him under the notion of mercy hee removed their misery by giving them a temporall salvation implicitly touching upon the spirits of them all that if they did but by patience in well-doing seeke for immortality according to their light hee would give them an eternall salvation Ionas 1. from verse 5. to 16. Genes 20. from verse 3. to 7. Ionas 3. to verse 9. Secondly the Scriptures speakes more expressively for the Apostle speaking of these Gentiles excluded the Law having it onely written in their hearts by nature saith That God will render to every man according to his works to them who by patience continue in well-doing seeke for glory honour and immortality eternall life verse 6. 7. and verse 10. hee saith Glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also t the Gentiles for there is no respect of persons with God as many as have sinned without the Law shall perish without Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law verse 11.12 And the ground of this point is implyed in the first Chapter and 28. verse from the rule of contraries hee speaking of some of these Gentiles which did withhold the truth in unrighteousnesse saith even as they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge so God gave them up to a reprobate minde to doe things not convenient being filled with all unrighteousnesse implying on the contrary that if they had carefully retained God in their knowledge according to the truth which they had received of him that then God in mercy would have kept them from the power of their sinnes in this narrow way to life for before the Apostle saith God would render to them eternall life having not the Law as well as to the Iew. Therefore this meanes was efficacious in this narrow way to eternall life to some and might have beene to more of these Gentiles under wrath for the Apostle having thus proved that the uncircumcised Gentiles doing by nature the things contained in the Oracle of God might attaine eternall life as well as the nationall Spouse of Christ hee supposeth that from hence they would imagine that hee made no difference betweene them and the uncircumcised Heathen therefore in the third Chapter saith hee What advantage then
lâ—e I come to doe thy Will O God Luke 22.15 Heb 10. yet I say the neer approach of this houre and power of darknesse was dreadfull to his apprehension as appeares by his feares sorrow prayer and cryes who as saith the Text In the dayes of his flesh when hee had offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and teares to him that was able to save him from death was pitied in the thing he feared for there appeared unto him an Angell from heaven yet not to take off his misery but to strengthen him to it and there was need so to doe for his bones were sundred in this agony his spirit waxed hot within him as melted wax and from thence it was that his sweat became as great drops of blood falling down to the ground Hebr. 5 7. Psal 22.14 Luke 22.41 But hee having resolved in beliefe of truth by flaming love to goe on through the apprehension of its neere approach to him to approach to it in resignation of his will to his Fathers Will in the worlds redemption Hee demanded twice of his apprehenders whom seeke yee and affirmes himselfe twice to be the man whom they sought and although they fel backwards before him yet he goes forward with them to encounter this dreadfull wrath which extended to a two-fold separation of God from him First God separated himselfe from him in all naturall good either to soule or body and left him to the contrary evill Secondly God separated himselfe from his soule and body in all supernaturall and celestiall good and left him to the contrary evill and first of the first To his body and so to the anguish of his soule for it was torne with whips pierc'd with thornes his hands and feet pierc'd with nayles and riven or rent with the weight of his body hanging on the crosse sixe houres or thereabouts Likewise to coole his thirst they gave him vinegar and gall to drinke the people and Priest blaspheme him as a man forsaken of God the whole powers of nature as it were rising against him extinguishing from him all things but dread and dolour for darknesse from the sixt houre to the ninth covered him the Temple rent the earth quak't the Rocks rent so that in respect of Gods separating all naturall good from him leaving him to the contrary evill he might truly say in the dolor of his soule All yee that passe by beâ—â—ld and see if there be any sâ—rrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto mee wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in the day of his fierce anger Lam. 1.12 Secondly God likewise separated himselfe from him in all supernaturall and Celestiall good and left him to the contrary evill for because this separation of God from him in all naturall good leaving him to the contrary evill was in this place namely the Land of Canaan this implyed that God also separated himselfe from him in all supernaturall good because this Land in generall was to the second Adam as the garden of Eden was to the first Adam that is a figure by the Terrestriall good of the Celestiall good in the Heaven of Heavens Therefore this figured to him that God shut the Kingdome of Heaven against him rendring him no light in that respect but leaving his soule the only object of eternall darknesse Againe this being at Ierusalem the figure of eternall peace this implyed to him that no peace or consolation at that time was his portion from God but the contrary apprehensions of eternall woe sutable to the damned Spirits of men and Divells Againe this being also in the place of residence of his elect Spouse the Kingdome of grace on Earth this imply'd that he was to God a man cut off from the land of the living in all respects consequently no place left to him by divine justice but the place prepared for the Divell and his Angels for saith the text he was reckoned amongst the transgressors Luk 22 37. Therefore his cry upon the crosse was according to truth My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee which words implyed two things First that this twofold Separation of God from him in his apprehension was more dreadfull then he could reach in his humane comprehension and therefore cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Againe his words further imply that his separation was onely on Gods part never on his for he in this darknesse where was no light and this depth where no humane nature could feele any bottome yet hee kept union in faith and flames of love to God and his Neighbour in a right relation to the worlds redemption and therefore hee said My God my God as never letting him goe So raising his Soule from that depth of death under Gods flaming wrath by Faith and love and so rendred his Soule to God from his body and his body to dust a whole burnt offering saying Father into thy hands I commend my spirit therefore this was the first and great Resurrection of the Lord Iesus Christ in which hee raised himselfe by his own power from the depth of infernall death yea the most certaine death that is death in the substance as it was said in the day that thou eatest thou shalt certainely die the death Object It may be here objected Christ knowing his Fathers power to be infinite and therefore all things possible to him consequently Christ in his prayer willed this cup to passe him absolutely Answer Answer It doth not follow for although Christ did know as indeed he did that to God all things were possible in respect of his power yet hee knew this cup could not possibly passe him in respect of Gods justice he being the second Adam and therefore he willed it not absolutely Object Againe it will then be replyed that Christs prayer was vaine and consequently a sinne Answer It doth not follow for if he had not prayed that if it were possible to let that cup passe he had then sinned against the Law of nature which bound him to love himselfe consequently unfeynedly to desire to avoyd the destruction of himselfe But because in respect to Gods justice he submitted in Faith and love in a full resignation of himselfe to his Fathers will therefore he was right in both and wrong in neither Object But it will be againe objected that his prayer on the crosse implyed sâ—me ignorance in this great worke because he saith why hast thou forsaken me consequently he sinned Answer It doth not follow for it is one thing to be ignorant of what a man is not able to know by the perfections proper to his kinde and another thing to be ignorant of what he is bound to know but Christs ignorance was of the first sort because that vast distance of the twofold separation was more then his pure naturalls was able to comprehend as before is explained Againe although he was at the neerest brink of a totall and finall desperation yet hee sinned
his perfect love as naturally an holy man without sinne nor all those manifold works hee did as personally God man even to blood and death but by his righteousnesse that was imputed I meane only this one worke to which all precedently named were but meanes namely his dissolving Satans lyes * Our second Adam and Saviour improved his personall perfections as our suâ—etâ— against the spirit of Satan his lyes in Saints Sinners Divells and under the 2. fold Separation and so made good his fathers truth namely that God really and simply intended Eteâ—nall glory for man with Angels or the contrary according to his revealed will in either estate the which gave full satisfaction to divine Iustice and was accepted in the behalf of the World and therefore imputed to the worlds felicity and mans the cheife part therein by witnssing Gods truth as is described pag. 101.102.111 And the reason why this only was imputed is this because only this is it which all men should set to their seales in this fourth estate of man and was the first Adams worke in the Covenant and then to be imputed to the supernaturall felicity of the world as Chapt. the 2. Therefore the second Adams witnessing Gods truth to the repelling all the lying powers of Satan is only that righteousnesse which by God is imputed to the supernaturall felicity of the world in Generall or to man beleeving truth more speciall as precedently is described CHAP. IX Declaring Gods impartiall proceedings in the third part of time to the Gentiles when by the Gospell he called them to the blessing of Abraham THe call of the Gentiles I will referre to two generall heads First to the extraordinary call for a time Secondly to the ordinary call to continue till time shall be no more And in the first this was extraordinary that upon the promised seed his fulfilling all righteousnesse the partition wall of the Mosaicall Ordinances of God should be abolished by which the uncircumcised Iewes precedently had insulted over the uncircumcised Gentiles and yet those Mosaicall Ordinances witnessed not only the Gentiles exclusion from the oracle of life but also against the Iewes for their own Apostasie from Christ wherefore he saith unto them even Moses in whom you trust doth accuse you Joh. 5.45 But upon Christs fulfilling all righteousnesse this witnesse against the Gentiles was canceld for so Saint Paul writes to the Gentiles remember saith hee that you being in times past Gentiles in the flesh were called uncircumcised by that which was called the circumcision in the flesh made with hands that at that time yee were without Christ being aliants from the common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promises having no hope and without God in the world But now in Christ Jesus yee who sometimes were afarre off are made nye by the blood of Christ for hee is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition betweene us having ab lâ—shed in his flesh the enmity even the Law of commandements contained in Ordinances for to make in himselfe of twaine one new man so making peace c. Ephes 2.11 Likewise God pouring out his spirit upon all flesh was extraordinary as Acts 2. saith the Apostle this is it which was spoken â—f by the Prophet Joel it shall come to passe in the last days saith God I will powre out my spirit upon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie and your old men shall dreame dreames c. vers 16. And this powring out of Gods spirit was two-fold that is externall and internall first externall for whereas before God did in his externall call excitively draw the Gentiles to Christ it was but implicit by the voyce of the creatures and as formerly is declared likewise his externall drawing of the Iewes was but by the Gospell as wrapt up in the glorious vaile of Moses therefore the externall way to eternall life to all the world was then but narrow and obscure but now made broad and perspicuous by the naked externall demonstration thereof as in the spirit of prophesie the wonderfull gift of Miracles by the Apostles understanding the Oracles of life more cleare than ever before and divulging the same in burning zeale for the glory of God by the salvation of the world and in the wonderfull gift of tongues by plainnesse of speech excitively drawing the Gentiles or rather God in Christ by them reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their sinnes and manifesting to them that their precedent ignorance hee regarded not but now admonishing all men to returne from lying vanities to imbrace their owne mercies that the confused fugitives of Babel tasting the waters of life at Ierusalem cryed out saying How heare wee every man in his owne tongue wherein we were borne Parthiaus Medes and Elamites and the dwellers in Mesopotomia and Iudea and in Cappadocia and in Pontus Asia Phrygia and Pamphilia in Egypt and in the parts of Lybia about Cyrene strangers of Rome Iewes and Proselites Cretes and Arabians we doe heare them speake in our tongues the wonderfull works of God and they were all amased Acts 2.8 Thus from Ierusalem as from Paradise or the throne of God now did issue the living streames of eternall life to the families of the earth dead in sinnes and trespasses wherefore precedently Christ said unto his Disciples Yee shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the utmost parts of all the earth and accordingly at Ierusalem they first receiv'd this power from above which they thus divulged Luke 24.49 Luke 2.39 and so God perswaded Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Shem and in this extraordinary call he was found of them that sought him not nor asked after him all being gone out of the way and become abominable none seeking after God doing good no not one Thus God who keepeth covenant and mercy for thousands according to his purpose as with Abraham he predestinated and prepared them to this glory So now hee called them to it in Christ Jesus externally and so much for the externall powring out of his spirit upon all flesh Secondly the internall powring out of Gods spirit upon all flesh I say powring out because in comparison of his precedent dropping into the hearts of the Gentiles circumcising their spirits as aforesaid and as to the Iewes but sparingly in comparison of this powring out in this day of Salvation and acceptable yeere of the Lord It was but sparingly as by drops and that which the spirit did now internally powre out upon the spirits of all men may be reduced to two generall heads first wheresoever the Oracle of truth manifested Gods gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed as it went from Kingdome to kingdome by the conduct of the spirit like a Chariot of light and life rising upon the nations as the sunne of righteousnesse with health under his wings the first powring into
good heart but in opening the first point before I define what justifying beliefe is I will shew what beliefes are not this beliefe as First to be induced to follow the object of Faith onely because occasionally by it wee receive our corporall support this is not so much as beliefe in it in any kinde but onely a following of sense much like the first sort of ground which from the seed of life received onely a glance of the object of life and no more Ioh. 6.25 26 27. Secondly to believe the object of life or oracle of justification onely because it is of good report of those with whom we live This is not to believe divine testimony and divine as divine testimony but to believe it meerely upon humane testimony as did the misbelieving Iewes say they doe any of the Rulers believe in him implying their beliefe of the Oracle of God was onely grounded upon the Rulers respect or credit which they gave to it So this was but the second sort of ground on which the seed of life was sowed wanting roote in time of temptation fell away Iohn 7.48 Ioh. 4.28 Againe to believe the Oracle of God from Gods owne testimony as Gods Oracle in severall respects is not this justifying beliefe for the divells believe the Oracles of God as Gods Oracle of truth in his gift of Christ to the world and from thence tremble at the certainty of their full damnation when God shall judge the world by the seed of the woman to the finall bruise of Satans power So some men believe the (a) Thus although the foolish virgins have not the internall lampe of justifying faith which onely hath in it the right reception of Christs imputed righteousnesse yet they have the internall lampe of beliefe of divine testimony as divine testimony as here wee see Oracle of God as Gods owne Oracle and from beliefe in God produce great miracles and (b) These men by the Scriptures are stiled virgins together with the wise virgins because in the judgement of charity the Church judgeth them visible members untill they discover the contrary glorifie God by the confirmation of the object of Faith and yet may be as some have beene voyd of love to God Therefore this is not this justifying beliefe 1 Cor. 13.2 Matth. 7.25 Likewise some men may and doe believe with consolation the Oracle of life to be Gods true Oracles and from thence in the spirit of prophesie powre out blessings upon men of an honest and a good heart as from the Starre of Iacob * But these kind of prayers are strivings to bring Gods wil to mans and not mans will to Gods will desiringly crave or pray for that blessednesse to themselves yet not rightly submitting to the reception of that righteousnesse in the object of justification as imputed by God to a sinner because in heart they are lifted up either to the esteeme of their owne personall operations or terminate their happinesse too much in terrestriall blessednesse as foolish virgins so perish in the way of Cain and wages of Balaam being the third sort of ground on which the seed of life was sowed as upon Cains spirit it was and choked with the cares and pleasures of this life bringing fruit but not to perfection wanting the * Here wee see why the foolish virgins wanted oyle right reception of Gods gracious oyle of mercy running downe from Christ the head wherefore this is not that justifying beliefe in men of an honest and good heart Mat. 25.1 2 Numb 9.10.19 Numbers 24.2 16 17.23 Genes 4 And now I come to define what beliefe is justifying faith and then to define what the perfection of this justifying faith is yet before I can do either I must briefly open the point of justification in foure particulars First as before is declared Gods instrument is the word of truth by which hee conveyes the object of justification to the minde of man as from the beginning till now in the word of promise to Adam by tradition conveyed by the ten Fathers down to Abraham then that word being renewed with him it came downe to Moses and by him committed to writing and now by the Apostles writings extant to the end of the world So much for the instrument Secondly The object conveyed or reached unto man by that instrument is Gods guift of Christs righteousnesse imputed or counted to the world in generall and to man believing truth more specially So much for the object so conveyed Thirdly Mans necessary instrument by which he receives this guift of righteousnesse from God is his beliefe of Gods instrument his word of truth as aforesaid by which God reacheth to man that object of justification as is formerly described The reasons moving man to apply his instrument of beliefe to Gods instrument to receive his gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed are these First because he conceiveth God in that guift is (a) Here maâ—â— understanding lookes at truth unfained therefore he sets to his seale that God is true in the testimony he gives of his Sonne Ioh. 3.33 Secondly because he conceives that in this righteousnesse so imputed or counted to be mans is conferred the removall of misery and conveyed all (b) Here mans will lookes at goodnesse felicity 1 Iohn 5.19.20 Thirdly because hee conceives his own (c) Man which out of sense of his sinne and misery looks to God as mercifull hath a right aspect towards eternall felicity Luke 18.13.14 Matth 5.3 Rom. 10.10 Rom. 4.6.7 poverty or need of that imputed righteousnesse so commodious to him that therefore he applies his hand of beliefe to receive that object for righteousnesse to justification and remission of sinnes to salvation So that in men of honest and good hearts justifying beliefe may thus be defin'd (d) justifying faith defined Namely it is mans heart in beliefe of Gods faithfulnesse submitting to the receiving his gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed (e) The oyle whâ—ch the â—oolish â—irgins waÌ„ted is Christs imputed righteousnesse as received by faith which is the right issue of Gods most speciall grace to sanctification justification A definâ—tion of perfection of justifying saith as the only ground to remove all his misery and convey all happinesse upon him And thus did Abel submit as Chapt. 4. and as many as by faith thus submit they then are received and adopted Sonnes in Christ and because Christs elect Spouse did not thus submit to the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10 3. she was cast off And so much for the definition what justifying beliefe is Secondly the perfection of justifying Faith is no more but this the heart of man adhering to Gods unfeyned gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed for the removall of all misery and the conveyance of all felicity so firme and so farre as to worke up to God in that object through all interposing difficulties And I will in briefe prove this second definition by the perfection
an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie that wee might have strong consolation who fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us in the object of justification c. Heb. 6 17. Wherefore saith the Apostle the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you do these things you shall never fall that is not totally nor finally from the object of justification and that is only implied in this Text for he that saith he hath no swarving from this sacred object by sinne is a lyar for as he that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him so on the contrary If we say we have not sinned wee make him a lyar and the truth is not in us 1 Joh. 2.4.2 chap. Joh. 1.10 and the reasons why God not onely thus makes perfect justifying beliefe by operation but also gives to the Saints an undissolved relation to him in the object of justification to be as mount Sion which shall never be moved are these The first is drawne from the nature of the exercising any ability which the more 't is exercised the more 't is perfected for as use makes perfectnesse so custome breeds another nature Hence saith the Psalmist I have remembred thy name O Lord in the night and have kept thy Law this I had because I kept thy statutes Likewise hee saith I have more understanding then the antient because I have kept thy Statutes and he saith Blessed is the man that delighteth in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth meditate day and night he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in due season Psal 1.2.3 Psal 119.55.100 A second reason is because the most perfect operations of justifying faith brings man most passively subjective to God to receive in his gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed the fulnesse of all that leads or ends in blessednesse therfore as every effect the more it doth subject it selfe to it's cause the more influence for it's perfection it doth receive from that cause so also in this Hence saith God to his redeemed Spouse I am IEHOVAH thy GOD which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81.10 but by the way for further incouragement to men of an honest and good heart to presse forward to faiths perfection I will here explicate the different operations betweene the perfection of faith in the one and the imperfections of the other as first betweene righteous Lot weake in saith and Abraham perfect therein for Lot being more weake in the spirit of faith was therefore more strong in the spirit of this world as once were the Apostles desiring to be chiefe in sensuall felicities but Abrahams mind was farre more free from these intanglements for he preferred his communion with Saints in the bond of peace and love in relation to Christ before the fertile pleasures of the plains of Sodome for to enjoy this he leaves Lot to choose that and takes for his aboad what Lot refused Gen. 13.8 9.10.11 So Moses perfect in faith esteemed Christ in the object of Faith with reproach greater riches then the pleasures of Egypt for he had respect to the recompence of reward implying hee esteemed Gods gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed to be mans exceeding great reward consequently his owne wherefore in Idolatrous Egypt hee refused his relation to the crowne of Egypt in that hee refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter Gen. 15.1 Heb. 11.24.25.26 Again men of an honest and good heart yet weake in the object of life They then are in zeale against sinners preposterously pitilesse as was Iames and Iohn who for Christs sake would have them consumed with fire from Heaven but take man more perfect in beliefe of this sacred object then hee knowing the terror of the Lord doth perswade men for saith the Apostle the love of Christ constraineth us because wee thus judge if one died for all then were all dead implying because in love Christ died for all men then dead in sinnes and trespasses that this love of him constrained them to perswade sinners to life and salvation in him 2 Cor. 11 14 Againe being but weake in this sacred object they therefore savour the things of men and not the things of God as did Peters counsell to Christ so hee stooped to please men but not as man perfect in faith becomming all things to all men to save some as did Saint Paul but basely dissembling perverting his trust which Christ put in him so hazarding the salvation of men as he did at Antioch but Paul more perfect in beliefe of this sacred object openly reproved him to his face not caring what hee or they thought of him in the right discharge of his ambassage to them Marke 8.33 1 Cor. 9.22 Gal. 3.11.12 13 14. Againe men of an honest and good heart yet weake in faith to this sacred object the crosse of Christ will bring them to doubt as did the men going to Emaus for they said wee trusted it had beene he which should have redeemed Israel Luke 24.21.25 but on the contrary man perfect in faith under the crosse saith We know that the Sonne of God is come and hath given us an understanding that wee may know him that is true even his Sonne Iesus Christ this is the true God and eternall life 1 John 5.20 Againe man weake in this sacred object of justification doth over value his inherent righteousnesse telling Christ What great things hee will doe for him more then others as did Peter but man more perfect in beliefe of this sacred object is of another minde saith Saint Paul who is fit for these things meaning to doe great things for Christ according to their ambassage and saith he wee know but in part darkely through a glasse 2 Cor. 2.16 1 Cor. 13.8 and saith the Prophet Esay Woe is mee because I am a man uncleane because I am a man of uncircumcised lips Esay 6. And the ground of the point is this man perfect in beliefe of Gods gift of Christ his righteousnesse imputed firmely believes according to truth that the seed of the Serpent intermingling his inherent righteousnesse therefore makes it internally as a menstruous cloth and externally at the best but unprofitable wherefore as hee desires to be found in Christ his righteousnesse in point of imitation to sanctification so also to be found in it as imputed for a continuall acceptation for remission of sinnes and salvation still referring all his great workes for Christ to Christ his owne efficiency in him as Saint Paul not I but Christ in mee Phil. 3.9.10 Againe a third reason why God gives this perfection of faith to men of an honest heart which thus exercise to him more then to them which to this object of life