est opus vestrum sed hoc est opus Dei He said not this is your worke but the worke of God Our Saviour speaking to his Disciples Mar. 4.11 To you saith he it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God but unto them that are without all those things are done in parables The Gospell of the Lord Jesus is a mystery and parable unto many untill the Lord doth give us the precious gift of faith by which we understand these mysteries of God so that he that truly understands the mysterie of the Kingdome doth look upon his spirituall knowledge as a gift What is compleat and perfect faith but the gift of God by which we believe that all our spirituall good things and faith it selfe is freely given unto us by God Quae est plena et perfect a fides Quae credit ex Deo et omnia bona nostra et ipsam fidem Aug. Fifthly This may convince those of their errour who being convinced of sinne do refuse to turne into the true way of salvation by believing supposing in the pride and ignorance of their hearts that this is too short and neare a way to Justification and happinesse These will first doe good workes get strength against all their corruptions be made holy sanctified men and then they thinke that they may safely make bold to lay hold of some promise of grace for justification and salvation It was thus with me when God did at first begin to awaken my conscience with the dreadfull fight of my sins and course of prophanenesse in which I had lived and some months I went in this way never in the spirit considering that the object of Gods justifying grace was an ungodly man and a sinner and not knowing that spirituall regeneration is not by the workes of the Law but the doctrine of the Gospel though I could then in a carnall way as many blind Protestants now can have spoken and preached more gloriously with rhetoricall words and flourishing expressions of justification by faith without workes then now I can or will But as God who from all eternity had singled me out unto salvation by Jesus Christ was pleased to convince mee of my ignorance and to bring mee to rest upon his grace in his sonne as a poore wretched sinner enabling me to believe that my sins were blotted out for his owne Names sake though my sins did testifie against me So these who are in the same condition in which I then was if they are in the number of those whom God hath given unto his sonne Jesus Christ shall be convinced that by faith through Christ wee have accesse to the Throne of grace with boldnesse and that faith is not given in consideration of any preceding acts of holinesse or sanctification but as the free gift of our heavenly Father That they who have thus erred in spirit Isa 29.24 may come unto understanding and such who have murmured against the truth of Gods grace may learn doctrine Give me leave briefly to lay downe some convincing considerations which may bring to your remembrance those things which we have more fully handled 1 Consi The word and promises which we doe enjoy are fre gifts of Gods favour What reason can we give why we should enjoy the outward meanes of grace rather then Americans but his owne free grace Psalm 147.19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgements unto Israel It is the Lord that bringeth the externall meanes and word of grace as a gift more worth then the whole world unto a people According to that sweet promiâ—e of God Ezek. 29 21. I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them The great and precious promises by the believing of which we are made partakers of the divine nature are freely given unto us 2 Pet. 1.4 2 Consi The power of God doth make the difference between men who doe enjoy the outward means 2 Pe. 1.3 His divine power hath given us all things that pertaine unto life and godlinsse through the knowledge of him who hath called us to glory and vertue If God did put forth that omnipotent power in all which he doth in some who heare the Gospell all as well as some should believe 1 Cor. 3.7 Neither he that planteth is any thing neither he that watereth but God that giveth the encaease Upon which words one giveth us this observation As all things which are planted and watered do not spring up thâ—â—â— and prosper but those whom God doth blesse So all men who are planted in the Church of Ghrist and watered by the preaching or the Word doe not truly believe but those upon whom God bestoweth faith Nec omnium est 〈◊〉 qu◠〈◊〉 verbum sed quibus deus partâ—â— mâ—nsuram â—idei sicut nec omnia germinant quae plantamu â—t rigantur But I have touched upon this before 3 Consi Gods good grace doth prevent mans good workes in his justification God in his grace must give us a new creation heavenly being in his word made flesh 1 Joh. before good workes can be wrought by us Sicut creatore opus habemus ut essemus sic salvatore ut revivisceremus Aug. As it was necessary that wee should have a Creator to give us beings as creatures so it is necessary that wee should have a Saviour to make us new creatures through faith 4 Consi Gods grace doth not only prevent our works but faith it self Faith is an effect of Gods grace and therefore God is gravious before we beleeve It is a blessing of the new Covenant and therefore in this respect it may be truly said that we are under the new Covenant before we do believe By which we may plainly see that faith is a free gift Mercy is shewed unto the faithfull and it is shewed unto us to make us faithfull Fideli datur quidem miserecordia sed data est etiam ut esset fidelis Aug. One saith that mercy was shewed unto Paul not only because he was faithfull but that he might be faithfufull The Apostle to prove the freenesse of grace in bestowing faith as a gift upon us hath these three expressions within the limits of three verses Rom. 5.15 16 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calling faith a gift and a gift of grace and a gift of grace for righteousnesse 5. Consi There is no way to happinesse for thee but by grace and no closing in any sure or comfortable way with grace but through faith We are all condemned by the Law and there is no escaping for us but by that pardon which the King of Heaven in the prerogative of his grace doth give unto us and no way for us to be able to read our pardon unlesse God teach us And therefore God hath promised Isa 14.3 To give us rest from our sorrow feare and hard bondage with grace Psal 84.11 knowledge Ezek. 29.21 Faith Rom. 11.26 Strength and peace Psalm
Holy Ghost Since the Scripture requires nothing to make a man an heire with Christ but faith What abominable Popery is it to say that a man cannot be a Saint if he doe not submit to outward Ordinances I cannot but commend what I finde in Luther who was zealously carried forth against some in his time that made a rent from him in a Legall way because they differed from him about externall things and Ordinances which are no just ground why Saints should divide themselves from one another who saith That they had brought in another kinde of Popery and more dangerous then that which he bad overthrowne by his preaching for as for grosse Popery saith he mens eyes begin to be enlightned to see the absurdities of it But these men come in a subtle way and pretending a necessitie of submitting to formes institutions and Ordinances doe pervert the pure and simple Gospel of Christ labouring to perswade men that if they doe not submit to the Ordinances of the Lord Jesus he would not acknowledge and confesse them before his Father and that unlesse they were under his government they should not be under him for justification Therefore wee are to be rightly informed concerning these things and if wee doe submit to outward Ordinances wee should not doe it from legall principles for it were better not to practise them then to practise them from these principles to the ruining of our soules And they that draw Disciples after them by such rigid and Gospel destroying principles will finde to their shame that those that they have brought in by these principles will fall away from them to their shame and infamy For God is dishonoured Christ is robbed of his Grace and the free Spirit looseth his glory Suffer mee now to make a little use and so I shall commend you and what hath been delivered to the blessing of God You have seene that wee are saved by believing the Gospel without any works going before justification or any submission to the Ordinances of the Gospel which may follow it This doth bring foure sorts of people under a just reproofe First Such as are grossly Popish maintaining justification by their own works and righteousnesse or affirming that a man is not justified by faith onely but by faith and works together These deny justification by the Grace of God and the righteousnesse of the Lord Jesus Christ through faith and set up a justification by inherent righteousnesse in themselves holding that wee are then justified from sinne when it is removed out of our sight sence feeling lives spirits and conversations The strongest Argument which they bring for the confirming of their assertion and in which they doe most triumph as though they had obtained a victory over the truth of Gods Grace is in the 2 Jam. 24. Yee see then bow that by works a man is justified and not by faith onely Doth not James say they lay down our assertion in so many words joyning faith and good workes as con-causes of justification Some to escape the edge of this Argument have denied this Epistle to be Canonicall like him who being unable to unty the Gordian knott did cut it in pieces Thus Lucius Osiander proposing this objection of his Antagonists doth thinke that he hath for ever cut it to pieces by their answer But secondly others yea most of those whom wee call Protestant writers for the reconciling of James to Paul and his fellow-Apostles with one consent give in this answer to this objection distinguishing of a twofold justification First a justification before God secondly a justification before men Paul as they apprehend doth speake of the former of these James of the latter supposing this to be the genuine sence and meaning of James that wee are justified by works that is declaratively before men But with respect and due reverence to the piety and learning of these men who give in this answer give me leave being not sworn in verba magistri or obliged to justifie what any man or many men though godly and learned have apprehended to be the meaning of a place to shew my reasons why I dissent from them and secondly to give in mine own answer to the place First I apprehend that James doth not speake of a justification before men because his proofe is from Abrahams being justified by works when he offered up his sonne Isaac as it is evident by the preceding words which action of Abrahams would not have justified him before men They would have looked upon him rather as a cruell malefactor then a Saint in offering up his onely Sonne Secondly This businesse was so transacted between God and Abraham that it was not visible to men that they should justifie him for it When he went to performe this act of obedience to his God he left his servants behind him and carried no man with him but his Sonne who was to be sacrificed Thirdly If wee view the place Ger. 22.11 12. out of which James doth prove his Argument it will be evident that it proveth not a justification towards men but towards God And the Angel said Lay not thy hand upon the Lad for now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy sonne thine onely sonne from mee This Angel was Christ as it doth appeare by his calling of himselfe God and he is justified by him as a man that feared him And in the 16 17 and 18. verses By my selfe have I sworn saith the Lord because thou hast done this thing that in blessing I will blesse thee and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed It is cleare by this that the justisication spoken of is not a justification before men but before God Lastly I shall therefore give in what I doe conceive to be the meaning of the holy Spirit in these words James doth not speake of justification as it is taken properly and used by Paul but doth speake of justification as it is taken improperly He speaketh not of it as an act by which wee are reconciled and our iniquities pardoned but he speaketh of it as an act by which God doth approve a man to be justified by his works which he doth after his justification Abraham was a justified man by faith before Isaac was borne now God doth beare witnesse to the works and fruits of his faith and doth justifie him by his works in this sence that is he doth approve him to be a man that feareth and loveth him And this is the Answer which is given by the learned Melancthon Non intelligatur verbum justificari pro reconciliari sed ut alias saepe dicitur pro approbari Justificatur homo ex operibus id est habens justitiam operum approbatur placet Deo The word justification is not to be taken for reconciliation but approbation man is justified by his works that is having a righteousnesse of works or sanctification God doth approve him his works doe
discovery and application of his grace unto our own souls As no rational man when he readeth those words of our Saviour to the woman who was diseased with an issue of blood Mat. 9.22 Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole would conclude that because our Saviour saith that her faith did make her whole that therefore she was not made whole by Jesus Christ as the principall cause So no spirituall man should conclude that we are not saved by grace as the principall cause because the Apostle saith wee are saved through faith Desireing therefore that that crowne may stand fast which God hath set upon the head of his owne grace I shall endeavour to shew you that wee are saved by faith or through faith Wee are not saved in a way of working but beleeving Thus God saved and justified the Father of the faithfull to teach his sonnes in what way they are to expect salvation God in a vision informeth Abraham that he was his shield and exceeding great reward Gen. 15.6 And he beleeved in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousnesse This was the Oracle of truth which Habakkuk standing upon his watch received from the Lord Hab. 2.4 Behold his soule who is lifted up in him is not upright but the just shall live by faith It is by beleeving and not by working that wee are made just Fides justos ab injustis non operum sed ipsa fidei lege discernit Aug. Truth doth make a difference betwixt the just and the unjust not by the Law of workes but by the law of faith The naturall man knoweth no righteousnesse but what is by his own workes The spirituall man doth see himselfe righteous in beleeving Thus our Saviour directed the ignorant Jewes to the right way of righteousnesse when they asked him what they should do that they might work the works of God Io. 6.28 This is the work of God saith he that ye beleeve on him whom he hath sent If any enquire after salvation let him know it is not by works The plaine way to salvation and justification is only by beleeving Tit. 2. The grace of God bringeth salvation teaching us to deny all ungodlinesse wordly lusts He doth not say that grace in the first place teaches us to deny ungodlines worldly lusts but in the first place it brings justificatiō salvation through beleeving then secondarily the same grace teacheth us to deny ungodlines worldly lusts After we have believed for salvation the holy spirit is given Ephes 1.13 In beleeving we enter into our rest Heb. 4.3 keep the yeare of Iubile see our selves unstated in happines and keep a christian Sabbath It is only in beleeving that wee are brought to the enjoyment of that felicity which is by the grace of God in Jesus Christ The Apostles in their Epistles doe not hold forth any truth more frequently then this Gal 5.6 In Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by Love And Ro. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. When the Keeper of the Prison asked Paul Silas what they should doe to be saved supposing salvation was only attainable by working they did at one discover unto him his error blindnesse acquainted him with the soul-saving truth of the Gospel assuring him that if he beleeved on the Lord Jesus he should be saved Acts 16.31 We find not rest in our spirits by the sight of our works love sincerity labours endeavours but by the sight of Gods grace in Christ Having by these places of Scripture confirmed to you this truth I shall now amplyfie it by shewing unto you more fully how it may be in truth affirmed that we are saved through faith In the first place it is by faith and by faith alone not by faith joyned with workes but by faith without workes I deny not but where true faith is workes will follow yet salvation is through faith without workes When wee are brought into the bosome of the Lord Iesus wee enter not into the bosome of his love by our love and faith together but by faith which produceth Love Our eyes are shut to the beholding all things in our selves and the eyes of our spirits are enlightned to behold what is in Gods Grace and the Lord Iesus Consonant to this is Pauls sweete and comfortable conclusion Rom. 3.28 Wee conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Love to God and his people is a worke commanded by the Law but according to Pauls conclusion of truth wee are justified by faith without the deedes of the Law therefore we are justified by faith without love to God or his people When God discovers his Grace to a man for his justification hee shewes him that as his evill workes cannot bring damnation unto him so his good workes cannot bee availeable for his justification That assurance of Gods love which some professors have got by the sight of their owne workes being never illuminated in their understandings to behold Gods Grace in the light and beames of Grace is not the true assurance of the gospell but the deceit and lying divination of their owne spirits concerning their owne happinesse for salvation is by faith without workes God doth not require us to doe good workes for salvation in the conscience but doth positively and absolutely exclude them as things which have no influence at al upon that first assurance which he doth give unto his people of his love which is by a pure simple unmixed act of faith The spirit of Grace is never given to comfort us untill God hath stripped us of our owne righteousnesse workes and performances and hath brought us to the Throne of Grace to bee justified by free Grace without any thing in our selves that may make us fit for justification and salvation The Apostle doth lay downe this as a truth seconded by his owne experience and the experience of all true Saints Gal. 2.16 asserting that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Iesus Christ even wee saith he have beleeved in Iesus Christ that we might bee justified by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the Law for by the workes of the Law shall no flesh bee justified It is not as the Papists say that faith which hath love joyned with it which they make the forme of faith by which wee are justified but it is by faith without any workes at all by which wee are justified and have peace of conscience Augustine doth plainely lay downe his judgement in this point according to truth Noli presumere de operibus ante fidem quia peccatorem te fides invenit etsi te fides data facit justum impium invenit quem faceret justum Presume not upon thy workes done before faith because faith findeth thee a
all the Commandements of the Lord Jesus The cause of this legallnesse in their spirits is because they doe not see salvation firmly setled upon him that beleeveth The spirituall man beholdeth justifing grace in beleeving without his obedience to commands for externall worship and good workes and doth live joyfully and comfortably in the sight of his justification though he knoweth that it is possible that he may be ignorant of many things which other Christians may have the knowledge of And in these dayes of darkenesse contention confusion and disorder what man can have solid and lasting joy who is ignorant of free grace for justification If it were necessary to the assurance of justification to know whether the Episcopall Presbyteriall or Independent Government were the Ordinance of the Lord Jesus whether sprinckling of Children or dipping of professing beleevers were the institution of Christ in the Labyrinth of the controversies of our times how few would attaine to an assurance of their justification How would poore creatures be perplexed and disquieted in their consciences not certainly knowing in which of these wayes they should walke for their justification and salvation But that the promise might be sure to all the seed Rom. 4.16 to those who lived in the times of the Law as well as to those who live in these times of the Gospel salvation is promised not to workers but beleevers to all true beleevers in all ages and places to us who live in the time of the Babylonish-Apostacy as well as to those who were hearers of the Apostles and Members of those Congregations which were gathered and governed by them Sixtly By faith the grace of God in Christ is applyed unto us and we are justified by it as the spirituall instrument formed by God in the Spirit for the application of Christs benefits to our consciences A man that lived in the time of the Law looking upon the blood of his sacrifices did behold himselfe purged purified and sanctified in his flesh by it Heb. 9.13 So a sinner looking upon the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is applyed unto him and his conscience is purged from dead workes to serve the living God ver 14. Faith though it be called a worke 2 Thess 1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet wee are not justified by it as it is a worke or gracious quality but as it is the hand of the Spirit by which wee receive and are made partakers of those treasures of grace which are freely given unto us in Christ Jesus Christ bath already done what is to be done by way of satisfaction to the justice of his Father and hath already made peace by the blood of his Crosse Col. 1.20 what he doth in us now is to satisfie our consciences concerning our full redemption by him that you in beleeving may be filled with peace of Conscience being perswaded that wee are of the Father in the Son who by the Father is made unto us wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Faith being nothing but a light comming from God Christ discovering God and Christ to our spirits and uniting our spirits to God in Christ By faith we beleeve what is recorded concerning the grace of God in Christ As the Prophet to my apprehension holdeth it forth in those expressions of his Isa 53.1 Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed In the latter part of these words the Prophet doth interpret the former part he beleeveth the report of God to whom the arme of God that is his Sonne Jesus is revealed And when a man beleeveth in Christ Christ is revealed to that man Faith being the first thing that is wrought in the spirit of a man whom God doth justifie in his owne conscience by which the grace of God in Christ is revealed unto him for his justification Justifying faith when it is wrought by the powerfull operation of the Spirit in the heart doth remove prevailing doubts concerning our justification the faithfull beholding the all-righteousnesse of free grace applying to his conscience the clensing vertue of the blood of the Lord Jesus Faith is a gift of the Spirit establishing the soule Isa 7.9 If ye will not beleeve surely ye shal not be established The soule can never be firmely setled and quieted but by beleeving Unbeleife doth question and doubt of the promises of free grace for justification But when in the power of faith we are carried above it with Abraham Rom. 4.20 we stagger not at the promise through unbeleife but the spirit is fixed and stands immoveably upon the truth of grace God saith in the Covenant of his grace Heb. 8.12 I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more Hee that beleeveth doth set his Seale to the truth of God in beleeving the promise Iohn 3.33 He is confident that God is faithful who hath made this promise to the children of men and by beleeving the great and precious promises of grace he is made partaker of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 By an heart of unbeleefe wee depart from the living God Heb. 3.12 but by faith wee draw neere to God and apply Christ to our selves Faith being contrary to unbeleife as in the nature of it so in its operations An unbeleever doth not give credit to the truth of the generall promises of Gods grace and so remaineth unjustified in his conscience A beleever in faith nothing wavering James 1.6 doth give credit to what is reported And the Gospel commeth to him not in word only but in power and the holy Spirit and in much assurance 1. Thessalonians 1.5 Object But some may be ready here to object this against what I have delivered that though I doe acknowledge that by faith grace in Christ is applyed unto us yet in effect I say no more then what I delivered before when I proved that by faith the grace of God in Christ is first manifested and made over unto us Answ They misapprehend me when they conclude that I make faith onely an assurance of because I doe maintaine that it is the first evidence and witnesse of our justification Faith doth assure but it doth not onely assure us of Christ but doth apply Christ and makes a difference between assurance and application which I illustrate by this similitude Suppose one should lye in Prison for debt his debts being paid and he not knowing it and afterwards knowing that his debts were paid hee should rejoyce in the newes and enjoy his liberty this man doth not by the newes which he heareth enjoy only comfort but his liberty so it is with us before we beleeve we lie in prison and yet our debts are paid by Iesus Christ when the newes is brought by the spirit to the eare of the soule wee rejoyce in hearing the newes but besides this presently wee enjoy our liberty and all those riches which our
the world but that hee was a Saviour to them Thus Paul preached to the keeper of the prison Act. 16.31 Beleeve on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved and thy house As when they preached the doctrine of repentance or changednesse of the mind their meaning was that every man ought to be changed so when they urge beleeving for salvation their meaning is that wee should beleeve for our owne salvation in particular The generall truth of faith and repentance is to beleeve by a power enabling us in particular for our selves to beleeve and repent Lastly We are saved through faith Because by faith we heare the inward word of salvation The word which soundeth to the outward eare without this inward word bringeth no salvation As the Philosopher told him who reprehended him for publishing and divulging a booke of philosophy that he had published it and he had not published it his meaning was this that it was so darke and mysticall that though it were published yet it was not published to the ignorant and unlearned so the Gospel in the letter is published to men and not published they heare and doe not heare they see and doe not see But by faith wee so heare that our soules live by hearing Isa 55.3 The dead saith our Saviour shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare shall live Fidei oculi sunt spiritus per quem spiritualia videntur Cypr The Spirit is an eye to a beleeving man by which he seeth and enjoyeth spirituall things wee receive not the Spirit by hearing the Law or doing the workes of the Law but by the hearing of faith Gal. 3.2 Eternall life and Salvation is by hearing the inward word of life salvation and grace God bids the Prophet Ezech 38.5 to prophesie over the drie bones that they might live The Lord Jesus is the great invisible Prophet who prophesieth over drie bones and dead-hearted sinners and by hearing inwardly the inward word of this Prophet they live in hearing and believing And therefore it is said that wee are saved by faith Having by these particulars acquainted you with my Judgement concerning our salvation through faith I shall now by the same assistance of Gods grace draw some usefull conclusions from the premises and so put a period to my discourse for the present First this doth discover unto us the usefulnesse and excellency of the unfained faith of the elect As Noah was preserved from the destruction which came upon the old world by going for his safety into the Arke so by the foot of faith wee walke into our Arke Christ Jesus for the Salvation of our soules The world of sin is a dismall wildernesse full of fierie Serpents by faith we eye Jesus Christ as our brasen Serpent and set footing in the heavenly Canaan of gods grace while the sinfull Sodome of the world is destroyed with the raine of fire and brimstone by faith like Righteous Lot wee escape out of it when with Peter wee are readie to sinke and perish in the Sea of sinne by Faith we touch the saving arme of the Lord Jesus and are preserved when wee drinke the deadly poyson of sinne by faith we take in Jesus Christ as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or antidote and the deadly poyson doth not hurt us but we are miraculously preserved Faith beholdeth Christ crucified before us Gal. 3.2 and evidently set forth who hath nailed the Law of workes our sinne and death to his owne crosse and wee who deserved damnation are saved through grace Christ is the man who is an hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest Isa 32.2 sin is a noxious and a destroying wind as wind in the cavernes of the earth is a cause of an Earth-quake so sinne is the cause of destroying Earthquakes in the earthly hearts of men but Christ is our hiding place in which through beleeving wee are safe The Devills infernall windes and blastes destroy many a soule with which he filleth it with hellish errours and impieties to its destruction Acts 5.3 Christ filleth his people by breathing upon them in the Spirit of grace for their salvation but Christ is a shelter from the infernall blastes of Satan And while carnall and unbeleeving men are as a ship under sayle and the Devill unto them is as a powerfull winde violently blowing them to destruction Acts 26.18 Christ by enabling his people to beleeve doth blow them with the pleasant gales of his sweet spirit to the havens of peace and safetie Though there are infectious and destroying windes upon earth yet there are none in Heaven so though the men of the earth are infected with the winds of sinne and Satan to their ruine yet they who live in the Heaven of Gods grace by faith Jesus Christ is a defence unto them When darknesse and tempests are in the Spirits of men from the Law which they have broken Christ who rebuked the tempests of the Sea Mat. 8.2 doth rebuke tempestates mentis Hier the tempests of our troubled minds and consciences and by beleeving there is a great calme in the soule Sinne in the soule is like Jonah in the ship which bringeth a tempest with it but Christ through faith doth cast this Tempest-raiser into the sea of his Fathers grace and the soule is quieted and filled with joy and peace in beleeving The Philosopher saith that Logick to a rationall and learned man is the instrument of instruments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without which he shall make little proficiencie in other Arts and Sciences So faith is the Organ or instrument to the spirituall man by which hee is made partaker of the wisdome and spirit of the Lord in which he is to doe all things and without which he can doe nothing Secondly this discovers the reason why the Devill and his agents doe so much oppose the Doctrine of faith and the preaching of it He is an enemie to mans salvation and therefore he is an enemy to the Doctrine of faith through which wee are saved The Devill doth what hee pleaseth to those who are without faith as being unable to resist him Unbeleeving men are like the Israelites without a shield or Speare to defend themselves Jude 5.7 And the Devill doth lead them captive at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as wild beasts are mastered and ruled by those who have taken them in a snare or net so the word fignifieth but when wee beleeve to Salvation we are furnished with power to oppose him who seeketh our damnation when we beleeve we are armed against his encounters and fitted against his opposition Faith is the soules defensive Shield by wich all his fierie darts are quenched Eph. 6.16 and therefore it is that he doth alwayes raise opposition persecution and reproaches against the Doctrine and professors of Faith Thirdly seeing salvation is by faith examine thy selfe concerning thy salvation by trying thy faith Men that are not
to the Son that this work may be wrought in us Thinke not that the worke of faith can be wrought by any power which is in our selves it is given to us to believe by the grace of God communicated and extended to us in the Lord Jesus Christ And this is the next thing that lies in the words to be handled Ye are saved by grace through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God But I must leave that to some other time In the mean while look unto the Father of Lights for it is his gift wee cannot bestow it upon our selves Faith is not from our SELVES SERMON IIII. EPHES. 2.8 By grace ye are saved through faith not of your selves it is the gift of God FAith is a work as difficult as it is glorious and as much beyond the creatures strength to worke it in himselfe as his merits to deserve it of himselfe Therefore the Apostle having acquainted us with the excellency of faith through which we are saved doth now inform us concerning the power by which it is wrought in us It is not of our selves but it is the gift of God First he shewes negatively that it is not of our selves And then 2ly affirmatively that it is the gift of God When God doth effectually worke upon a man to make him happy in his Son he worketh two things in a man hee doth take him from himselfe and considence in his owne strength and doth carry him into his owne strength and goodnesse from whence hee receiveth all strength And this is expressed here by Paul who when he saith that faith is not of our selves but that it is the gift of God I shall by the assistance of grace speak of the first of these and endeavour to prove this Proposition That true saving faith is not of our selves When the Apostle Peter made a glorious profession of the Lord acknowledging him to be the Son of God Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee but my Father which is in heaven Mat. 16.17 Here our Saviour beares witnesse to the trueth of his faith and to shew him that hee professed not this only in word and in tongue but that hee professed it from the truth of faith which was in him therefore hee acknowledgeth that it was not from flesh and blood but by the Father which had revealed it to him Where we may finde our position clearely confirmed to you that those that truely believe who have the unfained faith of the people of God it is not a faith wrought in them by themselves it doth not flow from any naturall principle but it is the immediate work of the power of God in their hearts As wee did not nor could not make our owne hearts so wee cannot make our heart new hearts Jerem. 13.23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also doe good who are accustomed to doe evill By which the Prophet doth clearly hold forth this truth that sinners can no more by their own strength make themselves saints which is by faith then a Blackmore can change the colour of his skin or the Leopard his spots An Ethiopian may be painted white so an hypocriticall sinner may bee a painted Sepulchre appearing righteous and sound to men when hee is full of rottennesse within But God alone doth change and purifie our hearts by his gift of faith which is not of our selves For the amplifying of this point to you I shal lay down some subsequent considerations by which I shall prove this to you that he that truely believes doth not believe by any power strength or ability in himselfe by which he is in any measure sitted and enabled for this great work of true justifying faith The first consideration shall be drawn from the nature of faith as it is held forth to us in the word of God which faith is the worke of God upon the spirit of a Saint by which the grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ is discovered to him and by which he in his heart Rom. 10.9 is made willing to receive Christ and to rest upon him and his righteousnesse alone for his Justification Rom. 10.4 Thus the Scripture speaks of faith First it speakes of faith as it is a light of God in the understanding so wee are bid to look to the Lord Jesus and we shall be saved Isa 45.22 And it is said of the faithfull that by faith they saw the promises afar off Heb. 11.13 They saw Christ not as we see him who behold him as hee hath been offered up as our sacrifice and hath made an end of our sins Dan. 9. But they beheld him as one that was to come and was to make a propitiation for the sins of the world And if wee thus look upon faith as it is a beam from God enlightning us in our understandings to see Gods grace in his Son we shall find that faith is not of our selves Which will appeare if wee consider what our owne understandings are before God doth give us the true knowledge of the Lord Jesus I shall acquaint you here with Scripture expressions which doe sufficiently and clearly hold forth this unto us The first expression is that men without the Lord Jesus Christ are darkened in their understandings The Apostle speaking of the Gentiles that knew not Christ he saith Ephes 4.18 That they have their understandings darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them There is a mist and cloud of darkenesse upon the understandings of all carnall and unbelieving men As the Apostle Paul when he had scales before his eyes was not able to behold the light of the Sun so while the scales of naturall darkenesse and ignorance are upon the hearts and spirits of men they are not able to behold the sun of righteousnesse They may heare Christ preached they may heare the Doctrine of justification freely and fully handled but they are not able to behold any thing of God or Christ because they have their understandings darkened being not enlightned by the spirit of Christ to see Christ 2dly The Scripture doth not onely tell us that they are darkened in their understandings but it tells us that they sit in darknesse Matth. 4.16 The people which sate in darkenesse saw great light Here is the condition of all men without Christ set forth to us they are men that sit in darknesse And Zacharias in his Song speaking of the Lord Jesus saith Luke 1.79 That he is the day spring from on high to give light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death Though a man have eyes yet if he sit in a dark dungeon he can see no visible object It will therefore be evident that carnall men cannot see of themselves because they are not only darkned in their understandings but they sit in
of the rebellion in his will fights against all the discoveries that may be made of Jesus Christ to him This is set forth most plainly to us by John John 1.13 where speaking of the Saints he saith They are borne not of blood nor of the will of flesh not of the will of man but of God It is not of the will of the rationall man spiritually truely to wil his owne regeneration Let a man make the best use he can of his will let him put forth himselfe to the best resolutions he can make let him resolve to doe nothing but seeke Christ and study to know him yet if a man be only in the strength of his own resolutions he shall never be able to find out the Lord Jesus Christ The Apostle Paul is plaine in this point Rom. 9.16 It is not of him that willeth or of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy A man may have some weake resolutions of himselfe and to seeke Christ and the things of Gods Kingdom but unlesse hee be carryed out with a higher principle and a greater power then his own wil to Christ he will never be able to effect what he seemes to desireto have effected and wrought in him In libero arbitrio nulla est libertas sed servitus Free wil is not free but a slave there is nofreedome but slavery in it It is not free to good unlesse it be freed from sin by grace si stare non potuit humana natura adhuc integra quomedo potest resurgere jam corrupta Bern. If man in the state of integrity could not stand of himselfe how shall hee of himselfe in his state of corruption be able to rise now hee is fallen Unlesse God come downe with a mighty power and force us against our naturall will to receive Christ wee shall never bee made partakers of Christ No man saith Christ can come to mee except the Father draw him Joh. 6.44 Nolentes trahimur you know when a man is drawn he is drawn against his will I need not draw a man that is willing to come after me If we were willing to goe after God in our conversion wee should stand in need of no drawing But ye see that God must compell us to come in to Jesus or else wee will never come in unto him nor submit unto his will I would not here be mistaken I do not think that when a man doth take Christ that he is unwilling to take him but hee receiveth him willingly Yet it is not by the strength of the naturall will that a man is made willing but by the power of grace Ex nolentibus volentes facit God maketh us who are unwilling to entertaine his Sonne by nature willing to entertaine him by grace and the will acted by the strength of supernaturall grace doth act in a contrary way to it selfe when it acteth in the strength of corrupt nature By which it is plainly proved that the will of a naturall man is insufficient of it selfe to bring about the salvation of a naturall man We are changed into the Image of the Lord by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 From whence one doth draw this rationall conclusion that if we are changed by the strength of the spirit that then it is not by the strength of free will Si a domini spiritu jam non a libero arbitrio And we may draw the same conclusion from the words of Paul Phil. 2.13 where he affirmeth that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to doe of his owne good pleasure If God doth work in us to will what is good then we doe not work it in our selves By which it is clearely demonstrated that if faith be looked upon as a work in the will by which it is made willing to receive Christ and his righteousnesse for Justification that then faith cannot be looked upon as from our selves but it is the gift of God A second argument for the confirmation of this may be drawn from the considering the disability of men already converted to doe any good of themselves And thus I frame my argument If men already converted are not able to think a good thought or to put forth one act of faith of themselves then men unconverted are not able to believe of themselves before conversion But men already converted are not able to think one good thought or to put forth one act of faith of themselves Therefore unconverted men are not able to believe of themselves There is that strength in the first proposition that I suppose no man pretending to bee a Schollar in the Schoole of the spirit will question the truth of it For should a man question it he should by his questioning of it attribute a greater strength to unconverted then converted men which is such an absurdity in Divinity that I think no spiritual man would be guilty of it And for the minor or second Proposition it is backed with such plaine authority of Scripture that it is in vaine for any man to deny it How plainly doth Paul deliver himselfe in this point 2 Cor. 3.5 Where speaking of Saints he saith That wee are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God What spirituall act is more easie then to thinke a good thought It is easier to thinke well then to speake well or doe well we often think good thoughts that never come out upon the tongue or appeare in the action Yet holy Paul is not affraid to professe that the best of us all cannot thinke any thing as of our selves Which may be a sufficient proof of that which followeth in the same proposition where wee say that he cannot put forth one act of faith In believing our spirits are placed and fixed upon God and we are filled with high thoughts of his grace in his Sonne to his glory and therefore if we cannot think well certainly we cannot believe well And that wee cannot believe of our selves after we do believe will be evident by the Petition of the Apostles Luke 17.5 Lord encrease our Faith What necessity was there that they should have prayed to their Mr. for the increasing of their faith if by their owne strength they could have believed when they had pleased And thus I have at once both proved my argument and the point in hand that true faith is not of our selves This argument is a majore ad minus as we speake in Logicke from the greater to the lesse if the greater can doe nothing the lesse cannot if converted men be able to do nothing toward this excellent work of faith then unconverted men are able to doe nothing Men who have a life in Christ can do nothing of themselves therefore such who are dead in sins and trespasses can doe nothing of themselves but God must doe all in us by his grace The third argument may be drawne from this
rise first verse 16. Here you see he holdeth forth this that Christ who is that mediator between God and man and true man now in Heaven this Jesus Christ shall descend from Heaven and that the Saints shall rise from the Earth to meet him in the aire So the Angels told the Apostles Act. 1.11 when they looked up to Christ when he ascended this same Jesus shal so come from Heaven as you now see him ascend into Heaven the same Christ shall descend from Heaven and the Apostles shall see him in the same manner with the very same eves with which they saw him ascend into Heaven with the same eyes they shall see him descend from Heaven the Scripture is so full that I need not take more paines to give you more places for the opening of it unlesse you will please to take one place more out of the Old Testament that you may know that they had a cleare knowledge of this in the dayes of the Law as well as wee have now in the dayes of the Gospel Dan. 12.12 And at that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the Children of thy people that is the Lord Jesus Christ who always stands for his people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to the same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the booke And many of them that sleep in the dust of the Earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnes as the Stars for ever and ever Here you see the same thing held forth Though I will not trouble you with many reasons to confirme this doctrine of the resurrection for the truth is it is a Doctrine above Reason I call here not so much for reason as for Faith to believe what is above Reason and what seemes contrary to carnall reason yet give me leave to give you a reason or two drawne from the sacred truth of Gods word The first is drawne from the truth of God God is true therefore there will be a resurrection he should deceive and delude his people were there not a resurrection of bodies Doth he not often tell us of a resurrection And doth not our Saviour tell us that hee will raise those at the last day who are drawn unto him by the Father Joh. 6.44 And therefore unlesse we will make the great God which is blasphemy to think a lyer and Christ his Sonne a Preacher of the resurrection the greatest impostor in the world and all his Ministers Servants and Messengers cheaters juglers and deceivers of the people we cannot but acknowledge a resurrection for God hath spoken of it and hath revealed this to them that there shall be such a resurrection and they preach it in his name therefore the God of truth should be found a lyer if there should not be a resurrection of bodies according to his word Secondly the justice and mercy of God seeme to call for a resurrection If wee looke upon wicked and ungodly men so God in Justice must send his Son Jesus Christ to raise the dead and to judge the world or else how should the justice of God shine cleare and bright before the eyes and saces of men This is the Argument that the Apostle laies downe 2 Thess 1.5 6. where he speakes of the sufferings of the Saints and of the wickednesse of their persecutors who wrong them for making profession of the truth of the Lord Christ which is saith he a manifest token of the righteous judgement of God it is a demonstration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evident infallible signe that there will be a judgement day and a resurrection because else God should not be just it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you It is just with the God of justice to punish the vessells of wrath disobedient and wicked men who never did flee to his grace for life and salvation it is just with him to pay the persecutors of his people their wages after they have done their worke Now if there were not a judgement day if there were not a resurrection where should God give them their wages for persecuting and troubling them that make profession of his name How should God that is the Judge of the world appeare to be just Here is the first Argument that God is just to wicked and ungodly men and God could not appeare to be just if there were no judgement day no resnrrection therefore there shall be a resurrection Now the same things fall alike to the just and unjust we see wicked and ungodly men thrive and prosper in the world they live in pleasure there are no bands in their death as the Psalmist speakes they spend their dayes in mirth and die upon their beds without sorrow How should God appeare to be just unlesse there be another day when God will call these men to a reckning for all the sinnes and iniquities which they did commit against him when they lived upon the Earth Secondly if we looke to the mercy of God And this is the Argument that our blessed Saviour makes use of Matth. 22.31 When the Sadduces came to him who said there was no resurrection nor spirit nor Devill as our Sadduces doe who say there is no Devill but our owne evill thoughts nor good Angels but the good motions of our owne spirits nor any resurrection of the body See what Argument he useth to prove the resurrection as touching the resurrection have yee not read that which was spoken to you by God saying I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living God professeth himselfe the God of dead Saints in a speciall manner therefore these must live againe and be made happy by this God that professeth himselfe to be their God while their bodies lye rotting and putrifying in the earth God in his never failing faithfulnesse ownes them in the dust keepes their ashes in safety by which Christ doth ascertaine us that there will be a resurrection of bodies at the last day So that you see if this truth be denyed it will overthrow the Scriptures which acquaints us that some are vessels of honour some of dishonour that some are vessels of grace and some are vessels of Gods furie and indignation if there be no judgement day no resurrection there cannot be vessels of wrath and vessels of mercy If there be no resurrection we are of all men most miserable c. 1 Cor. 15. therefore a resurrection must be granted that Saints may appeare the vessels of Gods mercy 1. Vse Confut. That which hath been spoken consutes the blasphemous and Diabolicall
Scripture though it be written in a plaine style and though there be not that humane Eloquence and Rhetorick in it which you shall find in the preaching of some men who preach themselves rather then the Lord Jesus and the simplicity of the Gospel That man is a good proficient in the Schoole of Christ that every day growes more and more in love with the blessed and holy Scripture I remember what an Orator speaking in the commendation of Cicero faith he is a good proficient in Oratorie that delights to read the Orations of Cicero so he is a good proficient in Christianity that in believing delights in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament Therefore you shall find that men that fall off to these opinions presently they slight the Scripture and either wholly deny the word of God or else they overthrow the truth of it by allegorizing those things that have a plain simple historicall meaning in them That is the first Rule Search the Scriptures and there you shall see no such fancies and fond notions as these men have The second direction is this take heed of those that preach not the Gospel in a plaine familiar way you may know some Familists by their bombastick language they speake not in the language of Canaan in their Sermons but they have an affected language of their owne that few understand but those that have applyed themselves much to the studie of their writings and are well acquainted with their opinions And by their chymical darke expressions and fond notions they delude poore soules that thinke they are spirituall men and that great things are revealed to them which are not discovered to other Saints when there is nothing but horrid Antichristianisme or Atheisme lies at the bottome of their hearts which shall be evident when according to the truth of God 2 Tim. 3.9 Their folly shall be manifest unt all men Paul saith when he came to preach at Corinth 1 Cor. 2.4 That it was not in the excellency of speech nor in the enticing words of mans wisdome but in plainnesse of speech in demonstration of the Spirit and power And it is the command of God that if any man speake he should speake as the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 4.11 The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or As doth relate to the manner of speaking as well as to the matter which is to be delivered Men are to speake as the Oracles of God speaking nothing but truth and as the Oracles of God for plainnesse of speech St. Paul speaking of true Gospel-Preachers saith we use great plainnesse of speech The Scripture is in a plaine familiar style the Sermons of our Saviour are plaine familiar Sermons adorned with plaine similies And the Apostles were not ashamed to imitate their Master so should our discourses be with all plainnes of speech demonstration of the spirit power that the glory may be given not to the Eloquence of our tongues but to the power of Christ in converting of soules Therefore take heed of those that lead you from the plainnesse of preaching hiding their cursed errours in a thicket and cloud of darke workes and unscripture-like expressions not holding fast the forme of sound words according to Gods precept 2 Tim. 1.13 2 Cor. 3.12 Looke on the Scripture and see how Paul speakes of Justification of remission of sinnes of the resurrection and so let us preach the Lord Jesus Christ and the truth of Christ But those that have language not like the language of Scripture suspect them they make a faire shew there is great glory and outward pompe in their words but latet anguis there is a snake that lies under these fine greene herbes take heed of such men and looke more for the inward power and Spirit of God in the speaking of men then for fine words phrases notions and similies that men may make use of to winne you to the approbation of their errours The third direction which I shall present unto you is this take heed of spirituall pride for one reason why so many fall off from the truth to these horrid opinions is from a principle of spirituall pride some of these thought that they had a great deale of knowledge wisdome and understanding and that they understood as much of the Doctrine of Christ and mysteries of the Gospel as was necessary that they had heard as much of the Doctrine of Justification as any could preach of it and of the resurrection as any could speake they knew as they supposed what this man spake and what the other preached what this mans judgement was what Authors did write and they knew perfectly as they imagined whatsoever lies in the Scripture to be embraced for truth And by their pride did surfeit of their knowledge supposing that they knew all points of the Gospel when in deed and in truth they knew nothing of the Gospel savingly spiritually or practically so that as the people of Israel came to loath Manna and lusted after other food so these being puffed up with spirituall pride begin to loath the Heavenly Manna of the Gospel and disesteeme it for the plainnesse and simplicity that is in it And nothing now will please them but new fancies therefore they must have Sermons dressed in another fashion new cooked new notions and new conceits and any thing that is new pleaseth them better then the old and ancient truths of the Lord Jesus But when God teacheth a man to understand the Gospel aright the more he knowes the Gospel the more he sees his ignorance of the Gospel â— that man sees he never learned the Doctrinâ— of Justification fully that man sees that hâ—â— hath not sufficiently learned the Doctrine oâ— Sanctification this man lookes not on his knowledge meerely as it is speculative but as it is practicall when he sees any unbeliefe in his heart he saith within himselfe I have not sufficiently learned the Doctrine of Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ when he sees any hatred in his spirit to that which is good and any inclination to that which is evill he wisely concludeth I have not sufficiently learned the Doctrine of Sanctification when he finds sadnesse in his spirit O saith he there is more in the Gospel concerning the spirit of joy and consolation then I have attained to when he reads sundry enigmaticall and difficult places of the Prophets and in the Revelation and hath not attained to the spirituall meaning of them O saith he I am not sufficiently acquainted with the truths which lie hidden in the word though I may have knowledge enough to carrie me to Heaven yet I am very ignorant of many truths of Christ Thus a man that truely lives the life of Faith he is not puffed up as these are that fall to these hideous and blasphemous notions and opinions Hab. 2. He that is lifted up his heart is not upright but the just shall live by his Faith You shall find that
THE Perfection of Justification maintained against the PHARISE THE Purity of Sanctification against the Stainers of it THE Unquestionablenesse of a future glorification against the SADDUCE In severall Sermons Together with an Apologeticall answer to the Ministers of the new Province of London in vindication of the Author against their aspersions By John Simpson an unworthy publisher of Gospel-truths in LONDON Wisdome is justified of her children Mat. 11.19 LONDON Printed by M. Simmons for Hanna Allen and are to be sold at the Crowne in Popes-head-alley 1648. To the man truely spirituall in the knowledge of JESUS CHRIST WHereas I intended to have presented these plaine and simple Sermons to the patronage of some of my friends who were pleased to owne and favour mee in my sufferings without any apology for my selfe or any vindication of the truths which I have delivered I am now by weighty reasons enforced to alter my resolutions And my second thoughts doe appear better unto me then my first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have beene lately aspersed by the hands of two and fifty who professe themselves the Ministers of Christ as a man heterodox and unsound in my principles concerning the the Law and Justification by free grace Wherefore it seemeth probable unto me that if I should bring my friends upon the Stage to patronize mee in a publique way while I lye under the reproachings of so many I should wrong those whom I desire in thankfulnesse to respect and honour And if I should venter these Sermons into the world without any Apology for my selfe I might prove more injurious to my selfe then these can be unto mee Besides this I doe apprehend that some tender-hearted Christians when they shall read the name of the abused Author now made infamous unto them by the hands of so many Subscribers may either be affraid to read what I have printed or if they shall read it an uncharitable prejudice may rob them of the fruit and harvest of their reading For these and other reasons I have ushered in these Sermons into the world with a short Apologeticall answer to their Charge And have made choise of thee as an Umpire and Judge between my accusers and my selfe And truely thou art the fittest man that I could single out from the men of the world to do me this service of love whether I looke upon my selfe or my Antagonists First If I looke upon my Antagonists thou art not within their gun-shot or censure and so thou canst not not be damnified by me 1 Cor. 2.15 The spirituall man judgeth all things yet he himselfe is judged by no man Secondly If I looke unto my selfe thou art the fittest and only man for mee For thou wilt not deale rigorously with me Thou wilt juge mee by the law of love liberty and clemency Jam. 2.12 And when I seriously consider what weakenesses frailties and infirmities have discovered themselves in my flesh even in those things whether in praying preaching or writing wherein I desire to be most spirituall I dare not thinke of any other Judge Thou wilt be more favourable then the Synod at Westminster unto my way and manner of preaching and expressions which I made use of five or sixe yeares since considering that I then had not beene many moneths in the Schoole of Christ Thou wilt be more indulgent unto this booke which now sheweth it selfe to the world then the whole Assembly of Sion-Colledge Divines considering that at this time I have been but the time of an Apprentiship in the Schoole of my Saviour I neede not make an Apology for my selfe before thee to tell thee that these Sermons were never intended for the Presse by the deliverer of them but brought thither by the skilfull hand of one professing the Art of short-writing Thou wilt willingly of thy selfe pardon the method and immethodicalnesse of them and repetitions in them deligâ—ting thy selfe with the naked truths of Christ contained in them I need not excuse the plainenesse of speech and want of worldly â—hetorick which is in them In thy judgement plaine preaching 〈◊〉 not to plead for a pardon but doth deserve commendation The phantasticall preaching of some men of our times with 〈…〉 metaphysicall 〈…〉 words excellency of speech and 〈◊〉 cannot please thee because they are displâ—â—â—â— to Christ and derogate from the glory of his Crosse 1 Cor. 1.17 1 Cor. 2.1 Thou knowest that these things are more usefull for the spreading of mâ—sterier of ungodlinesse covertly and 〈…〉 the publishing of the soule saving 〈◊〉 of the Lord Jesus And a fitter dresse for the whore of errour and falshood then a cloathâ—â—g for the chast Virgin of Truth That I may speake 〈◊〉 heart to thee I know that thou wilt in all things be so favourable unto mee that I am rather willing to humble my selfe at thy feete then to justifie my selfe before men I doe therefore willingly confesse that I who am rather confident of thy â—avour then defirous to implore it doe looke upon my selfe as the vilest of those who ever made any addresse unto thee when I consider my sinsulnesse before I was convinced of sinne my unrighteous righteousnesse before I came into the light and my praevarications and aversions from God since I received his light Augustine composed a small booke which hee called his Confessions in which he doth spread forth his follies unto the world before his Conversion But should I set downe all the follies vanities and wickednesse of my youth a great volume would not hold them And it is easier to write large volumes of them then to bring them within the narrow limits and borders of an Epistle That I may therefore passe these by as God hath passed them by in his grace never to call them to his remembrance against meany more I doe now acknowledge that by the reason of variety of inward temptations since I have looked towards Religion I have beene in my owne apprehension a meere Proteus in Religion I have beene zealous for the workes of the Law that I might be made a righteous man being ignorant of him who is the end of the Law for righteousnesse for every one that believeth and was then as loathsome a sinner to the eye of God as I was a righteous man to the eyes of the world I have suddenly lept from Pharisaisme to the profession of the Gospel in a carnal way and have then been ready to thinke that I could never be a true Gospel-professour unlesse I did take some liberty beyond the allowance which I now apprehend the Gospel affordeth I have beene so ignorantly inquisitive after the knowledge of Ordinances that I have doubted whether ever I should be saved dying ignorant of the Ordinonces and Church-government of the Lord Jesus And looking for light and finding darknesse and confusion in these things I have beene afterwards as spiritually mad and foolish in the undervaluing of them There is scarce an errour to be thought of but by the
cary in his eye those distinctions and cautions which I have already laid down while we shall more largely prove that a believer is not under the mandatory power of the law of the olde Covenant but under the mandatory power of the law in the new Covenant of grace It is impossible that a believing Christian should live under the Covenant of grace as it is delivered unto us in the clear light of the Spirit and should at the same time be under the mandatory power of the law as it was delivered in Sinai It is impossible that a man should in the Spirit doe good works freely because hee is justified and yet doe good works that he may be justified But the law of Sinai doth command me to work that I may live and be justified and in the covenant of grace I am informed that I am freely justified therefore it is impossible that I should be under grace and under the mandatory power of the law as delivered in Sinai at the same time Again it is impossible that I should do good works because I see my self free from condemnation and doe good works for feare of condemnation But the law commandeth me to doe good works for feare of condemnation the Gospel because I am free from condemnation and therfore it is impossible that I should be under the Covenant of grace in spirit and under the mandatory power of the law as delivered in Sinai I shall draw the strength of these arguments into a few words Gods justified children are not under the commands of a Covenant of works But the commands of the law as delivered in Sinai are the commands of a Covenant of works Therfore they are not under the commands of the law as delivered in Sinai 2ly It is a contradiction to say that a man is under the commands of the law of Sinai but 〈◊〉 under it for justification or condemnation For the Law as it was there delivered doth 〈◊〉 command without promises of life to the 〈◊〉 and threatning of death to the disobedient 2 Cor. 3. for that it ceaseth to be the law 〈…〉 delivered if you take from it the proâ—â—â—â— threatnings 3ly Lawes are distinguished by their rewâ—â—â— and penalties And though the same 〈…〉 commanded in severall laws yet wee say 〈◊〉 are severall lawes because they have severall rewards penalties annexed to them Suppose the punishment of death which is due to thieves should be changed into the penalty of restoring of what he hath stollen foure-fold or working in a Gallyseven years We should say that the olde law is repealed and that there is a new law made concerning theft and hee that after all the Gospel-light which hath broken forth is not able to see a change of the rewards and penalties of the law of Sion from those of Sinai doth for his wilfull and affected ignorance deserve to be more blinded 4 ly The Covenant of which the Prophet prophesied Jer. 31.31 is new in reference to the commands of holinesse which appeareth by Heb. 8.10 And therefore Christians are not under the commands of the old covenant of Sinai as they were there delivered but under all Commandements as delivered in the new covenant of Sion Musculus and Zanchius doe both make use of this place for the proving of this point 5ly A believing Christian is commanded to doe all good workes in faith of his free justification But the law doth not command him to doe good workes in faith of his free justification And therefore a believing Christian is not commanded to do good workes by the law I suppose that the first proposition will passe without an exception For the second it is evident by Gal. 3.12 The law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall live in them 6 ly The Apostle plainly saith Gal. 3.18 That if wee be led of the Spirit wee are not under the law But if wee are under the mandatory power of the law as delivered in Sinai we are under it according to that of the Apostle Rom. 3.19 Wee know that whatsoever the law saith it saith to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God Ye cannot put a man under the commanding power of the law as delivered in Sinai but ye must put him under the commanding power Reas 7. The approved distinction betweene legall and evangelicall obedience in point of sanctification will be sound unsound For all the obedience of the Saints which they yield unto God by their holy walking wil be by legal principles and not Evangelicall if we place them under the mandatory power of a covenant of works I hope by this time that the judicious and spirituall Reader doth begin to see that I am no enemy to the law by establishing it for justification by believing and sanctification by holy walking and that my expressions are justifiable by the Scripture of truth And if I am to be blamed for any thing it is because I have been so bold in these Anti-christian and Anti-scripturian dayes rather to keep close to Scripture-expressions than to tye my selfe up to the forme and methods of men in speaking of these covenants which I hope will further appeare by what shall be delivered in answer to the second article Sect. 2. The second thing which Mr. Gataker doth charge upon mee are these exclamations in the Pulpit Away with the law away with the law Is this such a strange and hereticall speech to one that professeth himselfe a Teacher in Israel that with all his learning and love hee cannot possibly make a favourable construction of it Might not love which thinketh no evill but beareth all things and hopeth all things 1 Cor. 13.7 have suggested this unto the spirit of a consciencious Christian that something which either preceded or followed it in my discourse had such an influence upon it to free it from the poyson and venome of false doctrine and heresie What an easie thing were it to gather many such speeches out of the bookes of Ancient and modern Writers which may sound as harsh to a tender eare as this doth and doe yet make a delightfull sound to the eare of Truth as they lye in their bookes To instance in a few Ambrose upon the 7. of the Romans hath these words Nec enim legis erit adulter sed Evangelij qui mortuà lege vinctus Evangelio post redit ad legem Mortua enim lex dicitur cum cessat ejus authoritas Hee is not an adulterer by the law but by the Gospel who being bound to the Gospel the law being dead doth return unto the law For the law is dead when its authority ceaseth And a little after this Mori legi Deo est vivere To dye to the Law is to live to God Luther upon the 5. chap. of the Galatians hath these words Habes pulcherimum et optimum librum omnium legum in corde tuo
Noneges ullo doctore hac in re tantum consule tuum proprium cor hoc satis abunde docebit te ita diligendum esse tuum proximum ut teipsum Thou hast the fairest and best booke of all lawes in thine owne heart thou needest no other teacher in this matter only take counsell of thine owne heart that will sufficiently teach thee that thou shouldst love thy neighbour asthy selfe And in the same booke upon the second Chapter Quod spectaculum valde jucundum est proponit producit legem velut furem aut latronem aliquem jam damnatum adjudicatum morti Pingit enim per Prosopopeiam legem captivam teneri cui jam manus pedes juncti sunt omnisque potestas adempta ita ut amplius non possit exercere tyrannidem suam hoc est non possit accusare et condemnare Et hac jucundissimâ dissimâ picturâ reddit eam contemptibilem in conscientîa ut credens in Christum jam ausit legi sanctâ quadam superbià insultare all hunc modum Ego sum peccator si quid potes contra me lex facito tantum abest ut credenti sit lex nunc formidabilis It is a pleasant sight to behold how he bringeth forth the law as a thiefe or a robber adjudged to death For he painteth forth the law by a Prosopopeia as a Captive whose hands and feet are bound and all its power taken away so that it cannot exercise its tyranny any more over us that is it cannot accuse and condemn And by this pleasant picture he maketh it contemptible in the conscience so that he that believeth in Christ doth now dare to insult over the law by an holy kind of pride after this manner I am a sinner if law thou canst doe any thing against mee doe it so far is the formidability of the law from a believer The like speech is that of Zanchius in his booke of the law of God Constat legem solis Judaeis datam fuisse non autem gentibus It is manifest that the law was given only to the Jewes and not to the Gentiles A parallell place to this we have in Musculus Legem Mosaicam literis comprehensam non inter Christianos duntaxaat qui ex Israele Christum filium dei ac salvatorem mundi credendo receperunt sed et inter Judaeos admodum de lege gloriantes reipsà abrogatam esse constat It is evident saith he that the law of Moses written with letters is abbrogated not among the Christians only who by faith have received the Sonne of God and Saviour of the world but among the Jewes who glory in the law I could likewise produce specches out of the Scripture which may sound harsh to some eares and may seeme to be very darke to some if they should be taken out of the places where they are set by the holy Spirit from which they receive light that they may be more easily and plainly understood by us But leaving this grant me liberty to prove by spirituall reason and Scripture that in some cases it may be lawfull for a Minister of the Gospel to make use of such an expression as this is Away with the Law c. Reas 1. If we speak of the law as it is faedus legale a legall Covenant so I speaking unto believing Christians may say Away with it Put not your selves under the Jewish Covenant The Apostle will justifie this expression by his owne Gal. 4.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cast out saith he the bond woman Will you know what he meaneth by the bond-woman he himselfe will informe you and tell you that it is the Covenant of Sinai vers 24. which expression is most harsh to compare the Law or Covenant of Sinai to a bond-woman and to command us to cast her out or else to say Away with the law Reas 2. When wee speake of the law in opposition to the Covenant of grace as the Apostle doth Heb. 8. so I may say Away with the old Covenant that God may glorifie himselfe by revealing the new Covenant of grace unto you will not the word of truth likewise hold me guiltlesse in this expression if we consider what is spoken in the last verse of that chapter where the Apostle saith that it waxeth old is ready to vanish away From which words Mr. Dickson doth draw this conclusion that in the times of the Prophet Jeremiah the legall or Levitical Covenant was neare to death and vanishing away and by consequent after the comming of Christ under whom all things are become new it is expired Temporibus Jeremiae Prophetae prope erat ut moreretur evanesceret faedus legale seu Leviticum et per consequens post adventum Christi sub quo nova facta sunt omnia expiravit If I thus speake of the law Is there any greater absurdity to say Away with it than to say that it is vanished away Reas 3. When justification is preached and an experienced servant of Christ knowing that men naturally seeke righteousnesse by the law and the works of the law it is necessary for the Ministers of the Gospel to perswade their hearers not to looke to that law for Justification but to the grace of God in Jesus Christ Paul speaking of Saints saith that they are dead to the law by the body of Christ Rom. 7.4 May not a man bid people to put away the law in point of justification and salvation as well as to informe them that they must be dead unto it that they may live unto Christ Luther hath many expressions higher than mine in this point and yet you doe not looke upon him as an Heretique Will not the Spirit of God teach us to be as favourable to the living as dead servants of Christ in our Censures will not grace teach us to be as loving to those who are present with us as to those who are absent from us I shall for the satisfaction of the unpreingaged Reader set downe a few of his speeches Paulus est hic haereticus omnium haereticissimus estque haeresis ejus inaudita quia dicit mortuum legi vivere Deo Psuedo-apostoli docebant nisi vixeris legi non vixeris Deo Paul is here the most hereticall of all Hereticks his heresie is un-heard of heresie because he saith that he who is dead to the Law doth live to God The false Apostles taught unlesse ye live to the Law ye cannot live to God And afterwards If thou wilt live to God it behooveth thee to dye altogether to the law Reason and humane wisdome cannot receive this and therefore it alwayes teacheth the contrary unto it Si vis vivere Deo oportet te omnino mori legi Hanc doctrinam ratio et sapientia humana non capit ideo perpetuo contrarium docet Againe he hath these words When sophisters doe apprehend that the Ceremoniall law is only abrogated doe thou believe that Paul and every Christian is abrogated to
that the law killeth a man or cutteth off his legs Friends I am perswaded that some of you have experimentally found as I have done that the law killeth And when ye were slaine and killed by the law were you freed presently from the mandatory power of it I am perswaded that some of you can professe in truth with mee that ye were not The law then did command you to doe and walke What horridnesse is there more in this if I may make the comparison to affirme that the law cutteth off a mans legs and then biddeth him to walke then in this To affirme that the law killeth a man doth yet bid him to doe it and walke Object But some may say that Paul saith that the letter killeth because it giveth not strength to fulfill it Litera occidit nempe quia non consert vires ad praestandum Answ I spake it in this sense too and is it not lawfull for me to imitate Pauls expressions Unlesse the ignorant world must be made to believe that my speeches and exclamations are horrid and blasphemous I might multiply arguments from this Chapter if I should runne over all the expressions of the Apostle especially these where he calleth the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A ministration of death a ministration of condemnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing to be abolished or abolished and done away And whatsoever is spoken by any of the godly for the making good of these expressions I might make use of the same for the justifying of mine seeing I spake them in the same manner as Paul did But that it may appeare that I speake not this for the reproaching of you but the vindicating of wronged abused truth and knowing that a word is sufficient to a wise man when a thousand stripes will not enter into a foole I shall not insult over your weakenesse but rather cover it as farre as I may without injury to the truth Let mee only leave this word to your consideration which in this place is very seasonable to wit That it is the mind of God that we should be as favourable in interpreting the expressions of spirituall men in their writings and speakings now as in interpreting the expressions of those spirituall men who are now with the Lord knowing that they both speak by the same spirit which spirit doth retain his liberty to speake in us as it did in them 2. Compare this speech with that of the Apostle Rom. 7.5 The motions of sinne which were by the law which will sound as harsh as to affirme that the law doth cut off the legs of sinners But if some say this is only occasionally and accidentally men running the more into sinne by how much the more they are forbidden to commit sinne According to that of the Poet. Tendimus in vetitum wee have a tendency in us to that which is forbidden I answer that the same exposition will sufficiently qualifie my speech to take away from it the least appearance of evill The law doth cut off a mans legs occasionally and accidentally A man by reason of the corruption which is in him findeth by experience that he is of lesse strength to run in the wayes of God the more he doth endeavour to get strength by the law of workes Musculus compareth it in this respect to a chaste Matron in a Brothel-house which by her good advice doth prove an occasion to some impudent whores to be more bold and shamelesse in their impiety Had the spirit of love without which wee are nothing taught you something concerning this speech you would have been favourable in interpreting it and not rigidly censorious in condemning it Oh that you who seeme to he zealous for the law would consider that this commandement to wit that we should love our neighhour as our selves is one of the great Commandements upon which all the Law and Prophets doe hang Mat. 22.40 And then how would you dare to be so rigid and uncharitable in your censuring of your Brethren If indeed you have received the law from Moses may I not say as my Saviour did to the Jewes John 7.19 Did not Moses give you the law and yet none of you keepeth it And then remember what the Apostle saith Rom. 2.13 That not the hearers or preachers of the law are just before God but the doers of the law shall be justified Brethren I am not such an enemie to the law but I can with freedome of spirit make use of that pertinent portion of Scripture unto you Jam. 2.8 9. If yee fulfill the royall law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe yee doe well But if ye have respect to persons in your censuring judging them And the same thing in effect delivered by one man shall be accounted sound by you and shall be a horrid error if delivered by another man ye commit since and are convinced of the law as transgressors 3 dly Looke seriously upon those words of Paul Rom. 5.20 The law was given that the offence might abound And then tell me whether there be not the same figure in my expression which is in Pauls And why may I not make use of a figurative expression as well as Paul expounding my meaning more plainly afterwards as he doth which I also did in my discourse Calvin saith that by these words Paul doth simply signifie the encreasing of the knowledge and pervicacy Designatur hic simpliciter incrementum notitiae et pervicaciae And another saith that it it said that it aboundeth by the law because it aboundeth in our knowledge of it ut abundare agnoscetur And will not this which is usually spoken upon this place by Expositors make our speech passeable too And as Paul saith that the Commandement which was to life he found to be unto death Rom. 7.10 So may not I say that the law which was for holy walking I found to cut off my legs because being under it I was no more able to walke in the way of it than a man is able to walke without legs I leave it to the spirituall man who judgeth all things 1 Cor. 2.15 to judge of this thing betweene us And that you may not any farther to the dishonour of God and your profession the prejudicing of the worke of the Lord in my Ministery vent forth slanders and reproachas against me I do professe that I am not conscious to my selfe of denying the use of the law in any way in which it is held forth in the new Testament But know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully Knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawlesse disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for the unholy and prophane for murtherers of fathers and for man-slayers for whoremongers for perjured persons and lyars and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound
curse But for believers Christ was made a curse and hath freed them from the curse of the law Gal. 3.13 And therefore they are not lyable unto any punishment as it is a curse Arg. 9. Sin the cause of legall punishments being taken away the effects of it are taken away But Christ hath taken away finne which is the cause of legall punishments And therfore he hath taken away the effects which are legall punishments and therefore one speaking of the afflictions of Saints saith that they are medicines not punishments Medicinae non paena naturam obtinent The truth of this argument is built upon the known axiome The cause being taken away the effect is taken away Sublatâ causâ tollitur effectus Arg. 10. That being taken away which doth binde over a man to legall punishment the legall punishment is taken away But guilt which bindeth a man over to legall punishment is taken away And therefore the legall punishment is taken away Arg. 11. God doth as fully forgive us our trespasses as he would have us to forgive the trespasses of men against us But when we do forgive their trespasses we are not afterward to inflict any vindicative punishment upon them And therefore God doth so fully forgive us our trespasses that hee doth not afterward inflict any vindicative punishment This is the argument of a learned writer Deus debita nostra non minus gratuito et plene nobis dimittit quam docuit nos debitoribus nostris dimittere God saith he doth no lesse freely and sully forgive us our debts than he would have us to forgive our debters I might multiply sentences of Writers who with one consent do under-write to this truth Polanus saith That they who are temporally punished for sin here are to be punished to eternity Qui temporaliter puniuntur in aeternum puniendi sunt And that chastisement is not so much for the purging of sins past as to teach to avoid sin for the future Non adhibetur pro purgandis praeteritis peccatis sed pro futuris vitandis Pol. synt l. 6. c. 4. Willet hath many speeches to this purpose in his Synopsis Davenant writing on this point against the Papists saith what is it to remit the sin or the fault then not to punish a man any more for it Quid aliud est peccatum sive culpam remittere quam illud ad poenam hand amplius imputare But I study brevity knowing how distastfull long controversies are to the pallats of men of these times And therefore in few words to put a period to what I intend to speak concerning the first branch of this Article I conceive that man may be considered two manner of wayes First as hee is in the first Adam and so all afflictions are properly punishments and curses of the law unto him 2 dly In the second Adam and thus the nature of afflictions and chastisements for sinne are changed unto him The sting is taken out of death and every affliction Afflictions are benedictions to him Afflictiones benedictiones Bern. Not curses but blessings unto him And therefore 2 ly God will chasten his justified people in his fatherly love to them and displeasure against sinne that they may be partakers of his holinesse Heb. 12.10 by the spirit of sanctification as they are partakers of Christs righteousnesse in their Justification which maketh true Saints not only to beare afflictions patiently but to glory in tribulation Rom. 5.3 And though in a sence they are afflicted neither for sin that it is not to satisfie Gods justice which is already satisfied by Jesus Christ nor from sin as some speak for the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin Yet God doth afflict us that in the afflictions he may powre forth his Spirit upon us for the removing of sin out of our spirits which doth grieve his Spirit and out of our conversations which doth dishonour his name And for the preventing of sinne for the future the Prodigall will take heed how hee doth runne from his Fathers house when hee hath beene among the Swine And the soule beloved of Christ when she is forsaken of all lovers and in misery will resolve to returne unto her first love and say for then was it better with me than now Hos 2.7 And thus much briefly by way of answer to the first branch of this Article The second branch of this article is this That the Land is not punished for the sins of Gods people What hath been spoken concerning the precedent branch of this Article for the clearing of this As no legall punishment properly so called can be inflicted upon the person of a believer for his sinne so no punishment can be inflicted upon the Land in which he liveth for his sinnes Yet I doe not deny but that God who punisheth the unjustified persons of a land in his wrath for their rebellions and transgressions may chastise some of his people by a nationall calamity and affliction for their humiliation and reformation But though in a nationall visitation the same affliction if it be materially considered may be laid upon a believer which is laid upon unbelievers yet the affliction which is laid upon a Saint is formally distinguished from that which is inflicted upon unjustified persons the one flowing from the love of a Father the other from the wrath of an enemie The least of these is properly materially formally a legall punishment the other materially a judgment or punishment but formally a fatherly chastisement and a pledg of Gods love to a Saint Sect. 5. THere is yet one Article more which the Subscribers have taken out of Mr. Gataker page 16. That if a man by the Spirit know himselfe to be in the state of grace though hee be drunke or commit murther God sees no sinne in him If I should but name the man who brought in this Article against me it were enough to acquit me from the charge in the judgment of those who know him But I am resolved that the world shall see that I study not revenge but the clearing and vindication of truth in my answer When one in the Star-chamber demanded of me whether an Article something like unto this were my tenet and whether I had delivered it in such words I did reply that I might affime of it what Martiall did of his poem that it was his as made composed and delivered by him but it ceased to be his and became the repeaters when it was evilly repeated by another Sed male dum recitas incipit esse tuum So the truth contained in this Article to wit That God sees no sinne in his justified children in the sence in which I delivered it it is my tenet or rather Gods truth But while it is repeated with some words of the accuser to bring an odium upon the truth and that being not mentioned which was largely laid downe in my discourse to give light unto it I doe affirm that
it doth begin to be the accusers own The ground of this Article was my preaching plainly of this truth That God doth not see any sinne in his justified children which is a truth which I hope to maintain unto death I shall therefore acquaint the Reader with my sence of the words 2ly with some reasons which I have laid downe to demonstrate it to be a truth 3dly In what sence I do conceive it to be an errour which I hope will abundantly satisfie the intelligent Reader and cleanse mee from the filth and guilt which is cast and charged upon mee by the Subscribers 1. When I preach that God seeth no sin in his justified children my meaning is in reference to Justification God seeth his sin guilt and punishment laid charged upon Jesus Christ and therefore cannot see any sinne in him according to that sweete and elegant speech of Hierom. That saith he which is covered is not seene that which is not seene is not imputed that which is not imputed shall not be punished Quod tegitur non vidertur quod non videtur non imputatur quod non imputatur non punietur And the same truth is laid downe by Mr. Ward of Ipswich whom you all will acknowledge to be a faithfull sound writer by whose Treatise entitled The life of faith The Lord was pleased to beame in at my first conversion some Gospel-light into my soule while I was endeavouring to establish my owne righteousnesse The words following are to be found in the 9. chap. of the life of faith pag. 85. What saith he if God looke upon the hand-writing against us doth be not see the bills cancelld with the precious blood of his Sonne and our surety which for matter of guilt defilement and punishment is sufficient to expunge cover nullifie abolish and wholly to take away our sins in such sort that he neither sees will see nor can see them as sins and debts bearing action against us obliging us to any penalty I might heap up places out of the bookes of the faithful which have subscribed to the same truth in the same or the like words There is no phrase so commonly used by Luther in his Commentary upon the Galatians as this that God seeth no sin in his children But because the testimonie of men to truth is of no authority with my selfe considering that we should not consider so much who it is that speaketh as what is spoken Non quis sed quid c. Salv. I shall not burthen the page with quotations out of Writers but shall rather present unto you some grounds from Scripture by which it will appeare that in a Scripture-sence God may be said to see no sin in his children Arg. 1. Christ hath redeemed us from all iniquity Tit. 2.14 And therefore God seeth no sin in us from which we are not redeemed Arg. 2. God hath forgiven us through Christ all our trespasses Col. 2.13 And therefore there is no trespasse in us which God can see as not forgiven Eph. 4.32 Arg. 3. Hee hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood Rev. 1.5 And therefore can see no sin in us from which wee are not washed When spots are washed out of a cloath they doe not remaine in it still God hath washed away the spots of our souls and therefore they do not still remaine upon our foules Arg. 4. Christ is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world And therefore God doth not see any sinne which is not taken away Arg. 5. Christ hath made an end of our sins And therefore God in this respect doth not any longer see them Arg. 6. God hath removed sin as far from us as the East is from the West Psal 103.12 And therefore he doth not see them or us as unjustified from them Arg. 7. God hath blotted them out of his debt-booke And therefore he doth not see them as chargeable upon us Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my owne sake and will not remember thy sin Arg. 8. God is pacified toward us for all that we have done Ezek. 16.63 And therefore he doth not see sin in us Ar. 9. God by his Son hath removed the iniquity of his people in one day Zech. 3.9 And therefore hee doth not see them as not removed away Arg. 10. Christ Jesus doth save his people from their sinnes Mat. 1. And therefore God doth not see any sin in them from which they are not saved Arg. 11. All that believe in him are justified from all things Acts 13.39 And therefore God doth not see any sin in them from which they are not justified Arg. 12. God hath covered the sins of his people Rom. 4.5 And therefore God doth not see them Arg. 13. Believers are not in their sinnes 1 Cor. 15.17 And therefore God doth not see them as yet in their sins Arg. 14. Christ is made unto us of God wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 And therefore God doth not see sin in us Arg. 15. Christ is made sin for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. last And therefore God doth not see sin in us Arg. 16. Christ hath given himselfe for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evill world according to the will of God and our Father Gal. 1.4 And therefore the Father doth not see sin in us Arg. 17. We are holy unblameable and unreproveable in the sight of God Col. 1.22 And therefore he seeth no sin in us Arg. 18. The conscience is purged from sin by the blood of Christ to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 And therefore God doth not see sinne inns Arg. 19. Christ hath borne our sinnes And therefore God doth not see them upon us but knoweth where he hath laid them 1 Pet. 2.24 Isa 53. Arg. 20. We have an answer of a good conscience by the resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 3.21 And therefore God doth not see sinne in us For a conscience guilty of sin is an evill conscience Arg. 21. He that denyeth this doth in effect deny the comming of Christ and is an Anti-christ For he was manifested to take away our sins 1 John 3.5 and in him is no sin Arg. 22. Nothing can be laid to our charge Rom. 8.33 And therefore God seeth no sin as chargeable upon us or to be imputed to us For these and many other reasons which might be produced it may be truly said that God seeth no sin in his justified people And therefore Christ speaking of his justified Church saith That his Love is all faire and that there is no spot in her Cant. 4.7 And the Kings daughter is all glorious within Psal 45.13 And in these termes and expressions or the like I have formerly acquainted those who have heard me concerning my judgement in this point But thirdly Though I affirm all this concerning Gods
not seeing sin in his children yet I doe not deny but that in a sence God may be said to see sin in his justified children God though hee seeth us perfectly justified from all sin yet he seeth and knoweth that we are not perfectly sanctified And in this respect he may be said to see sinne in us And I doe apprehend it to be a grosse errour and destructive to the power of godlinesse to maintaine that God in no sense may be said to see sin in his people Reason 1. It is by the light of the Spirit that wee doe behold the sinne which is in our flesh when we doe believe that all our sins are pardoned and not seen by God in reference to our justification and therefore it is contrary to spirituall reason Scripture and the experience of all those who are truly faithful to assert That God in no sense may be said to see sin in his justified children Reason 2. If God did not see sinne in any sense he could not help us against our sinnes lusts and corruptions against which we goe unto him in the name of Christ for strength But hee doth give us helpe against particular lusts and corruptions as true Saints have found and doe finde by experience And therefore in a sense he may be said to see sinne in us Reason 3. His Spirit doth mortifie sinne in us and what an absurd thing is it for a man to affirme that God in no sence may be said to see that sin which hee doth mortifie in us by his own spirit Arg. 4. Saints may grieve the holy Spirit of God whereby they are sealed unto the day of redemption Eph. 4.30 And therefore in a sense God may be said to see sin in them for how can wee imagine that the Spirit of God in a Saint should be grieved by sinne and yet that God should not see it Arg. 5. God doth inwardly checke us in the spirit for many frailties and infirmities which will sufficiently evidence the thing to every man who will not be captivated to errour in his understanding that God in a sence may be said to see sinne Though God doth not rebuke us in wrath as an enemie yet hee doth rebuke us in love for walking unworthy of his grace and favour in Christ Jesus Arg. 6. God doth work in us evangelicall sorrow and humiliation for sins which wee doe commit after our justification through faith And therefore it is evident that hee seeth and knoweth the sins which we commit after our Justification Arg. 7. God doth chasten his justified children for their profit that they may be partakers of his righteousnesse Heb. 12.10 And therefore it must be granted that God in a sence doth see sin in them Arg. 8. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit in Gods justified children Gal. 5.17 which is a sufficient demonstration of Gods seeing of sin in a sence in his justified children And by this you may perceive that by making use of distinctions grounded upon plaine Scripture it is warrantable to say that God doth see sin in his children and that he doth not see sin in his children which if it be well weighed may teach us not to censure our brethren in such points and controversies untill we have received their tenets from themselves which if it had beene granted unto mee it might have prevented many reproaches which I have lain under and prevented many sinnes in those who have rashly censured me I shall put a period to my reply to this answer with acquainting you with a story which I have read concerning that renowned servant and Martyr of Christ John Hus who comming to the Councell of Constance to answer to what was brought against him it is said that by the out-ragiousnesse of the Councell against him so many interrupting him at every word and some mocking and making mouths at him it was impossible for him to make a perfect answer to any thing Let it not be reported abroad for the shame of Religion that ever any man or men were so used in this Kingdom But let this be known that when I endeavoured to acquaint the Committee fully concerning my mind I was so interrupted that it was impossible that any man should clearly know my minde or judgment And that this was frequently added by my Brethren that that day was a day in which I was to heare the charge against me And that there would be a day appointed wherein I should have liberty to bring in my answer to the Committee of Parliament and why there is not such a day yet to be found will be a good Quaere when Astraea leaving the heavens shall again returne to the earth for to doe justice to the oppressed In the meane while though I am throughly acquainted with the carriage of things against mee I shall endeavour not to overcome evill with evill but overcome evill with good forgiving those who have wronged me even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven me Section 6. THus far in answer to the Subscribers of the new Province I might here make an end but that I finde something yet behind in their witnesse which they have not published upon what grounds I know not It may not be supposed that they are more affraid of this testimonie in these things than in those articles they have borrowed from him which he received from his fellow Subscribers of the Synod which may discover what an excellent and fit witnesse Mr. Gataker is in this businesse But to let that passe the next thing which I shall desire you to take notice of is that passage of his against mee in the 25. page of his booke where speaking of the 40. Psalm and the 12. and other typicall prophesies hee hath these words One thing I am sure of that those who gresly a buse them who taking their rise from Luthers application of them with some harsh expressions unto Christ strain them so farre as to disswade Christian people from troubling themselves about confession of their sins as being enough for them to believe that Christ here hath confessed them for them already Master Simpson preaching on that Text Sir If God had given you grace to have seriously thought upon that place in the Proverbs 25.18 A man that beareth false witnesse against his neighbour is a maul and a sword a sharp arrow You would not so suddenly and rashly have come forth as a witnesse against mee in print concerning this thing when you your selfe doe presently acknowledge that it is not so clear or certain as those others are before assedged Doe you walke according to the rules of purity to publish flying reports against the servants of Christ before you give them any notice of it or enquire fully concerning the truth of them Can you justifie your practise before the Lord Jesus before whom you and I must appear to defame me so much in print before you did endeavour to cure mee by one word of your mouth
or line of your hand if I had been infected with errour The Apostle commandeth us who are spirituall That if any man be overtaken with a fault to restore such a one in the spirit of meekenesse Gal. 6.1 When the cry of Sodome and Gomorrah was great and grievous the Lord went down to see whether they had done according to the cry of it And when this cry came unto you concerning me you might have done well according to the will of God to have imitated God and to have queried whether it were according to the cry and I could have sent you divers godly people at that time who should have taken an oath of it if it had been lawfully given them that I delivered things opposite and contrary to what you have presented to the world rather then what you affirme that I said I shall therefore crave leave to give a true report unto the world of that which I have delivered concerning this thing not seeking your discredit but endeavouring to free my selfe and the truth from the discredit which you have brought upon us by your false relation 1. I doe acknowledge that at Wapping I spake from these words of the Psalmist Psal 40.12 Innumerable evills have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to looke up they are more than the haires of my head therefore my heart faileth mee And in the opening of them I did affirme that if any should aske me as the Eunuch did Philip Acts 8.34 Of whom speaketh the Prophet this of himselfe or of some other man I should answer that it would be plain that he did prophetically speak of Jesus Christ if the Holy-Ghost might be heard as an Expositor and if wee did interpret Scripture by Scripture which is the best way of interpreting Scripture The place which I made use of for the proofe of this is in Heb. 10.5 where the Apostle doth apply the precedent words unto Jesus Christ And whereas you say that I did take my rise from Luthers application of them with some harsh expressions unto Christ I doe affirme that this is altogether false For it was then unknowne unto mee that Luther had ever expounded them so God hath taught me better then that I should make Luther my rule for interpreting of Scripture I have learned to call no man master but Jesus Christ Nullius astrictus jurare in verba Magistri Luther is not of greater authority with me than Master Gataker farther than I doe apprehend that he speaketh according to the truth of God and meaning of Scripture If I had had a desire to have perswaded the people that I preached the truth of God unto them from the authority of Expositors it had been an easie thing to have stuffed my discourse with quotations drawn from them and not to have made use of Luthers only Ancient and moderne Writers have usually expounded the words as I did Musculus saith that all the Ancients doe expound this of Christ not that our sins are properly his but by dispensation as hee was a Mediatour between us and the Father Hoc veteres omnes ita de Christo exponunt ut nostra peccata sint ipsius non proprie sed dispensatione quâ se mediatorem inter nos et patrem obtulit Pomeranus saith that iniquities take hold of Christ not which he himselfe had committed but which he had taken upon himselfe Christum comprehenderunt iniquitates suae non quas fecerat sed quas pro nobis susceperat diluendas And thus I then expounded the words according to that of Fulgentius Hee that had no sinne of his owne did beare ours Qui non habuit propria portavit aliena Christ did acknowledg that they were his sinnes not because they were inhesively in him but because they were imputed unto him Hee was contented that they should be charged upon him that wee might be discharged from them I am not the first who have asserted that Christ hath confessed that our sinnes are his 2 Cor. 5. Isa 53 c. But whereas you would make your Reader believe that upon this account I would wholly take away confession of sinne this I doe deny And I can prove that the maine use of this Sermon was to teach believers how they should in an Evangelicall way confesse sinne over the head of the Scape-goat Levit. 16.21 to wit in faith beholding them laid and charged upon Jesus Christ that being the best confession of our sinnes in which wee doe confesse and acknowledge to the glory of Gods grace and Christs goodnesse that our siâ—s are laid upon Jesus Christ But you are not the first who have endeavoured to perswade the world that I am against the confession of sin though about the same time I preached publiquely at Coleman-street upon these words 1 John 1.9 If we confesse our sins he is just and faithfull to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse And in Gracious-streete and at Algate upon the same Text which Sermons are not out of the memory of many who heard me who therefore will not believe you if you should get the whole Province to sweare that you have spoken truth And that I may declare my selfe to be no enemie to confession of sin I doe beseech you in the bowels of Christ to confesse your owne sinnes and faults in faith and sincerity to your owne shame and Gods glory Confesse them not only as Pharaoh Exod. 9.27 who confessed his owne sin and the sinne of his people And Saul 1 Sam. 27.17 And Judas who went from his confession to an halter and so to his owne place But confesse them with the beliefe of this truth in your heart That Christ with one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 Confesse them for your owne humiliation and for the elevation of free grace Ezek. 16. last Job 42.6 And as you doe professe your selfe a friend to confession of sinne in your judgment to shew your self to be a friend to confession and forsaking of sin by your practise Prov. 28.13 Or else you may lay a stumbling blocke in the way of the weake who may be apt to looke upon you as one of the Pharisees who say and doe not Section 4. SIr I am inforced to begin again with that exhortation with which I did shut up the former Section Beseeching you that in the confession of your sin you would not forget to confesse this great and horrid sin of yours in charging mee for exhorting people to sinne as fast as they will because there is a fountaine open for them to wash in I doe think that if the Devill himselfe should get up into a Pulpit to preach who doth often preach by his Vicars and Curates that he would not make use of any such exhortation Neither did ever any man but your selfe aver the same thing against mee I doe confesse that this Article was brought in against
in the faith who have not Christ in them are not approved Christians 2 Cor. 13.5 Know yee not your owne selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except yee bee reprobates The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except yee be unapproved It is possible that a man may be in a state of unbeliefe and yet no reprobate But he that cannot prove that he hath faith cannot prove himselfe to be a Christian or in a state of Salvation Querie it in thy soule whether thou hast such a faith as we have spoken of Yee have heard that wee are saved through faith which is a supernaturall gift of the Spirit by which those things which the naturall man cannot apprehend concerning salvation are made plaine to the soule Supernaturall things cannot be knowne but by something which is supernaturall As the things of nature are knowne by the light of nature things of reason by the light of reason So the things of eternall life and salvation by the supernaturall gift of faith which is the evidence of the supernaturall things of the Gospel which are invisible Heb 11.1 Abraham beleeved against hope Rom. 4.18 So a spirituall man beleeveth the things of Glory and eternall life which the short line of naturall reason cannot reach or fathome and which naturally he cannot hope for or expect Is thy faith who dost Professe thy selfe a child of Abraham such a faith as Abrahams faith was who is the Father of the faithfull Secondly true beleevers see their salvation by faith alone Though a man have many seeds together in his hand yet hee may know the various and diverse natures of those severall seeds So though a justified man have many precious seeds of the Holy Spirit in his heart yet he knoweth the severall natures of them all Though he hath love to God in his heart as well as faith in God yet hee knoweth the nature of Faith which alone is avaylable to Justification Trie whether thou hast been enabled to flie to the strong Tower of Gods grace for safety against Hell sinne and Devills by the silver wings of Faith without the helpe of workes for Justification Thirdly a beleever seeth justification cannot be by grace if workes and faith were to be conjoyned for justification Gratia non est gratia ullo modo si non sit gratuita omni modo Grace is not Grace in any way unlesse it be free and undeserved every way Grace is not free and undeserved unlesse it be reached forth without any consideration of our owne workes which is onely through faith trye whether God hath taught thee this lesson of truth Fourthly faith doth take the glory of justistification from the creature and giveth it unto grace Hast thou learned to sing the new song of the Saints and redeemed ones before the Throne crying Salvation onely to God who sitteth upon the Throne of grace and to the Lamb. Fifthly art thou fully perswaded of Gods power and faithfulnesse who hath left Promises of grace upon record for the salvation of poore sinners Art thou with Abraham suily perswaded of the truth of Gods Promises of grace in reference to thy selfe I remember what one of the Ancients saith That to professe Christ without assurance is to be without faith living in the houshold of faith Fidem in domo fidei non habere Cypr. A spirituall man is that which he believeth himselfe to be Id esse incipit quod se esse credit He beleeves that he is positively and negatively righteous in Christ freed from sinne and made a partaker of a glorious righteousnesse for his justification and so he is of a Leper by believing in an instant made whole Hee believeth that he oweth nothing to his creditour and his creditour believeth so too Sixthly A believing man is bone of the bone flesh of the flesh and one spirit with the Lord Jesus There is a close neere union application of Christ to the soule by faith Dost thou in believing see thy selfe a member of Christ as thy hand or foot is a part of thy body Is Christ the quickning spirit of thy spirit to enliven that as thy spirit is the spirit which doth enliven thy body 7 ly Dost thou so live by faith that thou lookest upon Christ as thy life and righteousnesse more then faith Not suffering any perswasion which thou callest thy righteousnesse to sit in the uppermost roome of thy heart to the prejudice of Gods glory in Christ A spirituall heart is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mac the throne of the Deity where God in Christ is exalted as the chiefe righteousnesse of the soule is it so in thine Iohn 14.1 8 ly Hast thou by faith as an instrument touched the hem of Christs garment for the healing of the bloudy issue of thy own soule Hee that is wise and good is wise and good for himselfe And if thou art truly wise and good thou art wise in applying Christ to make thy selfe wise and good Lastly Is thy faith such a faith through which Christ hath inwardly discovered himselfe unto thee formed and created himselfe in thee Job 32.8 The inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding If thy faith be true it is by inward inspiration Quer. But must we have such a faith if wee will be the children of believing Abraham Answ Every true believer hath such a faith for the nature of it though not for the perfection of the degrees of it There is a perfect faire copy of faith in those who have beene presented unto thee Thou art to have the same copy written forth upon thy heart though it may not be so fairly written forth at the first But if it be a true copy of faith thou hast no cause to question thy assurance though thou dost finde it very weake at the present A palsey-shaken hand may receive a gift and a weake faith may receive the grace of God in Jesus Christ A Dwarfe is a man as well as a Giant though not so tall and one who is but a dwarfe and low in Christianity by the weakenesse of his faith may be a Christian as well as those who are of a taller stature in the Schoole of Christ Thirdly this which hath been delivered may be for the strengthning of the faith and the encreasing the comforts of those who have laid hold of salvation by a lively faith on Jesus Christ Comforts are encreased by the same meanes by which they are wrought at the first And therefore the Apostle prayeth for the Romans that the Lord would fill them with all joy and peace in believing Rom. 15.13 Our comforts are low because our faith is weake Comfort floweth in by renewed acts of faith Sathan would rob us of our comfort by wresting faith which is our shield from us Ephes 6.16 And this is one way in which he doth labour to weaken the faith of the Saints by suggesting this unto the Saints that Salvation is not only through faith But against this
temptation and all his other fierie darts we may hold forth this buckler of truth That wee are saved by grace through faith Answer him therefore from this truth and he will be silenced Resist him in believing this trueth and hec will flee from thee Jam. 4.7 And the spirit will flie into thy soule to comfort thee So long as Abraham lived he lived as a justified man by faith So long as Paul lived he lived by faith in the Son of God Gal. 2. We dye rather then live when we are not under the power of the spirit enabling us to beleeve We lye downe either in the bed of carnall security or Familisticall Antichristianisme or fal under the bondage of the Law when we step aside from the plaine Doctrine of salvation by faith in our Lord Jesus And therefore the flesh and the Devill the great enemies to a Saints comfort doe joyne themselves together to oppose the doctrine of faith Sathan knoweth that faith and works are inconsistent in point of justification And when hee observeth that we are in some measure convinced that salvation is by faith he endeavours to perswade us that it is by faith and workes And would divide our Justification between faith and works As the harlet cryed out 1 King 3.26 concerning the child Neither mine nor thine but divide it So the Devill would have us divide our Justification attribute halfe of it to faith and give the other part to workes But the beleeving man seeth that there is salvation in Christ and not in any other and that no other name under heaven is given among men whereby they must be saved Acts 4.12 And that we rest upon this name for salvation only by faith In Christ we have boldness accesse with confidence by the faith of him Ephesians 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wee are manuduced and lead by the hand as it were with perswasion of Christs goodness to us by faith in Christ Continue in that faith by which Paul was justified who believed that Christ loved him and gave himselfe for him and thy comforts and peace shall be continued unto the. It it Melancthons observation that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate faith doth most usually signifie a firme assent unto a thing usitatissimum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro firma ascensione dicere doubting is that which is contrary to faith Jam. 1.6 Believe therefore strongly and thou shalt have a strong peace Rom. 5. Beleeve that there is no remission of sinne but by Gods indulgence but beleeve this withall that by him thy sins are forgiven thee sed adde ut credas et hoc quod per ipsum peccata tibi donantur Bern. This is the faith which bringeth peace and consolation to the soule By this we are brought from fin to Christs righteousnesse from mount Sanai to mount Sion from the dominion of the Law to the region of grace from bondage to liberty from death to life from the feare of hell to the assurance of heaven and happinesse Archimedes was so delighted in the study of the Mathematiques that when the enemie who besieged the place where he lived broke in unto it he heard not the noyse and shouting of the souldiers nor the cries of the people So the soule that by faith liveth in Jesus Christ shall be carryed above the noise and troubles of the world and shall enjoy peace in Jesus Christ Let us therefore waite in the heavenly Hierusalem for more of the spirit by faith This lesson will appeare to be very necessary for the Saints if wee consider that the spirit of grace may be so quenched in Saints that they may not for the present be able to goe into the presence of God as Saints but as poore sinners And by the beliefe of this Doctrine a Saint doth easily get out of temptation For hee is taught of God in the Gospell to come unto him as a sinner without works when he cannot come as a Saint And in this way his joy with all the gifts of Gods grace are restored unto him And when they are restored hee doth keepe them by the resting upon God who saveth sinners by grace through faith And therefore the Apostle Peter when hee exhorted Saints to grow in grace doth adde and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 By which he doth seem to inform them that there can be no growing in grace unlesse there be a growing in faith which is the knowledge of Christ and the love of his Father in him In the last place here is a foundation of Salvation for all that have eares to heare and hearts to entertaine the report which you have heard of Gods grace which is manifested to sinners through faith Let not any man goe away with a heart of unbeliefe but the Lord open your eares and hearts as he did Lydia's that you may believe what is reported For truly if you believe what I have delivered you may goe away rejoycing and assured of Gods grace beholding your names written in the booke of life The true Gospell believed will remove all objections against your peace and all doubtings out of your spirit If as children of Abraham ye believe as he did Salvation will lye down in your bosomes and the true God in Jesus Christ will give you an answer to whatsoever you can object bring against your own salvation and justification It is not the sight of sinne that shall take away your comfort but you shall rejoyce that Iesus Christ did dye for sinners It is not the want of works that shall send you away without assurance or justification but you shall see that you have good right to lay hold upon Jesus Christ though you have no works because hee justifies none but those that have no works before justification The true God is not a justifier of the holy and righteous but of the ungodly God knoweth that the wisdome of the proud flesh doth strongly perswade sinners to seeke salvation in themselves and their own works The Jaylors question Acts 16. What shall I doe to be saved and the Rulers quaere Luke 18.18 What shall I doe to inherit eternall life is in the heart of every naturall man who is perswaded that there is an eternall life Man thinketh that as he became miserable by his evill works that so hee must be made happy by his good works And therefore God hath given his Law which requireth perfection to bring downe the pride of the flesh ad domandam Superbiam Aug. and confidence in our own works and discovered his free favour to the worst of sinners in the Gospel God hath blocked and stopped up all other ways to life besides the way of his grace in Christ and hath left this way open for the worst of sinners to turne in unto it for salvation So that as good works cannot save us without Christ being but glittering and gilded sins so evill works cannot prejudice the
grace of God could not keep that salvation which hee received how shall he be able without grace to regaine that salvation which he hath lost Cum igitur sine gratiâ dei salutem non posset Custodire quam accepit quomodo sine gratiâ dei potest reparare quam perdidit Aug. in Epist Secondly It may be for the convincing of men of their disability to will their own justification and salvation What God accounts wisdome that when man lookes on it by the eye of reason he acccounts it nothing but folly and madnesse How can a man be desirous of Christ who apprehends that the things of Christ are nothing but foolishnesse A prophane Pope sporting himselfe and rejoycing in the great riches he had gotten by professing the Gospell in a carnall way uttered these words What great riches have wee gotten to our selves by this fable of Iesus Christ Quantus divitias lucrati sumus ex hac fabulâ Christi So men that are not enlightned by the spirit of truth to behold the world of truth doe conalve the truths which men preach concerning Christ are meere fancies fables madnesse and that foolishnesse and that there is no truth at all in which is spoken in the word of truth I will instance but in one or two particulars to shew you how carnall reason opposeth grace Grace telleth us that God will have mercie on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.18 Consider how carnall reason opposeth this truth of God suppose saith carnall reason that a King would hate some of his Subjects because hee would hate them and love others because he would love them and should give no other reason of his actions but his owne will were not such a King more fit to live among beasts then to reigne over men And shall wee then thinke that the wise God doth love and elect some because he will love them and hate and reprobate others because he will hate them Thus carnall men measuring the actions of God by the rule of their own reason they see nothing but folly and madnesse in that by which God discovers his greatest wisdome to those that are enlightned to behold the riches of his grace Secondly God in Christ doth present himselfe as having a sufficiency of grace for the salvation of the greatest of sinners without workes but how doth carnall reason strongly and vigorously fight against Gods goodnesse concluding that if there were any truth in this Doctrine that the law and good workes would presenly be destroyed A natural man cannot believe that God is so gracious as Gospel-Ministers would perswade the world that he is As the unbelieving Lord when the Prophet told him of the great plenty in Samaria said If God should open windowes in Heaven could this this thing be 1 King 7. So a naturall man when Christ is offered to sinners without any works unlesse God give grace to believe hee is ready to say If the windowes of Heaven were opened and all the grace and mercie in Heaven should come downe upon us if God should let out all the bowells of his pitty and compassion to poore sinners it cannot be so as you say and speak concerning free grace to sinners and ungodly ones So that if a naturall man should do nothing but heare Sermons and although Angells or Christ himselfe should come downe from heaven to preach unto him hee would be as able of himselfe to keepe the whole Law for justification as to beleeve truly and savingly in the Lord Jesus But some will say that if it be thus that a man may as easily in his owne strength keepe the Law as beleeve the Gospell why doth not God then rather enable us to keepe the Law that wee may be saved then bid us to beleeve the Gospel To this I answer that God saves us by enabling us to beleeve the Gospel and not by enabling us to keepe the Law for Justification because God will have the glory of his grace in our Salvation God will not save us in a way of working but in a way of beleeving that all the glory may be given to him The Apostle gives this as a reason why it is by faith and not by workes that no man might boast ver 9. Not of workes lest any man should boast By which argument he proveth that the Father of the faithfull was not justified by workes Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were justified by workes saith hee he hath whereof to glory As we may observe it in some people who are built upon legal principles like the Pharisee Luke 18.11 They are boasting that they are not as other men as though their good workes had made the difference betweene them and others This frame of spirit doth rob God of the glory of his grace who will not that any flesh should glory in his presence but that he that glorieth should glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1.29.3 And therefore wee are saved by grace through faith in the word made flesh and not by the workes of the Law But secondly some will object why doth God take this paines with men in the Ministery of the Word if they are able to doe no more to their owne conversion then a dead man to his owne resurrection To this objection I have already given an answer yet give me leave to adde this to what hath been already spoken for the fuller satisfaction of those that are weak Though we are able to doe nothing of our selves yet God entreates exhorts and beseecheth us to be reconciled to him in Jesus Christ because in exhorting intreating and beseeching of us to beleeve he puts forth his power and his owne strength to enable us to beleeve while Paul exhorted the Gaoler to believe in the Lord Jesus that hee might be saved God enabled the Gaoler to beleeve Life and power is conveyed to the soule in Gospel commands and exhortations When Christ raised the sonne of the Widow of Naim to life Luke 7.14 he speakes to him Young man I say to thee arise No man who hath not lost his reason will conclude from hence that it was by the power of the young man that was dead by which hee was raised from the dead but by the power of the Lord Jesus who did bid him arise So though God speak in the Ministry of the word to those that are dead in sinnes and trespasses and bids them arise from the dead that hee may give them light yet we cannot conclude from thence that it is by the power of men by which they doe believe but it is by the power of the spirit conveyed in the preaching of the Word Christ commanded Lazarus to come forth but he came not forth in his owne strength but in the power and strength of him that commanded him out of the grave So wee command men to come forth out of the grave of sinne but they come not forth in their owne strength but in the power and
this purpose Consider that that man who hath true faith may likewise have much false faith There may bee a great deale of dead faith in him who hath a living faith Where there is true gold there may be much drosse and in that Professor in whom there is the golden faith of the Gospell there may be a great deal of drossie faith which is nothing worth A Christian hath two contrary natures in him Hee hath flesh as well as spirit And as there are perswasions in him flowing from the spirit so there may be perswasions flowing from the flesh Saints sometimes when they are in a luke-warm and back-sliding condition are apt to please and content themselves with the workings and perswasions of their owne spirits And they may finde that much of their joy and comfort doth not proceed from true faith wrought by the operation of God but from the lying cheating counterfeit working and operation of their owne spirits Will you know one principall ground and reason why some true Saints are so unfruitfull dead-hearted formall and luke-warm in the profession of the Gospell it is because the Devil cheats them with the workings and perswasions of their own spirits When God perswades the heart of his love our hearts are inflamed with an holy love to God and are willing to doe or suffer for the glory of God but when wee content our selves with the working of our owne spirits there is idlenesse sloath neglect of Christian duties coldnesse formality and lukewarmness so that there is little difference between us others Again it concerns you all to try your perswasions For if any of you cozen and cheate your selves with the perswasions of your owne spirits the time will come that you who kindle these sparks and walke in the light of your owne fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled This shall ye receive from the hand of the Lord ye shall lye down in sorrow Isa 50.11 When you expect heaven you will be cast downe to hell when you shall be confident that Christ is yours and shall bee ready to plead the goodnesse of your cause in the face of Jesus you shall finde that you were deceived by the false perswasions and workings of your owne humane spirits A faith of your selves by which ye have been perswaded of those things which ye have received by the relation of things to the eare will not save you but that faith which is wrought by the Spirit giving an heavenly revelation of Christ to the heart Therefore try whether your faith be from your owne humane spirits and naturall understandings or whether it proceed from the power and spirit of the most high God mightily working in you for the salvation of your soules But you will say How shall we be resolved in our spirits that our faith hath not proceeded from our owne spirits but that it is a work of God in us 1. When God works faith he gives an evident light by which wee see the truth of our faith and thus the faithfull are in the first place assured of salvation in believing The just doth live by faith Heb. 2.4 and hath his life and righteousnesse by faith If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 The speciall presence of Christ in the soule doth make a man a new creature and by faith the new creation in us is discovered unto us and therefore Christ is said to bee formed in us by faith Gal. 4.19 So many as receive him by faith are born not of flesh nor of the will of man but of God and have power to be the sons of God 1 John 12 13. By faith wee are the children of God Gal. 3.26 and know that we are the children of God 1 John 5.10 Hee that believeth on the Sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe By which words it appeareth how true faith differeth from a wavering opinion unde apparet quantum differat à fide fluxa opinio Marlor It is the office of faith to beare witnesse to the certainty of our salvation and to give in a testimony of our happinesse by Christ Jesus The blood of Christ doth purge the conscience from dead workes Heb. 9.14 By faith we drink this blood of the Sonne of God Iohn 6.53 and look upon him who is invisible to the eye of reason by this eye of faith which is the evidence of things not seene Heb. 11.1 Christ is set forth as a propitiation and object of our justification by the Father Rom. 3.25 And by faith wee looke upon him who is set forth unto us to be looked upon It is life eternall to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent John 17.3 And true faith is nothing else but the true knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ Fides quid aliud est quam vera de deo cognitio Cyr. Hee that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not shall not see life John 3.36 In which words our Saviour doth seeme to put a difference between a believer and an unbeliever The unbelieving man seeth not eternall life but the believing man seeth eternall life and hath eternall life abiding in him by which he knoweth that he is freed from the death of sin and from the temporall and eternall death for sin and shall not come into condemnation For when a man truly believeth heaven is opened unto him and he hath a spirituall discovery of Christ made unto his soule But it is not so with a man who hath a perswasion formed in himselfe by himselfe As John said that what hee had seene hee declared unto them 1 John 1. so every spirituall man may say that he hath seene Jesus Christ With Stephen by faith he seeth God and his Son Jesus standing on his right hand Christ is so perfectly presented to the eye of faith that the believer doth by faith looke upon a crucified Christ as though he were present before him Gal. 3. The Apostle to prove the effectuall calling justification of the Thessalonians doth affirm that the Gospell came unto them in much assurance 2 Thes 1.5 Enquire now in thy owne spirit whether thy faith is such a faith as this which the Scripture doth call the unfeigned faith of the elect and if it be such a faith it is not of thy selfe but it is the gift of God 2ly The Kingdome of God being not in word but in power thou that dost truly believe hast found the word of salvation to come unto thee with a mighty power This was an evidence to Paul of the truth of the conversion of the Thessalonians because the Word came in power unto them 1 Thes 1.5 Thou that hast trusted to a perswasion of the grace and favour of God to thee in Christ wrought in thee by thy own spirit thou hast had no heavenly power in this perswasion But he that hath faith wrought by the spirit of God
words though I know that there are many adversaries and opposers of this truth 2 Cor. 4.13 We believe therefore we speak saith the Apostle So I doe in spirit belive what I shall speake and therefore I am resolved to speake it forth plainly and you are engaged to heare me patiently The words are a conclusion drawn from preceding premises In the precedent words the Apostle delivered two propositions First That hee that committeth sinne is of the Devill Secondly That Christ hath appeared to destroy the workes of the Devill from whence he concludeth that he which is born of God cannot sin not having his being in the Devill but in Christ who destroyeth sin In this verse there are these particular observations which at the first view may present themselves unto us 1. A character of a true Christian He is one who is borne of God 2. The property of this man who is borne of God He doth not commit sin 3. A reason why he cannot commit sin to wit because his seed remaineth in him 4. His purity He doth not only not commit sinne but he sinneth not at all 5. This asserted by laying down the impossibility of his sinning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He cannot possibly sinne 6. This is further proved by his excellent glorious condition He cannot sin because he is borne of God First From the person who is here spoken of The man who is borne of God We may take notice of the folly and Bedlam-madnesse of some who would be accounted professors and Preachers of a spirituall Gospel whose Gospel and mystery of error doth make the man born of God to be God Confounding the glorious nature of the Father Word and Spirit with the new Creature The Apostle doth plainly overthrow this Bedlam-Divinity by these expressions In which hee doth make a difference between God and the man who is born of him That which is born of God is borne in time But God is from eternity And therefore that which is born of God cannot be God The place which they pervert is in the 1 Cor. 6.17 He which is joyned to the Lord is one spirit Answ Christ and the man joyned unto him are one not by confounding of the person of Christ with the person of a Believer but by the union of these two in the Spirit As the members are one with the head and yet the head is not the members nor the members the head Secondly In this objection as they destroy the personall being of a Believer so they destroy the personall being of Christ as he is the Word made flesh There Christ is nothing but God they apprehending that Christ hath offered up his humane nature wisedome and righteousnesse as things of the first creation and that hee hath no being now but in spirit which they call Christ in the Spirit the spirituall man or God I shall therefore in few words deliver the truth of God concerning the man who is born of God This phrase is taken first largely and so every Creature may be said to be of God because every creature is the workmanship of God and hath its being from God And in this sence all wicked men are called the Off-spring of God Acts 17.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly It is taken strictly And so it is to be understood not of those who have their being from God by creation but by spirituall regeneration And thus it is here taken and in other places John 3.5 Except a man be borne of water the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God John 1 13. In this sence neither God Christ or the Spirit are the new man or the man born of God But the speciall and gracious presence of God through Christ by the spirit doth make a man a new Creature 1 Cor. 1.30 John 1.13 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man is in Christ he is a new Creature He doth not say that if any man is in Christ that then hee is Christ or that Christ is the new creature but that man who is in Christ he is the new creature Having shewed you who the new man or the man born of God is who is here spoken of and freed the Text from famelisticall blasphemies I shall desire that you may be acquainted with this truth Every true Saint is a man born of God 1 Consid It will not advantage a man to make a profession of Christ and to submit to all the outward Ordinances of Christ unlesse a man be made a new creature by Christ Gal. 6.15 In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncir cumcision but a new creature We must be borne againe or else it had been better for us never to have been borne Christ will not own any for his or approve them as his Disciples whatsoever prosession they doe make of him unlesse he be formed in them 2 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be unapproved They are the Devils children who are not borne of God John 8.44 2 Consid God hath engaged himselfe in the Covenant of grace that those who are his shall be borne of him Ezek. 36.26 A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you an heart of flesh As a Carver when he maketh an Image doth begin at the outside of the Timber and cuts shaves and smooths that So hypocrites doe begin at the outside and doe smooth themselves in their outward conversation to men-ward And so there is but an image insteed of a new creature But true Saints are made new inwardly Some say that the heart is the first thing which hath life Cor est primum vivens It is true in the new creation God doth give unto the vessels of his grace new hearts Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse Jer. 32.39 3. Consid Men who are not borne of God cannot haue fellowship with God If we say that we have fellow ship with him and walk in darknesse we lye 1 John 1.6 But true Saints have fellowship with the Father and his Sonne Jesus Christ 1 John 1.3 And therefore they are borne of God 4 Consid God is to be known served and worshipped by true Saints but we cannot truly know him serve or worship him so long as we are old creatures in the state of nature and therefore it cannot be denyed that true Saints are borne of him An old creature is spiritually dead and cannot see God A dead creature cannot performe the actions of a living creature And a sinner cannot serve the living God and performe that spirituall worship which God doth require of those who are quickned to spirituall worship by Jesus Christ 5. Consid The new Heaven and the new Earth is only provided for new creatures but it is provided for Saints and they expect it 2 Pet. 3.13 And therefore they are borne
of God Mat. 19.28 Our Saviour saith that such who have followed him in the regeneration shall sit upon Thrones The Saints are translated out of the Kingdome of the world into the kingdome of grace by spirituall regeneration and therefore they shall be translated from the Kingdome of grace into the Kingdome of glory By these considerations it is evident that true Saints are borne of God Vse Let us not try our Saint-ship by our large professions of Christ and subjection to such things which we apprehend to be his Ordinances for externall worship but by our new creation It concerneth every man to be thorowly assured of his heavenly birth who would make his claime good for heaven and glory and be assured that he shall escape the damnation of Hell As our Saviour said of Judas Mat. 26.24 That it had been good for him he had not been borne So it had been good for us that we had never been borne if wee shall live and dye professors of the knowledge of God in Christ and not dye possessors of God in Christ by the new creation Consider therefore 1. That every change or alteration which may be wrought in a man doth not make him a Sonne of God by spirituall regeneration Morall principles may make a great change in a man And Pharisaicall principles may make a man seeme to be very religious to himselfe and others But the Pharisees proselite is farre enough from a true Convert And except our righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees we cannot enter into the Kingdome of God We may walke farre in the way of the Law and performance of duties to make our selves new creatures and the Sonnes of God by our own righteousnesse and legall reformation and may at last stumble at Christ and never come to know what it is to be borne of God 2. A man may take a long walke in the path of the Gospell and may after a sort escape the pollutions of the world by Gospel-principles and may taste of the powers of the world to come in the conclusion may sit down short of a new creation here and glory hereafter 2 Pet. 2.20 Hebr. 6. Never truly knowing what it is to have the Spirit in him and himselfe in the Spirit God in him and himselfe in God Christ in him and himselfe in Christ Quer. But by what meanes is a man born of God may some one say seeing it concerneth us to know that we are born of God and it is so easie to be mistaken It is not by the law by that thou maist have a knowledge of sin Rom. 7. but canst never receive a new life The law bringeth forth servants not sons Ishmaelites not true Israelites Gal. 4. Secondly Those who are borne of God are children of the Gospell not by the workes of the law but by the hearing of faith wee are made new creatures In this Ministery God by his Spirit through faith in his Sonne maketh new creatures Nothing in nature can beethe cause of it selfe so nothing in the new creation can be the cause of it selfe There must be a Father before there can be a Sonne God therefore through faith in his Sonne is the cause of this new creation In this Ministery God doth not speak only by letters and syllables but by his eternall Word and Spirit Our soules are purified in the obedience of the truth of the Gospel unto unfeigned love of the Brethren 1 Pet. 1.22 23. And are borne againe not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever In this Ministry of life and salvation we have an eye to see the olde man crucified in the suffering of Christ Rom. 6.6 That henceforth we should not serve sin In this Ministery wee see Christ as that new man which maketh all things new 2 Corin. 5. The olde Adam stood as a publique person to bring shame sinne and sorrow upon his posterity so Christ the second Adam publique person and new man by whom we are renewed doth bring holy boldnesse righteousnesse and joy Adam communicated his sinfull nature to us so Christ doth communicate his divine nature unto us with those fruits and effects of the spirit which are contrary to the nature of the old man Uniting us unto himselfe and becomming a principle of life to us and in us And as one saith of generation that it doth not consist in the production of a new form but in the union of the form to the matter Generatie non consistit in productione sed unitione formae cummateria So spiritual regeneration is not by the production of a new forme but by the union of the forme to the matter By uniting Christ who is as the forme to man who is the matter of the new creature And as wee say that the generation of one thing is the corruption or destruction of another thing so in spirituall regeneration the old man is destroyed Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts O how is the man placed in the uppermost roome of honour and highest seat of happinesse who is spiritually acquainted with this truth Hee overcommeth the world by believing that Jesus is the Sonne of God 1 John 5.1 He admireth the inexpressible love of God by which hee is become the Sonne of God 1 John 3.1 He is borne to possesse the unsearcheable riches of Gods grace He is born to inherit large possessions a golrious inheritance being joynt heir with Christ Ro. 8.17 Hee is higher by his birth then the Sons of Kings and Emperours Christ he are of one therfore he is not ashamed to cal him Brother Heb. 2.11 And now hee begins to resolve to live like himselfe to live answerable to his condition of glory and honour unto which God of his grace hath brought him He wil live as one who hath hopes full of immortality He wil put on Christ in his conversation as he hath put him on in his free justification A King will not stoope to the earth to take up farthings as a beggar will nor meddle with such mean businesses and employments in which men of meane condition doe exercise themselves So hee will not stoop in spirit to the love of the things of the world which are but as a farthing to the things of glory and eternity Hee will not follow worldly businesse as though hee had no other employment His conversation is in Heaven Phil. 3. He is one of the Chosen generation and royall Priesthood holy Nation and peculiar People and therefore is resolved to shew forth the praises of him who hath called him out of darknesse into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 from impurity to holinesse from a disgracefull and reproachfull condition to honour and favour from vassalage to a kingdome from feare of death to assurance of eternall life from hell to heaven from horror of conscience to joy in
believing from a dunghill to a Throne from everlasting wrath to never-ending glory and immortality I might speak more fully of this concerning which no man can speak sufficiently But my intention was not to speak of this but rather of that which is principally intended in the words to shew you the sinlesse condition of the man which is borne of God And therefore give me leave to leave this point that I may briefly open the words which follow in the Text that so I may draw the marrow and substance of them into a short conclusion the illustration confirmation and amplification of which by the grace of God shall be the subject of my ensuing discourse I doe finde that the godly-learned doe not agree in their expositions of these words I shall therefore acquaint you with their severall expositions and shall enlarge my thoughts in the amplifying of that which I doe apprehend in truth to be the meaning of the Apostle in these words First Some say that he cannot commit sin That is Non potest operam dare peceate He cannot make sin his work trade or employment and this is a truth The rode of prophanesse and wilfull sinning hath never been the way in the which the Saints have walked Their path is the path of purity and uprightnesse But this doth not seeme to be the meaning of the Spirit in this place For the Apostle doth not only say that he cannot commit sin but hee cannot sin Secondly Others say that he cannot commit sin as a servant of sin As though our Saviours words were a sufficient exposition of these Joh. 8.34 Whosoever committeth sinne is a servant of sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He doth not doe sin as his worke as a servant doth work by the appointment and commandement of his Master I question not the truth of this Sinne shall not have dominion where Christ is Lord and Master in the soule He taketh our soules in unto himselfe by conquest and will not suffer those who commanded us before his conquest to rule over us now he hath subdued them As a conquering King will not suffer conquered Rebels to command his Subjects But the Apostle doth not seeme to drive only at this because as it hath been observed he saith afterwards that he cannot sin Thirdly Some say that he cannot sinne because he cannot commit the unpardonable sin And these goe as far as the end of the Epistle for an exposition Chap. 5.17.18 All iniquity is sinne and there is a sinne not unto death Wee know that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not But hee that is borne of God keepeth himselfe and the wicked one toucheth him not Thus they affirme that he finneth not because hee sinneth not unto death This which they say is likewise an undenyable truth in it selfe but not all that the Apostle intendeth in these words Which will evidently appear if we look seriously upon the precedent words Where the Apostle doth set downe the Antithesis and opposition between the man borne of God and the naturall man And doth make this the characteristical difference between the man borne of God and the man of the Devill vers 6 7 8. That the one doth sinne and the other doth not sinne Every one that abideth in him sinneth not he that sinneth hath not known him or seene him And as no man will say that the difference in this place between the carnall and spirituall man is this That the one doth not commit the unpardonable sinne and the other doth For then this absurdity will necessarily follow that every carnall man doth commit the unpardonable sin For the Apostle saith that every carnal man is of the Devill and sinneth that is against the holy Ghost if we take their exposition So no man may affirme that this is the meaning of these words which are laid downe in way of opposition to the precedent that he that committeth not sin doth not commit the unpardonable sin for then this absurdity will follow that every man who committeth not the unpardonable sin is born of God And this is evident by the subsequent words where he saith vers 10. That in this the children of God and the children of the Devill are manifested To wit that the one doth not commit sin and the other doth commit sin Take the words according to their exposition and this is the sence of them In this the Saints and carnall men are distinguished that the Saints doe not commit the unpardonable sin and that all carnall men doe commit the unpardonable sin Of the absurdity of which tenet contrariety to Scripture and daily experience I leave the spirituall man a judge 4. Others say that he sinneth not That is in his justified state and condition he sinneth not Because he is free from sin and the condemnation of the Law And this is a truth likewise full of comfort and sweetnesse That the believer or man borne of God doth not sin in reference to justification Their meaning is that there is no sin from which a believer is not justified But the Apostle doth not speake only of this for he speaketh of his working of righteousnesse by love in this place and through the whole Epistle as well as of believing And of such workes which Saints are to doe by which they may be justified before men as these men doe grant themselves and therefore this is not to be taken so strictly in reference to our justification through faith only As these words do declare it sufficiently Every one that worketh not righteousnesse is not of God and hee that loveth not his brother vers 10. Doth he pray for such whom he thought were no where to be found or for all true Saints whom he did know did love the Lord Jesus in corruption Reply If they be considered as they ought to be done so they are not evill but as they be done by us So the holy Ghost is not affraid to call them menstruous rags even our very righteousnesse not our old man only Isa 64.6 from the better part And therefore the Scripture doth call us Saints or holy men Ephes 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because we are spiritually regenerated or made new creatures though much of the flesh doth remaine in the best of us And this I doe apprehend to be the meaning of God in this place So Cajetan upon the words Hee doth saith he understand it formally that is in as much as he is borne of God for our new creation from God doth not suffer us to sin Intelligit formaliter hoc est quatenus ex Deo natus Nativitas enim ex Deo non dat peccare So likewise that faithfull Martyr Tyndall speaketh in the opening of these words God and the Devill are two contrary Fathers two contrary fountaines two contrary causes the one of all goodnesse the other of all evill And they that doe evill are borne of the Devill and are first evill by that birth before they
love saith the Apostle He will remember the good works of men borne of God at the great day of judgement The good workes of some are manifest before-hand and they that are otherwise cannot be hid 1 Tim. 5.15 They cannot for ever be hid because God will make mention of them at that day But hee hath engaged himselfe by oath to remember our sins and sinfull actions Hebr. 8. And therefore the works of the spirituall man are not sin or sinfull Arg. 8. There is no law against the workes of a spirituall man or the fruits of the spirit of grace and therefore they are not sin because where there is no law there is no transgression But there is no law against these This is plain by that passage of the Apostle Gal. 5.22 The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance against such there is no law Object They are here considered as they are precisely the fruits of the spirit and as they ought to be done by us and so they are no sins but consider them as acted by us even with the spirits assistance and so they are defective and sinfull Answ The Apostle doth not speake of the fruits of the spirit as Tully of his Oratour Plato of his Common-wealth Moor of his Utopia as of things no where to be found But be speaks of the spirit as in us and the fruits of it as in us And doth plainly tell us that if we are led by the spirit we are not under the law and that there is no law against the fruits of the spirit But I shall have occasion hereafter to speake more fully of some places where the Apostles and servants of God doe speak plainly of these works as done in us that so I may break the neck of this distinction which is made as a Catholicon or salve for every sore Arg. 9. God doth give a testimony concerning his Saints that they are righteous and holy which is spoken in reference to their spirituall nature and actings and therefore they are righteous and holy The judgment of God is according to truth hee being the God of truth Doth not God give this testimony of Job Job 1.1 That he was a perfect man and upright one that feared God and eschewed evill And though man may oppose this yet it feemeth by Gods speech to Sathan that the Devill could not contradict it Job 2.3 And the Lord said unto Sathan hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect man upright one that feareth God and escheweth evill Did any thing which was sin or sinful procure this honourable title to David that he was a man after Gods owne heart 1 Sam. 13.14 Doth not the Scripture of truth inform us concerning Zacharias and Elizabeth his wife that they were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandements of God blamelesse Luke 1.6 They did not onely walk in the great Commandement of God concerning faith for Justification but in all the Ordinances and Commandements of God Is not Lot called a just and righteous man who was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked 2 Pet. 2.7 And was his sinfull soule vexed with their evill deeds or his righteous soul speak in the language of Gods Word and ye must acknowledge that it was his righteous soule vers 8. God is not like unto some indulgent parents who by their fond indulgency doe account that to be a vertue which is the fault of their children and them to be vertuous who are vile God calleth nothing righteousnesse which is sin or sinfull Nor those to be perfect and upright which are not so indeed and therefore seeing God doth call his children righteous holy and perfect wee may not be affraid to call them so unlesse wee will be affraid to follow his judgment Object They were righteous before God by Justification and before men by holy walking Ans We deny not their justification before God by faith but with all we affirme that they were righteous before him by their holy walkings As these places doe sufficiently prove with others which we shall hereafter speak of Let us not delude ous soules to think that righteousnesse sanctification is to the eye of men only The purest sanctification of a Saint is not so visible to men as unto God Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visite the fatherlesse and Widowes in their affliction and to keepe himselfe unspotted from the world which will be further manifested by our next argument Arg. 10. Almighty God is a God of pure eyes who cannot behold any iniquity any sinfull thing or sin with an eye of approbation But this God who cannot approve what is sin and sinfull this God approveth and professeth that he is well pleased with the performances of his Saints therefore the performance of the Saints cannot be sin or sinfull The Apostle in Philip. 4.18 Professeth that the worke of the Philippians in sending to relieve his wants was an odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God God hath pure eyes and pure nostrils and therefore if it had been sin or sinfull it could not have pleased his eye nor have beene an odour of a sweete smell unto his nostrills Object They are so but not in their owne nature Answ If they be not so in their own nature they are filthy and odious in their own nature and yet accepted by grace If one thing which is filthy and odious in its owne nature be accepted why should not other things which are filthy and odious in their owne nature be accepted for good workes If this can be made good Whoredome and Adultery will prove good works which hath been asserted by some who have said that the filthinesse of whoredome being done away the action is well-pleasing to Almighty God as well as any good work Arg. 11. One end and intention of God in electing of us was that he might make us holy that he might make us good trees to bring forth good fruit Though God doth not elect us because wee doe believe or because wee doe love yet hee hath elected us that wee may believe and that we may love So that wee frustrate one end that God hath in electing us if we doe not grant that God gives us a new nature and new hearts According to that of the Apostle 2 Thes 2 13. We are chosen unto salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth And in Eph 1.4 He hath chosen us in him that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Object We doe apprehend our election imperfectly which is the cause of the sinfulness of our works Answ By reason of that which is in the flesh we cannot so perfectly see our election as wee shall doe hereafter Yet in the spirit for the present we doe so fully apprehend it
opinion of those that doe oppose this Doctrine of the resurrection There are two sorts of these First such who doe plainly deny the resurrection as Porphyrius and others whom we read of And secondly such who will not seeme to deny a resurrection but will pretend that they are risen already spiritually risen And they know no other resurrection The first of these are like those that are mentioned in the 2 Cor. 15. that say there is no resurrection The latter are like those 2 Tim. 2.18 Hymeneus and Philetus that said the resurrection was already past The latter of these are the more dangerous Come and ask them is there a resurrection Yes we are risen it is past you understand the Scripture carnally and not spiritually you looke on the history of the word whereas all the Scripture is mysticall and allegoricall Thus these in a more plausible way deny the truth of God and overthrow the Doctrine of the resurrection But these places of Scripture and sanctified reasons drawne from the word of truth sufficiently confute and overthrow this damnable cursed opinion of theirs that strikes at the very roote and raseth the foundation of all Religion This point of the resurrection is so cleerly held forth in Scripture that those that denie it either deny the Scripture to be the word of the Lord Jesus or else by their allegories and diabolicall interpretation of the word they pervert the truth of it Now the latter of these are the most dangerous for they seeme to carrie a great deale of glory spirituality and truth with them and make those that are not acquainted with their solecismes believe that they are very spirituall that they have some light and knowledge that men have not ordinarily attained to Whereas when you have studied well the depth of their notions you shall find this to be all if they acknowledge a God for I know that there are some of these that absolutely deny that there is a God that God was from all eternity and God shall indure to all eternitie and that being that they had in God from all eternitie that being they shall have in God to all eternitie but the body and the humane spirit shall die and be lost and come to nothing So all the happinesse they have is that eternall and everlasting being concludunt spiritum ad essentiam Dei redire eique jungi ita ut unicus spiritus maneat As Calvin reporteth of those Libertines which denyed the resurrection in his time They conclude saith he that the Spirit shall returne to the essence of God and shall be joyned to him so that one spirit shall onely remaine as if they should say there is a God that was for ever and shall indure for ever but all the creatures shall come to nothing when the body dies it shall returne to its dust never to be raysed and the spirit shall vanish away as the soft ayre as those miscreants in the booke of Wisdome speaks Wisd 2.3 which if it were a truth there should be no happinesse for the humane spirit of man or for the body after this life And I am confident that this is all their new Light affordeth to us and glorious spirituality or rather infernall spirituality as Calvin calleth it Infernalem spiritualitatem they boast of And this I gather by their owne discourses and words and likewise by searching their writings and reading their bookes that have formerly been written and that lately are brought into the world But me thinks there is one objection for the present comes to my mind which doth call for an answer before I proceede Object If there be such a generation of men as you speak of that denie the Doctrine of the resurrection and pervert the truth of God then we may see by this what inconvenience would follow if liberty should be granted to men to practise according to their owne judgements which are contrary to the judgements of the civill Magistrate in the worship of God Therefore it seemes there is a necessity laid upon Civill powers that men may be kept from these errours and damnable opinions to make strict Lawes and impose them upon all people And all sorts of professors to inforce them to come in and professe Christ in their way or else to confiscate their goods to banish them out of the Countrey or if need be to take away their lives Answ I answer this doth not follow there were such in the time of the Lord Jesus we find him oft disputing with the Sadduces yet we see the Lord Jesus Christ did not intend to overthrow the Sadduces that denyed the resurrection by such meanes but dealt with them onely by Scripture and reason as we see Matth. 22. And when James and John producing the example of Elias desired Christ to command fire to come from Heaven to destroy the discourteous Samaritans that refused to entertaine them He denyeth their request with a reproofe Luk. 9.55 He rebuked them and said Yee know not what manner of spirit ye are of and I thinke it is safe for us to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ But in the next place let me tell you that no Lawes Statutes constitutions or formes imposed by men or Directories or any thing you can think of Discipline or Government can extirpate this out of the hearts of these men For I assure you that few that are of this judgement will lose any thing for their Conscience Some of them if you bring in Popery before they will lose a haire of their head for that which they maintaine they will be professed Papists We may see the picture of these men in Quintinus who was the divells Embassadour in Calvins time to divulge Familisticall tenents of whom he thus speakes si hodiè Quintinus vinctus teneretur sive à Christianis sive à Papistis staretur ipsius confessioni non multum esset anxius Certus enim esset de suâ liberatione quod tum horum tum illorum voluntati assentiretur If Quintin were now imprisoned by Protestants or Papists and should be freed or condemned by his owne confession it would not much trouble him for he would be confident of his freedome Because he would assent to the will of either of them Calv. in his Instruc Adver Liber c. 8. If you threaten them that they shall suffer any thing they will presently tell you that they were overtaken with a fault and they will be of your mind if you have any power to punish them for what they professe Like him in the Comedian Ais aio negas nego Doe you assert it I assert it too doe you denie it I deny it too And why should a man be so foolish as to lose any thing for that which he professeth in his Conscience when he thinkes there shall be no resurrection He hath no reason he were mad that would part with Earth and earthly things that is not sure of Heaven he is a mad-man that will
as our Mediatour 1 Tim. 2.5 If he meanes that which they draw from his words he knew Christ after the flesh in all his Sermons and his Faith was a knowledge of Christ after the flesh And therefore that which they wrest from his words is not his meaning Secondly Pauls meaning is this that Christ is not to be knowne after the flesh As though any men should conceive that they should have any priviledge or prerogative above another in Christ because they are his kinsmen or Countrey-men according to the flesh or of the same stock with Christ being descended from Abraham or David according to the flesh Thus Christ is not to be knowne after the flesh It will availe men nothing that they are neere to Christ in the flesh by their naturall birth unlesse they be neare to Christ and one with Christ by their new birth So that the Apostle doth in this place take away the difference which some might apprehend to be between the Jew and the Gentile It is parallel to that place Gal. 3.28 There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for yee are all one in Christ Jesus And this is evident by the precedent verse where he saith that Christ died for all for Gentiles as well as for Jewes so that a Jew may as soone be saved by Christ as a Gentile if he rest upon the grace of the Father through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus his Sonne for Justification and Salvation It will likewise appeare to be the plain and naked meaning of the Apostle if we consider the subsequent words where he doth publish forth the same thing and explaineth his meaning telling us that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their trespasses unto them The sinfull Gentiles who are called the world in opposition to the Jewes that were Gods peculiar and selected people gathered out of the world from other Nations God is reconciled to this world to sinfull Gentiles as well as to Gods owne people the Jewes And therefore Christ is not to be knowne among Christians in any carnall or fleshly relations as though he were a Saviour more to the Jewes then to the Gentiles This were to know Christ after the flesh but we that know him spiritually know him so no more for in the Spirit we see the partition wall which was between Jewes and Gentiles pulled down and know Christ the common Saviour both to Jewes and Gentiles which shall believe in his name And thus I have given you an answer fully satisfactory to their second objection The third place from which they frame an objection is in Eccles 3.19 That which befalleth unto the Sonnes of men befalleth beasts even one thing befalleth them as the one dieth so dieth the other yea they have all one breath so that a man hath no preheminence above a beast To this I thus answer that Solomon here doth not propose this as his owne judgement but rather doth represent unto us the opinion of carnall men who have no greater light then the dimme eye of reason And doth acquaint us with their folly and ignorance by communicating his owne experience unto us I said in my heart ver 18. He spake this in his heart when the darknesse of his spirit did as a thick cloud hide the light of the Spirit of God from him He doth not speak this from his heart and spirit inlightned with the truth of God But from his heart under a mist of errour being surrounded with great temptations And this will appeare by many passages which he uttereth in this booke which doe wholly contradict that which they would gather from these words as the meaning of Solomon for the overthrowing of the Doctrine of the resurrection and the day of judgement For instance Ecc 11.9 How doth he labour to draw young men from the pursuit of the worlds pleasures and vanities by putting them in mind that God will bring them unto judgement And what a plaine place is that against Sadduces Familists and Libertines that deny a judgement day and a resurrection with which he doth put a period to this booke Ecc 12. and the last God shall bring every worke into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill I shall not trouble you with any more of their Arguments Because they are of the same nature with those which have been brought already And the same Answers which have been given unto these will give sufficient satisfaction to any other objections which may be brought against this truth 2. Vse from this errour Againe since the truth of God appeares so cleare in Scripture that there shall be a resurrection of body and of the same body let us abhorre and abandon the grosse fanaticall conceits of all that we meet with that professe themselves open enemies to the Doctrine of the resurrection Brethren I beseech you loath abhorre and detest this hellish diabolicall Doctrine For as Christians are to imbrace the truth of God with all zeale and affection of spirit so we are to detest and abhor all errours that oppose the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ with all zeale and fervency of spirit though these are much offended with the zeale and sharpnesse of the Saints supposing that such heat and holy anger is inconsistent with the spirit of meeknesse and therefore if a man though in the Spirit witnesse against these conceits and atheisticall opinions of theirs presently they say that though he pretend to be the servant of Christ and to have the Spirit of Christ yet he hath not the Spirit of Christ because he is so sharp in his speech But consider how our blessed Saviour oft in his preaching and discourses thunders and lightens in the faces of men that opposed the truth Did he not call the Scribes and Pharisees a Generation of Vipers and Adulterers to their faces and hath not Paul and Peter expressions to this purpose Peter tells Simon Magus he was in the very gall of bitternesse Did not Paul call Elymas the child of the Devill and enemy of all righteousnesse Act. 13.10 and our Saviour tells the Hypocrites that he preached to Joh. 8. Ye are of your father the Devill Therefore know that as Christ though he had the holy Spirit in him yet he made use of such sharp and bitter speeches so a man may have such speeches in his mouth and yet he may be in the spirit of God and speak to Gods glory when he thus speaks The Angel of the Church of Ephesus is commended that he could not beare with those that were evill And that he hated the workes of the Nicolaitans himselfe and our Saviour doth professe his hatred to the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans And why should a Christian be afraid to imitate his Saviour though these will censure him for it If this be to be vile and without love to speak bitterly
against such bitter enemies of Christ should not a zealous Christian say as David said to Michal when she scoffed him for his devotion to his God 2 Sam. 6.22 I will be yet more vile then thus Therefore let me desire you that you will abhorre these tenents and opinions of theirs which doe overthrow the whole Doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ If this that they hold be a truth which we denie there is no truth in this booke that we hold if this be a truth that they professe there is no truth in Jesus Christ that professeth himselfe the way the truth and the life And as the Apostle preacheth 1 Cor. 15. The Apostles shall be found false witnesses of God for they preached that Christ though he suffered on the Crosse his body was raised and in it he ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father and mediates and intercedes as an Advocate for us If Christ be not risen then we are false witnesses of God 1 Cor. 15.15 because we have testified that he raised up Christ whom he raised not up if the dead rise not and if they shall be found false witnesses and Imposters who then are the men that we must looke on as Divine men as knowing understanding men We must looke on these as a Generation of liers that have deceived us and made us believe that Christ is risen and that we shall rise by his power and there is no such matter who are to be eyed as men of truth we must looke on Lucian that in his Dialogues and other bookes jeeres those that expect happinesse after this life or feare misery and calls our blessed Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sophister that was hanged upon a Crosse We must looke on him as an Orthodox man as a Divine writer Pliny that writes of the soules immortality and denies that resurrection of the body we must looke on him as Canonicall Julian the Apostate must be admired for his wisdome To throw away our Bibles or burne them as those in the 19. Acts 19. did burne their Bookes of curious Arts will be a point of wisdome and discretion It will be no impiety to deny the truths that Peter Paul and other servants of the Lord Jesus Christ have preached and sealed with their bloods O Brethren take heed of this hellish hellish Doctrine take heede of these seducers Beware of these Wolves that come in sheeps clothing See how this tenent plants its Ordnance to batter downe all goodnesse all the hope of Christians and strength of Christianity 3. Vse The beliefe of this truth may bring in streames of joy to our soules and spirits in the middest of the greatest troubles and miseries that can come upon us Therefore the Apostle when he had laid down this point 1 Thess 4.1 see what use he makes of it in the 18. ver for their consolation bidding them to comfort one another with those words In your weaknesses and sicknesse consider that these bodies that are fraile mortall and must after a while moulder into dust shall at the resurrection be made like unto the glorious body of Christ Phil. 3. last Is death approching doth the King of feares Job 18.14 knock at the doores of your cottages of clay Let the feare of death be killed by the meditation of this that the Lord Jesus by his death and resurrection hath abolished our death and brought life and immortality to light through his glorious Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 Christ cujus victoria nostra est whose victory is ours hath overcome sinne the grave Death Hell and he arising as a publick person his glorious resurrection may be a pledge unto us of our future resurrection in glory Our bodies are called in Scripture the Temples of God Let me tell you that God will not pull downe his Temples unlesse he intended to build them up againe He will set up these Temples in glory which he puls downe and layes in the dust with dishonour I remember what a divine Poet saith speaking of the resurrection Pellite corde metum mea membra credite vosmet Cum Christo reditura deo Atra sepulcra respuite Prudentius My limbes drive away from you the feare of death ye shall with Christ returne to God sleight the blacknesse and horrour of the grave which doth sweetly accord with the divine rapture of Paul 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thanks be to God which giveth us victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. The full perswasion of this is that which hath filled the spirits of Christians with joy and fortitude in their sufferings The heavenly company of Martyrs that sacrificed their lives for Christ doe deserve rather to be registred in the Catalogue of fooles then to be dignified or innobled as Saints with the Crowne of Martyrdome had they suffered and questioned the truth of the resurrection This hath made their sufferings comfortable to them and glorious to us as our patterne and example for imitation This hath made them so willing to hazard their lives for the truth of Christ It is this that hath made them so prodigall of their blood that I remember it is reported of one of the heathen persecutors that he said he thought the Christians delighted in torments they seemed to sleight all punishments and tortures that the witty malice of their adversaries could invent or their cruelty inflict This carried them forth in that height of spirit that they rejoyced in the middest of tortures It was this that cheered the heart of a Martyr that was troubled a little before his suffering the Comforter coming and assuring him of happinesse at the resurrection Gregorius Nazianzenus in his third Oration tells us of Theclas and some other Martyrs that were observed by the spectators 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be very merry in the extremity of torments Marcus of Arethusa when the bloody persecutors had exercised his Faith and patience with several sorts of tortures and did afterwards draw him through draughts and other noysome places he accounted it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather his pomp and glory then his misery and calamity Women have discovered masculine and heroicall spirits when they were called to suffer for the Lord. Nostri pueri mulierculae tortores suos taciti vincunt exprimere illis gemitum nec ignis potest Lactantius saith that the Christian children and women did by their silence over come their tormentors and the flames of firt could not make them weepe Austin tells of a poore weak maid that went to suffer for Christ tanquam ad epulas invitata a◠though she had been invited to a banquet We read of some when they came to lay downe their lives they were sorrie that they had no more lives to lose for the Lord Jesus Tertullian saith that the Christians were so ready to suffer
have seene thy salvation Or else such musick will bee in your hearts as was in Stephens when he prayed Lord Jesus receive my spirit yee shall have peace at the last which shall bee everlasting The life of grace shall be lengthned out with an eternity of glory which God and the Father grant unto you in the riches of his grace through his sonne our blessed Jesus and Redeemer Amen Christs Title to the dead bodies of Saints maintained SERMON II. CHrist is a Christians shield and buckler so that none can strike at a Christian but through the sides and loynes of his Saviour We cannot wrong Saints unlesse we injure the King of Saints Christ and his people have the same Enemies This is evident in the opposers of the resurrection who as they are enemies to Christians so they are to Christ and they doe not so much wrong to his people as they offer violence unto him as they would bereave his members of the happinesse of their resurrection so they would rob him of his limbs members and glory And therefore as I have pleaded against the living adversaries of dead Saints so I shall now plead the cause of Christ against those enemies of Christ who in denying the resurrection deny the raising of his mysticall body which doth fight against that truth which doth next present it selfe unto us in the text in these words My dead body shall they arise I must speak something for the exposition something by way of amplification of that which I apprehend to be the truth of God mainly pointed at in the words Together with my dead body shall they rise So it is in our translation and those that carrie it thus they make this to be the meaning of the words that the bodies of the Saints shall be raised together with the body of the Lord Jesus And if the Holy Ghost did point at this then the first thing that should be observed would be this that Christ Jesus had a body a naturall body If it doe not clearely appeare from this place yet it doth from others for it is said he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh And likewise Joh. 1. The word was made flesh And great is the mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 which will overthrow that which some Familisticall spirits dare to assert in our times that the Lord Jesus Christ never had any naturall bodie allegorizing the whole history of the incarnation life and death resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus But secondly if it be thus expounded as some learned men doe expound the words the next observation will be this that This bodie of Christ was a dead body Revel 1.18 I am he that liveth and was dead The true Christ in his body was once dead his body was a crucified body He his own self saith Peter in his owne body bare our sinnes upon the Crosse 1 Pet. 2.24 He was wounded for our iniquities his body was bruised for our transgressions Isa 53. Thirdly that The dead body of the Lord Jesus was raised with my dead body they shall rise it is supposed that this dead body spoken of shall arise and this is that that is so frequently preached by the Apostles who were witnesses appointed by God to testifie that the Lord Jesus did rise from the dead The Devill knew what a truth this was how much life glory sweetnesse and power there is in it therefore he imployed his instruments the Scribes and Pharisees to doe what they could to smother this truth of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus What lies did they not make what stones did they not turne what paines did they not take that they might possesse the people with this perswasion that the Lord Jesus Christ did never rise out of the grave but that his Disciples came and stole him away But brethren Christ is risen and those that rightly understand this doe find what sweetnesse and consolation comes to their hearts by believing this point There is so much in it that Paul professeth he desired to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Phil. 3.10 the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings And Peter 1. Pet. 1.3 saith that God hath begotten us againe to a lively hope through the resurrection of the Lord Jesus The hope of the Disciples was almost dead and extinguished when the Lord Jesus lay in the grave but now Christ is risen and hath discovered his power in vanquishing his and all our enemies now we have a lively hope in us that believe the resurrection of Christ for in the believing of his resurrection we have a sweet and comfortable assurance of our owne resurrection from the dead Fourthly with my dead body shall they rise Christ as I hinted before did all things and suffered all things as a publick personâ— he died not for his owne but for our sinnes Qâ—i non habuit propria portavit aliena Fulâ— He that had no sinnes of his owne did beareâ— the sinnes of other men he rose not so much for his owne as for our Justification He died for our sinnes Rom. 4. the last and he rose for our Justification So that when Christ did rise we rose And he that believes this in the spirit sees that he himselfe is risen with the Lord. There is is a two-fold resurrection A resurrection by Faith when we doe believe that we are risen in Christ our King head and leader and there is a resurrection in our owne persons when we shall be raised in our owne bodies Christ did rise for the good and in the behalfe of all his people and Christ keepes possession of Heaven after his resurrection for us in whose person we are already risen and in this respect it may be said that together with his dead body we shall arise Fiftly with my dead body shall they rise Some interpret it thus by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ they shall rise that is there shall come at the last day a power from the Lord Jesus Christ to raise up the Saints to enjoy glory with the Father But because I doe not find these two words in the Hebrew Together nor with therefore be pleased to let me passe by these observations and to give you what I doe apprehend to be the plaine meaning of the text and to read the words thus My dead body shall they rise They are the words of the Lord Jesus delivered by him for the comfort of his people assuring them that they shall be raised as his body And though some doe understand them concerning the restauration of the Jewes and the bringing in of them unto Christ yet I apprehend that this is the true spirituall meaning of God in the words which I have opened to you this day The point then will be this the dead bodies of the Saints which shall be raised are the dead bodies of Christ himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Familisticall spirits are puffed up with a conceit of their knowledge notions and speculations when indeed they are wholy carnall and understand not the deepe things of Gods grace in the face of Jesus Christ But he that truly walks with God faithfully that man walks humbly with his God True Faith as it exalts us and shewes us our priviledges and honour by the grace of God in Christ so it humbles us by the sight of what is in our selves The light of grace will as well discover what wee are in our fleshly part as what wee are by the grace of God in the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ And these that are thus enlightned shall never fall totally and finally from the pure and simple Gospel of Christ the Spirit in them doth assure them that they shall abide in him John 2.27 Therefore beware of pride the bane of Angels and the ruine of men and the mother of Familisme But grow in humility conceit not that you are full when you are empty As long as the Widow had empty vessels the oyle did still run so as long as there is an empty vessel in thy heart the oyle of grace shall flow in unto thee The fourth Direction Take heed that thou dost not embrace the Doctrines of free will and falling away from grace some of the Familists of the City have been great sticklers to uphold these points and to revive Arminian Tenets among Professors before they did arrive to the top and height of Familisme That man will not stand long who hath no strength but his owne legs to uphold him Neither will that man stand long for Christ who stands more by the strength of his owne will then by the power of Gods grace Adam standing in his owne strength lost his happinesse when he was wise and righteous and canst thou maintaine thy selfe in an happy condition by thine owne strength when thou art unrighteous True Saints are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a keeping of any thing as by a Guard Gods grace is a guard by which he doth keepe all his in the way of salvation so that it is impossible they should fall away from his grace It is no wonder then if they fall way from grace to Familisme who doe maintaine that Saints may fall away from grace The fift Direction Be not loose or licentious in life or neglective of Sanctification under the profession of the Doctrines of Free-grace and Justification Many of the professed Familists which we meet with have been loose Professors of the Doctrine of Grace The Libertine doth live next dore to the Familist and Libertinisme is the broad road and high-way or beaten-path to Familisme Lastly take heed of vaine janglings and disputings in matters of Religion Religion is more in practise then Controversies or speculation Be more conscientious to practise what thou knowest then curious in disputing about things that thou knowest not And let thine eare be rather open to those that will instruct thee then to those that will dispute with thee The Disputes and Controversies of the times have made many Atheists and Familists in these times Origen speaking of these words in the 21. Exod. 22. If men strive and hurt a woman with child so that her fruit depart from her c. doth thus allegorize them The woman with child saith he are weake Christians who are with child and ready to bring forth truth The men that strive are Professors that with bitternesse and violence doe contend for their opinions and while they strive in heat and bitternesse for their opinions the Christian miscarries and doth not bring forth truth How many who did seeme to have Christ almost formed in them have miscarried and fallen to Familisme by the strivings and contentions of Professors that thou mayst therefore learne wisdome by their folly and stand more stedfastly by their fall treasure up the truths which have been delivered and imprint them upon your memories and because reasons precepts exhortations and Rules doe little advantage us to preserve us in the Profession of the Truth without the power of him who is truth looke unto him to preserve in the Faith of your union with himselfe and his Father in the Spirit and to ascertaine you of your resurrections as part of his body and to enable you as his members to glorifie him and his Father in the Spirit for evermore Amen The great Joy of Saints in the great Day of the Resurrection SERMON III. Preach'd on a Thanks-giving DAY ISAIAH 26.19 Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the Earth shall cast forth her dead I Have shewed unto you that these words are a present comfort or cordiall given by God unto his people for the refreshment of their languishing spirits and sad hearts in the midst of their afflictions And have proved that the bodies of the Saints shall arise and that they shall arise as the body of the Lord Jesus He is their head they shall rise as his menbers He dyed to bring his people to a sprituall onenesse with himselfe and his Father They are his possession and inheritance And as a body may properly be called the body of that soule which doth informe it so Christ shall be the spirituall forme and soule to those that shal be raised at the great day of the generall resurrection By these and other spirituall considerations I did evidence this truth that the bodies of the Saints shall he raised as the dead bodie of their blessed Siviour My dead body shall they rise I shall now by the Assistance of Gods grace briefly open unto you the words that follow in the Text and make choyse of one proposition from them which may heighten your spirituall joy this day upon which I shall enlarge my selfe and so shall commend you and what I shall deliver to you to the blessing of the Almighty The next word which doth present it selfe to us in the Text is this Awake which doth afford us this observation that Death is but a sleep It is night for a time with the Saints while they sleep in their graves but they shall awake at the morning of the resurrection The grave is a bed of rest perfumed and made sweet to all Saints by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ who hath taken away whatsoever is bitter and unpleasant in it It is no longer a curse to the Saints but rather a part of their happinesse Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Rev. 14.4.13 As the Psalmist speakes Psal 17. When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likenesse that is at the great day of the resurrection after I have had a long sleep in the dust when the night is past and the day of the resurrection shall shine I shall awake and then I shall be satisfied with thy likenesse Isa 57.2
29.11 Wherefore let us be willing to receive Christ by faith and to receive faith as a gift God must cloath thee with his Sonne and give thee faith to put him on Refuse not this glorious garment because God will give it thee freely But bee contented to be made partaker of Christ and faith according to Gods own pleasure Think not with Simon Magus to buy the gifts of the Spirit faith is a free gift God will not sell a Diamond for dung Faith is a precious Diamond in a Christians crown workes before faith but dung Phil. 3. Cease then from thinking by thine owne workes to purchase that faith which God doth intend freely to give unto men because men can give no considerable price for it Make no more words in bargaining with God for faith He will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely Rev. 21.6 Let no man be kept back by his old age or sinnes from hoping to obtaine salvation through faith While we are in this world no repentance is too late there is a way to mercy Nec quisquam aut peccatis retardebitur aut annis ad salutem consequendam In isto adhuc mundo manenti paenitentia nulla sera est Patet ad indulgentiam additus Ciprian Object But if faith be such a free gift why doth not God give the same measure of faith unto all believers Answ Hee may doe what hee will with his owne He may give him the greatest measure of faith who deserves faith lest Ephes 4.7 Vnto every one of us is given faith according to the measure of the gift of Christ As a man that giveth measures of wheate freely to beggars may give one more and another lesse without doing any wrong So God may measure forth faith unto us largely according to his owne will wlthout wronging those who have done more for him and receive lesse We have no cause to complaine or murmure against God because hee is abundantly gracious to whom he pleaseth but should rather admire his free grace And seeing faith with every act and degree of it is a gift of unmerited grace let us who doe believe waite for the encrease of faith as a gift ceasing from our own workes understanding and abilities Yet here lest I should be mistaken let me adde this caution That we should not neglect Gospel-duties by hearing of Gospel-promises Promises should not prove occasions of sloth to to the faithfull but should be arguments and incentives to spirituall activity 2 Cor. 7.1 Having these promises let us clense our selves from all filthiuesse c. Seventhly Let us prize faith as a gift wee prize gifts because there is usually some preciousnesse and goodnesse in them or else for the givers sake Faith is precious in it selfe 1 Pet. 1.1 Gods gifts have something of his owne goodnesse in them and faith is to be prized because it is from him It is said of Elkanah that he gave portions to Peninnah and her sonnes and daughteas but unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion for he loved her 1 Sam. 1.4 5. So God doth give portions to the men of the world but his worthy portion of love to his Saints through faith and therefore prize it Imitate those blessed soules who have shewed unto us by their good examples how they prized faith who were contented to part rather with their honours pleasures riches preserments yea their owne lives then the faith of the glorious Gospel of Christ They loved not their lives unto the death Rev. 8ly Faith is a great gift which if thou hast it thou knowest that thou hast freely received it Fides magnum aliquid est quam si habes profecto accepisti Aug. And therefore look up unto God for wretched unbelieving creatures think that they may recâ—ve faith as a gift which they will never be able to deserve as a reward This may strengthen faith much when we are before the Throne of grace begging faith for poore sinners if wee consider that faith is a free gift Jeremiah made use of such an argument to strengthen his faith Jer. 14.7 Though our iniquities doe testifie against us doe for thy Names sake O the happinesse of those who are acquainted with free grace they may expect all things for themselves and others as free gifts to be given unto them though they can expect nothing as deserved wages Lastly Give glory to God for his unspcakable grace in giving faith unto thee My faith O Lord saith one hath called upon thee which thou hast given unto mee and which thou hast inspired into me Invoeavit te demine fides mea quam dedisti mihi quam inspirasti mihi Aug. Cons So blesse God with that faith and for that faith which God hath freely given thee The Sonne of God hath given us an understanding to know God 1 Joh. 5.20 And this knowledg is the gift of faith Quid aliud est fides quam vera de Deo cognitio Cyp. And therefore blesse God in the Sonne for this faith Thou mightest have laine in the darke dungeon of an unbelieving heart to this day and thou art brought into the wonderful light of the liberty of the Gospell through faith The Soune hath made thee free and thou art free indeed by believing Be free in rendring largely the tribute of praise to him who through faith hath knocked off the shackles setters of bondage from thy soule Give thy selfe to him who hath given himselfe and his Sonne to thee through faith And begin to live the heavenly life of glory in giving glory and praise to him who hath given thee the glory of union with himselfe in his Sonne through faith Joh. 17. Give praise to the King of Zion who hath redeemed thee to God by his own blood and made thee a King and Priest and hath assured thee that thou shalt reigne upon the earth Say of faith and all the gifts of his Spirit as Iacob of his children these are children which God hath graciously given unto his servant Ascribe nothing to thy selfe but all to him from whom are all things Crye with a loud voyce Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lambe and sing in faith with all Saints who love Christ in sincerity Revel 6.12 Blessing and Glory and Wisedome and Thankes giving and Honour and Power and Might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen SERMON VI. The Heaven-borne man sinneth not 1 JOHN 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God GOd in his grace hath shined into my spirit by reading of these words which hath inclined my spirit to speake from these words The truths of Christ are likely to prove powerfull upon the hearts of the hearers when they are seconded with the experience of the speaker I am therefore emboldned to acquaint you with the truth which is wrapt up in these