is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us which last words referre peculiarly to that act of this his Preist-hood in blessing or interceding for us and Rom. 4. 25. who was delivered to death for our offences and was raised againe for our justification The Death of Christ not justifying any who hath not his part in his Resurrection S. I perceive this theme of Christs Priesthood to be a rich mine of Christian knowledge every scruple of mine opening so large a field of matter before you I shall satisfy my selfe with this competency which you have afforded me I beseech God I may be able to digest it into kindly juice that I may grow thereby Please you now to proceed to the third and last Office of Christ that of a Prophet C. I shall and promise you not to exercise your patience so largely in that as in the former S. Wherein doth his Propheticke Office consist In foretelling what things should happen to his Church C. No that is not the notion we have now of a Prophet although that he hath also done in some measure as farre as is usefull for us S. What other notion have you of a Prophet C. The same that the Apostle hath of prophecying 1 Cor. 11. 4. 14. 6. S. What is that C. Interpreting or making knowne the will of God to us S. Wherein did Christ doe that C. In his Sermons but especially that on the Mount telling us on what termes blessednesse is now to be had under the Gospell and revealing some commands of God which before were either not at all or so obscurely revealed in the Old Testament that men thought not themselves obliged to such obedience Besides this the Propheticke Office was exercised in ordeining ceremonies and discipline for his Church the use of the Sacraments and the power of the keyes that is the Censures of the Church S. What else belongs to his Propheticke Office C. Whatsoever else he revealed concerning the Essence and Attributes of God concerning the mystery of the calling of the Gentiles and whatsoever other divine truth he revealed to his auditours either in parables or plaine enuntiations S. What are we to returne to this Office of his C. Our willing full assent never doubting of the truth of any affirmation of his a ready obedience to his institutions and commands neither despising nor neglecting the use of what he hath thought fit to prescribe us and subduing carnall proud reason to the obedience of faith S. You have gone before mee through the names and offices of Christ severally Is there any influence on practice that all of them jointly may be thought to have over and above what from the severals you have shewed me C. I shall commend onely one consideration to you for this purpose that Christ being an union of these three Offices is a Iesus or Saviour finally to none but those who receive him under all his three Offices uniformly into their hearts S. § 3 The Lord grant that I may doe so that I may be not a little way or a partiall unsincere but a true Christian What hinders but that you now proceed according to your method prpoosed to the particulars of the third ranke the Theologicall graces and Christian virtues C. I shall if your patience and appetite continue to you S. To begin then with the first what is Faith C. There is not any one word in nature which hath more significations then this hath in the Word of God especially in the New Testament It sometimes signifies the acknowledgment of the true God in opposition to Heathenisme sometimes the Christian Religion in opposition to Indaisme sometimes the beleeving the power of Christ to heale diseases sometimes the beleeving that he is the promised Messias sometimes fidelity or faithfulnesse sometimes a resolution of conscience concerning the lawfulnesse of any thing sometimes a reliance affiance or dependance on Christ either for temporall or spirituall matters sometimes beleeving the truth of all divine revelations sometimes obedience to Gods commands in the Evangelicall not legall sence sometime the doctrine of the Gospell in opposition to the law of Moses sometimes 't is an aggregate of all other graces sometimes the condition of the second Covenant in opposition to the first and other sences of it also there are distinguishable by the contexture and the matter treated of where the word is used S. I shall not be so importunate as to expect you should travaile with mee through every of these severals but shall confine your trouble to that which seemes most necessary for me to know more particularly As first which of all these is the notion of that Faith which is the Theologicall Grace distinct from Hope and Charity 1 Cor. 13. 13 C. It is there the assenting to or beleeving the whole word of God particularly the Gospell and in that the commands and threates and promises of that word especially the promises This you will acknowledge if you looke on v. 12. of that Chapter and there observe and consider that Vision in the next life is the perfecting of that Faith in this life or that Faith here is turned into Vision there as hope into enjoying for this argues Faith here to be this assent to those things which here come to us by hearing and are so beleeved by adherence or darke enigmaticall knowledge but hereafter are seene or known demonstratively or face to face Hence is it that Faith is defined by the Apostle Heb. 11. 1. the ground or foundation of things hoped for the conviction or being convinced or assured of things which we doe not see The foundation on which all hope is built for I must first beleeve the promise before I can hope the performance of it on right grounds and the being convinced of the truth of those things for which there is no other demonstration but onely the word and promise of God and yet upon that an inclination to beleeve them as assuredly as if I had the greatest evidence in the world S. I cannot but desire one trouble more from you in this matter what kind of Faith was the Faith of Abraham which is so much spoken of in the New Testament Ro. 4. Gal. 3. Heb. 11. Ja. 2. and seemes to be meant as the patterne by which our Faith should be cut out and upon which both he was and we may expect to be justified C. I cannot but commend the seasonablenesse of the question before I answer it for certainly you have pitch't upon that which is the onely sure foundation ground-worke of all true knowledge and resolution in this matter Abraham being the Father of the Faithfull in whom that grace was most eminent very highly commended and rewarded in the Scripture and like whom we must be if ever we expect to approve
the poore go and be rich and giving them nothing v. 16. for that habit of faith and in opposition to that resolving that the Faith which in time of triall when occasion is offered doth not bring forth acts is such a dead carcasse of faith that God will never be content with to the justifying or accepting of any or counting any man as Abraham his friend for such are none saith Christ but those which do whatsoever he commands them S. I thanke you for this very plaine delineation of Abrahams Faith be onely now pleased to prevent any mistake of mine to change the scene and bring home the whole matter to mine owne heart and tell me what is that Faith which is required of me and which alone will suffice to denominate me a child of Faithfull Abraham and which will be sure to be accounted to me for righteousnesse by God and this you may please to doe onely with reflection and in proportion to what you have already told me of Abraham C. I will obey you The faith which is now required of you and which God will thus accept to your justification is a cordiall sincere giving up your selfe unto God particularly to Christ firmely to rely on all his promises and faithfully to obey all his commands delivered in the Gospell which will never be accounted that sincere cordiall faith unlesse you doe whensoever any triall is made of you act and performe accordingly beleive what Christ hath promised in the Gospell against all spirituall or worldly temptations to the contrary and practice what Christ commands against all the invitations of pleasure or profit or vaine glory to the contrary to which purpose it is that Christ saith that they cannot beleive which receive the praise of men by that one carnall motive as an example or instance of the rest illustrating this truth that he that the World or Flesh or Devill can carry away from the profession of and obedience to Christ is no sonne of the faithfull Abraham no beleiving Disciple of his For if it be said that Abraham was faithfull before these acts of his Faith at least before that second of them that of obedience being justified upon the beleeving the promise before Gen. 15. and so that you may have true faith before you produce those effects of it at least by beleeving the promises of Christ you are so justified without respect unto or abstracted from this obedience to his commands I shall soone satisfy that scruple by confessing the truth of it as farre as concern'd Abraham on this ground because Abraham was by God who saw his heart discerned to be faithfull before any of these trials nay had formerly given evidence of it by going out of his country at Gods command which was an act of great obedience Gen. 12. 1. and Heb. 11. 8. And after being tried at that time onely with a promise he gave full credit to that and still gave evidence of his fidelity as fast as occasions were offered which God that saw no maime in him did accept of even before he had made those other trials And proportionably it will still hold true of you that if your heart be sincerely given up to Christ if there be in you a resolution of uniforme obedience unto Christ which the searcher of hearts sees to be sincere and such as would hold out in time of temptation this will be certainly accepted by God to thy justification nay if God try thee onely with the promise as be it but this that Christ will give rest to all that being weary come to him or for temporall things that he will never faile thee nor forsake thee if thou do confidently depend on the truth of this without any doubting or staggering this will be accepted by God to thy justification without any farther acts of faith or obedience to his commands in case or supposing there were no such command as yet given to thee or no occasion of obeying it But now thy case being in one respect distinguished from that of Abrahams the whole Gospell being already revealed and proposed to thee as a summary of what thou art bound to beleive and what to do and no need of any such particular revelations of Gods will either by way of promise or particular precept as was to Abraham the object of thy faith is already set thee all the Affirmations all the promises and all the Commands yea and Threats of the Gospell and all these are to be received uniformly with a cordiall faith proportioned to each of them assent to all his affirmations dependance on all his promises resolution of obedience to all his commands even those hardest sayings of his most unacceptable to flesh and bloud and feare and awe of his Threats without any flattering fallacious hope of possibility to escape them Thy Faith if it be true must be made up of all these parts and not of some one or more of them and then whensoever any triall shall be particularly made of thee in which kind soever it happens to be first thou must expresse and evidence thy fidelity or else this faith will not be accepted by God to thy justification i. e. will not be approved by him or accounted for thy righteousnesse and the same must be resolved when and how often soever occasions shall offer themselves either of assenting or adhering or obeying or fearing God i. e. whensoever any difficulty or other temptation interposes in any one of these for then it is with thee as it was with Abraham when God tempted him and there is no justification to be had but upon passing faithfully I say not without all sinne all blemish all imperfection but without all falsenesse faithlessenesse hypocrisy honestly sincerely through such trials For though God may approve and justify thy faith and thee before or without any triall any performance beholding all in the heart which men doe in the actions yet when those trials are made and the performance not met with 't is then apparent even to men and thy owne soule that thy resolutions were not before sincere i. e. thy faith true and consequently God that saw that before those trials cannot be thought to have justified that unsincere resolver that dead heartlesse livelesse Faith But when upon such trials God meets with his desired expected returnes he then justifies the fidelity or Faith of that man and consequently that man himselfe who hath shewed himselfe so faithfull and so by the purport of the New Covenant through the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ he imputes not to that man the sinnes of his former nor frailties infirmities of his present life S. You have given me a large account of my demand and I can finde nothing wanting to my present satisfaction but the more distinct descending to the severall parts and branches of faith that I may more nearely looke into the severals of my duty in this matter wherein I am so mightily concerned C. I
shall give you that without detaining you long or adding much to what hath beene already said onely by giving you the object of true faith which is of two sorts Either God himselfe Or the Word of God God who is beleived in and the Word of God as the rule of that Faith or matter to be beleived and that Word entirely considered signifying whatsoever I am or may ever be convinced to come from him and in it as it is now shut up and compriz'd in the Bookes of Canonicall Scripture these speciall parts which do divide the whole Scripture betweene them 1. The Affirmations of Scripture whether by way of Historicall Narration or by way of Doctrine 2. The Promises of God both in the Old and New Testament but especially the promises of the Gospell both such as belong to this life and specially those that belong to another 3. The Commands of God whether the Naturall Law of all mankinde written in our hearts by the finger of God made up in the frame of the humane soule and more clearely revealed both in the Decalogue and other parts of sacred writ or whether the Commands of Christ raising nature to a higher pitch in the Sermon on the Mount and superadding some positive institutions as those of the Sacraments and Censures of the Church in other parts of the New Testament 4. The Threats of the Gospell those terrors of the Lord set on purpose to drive and hazen us to amendment of our sinfull lives All these put together are the adequate object of our Faith which is then cordiall and such as God will accept of when it affords to every one of these that reception which is apportioned to it assent to the truth of the Affirmations fiduciall reliance on the promises obedientiall submission to the Commands and humble feare and aw to the Threats S. I have heard much of a Generall and a Particular Faith and that the Generall is little worth without the Particular Tell me whether that be appliable to the Faith you now speake of C. Being rightly understood it is S. What then is the Generall and Particular Faith as it referres to the Affirmations of Scripture C. The Generall is a beleife of Gods veracity that whatsoever is affirmed by him is infallibly true the Particularis the full giving up my assent to every particular which I am convinced to be affirmed by God assoone as ever I am so convinced or have meanes sufficient offered me so to convince me and yet more particularly the acknowledging of those truths which have speciall markes set upon them in Scripture to signifie them to be of more weight then others as that God is Heb. 11. 6. That Christ is the Messias of the world the acknowledging of which is said to be life eternall Jo. 17. 3. The Doctrine of the Trinity into which all are commanded to be baptized and those other fundamentals of faith which all men were instructed in antiently before they were permitted to be baptized contrived breifly into the compasle of the Apostles Creed a summary of Christian faith or doctrine necessary to be believed S. What is the Generall and Particular Faith as it referres to the Commands of the Gospell C. The Generall is an assent to the truth and goodnesse of those Commands in generall as they concerne all men that is beleiving that Christ hath given such a law to all his Disciples to all Christians and that that law is most fit to be given by him The Particular is the applying these Commands to my selfe as the necessary and proper rule of my life the resolving faithfull obedience to them S. What is it as it reforres to the Threats C. The Generall is to beleive that those Threates will be and that it is most just they should be executed upon all against whom they are denounced The Threates under oath absolutely non-admission into Gods rest to all disobedient provokers Heb. 3. 11. the conditionall Threates conditionally i. e. unlesse we repent and use the meanes to avert them The Particular is to resolve that except I get out of that number I shall certainly find my part in them S. What as it referres to the Promises C. The Generall is the beleeving the truth infallible truth of the Promises which Promises the object of that Faith being generally conditionall not absolute Promises great care must be taken that the Faith be proportioned to the nature of the Promises As when the Promise of rest is made peculiarly to the weary and heavy laden thus coming to Christ the Generall faith is to beleive undoubtedly that this rest shall be given to all that performe this condition to all humble faithfull penitentiaries and to beleive that it belongs either absolutely to all or to any but those who are so qualified is to beleive a lye No peice of Faith but phansy or vaine conceite which sure will never advantage but betray any that depends upon it S. What then is the Particular Faith terminated in this conditionall Promise C. Not the beleiving that the Promise belongs absolutely to me for it doth not any longer then I am so qualified nor the beleeving that I am so qualified for 1. perhaps I am not and 2. that is no object of faith no part of the promise or of any other peice of Gods word but it is made up of these three things 1. the confident perswasion that if I faile not in my part Christ will never faile in his if I doe repent no power of heaven or earth or hell no malice of Satan no secret unrevealed decree shall ever be able to deprive me of my part in the promise 2. A setting my selfe to performe the condition on which the promise is made as when rest being promised upon condition of coming I come upon that invitation then this coming of mine may be called particular application as when a picture is so designed and set as to looke on every one that comes in at the doore on none else the way to be particularly lookt on i. e. to apply the eye of the picture particularly to me is to come in at that doore And 3. the comparing the conditionall Promise to my particular present estate by way of selfe-examination and thence concluding upon sight of the condition in my selfe that I am such a one to whom the Promise belongs and shall have my part in it if I continue and persevere The second of these if it be reall and sincere gives me a certainty of the object seales the Promise to me in heaven which will remaine firme though I never know of it The third if it be on right judgement of my selfe may give me the other certainty i. e. ascertaine me that I am in the number of Gods children but there being so much uncertainty whether I judge aright of my selfe or no and there being no particular affirmation in Gods word concerning the sincerity of my present or perseverance
of my future condition that assurance reflexive of which this is one ingredient cannot be a divine Faith but at the most an humane yet such as perhaps I may have no doubting mixed with nor reason that I should so doubt For at the conclusion of life having finisht his course and persevered Saint Paul could say without doubting henceforth there is laid up for me a crowne of righteousnesse Which if another man be not able to say with that assurance 't will not presently be want of Faith in him as long as this want of assurance proceeds not from any distrust of the truth of Gods promises but onely from an humble conceit of his owne repentance that 't is not such as God requires of him And if that place 2 Cor. 13. 5. Know ye not that Christ Jesus is in you except you be reprobates be objected to prove that all are Reprobates that know not that Christ is in them the answer will be satisfactory that the words rendred in you signifie very frequently in the Scripture and peculiarly in a place parallell to this Exod. 17. 7. among you or in your congregation And so the sence will be best dissolved into a question and answer know you not by the miracles preaching the demonstration of the spirit and of power that Christ Jesus is among you by way of interrogation for so 't is in the Greeke and the meaning appeares by the context to be Know ye not discerne you not your selves that the power of the Gospell is come among you by my Apostleship and then by way of answer Except you be reprobates you are obdurate insensate creatures undoubtedly unlesse you doe S. You have shewed me the difference betwixt Generall and Particular Faith and I shall not follow that matter any farther but I pray helpe me in one difficulty We are said in Scripture to be justified by faith and we heare much talke of a justifying faith I pray tell me what Faith this is to which Justification is attributed C. First let me tell you that Faith in whatever acception is no proper efficient cause of justification for such is onely God through the satisfaction of Christ accepting our persons and our weake performances and not imputing our sinnes in which act nothing in us can possibly have any so much as inferiour instrumentall efficiency the most that can be said is that 't is a condition without which God that justifies the penitent beleiver will never justifie the impenitent infidell and therefore 't is observable that 't is no where said in Scripture that Faith justifies but that we are justified by Faith which particle by is a peculiar note of a condition not a cause S. But then what Faith is this which is the condition of our justification C. That Faith which we shewed you was Abrahams Faith or infewer words the receiving the whole Christ in all his offices as my King my Preist my Prophet whereby I beleeve the Commands as well as the Promises of the Gospell or take the Promises as they are i. e. as conditionall Promises And this a cordiall practicall beleife a firme resolution of uniforme obedience and Discipleship faith made perfect by workes Ja. 2. 22. Intimating that without the addition of such workes such obedience Evangelicall it would be imperfect unsufficient to this end that is to our Justification The same is called in a parallell phrase faith consummate by love Gal. 5. 6. which indeed we render working by love but the Greeke and Syriack signifies consummate by love that is by acts of Christian Charity and therefore in two parallell places is thus varied in one we reade instead of it the new Creature Gal. 6. 15. in another the keeping the Commandements of God 1 Cor. 7. 19. S. But how then is it so often said that we are not justified by workes Gal. 1. 16. and Rom. 3. 28. that we are justified by faith without the deeds of the law C. I have in effect already told you and shall in a word again tell you The word workes and deeds of the law in those places signifies perfect legall obedience or circumcision and the like Judaicall out-dated Ceremonies and Faith the Evangelicall Grace of giving up the whole heart to Christ without any such perfect obedience or Judaicall observances and so 't is truly said we are justified by Faith without them i. e. without such workes such perfect obedience yet not excluding but including that Evangelicall obedience for without that Faith is dead saith Saint James 2. 17. and then sure not able to justifie any And therefore you may observe in that Apostles discourse Ja. 2. he affirmes that Abraham was justified by workes v. 21. and makes that a parallell phrase to that of the Old Testament Abraham beleived God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse v. 23. where as justification and imputed to him for righteousnesse are phrases of the same importance so are workes and beleiving also S. The reason of it I conceive is because Faith alwaies brings forth good workes or if it doe not it is no true Faith C. I am not altogether of your opinion for I conceive it very possible for me to beleive and yet not to live accordingly The truth is that is not a justifying Faith or such as even now I defined and so no truefaith in that sence but yet it may be a true Faith for so much as it is I may truly without all doubting beleive the promise of mercy and salvation to the true penitent and none else which beleife is very fit and proper to set me a reforming and amending and yet 't is possible for temptations of carnall objects to perswade me to deferre this duty nay never to thinke fit to set my selfe to the performance of it the present pleasures of sinne may outweigh in my debauched choice those future spirituall joyes nay I may see and like them and yet for the present embrace the contrary the will of man being a middle free faculty not absolutely obliged to doe or choose what the understanding judgeth most honest i. e. what Reason and Faith and the Spirit of God commandeth to be done The truth is if this faith get once to be radicated in the heart to rule and reigne there if the will chooseth what Faith recommendeth then it bringeth forth all manner of good workes and so then 't is the consummation of Faith by Charity and Good workes that God accepteth in Christ to justification and not the bare aptnesse of faith to bring forth workes if those workes by the fault of a rebellious infidell will be not brought forth S. But is there no one peculiar act of Faith to which justification is particularly imputable C. That to which justification is promised is certainly the giving up of the whole soule intirely unto Christ accepting his promises on his conditions undertaking Discipleship upon Christs termes But yet 't is possible that some one
22. Cast thy burthen on the Lord and he shall susteine thee 1 Pet. 5. 7. Casting all care on the Lord for he careth for you To which you may adde Christe promise that if we aske we shall have if we asks not amisse saith Saint James which sure we do not if we aske but what he taught us to aske this day our dayly bread i. e. as in the explication of the Lords prayer was shewed day by day those things that are necessary for the remainder of our life Many other promises you will observe to the same purpose and particularly this in the place by way of expostulation v. 30. shall he not much more cloth you O ye of little faith intimating strongly a promise that he shall and requiring faith or beleife of this promise at our hands Secondly That want of faith or trust in this promise not beleeving this truth is a peice of the damning sinne of infidelity so charged here upon them that beleive it not v. 30. Thirdly that any carking sollicitude for the future is an argument of this distrust this not daring to rely on God's providence and God's promise and so an unchristian sinne S. But is not every man commanded by the Apostle 1 Tim. 5. 8. to provide for his owne especially those of his owne house or kindred and if he doth not defined to have denyed the faith and to be worse then an infidel Sure then this want of thoughtfullnesse and secular providence will rather be infidelity C. To reconcile this prohibition of Christs with this precept of Saint Pauls It will be necessary to adde a 4th proposition That for present supplies a Christian not only may but must use those lawfull and proper meanes that are ordinarily in his power to use to the attaining that end and this is so farre from distrusting of God or not depending and beleiving on him that it is indeed a speciall act of this faith the doing of what he requires us to doe and without our doing of which he hath not promised to supply us His promises which are the object of our faith are not absolute but conditionall promises require and suppose a condition to be performed on our part and then give us a right to the thing promised not before Every man therefore must doe somewhat himselfe to provide for his owne and not to doe so is infidelity in Saint Pauls stile just as the Disciples are called faithlesse for not casting out of the Devill that would not be cast out but by prayer and fasting i. e. For not using that meanes to cast him out Mark 9. 19. to be instrumentall to Gods providence not to fly to his extraordinary protection when his ordinary is afforded us God doth not use to multiply miracles unprofitably nor at all but for the begetting or confirming of our Faith which can not be the case when we neglect those meanes of making good Gods truths which are already by him afforded us but onely when all lawfull meanes have beene tried improsperously then 't will be Gods season to shew forth his extraordinary power In the meane time it is sufficient that he offer us meanes to bring us to that end which he promiseth and if we neglect those meanes and so faile in the condition required of us we thereby discharge him of all obligation to make good the promise to us which was not absolute for him to doe without us but conditionall for him to doe if we failed not in our parts S. But what are those meanes required on our parts as subservient to Gods providence in feeding and clothing us C. I shall first name you some that are such meanes and then others that are mistaken for such and are not The true meanes you may know in generall by this marke that all meanes perfectly lawfull i. e. all things that are proper to that end and are no way prohibited by God are such and all unlawfull are not But then particularly 1. Labour and diligence in ones caling is such a lawfull meanes As in spirituall so in temporall things if we labour or worke God will cooperate As in the warre with Amelek when Israel fights God will fight with them Poverty is the Amelek our honest labour fighting against it and therefore the idle person is called 2 Thes 3. 6 7 11. a disorderly walker The word being military signifying one out of his ranke one that is not in file to fight against this enemy and when we are thus employed God our Captaine hath sworne that he will have warre will fight against that enemy with us for ever and that as the 72 read in that place with a secret hand assisting him that is thus busied prospering him insensibly that is thus employed A sure blessing on the laborious Prov. 10. 4. The hand of the diligent maketh rich And on the other side he that will not labour saith the Apostle let him not eate which is there a peice of Apostolicall discipline to beseige idlenesse and starve it up And that an image on earth of what is done in Heaven as in the other censures of the Church it being the rule of Gods ordinary providence that they that neglect the meanes shall not obtaine the end This promise being conditionall as all others not to the idle profane jiduciary but to the faithfull labourer The absolute Stoicall depender on fate may starve for want of industry dye for want of physicke and be damned for want of repentance and all this not through too much but too little Faith the not taking the meanes along with him which were predestined by God to bring him to a better end S. What other meanes is there required of us by God to this end C. Prayer to him for our daily bread the condition without which there is no one thing which we have promise to receive from him Aske and ye shall have c. but not otherwise So elsewhere the worshipping of God is joined with the doing of his will to make us capable of Gods hearing S. What other meanes C. Honest thrift the not spending upon our lusts our vanities those good things of this world that our labour and prayers have by Gods blessing brought in to us For the prodigall may starve as well as the sluggard he that drinkes out his bread as he that doth not earne it God hath not undertaken for any sinne that it shall not ruine us His protection is like that of the law for them onely that travaile in the day and in the rode not for the disorderly walkers in any kind that have any by-path or night-worke to exhaust that treasure that his providence hath or is ready to bestow And the same that I say of luxury may be said also of other harpies and vultures that leave men oft times as bare as the high-way robbers that sly sinne of close adultery that eates out so many estates Yea and that other of strife and contention that
our selves to or to be justified by God S. But what then was the Faith of Abraham C. Many acts of Abrahams Faith there are mentioned in the New Testament which were severall exercises of that grace in him but especially two there are by which in two trials of his Faith he approved himselfe to God so farre as that God imputed them to him for righteousnesse i. e. accepted of those acts of his as graciously as if he had performed perfect unsinning obedience had lived exactly without any slip or fall all his life yea and gave him the honour of being called the freind of God S. What was the first of those acts C. That which Saint Paul referres to Rom. 4. and Gal. 3. his beleeving the promise of God made unto him Gen. 15. S. What was that promise C. It consisted of two parts First that God would sheild and defend or take him into his protection and withall reward him abundantly for all the service that he should ever performe unto him This promise is set down v. 1. in these words feare not Abraham I am thy sheild and exceeding great reward The summe of which is that God will protect all those that depend and trust on him and reward all his faithfull servants in a manner and measure inexpressibly abundant and particularly that he would then deale so with Abraham a true faithfull servant of his and consequently that he should not fear This promise it is not said in the text expressely that Abraham beleeved but yet it is so farre implied that there is no doubt of it for Abrahams question v. 2. What wilt thou give me seeing I goe childlesse is in effect a bowing and yeilding consent to the truth of this promise and firmely depending upon it and thereupon proceeding to a speciall particular wherein he desired that favour of God to be made good to him the giving him a child for his reward whereas otherwise having none and so his servant being his onely heire apparent all the wealth in the world would not be valuable to him and thereupon as a reward of that his former faith on the former promise God proceeds to make him that second more particular promise which I called the second part of it S. What was that C. The promise that he should have an heire of his own body from whom should come a posterity as numerous or rather innumerable as the stars of heaven and among them at length the Messias in whom all the people of the world should be blessed for that is the meaning of so shall thy seed be v. 5. and of the same words delivered by way of Ellipsis Rom. 4. 18. Who beleived that he should be the father of many nations accordingly as had beene said to him by God So i. e. as the starres of heaven shall thy seed be This second part of the promise being a particular conteined before under the generall of rewarding him exceedingly but not till now explicitely revealed to Abraham that God would then reward him by giving him a son and a numerous posterity and the Messias to come from him was a particular triall whether his former beleife were sincere i. e. whether he would trust and depend on God or no there being little reason for him to expect a child then having remained so long without one and so some difficulty in so beleeving and then it followes that in this triall he was found faithfull he beleeved v. 6. or as Saint Paul heightens it beside or beyond hope he beleived Rom. 4. 18. and God counted it to him for righteousnesse i. e. tooke this for such an expression of his faithfullnesse and sincerity and true piety that he accepted him as a righteous person upon this performance though no doubt he had many infirmities and sinnes which he was or had beene guilty of in his life unreconcileable with perfect righteousnesse S. What was the second of those acts of Abrahams faith C. That which Saint Iames mentions c. 2. 21. and Saint Paul Heb. 11. 17. offering up his sonne Isaak upon the Altar For God having made triall before of his faith in one particular that of beleeving his promise makes now a new triall of it in another that of obedience to his commands for when God gives commands aswell as promises the one is as perfect a season and meanes of triall of faith as the other and to say I have faith and not thus to evidence it not to bring forth that fruit of it when God by expecting it and requiring it puts mee to the triall is either to manifest that I have no faith at all or else not a through faith but only for cheaper easier services not able to hold out to all trials Or else that this is but a dull livelesse habit of faith without any vitall acts flowing from it which yet are the things that God commandeth and without yeilding of which in time of triall or when occasion is offered the habit will not be accepted And this I conceive the clearest way of reconciling Saint Iames and Saint Paul Abraham was justified by faith saith Saint Paul Rom 4. and not by workes i. e. by beleeving and depending on God for the performance of his promise and resigning himselfe up wholly to him to obey his precepts or more clearely by that Faith which howsoever it was tried whether by promises of strange incredible things or commands of very hard duties killing his onely sonne did constantly approve it selfe to be a true saith and so was accepted by God without performance of absolute unsinning obedience much more without performance of the Mosaicall law Abraham then being uncircumcised which two things one or both are generally by Saint Paul meant by workes But then saith Saint James Abraham was justified by workes i. e. his Faith did approve its selfe by faithfull actions particularly by offering up his sonne an act of the greatest fidelity and sincerity and obedience in the world and if in time of triall he had not done so he had never pass't for the faithfull Abraham had never beene justified i. e. approved or accepted by God which is in effect all one with that which Saint Paul had said neither one nor the other excluding or seperating faithfull actions or acts of Faith from Faith or the condition of justification but absolutely requiring them as the onely things by which the man is justified onely Saint Paul mentions the workes of the law and excludes them from having any thing to doe toward justification leaving the whole worke to Faith and Saint James dealing not with the Jewes but with another kind of adversaries hath no occasion to adde that exclusive part but rather to prevent or cure another disease which he saw the minds of men through mistake and abuse of Saint Pauls doctrine possess 't with or subject to thinking that a dead habit of Faith would serve the turne and mistaking every slight motion or formall profession such as bidding
by God for repentance C. If you take that vow and that wish to be all one you are mistaken a wish is a farre lower degree then a vow and therefore I must dissolve your demand into two parts and to the first answer that the vow or resolution to amend if it be sincere and such as is apt to bring forth fruits is sure to be accepted by God and that it is not sincere we shall not be able to discerne but by seeing it prove otherwise in time of temptation onely God that sees the heart can judge of it before such triall and if he finde it sincere he will accept of it But for the wish that I were penitent there is no promise in holy writ that that shall be accepted nor appearance of reason why he that wishes he were penitent but is not should be accounted the better for that wish 1. Because when the reward of penitents and punishment of impenitents is once assented to as true 't is impossible but the minde of man should wish for the one and have dislikes to the other and so no virtue in that necessity 2. Because that wishing is onely a bare aiery speculative act of the minde and not a practicall of the will which alone is punishable or rewardable 3. Because the actions being contrary to such wishings are more accusable of deliberate sinne and sinne against conscience then if those motives which produced those wishes had never beene represented to the faculty S. But are not prayers for the grace of repentance which are but a kinde of articulate wishes put in forme of the court and addressed to God accepted by God C. Not so farre as to save them that goe no farther Accepted they shall be if rightly qualified with humility and ardency and perseverance or not fainting so farre as concernes the end immediate to them i. e. God hath promised to heare them in granting the grace prayed for strength to convert from sin to God which is the cleare Gospell-promise How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the holy spirit to them that aske and then when this grace or strength given is thus made use of to actuall reformation then the promise of that other acceptance belongs to him also and so prayer is a good meanes and wishing a good thing too as previous or preparative to that and both without doubt proceeding from the good spirit of God But yet if the whole worke be no more but this if he be advanced no farther toward repentance but onely to wish and to pray that he were penitent this person remaines still impenitent and so long the impenitents portion belongs to him and none other for still he that is borne of God overcometh the world and he that is advanced no farther toward a victory then to wish or pray for it is for that present farre enough from a conquerour and if for the future he adde not the sincerity of endeavour to the importunity of prayer the Joshua's hand 's held up to fight as well as the Moseses to pray the sword of Gideon as the sword of the Lord little hope that such victories will be atcheived S. God grant me this grace and an heart to make use of it But we have skipt over one particular forementioned The grace of selfe-deniall And I doe not remember that you mentioned taking up of the Crosse which in Christ's prescriptions is wont to be annexed to it Give me leave to recall them to your memory And first what is meant by Selfe-deniall C. The abnegarion or renouncing of all his owne holds and interests and trusts of all that man is most apt to depend upon that he may the more expeditely follow Christ S. What are these severalls that we are thus to renounce C. In generall whatsoever comes at any time in competition with Christ In particular the particulars whereof every man is made up his soule his body his estate his good name S. What under the first head that of his Soule C. 1. His reason when the word of Christ is contradicted or check't by it as in the businesse of the resurrection and the like I must deny my reason and beleive Christ bow downe the head and worship captivate my understanding to the obedience of faith S. But I have heard that God cannot doe contradictions or make two contradictions true at once and in one respect How then can I be bound to beleive God when that which he saith contradicts reason C. I am not glad that you have met with that subtlety yet seeing 't is proper to the particular we are upon and that a branch of a practicall point I will endeavour to satisfy you in it 1. By granting the truth of your rule that to make both parts of a contradiction true is absolutely impossible a thing which Gods infinite power and veracity makes as unfit for God to be able to doe as to lye or sinne because it were not an excesse but defect of power to be able to doe these But then secondly you must know what is meant by contradictions nothing but affirmation and negation of the same thing in all the same respects as to be and not to be to be a man and not a man to be two yards long and not two yards long which therefore are thus absolutely impossible to be done even by divine power But then thirdly That which you called reason's contradicting of Christ is a very distant thing from this For when reason saith one thing and Christ the contradictory to that reason doth not oblige me to beleive reason or if it doth it bids me disbeleive Christ and so still I beleive not contradictories which soever of the contradictories I beleive all that reason hath to doe in this case is to judge which is likeliest to judge of or affirme the truth it 's selfe or God wherein if it judge of it's owne side against God it is very partiall and very Atheisticall it being very reasonable that God which cannot lye should be beleived rather then my owne reason which is often deceived in judging of naturall things it 's onely proper object but is quite blind in supernaturall till God be pleased to reveale those unto it The short is reason tells me and in that it is impossible it should erre especially God having revealed nothing to the contrary it is doubtlesse that it doth not erre that these two propositions cannot be both true there is another life and there is not another life and therefore I am not bound by Christ to beleive both but it doth not tell me that to affirme another life implies a contradiction but onely that it is above reason to discerne how there can be a returne from a totall privation to a habit againe and some other things supposed in the Resurrection which though nature cannot doe and consequently naturall reason cannot tell how they are done yet reason may acknowledge the God of nature can doe and will
so had both equall right to it but being but one and undividible could not both enjoy and therefore to make them freinds he having two peices of silver doth upon contract divide them betwixt the pretenders and hath the stone in exchange from them having it he goes on his journey and coming to Ierusalem shewes it the Goldsmith who tells him that it was a jewell of great value being a stone falne and lost out of the high Preists Ephod to whom if he carried it he should certainly receive a great reward he did so and accordingly it proved the high Preist tooke it of him gave him a great reward but withall a box on the eare bidding him trust God the next time The story if true is an instance of the matter in hand if not yet an embleme or picture of it So againe Prov. 22. 9. He that hath a bountifull eye shall be blessed for he giveth of his bread to the poore Where the affirmative promise is most punctuall and the reason to confirme it most remarkeable being but the repetition of the thing it selfe as principles are faine to be proved by themselves the bountifull minded man shall be blessed why because he is bountifull i. e. no other argument needfull to prove it but this the promise infallible promise belonging peculiarly to such And Prov. 28. 27. He that giveth to the poore shall not lacke A most definitive large rule from whence no exception is imaginable if we had but faith to depend upon it And lest you should thinke that this referred onely to the state of the Iewes under the Old Testament and belonged not at all to us Christians you may first observe that these Proverbs of Solomon are not truths peculiar to that state but extensive even to us Christians and more purely so then to them many of them 2. That in the Gospell one place there is that repeates in sence one part of these places that of 19. 17. He that giveth to the poore lendeth to the Lord. to wit Mat. 25. 43. In as much as ye did it to one of these you did it unto me And then why may not the latter part belong to us also 3. One plaine promise of temporall things there is in the Gospell also to those that part with any of their goods for Christs sake and such sure are the Christian Almes-givers that doe it in obedience to Christs law and charity to fellow Christians Mat. 19. 29. and that in a generall unlimited stile excluding all exception Mark 10. 30. There is no man that hath left house or brethren c. and lands i. e. worldly goods but he shall receive an hundred sold now in this time this first lower harvest this season of retributions houses c. i. e. temporall blessings here and then over and above in another world everlasting life Onely with a mixture of persecutions as Saint Marke or Saint Peter who had asked the question which occasioned this speech of Christs and whose Amanuensis Saint Marke was hath it as before I told you Prov. 11. 31. after all those temporall promises to the Almes-giver it is added He shall be recompenced or receive his portion of afflictions in the earth By all these testimonies from the word of God both in New and Old Testament I conceive this doctrine as cleare as any in the Scripture That the promise of temporall plenty to the liberall is so distinct and infallible that it can be no lesse then grosse ignorance of plaine Scripture not to observe it and arrant infidelity not to beleive it and strange Vn-Christian sinne not to practice that so amiable a duty that to him that beleives this there is not the least temptation imaginable against it even the covetous man himselfe being allowed to be the objector S. I cannot but acknowledge the truth of your premises and reasonablenesse of the conclusion from them and onely mervaile what artifice the Devill hath gotten to ensnare men by and keepe them from doing that which is so agreeable to their humours and dispositions even as they are partakers of but ingenuous nature God melt the heart and open the hand of the obdurate world and teach us the due practice of it I shall presume you have no more necessary to be added to the explication of the duty here supposed and thou when thou doest almes I shall call you from thence to the second particular mentioned The Caution interposed and desire to know what that it C. The Caution is that we do not our almes to be seene of men or use any meanes in the doing of them to have glory of men to be praised or commended by them For this is an infirmity very ordinarily insinnuating it selfe in our best actions to blast and defame them in the eyes of God every man being apt to desire to be better thought of by man for the performance of this duty especially if he be an exceeder in it S. But were we not commanded before that our light should shine before men What is that but to do our good workes so that men might see them C. To this I shall answer 1. By telling you that the performance of duties to God may be either publicke or private the one in the congregation the other in the closet the former ought to be as publicke as it may that so they may be more exemplary and tend more to the glorifying of God to that the shineing of our light belongs the second as private as it may to approve our selves the more to God and to that this caution here pertaines And though this be more illustriously observable in the two following duties of prayer and fasting yet will it hold in some measure in this also the Church being designed for giving also and every Christian antiently wont to bring some what to the Corban every time he came to Church a remainder of which custome we have still in the offertory 2. That there is great difference betwixt doing our good workes so that men may see them and doing them to be seene of men and againe betweene doing them so before men that they may see and glorifie our father in heaven and that we may have glory of men The former if it have not the latter to blast it and if it be truly so it excludes the latter is only a Christian charitable care that my good actions may be exemplary to others the second that they may be matter of reputation to my selfe The former respects only God's glory and not mine owne the second mine owne vaine aiery credit here and not or more then God's The first a most divine Christian act expression of great love of God and desire to propagate his Kingdome of great love of my brother and desire to make all others as good as my selfe by setting them such copies on purpose to transcribe the second is an evidence of great passion and selfe-love and impatience of having our reward put
pestilence as it were that walketh in darkenesse and devoures the wealth as well as the soule and no reparations to be expected from God for such losses One meanes more there is to which Gods promise of temporall plenty being annexed we may well adde it to the former Exercise of justice and mercy Bring you all the tithes saith God by Malachy into my storehouse Mal. 3. 10. i. e. both the Preists and the poore mans tith and prove me now herewith if I will not open the windowes of Heaven and powre you out a blessing c. To which purpose the Jewes had a proverbiall speech Pay tithes on purpose that thou mayest be rich And many places of Scripture to the same purpose which before mentioned and threatnings on the contrary that they that withhold more then is meete it shall tend to want To these may perhaps be added another meanes having also the promises of long and prosperous life annexed to it that of meekenesse and obedience of which saith the law their daies shall be long in the land flowing with milke and honey and the Gospell that they shall possesse the earth As also it is affirmed of Godlinesse in generall that it hath the promises of this life i. e. of so much of the prosperity of this world as shall be matter of contentment to them Now these being by God designed as fit and proper meanes to the qualifying us for the performance of his promise of secular sufficient wealth to us and the condition required on our parts 't will be but the beleiving of a lye for any man to neglect these severall meanes on his part and yet to claime or challenge the end on Gods part In the same manner and degree as it is for the impenitent sinner to beleive and challenge the pardon of his sinnes and salvation S. I cannot but consent to this truth and acknowledge the fitnesse of the meanes which you have mentioned as truly subservient to that end But you told me there were also some that were mistaken for such meanes but are not What are those C. 1. Secular wisedome pollicy contrivance for though this seeme sometimes to obtaine that end Yet 1. There is no promise made to it 2. It many times faileth of the designe Nay 3. It hath oft times a most remarkeable curse upon it 2. Hoarding up all that comes pinching the backe and belly to fill the bagge 3. Going to law and contentiousnesse 4. Tenacity not giving or lending to those that truly want the griping illiberall hand Give and it shall be given unto you not else 5. Immoderate care and sollicitude loving and courting of the world 6. Deceite and injustice and especially Sacriledge and perjury Each of these in the esteem of the world the fairest way to wealth yet in the event prove the straight rode to curse and poverty it is a snare to devoure that that is holy saith Solomon and after vowes to make enquiry and that snare to the wealth as well as the soule See the flying roll Zach. 5. 2. and the curse that it brought with it v. 3. and that entring into the house of the theife and of him that sweareth falsely v. 4. i. e. on his family also and it shall remaine in the midst of his house and never leave haunting it till it consume it with the timber and stones that that a man thinkes would be best able to endure the firmest part of an estate moulters and crumbles away betweene the fingers of the perjured person noting this to be a consuming sinne and a consumption an hereditary disease an embleme of which is to be seene Numb 5. in the perjured woman v. 27. The water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter and her belly shall swell and her thigh rot those two parts of the body that have relation to the posterity 7. Distrust of Gods promise for sure never any man got any thing of God by not trusting him He that will not take his word must find out some other pay-master 8. Oppression violence spoiling of others though that seem a sure present course to bring in wealth for the threate of the Prophet Isa 33. 1. belongs to such Woe unto thee that spoilest when thou ceasest to spoile thou shalt be spoiled Men are seldome suffered to tast any of the fruite of those sins least they or others should fall in love with them S. You have now aboundantly discharged your promise in setting downe the true and the pretending meanes Have you any more propositions now to adde to the foure already mentioned in this businesse C. Onely these two 5ly that he that useth these true meanes appointed by God and discardes the false ones suggested by the world by Satan or by his owne ravening stomacke is more sure of not wanting for the future is better provided for a comfortable old age and a thriving prosperous posterity then all the worldlings arts can possibly provide him He that gives over all anxious thought for himselfe enters into Gods tuition and then shall surely be never the poorer for not caring 6. That the using of unlawfull though never so specious or seemingly necessary meanes to the getting or preserving of worldly wealth or the necessities of life is the most direct peice of infidelity most clearely forbidden in the phrase of taking thought this being the distrusting of God and his authorized meanes and flying to the witch with Saul or rather the Devill to helpe us to it the dividing our minds or hanging betwixt two or rather indeed forsaking of one and sleaving to the other disclaiming God and his providence and trusting to our selves and our owne artifices The greatest anxiety of mind imaginable which thus drives us out of our reason our Christianity to those courses which are most contrary to both S. I conceive the summe of your whole discourse on this matter is this that for the good things of the world God having made promise to give them to his servants and his promise being conditionall requiring at our hands the use of meanes to obtains the thing promised our duty is to use those meanes labour and prayer c. and then so fully to trust God for the performing his promise as never to have anxious or dubious thought about it never to fly to any unlawfull meanes to provide for our selves And by this way of stating I acknowledge our Saviours speech here fully reconciled with Saint Pauls command of providence with Christs praying for temporall blessings c. I have onely one scruple wherein I shall desire your satisfaction whether God doth not sometimes leave men destitute of food and rayment and how then it can be infidelity to be anxious in that point Or how can Gods promise of caring for us be said to be performed C. I answer 1. That it is not ordinary for men to be left destitute of food and rayment and though sometime it cannot be had
caution or explication of this precept added in the sixth verse C. The summe of it is this that this precept of not judging is not so unlimited that it should be unlawfull for me to censure or thinke evill of any man as in case he be an open profane person expressed by a dog or swine the one a creature so accursed that the price of him was not to be consecrated the other so uncleane that 't was forbidden to be eaten by the Jewish law and both of them emblems of an habituall impenitent sinner 2 Pet. 2. 21. The first againe intimating such as barke and rave at all good exhortations contradicting and blaspheming Act. 13. 46. The second those that though they blaspheme not yet by the impurity of their lives shew the secret content of their heart This sacred exhortation of not judging or censuring such as they are not to expect any benefit from this act of Christian charity is too holy and sacred a thing to be cast away on such swine and dogges who are first uncapable of it then will make such ill use of it and if in stead of judging the offender you goe about to exhort with never so much mildnesse which is the wisest and most charitable Christian way in this matter they will contemne your exhortations and repay them with contumelies in stead of thankes S. But what may I never passe judgement on another man unlesse it be such a notorious offender C. Yes If that which you judge in him be though neither habituall nor incorrigible yet notorious and evidence of fact make it subject to no mistake of theirs 2. If you extend that censure no farther then that fact or no farther then what may from that fact be necessarily inferred 3. If you expresse your judgement or censure in words no farther then may agree with rules of charity As 1. Charity to him either in telling it him your selfe and seasonably reproving him or telling it some body else to that end that he may reprove him Or 2. Charity to others that they may be warned and armed not to be deceived and ensnared by him Or 3. Charity to the community that he may not by concealement of some great faults get into such place of judicature c. where that ravenous humour of his entring in a disguise of sheeps clothing may be armed with power to doe more mischiefe In all which I must be very wary that under this cloake of charity I doe not carry along a malicious or proud or wanton petulant humour of my owne or even an habit of defaming and flatter my selfe that charity is the onely mover in me all this while S. But can my judgement be forced My assent or beleife followes and is proportioned to the motives that induce it As knowledge cannot choose but follow demonstrative premises so beleife cannot choose but follow those that appeare most probable and if I see that by a man by which my discourse leades me to conclude him drunke c. can I offend in judging him C. If my conclusion be rightly inferred by due premises and offend not against rules of discourse I doe not offend in so concluding or in so judging so that I keepe it within my owne breast and do mixe mercy with judgement i. e. take the more favourable part in judging for no man is bound not to know what he sees or not to beleive what seemes to him judging in simplicity strongly probable Nay 2. If he expresse his judgement to him whom he thus judgeth on purpose to be satisfied of the truth of his judgement or in case it prove true to admonish it is still not onely lawfull but commendable Nay to tell it another to either of these purposes it will be so also S. But what if I tell it another not on either of these purposes and yet not on any defamatory malicious designe neither C. Though it be not out of any malicious designe or flowing from any stitch or grudge which I have to that man yet it may be a defamatory designe for I may have that generall habituall humour of pride or vaine-glory that for the illustrating and setting out my selfe in more grandeur I may thinke fit to blast and defame every man I meet with and then that will be sinne enough though I have no particular malice to that person But if it be not from any such designe neither yet some of this may mingle with it in the action Or if neither then still some other evill may as that of whispering curiosity medling with other mens matters wantonnesse vaine desire of tatling telling newes c. and if any of these be it then will it be so farre sinfull as the motive or cause of it is S. But if still it be seperated from all such sinfull motive or adherent and be onely produced by somewhat neither good nor evill as I conceive it possible that many words of my mouth as well as thoughts of my heart and motions of my body may be neither morally nor Christianly good nor evill and that it is not necessary for them to be designed to any particular Christian end if onely this generall care be had that they be not against charity or edification What is to be said of such Judging C. Though some other words may perhaps be of this nature as indifferent as motions or turnes or gestures of the body and therefore 't is not without reason thought that by every idle word Mat. 12. 36. Is meant onely every false word as hath beene said yet perhaps this of judging another will not be of that nature being subject to more defaults and taints then most other things and that which is here indefinitely forbidden and if it breake forth into words 't is yet more subject to evill But if still it be mentioned onely as a relation entire and simple of what I saw and leave the conclusion to others judgements and not interpose mine or onely so farre interpose mine as to relate truly what conclusion I did then make of it and what moved me to that conclusion absteining still most strictly from adding or concealing ought or doing or saying any thing that hath any tincture from my owne pride censoriousnesse c. it may still be as harmelesse and blamelesse in mee as writing of the honestest history But because this is the most that can be lawfull and still is no more then lawfull or not sinfull not arrived to any degree of morall goodnesse and because it is very apt to fall into evill and however because of the scandall that others may take who by seeing a godly man take this liberty may mistake it and goe farther and fall into sinne 't will therefore concerne him to use this sparingly and deny himselfe that lawfull liberty if it be but by way of revenge for the unlawfull which he hath so often taken and though this he should not be foward to judge a sinne in others lest