Art of Logick or extraordinary perfection of Reason which they are not obliged to have In this Case the ignorance of those practicab Precepts so obscurely revealed in holy Scripture may be inculpable as I suppose 3. Where the ignorance is inculpable the doubt is so too 4. Inculpable ignorance as well concomitant as causal doth excuse the Act that is done with it though contrary to a Precept from sin not onely a tanto but à toto I use the term inculpable rather than invincible because it is more clear and less liable to cavil Nor are those terms equivalent For both some ignorance may be invincible in some circumstances which is not inculpable and some ignorance may be inculpable which is not simply invincible for to render ignorance inculpable it is not necessary that it was not to be prevented by any possible industry but it sufficeth that it doth not proceed from the neglect of any means that a man was bound to have used or from any other fault of the ignorant person Inculpable ignorance I say excuseth any action that is done with it from sin as well à tanto as à toto and as well when it is barely concomitant as when it is causal This conclusion is disagreeable to the ordinary resolution of the Schools and yet seems to be true upon this reason because inculpable ignorance barreth the Obligation of a positive law which cannot oblige till it be so promulged as obligeth all them that are to be bound by it to the knowledge thereof And though actual knowledge of a law be not necessary to the obligation of it yet promulgation is and that such as is sufficient to take off all excuse of ignorance and therefore to render it not inculpable And where there is no law actually obliging there can be no sin Therefore inculpable ignorance as well of the law as of the fact excuseth from sin and that not onely when that ignorance is a cause sine qua non of the action which a man would not do if he knew of the law but also when the ignorance doth onely accompany the action which a man would have done though he had known the Law The disposition of the will to do such an evil action though it were known to be so is indeed a sin but the action it self cannot be a sin whilst it is not forbidden to the Agent by any obliging law To apply these Propositions to the Question premised seeing all manner of doubt proceeds from ignorance and that ignorance may be inculpable and where the ignorance is inculpable so is the doubt and inculpable igrance of a law takes away the Obligation and therefore excuseth from sin it seems to follow that when a man is inculpably ignorant of any such law as forbids the action which he deliberates about he may act with perswasion concerning the lawfulness thereof to him Though he should have some reason to doubt whether such a Law may not be For whether there be or there be not if he be inculpably ignorant of it it obliges him not And therefore he is at libertie to act or forbear according to reason and may do either of Faith that is though he doubts upon some uncertain account not obliging his belief whether the action to be done be not forbidden by some Law of God yet if he be inculpably ignorant of the Law it doth not oblige him and therefore leaves him free till he be so far instructed as he can plead no inculpable ignorance As for Example Suppose the Law forbidding an action be no where in Scripture set forth expresly and the onely evidence thereof depends upon doubtful interpretations of Scripture or subtle consequences disputed and denyed by good and learned men of equal credit and not declared or determin'd by any Authoritie of the Church In this Case I being no competent judge of the Controversie may suppose myself inculpably ignorant of that Law as well as I am of other verities and points of belief that have no other or no better evidence of Scripture whilst yet pretensions of reasons not cogent together with the Opinions of Learned men may be sufficient to make me doubt as well of the uncertain Precepts as of other verities I inquire now whether notwithstanding this doubt I may not act in Faith that is believing it still lawful for me to do this action whether in it self it be forbidden or not forbidden because the Law whereby it is forbidden if it be so under this inculpable ignorance doth not yet oblige me and if I believe my self not obliged by a law I may act in Faith that is with perswasion that I am free whether my ignorance be in truth inculpable or not yet if I be perswaded that it is so its certain I may have the same perswasion concerning the lawfulness of the action that I do against no other law than that whereof I think my self inculpably ignorant It is true if my ignorance be not inculpable I shall sin in this action but shall notwithstanding act in Faith notwithstanding my doubt whilst that doubt is not whether it be lawful for me to do this action in this case of ignorance for that would impart a contradiction to my Faith or perswasion that it is but onely whether there be not some law forbidding the action in general and obliging all that know it or should know it but not obliging me as I suppose because I am as yet ignorant thereof and that as I believe inculpably But here it is to be considered that although it be certain by the express words of the Apostle That whatsoever is not of faith is sin yet it doth not follow that whatsoever is of faith is not sin For then St. Paul had not sinned whilst he persecuted the Church for he saith I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus Acts 26.9 And therefore though a man notwithstanding such a doubt as hath been declared may act in Faith which was the onely thing indeavoured to be proved yet it will not follow that he sins not except his ignorance be inculpable And if he onely believes that it is so he may likewise for that reason believe that it is no sin but can have no more certainly of the innocencie of his act than he hath of the inculpableness of his ignorance If this Hypothesis seem to destroy the second Principle before delivered with the resolutions of the Cases made upon it I answer 1. As before was intimated that that Principle in those indefinite termes wherein it is first laid down was taken up upon the common presumption of the universal truth of it and the respective resolutions supposing it were accordingly framed But 2. If that Principle be restrained as I understand it to such a doubt as is made not onely concerning the being of a positive Law but concerning the Obligation of it to me that is if I doubt whether the
what acceptance it may have with God in such as are invincibly ignorant of the Gospel we are not concerned to inquire But to all them to whom this Gospel is sufficiently revealed the Christian Faith or Faith in Christ is absolutely necessary to render their works pleasing to God And that Faith is undoubtedly the principal◠condition of Justification and Salvation And although other conditions be required to Salvation yet they are subordinate to this Faith as the proper effects and verifications thereof whereby it becomes allowable to God So that the concurrence and efficacie that other Graces and all good Works have unto Salvation is by vertue of Faith from whence they proceed It is Faith in Christ the Saviour that gives us Vnion with him and his Church and that consequently gives the first right to that Salvation which is procured by him and is the onely priviledge of his Church But this Faith must he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Faith unfained which it cannot be unless it be joyned with repentance and worketh by love and so makes a man a new Creature Faith is the prime Article of the New Covenant And in congruity to the design of mans Redemption and Salvation by Christ the principal act of this Faith is to receive him as the Author of this Salvation and to depend upon him and the expiation that he hath made for us by his blood But because he is also propounded to us in the same Gospel as Christ the anoynted of the Lord as well for a Prophet and a King as a Priest and sent by his Father to declare the Minde and Will of God in his Precepts as well as to publish his Grace in the Promises and is invested with all power to rule and govern his people as well as to save them therefore are all Christians that expect to be saved by him equally obliged to receive him as Lord and Christ to observe and keep his Precepts as well as to trust upon his Promises And thus much is included in the notion of their Faith given unto him when they are baptised for his Disciples which is the solemn Rite of ingaging our Faith unto him For that Faith which is professed in our Baptism is undoubtedly the same with that by which we are justified and saved But the Faith which is professed in Baptism is not a bare trust in Christ as a Saviour but a Faith given unto him as our Lord and Master to become his faithful Disciples importing our defire to learn and stipulation to observe his Precepts And therefore as S. Paul saith we are saved by faith Eph. 2.8 So S. Peter saith Baptism doth also save us 1 Pet. 3.21 Interpreting his meaning in the following words Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer or stipulation of a good conscience And to this purpose it is observable that when our Saviour gave commission to his Apostles to go and make Disciples of all Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost he adds this as the interpretation of their discipleship teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Implying that their Profession to be his Disciples which is the import of their Baptisin doth signifie their ingagement to observe his Precepts and to live like Christians To believe in Christ is to be a Christian that is a Disciple if Christ which was the first Title of Believers Act. 11.26 But that Title of a Disciple of Christ without respect to his Precepts imports contradiction to believe in Christ therefore and not to observe his Commandments is a plain contradiction As therefore all Christians are obliged to an explicit faith in Christ which is the ground of their Title to that name s◠are they to do all manner of good Works upon the groun◠of this Faith with desire and confidence of pleasin◠God through Christ and not expecting any acceptan◠of their works otherwise than by and through Christ Col. 3.17 Whatsoever ye do in word or deed d◠all in the name of the Lord Jesus 1 Pet. 2.5 The Original of the first transgression by which th◠whole Race of Mankinde fell into a state that neede Salvation was unbelief Eve by the temptation of th◠Devil was first induced to quit her Faith in Go◠Word that had said The day thou eatest there of thou shalt surely dye the death This unbelief was that which made way for the sin of disobed◠ence to the Command For had she not doubted th◠truth of Gods Word she could never have been per◠swaded to taste of that forbidden Fruit. Thus w◠unbelief the prime cause of mans ruine and there◠fore the first step and principle of his restauration an◠Salvation is Faith And as unbelief of the threa◠ning by which the first Law was fortified was th◠cause of our destruction so the belief of the promi◠of the Gospel is the principle of our justification B◠believing the Serpent the Abaddon and Apollyo◠the destroyer we were undon by believing in Jesu◠the Saviour we are saved But as that unbelief became destructive by its effects as a practical infidelity producing disobedience to the Commandment So is our Faith effectual to Salvation then onely when it is sincerely practical reducing us to our duty of obedience to our merciful Saviour If that saying of the Father must stand for a Catholick Axiom bona opera sunt via ad regnum non causa regnandi I must have leave to interpret the latter Clause so as may import no contradiction to the first that is that good works are the way to the Kingdom not the Cause that is the principle or meritorious Cause of our raigning for a Cause they must needs be that is a moral Cause if they be the way that is the means of our raigning as that signifies not onely the Term or End of this way but the Reward of our walking in it When therefore S. Paul excludes works from justification I take it his onely scope is to secure the freedom and assert the necessity of Divine Grace purchased by Christ and promised by the New Covenant of the Gospel And when he saith a man is not justified by the works of the Law he sometimes means ceremonial works such as was that of Circumcision and the obedience to that whole Law which a man was made a debtor to keep by his Circumcision Gal. 5.3 otherwhiles by the righteousness of works he seems to understand perfect indefective obedience to the whole Law or Will of God upon which account it is impossible for a sinner as he concludes all men to be now Rom. 3.23 Gal. 3.22 to be justified because his being so imports a contradiction to such Works Besides it is observeable that S. Paul doth never say that a man can be saved without Works but that he is justified without them speaking generally of the first
there is some store of Examples in Ecclesiastical Story And whether the acknowledgement of Christ with so full and free Confession of Faith in him by one that had been so much a Stranger to him at such a time when the Faith of all men was so much discouraged and that of his own Disciples so much shaken was not equivalent to that of any Martyr is a reasonable Problem That is Whether upon all due considerations it were not as great a Faith to believe in a dying Saviour as it can be to die for a living one It seems to me a very evident truth that the strength of this man's Faith did exceed that of any person living in the World except the Blessed Mother's True it is the Heathen Centurion and some others that were with him did make a verbal profession of a like Faith in him when they said Truly this was the Son of God Matth. 27.54 But it is observable that that perswasion was raised in them only by the sight of the many Miracles and Prodigies which followed his death which the Thief lived not to see Besides to dismiss this Example with one Consideration more from the Circumstance of the time when it happened for any wilful impenitent Sinner to presume of Pardon at last notwithstanding his present delayes by the incouragement of this singular Example hath apparently no more of reason in it than it would be in a common Malefactor to adventure upon Capital Crimes upon the hope of a general Pardon by the Example of such a thing once granted by his Prince at his Coronation A second Consideration against the delay of this Work is to be drawn from the multitude of Examples of such as by unexpected Circumstances in their Death have been prevented of all possibilities of doing any thing towards it by reason of suddenness either of Death or which makes the Case perfectly equal of the loss of Understanding Were the Examples of such a fatal pretension as rare and singular as that of the dying Thief 's effectual Conversion yet considering the infinite moment of it's Consequence they should in reason be far greater Motives of Fear and Caution against Delay than that can be of Hope or Incouragement in it But this Consideration is much to be advanced by the innumerable contingencies and possibilities that may cause such an absolute prevention or at least may shorten and determine that remainder of time that a sinner can hope to have to work out his salvation Certain it is that every man's glass is turn'd for his Life but what the Content of it is is impossible to know Whiles every man knows that the contingencies of it's being broken or suddenly exhausted are more than the number of Sands in the biggest Glass that is To go about to collect the number of Casualties by which the life of man hath been cut off were an endless business and yet so far short of the possibilities by which it may be as is not imaginable A third Consideration against delay in this Work may be this That seeing nothing doth provoke the wrath of God so much as presumption in Sin it is justly to be conceived that the measure and continuance of such presumption is the most probable thing that can be to determine the extent of God's patience and to move him to give up a sinner to such a penal invincible hardness of heart as will make it impossible for him to repent We read of God's hardening the heart of Pharaoh after he had so stubbornly hardened himself against all the admonitions that had been given him by the mouth and hand of Moses Now God's hardening Pharaoh's heart doth undoubtedly signifie the withdrawing of that Grace which was necessary for his Conversion which left him under a necessity of perdition And this punishment the severest that a man is capable of out of Hell is therefore justly to be feared by him that wilfully delayes his Repentance because so to do is an extreme presumption And though it be possible for such a person notwithstanding this provocation to obtain Grace not only sufficient but effectual to Salvation yet no person is more unlikely so to do Such persons have least reason to hope for that Grace and most cause to fear the privation of it Every man that believes any thing in the matter of Religion must needs be convinc'd that he ows his whole Life to the service of God Now for him that cannot but acknowledge he owes all his time to God's service and hath already wasted the greatest part of it in following his own lusts and in a course of rebellion against God still to withold deliberately and presumptuously that unknown part of it which remains is such a degree of wickedness as though God may pardon no man can tell Whether he will or no. And though we are assured he will accept the Work of his own Grace whensoever it takes effect yet we have little reason to hope he will afford that Grace to such as desire not to partake of it till it cannot be serviceable to him let this then be the fifth Argument or Motive to stir up Christians to the diligent pursuit of this Work The shortness of the time that we have to finish it in together with the extreme hazard of delaying it 6. I shall add but one Argument more which is to be drawn from the infinite love and mercy of God which he hath shewed in this Design of our Salvation contrived and procured by the Incarnation of his Eternal Son and effected by the shedding of his most precious Bloud Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all Iniquity and to purifie to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works For we know that we are not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from our vain Conversation but with the precious Bloud of Christ And shall we now neglect that great Salvation that infinite Grace that cost so dear the procuring Ought we not to estimate the Worth and excellency of this end by the means whereby it was effected Will any wise Agent bestow more Cost upon a thing than it is worth The infinite worth of the Means used by so wise a Contriver doth fully confirm the excellency of the End which in it self doth so much transcend the hopes of such poor Mortal Creatures The height and dignity of that far more exceeding eternal weight of Glory the Felicity of that State together with the Immutability thereof is rendred credible by the Means whereby it was purchased For had it not been a glorious and immutable thing surely God would never have designed to bring it about by such an Infinite Project And though God needs not the glory of our Salvation no more than he doth that of our present Service yet how much he values both is to be estimated by the Price that was given for it Now then to despise or neglect this End that was procured by such a costly
morning vow or devoting of thy self to God it will behoove thee to take diligent heed to thy self all the day that thou do not break it by any acts of presumption or negligence And when thou hast finished that day forget not to close it with an evening sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for all the good that thou hast received or done therein Give him the glory of that days work by a thankful acknowledgement of his Grace in all that thou hast done well And by confessing thy mis-doings and humbling thy self for thy failing in any thing which thou hast done or shouldst have done First examine thy conscience whether thou hast been guilty of any presumptuous sin and let not that pass without a particular and special repentance and then add the Prayer of David to cleanse thee from thy secret sins Psal 19.12 that is not such as are unknown to men but hidden and un-observed by thy self being the effects of ignorance inadvertencie or forgetfulness Lastly to conclude this discourse The last Rule of direction towards the observation of this general Precept is that which our Saviour and his Apostles do require to be joyned with Prayer to wit the constant practice of vigilance or watchfulness over our selves and all our ways Watch and pray saith our Saviour that ye enter not into temptation Matt. 26.41 Praying always Eph. 6.18 with all prayer and supplication and watching thereunto with all perseverance Col. 4.2 Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving Be ye sober 1 Pet. 4.7 and watch unto prayer If it be thy desire and design to do all things to the glory of God let it be thy care to keep a constant guard upon thy self and to watch over thy thoughts words and actions The neglect of this Duty is the common cause of all that dishonour that is done unto God by such persons as are not without good affections towards him And the practice hereof is of such necessity as without it it is clearly as impossible to observe this Rule as it is for a blinde man in an open Champian to set every step in a direct Path towards the place he would go to As it is in actions which are to be directed by the bodily Eye the reason of error and miscarriage in such actions proceeds from one of these Causes Either from imperfection of the sight by reason of blindness or dimness or from a wilful rejection and crossing the direction of the sight or from a neglect or non-attendance to the guide of the eyes So it is in Moral actions which are to be guided immediately by the understanding or conscience which is the Eye of the Soul All the errors and sins which are committed by men do proceed from one of these Causes Either from ignorance and blindness of the minde not understanding its Duty or from a wilful opposing and crossing the dictates and direction of Conscience or from not minding and observing what a man doth And this last is the common cause of their particular aberrations from this scope or end of Gods Glory who do not live without a general aym thereat It appears therefore that the constant practice of this vigilance is altogether as necessary as is the general duty we have been speaking of which is not to be performed without it because if it be rightly understood it doth formally involve the practice of it for as hath been declared the first thing that can be supposed in this Precept is that Christians should have such a care of their Actions that nothing be done against the Will and Glory of God As the Text is briefly and plainly expounded by one of the Ancients Admonitio ut nihil fatiamus contra Deum c. who after his manner of Elucidations of other Texts puts these Questions upon the words If this be a Precept then he sins mortally that doth any thing at all Hugo de S. Vict. Tom. 1. p. 271. E. 308. d. so much as the moving of a finger not to the glory of God To which he answers That it seemed to him to be an admonition that we should do nothing against God or with the scandal of our Brethren And again in another Tract upon the same Epistle The question is saith he How it can be fulfilled Sic omnia opera nostra circumspectè fiant ut nihil contra Deum fiat that we should do all things to the glory of God seeing we do many things noturally and not therefore that we may please God He answers again to the same sense That all our works are to be done so circumspectly that nothing be done against God What might have been added to these Answers by the Father is before declared in the explication of this Duty The quotation of his authority is but to confirm the necessity of this circumspection which without doubt is the main thing intended in the generality of the practice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Duty of a Christian PART I. Phil. 2.12 Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling THe Text is an Exhortation delivered in such terms as would scarcely have been allowed to agree with the form of sound words had they not been authorised by the same Apostle whose Doctrine they might have seemed to oppose But it is no other than St. Paul himself who elsewhere argues so strongly and concludes so peremptorily against justification and salvation by works who here exhorts Christians to work out their own salvation And that by this work he intends something more than such a faith as consists onely in a confident perswasion or assurance of a mans own salvation already wrought out for him by his Saviour is sufficiently evident from his additional terms concerning the manner of pursuing this work viz. with fear and trembling This Text alone were there no other to prove it would be sufficient to confirm the truth of the Father's words That he that made us without us will not save us without us Our Creation implies a contradiction to any possibility of our co-operating thereunto because it imports our being really Nothing before it But that humble Nothingness that now we pretend to must not excuse us from all care of working out our own salvation because it doth not deprive us of all capacity of so doing For from this Scripture and many others we are taught that how solidly and intirely soever the effect of mans Salvation is to be attributed to the free grace of God in Christ yet that it is not to be attained without all manner of co-operation from himself I say from Scripture it is that we learn that our salvation is effected by something wrought by us as well as for us or in us But the words of the Text are fully salved from all appearance of prejudice to the free grace of God by those that do immediately follow them in the next verse For it is God that worketh in
understood in the compleat sense of the Angel's words before-mentioned so may it be in divers other Texts As in Eph. 2.5 8. Acts 2.40 Accordingly the word salvation in the Tex◠will receive the most perfect interpretation if i◠be admitted to signifie both these things Fo◠then the sense of the Apostle will be That Christians should use all possible diligence and ca◠to rescue themselves from the dominion and pollution of sin by a thorow reformation of their lives by the mortification of the flesh and perfecting holiness in the fear of God that thereby they may be secured from the punishment of sin and so partake of this double salvation This sure is the compleatest sense of the word Notwithstanding because the ordinary received sense of this word in the New Testament is referred to the deliverance of men from the final punishment of sin in the world to come I shall agree that to be the principal meaning of it in this place Salvation in the style of the Old Testament doth ordinarily signifie no more than deliverance from temporal evils whereto men are liable in this world In the New Testament it hath a higher signification being there taken for Redemption or deliverance from the peril of everlasting destruction of soul and body in hell 1 Thess 1.10 from eternal damnation from the wrath to come from the second death the vengeance of eternal fire in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone This is that which the Apostle from the matter and specially from the Author of it calls the great salvation Heb. 2.3 And from the duration of it the eternal salvation Heb. 5.9 And from the prime subject of it the salvation of the soul 1 Pet. 1.9 This is the ordinary signification of the word salvation in reference to the life to come otherwise expressed by the terms of redemption remission of sin and reconciliation But this is not all that is to be understood by the word salvation not a bare deliverance from punishment but by ampliation and analogy of Scripture the same word comprehends also all that happiness and blessedness which the Gospel promiseth to them that shall be saved and which is usually expressed by eternal life The full importance of the word salvation comprehends deliverance from all the curses and threatnings both of Law and Gospel together with all those exceeding great and precious promises which St. Peter speaks of 2 Pet. 1.4 Now concerning both these things I shall onely add two Considerations 1. That both the punishment threatned and the happiness promised are expressed in holy Scripture by the highest terms that could have been used The misery from which this salvation delivers us is set forth by the most formidable terms that can be sounded to mortal ears Such are those of death destruction everlasting unquenchable fire a lake that burns with fire and brimstone wherein men are to be tormented day and night for ever and ever where there is nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth utter darkness and the worm that never dies c. What words can signifie any thing more formidable than these do On the other side the happiness of them that shall be saved is likewise worded as high as was possible to be to wit by the terms of everlasting life eternal joy blessedness seeing of God being and raigning with Christ in Heaven a Kingdom a Crown of glory a farre more exceeding eternal weight of glory an incorruptible inheritance a treasure a paradise a feast c. It is certain there are no words which can signifie any thing more valuable than those do which Scripture useth in great variety to set forth that happiness by Let this be the first Consideration The second is this that the infallible truth and simplicity of Gods Word doth require that the respective estates declared by these expressions should be answerable to the height of their signification That is that although many of these expressions being figurative do import something different from the common signification of the words and that therefore a perfect and distinct notion or understanding of the particular conditions thereby expressed cannot be collected or comprehended from them yet that the reality of the things thereby signified is at least equal to that which any or all those words can represent to our present understanding i. e. The misery of the one and the happiness of the other state must needs be as great as those expressions by which they are described can reasonably signifie Thus much for the end or object salvation and what that means which I desire may be remembred and considered as a most powerfull Motive to the Act which in the next place we are to speak of We have heard of the end or design proposed in the Text that is our own salvation which by the precedent discourse is concluded to signifie besides deliverance from extremity of misery the utmost of happiness which a man is capable of and consequently to be the chiefest good and ultimate end of a man which nature and reason doth oblige him to seek Come we now to the work that is to be done in order to the accomplishing this end Work out your own salvation We shall first inquire what that means and then how it is to be effected 1. Work out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4.15.5.3 4. The Original is a Compound Verb which sometimes signifies no more than the Simple and then is translated simply to work as when it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law worketh wrath and Tribulation worketh patience and patience experience or trial and probation or approbation Operamini salutem So the Vulgar Latine renders the word in this Text. But the proper sense of the Compound Verb is more truly rendered by other Translators Conficite falutem Beza agreeing with our English expressing the force of the Preposition A man is then said to have wrought out a business when he hath finished and perfectly effected it So that to work out our own salvation imports these two things First To make it our work and business to effect and attain this end which the Apostle calls the end of our faith the salvation of our souls 1 Pet. 1.9 Secondly To pursue and follow this work with all care and diligence till we have finished it and brought it to perfection that is not onely till we have attained to a present right to or interest in the heavenly inheritance Heb. 6.11 10.22 or till we come to a certain Plerophory or full assurance of hope or faith that we are in the state of salvation but till we come to the end of our work Phil. 3.11 12. If by any means we might attain unto the resurrection of the dead i. e. the resurrection of the just Not as though we had already attained either were already perfect But we are to follow after if that we may apprehend that
about He will spare no travail no pains to gain his end How doth the Covetous maâ— cark and care and drudg to get wealth The ambitious man to get honour The voluptuons man to satisfie his brutish sensual appetite Whiles this spiritual eternal Interest is so generally neglected as if it were a matter of no valuable concernment Whereas no common notion or principle of truth can be more evident than this is That this Salvation if men admit the truth of it is the only true and supream interest of a man as a Man The common interest of all Creatures is Their safety and welfare Now who is there that understands and believes any thing meant by this term of Salvation that doth not know that it is that wherein consists his only possible safetie and happiness There are indeed some other petty points of temporal safety and content in this world which some men call happiness But in truth he deserves not the name of a Man much less of a Christian that doth think his chiefest Good can consist in any thing that this world can afford Nay that doth not consider which is somthing more than to know the notorious vanity of all this worlds goods both in regard of the imperfection of the matter of them and in respect of the uncertainty of the duration Who doth not know that it is utterly impossible to secure his temporal injoyments for any definite time though never so short But if that could be it is not possible for any man of the largest fancy in the world to name set down or imagin what portion of worldly things would fully content him so that if he could work out the obtainment thereof his desires would be so fully satisfied as not to extend any â—urther as to any more of the same or to any other things Doubtless it is experimentally and sensibly evident to all but Idiots and Infants that all the Objects which this world affords are â—o more able to fill the capacitie of humane Deâ—ires than a pint of water would be to fill up the whole channel of the Sea or to satisfie the thirst of the droughty Earth On the other side he that believes the Gospel cannot but believe that this Salvation once effectually wrought out and obtained secures a man from all possibilities of evil and brings with it as perfect a fulness of happiness as the nature of Man is capable of and that this safety and happiness in this state of Salvation once possessed is secured to Eternity beyond any fear of mutation And is it not then a stupendious piece of irrationality for any man that knows and believes all this to neglect the working of it out that is either not at all to regard it or to make it no more than a meer by-business the least part of his care Yet what is more common than this extremity of folly even amongst them who are not the worst of Christians When they go about any thing towards this end how pitifully do they go to work Instead of this fear and trembling this spiritual shaking palsy they are possessed with a torpedo a dead palsy or numbnesse as if every faculty of the Soul and Body were crampt When they come to hear the Gospel of Salvation and to receive instruction how to work it out which is the main end and scope of our preaching what lazy listless yawning postures do they appear in How wearily do they sit If they pray how cold heartless and Zeal-less is their formal devotion If they give Alms how penurious how degenerous is their charity Notwithstanding that the Author of this Salvation hath so frequently and particularly described this as a special means of working out ouâ— Salvation Yet except men can find out some other end advantage or motive for their charity what a poor pittance is it that they will part with upon this design When men are frequently admonished exhorted and perswaded by the most powerfull applications of Gods word to the duties of mortification self-denial watchfulness holiness of conversation how will they strain their wits to invent excuses and pretences to evade the necessity of these practices There is nothing that we have so perfectly learned from our first Parens as the art of excusing our selves from our Duties and our Sins Nothing that men so vehemently desire as to evade the power of Divine Grace when it makes towards their Souls by the preaching of the Word When the holy Ghost makes towards them to overshadow them to the end that Christ might be conceived and formed in them How strongly is he resisted How does the harlot mind strive to prevent the conception of Grace or to force abortion Such a desperate aversness there is in the Carnal mind to the kindness of the Divine Spirit flying from his approaches loathing his imbraces despising his allurements sleighting his rich presents and bountifull promises strugling against all his importunities Whereas let but the unclean Spirit come with any sleight temptation to corrupt and deflowr the Soul no common Strumpet is so ready to prostitute her body as the carnal man is to abandon his Soul to the lusts of the Devil And what is the reason why the spiritual and heavenly promises of the Gospel are so much despised Why There is a double prejudice which the nature of all men hath against them 1. Because they are promises of future Happiness 2 Because that Happinesse is spiritual and heavenly 1. Because they are but promises of Happiness to come in another world and those generally confronted with some variety of present injoyments in this world which must be relinquished either in whole or in part by him that will build his hope upon those promises Without doubt the consideration which so much abates the sense that carnal men have both of that extremity of Misery which is threatned and also of all that Felicity which is promised in another world is the futurity of both at such an uncertain distance of time And consequently this is one of the chiefest reasons of all that stupidity which is shewn in their so great neglect of this Salvation So impotently childish and sottish are the passions of men that a dram of present pleasure appears more valuable to them than a thousand talents of future gain which is a judgment so perfectly brutish as deserves not to be confuted by sober Reason 2. An other Prejudice that carnal men have against the promises of the Gospel is from the matter of them which is spiritual and heavenly haveing nothing of the Turkish carnal Paradise in it Nothing that flesh and bloud the habitual sinner can tell what to make of Those high raised priviledges of the Beatifical Vision the inheritance of the Saints in light heavenly glory the Crown of life and those things which are above where Christ fits at the right hand of God are things that have no juice no taste in them to carnal minds who are not easily
first Question viz. What this Salvation means And the summe of the Answer collected from divers Descriptions thereof in Scripture amounted to this That it could signifie no less than first a Deliverance from the greatest Evil and secondly an Obtainment of the highest Perfection of Happiness that the nature of man is capable of And this I call an infinite Concernment without an Hyperbole because in the extension of it it is no less as being Eternal in both parts a deliverance from Everlasting Death unto an Eternal Life Now it being perfectly reasonable that the intention of mens Affections should be proportionable to the real value of their Objects it follows that that solicitude care which the Text requires though it cannot so much exceed that which we have for other things as the worth of the Object doth because we have no Capacity of such an Excess yet that it should really and effectually surpass all other Cares And if it doth not so it must needs be either because men do not Consider the Value of it or because they do not believe the truth of it There are I fear not a few pretending Christians that to save themselves the trouble and the care of working out this Salvation do reject the Faith of it To dis-ingage themselves from the bonds of Religion especially the Christian which indeed is the strictest will needs perswade themselves It is but a politick Fiction a mere Invention a handsome Philosophical Fable imposed upon mens Credulity to keep them civil by the common Engines of Hope and Fear They hold it to be against their Interest in this Life to believe there is any other though it be not safe to deny it in this part of the World From such persons I shall turn away leaving them to the Conviction which they will only admit viz. that of their own Senses in another World Their own senses I say because our Saviour hath told me that no other will move them If one should come from the Dead to tell them what he had seen or felt there they would not be perswaded Luk. 16.31 For they have not Moses and the Prophets only but all the Apostles and Evangelists and all the Martyrs together with an infinite number of Miracles witness'd with as much Evidence as any matter of Fact is capable of to perswade their belief And if all this be insufficient I am not so vain as to hope to give them any better Evidences of the Truth But have reason to pass them by with the Censure of the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.8 As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the Truth men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith The Motive which I am urging to perswade men to the work which the Text requires supposeth their belief of this Salvation and needs nothing to make it effectual but a serious Consideration of the transcendent excellency and necessity of this Design above any other The matter that is put to issue the question in short is Whether we desire to live for ever in Glory and Happiness with Christ and his holy Angels in Heaven or have our Portion with Devils and Reprobates in the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone the place of utter Darkness where there is nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth Now were there no more than a mere possibility or probability at most of these Events to a man without any convincing Evidence of their certainty yet were it extreamly unreasonable to neglect them especially when as the means requisite to the securing them are so inconsiderable in comparison of the value and importance of the ends and otherwise so highly valuable in themselves To him therefore that hath any Doubts arising in his mind about the truth of those things which the Gospel declareth concerning the Judgment to come Hell and Heaven and is thereby tempted to neglect them I shall only propound by way of Advice towards his rescue from such a fatal hazard these three Questions to be deliberated upon before he abandons himself to such a desperate Course 1. Whether there be any impossibility in the substance of these Doctrines that there is another Life after this with a General Judgment to come upon all men that there are Eternal Rewards and Punishments for men in that future Life proportion'd to the Actions of this Life Can it be demonstrated that the futurity of these Events doth import Contradiction to any known Verities 2. Is there no probabilitie of the truth of them Do not all the Testimonies and Arguments that have been alledged for their confirmation with the general consent of almost all the Nations of the World as well Heathens as Christians amount to so much as a probability of the truth of them And if they be possible and in any degree probable doth it not follow that they may be true And then my third Question that I would advise such a doubtful person seriously to consider of is no more but this What if they should prove true And if after these Considerations he can be so desperate as to continue in the neglect of these Events without any care to provide for them and can arrest his mind with Hester's Resolution If I perish I oerish Who can help it So much for the first Motive The second is from the necessity of man's Working to the obtainment of this End which is a thing not to be had or hoped for without Seeking Labouring Working Striving Not a thing that comes by Fate or Fortune or by any absolute inconditional Decree All the hopes we can have of this happiness are grounded upon the Promises of the Gospel and those limited by the Conditions which have been before declared in the Explication of this Work There is no Promise of Salvation to be found in Scripture wherein some or other of those Conditions are not expressed and all the rest understood Or if there be any semblance of an absolute Promise it ought certainly to be interpreted by the Conditional by which it is limited For What if it can be found in Scripture that God hath said He will save some to wit a certain number of Elect Persons without mention of any Character by which they may be distinguished That sure is a Prediction rather than a Promise or if we will call it a Promise yet it can never be capable of any Application to a particular person in such indefinite terms nor till it be explicated and determin'd by some conditional Promise But against this necessity of working for Salvation it may be objected that Salvation is a gift of free grace Rom. 6.23 The * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gift of God is Eternal Life Therefore it is called the Grace of Life 1 Pet. 3.7 By Grace ye are saved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 2.8 And if by Grace then it is no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace But if it be of Works Rom.
of his own blood Is it reasonable to accept his Promises and refuse his Precepts Or would we have a pardon for all our sins past without the condition of Repentance that is with a licence or dispensation to continue in them still if we please Would we be happy but not holy Would we be Devils in this world and Angels in the next serve the Devill the professed enemy of God and our own Souls whiles we are here on Earth and yet expect to have communion with the most pure and holy God hereafter in Heaven Can we contrive a way How light and darkness righteousness and unrighteousness should have fellowship one with an other Would we have God to be reconciled to us in the free pardon of all our offences and we not reconciled to him but still be allowed to live in a course of rebellion against him Would we injoy his favour and love and not be bound to love him or would we be acknowledged to be true lovers of God without any respect to his commandments Would we injoy the grace of adoption the blessing of sons and the inheritance of the Kingdom with a despensation for the duty of filial obedience If these terms be so unreasonable as no man can have impudence enough to own the desire of them What objection can we have against any of the conditions of Salvation which consist in no harder matters than those which our own Reason is forced to acknowledg so just and indispensable that if we had been called to counsell about them and had had our negative vote in the passing of them or if we had been left to our selves to have set down our own terms for our Justification and Salvation we could never have set them lower than they are set in the Covenant of the Gospel The fourth Motive to the utmost of diligence to be used in this work is to be drawn from the difficultie of performing it If we have a design to work out a business of much difficulty is there not a great necessity we should attend it with proportionable diligence Most true it is in respect of the equity and reasonableness of this work above declared there is indeed nothing in it that is hard considered in it self which is enough to verifie the words of our Saviour My yoak is easie and my burthen is light Matth. 11.30 1 Joh. 5.3 as well as those of his Apostle His commandments are not grievous Christ's yoke is not like that of a cruel or hard Master nor his burthen like that of a tyrannical Lord His commandments are no harder than such as become the most gratious and mercifull Father so farre is he from requiring any thing of us which is either impossible or unreasonable Certainly it imports notorious repugnancy to the name and notion of the Gospel if not blasphemie of the Divine Goodness therein proclaimed to say or imagin that God should abuse mankind with pretences of such infinite grace and mercy promised under such conditions as we are in no capacity to perform as having neither any sufficiency thereunto of our selves nor any ground of expecting it from him who only is able to afford it If it be the Will and command of God as without doubt it is that every one to whom the promise of Salvation is made known by the Gospel should not only believe the general truth of it but also make particular application of it to his own comfort else how is it a Gospel or Glad tidings certainly that very command without any new promise implies a just warrant of confidence in him that gives it to supply us with a sufficiency of ability to perform the conditions of his promise if being willing to undertake them and sensible of our own insufficiency we shall sincerely seek this ability from him But to balk all matter of Dispute it is without controversie that such persons are as the proper objects of this exhortation that is such as have by the grace of God already begun this work have as sure promises of sufficient grace to go through withall as they have of the Reward of it being once finished Phil. 1.6 The promises before mentioned by way of interpretation of the words after my Text are indeed sufficient to secure us from any insuperable difficulty in this work But do not therefore inferr that there is none but rather the contrary Because if there were no difficulty we should need no such security for our assistance to overcome it But of the Difficulties which are to be expected and incountred in the pursuance of this work we are sufficiently advertised as well by Scripture as by our own sensible and continual Experience Strive to enter in at the straitgate Luk. 13.24 saith our Saviour For many I say unto you will seek he doth not say strive to enter in and shall not be able And in another Evangelist Strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life Mat. 7.14 and few there there be that find it In which words there are no less than three severall Intimations of the difficultie of entering into life eternal The first is in the word * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strive the second in the Epithets of the Gate and the Way Strait and Narrow the third in the paucity of them that enter and the ill success of many that seek so to do Few there be that find it and many shall seek to enter and shall not be able The word Strive in the Original is borrowed from the Olympick games wherein the parties contending for the victorie were stoutly opposed and therefore ingaged to put forth the utmost of their strength And with the same Allusion the Christian Course is by Saint Paul compared to three several kinds of those Games viz. 1. to Running 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. to Fighting or cuffing with the fist and 3. Wrestling 1 Cor 9.24.26 Know ye◠not that they that run in a Race run all but one obtaineth the Prize So run that ye may obtain I therefore so run 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as uncertainly So fight I not as one that beateth the air 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a Castaway And Ephes 6.12 For we wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against Principalities against Powers c. 1 Tim. 6.12 Fight the good fight of Faith Christianity is a Warfare and Fight against spirituall adversaries within and without Within against fleshly lusts which warre against the Soul 1 Pet. 2 11 Jam. 4.1 Without against Principalities and Powers against the Rulers of the darkness of this world against spirituall wickedness or wicked Spirits in high places Ephes 6.12 All this matter of Combate Strife Wrestling is supposed in that repeated promise of the heavenly Reward to him only that overcometh Rev.