of Faith ch 14. a. 2. Declarat ch 14. a. 2. of Saving Faith By this Grace a Christian believeth to be true whatever is revealed in the Word for the Authority of God speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular Passage thereof containeth yielding Obedience to the Commands Trembling at the Threatnings and Embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come But the principal Acts of Saving Faith are Accepting Receiving and Resting upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life by virtue of the Covenant of Grace Reader weigh this sound Account of Faith Which if it were regarded and no Essential part of it excluded when Faith is considered as a Condition of any Gospel-Benefit How much vain Disputes would be prevented as well as Danger to poor Souls And one would think no Man need prove That it is not Saving Faith when any Essential part of it is wanting And that it must be Saving Faith when we mention Faith as the Condition or Moral Instrument of any Saving Benefit ERROUR Saving Faith is nothing but our Persuasion or absolute Concluding within our selves That our Sins are pardoned and that Christ is ours Proved that this is Doctor Crisp 's Opinion The Doctor tells us pag. 493. The whole Essence of Faith is nothing else but the Echo of the Heart answering the foregoing Voice of the Spirit and Word of Grace Thy Sins are forgiven thee saith the Spirit and Word of Grace My Sins are forgiven me saith Faith And the Soul that can assume thus from the Spirit and Word of Grace hath the whole Essence of Believing When the Doctor pag. 107. puts a Man on examining his Faith he hath these words How do I know I believe in Christ He Answers Do I rest my Heart upon this Truth Do I receive it as a Truth that I do believe Or do I reject it and will not receive it Then I do not believe But if you sit down and rest upon this Truth and receive it and do in reality believe it then you may absolutely conclude Christ is yours And pag. 296. If the Lord I say again give to any to believe this Truth That it is his Iniquity the Lord hath laid on Christ God himself cannot charge one Sin on that Man And pag. 158. he makes the difference betwixt a strong and weak Believer to consist in the Degree of this Persuasion See more in chap. 10 11. Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not whether Assurance be attainable in this Life as the Effect of Faith 2. Nor whether a Sinner ought to apply yea doth personally apply the general Offers of Christ and Life by his own Compliance with the Terms of the Gospel For upon a true Acceptance of a whole Christ he is mine in virtue of the Gospel Promise which God will perform in giving Christ and Life to all that accept of him as he is proposed for our Acceptance 3. Nor whether a convinced Sinner hath at first a more especial regard to Christ's Priestly Offices and Sufferings as what are more sensibly fitted to his guilty State 4. Nor whether every thing recorded in the Scriptures must not be dwelt on with the same regard concern and assurance as the Essentials of the Covenant of Life 5. Nor whether Faith contain in it a reliance on Christ as the only Saviour and on his Satisfaction and Merits as what alone purchased our Pardon and Acceptance as well as it includes the realizing Assent to the Truth and unfeigned fiducial Consent to and Acceptance of a whole Christ in all his Offices All these I affirm The real Difference 1. Whether the whole Essence of Saving Faith consists in an Inward Persuasion or Assurance that our Sins are pardoned and Christ is ours This the Doctor affirms and I deny yea I deny that it is at all of the Essence of Saving Faith 2. Whether Saving Faith include not in its nature that powerful efficacious Assent to the Word and fiducial consenting Acceptance of Christ as Prophet Priest and King with a Reliance on his Merits and obediential Regards to God as the TRUTH above-mentioned doth express This the Doctor denies and I affirm The Truth confirmed 1. Faith is not an Assurance or Inward Persuasion That Christ is ours and our Sins are pardoned For 1. Men may have this Persuasion who do not savingly believe They in Mat. 7. 22. had this when they cried Lord Lord open to us Neither did the foolish Virgins seem without it Mal. 25. 1 2. Yea it's what the most profligate Sinners grow secure by to their own Destruction and this upon the general Word of Grace 2. Many true Believers have not this Persuasion let common Experience be consulted 3. Such as have had Assurance do by the Doctor 's Opinion fall into the Sin of damning Unbelief whenever they doubt their Interest in Christ and especially if they conclude that they have not this Interest A sad Doom on many pious Souls 4. This Persuasion should suppose an Interest in Christ and doth not give it It 's a false Conclusion That Christ is mine before he is so And must the great term of Life be a Lye We are to examine our selves whether we be in the Faith and so whether Christ be in us before we assure our selves that he is in us 2 Cor. 13. 5. And where hath God made this Proposition My Sins are laid upon Christ to be the Object of Saving Faith This Proposition is not God nor Christ nor any part of the Scripture unless you suppose a General Redemption and that to the actual Pardon of every Sinner And as the Word of Grace promiseth Pardon to none but a Believer so the Spirit speaks it to none but to the Believer as a Believer 2. Saving Faith includes the Essentials expressed in the above-mentioned Truth as Assent Trust Consenting Acceptance of Christ Reliance c. This appears 1. Faith can be no less than the Soul's Answer to the Call of God in our effectual Vocation And to this all those things are necessary 2 Pet. 1. 3. 2. The Scriptures describe Saving Faith by all these Acts It 's the Evidence of things not seen and Substance of things hoped for Heb. 11. 1. It 's a Receiving of Christ Joh. 1. 12. which must be as God gives him and that is a Witness a Leader and Commander of the People Isa. 55. 4. Acts 3. 26. to bless us in turning every one of you from his iniquity Rom. 15. 12. In him shall the Gentiles trust Isa. 44. 5. One shall say I am the Lord's and another shall subscribe with his Hand unto the Lord which express consent 3. Christ cannot be received as a Saviour nor as the Way of a Sinner to God if Faith include not these Great things He is not a Saviour if you exclude any of his Offices and as an intire Saviour we must receive him Mat. 1. 21. Can any Man receive
him as a Prophet and not believe and accept of his Teachings Can any receive him as a King that refuseth Subjection to his Government No for We will not have this man to reign over us was the Language of Unbelief as well as Damning to those Unbelievers Luk. 19. 14 27. and the same word signifies Disobedient and Unbelieving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 10. 21. Can any Man come to Christ as a Priest and not rely on his Sacrifice for Pardon to be obtained by him And the word tells us we come to God by him if he be our Saviour Heb. 7. 25. But who can suppose that there 's this without any dedication of our selves to God c. Oh that Men were but wise enough to know what it is to receive a Ruler or a Teacher What Peace would it cause 4. A Faith without these Essentials could never produce those great Effects which are ascribed to Faith How could it purifie the Heart Act. 15. 9. Be a Shield against Temptations Eph. 6. 16. Works by Love Gal. 5. 6. Sanctifies us Act. 26. 18. By Faith we are risen with Christ Col. 2. 12. Is a lower Faith operative as I am Jam. 2. 17. Or can any call that which wants these A Principle of Obedience virtually including all Grace to say nothing of the unmeetness of a lower Faith to be the appointed Condition of Saving Benefits when it is the appointment of a Wise and Holy Governour 5. An Enlightened Regenerate Soul cannot act towards Christ when he is first presented to its view below these Instances It 's not a regenerate Heart that admits Actings contrary to any of these if it is a regenerate Heart it will discover it self in each of these upon the offer of Christ as a Saviour Act. 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do c. Sure a regenerate Principle includes a Disposition to all these Acts and the first view of Christ will excite and attract them Testimonies You have seen the Judgment of the Assembly and Elders at the Savoy in the Truth above stated Both also affirm ch 18. a. 3 4. Infallible Assurance doth not so belong to the Essence of Faith but that a true Believer may wait long and conflict with many Difficulties before he be partaker of it And the Assemblies Large Catech. Quest. Are all Assured c. They Answer Assurance not being of the Essence of Faith c. One of the Errours for which the Church of Boston in New-England dealt with Mr. H. was That there is no Faith of God's Elect but Assurance Dr. Owen in his Treat of Justification p. 111 112. denies that a full Persuasion of the Forgiveness of our Sins or That what Christ did and suffered as our Mediator he did it for us in particular or a particular Application of especial Mercy unto our Souls c. are of the Essence of Faith though all that have true Faith will endeavour it The Ground of Dr. Crisp 's Mistake Because Faith is the Evidence of thingsunseen that is it Assents to unseen Realities therefore he thinks that our Faith is nothing but an Assent to our particular Interest in Forgiveness Because the Word of Grace promiseth Justification to all true Believers therefore an Assurance of my being Justified is Believing Whereas I must first be a Believer in order to Pardon before I justly can or ought to believe that I am pardoned CHAP. X. Of the Free Offer of Christ to Sinners and of Preparatory Qualifications TRUTH CHrist is freely offered to be a Head and Saviour to the vilest Sinners who will knowingly assent to the Truth of the Gospel and from a Conviction of their Sin and Misery out of Christ are humbled and truly willing to renounce all their Idols and Sins denying their own carnal Self and Merits and accept of Christ as offered in the Gospel relying on him alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life Reader Observe 1. Christ is freely offered to the vilest Sinners for their acceptance of him according to the Gospel 2. He is not offered so as if any Sinner might have a Saving Interest in him till they are willing to deny themselves renounce all Sins and Idols and do accept of and rely on him as a full Saviour according to the Terms of the Gospel There cannot be an Acceptance of Christ without a Renouncing of Sin and Idols and Denying carnal Self and our own Merits as Opposites to him And on the other hand to renounce Sin and Idols and deny our selves will not avail us without an acceptance of Christ and relianceon him 3. I mention some things that are antecedently necessary to our renouncing of Sin and Idols and to our acceptance of and reliance on Christ as Knowledge Assent Conviction of Sin and Misery and some Humblings of Soul which must attend all true Convictions These are Preparatory Qualifications not that an Interest in Christ always follows these but they dispose the Soul to a hearty acceptance of Christ in opposition to all rival Opposites and are necessary thereto in some degree 4. The declared Design of the Offers of Christ to Sinners is That they may be thus willing to accept of Christ and so partake of an Interest in him ERROUR Christ is offered to Blasphemers Murtherers and the worst of Sinners that they remaining ignorant unconvinced unhumbled and resolved in their purpose to continue such they may be assured they have a full Interest in Christ and this by only concluding in their own Minds upon this Offer That Christ is theirs Proved that this is Dr. Crisp 's Opinion I need give no Proof of it but this That it 's a declared Point which he oft strives to prove That all the Elect are actually united to Christ before they Believe yea before they are Born as you 'll see in the next Chapter So that all the design of these Offers is only to manifest to Men That Christ was theirs before as he tells us p. 100. Is not Unbelief a Bar to have a part in Christ He Answers It is a Bar to hinder the manifestation of Christ in the Spirit but it is not a Bar to hinder one from having a part in Christ. Obj. But the Doctor seems to insist on Mens coming to Christ and closing with him as p. 206. No Consideration in the world can so aggravate a Man's Condition would he make his condition as bad as the Devils themselves yet if there be but a Coming there can be no Consideration in the highest pitch of sinfulness for Christ to reject him And p. 202. Whatever thou art suppose a Drunkard a Whoremaster a Swearer a Blasphemer a Mad-man in Iniquity couldst thou but Come to Christ I say Come only Come it is no matter if there be no Alteration in the world in thee when thou dost come to Christ. A. 1. But Coming or Believing is no other in the Doctor 's Judgment than an Inward Persuasion or Concluding that Christ is ours
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned And as this Grace under this Sanction of Life and Death was to be urged so it 's added Mat. 28. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Among which no doubt is included what he told the Apostles when first commissioned Mat. 10. 14 15. Whosoever shall not receive you and hear your Words when you depart out of that House or City shake off the Dust off your Feet Verily It shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in that Day of Judgment than for that City Ver. 32 33. Whosoever shall Confess me before Men him will I confess before my Father which is in Heaven But whosoever shall deny me before Men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven Ver. 37. He that hath loved Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me 38. He that taketh not his Cross and followeth me is not worthy of me 41. He That receiveth a righteous Man in the Name of a righteous Man shall receive a righteous Man's Reward These are part of Christ's Speech to his Apostles when he first sent them to preach and so from Heaven he taught Paul to preach Act. 26. 18. See how Paul instructs Timothy to preach 1. He enumerates very many Duties which he was to urge and exhort 2. He frequently requires him to back these Exhortations with Promises in case of Obedience and Threatnings in case of Disobedience I shall instance a few 1 Tim. 4. 8 9. Godliness is profitable unto all things having the Promises of this Life and that which is to come This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation What are the Promises of the Life to come to Godliness Yea though it 's now with some no true Saying Ver. 16. Take heed to thy self and thy Doctrine for in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hears thee Here 's pressing to doing with a Promise of Life 1 Tim. 6. 6 9. Godliness with Content is great Gain But they that will be Rich fall into Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts which drown Men in Destruction and Perdition Ver. 17. 18. Charge c. that they do Good willing to Communicate laying up in store for themselves a good Foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal Life 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. It is a faithful Saying for if we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer we shall also regin with him if we deny him he will also deny us Can any Man think we ought not to plead with Men and Preach as Christ and his Spirit charge us Or would he appoint us to preach what is not his own Will or Gospel 2. In this manner did Christ and his Apostles preach the Gospel Read Christ's Sermon on the Mount Mat. 5. Are not Graces urged by promised Blessings and denounced Threatnings the first none can doubt the last is as evident Ver. 13. Good for nothing but to be cast out 19. Least in the Kingdom of Heaven Ver. 20. Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Ver. 22. In danger of Hell-Fire 26. Thou shalt not come out thence 30. If thy Right Eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it 's profitable for thee that one of thy Members should perish and not that thy whole Body should be cast into Hell See the Parable of the Seed of the Talents Virgins Marriage Supper Was it not he that declared He that believeth not the Wrath of God abideth on him If you believe not you shall dye in your Sins If you repent not you shall all likewise perish Vain World that think they can out-preach Christ or that theirs is Gospel which obstructs the very things that his Ministry was designed to He that knew the Scheme of Truths used his Satisfaction as the great Motive to Obedience but not as what made it needless in its own place The Apostles obeyed and imitated Christ. The first Sermon of Peter includes this Act. 2. 38. 40. Repent and be baptized every one of you for the Remission of Sins c. for the Promise is to you and to your Children and as many as the Lord shall call And with many other Words did he testifie and exhort saying Save your selves from this untoward Generation Read his Epistles and see how he moves by Threatnings and Promises and preacheth Duties The Apostle Paul giveth the Sum of his Ministry to the Ephesians c. Act. 20. 21. Testifying both to the Jews and Greeks repentance towards God and faith towards the Lord Jesus ver 26 27. I am pure from the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God It 's he that saith If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be an Anathema Maranatha What a man soweth that shall he reap He will come in flaming fire to take vengeance on all that know not God and obey not the Gospel What he saith of FreeGrace and Christ's Righteousness in Opposition to Man's Merits doth not clash with what he saith of the Necessity of Graces and Duties as the required Terms of such Blessings as God promiseth to them The Apostle James is as express as can be read his Epistle and Doubt and it seems to be written against some Libertines who perverted the Doctrine of Grace delivered by Paul And Peter expresly speaks of these Mens wresting Pauls Epistles in this very Point as I could fully prove 2 Pet. 3. 16. Read the Epistle of Jude and he agrees with the rest in arguing for Holiness from Threats and Promises 3. When the Gospel is said to be preached you 'll find that then Graces and Duties were preached under a Gospel Sanction Act. 15. 7. The Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel What this was see Act. 10. from ver 34. to 44. Of a truth I perceive that God is no Respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him The Word which God sent unto the Children of Israel Preaching Peace by Jesus Christ He is Lord of all c. he commanded us to preach unto the People and to testifie That it is he which was ordained of God to be Judge of Quick and Dead To him gave all the Prophets witness That through his Name whoever believeth in him shall have remission of sins Rev. 14. 6 7. I saw another Angel in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them c. saying with a loud Voice Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his indignation is come and worship him that made Heaven and Earth So Act. 147 15 17. There
sinful and vain and no Saving Benefit is dispenced to any of us by this Rule 2. The Gospel includes the Moral Preceptive part of the first Law with some additional Precepts which suppose our Apostate state as Faith in an atoneing Saviour and Repentance for Sin These could not be enjoyned as Duties on innocent Man by a Rule of Happiness and Misery nor could they be necessary to his Right to Life because they would suppose him a Sinner The Gospel is taken in a large sence when I say it includes all the Moral Precepts but yet the Gospel doth so and they are the Commands of Christ as Redeemer to whom all Judgment is committed as well as the Law of the Creator 3. The Gospel hath another Sanction to the Preceptive part of the Law than the Covenant of Works had Though nothing be abated in the Rule of Sin and Duty yet Blessings are promised to lower degrees of Duty and a continuance in a state of Deuth with a barr to the Blessing are not threatned against every degree of Sin as the Covenant of Works did Can any doubt this to be the Grace of the Gospel-Promise Doth it promise Life to all Men however vile and impenitent they be Or doth it threaten Damnation or a Continuance of it on any true penitent believing godly Man because he is imperfect This Change of the Sanction supposeth the Death of Christ and his honouring the Law by his perfect Obedience wherein God hath provided for his own Glory while he promiseth Life by Forgiveness to imperfect Man and yet he insists on some degree of Obedience to which of his mere Grace he enableth us This the Covenant of Redemption secures to the Elect tho' the Grant therein is pleadable only by Christ as the stipulating Party for us and our personal Claim depends on the Gospel-Covenant whereof Christ is Mediator 4. This Gospel-Sanction determines as certain a Rule of Happiness and Misery as the Law of Works did though it be not the same For while it promiseth Pardon to all believing repenting Sinners and declares a barr to pardon to the impenitent Rejecters of Christ and Gospel-Grace it fixeth true Repentance and Faith unfeigned to be the Terms of Pardon So when it promiseth Heaven to the sincerely holy persevering Believer it fixeth sincere Holiness and perseverance in Faith as the Terms of possessing Heaven Hence the Use of Faith Holiness c. to these Benefits is not from their Conformity to the Precept but their Conformity to the Rule of the Promise Our applying Christ's Righteousness and relying on it would no more Justifie us than our sincere Holiness would Save us were it not for this Gospel-Promise That God will Justifie for Christ's sake all such as believe 5. Hence by Gospel-Grace there is a great difference between perfect Faith and utter Unbelief between sincere Holiness and formal Profaneness or Wickedness True Love to God and prevailing Enmity imperfect spiritual Duties and rebellious Neglects c. By the Law of Works nothing was Holiness but what was perfectly so c. But read the Bible if thou doubtest whether there is not a true Faith Holiness Love c. which be short of Perfection 6. God in the dispensing of Gospel-promised Blessings doth judicially determine a Conformity to this Rule of the Promise When he forgives he judicially declareth a Man hath true Faith when he admits into Heaven he judicially declares a Man sincerely Holy and Persevering As upon a view of his Guests he cast out him that had not on the Wedding-Garment viz. True-uniting Faith so he judicially determined That they who were not cast out but admitted to share in the Marriage Feast viz. made Partakers of Union with Christ and the Benefits thereof had True Faith and not a mere Profession As by keeping out the foolish Virgins for not having Oyl in their Lamps viz. the Spirit of Grace and persevering Holiness so by admitting the wise Virgins he judicially declared they had a Spirit of Grace and persevering Holiness Can any think that Forgiving Adopting Glorifying or the conveyance of every other promised Benefit given on God's Terms are not judicial Acts of God as Rector If so doth he dispence these blindly and promiseuously without any regard to our being Believers c. or no Or whether our Faith be true or no Any one would blush to affirm it With respect to what 's above declared the Gospel is called a Law of Faith a Law of Liberty c. and it especially insists on that sincerity of Grace and Holiness which the Rule of the Promise makes necessary in its Description of the Person whom it makes Partaker of its included Benefit And the main of our Ministry consisteth in pressing Men to answer the Rule of the Gospel-Promises and disswading Men from those things which the Gospel threatens shall hinder their Interest in all or any of its Benefits with an Aggravation of their Misery if they be final Rejecters of its Grace We call Men to be reconeiled to God upon which we know God will be at peace with them These things will help thy Conceptions still remembring that the Merits of Christ are the cause of this Gospel-Ordination His Righteousness imputed is the cause for which we are justified and saved when we do answer the Gospel-Rule And I exclude not this Righteousness when I affirm That the Righteousness of God Phil. 3. 9. principally intends the Gospel-Holiness of a Person justified by Christ's Righteousness both which by Faith in Christ all his Members shall be perfect in The Grace of God is hereby stated as free as is consistent with his Government and Judicial Rectoral Distribution of Rewards and Punishments and none need the Riches of Grace more than I. Reader Note That in this Book I still speak of the Adult and not Infants When I say The Difference is not I state my own Concessions and mean not that the Doctor is in all these of my mind Thou must expect to take up my full sence by a view of several Chapters and not only one because sundry Chapters referr to the same Points more or less And forget not That though the Doctor oft in his Book speaks to Men as Believers yet every thing is true of the Elect viz. They have as much a Title to all Saving Blessings only they do not know it This was his Judgment I have carefully avoided any Reflexion on Reverend Dr. Crisp whom I believe a holy Man and abstained exposing many things according to the Advantage offered if by any means this Book may become useful to such as most need it That the Father of Lights would lead us into all Truth and Love is the Prayer of thy Servant in the Gospel London May 4. 1692. D. Williams ERRATA PAge 3. Line 7. add 365. p. 5. l. 8. for ew r. we p. 8. l. 15. for 289. r. 274. p. 10. l. 17. r. Propogation p. 28. l. 4 for Chaist r. Christ p. 38.
l. 5. for was r. is p 62. l. 30. blot in put p. 78. l. 4. blot out I am p. 91. l. 10. add 616 617 l. 15. for 616. r. 609. p. 92. l. 5. for 618. r. 100 101 p. 93. l. 14. r. ununited 3. 98. l. 4. for Mr. r. Mrs. p. 101. l. 21. remove from freely to work p. 140. l 22. for way r. may p. 166. l. 8. for its Instrument r. joynt Agent p. 182. l. 4. for mad r. made p. 198 l. 26. for is r. as p 214. l. 16. for hears r. hear p. 208. l. 29. add to p. 217. l. 20. for 1. r. 14. p. 234. l 27. r. Meditation p. 236. l. 10. for with r. unto p. 66. l. 4. for Grant r. Grace GOSPEL-TRUTH Stated and Vindicated CHAP. I. Of the State of the Elect before effectual Calling Truth IT is certain from God's Decree of Election that the Elect shall in time be justified adopted and saved in the way God hath appointed and the whole meritorious Cause and Price of Justification Adoption and Eternal Life were perfect when Christ finished the Work of Satisfaction Nevertheless the Elect remain Children of Wrath and subject to Condemnation till they are effectually called by the Operation of the Spirit Errour The Elect are at no time of their Lives under the VVrath of God nor are they subject to Condemnation if they should die before they believe yea when they are under the Dominion of Sin and in the Practice of the grossest Villainies they are as much the Sons of God and Justified as the very Saints in Glory Proved that this is Dr. Crisp 's Opinion The Doctor tells us Pag. 363. 364. It is thought by some that in case such a Person should happen to die before God call him to Grace and give to him to believe that Person had been damned and that Elect Persons are in a damnable Estate in the time they walk in excess of Riot before they are called Let me speak freely to you and tell you that the Lord hath no more to lay to the Charge of an elect Person yet in the height of Iniquity and in the excess of Riot and committing all the Abominations that can be committed I say even then when an elect Person runs such a Course the Lord hath no more to lay to that Person 's Charge than God hath to lay to the Charge of a Believer Nay God hath no more to lay to the Charge of such a Person than he hath to lay to the Charge of a Saint triumphant in Glory Pag. 368. The Elect of God they are the Heirs of God and as they are Heirs so the first Being of them puts them into the Right of Inheritance and there is no time but such a Person is a Child of God And this is a Principle he oft asserts and labours to prove P. 354 355 365 577 578 579. But the Readers will object Sure he meaneth no more than that the Elect are sure to be justified and adopted and that Christ hath fully merited it for them but not that they are actually justified and adopted before they are called Answer The Doctor frequently endeavours to prove that we are actually justified before we are born before we are baptized before we believe before we are converted and reduceth the Sum of his Thoughts P. 374. in these VVords But when did the Lord do this Viz. Justifie us He answers He did it from Eternity in respect of Obligation but in respect of Execution he did it when Christ was on the Cross and in respect of Application he doth it while Children are in the Womb. And then shews that they do mistake who judge that God applies the Pardon of Sin at the time of Conversion In other Places he saith We are actually justified c. Wherein the Difference is not The Difference is not 1. Whether God hath eternally decreed That certain Persons freely elected by him shall certainly be justified and adopted 2. Nor whether these elect Persons are the Objects of God's Love of Good-will even while they are Sinners 3. Nor whether God continues his gracious Purpose of doing them good in his appointed ways notwithstanding their Provocations 4. Nor whether Christ hath made full Atonement for Sin and merited eternal Life for the Elect which shall be in God's time and way applied and that he left nothing to be done by us in a way of Atonement and Merit 5. Nor whether there be not a great Difference between an elect Sinner and others as to what they shall be in time All these I affirm Wherein the real Difference is 1. VVhether the Elect while uncalled are actually pardon'd and adopted to Life This the Doctor affirmeth and I deny 2. VVhether the Elect while dead in Sin and Unbelief are Children of VVrath condemned by the Law and not justi ed by the Promise This I affirm and the Doctor denies The Truth confirmed 1. The Scriptures expresly declare the Elect before they be effectually called to be Children of Wrath Eph. 2. 2 3. Enemies Col. 1. 21. Which were not my People and not Beloved Rom. 9. 25. 2. The Gospel bars all Unbelievers and dead Sinners from Pardon and Adoption and denounceth the Continuance of Condemnation against them limiting its Benefits to such as believe Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned Ver. 36. The Wrath of God abideth on him 1 Cor. 16. 22. And if any Man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such were some of you but you are justified 3. If it were not so neither the Spirit nor the VVord of God have any Influence in the saving of Sinners which so oft they are affirmed to have This is plain for these influence on our Persons in time and therefore suppose us in no State of Salvation before See Tit. 3. 5. He saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Joh. 5. 34. These things I say that you may be saved 2 Thes. 2. 10. They received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved Jam. 1. 21. Receive the Word which is able to save But the want of the Gospel would be no Damage if we be Heirs in the VVomb we should be freed from VVrath if we never heard it 4. Gospel Benefits imply that there is a time when we are actually guilty and miserable There could be no Forgivenss if 〈◊〉 were not guilty Rom. 4. 7. They were at Enmity of whom the Apostle saith Now hath he reconciled Col. 2. 12. If Men were always Sons they could not be said in time to be adopted nor to pass from Death to Life 5. The Doctor may as well infer VVe are sanctified and possessed of Heaven in the VVomb for God hath elected us to these as well as to Pardon and Christ merited these also Reader Dost thou not find God justifies none but whom he calleth Rom. 8. 30. Would there be such Joy in Heaven at the
called justified sanctified and glorified Here thou seest Redemption and Justification are distinct things and the Elect are in Time called before they be justified In the Larger Catechis Q. What doth God require of us that we may escape his Wrath and Curse due to us The Assembly answer That we may escape Wrath c. He requireth of us Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus and the diligent Use of the outward Means whereby Christ communicates to us the Benefits of his Mediation Here thou seest that 1. We may be for a time without the Benefits of Christ's Mediation 2. That notwithstanding his Mediation we are under the Curse and Wrath as still due to us for sin till we repent and believe For it 's to escape these God requires Repentance and Faith 3. It 's by Means attended to and operating on us that the Benefits of Christ's Mediation are communicated for the Removal of the Curse and Wrath. VVhat can be more fully spoken against our being discharged when Christ suffered yea or before we repent and believe The Synod of New-England condemn this Speech viz. To say We are justified by Faith is an unsafe Speech VVe must say we are justified by Christ the Synod tells us it is no unsafe Speech But on the contrary to say a Man is justified before Faith or without Faith is unsafe as contrary to the Language of the Scripture p. 17 18. and they confute That as the 68. Errour viz. Faith justifies an Unbeliever that is the Faith that is in Christ justifies me that have no Faith in my self p. 13. Doctor Owen of Justif. p. 306. saith But yet the Act of God in laying our sins on Christ conveyed no actual Right and Title to us unto what he did and suffered They are not immediately thereon nor by virtue thereof ours or esteemed ours because God hath appointed somewhat else not only antecedent thereunto but as the Means of it unto his own Glory The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistakes Because it was God's Act to appoint Christ to suffer for our sins that we might in his VVay and Time be discharged therefore he thinks we are immediately discharged by that Act. Because Christ's Atonement is the sole meritorious Cause of Forgiveness therefore he thinks God suspends not Forgiveness till he works any thing else in the Soul which he hath made requisite to our being forgiven tho' not as any meritorious cause Because the Scape-Goat carried their sins into the Wilderness who expressed their Faith and Repentance by laying on hands on it and confessing sin therefore the sins of men are taken away by Christ while they continue impenitent and unbelieving CHAP. IV. Of the Elect's ceasing to be Sinners from the time their Sins were laid on Christ. REader I shall premise 1. Men are sinners or cease to be sinners in several distinct Respects 1. As to the Filth and Obliquity of Sin with respect to this they are more or less sinners according to the degree of their Innocence and Holiness 2. With some as to the Guilt of sin which refers to the Sanction of the Law against Offenders With respect to this the Offenders be more or less sinners as they are forgiven or not forgiven 3. As to the Charge of the Fact which was sinful with respect to this neither After-sanctification nor Pardon will deliver a Transgressor from having been a sinner the Fact was his The first and last denominate one a sinner most properly The second denominates a Man punishable but not a sinner formally 2. In the whole Scheme of the Doctor 's Principles it 's the Elect as elect who cease to be sinners Therefore when he speaks of a Believer he doth not mean he was a sinner before he believed for he states the time to be when Christ had our sins laid upon him viz. on the Cross. Having explained the Title of this Chapter I proceed Truth An elect Person ceaseth not to be a sinner upon the laying of our sins upon Christ that is he remains a sinner as to the Guilt till he believes if Adult He is a sinner as to the Filth of sin till he be sanctified He is a sinner as to the charge of the sinful Fact he commits and that even after Pardon and Sanctification Nevertheless he is free from the Curse when he is pardoned and shall be purged from all the Filth of sin when he is perfect in Holiness And tho' Christ did bear the Punishment of our Iniquity yet it never was Christ's Iniquity but ours Errour The Elect upon the Death of Christ ceased to be sinners and ever since their sins are none of their sins but they are the sins of Christ. Proved that this is Doctor Crisp 's Opinion The Doctor puts this Objection p. 8. Must not he be reckoned to be a sinner while he doth sin A. I answer No Tho' he doth sin yet he is not to be reckoned a sinner but his sins are reckoned to be taken away from him c. A Man doth sin against God God reckons not his sin to be his he reckons it Christ's therefore he cannot reckon it his This he endeavours to prove p. 270. If thou hast part in the Lord Christ which he thinks all the unbelieving Elect have all these Transgressions of thine are become actually the Transgressions of Christ and so cease to be thine and thou ceasest to be a Transgressor from that time they were laid upon Christ to the last hour of thy Life So that now thou art not an Idolater thou art not a Thief c. Thou art not a sinful Person what sin soever thou committest p. 271. So that if you would speak of a sinner supposing that Person of whom you speak to be a Member of Christ i. e. Elect you must not speak of what he manifests but of what Christ was Wherein the Difference is not The Difference is not 1. Whether the pardoned Sinner shall be delivered from Condemnation 2. Nor whether God for Christ's sake will deal with a pardoned Sinner as if he had not been a Sinner 3. Nor whether Forgiveness doth take away Sin as to its Obligation to Punishment 4. Nor whether the Atonement of Christ when it 's applied in its full Effects will perfectly remove all Punishment and purge away all Filth and Defilement from the Elect. Each of these I affirm The real Difference 1. Whether because Christ obliged himself to bear the satisfactory Punishment of our sins did they therefore become the sins of Christ This the Doctor affirms and I deny Of which I have spoken Chap. 2. 2. Whether our sins were pardoned when Christ suffered on the Cross This the Doctor affirms and I deny Of this see ch 1. and 3. and 12. c. 3. Whether even they that are Members of Christ yet if they do sin are they Transgressors and Sinners and are the sins they commit their sins This the Doctor denies and I affirm The Truth proved One
Sinner to perform The Judgment-Day is past and a State of Tryal is over when-ever this is proved These things I have premised that if possible I may remove the Mistakes which govern the Minds of some well-meaning people The Truth TRUTH I shall express it in the words of the Assembly The Grace of God is manifested in the Second Covenant in that he freely provideth and offereth to Sinners a Mediator and Life and Salvation by him requiring Faith as the Condition to interest them in him promiseth and giveth his holy Spirit to all his Elect to work in them that Faith with all other saving Graces and to enable them unto all Obedience as the Evidence of the Truth of their Faiâ—h and Thankfulness to God and as the way which he hath appointed them to Salvation Large Catech. Quest. How is the Grace of God manifested in the Second Covenant 1. Thou canst not but observe that the Assembly did judge 1. That though God hath provided a Mediator for Sinners yet they have no interest in him till they believe 2. That the Covenant is Conditional They scruple not to call Faith the Condition of our Interest in Christ and of Salvation by him 3. That Christ and Salvation are offered to all Sinners on the same Condition though God effectually enable the Elect to obey the Condition ERROUR The Covenant of Grace hath no Condition to be performed on Man's part though in the strength of Christ Neither is Faith it self the Condition of this Covenant but all the saving Benefits of this Covenant are actually ours before we are born Neither are we required so much as to believe that we may come to have an Interest in the Covenant Benefits Proved that this is Doctor Crisp 's Opinion The Doctor spends more than a Sermon to prove this And saith P. 81. There is not any Condition in this Covenant Mark what I say I know I shall go against the Strain of some c. P. 82. Observe I pray you and you shall plainly perceive that Man hath no Tye upon him to perform any thing whatsoever on his Part as a Condition that must be observed on his Part and there is not one Bond or Obligation upon Man to the fulfilling of the Covenant or partaking of the Benefits of it P. 84. He puts this Objection Though Works be not the Condition of the Covenant yet we hope you will yield Faith is the Condition of the Covenant He answers I must needs tell you directly that Faith is not the Condition of the Covenant But the Reader may suppose the Doctor only means there be no meritorious Conditions No he excludes all things wrought by Men or in Men as necessary to their Interest in the Covenant Blessings For he tells us P. 81. That after we are in Covenant with God he will bestow these things upon us as Effects of the Covenant And P. 83. The Covenant in the actual Substance of it is made good to a Man before he can do any thing i. e. from Eternity and in the Womb. Elsewhere he says Before our Eyes be opened c. P. 600. c. Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not whether God hath promised and Christ engaged in the Covenant of Redemption that the Elect shall believe and possess Christ c. This I affirm 2. Nor whether there be any Duty on Man's Part as a Condition of Christ's Undertaking or of the Certainty of the Things undertaken in that Covenant This I deny 3. Nor whether the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace be performed in our own Strength or be uncertain as to the Elect. This I deny 4. Nor whether the Performance of the Conditions move God to enact offer or appoint this Covenant whereby the Grace of Christ is applied This I deny and add That God enacted this Covenant before we were born and offers an Interest in it on its proper Terms to Men when Sinners 5. Nor whether the Performance of the Conditions of the Covenant be a purchasing Price or meritorious of the Benefits promised on such Conditions This I deny for Christ alone paid the Price and it 's the Covenant Promise gives the Interest in the Benefits to such as perform the Conditions 6. Nor whether the first Grace by which we are enabled to perform the Condition be absolutely given This I affirm though that be dispensed ordinarily in a due use of Means and in a way discountenancing idleness and fit Encouragement given to the Use of Means 7. Nor whether all the Conditions of the Covenant be of the same Use to the same Purpose or alike compleat Terms of the principal Benefits This I deny for Faith is supposed to all other Conditions and by Faith we are united to Christ c. 8. Nor whether upon Performance of the Conditions the Covenant Grant become not as absolute and the Right to the Benefit no longer suspended This I affirm for the Promise conveys the title as soon as the terms of the Grant are answered The real Difference 1. Whether the Elect have an actual Interest in the saving Benefits of the Covenant of Grace while they live in Unbelief This the Doctor affirms and I deny Of which see Chap. 10 11 12. 2. Whether God doth not offer the saving Benefits of the Covenant upon official Terms as believe and thou shalt be saved This I affirm and the Doctor denies 3. Whether the beneficial Privileges of the Covenant be not suspended on Terms of Duty as Doth not God forbear to pardon us till we believe This I affirm and the Doctor denies 4. Whether God doth engage to bestow the promised Benefits of the Covenant on all such who through Grace perform the Conditions This I affirm and the Doctor denies All may be reduced to this Whether our believing Confent to the Covenant of Grace be absolutely necessary by God's Command and Promise to our Interest in the saving Benefits of that Covenant This the Doctor denies and I affirm The Truth Confirmed 1. Each of the Benefits of the Covenant are offered to Men on condition and not absolutely in relation to God as his People is so Lev. 26. 3 12. If ye walk in my Statutes and keep my Commandments I will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my People That this refers to the New Covenant Relation is plain by 2 Cor. 6. 16. So is Union to Christ with a Communion in the Benefits proceeding therefrom Mat. 22. 2 3 9 10 11. They must come to the Wedding-Supper or have no share in it So is it of Pardon of Sin Acceptance to Life Adoption and Salvation Rom. 10. 9. If thou shalt confess with thy Mouth the Lord Jelus and shalt believe in thine Heart c. thou shalt be saved Rom. 4. 25. To whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord. Gal. 3. 7. They which are of Faith are the Children of Abraham See more of this in
Rom. 9. 6. 1. If it terminate on the natural Jews it 's the strongest Text for the Conversion of that People and describes the Extent of it viz. to all The Manner of it viz. by an immediate Influence for the most part and forgiving their Iniquities refers to their Sin in crucifying Christ for which that Blindness came upon them that is here removed If you take it in this Sence yet here is a Law written in the Heart which includes Faith in order to God's being their God and the Remission of their Sins 2. If true Believers or they that are inwardly Israel be meant as Rom. 2. 9. then it 's plain that there is Faith in all such who are the Parties with whom God makes this Covenant They are the Children of Abraham by Faith Gal. 3. 7. and no Unbelievers are Israel in this Notion If you take it thus the Text imports Perseverance great Sanctification and high Improvements in Holiness and Knowledge great Nearness to and Amity with God c. as the Benefits secured and reserved for the New-Testament-Times and all these to multitudes 2. It cannot be inferred from this Scheme of the new Covenant that as the Doctor would have it God doth not require any Duty as the Condition of the Benefits which he promiseth to give for here 's Gods Law written in the Heart before our Relation to him as his People or the Pardon of Sins and though this Text includes the Effects and Materials of the Covenant yet it doth not describe the whole Form of the Covenant for in other Places God requires the new Heart as a Condition of Life Ezek. 18. 31. Cast away from you all your Transgressions and make you a new Heart and a new Spirit for why will you die O House of Israel But turn and live Jer. 7. 23. c. Yea our Ministry which is the Ministry of the New Testament 2 Cor. 3. 6. is to preach Faith and Repentance for the Remission of Sin We are to promise the Benefits of the Covenant to all that submit to the Terms of it and to declare that all who refuse the Terms shall therefore be excluded from the Benefits as you 'll see Chap. 10 11 12 21. Testimonies You have already seen that the Assembly say the Covenant of Grace is conditional and Faith is a Condition of our Interest in Christ and Salvation and these are offered to Sinners on that Condition The Congregational Elders at the Savoy affirm as much Chap. 7. a. 3. The Lord was pleased to make a second Covenant commonly called the Covenant of Grace wherein he freely offers Life and Salvation by Jesus Christ requiring of them Faith in him that they may be saved You see they think there 's in the Covenant an Offer of Life if Men will believe and God requires Faith that we may obtain this Life The New England Synod confutes Errour 28. which was this To affirm there must be Faith on Man's Part to receive the Covenant is to undermine Christ. This the Synod say is contrary to Mar. 16. 16. Errour 38. was That there can be no closing with Christ in a Promise that hath a Condition expressed The Synod say this is erroneous and contrary to Isa. 55. 1. Mat. 11. 28. Mar. 1. 5. and adds If the Gospel it self be laid down in a conditional Promise if the Apostles and Prophets laid hold on such Promises to help to Union then there may be a true closing with Christ in a Promise that hath Qualfications and Conditions expressed So they brand as Errour 48. That conditional Promises are legal And Errour 81. Where Faith is held forth by the Ministry as the Condition of the Covenant of Grace on Man's Part c. there is not sufficient Bread which the Synod thus confutes This Position seems to deny Faith to be a Condition at all or at all active and so if Condition in this place signifie a Qualification in Man wrought by the Holy Ghost without which the Promises do not belong to Men. This is contrary to Joh. 6. 48. Doctor Owen saith Treat of Justif. P. 264. That Christ undertook that those who were to be taken into this Covenant should receive Grace enabling them to comply with the Terms of it fulfill its Conditions and yield the Obedience which God required therein How frequently doth he assert that our Interest in the Benefits of the Covenant depends on our answering the Terms of the Gospel 270 303 c. 351. He informs us A Covenant doth not operate by meer Sovereignty it becomes not a Covenant without the Consent of them with whom it is made Wherefore saith he no Benefit accrues unto any or Freedom from the old Covenant by this Constitution unless he hath actually complied with it hath chosen it and is interessed in it thereby Mr. Norton Orth. Evang. 172. affirms That the Gospel holds forth Salvation before Faith indefinitely not definitely Generally not Particularly Conditionally to every one not Absolutely to any one Hence this indefinite Proposition Whosoever believeth shall be saved containeth a Command and a singular or particular Conditional Promise c. He often proves Faith to be the First Condition See Turretin Instit. Theol. pars 2. p. 203. where he proves the Covenant of Grace to be Conditional How poor is the number that denies it The Ground of the Doctor 's Mistake He thinks every thing is a Price to buy a Benefit which is a compliance with the way God hath ordained to bestow the Gift whereas there 's a buying without Price which is our Acceptance of Life upon the Terms of God's Offer Isa. 55. 1. He thinks because God hath promised to Christ That the Elect shall believe therefore God cannot make Faith a Condition of any other Blessing which he resolves to bestow in order after Faith He thinks because Christ is given to be a Covenant that is he is appointed as a Surety to see the great Ends of the Covenant accomplished and secured therefore there is nothing required from Men as the way of their Interest in the Benefits of the Covenant though under the influence of Christ. He thinks because Christ is appointed to work Faith in order to Union and other Benefits therefore we must have an actual Interest in Christ and those Benefits before this Faith is wrought He thinks because all Grace after Union comes from Christ as our actual Head therefore Christ by his Spirit can work no Grace in us as our designed Head He thinks because God sovereignly decreed what Benefits he would bestow therefore he hath as our Ruler stated no rectoral Method of bestowing those Benefits Because the Covenant is everlasting as to future therefore he judged there can be no Condition on Man's part not remembring that the Covenant secures our perseverance in performing those Conditions CHAP. IX Of the Nature of Saving Faith TRUTH I Shall express this in the words of the Assembly and Congregational Elders at the Savoy Confes.
unto such and such Persons before he did put any Qualifications into them But I say farther that God gives actual Possession of this Christ and this Christ takes Possession of that Person before there be any Qualification Obj. When are the Elect united to Christ A. The Doctor tells you Before they are born P. 617. See P. 597 609 611 c. Of coming to Christ against your Wills See the end of this Chapter Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not whether God hath decreed that all the Elect shall be united to Christ. 2. Nor whether God hath appointed and Christ agreed in the Covenant of Redemption to be in time the Saviour of the Elect and that whatChrist did and suffered pursuant to that Covenant was intended for the saving Good of the Elect. 3. Nor whether all the Power by which we believe and the Spirit who works Faith in us be purchased and given by Christ. 4. Nor whether Christ's giving us the Spirit of Grace do begin this Union and the Spirit given in order to saving Operations produceth this Faith whereby the Union is consummated 5. Nor whether Faith unites to Christ by Divine Ordination and not by its own Power or Merit or as a Physical Act. All these I affirm The Real Difference 1. Whether the Elect are actually united to Christ before they are born This the Doctor affirms and I deny 2. Whether the Elect are united to Christ till they are effectually called and truly believe This the Doctor denies and I affirm The Truth Confirmed 1. The Scriptures expresly affirm all uncalled unregenerate Unbelievers to be united to Christ and in a State of Separation from him The believing Ephesians were before Conversion without Christ Eph. 2. 12. Were they always united to Christ of whom Paul saith Rom. 16. 7. They were in Christ before me Or was Paul himself always in Christ Were not the Romans out of Christ while a wild Olive-Tree and untill they were grafted into the true Olive-Tree w ich they were upon their Conversion Rom. 11. 17 19. 2. The Spirit of Christ and Faith in him are the things whereby God hath ordained us to be united with Christ By one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. Christ dwells in our Hearts by Faith Eph. 3. 17. on which account we are said to receive Christ Col. 2. 8. And are Children of God by Faith Gal. 3. 26. 3. The want of this Union is denounced against all such as have not the Spirit and are Unbelievers Rom. 8. 9. If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his i. e. Let the Man be elect or not be the Man who he will if he hath not the Spirit he is not Christ's in this Union And it 's the Design of that Parable Mat. 22. 3. to 13. that they who accept not of the Invitation or do not sincerely and spiritually consent to Christ's Offer shall not be united to Christ or partake of the Marriage Supper 4. The necessary immediate Effects of Union are plainly wanting in all such as have not the Spirit and want Faith He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. Can any unbelieving Wretch pretend to have one Spirit with Christ whiles his Inclinations Purposes and Carriage are so contrary Again If any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. q. d. Let the Man be who he will he is not united to Christ if he be not a new Creature I hope none will doubt he is no new Creature who is carnal who is a Stranger to the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4 24. When the Scriptures describe any Person in Christ Jesus they tell us they at least in purpose have crucified the Flesh with the Affections thereof Gal. 5. 24 and they walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom 8 1. It 's not they that have crucified the Flesh are in Chrâ—st which some might say would render it only a manifesting Sign of their In-being in Christ but these Texts do exclude all others from a present Share in this Union The like Places might be multiplied As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3. 27. If Christ be in you the Body is dead because of Sin c. Rom 8 9 10 But alas these and the like are not only wanting in Unbelievers but the direct contrary thereto prevalently reign in them and each of these Contraries do by a Gospel Rule subject Men to those Miseries as are inconsistent with the Members of Christ As If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die to be carnally minded is Death c. Rom. 3. 8. 6 14. 5. Union with Christ is determined to our effectual Calling This is the Means and Season of that Blessing God is faithful by whom ye are called into the Fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1. 9. Hence the Instruments of our Vocation are said to espouse us to Christ 2 Cor. 11. 2. To beget them for him 1 Cor. 4. 15. This Privilege is peculiar to Christ's regenerate Seed and impossible to any that are not so 6. Unbelievers are not Members of the Catholick invisible Church which is the Body of Christ By one Spirit you are all baptized into one Body and have been all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 13. There is a present effectual Working in every Part of this Body Eph. 4. 16. It 's by the Spirit 's Operation we are Parts of this Holy Temple and fellow Citizens with the Saints Eph. 2. from 18. to 22. Every Member hath a Measure of Faith and Grace Rom. 12. 3 4 5. None of these can be true of Men dead in Sin Nor can they be Members of Christ that are not Members of his Body 1 Cor. 12. 27. 7. Should they that are united to Christ apostatize from Faith they would thereby forfeit and lose this Union If any cease to be Believers they would cease to be Members of Christ. This is the Scope of Joh. 15. 2 3 4 5 6. If a Man abide not in me he is cast forth as a Branch and is withered Every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit he taketh away And is it not apparent that Apostacy sinks a Man into no more Unbelief than what prevailed before he believed at all 8. The opposite Errour would reconcile what the Spirit of God declares inconsistent The Apostle in vain asketh What Concord hath Christ with Belial or what Part hath he that believeth with an Infidel and what Agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols c. 2 Cor. 6. 15 16 17. By this Opinion Christ and Belial can be and dwell quietly in one Man for many Years and he that believeth and an Infidel have the same part in the highest Privilege viz. Union with Christ. In Uncleanness God receives all alike and
shall proceed to the Proof of the Truth which is comprehended under these Heads 1. Sinners have much to do in order to Salvation There be few Leaves in the Bible but argue this It 's the Scope of all the Revelations of God to Men since the Fall It 's true we have nothing to do in a way of Atonement or Purchace but it is as true we have much to do in order to our Participation of what Christ hath purchased We must repent that our Sins may be blotted out Act 3. 19. We must believe that we may be saved c. Our Lord is express if you know these things happy are you if you do them Joh. 13. 17. All Gospel-discoveries are made known for the Obedience of Faith Rom. 16. 26. And Christ will take Vengeance on all them who obey not the Gospel neither Christ nor Gospel will secure them 2 Thes. 1. 8. The Revelations of God to Men are not a bare Description of Duty and Benefits but an Injunction of Duty in a Connexion with Benefits Rom. 10. 9. If thou confess with thy Mouth the Lord Jesus and believe with thy Heart thou shalt be saved 2. I could shew there 's no one saving Benefit granted to a Sinner but on supposition of his Doing See much of this Chap. 8. 10 11 12. and Ch. 21 22. Christ never intended the Application of his Merits for our Privileges without ordering them as Motives to Duty on our Part. 3. The Influences of the Spirit of God and God's Institutions have no Causality in our Salvation if Men have nothing to do in order to be saved It 's plain that Salvation is ascribed to the Spirit and also to the Means of Grace Neither of them are the Atonement or Price of Salvation therefore they must save as they operate on the Soul in order to its Actings Rom. 1. 16. 1. Cor. 1. 21. And this must be as it answers the way appointed for our Participation of Life 4. On what account is it said that we believe to the saving of our Souls Heb. 10. 39. and Repentance to Salvation is the Expression of the Spirit of God 2 Cor. 7. 10. What Sence can be affixed to these and the like Phrases as they are opposed to their Contraries as destructive if Men do nothing towards their Salvation See Jam. 2. 14. Can Faith save him Yea and I may ask 5. What meaneth the Holy Ghost when he saith In so doing thou shalt save thy self and them that hear thee 1 Tim. 4. 16. Sure the Argument is not strong if it be true we can do nothing for Salvation 6. The Destruction of Sinners under the Gospel is still laid on not Doing they are condemned by the Law but they remain condemned and their Ruine is fixed and so they are twice dead for want of doing somewhat Ye will not come to me that you might have Life Joh. 5. 40. How oft is the Ruine of Souls laid on not Turning not Repenting c. 7. If Men have nothing to do for Salvation then Christ hath no Rule to judge them who lived under the Gospel I hope none will say the judicial Sentence will pass on Men as elected or not elected Doth it agree to the Proceedings of that Tribunal at that Day to say Thou shalt be damned because thou wert not elected Is this the Account the Scripture gives Doth it not proceed on the Difference in Mens Carriage and Tempers See the Parable of the Talents They who improved their Talents were saved he that hid it in a Napkin was therefore damned Mat. 25. 21 24 28. Consider any Description of the last Day and you 'll find God saves and damns with a Respect to Mens Neglects and Compliance with his Gospel 8. I could easily demonstrate that if Men have nothing to do in order to Salvation the Ministery of Christ and his Apostles the Ministery most apt and most blessed to Souls to this very day is all a Vanity and Falshood they are cold Pleadings with Sinners that are not backed with Life and Death Remove saving Benefits and undoing Dangers from being Arguments to Compliance with the Will of Christ and any Man may read the Success of such a Ministery and to use these Arguments to persuade Men to repent and believe if we have nothing to do for Heaven is a manifest Falshood and Trifling It 's awful to consider how inconsistent some Mens Application is with their Doctrine though it 's well their Uses to the Unconverted have so much Truth in them 2. True Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works and Perseverance are the Way to Heaven and so necessary to the Salvation of a Believer that without them he cannot be saved and continuing in them he shall be saved This might be evidenced by many Reasons 1. It is not saving Faith which is not operative to these Effects It ceaseth to be true whenever it wholly fails of purifying the Heart and working by Love Many affirm That all Graces are seminally in Faith as in their Principle Such must grant that as Faith justifies us at first in receiving and relying on Christ so it continues to justifie us by continuing those Acts and exerting it self in those other Operations which are essential to its Nature And thus some expound Jam. 2. 20 24. 2. Obedience good Works and Perseverance preserve us from those contrary Evils which do subject Men to Condemnation I keep my Body under least by any Means when I have preached to others I my self be a cast-away 1 Cor. 9. 27. I shall add to this in some following Heads 3. The Gospel-Constitution doth by its Promises and Threatnings make Persevering Holiness Obedience or Good Works the necessary way to Heaven These are not only a Natural but a Moral meetness for Heaven That this Point may be clear I shall 1. Shew that the Gospel-Constitution contains Promises and Threatnings which affect all of us as a Rule of Happiness and Misery it 's so to the Elect yea Believers as well as others 2. That by this Constitution Persevering Holiness Sincere Obedience or Good Works are necessary to Salvation 1. The Gospel-Constitution contains Promises and Threatnings which affect all of us as a Rule of Happiness and Misery By these God governs Men and Mens Hopes or Fears should be directed by these as their Rule Dr. Crisp not observing this hath run into those Mistakes which open a door to all Licentiousness though he intended it not His whole Scheme implies That Christ doth not distribute Blessings or Punishments by any Rule that referrs to the Actings of Men. I have proved the contrary chap. 8 c. For if the Covenant of Grace be Conditional and Faith and Repentance are Necessary to Forgiveness c. the Substance of this must be granted But I add a few Reasons more 1. Most of the Promises and Threatnings in the Bible that referr to the State of Souls are Evangelical Promises and Threats They are not the Sanction of the
a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Were all Doing for Life and an Eye to gain by Service such a legal and wicked thing as some represent it sure the blessed Jesus would have admonished his Disciples and not answer them as he doth Mat. 19. 27 28 29. Then answered Peter and said unto him behold we have forsaken all and followed thee What shall we have therefore And Jesus said unto them verily c. Ye shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel c. 4. The Doctor 's Argument from the Vanity of proposing our own Gain by Labour and Duties because all is fixed and given already is to make the Decree an effectual Means to overthrow the Government of Christ and brand all his Offers to Sinners with Weakness and Falshood Should not poor Sinners pray as they can abstain from Sin consider and apply the Word with an Eye to Conversion Why doth God call them to this Should not they wait and strive to believe and repent with an Eye to Forgiveness and escaping VVrath VVhy else should God encourage them with an Offer of these upon such Terms and tell the Unbelievers that they refuse these Mercies by new Forfeitures But by the Doctor 's Scheme the Elect may be idle and the Non-elect do best when they despair for there 's no Connexion between these Benefits and these Graces or Duties And so the Non-elect are in the same Case with Devils there being no serious Offer to them nay their Case is worse than Devils for these Offers are made to them for no other Design but to increase their Condemnation Nay every Sin of their's is the Sin against the Holy Ghost that is every Sin is alike the Unpardonable Sin and not only that Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost To say no more Christ hath no Rule of distributive Justice but his own eternal Purpose and Men's Regards to his promised Benefits are all forbidden even when our Respect to them is that which subserves his Government and is supposed in all the Methods of it 5. And why should we intend the Glory of God the Service of Christ or the Good of others Are not these as determined as our own Good Hath not God fixed and secured his own Glory Doth Christ need our services more than our selves Shall any other Persons receive more Good than God hath already given and provided for them Why should we intend these in our Duties more than our own Profit the very same Reason excuseth from all and so we ought to intend nothing at all I could shew had I Room that we cannot sincerely aim at our Souls good but we therein aim at God's Glory Nor doth God ever require us to intend his Glory but in a Concurrence with an Eye to our own Salvation TESTIMONIES You have seen in the last Chapter the Assembly's and Congregational Elders Judgment and that we are not the less under Grace for being encouraged to do good by the Promises c. The Case is so plain that I shall only give the Judgment of the greater part of those Reverend Divines whose Names are set in the Front of Dr. Crisp's Works and interpreted by the VVeak to a contrary purpose than what they intended These Divines in the Preface to Mr. Flavel's Book against Antinomianism which they approve of inform us That to say Salvation is not the End of any Good VVork we do or VVe are to act from Life and not for Life were to abandon the Humane Nature it were to teach us to violate the great Precepts of the Gospel it supposeth one bound to do more for the Salvation of others than our own 't were to make all the Threatnings of Eternal Death and Promises of Eternal Life we find in the Gospel of our blessed Lord useless as Motives to shun the one or obtain the other It makes the Scripture-Characters and Commendation of the most Eminent Saints a Fault Had I seen this sooner it might have spared some of my Reasons The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake Because we ought not to do any thing from Carnal Self-love therefore we ought to do nothing from Rational and Spiritual Self-love Because Christ redeemed us that we may not live to our selves as our own Lords therefore we must not in obeying him regard the Rewards he promiseth us as he is our Lord. Because we must aim at God's Glory above all therefore we must not at all intend our own happiness in the enjoyment of this God Because we must aim at the good of others therefore we must not aim at our own good Because we should obey God from Gratitude and Love therefore we should not obey him from any Hope or filial Fear Because God hath engaged to give Life and Happiness to the Elect when they have finished their warfare and work therefore they must not intend the obtaining that happiness in any part of that work or warfare CHAP. XV. Of the way to attain Assurance TRUTH THe ordinary way whereby a Man attaineth a well-grounded Assurance is not by immediate objective Revelation or an inward Voice saying Thy Sins are forgiven thee But when the Believer is examining his Heart and Life by the Word the holy Spirit enlightens the Mind there to discern Faith and Love and such other Qualifications which the Gospel declareth to be infallible Signs of Regeneration And he adds such power to the Testimony of Conscience for the Truth and In-being of these Graces as begets in the Soul a joyful sense of its reconciled State and some comfortable freedom from those Fears which accompany a doubting Christian and according to the Evidence of these Graces Assurance is ordinarily strong or weak ERROUR Assurance is not attained by the Evidence of Scripture-Marks or Signs of Grace or by the Spirits discovering to us that he hath wrought in our Hearts any holy Qualifications But Assurance comes only by an inward Voice of the Spirit saying Thy Sins are forgiven thee and our believing thereupon that our Sins are forgiven Proved that this is Doctor Crisp's Opinion P. 491. Would you know that the Lord hath laid your Iniquities on Christ you must know it thus 1. Is there a Voice behind thee or within thee saying particularly to thee in thy self Thy Sins are forgiven thee Dost thou see this Voice agree with the Word of Grace that is Dost thou see it held out to most vile and wretched Creatures as thou canst be and upon this Revelation of the Mind of the Lord by his Spirit according to that Word doth the Lord give thee to receive that Testimony of the Spirit to sit down with it as satisfied that upon this thou makest full reckoning thou hast propriety in this particularly to thy self If thou dost receive that Testimony according to that Word here is thy Evidence Thou hast thy Propriety and Portion in this On this Point the Doctor spends much time Serm. 15. is to prove That Love to the
Brethren Universal Obedience Sincerity and Singleness of Heart and all other inherent Qualifications are not Signs by which we should judge our state Serm. 16. he calls the Revealing Evidence of the Spirit and endeavours to prove this Immediate Revelation P. 473. he puts this Objection We will not deny but it is the Voice of the Spirit will satisfie the Case But suppose I hear such a Voice c. Here is the doubt If the Word it self did bear witness to this particular Voice of the Spirit then could I be satisfied this were the Voice of the Spirit of God that speaks but if the Word do not bear witness to this Voice c. I dare not trust it He Answers This Voice is always according to the Word But P. 475. he tells us The Word according to which the Spirit of the Lord speaks when he speaks Peace to his People is the Word of Grace And that Word of Grace is no more but this God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them This is the Word of Grace according to which it speaks reconciling the World to himself even the World when Men are no otherwise but merely Men of the World Reader Thou seest that the Spirit 's Voice according to the Word is no more than according to the general Account That Christ came to save Sinners And so if any Sinner have this inward Voice that Voice is according to the Word whether he be a regenerate Person or no. The Doctor in this Page and Page 476. shews That if this Voice be according to this general Rule we must not try it by any thing else or question it And adds As for Example There is the Voice of the Word of Grace we are justified freely by his Grace and there is this Voice in the Spirit of Man telling him according to this word That his Sins are forgiven him How shall I know saith he that this Voice is the Voice of the Spirit of God For Answer let me ask but this Question Is there any thing in the world of better credit than the Spirit himself And P. 474. Beware that you make not the credit of the Voice of the Spirit to depend upon the Word Obj. But he seems to allow Faith to give Assurance But I Ans. he tells us p. 491. Not as a Revealing Evidence nor as an effecting Evidence but it is a Receiving Evidence or it is an Evidence as it doth receive that Testimony which the Spirit holds out c. Faith doth take possession of that which the Spirit reveals and manifests to a Person c. It clears the Title to us though good in it self before c. And P. 493. Faith is the Echo of the Heart to the Voice of the Spirit The Doctor 's meaning is That Faith doth not evidence our Pardon as it is a Grace wrought in the Soul by the Spirit or as a holy Qualification but only as it doth assent to and rest in this inward Voice Obj. But he seems to own that Sanctification is some Evidence A. He tells us how P. 482. viz. When the Testimony of the Spirit is received by Faith and the Soul sits down satisfied with that Testimony of the Lord then also the gifts of God's Spirit do bear witness together with the Spirit of the Lord and the Faith of a Believer You see there must be Assurance first and then these do witness after not to guide our Hopes but over and above See P. 100. There 's no better way to know your Portion in Christ than on the general tender of the Gospel to conclude absolutely he is yours Wherein the difference is not 1. It is not Whether the Spirit witnesseth by his miraculous Operations to Christ and the Gospel which is a Truth and the meaning of many of the Texts which the Doctor produceth 2. Nor Whether the Spirit as a Worker of Grace in the Heart be an Earnest of Glory and Witness to our State 3. Nor Whether the Spirit witnesseth by and with the Conscience in the Manifestation of our Graces for Assurance 4. Nor Whether the Spirit of God may in some extraordinary Cases give an immediate Testimony by a Voice or some equivalent Impressions But then there is the Truth of Grace in the Heart though it was doubted before and nothing utterly inconsistent with true Grace either is in the Heart nor then appeareth to the Conscience All these I affirm The real Difference 1. Whether none attain Assurance but by the inward Voice of the Spirit pronouncing the actual Forgiveness of their Sins without manifesting their true Grace and Sanctification This the Doctor affirms and I deny 2. Whether the usual way of attaining Assurance is by the Conscience upon trial discerning and concluding through the help of the Spirit that a Man hath those Graces or Signs which describe a Man blessed and pardoned according to the Gospel This I affirm and the Doctor denies The Truth confirmed 1. This is the way which God appoints to attain Assurance 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not that Christ is in you except you be Reprobates Here we are to try What 's our great Enquiry to be about Are we in the Faith which may respect Faith inherent or the Doctrine of Faith professed He concludes they must inferr Christ is in them except they had vile Hearts or were Men as to the frame of their Hearts unapproved by God For so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure How was this to be done By adding Grace to Grace abounding therein and carefully looking that these things be in you See from ver 5. to 11. 2. This is the way whereby the Scripture-Saints were assured They concluded their Justification by Sanctification and a State of Peace by the Truth of Grace 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren Ver. 9. And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him How was this See Ver. 18. Let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth and hereby we know c. Thus David Paul and other Saints concluded the safety of their state 3. Conscience is bound to condemn every Man in whom the contrary to these Graces do appear yea where it 's evident that they are wholly wanting It 's otherwise a seared Conscience 2 Tim. 4. 2. It is not the Candle of the Lord in Man Now there can be no Assurance where the Conscience condemns as the Apostle argueth 1 Joh. 3. 19 20 21. 4. The Spirit witnesseth with our Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 16. It doth not witness before our Spirit doth witness It is not a separate Testimony from our Spirits but it concurs with our Spirit as its Instrument
Our Spirits witness in the light of the Spirit as 1 Cor. 9. 1. My Conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost 5. A Testimony of the Spirit giving an Evidence of Pardon without any Evidence of Grace is not according to the Word of Grace for the Word of Grace never declareth any Sinners are pardoned but believing penitent Sinners It is not as mere Sinners the Word pardoneth for it flatly condemneth and leaves Guilt on all impenitent Unbelievers as I have proved chap. 8. 12. Therefore if there should be a Voice a true Voice of God carrying it 's own Evidence saying Thy Sins are forgiven it doth at the same time and by the same Voice witness to the truth of our Grace because he forgives no other according to the Word of the Gospel And if the Spirit should say to an impenitent Soul Thou art pardoned while such it is no Promise in the Gospel nor according to it but a new Promise and not to be tried by the VVord and the Writers thereof having had more of the Spirit than any now can pretend to it 's dangerous to rest on that Voice which will not bear the Tryal by the VVord c. 6. To have the ordinary way of Assurance to be as it 's stated by the opposite Errour hath very dangerous Consequences Most Saints must quit their Hopes and Assurance for they never had this Voice though they have greater stamps of the Spirit than any I ever knew pretend to this It makes all Examination useless and vain It overturneth one of the great Uses God hath assigned to the work of his Grace on the Heart It makes Assurance impossible without this miraculous Voice which can hardly carry its Evidence to a Soul that hath no Grace at all It 's a way too far Enthusiastick to be allowed in so stated a Case It gives the Devil a great advantage against Sinners to live in Sin and against honest People if once they find cause to question this Voice Yea it sets up the Spirit against it self if any can boast of Assurance by this Voice when their State is justly challengeable by the Gospel as wanting all sight of Gospel-Marks TESTIMONIES The Assembly in Confes. ch 18. a. 2. say It 's an Infallible Assurance of Faith founded upon the Divine Truth of the Promises of Salvation the inward Evidences of those Graces unto which these Promises are made the Testimony of the Spirit of Adoption witnessing with our Spirits that we are the Children of God And a. 3. they tell us A Believer being enabled by the Spirit may without extraordinary Revelation in the right use of ordinary Means attain thereunto And therefore it is the Duty of every one to give all diligence to make his Calling and Election sure that thereby his heart may be enlarged in Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost c. as say the Cong Elders chap. 18. a. 3. See a. 4. Both shew how Assurance may be revived from the Graces in the Heart The Synod of New-England oft confute the contrary Errour which it seems was one that sadly troubled them Errour 44. No createâ— Work can be a manifest Sign of God's Love Errour 47. The Seal of the Spirit is limited only to the immediate witness of the Spirit nor doth ever witness to any Work of Grace or Conclusion by a Syllogism Errour 67. A Man cannot evidence his Justification by his Sanctification but he must needs build upon his Sanctification and trust to it Errour 72. It 's a Soul-damning Errour to make Sanctification an Evidence of Justification Errour 77. Sanctification is so far from evidencing a good State thâ—â— it darkens it rather and a Man may more clearly see Christ when he seeth no Sanctification than when he doth The darker my Sanctification is the brighter is my Justification The Synod shew at large how each of these are contrary to the Scriptures And one 〈◊〉 the evil Speeches they confute p. 19. I may know I am Christ's Not because I do crucifâ—â— the Lusts of the Flesh but believe in Christ that crucified my Lusts for me See Errour 63 69. The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake Because the Spirit of God is a Comforter therefore he cannot comfort us by helping us to see the VVork of his Grace in order to Joy in his Blessings Because the Spirit was to convince the World of Christ's Righteousness as what alone could procure Life therefore he tells Men that they have an Interest in it without shewing them any change on their Hearts Because he was to take of Christ's Fulness and shew it to his Disciples therefore he immediately speaks peace to the hearts of such as are or at least appear his resolved Enemies Because by the Spirit of Adoption we cry Abba Father therefore we need not find any love to God to know that we are his Children Because the Spirit witnesseth with our Spirits that we are the Children of God therefore he witnesseth alone without so much as revealing to our Spirits that we have the temper of Children Whereas there are many great Effects of the Spirit manifest on the Souls of them to whom the Apostle speaks Rom. 8. 11 12 14 15 16. And the design of the place is more to express our Dignity and free Access to God under a Gospel-state than mere Assurance of Forgiveness Because a Natural Man cannot perceive the Riches of the Promise and the Spirit enableth a Spiritual Man by his Teachings to perceive the nature of them therefore by an immediate Voice he discovers to the Natural Man his Propriety in them even while he is and appears Natural Because there is Imperfection in the Graces of a Saint therefore he cannot see the Sincerity of them by the help of the Spirit without an immediate Voice CHAP. XVI Of God's seeing Sin in Believers and their Guilt by it c. TRUTH THe Sins of Believers have the Loathsomness of Sin adhering to them which God seeth and accounteth the Committers guilty thereby And they ought to charge themselves therewith so as to stir up themselves to Repentance and renew their Actings of Faith on Christ for Forgiveness Nevertheless they ought not thereby to fear their being out of a Justified State further than their Falls give them just cause of suspecting that Sin hath dominion over them and that their first believing on Christ was not sincere ERROUR God seeth no Sin in Believers though he see the Fact neither doth he charge them with any Sin nor ought they to charge themselves with any Sin nor be at all sad for them nor confess repent or do any thing as a Means of their Pardon no nor in order to assuring themselves of Pardon even when they commit Murther Adultery or the grossest VVickedness Proved that this is Dr. Crisp 's Opinion Reader Note That the Doctor speaks most of this concerning a Person as Elect though he uses the word Believer sometimes because he alone knows that he is Elect by
believing it P. 436 Though such Persons do act Rebellion yet the loathsomness and abominableness and hatefulness of this Rebellion is laid on the back of Christ he bears the Sin as well as the Blame and Shame c. And that 's the only reason why God can dwell with those Persons that do act the thing because all the filthiness of it is transacted from them on the back of Christ. He puts an Objection How should God know every sin the Believer doth commit and yet God not remember them He Answers after many words Though God remembers the things thou hast done yet he doth not remember them as thine c. for he remembers perfectly they are none of thine and when he pass'd them over to Christ they ceased to be thine any longer P. 364. The Lord hath not one sin to charge upon an Elect Person from the first moment of Conception to the last moment of Life no nor Original Sin is not to be laid upon him the Lord hath laid it on Christ already P. 365. Every Elect Vessel of God from the first instant of his being is as pure in the Eyes of God from the charge of Sin as he shall be in Glory P. 298. It 's the voice of a lying Spirit in your Hearts that saith That you that are Believers have yet sin wasting your Consciences and lying as a burthen too heavy for you to bear c. Obj. Was not David a Justifâ—â—â— Person and did not he bear his own sin My sins are gone over my head c. After several things he Answers I must tell you all that David speaks here he speaks from himself and all that David speaks from himself was not truth c. David might mistake that God should charge his sin upon him c. P. 213. In a word Before a Believer doth confess his sin he may be as certain of the pardon of it as after Confession I say there is as much ground to be confident of the Pardon of Sin to a Believer as soon as ever he hath committed it though he hath not made a solemn Act of Confession as to believe it after he hath performed all the Humiliation in the World c. A Believer may be assured of Pardon as soon as he commits any Sin The Sins he speaks of are Adultery and Murther P. 215. But you will say All the Promises of Pardon do run with this Proviso In case Men humble themselves In case Men do this and that then Pardon is theirs but otherwise it 's none of theirs Take heed of such Doctrine P. 52. There is nothing but Joy and Gladness Obj. But some will say Believers find it otherwise there is not such joy and gladness but they are often oppressed with sadness and heaviness of Spirit I Answer There is not one Fit of Sadness in any Believer whatsoever but he is out of the way Christ c. I say the Soul is first satisfied of Forgiveness of Sins before there is that real kindly mourning in those that are Believers P. 15. God doth no longer stand offended nor displeased though a Believer after he is a Believer do sin often And it 's no wonder for he saith a few lines after Except God will be offended where there is no cause to be offended which is Blasphemy to speak he will not be offended with Believers For I say he hath no cause to be offended with a Believer because he doth not find the sin of the Believer to be his own sin but he finds it to be the Sin of Christ. See more p. 413 416 418 419 425 c. Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not VVhether a Believer doth by new Sins fall from a Justified state 2. Nor whether God doth upon new Crimes judicially charge the Christian with those Sins he had pardoned before though he may present to his view some former Sins for his further humblings 3. Nor whether a Believer ought to question his Justified state upon any Sins that do not give just Suspicion that Sin hath dominion over him or his Faith was not true 4. Nor whether any past Sins and Sins present at his first believing be unpardoned 5. Nor whether renewed Acts of Faith Humiliation Repentance Fasting or Reformation do merit Pardon 6. Nor whether a Principle of Life given at our first Conversion will finally fail to exert it self in due Humblings for repeated Enormities and in holy Resolves 7. Nor whether the same degrees of Humblings be necessary for all Crimes and in all Persons and in all Times 8. Nor whether any gross Miscarriage should cause a Saint to condemn all past Experience and conclude his Graces to be Counterfeit Each of these I deny 9. Nor whether a Sense of Pardon ought not to affect and melt the Heart 10. Nor whether some true Penitents may not sometimes be too much dejected and overwhelmed with Sorrow for Sin 11. Nor whether a general Exercise of Faith and Repentance do not answer the Gospel-Rule of Forgiveness as to Sins of Ignorance Infirmity and Surprise These three last I affirm The Real Differences 1. Whether an Elect Sinner be at any time a guilty Person in God's Esteem This the Doctor denies and I affirm I have proved in Chap. 1 3. 7 12. 2. Whether the Remains of Sin defile us This I affirm and the Doctor denies against all Protestants who prove it of Original Sin against the Papists 3. Whether a justified Person falling into gross Enormities is defiled thereby and contracts Guilt upon himself thereby This the Doctor denies and I do affirm 4. Whether God esteems the repeated Abominations of Believers not to be their own Crimes and they not to be the Sinners but they are Christ's Sins This the Doctor affirms and I deny which I have cleared Chap. 3. and 4. and 7. 5. Whether a justified Person upon new Provocations is charged by God and ought to charge himself as guilty and defiled so as in God's appointed way to repent believe renew his Covenant and be earnest with God for Forgiveness This the Doctor denies and I afirm 6. Whether all Sins past present and to come are actually pardoned at once This the Doctor affirms and I deny 7. Whether God hath required new Exercises of Faith and Repentance for their actual Pardon This the Doctor denies and I affirm 8. Whether a Believer ought to be as assured of the Forgiveness of his repeated Provocations just when he hath committed them and before he hath humbled himself renewed Actings of Faith on Christ repeated his Covenant and prayed for Pardon for Christ's Sake as after he hath thus done This the Doctor affirms and I deny The Truth Confirmed I have said so much Chap. 3. 4 8 10 12 13. that tends to clear this Point that I shall single out now only the Substance of what was least insisted on 1. God doth see and charge a Believer with his new Enormities as his Sins and not Christ's 2
loved Rev. 3. 19. Was not that for Sin which you find 1 Cor. 11. 30. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep What meaneth God when he saith he 'll be Sanctified in his offending Children He cannot hide his Face for Sin nor abate his gracious Influences for Sin and not shew Displeasure for Sin against the Offenders whom he so deserts How wickedly have most pious Persons been employed while they have humbly owned their Sins to be the cause of God's Withdraws and Corrections if what I assert be not a Truth And how strange such Texts You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth and therefore I will punish you for your Iniquities Amos 3. 2. Now who dare tell God Lyes to his Face c. TESTIMONIES You have seen the Assembly and Elders in the Savoy positively assert this Truth in my last Chapter which again consult And large Catech. Q How doth Christ execute the Office of a King Ans. among other things I Rewarding their Obedience and Correcting his People for their Sins The Provincial Synod of London p. 16. recite as one of the dangerous Errours of that day That God doth not chastize any of his Children for Sin nor is it for the Sins of God's People the Land is punished The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake Because God laid on our Sins on Christ to make Atonement for the Forgiveness of the Elect when they repent therefore God cannot be offended with the Elect for them before they repent Because God doth not hate the Believer as an unreconciled God when he sins therefore he is not at all displeased with him because of the grossest Sins Because the Refiner is not angry with his Gold which never could offend him when he casts it into the Fire therefore a holy God is no way angry with rational Offenders when he corrects them for their Reformation Because God will not hate a Believer so as to damn him therefore he cannot be angry with his People so as Fatherly to chastize them Because God afflicts from Sin therefore he doth not also afflict for Sin as if he could not rebuke for what is past if he resolve not against their amendment for time to come It seems also that the Doctor was led into his Opinion by not considering that Anger or Displeasure be not Passions in God but a Will of Correcting and are denominated from the kinds and degrees of Corrections CHAP. XIX Of the Beauty of sincere Holiness TRUTH THough the present sincere Holiness of Believers be not perfect according to the Precepts of the Word nor Valuable by the Sanction of the Law of Innocency nor any Atonement for our Defects and we still need Forgiveness and the Merits of Christ for Acceptance thereof yet as far as it prevails it 's lovely in it self and pleasing to God and is not dung or filth ERROUR The greatest Holiness in Believers though wrought in them by the Holy Ghost is mere Dung Rottenness and Filthiness as in them Proved that this is Doctor Crisp 's Opinion P. 232. Know that the motions and assistance of the Spirit be pure holy and without scum in the Spring to wit it self yet by that time these Motions and Assistances have passed through the channels of our Hearts and been mixed with our manifold Corruptions in doing even the whole Work becomes polluted and filthy our filthiness alters the property of the pure motions of Christ's Spirit c. As one drop of Poyson injected into the rarest Cordial makes the whole and every drop of the whole Mortal so that except the best of our Works can pass through us without the least touch or mixture of any Defect or Pollution it cannot but be Dung c. And whereas it may seem harsh that even what is the Spirit 's must be involved within that which is a Man 's own under the general Notion of Dung Know that it once being mixed with our filth ceaseth to be the Spirit 's and becomes our own It was the Spirit 's when injected but our Flesh being like the Viper's Stomach turns the wholsomest Food into Poyson or like an ulcerous Tumour that turns the purest Spirits and soundest Flesh into rottenness And some of this ulcerous Flesh remains in the best Saints on Earth and mingles it self in the best service and so turns the whole into its own nature P. 414. All our Righteousness are filthy full of menstruosity the highest kind of filthiness Do not say he meaneth that our gracious Actings are too imperfect to be the Righteousness for which we are Justified No he must intend more for that would not make them Dung or Rottenness and cease to be the Spirit 's it would only argue they are Imperfect c. He hath abundance of such terms to make Holiness vile as before he said much to render Sin innocent to the Elect. Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not Whether the Holiness or best Acts of a Saint be such or so perfect as to atone for his Sin or procure a state of Pardon 2. Nor whether our Holiness can make us accepted with God without Christ. 3. Nor whether the holiest Action of the holiest Saint is such as not to need forgiveness 4. Nor whether by the Sanction of the Law of Innocency Sincere Holiness could be accounted Holiness All these I deny and the last because nothing but perfect conformity to the Precept was Holiness whereas the Gospel-Grace makes a great difference between True Holiness though Imperfect and what 's formally Wickedness between sincere Love and Enmity sincere Faith and utter Unbelief The real Difference 1. Whether the sincere Holiness of a Believer's Heart and Actions be really Dung and Rottenness This the Doctor affirms and I deny yet I own we should so esteem it is compared with Christ as meritorious of Justification 2. Whether sincere Holiness as far as it prevails in our Hearts and Actings be truly lovely in it self and pleasing to God according to the Grace of the Gospel and is not Dung. This I affirm and the Doctor denies The Truth confirmed Consider That whatever is spoken of Holiness in any mere Man on Earth since the Fall is spoken of Sincere Holiness for Perfect Holiness none had I have room but to expostulate this Matter Is that Dung which is the effect of Regeneration in the Soul and Actings Is that Dung which is so often honoured with the Name of the Spirit it self and called the Spirit of Love Prayer c. I not that more lovely which is called the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. How aimable must that be which is the New Man after God's Image Eph. 4. 24. The New Heart Ezek. 18. 31. The Law of God in the Heart and the Grace of God Are those Works Dung to which we are created in Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 10. and enabled by the Spirit Or is that Filthiness which renders Saints the Excellent of the
Jewish Privileges as Gal. 6. 12. as many as desire to make a fair shew in the Flesh they constrain you to be Circumcised of this Number were these whom the Apostle warneth the Christians against but now by the Gospel we are brought to place our Hopes in greater and surer things 3. He enumerates these Jewish Pretensions which he had as much right to glory in as these boasting Enemies Ver. 4 5 6. He was a Jew by Birth and not a mere Proselyte circumcised as soon as any of the strictest Sect as fiery zealous against Christ as they and as ceremonious as the best touching the Righteousness which is in the Law blameless He intends not Sinless-Obedience nor Gospel-Sincerity but a Life not to be blamed by the Rule of the Jewish Pedagogie i. e. in the Judgment of strict Observers 4. Of these he professeth a Renunciation when converted to Christ. Ver. 7. But what things were gain to me That is these that I reckoned as much upon as they now do I counted loss for Christ when he met me by the way and led me to a truer Judgment of him and my self I soon preferred him his Grace his Benefits and Instruction before all these And Ver. 8. Yea doubtless c. That is I have no Suspicion of my Choice and am still of the same Mind they are still with me vain things of no value compared with that I have since known and experienced in and by Christ yea for him without repining I have not only quitted those Jewish things but I have suffered the loss of all things viz. my Name my Friends my Estate my Ease and Life it self in a fixed Purpose and do count them but Dung that I may win Christ. What these Jews do so boast of and the World so esteem even all are to me but Dogs-meat c. that I may but fully possess Christ and the full Effects of his Undertakings in perfect Peace Holiness and Glory somewhat of which are already begun in me 2. It was not Gospel-holiness which he counted Dung or Loss For 1. This was not his own Righteousness which is of the Law as opposed to that which is by the Faith of Christ. Nay This is by the Faith of Christ our Hearts are purified by Faith Act. 15. 9. In Christ we are created thereto and by him it is wrought through Faith in all his Members who are all in him and in this Union to him I desire to continue and share in the fuller Effects of 2. This Holiness instead of renouncing or suffering the Loss of it he earnestly presseth after and expects to obtain this is the Scope of Ver. 10 11 12 13 14. that I may know him viz. perfectly in his Person and Influences and the Power of his Resurrection i. e. in a perfect Newness of Heart and Life and be conformable to his Death i. e. wholly mortified and dead to Sin If by any means I might attain to the Resurrection of the Dead that is be as holy and happy as then I shall be which is without Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing If I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ i. e. be as holy and happy as he designed to make me when he seized me in my first Conversion reaching forth unto those things that are before that cannot be imputed Righteousness for this he had in his first Justification but it 's that perfect Holiness and Glory which he expected in Christ hereafter And this is the Mark for the Price of the high Calling of God in Christ viz. What God intended in his Act when he called me in Christ and what I had in my Eye when I consented to that Call as the encouraging Reward Now is not Holiness a great part of all these and instead of renouncing it he tells us he is for it by any means I follow after reaching forth I press towards which was all needless as to what he had already 3. He bewails and owns the Weakness and Imperfection of this Righteousness at present though he was pressing after it Ver. 12. Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect Ver. 13. I count not my self to have apprehended forgetting the things which are behind Can this be true of imputed Righteousness Was not that attained at first Is not that perfect when first justified Or would Paul forget this though his small Degrees of Holiness past he might so forget as that lesser Degrees should not hinder his Pursuit after more Obj. But Ver. 8. Paul speaks in the present Tense I do count all things loss and therefore it was not his former Jewish Privileges A. It was his present Act towards an Object past q. d. I even now still account them all vain yea and it may extend to all present secular Advantages also as Life Honour and Estate c. q. d. I value nothing as a crucified Christ that I may fully know and enjoy him as a living Member in Eternity it self But I hope none can think that his winning Christ is either a first Interest in Christ or the Imputation of his Righteousness for Justification for this he with Comfort knew he already had and was not now to win by Perseverance and growing Vigour Far less can any think that he accounts Holiness Dung for what more he desired of Christ was in order to perfect the Holiness begun already by Christ in him and had he lost that which was already begun he had vainly expected a further Participation of Christ for Holiness or Joy This Righteousness which is of God by Faith is that eminent Holiness he waited for and if he could be found in Christ by an abiding Union he knew he should arrive at CHAP. XX. Of Gospel-Preaching TRUTH GOspel-Preaching is when the Messengers of Christ do publish to fallen Sinners the good News of Salvation by Christ to be obtained in the way which he hath appointed in his Word freely offering Salvation on his Terms earnestly persuading and commanding Men in the Name of Christ to comply with those Terms as ever they would escape the Misery they are under and possess the Benefits he hath purchased directing all to look to him for Strength and acknowledge him as the only Mediator and his Obedience and Sufferings as the sole Atonement for Sin and meriting Cause of all Blessings instructing them in all revealed Truth and by Gospel Motives urging them to obey the whole Will of God as a Rule of Duty but especially to be sincere and upright pressing after Perfection ERROUR Gospel-Preaching is to teach Men they were as much pardoned and as acceptable to God always as when they are regenerate and while they were ungodly they had the same Interest in God and Christ as when they believe neither can Sin any way hinder their Salvation or their Peace nor have they any thing to do to further either of them Christ having done all for them and given himself to them before
they preached the Gospel See their Call to turn to God from Idols as part of it 4. The nature of the Gospel requires that the Ministry should include these things and it be preached in this manner It 's the Gospel of the Kingdom Luk. 9. 60. It 's the Law of Christ to whom all Judgment is committed Gal. 6. 2. The Law of Liberty The Law of Faith c. The great design of it is to destroy Satan's Empire and recover lost Sinners to God To this end it reveals that Salvation is to be had in Christ if we come to God by him though we be lost in our selves And it is the Call of God in Christ to come to him and hear him Nay it 's the Charge of Christ who is for dying made Lord both of the dead and living Now can any think that many Duties must not be parts of the Gospel as well as Believing Or That Christ hath not Arguments from Benefits and Dangers from Promises and Threats to strengthen his Charge The Preceptive part of the whole Law is in his hand and there is Authority in all his Injunctions and Calls Else what means Obeying the Gospel Subjection to the Gospel Disobeying the Gospel Obeyed the Truth Obedience of Faith and many such Expressions And that there be Gospel-Threats and Promises annexed to his Precepts I have fully proved And I could easily shew that the Substance of all Obedience is said to be Obedience to the Law Truth and Word of Christ. If things be so can we think that we preach not the Gospel when we preach Duties Or that we preach not the Gospel when we urge Obedience to these Duties from Gospel-Promises and Threats As if all Christ's Commands were mere Counsels It 's no Preaching with Authority if we omit this It 's no answering the Eng of Gospel if we wave this There 's no aptitude in the Ministry to draw Christ without this The Apostle gives us another Specimen Col. 1. 28. whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every Man perfect in Christ. What 's Snatching Men as Brands out of the Burning Compelling to come in c. What Pleas do the Apostles use Rom. 12. 1. 1 Pet. 4. 17 18. 2 Pet. 3. 11 12 14 c. 5. They do not preach the Gospel of Christ at all who preach contrary to the scope of this Truth no nor they duly who neglect to Preach according to it Christ never sent such News to Sinners That they were always Pardoned and Adopted and they need only believe it to know that it is so He never told them That they have nothing to do to the Participation of Saving Benefits he hath Believed for them and Repented for them c. Woe to them that will live as believing this Christ knew how to support the Honour of his Grace without overturning his Throne To Preach at this rate may excite the Affections of some but without a Miracle will never Convert a Soul and it needs an Antidote which I hope some of the Upholders of it have It 's the same with the Language of the Tempter the Arguings of the Flesh and the Conceits of presumptuous Sinners Could they that knock'd at the door Mat. 7. 21. be kept out Or the five foolish Virgins be excluded who went out to meet the Bridegroom if this be true Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come will be the Language of the Spirit to the Impenitent Mat. 3. 7. He is my Brother saith Christ that doth the Will of my Father Mark 3. 35. If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholsom words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to godliness he is proud knowing nothing c. 1 Tim. 6. 3 4. He that talks of preaching Christ without preaching his Laws his Title to rule us his Offers his Method of Grace and his Motives to urge Men profaneth and plays with that sacred Name TESTIMONIES The Assembly and Elders at the Savoy have given us their Thoughts in what I have cited of the Conditionality of the Covenant the Necessity of Faith to Union with Christ and Justification Free Offers of Christ to Sinners and Necessity of Holiness Consult the places See Large Catech. Q. What doth God require of us that we may escape his Wrath and Curse A. He Requireth of us Repentance towards God Faith towards our Lord Jesus and diligent Use of the Outward Means c. The Elders at the Savoy Declar. ch 20. a. 3. The Revelation of the Gospel unto Sinners made in divers times and by sundry parts with the Addition of Promises and Precepts for the Obedience required thereto c. But I cannot enlarge or I could shew how Doctor Owen pleads for this Gospel-Ordination and shews there be Threats and Promises therein See what the New-England Synod say on the former Heads They cite Errour 33. To act by Virtue or in Obedience to a Command is legal They thus confute it So is it also Evangelical The Mystery of the Gospel is said to be revealed for the Obedience of Faith 〈◊〉 16. 25. The Lord is Author of Eterâ—â—â—â—alvation to all that obey him Heb. 5. 9. c. The 29th Errour of Mrs. H. was That such Exhortations as these Work out your Salvation with Fear Make your Calling and Election sure are spoken to such as are under the Covenant of Works Mr. Norton Orth Evang. p. 211. Believers obey the Gospel perfectly with the Perfection of Parts The Gospel is the Law in Christ The Rule of Righteousness is the same in the Law and in the Gospel though the Manner and End of Obeying are changed P. 105. The Obedience of good Men is rewarded by the Promise annexed to the Precept See what all these say in the Chap. of the Conditionality of the Govenant The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake Because Christ's Sufferings procured Salvation and assure it to such as Obey the Gospel therefore the Gospel enjoyneth nothing to be Obeyed Because the Law enjoyned Doing as the perfect Righteousness for which Life was a Debt therefore the Gospel requireth nothing to be done as the Means of Partaking of that Salvation which is merited by Christ. Because it's legal to Preach the Sanction of the Law of Innocency therefore it 's not Gospel to press the Gospel-Sanction The Reverend Mr. Cole affirms There 's Law enough in the Gospel The Gospel holds forth the Danger and Remedy too See his Treat of Regen p. 101. Had Doctor Crisp noted this Truth many Mistakes had been prevented CHAP. XXI Of Legal Preaching BEfore I proceed let me inform thee That Legal Preaching hath an uncertain Sound 1. If by Legal is meant the Precepts and Revelations of God in Christ for the Conversion and Government of lost Man under Gospel-Threats and Promises then to be Legal Preachers as Preachers of this Law we account our Duty and Honour All
we submit to the VVord as it brings every Thought into subjection 〈◊〉 Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. Are guided by his Teachings Eph. 2. 20. VVe are the Glory of Christ when we labour in his VVork and walk worthy of his Name 2 Cor. 8. 23. He is all in all when Jews and Gentiles put on the New Man which is created after him in righteousness and true holiness c. Col. 3. 11 12. VVhen we live and die to him as our Supreme Lord and submit all our Actings to his Glory as our End Rom. 14 11 12. These places express that Christ is hereby Exalted consult them and thou wilt find it so 2. The Truths I have stated do tend to the Exaltation of Christ in this manner and none can doubt but they lead to his Glory as he is King All that can be objected is Whether I do exalt him enough as Priest To which I say I have spoken as the Word directs and I am willing to own any thing that lays Man low and exalts Christ as the only Atonement the only Purchaser of all our Blessings the only Procurer of our Acceptance the Author and Finisher of all Grace Nothing can add to his Satisfaction or Fulness Pardon Peace Life all are the Effects of his sole Merits We must do all in his Name act in his Strength daily live on him for all Supplies and look to him for Acceptance without whose Incense the best Man and the best Action were an Abomination What I contend for is his Government so wisely contrived to apply his Blessings to Men in a state of Tryal 3. The Opinions of Doctor Crisp as opposed to these Truths cannot exalt Christ yea by the above Description every one of them cast a Reproach upon Christ. I 'll ask thee Is Christ exalted when he is made the very Blasphemer and loaded with the filth of Sin and thereby odious to God till he sweat it out P. 51 c. Is he exalted in making Sin so Innocent to the Elect when they commit it that though they do the Fact yet the filthy Form of it is not theirs but Christ's and therefore they are not defiled thereby but are as holy as Christ as lovely as Christ even when they Murther c. Is Man debased and Christ exalted when there is a Change of Person between Christ and them we as Righteous as Christ and he as Loathsom as we and we should not charge our selves with Sin when the greatest Enormities are committed Is Christ exalted as King when all his Commands are made mere Counsels He is a King but hath neither Promises nor Threats annexed to his Laws He hath no Right to Chastize for Sin He offers Blessings on Terms pleads earnestly sends his Spirits and Ministers to strive but all this while his Spirit nor Word do nothing to save us our Compliance with his Calls yields no Benefit our Rejection of them puts no Hindrance our grossest Villanies should not be bewailed in order to Pardon nor himself believed in to that end Our Sins can do us no harm at all nor is Holiness though so oft urged by him a jot of our way to Heaven Is Christ exalted as a Head that hath actual Members oft sixty years Slaves to the Devils Enemies to himself and Life and People without his Spirit or a Line of his Image and publick Curses c. Is he honoured as Mediator that Men are invested in all his Covenant-Blessings washed and adopted before they so much as own that God to whom he is a Way or renounce his Enemy the Devil or confess their Sin purpose any amendment see their need of him or desire to fear or love him yea do resolve the contrary Is Christ exalted as a holy Redeemer by being represented so intent on our mere Impunity as to contrive so little for our Holiness he repents and believes for us and requires no such things from us as a Means of Benefits the Holiness he here improves the best to is but Dung and Filthiness though he pretends to encourage expostulate and reprove yet indeed he governs his Elect as Brutes neither Hope nor Fear must influence them he hath no Rule to Judge them but the Decree of Election though he warns us so oft of the Solemnities of the Last Day No Man must intend his own good in any Duty he performs though he speaks so much of his Reward yet they have no respect at all to what we do they will be as much ours for the greatest neglects The Comforts of Assurance it self depends on no Signs of Renovation but concluding in our selves upon an inward Voice that our Sins are pardoned and this all that Faith which the Gospel speaks so much of How many more might I instance which represent Christ inglorious and reflect on the Truth Wisdom Holiness and Justice of his nature The Platform of his Government the Divineness of his Purposes in Redemption and the Substance and Scope of his Word and Gospel CHAP. XXIII Of the Honour of the Free Grace of God I Shall briefly consider whether Dr. Crisp's Opinion or the described Truths do most exalt the Free Grace of God To this end I shall touch on these Heads 1. We must be sure it is the Free Grace of God we speak of This is the Love Mercy and Benignity of God to Sinners To conceive aright of this Note That it is not every thing that Man can fancy to be Free or Grace or Free Grace that is the Free Grace of God No it must be a Grace free becoming the Nature of God suitable to all his other holy Perfections consistent with his Dominions executing it self in the VVay and Instances appointed by his VVisdom limited to the Objects both for Number and Qualifications as described by his VVord and serving all it's glorious Purposes of Redemption This is the Free Grace of God The Grace of God in Truth Col. 1. 6. The true Grace of God which Peter had at large described 1 Pet. 5. 12. This Grace consists with an Atonement made by Christ with the Threatnings denounced in the Gospel with the Ruine of all unbelieving apostate ungodly Sinners with God's peremptorily insisting on Gospel-Terms in the Distribution of Benefits or else it would clash with his VVord c. It 's not less the Free Grace of God because it is not so free as we may dream it is As some do fancy it would have been more Free Grace if he had not exacted a Dying-Sacrifice or if it had alike extended to all sinful Men as well as some or included Devils as well as Men or made the Elect perfectly holy and happy as soon as born excluding all Labour Pain Sin and Sorrow But we see such Free Grace is not the Free Grace of God though it seems more Free or more Grace to vain Surmisers it is not Free as if it dispensed Privileges by no certain Rule and that God is as free to forgive and save the
6. 16. Are all these things consistent with Pardon before Repentance Can I be subject to perish and pardoned at once Can God command Repentanee under a Promise of Pardon and yet suppose I must be pardoned before Is the turning of the Heart from the power of Satan to God urged and directed to this end that I may receive forgiveness and none follow my turning but all be before it 3. There 's no Saving Faith that includes not this purpose in it Can I fiducially consent to Christ and not intend to leave my wickedness Dr. Owen well proves That Justifying Faith cannot be without a purpose of heart to obey God in all things Treat of Justif. p. 40. And adds Neither is it possible that there should be any exercise of this Faith but where the Mind is prepared disposed and determined unto universal Obedience See the Assemblies and Elders Account of Saving Faith ch 9. 4. Without this Purpose we do not accept of Christ as the Way to God It would be strange that the great Term of Life should terminate in Christ who is the Means without any respect to God who is the End Whereas Christ is able to save such as come to God by him Heb. 7. 25. and others he will not save Act. 20. 21. God was not thus over-looked when Paul testified Repentance towards God and Faith towards Christ. And indeed without this purpose the Soul never answers God's Call and so must be Pardoned before effectually Called 5. We cannot receive Christ as King without this Repentance of Heart To receive him as King is to renounce all Usurpers and resolve Obedience to his Will And we must receive him as King or Lord or it is not the Christ we so receive Col. 2. 6. As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord. God gives him a Leader and Commander Isa. 55. 4. And so must we take him or never hope for Forgiveness by him 6. Without this purpose of Heart no Man accepts of Christ for Sanctification The Assembly and Elders at the Savoy tell us Conf. chap. 14. a. 2. That Saving Faith accepts of Christ for Sanctification I am sure God gives Christ to bless you in turning every one of you from his iniquities Act. 3. 26. And can that Soul believe to Forgiveness that thus receives him not Or can any one thus receive him who intends not to turn from Sin to Holiness 7. A resolved purpose to continue in Sin and Rebellion against God is Damning let Men pretend what they please I hope I need not prove but one of these Purposes must have place in every Heart when it is dealing with Christ about Salvation And I think I have proved That a Resolution to continue Rebels will bar any Man from a possessing of Christ. See chap. 10. 8. It 's not to be allowed that it should not be necessary to renounce our Sins with our Hearts in order to Pardon when it is necessary to renounce our own Merits or Righteousness Is the one opposite to Christ and is not the other so Will one make us backward to accept of Christ and will not the other do the same Is the one inconsistent with a true Approbation of a Saviour The other is no less For Christ is to save from the Power of Sin as well as the Guilt and he that submits not to him with a desire of both duely accepts him for neither I might further evidence this from the necessary fitness of Repentance for Pardon It is very unsuitable to the Nature and Government of God to pardon a Sinner that resolves to rebel and not to return This seems too low a Provision for his Honour c. Nay it would render our Faith a meer selfish thing and all our Compliance to be a meer concern for our own Impunity whiles Sin is still resolved and God's Dominion rejected and Christ's Design of restoring the Image of God slighted and opposed It were easie to shew that Repentance and Faith are so near to and inclusive of each other that one is put for the other and the Call to one is a Call to each The Judgment of others The Assemb Confes. ch 16. a. 3. say Although Repentance be not to be rested in as any Satisfaction for Sin or any Cause of the Pardon thereof which is the act of God's Free Grace in Christ yet it is of such necessity to all Sinners that none may expect Pardon without it You see though they justly exclude the Merit and Causality of Repentance yet they affirm and by many Texts prove the Necessity of it to Pardon and forbid any Expectation of Pardon without it And in their Directory of the Visitation of the Sick they advise a seasonable propounding of Christ and his Merits for a Door of Hope but it is to none but to every penitent Believer The Elders at the Savoy tell us ch 15. a. 5. There is no Sin so great that shall bring Damnation on them who truly repent which makes the constant Preaching of Repentance necessary Dr. Owen tells us That before the first Act of Justifying Faith there be Convictions Shame Fear Sorrow and other afflictive Passions and hereon a Resolution doth ensue utterly to abstain from Sin with sincere Endeavours to that purpose c. Treat of Justif. p. 299. he tells us That without this in the order of the Gospel an Interest in it i. e. Christ's Righteousness is not to be attained c. And again Justifying Faith includeth in its Nature the entire Principle of Evangelical Repentance so that it is utterly impossible that a Man should be a true Believer and not at the same instant of time be truly Penitent And therefore are they so frequently joyned in Scripture as one simultaneous Duty Yea the Call of the Gospel unto Repentance is a Call to Faith acting it self by Repentance c. And then tells us The First Act of Faith respecting the Grace of God in Christ is not conceived in order of time to precede its actings in Self-displicency Godly Sorrow and Universal Conversion from Sin to God See p. 300 301. These things Dr. Owen asserts though he ascribes no Causality of Pardon to Repentance Which will offend none who deny any Grace in Man to be a Cause of Forgiveness among whom I own my self See Mr. Anthony Burgess's Reasons for the Necessity of Repentance to Forgiveness True Doct. of Justif. lib. 1. p 157. Thus I have done with this Debate which lies I hope more in words than some unthinking Men imagine And the generality of Divines affirm as I do CHAP. XIII Of the Necessity and Benefit of Holiness Obedience and good Works with Perseverance therein REader Note that whatever is spoken in this Chapter of any Act of Grace except penitent believing refers not to the Forgiveness of Sin or the Sinner's Admission into a justified State The Benefits I here treat of are the not Forfeiture of Pardon the Possession of Heaven and some other particular Blessings
as increase of Peace returns of Prayer Joy c. Truth Though neither Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works do make any Atonement for Sin or are in the least the meritorious Righteousness whereby Salvation is caused or for which this or any Blessing becomes due to us as of Debt yet as the Spirit of Christ freely worketh all Holiness in the Soul and enableth us to sincere Obedience and good Works so the Lord Jesus hath of Grace and for his own Merits promised to bring to Heaven such as are partakers of true Holiness perform this sincere Obedience and do these good Works perseveringly and appoints these as the Way and Means of a Believer's obtaining Salvation and several other Blessings requiring these as indispensible Duties and Qualifications of all such whom he will so save and bless and excluding all that want or neglect them or live under the Power of what 's contrary thereto viz. Prophaneness Rebellion and utter Unfruitfulness Errour Men have nothing to do in order to Salvation nor is Sanctification a jot the way of any Person to Heaven nor can the Graces or Duties of Believers no nor Faith it self do them the least Good or prevent the least Evil nor are they of any Use to their Peace or Comfort yea though Christ be explicitely owned and they be done in the Strength of the Spirit of God And a Believer ought not to think he is more pleasing to God by any Grace he acteth or Good he doth nor may Men expect any Good to a Nation by the Humiliation earnest Prayer or Reformation of a People Proved that this is Dr. Crisp 's Opinion P. 41 42. The Doctor tells us Seeing all things are setled by Christ for us of free Gift all we do is for Christ himself I say that we do we do for Christ not for our selves If we do it for our selves we do but labour in vain if a Man will run a hundred Miles for Money if that Money be proffered to him before he step out of his House at his Door his Journey is in vain seeing he might have had it before he stept out of Door c. Christ comes and brings Justification loving Kindness and Salvation he lays them down presents them delivers them to the Heart when we are ungodly he enters into Covenant that we should become his What needs then all this Travel for Life and Salvation seeing it is here already But seeing we get nothing by it c. Obj. But sure the Doctor intends only That nothing we do can merit but not that they are not required as the requisite Means and VVay to obtain these Blessings A. The Doctor satisfies us he intends the last as well as the first P. 45. 46. I will note one thing before I go on to make clear this thing It is a received Conceit among many Persons that our Obedience is the Way to Heaven and though it be not say they the Cause of our Reign yet it is the Way to the Kingdom c. This he disapproves saying I must tell you all this Sanctification of Life is not a jot the Way of that justified Person unto Heaven c. The Truth is since Redemption is managed by Christ the Lord hath pointed out other Ends and Purposes for our Obedience than Salvation Salvation is not the end of any good Work we do P. 151 152. he puts this Objection We had as good sit still He that works all day and gets nothing more than he had in the Morning he had as good sit still and do nothing He answers Let me tell you the Prevention of Evil if there be reality of Evil in it and the obtaining of Good if there be reality of Good Peace of Conscience Joy in the Holy Ghost Pardon of Sin the Infallibility of Miscarriage the Light of God's Countenance All these I say which you aim at are abundantly provided for you and established firmly on you by the mere Grace of God in Christ before you do perform any thing whatsoever To what purpose do Men propose Ends to themselves which Ends are accomplished before their Proposition And to what purpose then do we propose to our selves the gaining of that to our selves in our Labour and Industry that is already become ours before we do a jot c. Must they now labour to gain these things as if it were referred to their well or evil Walking that as they shall walk so they shall speed c. The Lord doth nothing in his People upon Conditions in his People c. The Lord intends not that by our Obedience we shall gain something which in case of our Failing we shall miscarry of c. That they are to do they are not to do with any Eye to their own Advantage that being already perfectly compleated to their Hands before they do any thing but simply with an Eye to glorifie God and to serve their Generation and therein to serve the Lord c. When you do yield Obedience to God you go to Prayer and fall to Fasting to Weeping and Mourning and Self-denial Keeping the Sabbath Dealing righteously c. What is it you aim at in all this that God may do you good that God may be gracious that God may speak Peace to your Spirits then it follows that Life is that in your Eye that puts you on that which you do c. This is the Righteousness of the Law P. 13. Let Subduing of Sin alone for Peace P. 73. While you labour to get by Duties you provoke God as much as in you lies Obj. But though Holiness or Obedience do not profit us as to saving Good may they not bring us some Good or other Ans. The Doctor tells us No P. 150. I must tell you there is not any Duty you perform when you have attained the highest Pitch that hath any Prevalency and Availableness to produce to bring forth any though the least Good to your selves I say it again there is nothing you can do from whence you ought to expect any Gain to your selves by doing it The Doctor speaks the same as to the Uselessness of Reformation to a Kingdom P. 235 236. But if a Soul get under full sail filled with a stiff Gale of the Spirit when Floods of Meltings flow from it if they can cry mightily and be somewhat exact in observing practical righteous Means to mourn and pray lustily being helpt by the Spirit therein then such Exercises will do Wonders hereby Persons shall get Pardon settle Spiritual Civil and Natural Healings with National such Courses some will think will turn away Gods Wrath c. But he tells us in that Page though these be done by Persons being in Christ though thus assisted by Christ's Spirit though Christ be explicitely owned as the Author of such Assistance the Righteousness so assisted hath no efficacy at all to obtain any thing of the Lord c. So P. 425 426 124 125 24. His common Phrase is
We must not work for Life but from Life Obj. But we may suppose the Doctor saith this only of external Duties but not of the Actings of Grace Answ. No I could shew you how he saith the same of all Graces but it 's enough to instance in that of Faith P. 326. That is the proper Work that God hath given to Believing not to effect any thing to the Good of a Man but only to be the Witness of that Good to the Spirit of a Man and so give light to that which was hidden before Obj. But is not God pleased with us the more for Grace c. A. The Doctor informs us P. 429. If you have more Ability than others in doing let it not come into your Thoughts as an Inducement to think better of your selves as if you were more accepted of God or pleasing in his Sight Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not whether God hath decreed that the Elect shall be holy and obedient and so partake of saving Blessings 2. Nor whether every VVork will fail to save a Christless Unbeliever 3. Nor whether Christ hath paid the Price of Temporal Spiritual and Eternal Blessings 4. Nor whether the essential Blessings of the Gospel become the Inheritance of a Believer as soon as he is united to Christ. 5. Nor whether it 's from the Influence of the Spirit that we are Holy Obedient and enabled to every good VVork 6. Nor whether it is for the Sake of Christ's Merits and Incense and of Free-Grace that any Grace of Duty of ours is rewarded or becomes the Means of any Benefit Each of these I do affirm 7. Nor whether an Holiness internal or external any Obedience VVork or Duty do at all merit the Promise or is the meritorious Cause or Righteousness for which any promised Mercy is bestowed This I deny and own that all is of Gift though given in an Order suitable to our Condition as Subjects in a State of Trial. 8. Nor whether the Law be a Rule of Duty This the Doctor affirms as I also do though he denies any Threatning or Promise to back God's Law as to the Elect. 9. Nor whether the Elect ought to be Holy and will be Holy This the Doctor owns but he placeth it wholly on the Decree and Christ's Care denying that God hath required it as indispensibly necessary to our inheriting any Blessing promised to the Elect and judgeth Christ hath done all for us and injoyneth nothing on us to do in order to any good thing 10. Nor whether a penitent Believer shall be saved if he die before he hath time for further Obedience This I affirm The Real Difference 1. VVhether Faith and Repentance be indispensibly required of us that we may be justified for the Sake of Christ's Righteousness This I affirm and the Doctor denies Of which I have treated Chap. 12. 2. VVhether Holiness and sincere Obedience and Perseverance are the way to Heaven and are required of the Elect as the Conditions of their obtaining Salvation or is Heaven promised to them if they persevere in Holiness and sincere Obedience and the Loss of Heaven threatned in case they continue wicked and disobedient or after Grace turn Apostates This the Doctor denies and I affirm 3. VVhether the good Works of a Believer are rewardable of Grace for Christ's Sake This I affirm and the Doctor denies 4. Whether by the Gospel as a Rule of Judgment whoever is unholy utterly disobedient and altogether wilfully neglective of good Works shall be condemned This I affirm and the Doctor denies 5. Whether God hath promised several Blessings distinct from mere eternal Life to the Exercise of several Graces and Performance of sundry Duties as more Grace to the Improvement of less gracious Returns to fervent Prayer Peace of Conscience to a lively Frame and exact walking his Presence to a conscientious Attendance on Ordinances diverting threatned Judgments on Repentance and Reformation filling the Hungry with good things c. This the Doctor denies and I affirm 6. Whether upon the Acting of such Graces and upright Performing such Duties a Christian may not in the Virtue of such Promises expect such Blessings and fear the Neglect thereof as a Bar thereto This the Doctor denies and I affirm Yet allowing that God may sometimes exert his Soveraignty in giving some Blessings to a Believer not answering these Rules and a while suspend them from the disposed Soul to try his Patience or if the Blessing be of a lower Nature he may exchange it into a greater But yet this I affirm is the stated Rule of our Expectations and Fears and the ordinary Method of God's Dealings with Men. 7. Whether God is not more pleased with a Man in the Exercise of Grace and Holiness than when he neglects them and doth the contrary This I affirm and the Doctor denies The Truth confirmed The Points are too many to admit Enlargement and most of them carry that Evidence that the whole Scope of the Bible must be forgotten when they are denied Can two or three wrested Texts overturn the constant Language of the Scriptures And is it not strange that all Religion and the Humane Nature it self in a State of Trial should be so fully struck at from a gross Conceit that the infinite God cannot foresee and purpose Events unless it must null his Government over reasonable Subjects and prevent his Distribution of Rewards and Punishments by a stated Rule What a Reflexion is it on the Divine Wisdom and the glorious Platform of the Redeemer's Work and Kingdom that he cannot purchase Benefits for Sinners unless he forbear to use them as Motives to Obedience Yea The whole of his serious Pleadings with Men must be a Mockery rather than he must be allowed to bestow his Blessings in a rectoral way He shall merit nothing as a Priest if he dispense it as a King nor be estemed to enable Sinners to act if he appoint them any thing to do in order to a Reward Having occasion to mention some Words which I would prevent thy Mistake of know that by Holiness I mean the inward Renovation and Devotedness of the Soul to God with the Expression thereof in holy Actings By Good Works I mean all the inward Actings of Grace in a sincere Conformity to the Will of God as our loving God our fearing God trusting in Christ godly Purposes and Resolves c. These are good Works called internal There be also external good Works as Praying Hearing exact Walking Alms-deeds and any other Act of Obedience directed by the Word proceeding from Faith and a renewed Principle and intended to glorifie God and save our Souls By Doing the same Actings are intended and so loving God is Doing yea Believing in Christ is Doing it is an Action on our Part even when it accepts of Christ though it is by Divine Ordination made the effectual Means of Receiving or partaking of a promised Christ. Having premised these things I