And tells us P. 612. Our first coming to Christ is as a Coach is said to come to Town when it is but drawn to Town I shall make no further Remark on this than tell thee the Doctor distinguisheth not between what we are abstracted from the Spirit 's Influence and what we are by the Spirit 's Influence VVe are passive in effectual Vocation as that is God's Act on us but even then no Violence is offered to the VVill for the Mind dictates what it chooseth freely Under this healing VVork and that passiveness is not our coming to Christ but by the Effect of God's Act on the Mind and VVill we consent to the Call and that is our first coming and thereby we receive Christ and not before He is not forced on us but accepted from a Light that commends and a VVill that desires him VVhereas we come not a step whiles we do refuse and reject him Though I wonder why he speaks of any first coming against our VVills when his Principle is that we are united to Christ at latest in the Moment of Conception in the VVomb CHAP. XII Of Justification by Faith with a Digression about Repentance TRUTH I Have spoken of Justifying Righteousness chap. 7. Though Faith be no way a Meritorious Cause of a Sinner's Justification yet God hath promised to Justifie all such as truly Believe and requires Faith as an indispensible Qualification in all whom he will Justifie for Christ's Merits declaring That Unbelief shall not only hinder Mens knowing that they are Justified but that it is a bar to any Person 's being Justified while he continues an Unbeliever Reader Note 1. There is a Righteousness for which a Man is Justified This is only Christ's Righteousness This is the Foundation of the Promise and the Merit of the Blessing promised Nothing can add to it or mingle with it it 's sufficient and alone sufficient to satisfie Justice atone for Guilt and merit Acceptance and Life 2. There 's to be considered what the Condition of the Person is whom this Mercy is promised to He is one that hath this Grace of true Faith and exerts it into Act. This Grace is also required and commanded as indispensibly necessary to the Participation of Forgiveness Christ's Righteousness shall not be imputed to this use unless we believe And nothing shall hinder our Title to this Benefit if we do believe in Christ for the Promise is inviolable And this Faith being a Conformity to the Rule of the Promise some call it a Subordinate Righteousness not meaning any Righteousness for which Sin is forgiven for it 's Christ's Righteousness alone for which God Justifies us but it 's our answering that Rule by which Christ applieth his Righteousness for our Remission and a Right to Life and his Promise is the Ground of our Title Having premised these things for Explication of the Truth I proceed ERROUR The whole use of Faith in Justification is only to manifest that we were Justified before and Faith is no way necessary to bring a Sinner into a Justified State nor at all useful to that End Proved that this is the Dr's Opinion The Doctor p. 85. puts this Objection Is not Believing required to the Justification of the Ungodly Answ. An ungodly Person after he is Justified doth Believe But you will say It is an Act of Christ by Faith Ans. Then Christ doth not Justifie alone c. Nay I say more Christ doth Justifie a Person before he Believes c. He cannot believe that which is not and if he be not Justified before he Believes it he believeth that which is false but he is first Justified before he Believes then he believes that he is Justified The Doctor then asks But what doth Faith serve for He answers It serves for the Manifestation of that Justification which Christ put upon a Person by himself alone P. 86. We do not Believe that we may be Justified but because we are Justified P. 578. God doth add never a tittle of Pardon it self more to him that is a Believer than to that Person not yet converted to the Faith c. P. 597. I say Faith as it takes hold of Christ's Righteousness it doth not bring this Righteousness of Christ to the Soul but doth only declare the Presence of that Righteousness that was there even before Faith was He in that Page denies Faith to be so much as an Instrumental Cause of Justification In very many places he declares We are not Virtually but Actually Justified before Faith If thou ask when he thinks the Elect are Justified The Doctor tells us It 's from Eternity at Christ's death and the latest time is before we are born See p. 101 255 361 362 616 c. See more ch 1 2 3 11. Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not Whether Faith or any Grace be a jot of the meriting Righteousness for which we are Justified 2. Nor Whether Faith or any Grace add any thing to the Value of Christ's Merits These I deny yea I add That if Christ's Righteousness could be applied for Pardon to the vilest Sinner before he Believes it would Justifie him but God hath declared it shall not be applied to Unbelievers 3. Nor Whether we are Justified the same moment as we truly Believe in Christ and the Blessing is not suspended for any time longer This I affirm because God Justifies us by the Promise as his Instrument and this Promise declares that he will Justifie him that Believes It 's a Christ truly Believed in doth Justifie us and a Christ so Believed on cannot but Justifie us 4. Nor Whether an elect Person once Justified shall by Christ's care be kept in a Justified state 5. Nor Whether God hath decreed That the Elect shall certainly Believe and so be Justified 6. Nor Whether True Faith be an Infallible Sign of Justification These four last I do affirm Wherein the Real Difference is 1. Whether we are Justified before we Believe This the Doctor affirms and I deny 2. Whether the Use of Faith in Justification be only to manifest our Justification which we personally had before This the Doctor affirms and I deny and add That Faith Justifies us by receiving Christ and therein answers the Ordination of God who hath promised to Justifie the Believer by the Application of Christ's Righteousness in this gracious Effect of it upon the guilty Soul The Truth Confirmed What I have said chap. 1. Of the State of the Elect and chap. 11. Of the Necessity of Faith to Union with Christ and chap. 3 4 10. render Enlargement needless Yet I shall add 1. We are Justified by Faith is the common Language of the Holy Ghost Rom. 5. 1. Gal. 2. 16 c. What is it to be Justified by Faith if we are Justified before Faith It contributes to our being Justified or words express nothing in a case of the highest moment Rom. 3 20. God justifieth the Circumcision by Faith and the
Conversion of a Sinner Luk. 15. 7 10. if they be pardoned and safe before How much is our Ministry or Concern for Souls debased if all that we can prevail with are actually pardoned Who can reconcile to this Notion the Pleadings of God with Sinners He speaks to them as wounded undone and miserable Look to me and be saved why will you die Turn to me and live Ezek. 33. 11. Least they should be converted and I should heal them and the like These sound strange if Matters are so perfected before they be born Testimonies The Assembly at Westminster Conf. ch 10. a. 1. and the Congregational Elders at the Savoy Chap. 10. a. 1. are both fully of this Mind All those whom God hath predestinated to Life he is pleased in the appointed and accepted time effectually to call by his Word and Spirit out of that State of Sin and Death in which they are by Nature to Grace and Salvation by Jesus Christ by enlightning their Minds and taking away the Heart of Stone c. Both also Ch. 11. a. 4. say God did from Eternity decree to justifie all the Elect and Christ did in the fulness of time die for their sins and rise again for their Justification nevertheless they are not justified untill the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ unto them None that have read the Assembles lesser Catechism but will see that the time the Spirit applies Christ is in our effectual Calling The Reverend Dr. Owen is as express Treatise of Justification P. 305. Saith he Notwithstanding the full plenary Satisfaction of Christ yet all Men continue equally to be born by Nature Children of Wrath and whilst they believe not the Wrath of God abideth on them they are obnoxious unto and under the Curse of the Law See more of this Point in Chap. 11. and 12. wherein I speak of Union and Justification The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake The Doctor mistakes the Nature of God's Decree because a Decree ascertains a thing shall in time be therefore he thinks it gives a thing a present subjective Being Because Jacob was an elect Person or the Object of Electing Love in the Womb therefore he was then actually a pardoned and adopted Person Because an eldest son is an Heir in the Womb therefore an elect Person who is in time to be adopted is an Heir in the Womb too tho' the Scripture be express that it 's they who receive Christ which only have Power to become the Sons of God Joh. 1. 12. and ye are the children of God by Faith Gal. 3. 26. CHAP. II. Of God's laying Sins on Christ. Truth THough our Sins were imputed to Christ with respect to the Guilt thereof so that he by the Father 's Appointment and his own Consent became obliged as Mediatour to bear the Punishment of our Iniquities and he did bear those Punishments to the full satisfaction of Justice and to our actual Remission when we believe nevertheless the Filth of our sins was not laid upon Christ nor can he be called the Transgressor or was he in God's Account the Blasphemer Murtherer c. Errour God did not only impute the Guilt and lay the Punishment of the sins of the Elect upon Christ but he laid all the very Sins of the Elect upon Christ and that as to their real Filthiness and Loathsomeness yea so that Christ was really the Blasphemer Murtherer and Sinner and so accounted by the Father Proved that this is Doctor Crisp 's Opinion The Doctor p. 312. tells us It 's Iniquity it self that the Lord laid upon Christ not only our Punishment but our very Sin c. This Transaction of our Sins to Christ is a real Act our Sins so became Christ's that he stood the Sinner in our stead and we discharged Obj. But he may mean no more than the Punishment A. No he chuseth as express Words as possible to shew it 's the Sin it self P. 270. he saith It 's the Iniquity it self that the Lord hath laid upon Christ I mean it is the Fault of the Transgression it self c. To speak more plainly hast thou been an Idolater hast thou been a Blasphemer hast thou been a Murtherer an Adulterer a Thief a Lyer or a Drunkard If thou hast part in the Lord all these Transgressions of thine become actually the Transgressions of Christ. P. 268. Nor are we so compleatly sinful but Christ being made Sin was as compleatly sinful as we c. and God himself did account him among the number of Transgressors P. 286. he spends time to prove that our very Sins were transacted on Christ yea some Sermons have this Title Sins transacted really on Christ. Obj. But may not he mean only that they were imputed as to the Guilt A. No he saith p. 436. the Loathsomness Abominableness and Hatefulness of Rebellion is laid upon Christ's Back He bears the Sin as well as the Shame and Blame He p. 270 271 272 273. 280 281. endeavours to prove it 's the Sin opposed to Guilt and For that Objection That the Lord lays on Christ the Guilt and Punishment but not simply the Sin it self he saith for ought I see it is a simple Objection Yea p. 272. he affirms That to say that God did lay the Guilt of Sin but not the Sin it self is contrary to Scripture And p. 286 292. denies an Imputation that is not a real Transacting of the Sin And p. 289. he represents this by these Similes The bloody Coat of a Deer-stealer is followed by the Blood hound and stollen Goods taken by the Friend of the Thief and found with him and not with the Theif He saith p. 328. God makes Christ as very a Sinner as the Creature himself was P. 409. God lay upon him the Felony of Thieves the Murthers of Murtherers c. Wherein the Difference is not The Difference is not 1. Whether Christ bare the Punishment of our Sins 2. Nor Whether Christ bare the Guilt of our Sins which is that Respect of Sin to the Threatning of the Law whereby there is an Obligation to bear the Punishment 3. Nor whether Christ was esteemed by Men a Transgressor and arraigned as such 4. Nor whether what Christ suffered was not as effectual to put away Sin as if our very Sin had been transacted on him All these I affirm The real Difference The real Difference lies in these things 1. Whether Sin it self as to its Filth and Fault was transacted on Christ. This the Doctor affirms and I deny 2. Whether Christ was made and accounted by the Father the very Transgressor the Adulterer the Blasphemer c. This the Doctor affirms and I deny The Truth confirmed 1. To transact our very Sins on Christ as opposed to Guilt is impossible for it would argue either a mistake in the divine Mind to account him the Committer of our Sins or a propagator of our corrupt Qualities to him which is as impossible and any other way to
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.
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
of the Heart agree herewith 3. That cannot be a true Faith or Acceptance of Christ which consists with such vile Dispositions and is void of a Purpose to be otherwise Can he be said to accept of Christ who as the Doctor saith Hath a Knife in his Hand and Thoughts in his Heart to murther Christ and that without so much as laying down his Arms P. 210. What is rejecting Christ if this be not What is saying We will not have him to reign over us Do not we prefer our Lusts before him And can we thus marry him Nay What a carnal selfish thing is Believing a meer using Christ for our own Safety in our Abominations which we resolve shall rule over us without one Desire to be rid of them 2. Some Degrees of Convictions and Humiliations of Soul are necessary Prerequisites to the Soul 's true Acceptation of Christ for Pardon We find it 's the Weary and heavy laden that Christ invites to come to him for Rest Mat. 11. 28. I came not to call the Righteous that is the Conceited and Secure but Sinners to Repentance Luk. 5. 31. 32. The Converts recorded in the Word found such a Work on them those were pricked in their Hearts and cried What shall we do Act. 2. 37. The Gaoler felt the same humble Concern Act. 16. 30. Paul knew what this Trembling was Act. 9. 6. So Zacheus and the Prodigal Luk. 15. 14 15. Where the Word Even begins to take Effect the Man is convinced of all and judged of all The Secrets of his Heart are made manifest falleth down on his Face c. 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. It 's a meet Order that Man should in some degree pay this Homage to God and thus resent his Apostacy to God's Glory whom he hath provoked Yea These are absolutely Necessary to bring a Man to be willing to close with Christ. Were there no Weight no Remorse no Sense of Sin or Misery Christ would not be regarded much less complied with Yea to come to Christ cannot be an Act of the Will it thus having a contrary Biass and the practical Judgment determining against it TESTIMONIES You have already heard the Sence of the Assembly and Elders at the Savoy You may see in Larg Catech. Q. What is justifying Faith They tell us That the Sinner is convinced of his Sin and Misery who receiveth Christ. And in the Directory for Visitation of the Sick they are for propounding Christ and his Merits to penitent Believers and Endeavours are to be first used to humble the Sick under the Sense of his Guilt and the Wrath of God c. Doctor Owen tells us There is nothing in this whole Doctrine that I will more firmly adhere to than the Necessity of Convictions previous to true Believing Of Justif. P. 133. The Necessity of them yea Antecedency of them to true Faith and Pardon he proves P. 98 99. as also Displicency Sorrow Fear a Desire of Deliverance with other necessary Effects of true Convictions P. 102 103. And he tells us The Belief of the Pardon of our own Sins is not proposed to Men in the first Preaching of the Gospel as that which they are first to believe And P. 140. Neither is it possible there should be any Exercise of this Faith unto Justification but where the Mind is prepared disposed and determined unto universal Obedience Mr. Norton of New England proveth at large That there are certain preparatory Works between the Carnal Rest of the Soul in the State of Sin and effectual Vocation or Christ in his ordinary Dispensation of the Gospel calleth not Sinners as Sinners but Sinners i. e. qualified Sinners immediately to believe These are his own Words which he proves Orthod Evang. from P. 129. to 140. The Ground of the Doctor 's Mistake Because they that truly come to Christ shall have an Interest in Christ therefore he thinks whoever can perswade himself that he hath an Interest in Christ doth come to him because sometimes the worst Sinners are made the Subjects of Preparatory Works and of effectual Calling as God's act on them therefore he thinks that these Sinners are invited to conclude they have an Interest in Christ before they do at all answer that Call But his greatest Cause of Mistake is that he thinks the worst Sinners if elect have as much Interest in Christ as the greatest Saint Therefore indeed they need no more Faith than to know it and that must be by a firm Perswasion that he is theirs because Christ calls Sinners to Repentance therefore Christ is theirs while impenitent CHAP. XI Of Union with Christ before Faith Truth EVery Man is without Christ or not united to Christ untill he be effectually called but when by this Call the Spirit of God enclineth and enableth him willingly to accept of Christ as a Head and Saviour a Man becomes united to him and Partaker of those Influences and Privileges which are peculiar to the Members of the Lord Jesus Errour All the Elect are actually united to Christ before they have the Spirit of Christ or at all believe in him even before they are born yea and against their Will Proved that this is Dr. Crisp 's Opinion The Title of Serm. 14. is Christ is ours before we have gracious Qualifications P. 430. But sure the Doctor intends only to exclude Works and not Faith A. No he tells us of dangerous Consequences that must follow on it if Persons are not united to Christ and partake not of Justification before they believe And addeth There is not I say such a thing as an uniting and cementing or knitting Power in Faith as that Faith doth or should become the Instrument to unite a Soul to Christ P. 6â—â— Obj. But he may intend only to exclude the Merit or Efficiency of Faith but not the Presence of it or the Divine Ordination of it to that end A. No he denies the Presence of Faith to this end he spends much time P. 614. c. to prove That Christ is ours before we come to him and that our not coming to Christ doth not import a State of Disunion with Christ. And P. 104. He tells us You may as soon conceive that a Man is able to see whiles he hath no head as think a Man can have spiritual Eyes whether the Eye of Faith to behold Christ or the Eye of Mourning to lament ones Wretchedness before there be actually the Presence and Conjunction of Christ the Head to such a Body Obj. But must not the Spirit be given before we are united to Christ. A. The Doctor saith We partake of the Spirit only by Virtue of this Union which he attempts to prove from the too gross use of the Metaphor of a Vine P. 599. and sundry other Places Obj. Sure he meaneth only this Union is decreed before Faith A. To prevent this his Words are P. â—â—â— I do not mean as some do that God did actually decree that Christ should be Christ
Law of Innocence but of Gospel-Grace Who can doubt this if they consider 1. That the Covenant of Innocency promised Life to nothing below sinless and perfect Obedience 2. The Threatnings of the Covenant of Innocency admitted no Repentance or After-Relief to the Guilty They did fix the Curse irrevocably in case of any Transgression 3. No Overture of Life or Door of Hope or Argument to Conversion with Hopes of Acceptance could be framed out of those legal Threats or Promises to any Man that is a Sinner Turn ye Turn ye why will you die was not the Language of that Covenant No if a Man is once a Sinner the Law could speak no lower than this Thou art undone whether thou turn or no. Things being thus I would intreat thee to consider all the Calls of God in Christ to Men since the Fall VVeigh the Promises and Threats wherewith God strengthneth those Calls See if any one of the Calls to Faith or Repentance or Holiness thus back'd with Promises and Threats be not Evangelical 1. Doth God in those Calls promise Life to nothing below sinless perfect Obedience Or doth he threaten Eternal Death in those Calls against whatever is short of perfect Obedience 2. Do the Threats annexed to those Calls exclude all after-Repentance See Ezek. 18. 21. Is that Gospel or no But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed c. he shall surely live his transgressions shall not be mentioned 3. Are not these Calls with the Promises and Threats directed to Sinners for their Conversion and Recovery Is it not to Sinners God speaks in them and is it not for their healing and Salvation Are not the Promises an Offer of Relief Are not the Threatnings intended to awe and warn Sinners against Refusal of these Offers They be not uttered to bind the Curse but to deliver from it by urging our Compliance with the Commands of a Redeemer To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation c. Heb. 3. 7 8. 4. 7. Every Threatning used by God as an Argument to Conversion is a Gospel-Threatning 2. What kind of Government can Men assign to Christ if there be no Sanction to his Precepts Dr. Crisp oft tells us That the Sanction of the Law of Works is removed the Curse is gone as to the Elect. This is true if he mean that sinless Obedience is not now the Way of Life and that all below it shall not bind Death upon us so as to hinder our Relief by the Gospel But what then hath the Redeemer no Promises and Threatnings to rule Men by And is their Obedience or Disobedience an indifferent thing as to their Happiness or Misery Must he save all or damn all or else be a Respecter of Persons in his judicial Distributions Is this the Language of God to Sinners since the Fall Did Christ preach at this rate when on Earth Or doth he so speak now from Heaven Heb. 12. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvatian which at first began to be spoken by the Lord c. Our Lord assures us Mens Sins are aggravated and their Damnation grows greater by a Rejection of his Call to Sinners through Impenitence and Unbelief Joh. 8. 24. Ye shall die in your sins Heb. 10. 29. Of how much sorer punishment c. It 's a precarious Dominion that Christ exerciseth if he hath neither Rewards nor Punishments to induce Mens regards to his Authority Read the Scriptures or wait the Judgment-day and you 'll find it otherwise 3. How unsuitable is it to the present state of Mankind that Christ should govern us without Promises and Threatnings He is a King and we are his Subjects And we are 1. Subjects in a state of Tryal for another World 2. We have great remains of Sin within us and Temptations without us 3. We have still in our Nature Hope and Fear which are the things which all the methods of Christ's Government suppose and are suited to Each of these would furnish me with Arguments beyond all rational Contradiction for the Proof of this Point whereas the opposite Errour implies That either Men are Machines or Brutes or Infants at best or else the Judgment-day is past already Yea how vain are the Expostulations Warnings Reproofs and Encouragements which the Word is filled with The Divine Being and all the Methods of Grace are strangely exposed by Conceits so sordid He calls us to fear lest we should seem to come short of the Promise Heb. 4. 1. Be not high-minded but fear Rom. 11. 20. Work out your salvation with trembling Phil. 2. 12. He that ploweth should plow in hope 1 Cor. 9. 10. We are saved by hope c. Rom. 8. 24. What are all these if our state be in no suspence as to what we shall be or do 4. I hope I need not prove that these Gospel-Promises and Threatnings are the Rule by which Christ dealeth with Men To doubt it would inferr a heavier Charge than any good Man would sustain It 's enough to calm us that he saith Be not deceived God is not mocked that which a man soweth that shall he reap Gal. 6. 7. This is spoken to Believers and true of the Redeemed II. By this Gospel-Constitution persevering Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works are Necessary to Salvation He that made Faith necessary to Justification hath made Obedience necessary to Salvation He hath as well promised Heaven to the Godly Man as Pardon to the Believer And our perseverance in Holiness and Obedience is as truly our Way to Glory as the Scriptures can describe it Nothing of these merit Heaven but he that merited Heaven hath peremptorily appointed these to bring us thither Heb. 6. 10 11 12. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love c. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end that ye be not sloathful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises Every word is forcible to argue this Truth But I shall offer a few things more 1. Christ in the Gospel declares they shall miss of Heaven and eternally perish who are Apostates Ungodly Disobedient and Unprofitable and that for being such This Doom is not the Doom of the Law of Innocence for it is not denounced against every Backsliding but Apostacy It 's not against every Imperfect degree of Godliness but Ungodliness It 's not against every Defect of Obedience but Disobedience It 's not against every Neglect of Fruitfulness but such Unprofitableness as argues a dead and barren state Reader art thou so unskilful in the Word as not to remember If any
he looking upon them in his Son is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere although accompanied with many Imperfections Both also tell us Chap. 18. a. 2. That the Promises are made to Graces The Elders Chap. 15. a. 2. say That Believers Sinning are renewed through Repentance to Salvation Of the Necessity and Benefit of Faith I have given their Judgment before The Assembly and Elders Chap. 1. a. 7. tell us Those things which are necessary to be known believed and observed for Salvation are clearly propounded The Assembly's Large Catechism Q. How doth Christ execute the Office of a King A. Among other things they say In rewarding their Obedience and correcting them for their Sins Q. How is the Grace of God manifested in the second Covenant A. Among other things Requiring Faith as the Condition of their Interest in him c. Giving his Spirit to his Elect c. to enable them unto all holy Obedience as the Evidence of the Truth of their Faith and as the Way which he hath appointed them to Salvation Q. What hath God required that we may escape the Wrath and Curse c. A. That we may escape the Wrath and Curse of God c. He requireth of us Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus and the diligent Use of the Means c. You see they think Obedience and Good Works are rewardable that the Exercise of Graces do us much Good that Obedience is the Way to Salvation that we have much to do and that to escape the Wrath and Curse I shall transcribe part of the New-England Synod's Confutation of that Speech of the Antimonians If I am Holy I am never the better accepted of God If I be unholy I am never the worse This I am sure of be that elected me must save me To this the Synod answer This Expression imports that though a Man's Conversation be never so holy and gracious yet he can expect never the more Manifestation of Gods Kindness and Love to him Contrary to P. 50. ult and Joh. 14. 21. It implies That though a Man's Conversation be never so vile yet he needs not fear nor expect any Expression of God's Displeasure and Anger to break forth against him contrary to 2 Chron. 15. 2. And in a Word it imports That God neither loved Righteousness nor hated Sin and did take no Delight in the Obedience of his People Contrary to Psal. 45. 6 7. and 147. c. It 's true the Foundation of Election remaineth sure but it 's as true that whom he chooseth he purposeth to bring to Salvation through Sanctification of he Spirit 2 Thes. 2. 13 14. The 19th Errour of Mr. H. All Commands in the Word are Law and are not a Way of Life Errour 43. the Synod Confutes is The Spirit acts most in the Saints when they endeavour least Errour 48. Conditional Promises are legal Errour 50. It 's Poverty of Spirit when we have Grace yet to see we have none in our selves Doctor Owen Of Justif. P. 222. We grant that 1. God doth indispensibly require of him a justified Person personal Obedience which may be called his Evangelical Righteousness 2. That God doth approve of and accept in Christ his Righteousness so performed 3. That hereby that Faith whereby we are justified is evidenced proved manifested in the Sight of God and Men. 4. That this Righteousness is pleadable unto an Acquitment against any Charge from Satan the World or our own Consciences 5. That upon it we shall be declared righteous at the last Day and without it none shall be And if any shall think meet from hence to conclude unto an Evangelical Justification or call God's Acceptance of our Righteousness by that Name I shall by no means contend with them Where-ever this Enquiry is made not c. but how a Man that professeth Evangelical Faith in Christ shall be tried judged and whereon as such he shall be justified We grant that it is and must be by his own personal sincere Obedience P. 156. It is commonly said Faith and new Obedience are the Condition of the new Covenant c. If no more be intended but that God in and by the new Covenant doth indispensibly require these things of us in order to his own Glory and our full Enjoyment of all the Benefits of it it is unquestionably true P. 158. our whole Obedience through his gracious Appointment hath a rewardable Condecency with respect unto eternal Life P. 207. These Duties are so far necessary unto the Continuation of our Justification as that a justified State cannot consist with the Sins and Vices that are opposite unto them So the Apostle affirms If we live after the Flesh we shall die P. 208. If this be that which is intended in this Position That our own Obedience and good Works are the Condition of the Continuation of our Justification namely that God doth indispensibly require good Works and Obedience in all that are justified so that a justified State is inconsistent with the Neglect of them it is readily granted The Ground of Doctor Crisp 's Mistake He thinks because God eternally intended us all Benefits in the way he determined therefore he appoints nothing to Men as the Means of partaking of those Benefits Whereas this way Christ himself may as well be excluded by the Decrees he not being the Cause of Election but the Means of effecting it and all Endeavours for Life Health Estates c. may be as well prevented for God hath determined how long we shall live how rich we shall be c. Because a Sinner can obtain nothing by virtue of the Covenant of Works therefore what a Believer doth can avail nothing by the Grace of the new Covenant Because Christ hath merited all things as a Priest with a Right and Purpose to bestow them on the Elect therefore he can fix on no way to bestow them on his elect Subjects as Motives to obey him as a King Because he hath delivered us from the legal Rule of Misery and Happiness therefore he hath no Promises or Threats to govern us by in this State of Trial. Because Christ is the only Way of Atonement and Purchase therefore there can be no other way of his own ordaining to obtain the Effects of his Purchase Because we can merit nothing as of debt for doing therefore we can of Grace receive no Benefit by doing though God doth promise it Because we can do nothing for Life with a Thought of buying it therefore we may do nothing for Life as the End that moves us in the Use of indispensibly required Means Because God of his Mercy saves us at last therefore he shall not in the mean while duly govern us in order to Salvation Because we cannot merit Pardon therefore God can order no Grace or Duty to be through Christ rewardable with any other Blessing CHAP. XIV Of intending our Souls Good by Duties we perform TRUTH THough we ought
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
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
therefore he doth wash blot out and not remember the unpardoned Sins of impenitent Persons whereas there is not one of those to whom these Promises are made but God hath charged Sin upon them before Because God commands Israel Isa. 1. to wash and make themselves clean by Repentance therefore we are clean without it Because God can have no Communion with a Sinner out of Christ therefore he can have no Communion with an imperfect Believer in a Christ. CHAP. XVII Of the Hurt that Sin may do to Believers TRUTH IT 's true of Believers that if Sin should have Dominion over them they would thereby be subject to Condemnation And though the Grace of God will prevent the Dominion of Sin in every elect Believer and so keep them from eternal Death yet true Believers may by Sin bring great hurt upon themselves in Soul and Body which they ought to fear and they may expect a share in National Judgments according as they have contributed to common Guilt ERROUR The grossest Sins that Believers can commit cannot do them the least harm neither ought they to fear the least hurt by their own Sins nor by National Sins yea though themselves have had a hand therein Proved that this is Dr. Crisp 's Opinion P. 510 511. They need not be afraid of their Sins they that have God for their God there is no Sin that ever they commit can possibly do them any hurt Therefore as their Sins cannot hurt them so there is no cause of Fear in their Sins committed c. There is not one Sin nor all the Sins together of any Believer can possibly do that Believer any real hurt This he attempts to prove from Rom. 7. Some will be ready to say here is a Fear of Sin Oh wretched Man that I am Who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death But give me leave to tell you that the Apostle in this Chapter as I conceive doth personate a scrupulous Spirit and doth not speak out his present Case c. Obj. Sure the Doctor only meaneth that Sin shall not damn them A. Hear him putting this Case You will say no Condemnation in Hell but yet as there are Remainders of Sin in God's own People so there will some Evil or other fall upon the Commission of Sin He summs up his Answer thus Now Sin is condemned to the Believer it can do no hurt at all to him P. 513. Sins are but Scare-crows and Bug-bears to fright ignorant Children but Men of Insight and Understanding see they are counterfeit things c they are to know for certain it is but a mad thing there is no Fear from the Sins of Believers all the Terrour and Fearfulness of Sin Christ himself hath drunk it c. Sin is dead and there is no more Terrour in it than is in a dead Lion P. 515. He shews that the Sins of the Nation cannot hurt God's People though they had a hand in them P. 429. Are you sinful in respect of the Prevalency of Corruption Let it not come into your Thoughts that you are worse than others or less than others P. 522. So oft as Men fear Affliction from Sin committed so oft do they slander the Grace of God See P. 429 413 510 562 559. Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not Whether God will preserve elect Believers from eternal Condemnation by keeping them from the Dominion of Sin 2. Nor whether a justified Person be freed from the Curse of the Law or the Sanction of the Law of VVorks 3. Nor whether a Believer should fear his eternal Condemnation no farther than his Sins bring his Sincerity in question or lead to Security or Apostacy 4. Nor whether God may in Soveraign Mercy spare to execute those Rebukes National or Personal which a godly Man's Sins may expose him to 5. Nor whether God may and can over-rule the Sin of a Believer afterwards to his Benefit All these I affiâ—m 6. Nor whether the Afflictions of the Godly be the Execution of the damnatory Curse of the Law or any Satisfaction or Atonement for Sin This I deny and add that Christ alone satisfied Justice The real Difference 1. Whether according to the Gospel-rule if a Believer should yield up himself to the Dominion of Sin he should perish This I affirm and the Doctor denies against plain Texts directed to Believers as Rom. 8. 13. 2. VVhether a Believer falling into such Sins as Idolatry Murther c. ought not to awe his Soul against Security with lively thoughts of Damnation and if he continue long herein ought not he to suspect the State of his Soul as in danger of Hell This I affirm and the Doctor denies and thereby he renders the Gospel-threatnings as urged by the Spirit on the Hearts of Believers to be all foolish 3. VVhether Christ is at liberty sharply to afflict a justified Person for provoking Sins though he be secured against Soul-destroying Judgments This I affirm and the Doctor denies 4. VVhether a Believer falling into great Sins ought to fear God's present Rebukes for such Sins This I affirm and the Doctor denies 5. VVhether great Offences be a real hurt to a Believer and oft brings on him much present harm This I affirm and the Doctor denies The Case of National Sins is concluded as these be and I have elsewhere spoken to The Truth Confirmed The principal Point to be proved is That Sins do a Believer hurt this will convince us of the rest for as it brings hurt it is the Object of Fear in all that wisely resent things And as any threatned Affliction is caused by it it argues a Power reserved in Christ so to threaten and afflict both which I have proved Chap. 13. One would think a little Labour will serve to prove a Point which the Feeling and Experience of all Men plead for yet take a Hint of those Heads of Arguments which might be improved 1. Sin it self is a great hurt to any Man guilty of it or pestered with it It 's so called Jer. 8. 11. It s a Wound or we need no Healing it 's a Defilement or we need no Washing it 's a Crime or what 's Forgiveness it's a going astray or where 's the Use of Returning it's a Weakness or Strengthning after it were needless Is that no harm which is a Blemish to our Natures the Disease of our Souls the Disorder of our State in reference to God and our selves as depending on him If Sin be no harm why should we pray against it Why doth God so warn us still against it Why doth Grace so oppose it Why doth the Spirit strive against it Wherefore do we praise God for preventing it On what Account hath God made it the Duty of Magistrates and Parents to punish for it and of Ministers to censure the Transgressors If it 's become so innocent in his People Why doth Christ complain so oft of it Why should the Doctor tell us we should
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