God set down the Text of Scripture and revealed the same to the Church of God he confirmed it by his works from Heaven by Miracles which did convince the world that it must needs be the Word of God which was accompanied with such mighty and miraculous operations so when God will by the Spirit speak to the soul the Application of a Text for comfort he doth make way for the credit of it by the work of the Spirit the work of grace upon the soul If not believe it not the spirit of truth is a spirit of holiness There is no truth in that word which speaks comfort to that heart in which is not wrought the work of Holiness Consequently Thy sins are forgiven in the heart of a Drunkard Swearer Whoremonger is not the voice of the Spirit The work and the word of the Spirit go together Nay so evident is this that the Doctor having sought to establish this Revelation of the Spirit as a principle that may not be disputed and that cannot be demonstrated doth yet in the close come in with this Yet something more for the Spirit doth give men to credit what he speaketh His meaning I conceive to be That by this work of the Spirit by which mans heart is framed to receive the Testimony of the Spirit and to believe it by it doth it appear that it is the Spirit of God which witnesseth their Adoption so then it is the voice of the Spirit that saith Thy sins are forgiven and it is evidenced to be the voice of the Spirit because he frameth the heart to believe it It cannot be denied but that it is the Spirit that giveth Faith to believe it nor is it doubted but that if this perswasion do come from the Spirit it doth afford comfort but still the question is Whether this be the work of the Spirit or not of the other viz. The work of sanctification there is no doubt which if it do not accompany that work of perswasion I much doubt whether it be not an over bold presumption 2. Touching Faith This is delivered by the same Author 1. That the Scripture doth authorize Faith to give full evidence concerning Interest in Christ 2. That this evidence of Faith is not Revealing but a Receiving evidence viz. As it taketh possession of what the Spirit Revealeth and doth rest upon it This Faith saith he brings with it unquestionable evidence full assurance and what needs a man look farther The spirit within thee saith Thy sin is forgiven Faith receiveth it and sits down satisfied here is thine evidence saith he and thou hast thy portion For why the Text of Saint John saith He that believeth hath the witness in himself q. d. He hath as much as can be desired when he hath believing in himself And he that believeth not hath made God a lyar q. d. If when God hath spoken man will not sit down with Gods bare Word but seek for signs and marks drawn from his own works this man hath made God a lyar The sum of all returns to this That this act of Faith receiving the Testimony of the spirit that is when the soul doth rest in it without any farther doubting that this I say is the evidence of our Adoption and Justification so then ask him how do you know that sin is pardoned His Answer is because I believe it and rest satisfied in this perswasion And is not this I pray you a very satisfying evidence It is so because I believe it is so In this way what prophane person is there in the world who may not conclude for himself if he will but force upon himself this perswasion Object Nay but it is not meant but of a perswasion which the Spirit hath wrought in the Heart If God saith he hath given thee to believe it this is thy evidence Sol. Yea but how shall I know whether God hath given me this perswasion or that Satan hath suggested it into my Heart Doth the Spirit of God take a man out of the Dunghil of filthiness and instantly without any work of washing and cleansing speak to him that word of comfort pronounce him pardoned and work in him the full preswasion of it or if he do speedily and as it were suddenly work him to this ful perswasion Doth he not at the same instant work a change upon his will and affections by which that light that is set up in the understanding may be discerned to proceed from the Spirit of God Surely thus we have learned Christ and thus we teach The Spirit of God doth work upon the whole soul and all the faculties at once and equally Understanding and Will Conscience and Affections Nor is there mroe light of saving knowledge in the one then there is heat of holines in the other That Faith which doth not purifie the heart and cleanse the conscience is not a saving Faith such a perswasion of pardon is but a presumption that of S. Iames remaineth an everlasting Truth Faith without works is dead Object That Faith saith he is not dead where the whole essence of Faith is Sol. True but wherein consisteth that essence of Faith This is nothing but the eccho of the Heart saith he to this voice of the Spirit Grant Faith to be the eccho of the Heart to the voice of the Spirit though this indeed be but one act of Faith yet by the voice of the Spirit we understand not that suggestion of Remittuntur but the whole Text of Scripture comprehending Precepts Promises Threatnings in all which there is indeed an eccho of the Heart by Faith Psal. 27. 8. But in this the Antinomian is farther off then the Papist The essence of Iustifying Faith doth neither consist in this eccho to the Text of Scripture nor in that eccho to that word of Revelation but in an act that cometh in between them ex gr. The Text of Scripture saith He that believeth shall be saved Is man justified by believing this for a truth or rather by doing that duty which the word Believeth doth intimate viz. The act of confidence and affiance in Christ Again the Spirit saith Thy sins are forgiven Is man justified because the believeth this word Surely no He must have it before the word that saith so be a word of Truth So then the first eccho goeth before the other doth follow after The right act of justifying Faith whence it is so named is that intermediate act of confidence and affiance Understand me to speak of these acts of Faith as first second third in the order of Nature not in the distance of time In the order of Nature justification doth not go before Faith but follow upon it Nor is man justisted because he doth perswade himself that so it is To wade no farther in this Argument By this I suppose it is evident That the new way of evidencing by the word of the Spirit and the subscription of Faith cannot lay the Ground of
though it be in a person not appointed to love though this his purpose change not yet will he suspend all the effects of hatred yea and with much tenderness of affection put forth the effects of love to this party till he doth wilfully let fall his care of goodness and take up a Resolution of evil yea and that incorrigibly 3. The love of God to the Creature in respect of the effects thereof is not unfitly distinguished into the love of Benevolency and the love of Complacency the former consisting in well wishing or pittying the Creature is absolute and free The other drawing with it delight in or friendship with the Creature is respective and hath an eye to the good behavior of the Creature see both these expressed in that Parable of the wretched Infant Ezek. 16. 6. an emblem and fit resemblance as thereof the Church of Israel so generally of the Elect of God For first God doth cast an eye of pitty upon them in their wretched condition and saith unto them Live His word is operative and did them good as is intimated verse 7. then afterward when his grace hath wrought in them and fashioned them into a comely beauty he doth again pass by them and behold them and lo it is the time of love whereupon he doth enter into a League and Covenant of friendship so that now the soul of every one of them may say as the Spouse in the Canticles I am my welbeloveds and my welbeloved is mine Gods delight is in them and theirs in God These things well understood will easily shew the Inconsequence of the Argument for the Elect may be loved in the purpose of God and yet not actually justified nor God enter into a Covenant of love till by the work of his grace they be fitted for the time of love Again whiles they are workers of iniquity and unconverted to God their sins may be hated and the effects of love suspended notwithstanding the eternal purpose of God No variableness in God because it is his purpose not to entertain them into the effects and fruits of his love and delight till they be converted and fitted for it by the actings of the spirit of grate moving and working in them To close up the point let us to prevent erroneous misconceits which spring from the Confounding of things that dâ—ffer let us I say take notice of this distinction A man may be said to be justified either Intentionally or Virtually or Actually either in God or in Christ or in Himself 1. Intentionally in God i. e. in Gods purpose and decree this is from all eternity But this decree and intention doth not put any thing into a state of actual being but in the fulness of time nor doth it exclude nay it doth include and presuppose Faith in the person justified for though election be of the persons yet Iustification Glorification are of the persons so and so qualified 2. Virtually in Christ may a man be said to be justified And this is from the Day of Christs passion and in the vertue of his satisfaction yet this intendeth no more but this that satisfaction is made and Remission purchased by the blood of Christ Neither doth this exclude the consideration of Faith nay it doth call for it that so there may be an actual Application of the price and purchase We know that in a purchase beside the payment of the price there must be Livery and Seisin given before a man be in actual possession of what is purchased so here there must be application of the Righteousnes of Christ as well as the Effusion of his Blood and this is received by Faith 3. Actually in himself is man said to be justified when he hath the possession of it But this Actual Iustification hath It's degrees of progression The beginning thereof is laid in our first Union and Incorporation into Christ The Consummation of it is not till the Judge at the latter day hath solemnly pronounced the sentence of final absolution so set us in full possession of entire remission Between both these there is a progressive work of Iustification by the constant actings of the Spirit applying the Blood of Christ by the hand of Faith to the quiet and comfort of the soul The first you may term Initial justification the latter perfective and this between I would call progressive it is the fruit of the first and the preludial assurance of the latter This is wrought and sealed in the second Sacrament as the former is in the first Sacrament and both these branches of Sacramental justification are to us the pre-assurance of that Complemental and perfective justification The sentence whereof putteth an end to all fears changing our faith and hope into fruition and ful possession even the first of these acts is not transacted without the seed and spirit of Faith much less the successive agitations and progress of the work Thus every way Faith is considered as equal with yea as foregoing the work of Iustification CHAP. IV. That justification is not transacted all at once nor any pre-remission of sin before it be committed BY his knowledge shall my Righteous Servant justifie many saith God by the Prophet Isaiah cap. 53. 11. Shall justifie is a verb of the future tense the work then at that time was not done the Question is when was it to be done In the day of his passion say some then did he bear the sins of many and take away the sin of the world so that from that time and forward to the end of the world there is no more imputation of sin to any of the elect It hath been commonly said even by some of our best Divines that justification is transacted in our first Union and Incorporation into Christ at which time it is conceived that the pardon of all sin is sealed consequently that it is to us an act already passed Nor can we say He shall but he hath justified But I fear that the mis-understanding of this point not untrue in it self if not mistaken and mis-apprehended hath laid the ground upon which the Antinomian buildeth that unhappy structure which turneth the Grace of God into wantonness Who knoweth not that justification in it's proper acceptation of the word according to the Scripture phrase is the act of a Iudge pronouncing a judicial sentence and according to this I suppose we shall not erre from the truth if we say that the main work of Justification is even to us as yet future and that the time when Christ shal justifie those many in the Text of Isaiah is when he shall condemn the Residue viz. at his sâ—â—ond coming when he shall separate the sheep from the Goats then shall he justifie them and at once absolve them from all accusations and charges laid in against them then shall they receive a final quietus and discharge then shall God wipe all tears from their eyes then shal there be no
thee to note the object not the subject as there of Fear so here of Knowledge Scientia sui By the knowledge of him as Pagnin Vatablus and Tremelius Farther we cannot go till first we enquire what it is to justifie To justifie in the Text of Scripture doth sometime signifie To endeavor the justification of a sinner by acquainting him with the way and mean thereof as Dan. 12. 3. Sometime To effect it by acquitting the party accused from the Crime and Accusation which in this work of Justification is still presupposed Whether of these two other I let pass as not so applicable to this Text whether of them I say is most proper to the Text will appear by the Confirmation when we come unto it Onwards we make use of it to enquire farther into the Medium what is meant by His knowledge For answerable to these two the word His knowledge may import 1. Medium Revelationis That Doctrine by which Christ doth reveal the way of Justification 2. Medium Operationis That Grace by which Christ doth fit man for the benefit of Justification As Medium Revelationis so the Conclusion is The Gospel is that word of Truth that rightly enformeth us in the way and maner of Justification The Gospel i. e. that part of holy Writ which teacheth us the knowledge of Christ of his Person of his Office the Covenant of Grace and the condition required The Gospel opposed to the Law q. d. Not by the Law but by the Gospel and the Doctrine of Grace shall Christ propound and acquaint mankinde with the way of gaining their Justification Not by the Law Vnderst and this not in general as comprehending the writings of the Old Testament but in special as importing the Law of Moses and this considered as the condition of that Covenant made with Israel Not the Law of Moses but the Gospel of Christ is the mean of Revelation acquainting man with the way of obtaining his Justification What then Is this Law of Moses all of it altogether abolished Is it of no use and service to the Church of God to Believers now in the Constitution of the Church of Christ Some there be that would have it so whose main endeavor is to cast the Doctrine of it out of the Church and the care thereof out of the Conscience of the Christian neither the Precepts thereof alowed to binde men nor the Motives thereof to draw men to the Duties of Holiness See their Arguments examined Chap. 1. and 2. As medium Operationis and then the Conclusion will be That Faith in Christ is the way and mean of Justification Faith I say and not Works Faith not unfitly termed the Knowledge of Christ because this alone is that which doth rightly know Christ the fulness of his Merits and Graces None but the Believer doth acknowledge Christ nay none but he doth rightly fully and perfectly know him Faith is both the Daughter and the Mother of this Knowledge the knowledge of Christ The Daughter for Faith cannot lodge in an ignorant Soul The Mother for it leadeth on to perfection of knowledge This Faith is the mean by it shall Christ work in the heart of the Believer and dispose it for Justification Not by the works of mans Righteousness but by Faith in Christ is man justified How so Because it is Medium Recipiens as the hand or mouth of the Soul to receive that Spiritual Food and Physick that doth feed and cure the Soul It receiveth Christ and the communion of his Merits and Graces for the good of the Believer The Righteousness of Christ is not unfitly compared to Food and Physick to a Garment and Plaister which do no good but in the way of Application if not applied no good by them These are received by the hand or by the mouth and this is the work of Faith and by Faith we are said to be justified as by the hand the Body is fed and clothed viz. Instrumentally Upon this ground we conceive it That in order of nature justification cannot be considered as going before the habit yea the act of Faith but rather that Faith hath the leading hand and the precedency of Consideration St. Peter termeth Salvation the end of our Faith 1 Pet. 1. 9. By this end meaneth he only the consequent benefit which followeth upon it or rather the end intended and aimed at in believing Doth not Saint Paul prescribe it to the Jaylor as a mean to bring about the end Believe and thou shalt be saved Acts 16. 31. Doth he not shew the ground and reason of it Gal. 2. 16. We knowing that a man is not justified but by Faith in Christ even we have believed q. d. we have applied our selves to the use of the means that we might obtain the end If Faith be as a mean to the end then is it not to be considered as following but as foregoing the benefit of our Justification Plausible Arguments are aleaged to overthrow this Truth but their weight and worth is more in shew then in substance See them examined Chap. 3. In the Act expressing the benefit obtained by Faith we may not pass by the Tense of the Verb but by occasion of it as Doctor Crisp upon the like occasion see his Sermons on Isa. 53. 6. enquire into the Time when it is that this Act is done The Tense of the Verb is future He shall justifie Future it was then when the Prophet spake this Whether future still is a Question Or if not when it was to be transacted whether all at once dispatched The farther explication whereof see in Chap. 4. The Object remaineth This is in the word Many Not all but only a number There be who teach that All shall be saved a point well pleasing to flesh and blood If a man might live as he list abuse his Eye and Ear his Hand and Tongue yea his Hand and his Heart his Body and Soul to the service of Sin and Satan and yet hope for Salvation by Christ But this may not be it is not All but Many All shall not be justified by Christ nor saved by him Not through any defect of the means the Merit of Christ is sufficient to save all The Gospel doth call and invite all and no doubt but whosoever believeth shall be saved But it cometh to pass through the ill-disposition and negligence of man left to himself who regardeth not to perform the condition required By the Ordinance of God in whose hand as say our Divines Christ hath left the disposing of his Merit it is appointed That the Merit of Christ shall not be dispensed to mankinde but under a condition and without the performance of that condition it is not bestowed upon any Now mankinde left to themselves are negligent and careless to look to that condition and so through their own ill-deserts are excluded from the benefit of Christs Death and Passion So then it is not All but only Many Q. If not
persons are considered of God as believers no less then justified before the World they are fore-seen as believing before fore-seen as justified Because in the World till they believe they are not justified still that that in the execution of the decree hath the precedency is considered in the decree as fore-going Sin before Condemnation Faith before Iustification The elect have their sins taken away before they do believe But how Not otherwise save in the purpose of God and the purchase of Christ Else what use nay what sense in those Exhortations Act. 2. 38. Repent and be Baptized for the Remission of sins Act. 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Act. 22. 16. Arise be baptized and wash away thy sins is it not evident that the sins of these were not as then blotted out and washed away that they might use these means to compass this end The Texts aleaged for Proof of the Argument speak not home to the point intended That of Isa. 53. 6. onely sheweth that designation of Christ to be the sacrifice of Expiation Not is there more in the 6. verse then was expressed in the 5. verse He was wounded for our Transgressions this onely excepted That v. 6. sheweth That Christ should make peace for us by the way of a sacrifice even the sacrifice of himself upon whom God would lay the iniquities of us all as Aaron laid the iniquities of the Children of Israel upon the Goat Lev. 16. 21. Say the same of Joh. 1. 29. It sheweth whom God had appointed to that work And the Text of 1 Pet. 2. 24. sheweth That he hath executed his Office but none of these Texts do say any thing concerning the benefit thereof redounding to any one in particular whether without or before or after Faith Truth it is That this was said and done long before many of the Elect did believe So also before many of them had any need of Faith and Iustification even before they had a being Nay in that Text Rom. 8. 33. brought to prove the Elect justified because Nothing can be laid to their charge It is evident that the Apostle speaks of the Elect now made actual Believers For that phrase of laying any thing to the charge of Gods Elect doth presuppose them living and standing before the Tribunal consequently actual Believers For against the Elect till actually believing doth Satan lay no accusation And we doubt not to affirm That the Elect of God believing in Christ and laying hold on him by Faith are so justified before God that in vain shall Satan seek to charge any thing upon them But till then notwithstanding the Purpose of God and the Purchase of Christ yet are they not actually discharged of their sins nor actually justified in the sight of God 5. Arg. We were made sinners in Adam before we had done any evil and so we are made righteous in Christ before we have done any good This is the Assertion of the Apostle Rom. 5. 18 19. Ans. The Text of the Apostle doth only set down this That as Adam is the Author of condemnation to all that be condemned so Christ is the Author of Iustification to all that are justified But as to the time when this is done in the one or the other the Text speaketh nothing Grant indeed That in respect of the Merit of Christ it may be said that we are justified in the sight of God before any good be done by us but now in respect of actual Application to particular persons as no man is condemned till he have an actual being and be found a sinner in himself so neither is any man justified before he have an actual being yea an actual being in Christ and in him made righteous Condemnation presupposeth sin in the party condemned and Iustification presupposeth Grace and Faith in the party justified 6. Arg. In Christ crucified before we believed was full satisfaction made Heb. 10. 11 14. And God was contented to rest in that satisfaction Mat. 3. ult. Isa. 53. 11. Therefore there will follow perfect Remission of sins Ans. No doubt of it perfect Remission will follow because satisfaction is made and accepted But when Not till the sinner need it not till he be fitted for it not till he have a being in Christ not till he come to Christ that he may receive In very deed the satisfaction was neither intended nor accepted but upon that condition That whoso will have it must come to Christ for it Hence they in Ioh. 5. 40. are blamed in that they would not come to Christ that they might have life That Text of Isa. 53. 11. is mis-applied to the Father being indeed spoken of Christ himself 7. Arg. Either we are justified in the sight of God before we believe or else even the Elect of God are for some time hated of him For he hateth all the workers of iniquity but certainly the Elect of God are at no time hated of God If so Then God should hate to day and love to morrow with much changeableness of Affection Nay more Gods love to us shall depend upon our love to God Ans. Set this down for a truth 1. That God hateth all the workers of iniquity whatsoever Psal. 5. 5. 2. That the Elect of God are loved of him from all eternity Ier. 31. 3. 3. That there is no variableness nor shadow of change in God Iam. 1. 17. 4. That we love him because he loved us first Now if there seem any contrariety in these laid together we are forced to some distinctions by which a commodious interpretation may be set down So then consider of these Explications 1. The love and hatred of God to the Creature may be considered either in the purpose of God or in the execution of that purpose this execution is in the effects of love and hatred The purpose of God is this to appoint the Creature to be the object upon which in time he wil exercise the effects of love or hatred in this purpose of God the Elect are always Loved never Hated nor doth God vary and change in this his purpose nor doth this purpose of his depend upō the foresight of any good in man 2. In the execution of this purpose the suspension of the Effects and Fruits of Love hath the name of Hatred And God may be said to hate them as the Husband that Wife from whom he with draweth the Effects of Love Now in this doth God walk oftentimes according to the present disposition of the Creature wheresoever God findeth sin he hateth it sin is properly the Object of Gods Hatred sin I say not the Creature and if this sin be in a person appointed to love though he will not change his purpose yet will he suspend all effects and fruit of love yea and put forth the effects of hatred until the party do part with his sin Contrarily wheresoever he findeth any good he loveth it yea
work But the Motive and main cause of their performances it is some by-end and base respect as in Jehu and the Pharisees which appeareth in this That when that end is gained or that respect ceaseth then also their work is at an end though the Glory of God and the good of Christs Church be never so much concerned None but the Childe of God doth make the Glory of his Father the end and aim of all his actions All others begin and end in Self Object This sincerity is not found in the ordinary practises of Christians either in the exercises of Religion or in the works of mercy and justice For why saith the Doctor Is there not much Self mixed in their performances in praying and fasting Is not the end of these Duties to be delivered from Danger Sol. It is I grant one end but not the Vltimate end In these exercises we seek our own good bread pardon preservation deliverance and that not unlawfully For Christ hath taught us to put them into our prayers but still with this caution For thine is the Glory i. e. To desire them only as subservient to the glory of God should we desire these for our selves i. e. to spend them upon our lusts to live to our selves in matter of profit pleasure and preferment this were self-seeking But thus to desire them that in the use of them we may be the more instrumental to glorifie God in our several places this is not Self-seeking Say the same of Men-pleasing though a man do encourage himself in goodness by the praise of men by listening to the acceptableness of his well doing yet so long as the praise of men is not as it was in the Pharisees the prime and principal inducement of doing what is done this is not Men-pleasing both of these are defined not by the subservient but by the ultimate end of our endeavors if that be right there is sincerity in the Obedience and this sincerity is a ground of confidence the work of the spirit an Argument of our Adoption Object Not so saith the Antinomian Doctor For we read in Rom. 10. 1. 3. That the Jews had a zeal-and this was exercised in Obedience to the will of God yet these were En 〈…〉 to Christ And how can that be an evidence of Adoption that is found in an Enemy Sol. Is not this a gross mistake The point is touching sincerity and his proof is by an instance of zeal Is there no difference Is not sincerity the singleness of the heart and zeal the earnestness of the spirit Besides this their zeal was not according to knowledge If this kinde of zeal profit not shall not that which is according to knowledge and guided by the rules of Holy discretion shall not that afford comfort That which he addeth viz. That their zeal was not in a corrupt way of their own devising is directly contrary to the Apostle For he saith of them That in seeking to establish their own Righteousness they have not submitted to the Righteousness of God It was therefore a way of their own devising which is proved Verse 4. Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth So that to seek the establishment of the Law though the Law of God for another end then God hath appointed yea in opposition to that end is not an Argument of sincerity but an act of a turbulent passion Papists contend much for the efficacy of the Sacraments But while they place in them an efficacy altogether independent upon Faith do they not seek to establish their own fancies and not the truth of God Tâ—â—s did these Jews they pretended for God but in a way of their own devising Not much unlike to many among us who pretend for the Scepter of Christ but only in a way of their own Were the zeal of all thâ—se sincere as it should be there would be in them a readiness to embrace and submit to what shall appear to be the minde of God and say Vnicat Veritas or as St. Paul in 2 Cor. 13. 8. We can do nothing against the truth 3. Text. 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren Hence we collect That the state of our Adoption and standing right in the sight and favor of God is a thing that may be known that this love of our Brethren is a note and evidence thereof For why Love is of God cap. 4. 7. an effect of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. For while the Spirit of Adoption doth shed abroad the love of God in our hearts and make us sensible of it it doth cause in us a love to him that loved us first and for his sake who hath begotten us a love to them also that are as we are begotten of God This is so plain that it may seem strange that any should either deny it or doubt of it Yet saith the Doctor Object The scope of the Apostle is to comfort them against the hatred of the World and he sheweth what esteem they had one of another q. d. though the World do not esteem us yet our judgement one of another is that we are the people of God grounding our selves upon this that we do love one another so that this is rather a mark how another may know me then how I may know my self Sol. Is not this strange That the Apostle should set this down as a ground of comfort to bear up the heart against the hatred of the World viz. The good esteem that Christians have of us Will this secure the soul against sadness and sorrow will not Satan suggest What if they be deceived They know not the heart they judge by the outward appearance by the expressions of love to the Brethren and therein they may be deceived And that the Text must be understood of that immanent and reflexive act of knowledge which passeth a Censure upon our selves it is evident by that that followeth For the Apostle having set this down as a rule of discerning their spiritual estate and proved Veâ—â—e it 15. and pressed it by the example of Christ whose love was manifested by laying down his life for us Verse 16. whom we are to imitate in a real demonstration of our inward affection to the Brethren He urgeth again this Motive That hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him And I would gladly ask whether here also the Apostle doth intend to teach us that by this act of love we way assure our selves touching others and rest secure that we are not decceived And what so great matter is this if in the mean space we may not evidently judge the state of our own souls And what meaneth he to adde this Verse 21. If our heart condemn us not we have boldness toward God Certainly the Apostles intention is to set down an evidence of Self-discerning Object But suppose it
so yet so intricate is this way of Examination that a Christian shall finde himself much puzzled in it Why so Because hard it is to know both what it is to love and who is a Brother And till these be known how can we try our selves by the Sign Sol. Grant it to be hard yet if not impossible we know that difficulty doth not take off but stirreth up diligence What it is to love we may learn from 1 Cor. 13. 5. and 1 Job 3. 16 17. And who is a brother from Gal. 6. 10. Quest But who can truly say I love the Brethren if those be acts effects and properties of love Who can approve himself to have loved in all those particulars Ans. Even he that hath received the Spirit of God for Love is one of the fruits of the Spirit And though peradventure he hath not attaind to that perfection of love which another hath himself desires yet is he not therfore excluded from the truth therof Quest But who can know that this or that man is a Brother Doth not this Brotherhood confist in being united unto Christ Doth any man know this but God alone Ans. Is not this in effect to tell the Apostle he speaks absurdly and sets down a mark of knowing which cannot be known For when the Apostle saith We know Because we love Doth he not pre-suppose that it may be known We love the Brethren both in respect of the Act and Object i. e. both what it is to love and who are the brethren But admit that I cannot infallibly discern who is and who is not a Brother yet may I discern the ground of my love to him viz. because I conceive him to be a Brother I love him under that notion Object So do Papists and Sectaries these love their own and under the notion of Brethren Sol. It may be so but what then Is this therefore no sign or mark of our spiritual condition which St. John hath set down But indeed neither Papists nor Sectaries do love under this notion in St. Johns meaning if their love be confined to Papists and Sectaries He loveth a man under the right notion of a Brother who doth love him eo nomine because there is Aliquid Christi in him because he is of the Houshold of Faith a believer in Christ But if in case of a Brothers necessity yet there be no fruit of love to be seen except also there be in him Aliquid nostri viz. That he be of our Sect and Opinion If all Christianity be confined within the narrow compass of this or that Opinion surely this is not to love the Brethren Let all Sectaries look to it and the Antinomians by name who pretend to be the only Brethren because they only sit down by the free grace of God and rest themselves upon the promises of the Gospel though they see themselves full of sin Let them I say look to it for if their Charity will not extend it self to relieve the necessities and bear with the infirmities of those other whom they accuse to run after Moses and the Law for their peace and satisfaction of Spirit in as much as they cannot but know that if we do erre it is through mis-understanding of the Scripture according to which we desire to frame all our faith and practises certainly they cannot approve themselves to love the Brethren you will say this may easily be retorted Nor will I deny the justness thereof should I suffer the difference of Opinion so far to draw off mine affection from any that professeth Christ as in the case of his necessity to neglect him to reckon him no better then a Turk I should doubt whether the Spirit of Christ dwelled in me or not Is he a man that would not succor a man though a Heathen or Turk against a Lyon or a Bear And is he a Christian that will not succor a Christian though perhaps a Papist or a Sectary against a Turk Is not the Text of St Paul plain Do good to all but especially to the Houshold of Faith And why to them especially But because they embrace the Gospel and so profess themselves the subjects and servants of Christ Truth it is that among them there is some difference also by a different measure of the Spirit And as each is before other in it so the especially falls upon him We say that God himself is the first and chief Beloved other things are loved for Gods sake viz. All the Creatures but especially Man because there is in him more of God then in the rest All men but especially Christians Because they profess subjection to Christ All Christians but especially them in whom the work of the Spirit is most eminent This it is to love the Brethren But now if beyond all this there must be Aliquid nostri in them some special Relation to us or else no love extended to them This is not to love the Brethren Of such St. Iohn addeth He that loveth not his Brother abideth in Death The second Proposition That the new way of evidencing our Adoption and Iustification only by the Spirit and Faith cannot lay the Ground of a firm setled Peace except the work of the Sanctifying Spirit also do come in to give Testimony For the manifestation of which I shall shew 1. What is delivered touching each 2. Wherein I conceive it to fail of the Truth First Touching the Spirit It is termed The Revealing evidence which speaks to a mans own Spirit saying Be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven Christ administred this Comfort only in general But the Spirit cometh home to every man in particular Whence he is called The Comforter because he so speaks to the Soul that the Judge is also satisfied And when men do fear My sin is not pardoned The Spirit speaks to the Soul and saith They are pardoned Till this be revealed all the World shall never satisfie the Soul all signs and marks are meer riddles The Spirit of Adoption teacheth as to cry Abba Father The Spirit it self i. e. the immediate voice of the Spirit without any instrument what God hath determined of this or that man is not set down in the scripture But it is revealed by the Spirit Hence the Spirit is the seal and the earnest To this effect the Antinomian Doctor And hereupon he expostulateth Why do men scorn and cry out of them that teach and profess this as of Enthusiasts men that have Revelations Is not saith he the Spirit of God the Spirit of Revelation Is he not given to reveal these things And to confess the truth In all this I see not what can be denyed or much doubted of though all his proofs are not convincing that one Text of Rom. 8. 16. doth speak home to the point That the Spirit of God is the Revealing evidence The voice of the Spirit is the chief though not the only Testimony of our Adoption But all the
failing is when he cometh to answer that Question How shall I know that this is the voice of the Spirit A needful Question Because Satan may and doth transform himself into an Angel of light and deceive the soul This is saith he the usual way of men if the Word did bear witness to this particular voice of the Spirit in me then I could be satisfied But if the Word do not bear witness to this voice of the Spirit I dare not trust it The usual way Nay is it not the only way In the Old Testament thus it was all Revelations were to be examined by the written word Deut. 13. 1. Isa. 8. 20. And is it not so also in the New-Testament See that Text of our Savior Ioh. 16. 13. He that is the Spirit shall lead you into all Truth How so For saith Christ He shall not speak of himself but what he shall hear that shall he speak And what is that which the Spirit heareth Is it not that which is already contained in the scriptures So then no Revelation of any Doctrine no nor the Application of it which is not consonant to the Scripture is to be thought to proceed from the spirit but whatsoever is pretended to be revealed by the Spirit doth so far forth call for Faith as is agreeable to the Scriptures Well not to quarrel needlesly nor to be too strict in terms he doth alow it for a truth The Spirit of the Lord never speaks to the heart of a Believer but he always speaks according to the Word of grace revealed But then he addeth two limitations which spoil all 1. That by the Word we must not understand the Law but the Gospel And this I conceive is put to choke them who seek for signs and marks of Inherent Qualifications 2. That you must not make the credit of this voice of the Spirit to depend upon the Word i. e. to receive credit from it And why not Because saith he if you say that the Word is of greater credit then the Spirit wanteth something in it self of credit as if a man were trusted for a sureties sake But this saith he must not be alowed God never intended that any thing should be of such credit as to give credit to the Spirit The issue of all returns to this That the Testimony of the Spirit is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} self-sufficient as the principles of Arts and Sciences which are indemonstrable and must be received as altogether unquestionable and the meaning thereof is this If any urge how shall I be satisfied that this voice thus speaking is the voice of Gods Spirit his Answer is It is so because it is so Or thus I know it because the Spirit saith it So unwilling are these men that the Revelations and Illuminations on which they build their comforts should be searched into too far Object Nay you will say his meaning is I know it because the Spirit speaketh according to the Word Sol. If so Then he must recant what he said That it doth not depend upon the Word And well he may For howsoever the Truth of what the Spirit speaketh doth not depend upon the Word yet the credit of it doth The Scripture is already known and received as the Word of God And what cometh after it must borrow credit from it St. Peter speaking of the voice which they heard in the Mount saith yet We have a more sure Word of Prophecy 2 Pet. 1. 19. How more sure But because it was already received as the undoubted Word of God And so to them and in their Apprehension it was a more sure Word But to draw nearer to the point Doth this voice of the Spirit saying to an ungodly man Thy sins are forgiven doth it speak according to the Scripture True indeed the Scripture saith God justifieth the ungodly God hath reconciled the World unto himself But is it therefore alowed for any one to say I am an ungodly man I am one of the World therefore I am justified I am reconciled Is there then any Universal Reconciliation and Justification taught in the Text of Scripture I mean any such Reconciliation that is absolute and irrespective That Reconciliation is so far wrought by Christ indefinitely for the World of mankinde that whosoever will come in and lay hold upon Christ by Faith shall not perish this is revealed None other do I know or acknowledge Is it not rather taught us in the Scripture That before there can be any conclusion of comfort to the soul by the particular Application of the Gospel Promises any I mean more then this conditional If I will come in also I may as well as others there must come in the work of the sanctifying spirit purifying the soul and conscience and working in it those inherent Qualifications to which the Promise is made and upon which dependeth the conclusion of that practical syllogism which bringeth comfort The Text of Scripture saith They that Repent and Believe They that are lead by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Then that renewed and sanctified conscience saith I do Repent and Believe I am lead by the Spirit therefore And so this conclusion thus deduced if the immediate Testimony of the Spirit manifested by an Heavenly impression and irradiation upon the soul if it come in with his attestation to confirm it we may not doubt of the truth thereof because now indeed it speaketh according to the Word and doth confirm that particular conclusion which was comprehended in the general Text of Scripture For where the Text of Scripture hath not a Quicunque for the Proposition there the Testimony of the Spirit that concludes for hic ille doth not speak according to the Word Object You will say to me there is a Quicunque in that of Isa. 55. 1. and Rev. 22. 17. Whosoever will and our Saviour Joh. 6. 37. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Sol. I grant it No doubt but the Gospel doth hold out Christ to all none exempted Jew nor Gentile But how As a Physitian to cure them not as an Husband to receive them into union with him Or if you will as a Husband to take them into the Bed of love But not till he hath purged them and fitted them for his Bed is it not for this that the Scripture doth call upon sinners to wash and cleanse their hands and hearts Isa. 1. 15. Jam. 4. 8. To separate from the Wicked 2 Cor. 6. 17. with infinite other Texts of Scripture all of them calling upon us to labor for the work of the Spirit upon the soul that so we may finde the fruits of union and communion with Christ and by that work of the Spirit felt in the heart we way be assured that the word of the Spirit speaking comfort to the soul and assuring the conscience of pardon is the word of truth and worthy of belief For as when
perfect peace except there come in also the evidence of inherent Qualifications The voice of Pardon is not the voice of the spirit except when it speaks to a Heart prepared and fitted for it Then only is it true when it falls upon a Penitent soul a Repenting sinner otherwise it is the suggestion of Satan Again the subscription of Faith is then a ground of comfort when it is accompanied with such inherent Qualifications as do certainly proclaim the work of the sanctifying spirit in the Heart otherwise it is but Presumption and rash Boldness The ground of all this is in the nature of this Testimony of the spirit It is not denied But that the testimony of the Spirit is the chief and principal assurance of our Adoption that without it the soul is not finally rid of fears that when it cometh it taketh away all fears and doubts But this is that which we are to nore that this is rather an Attestation then a Testimony a secondary not the first deponent is not this rightly concluded from that of Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit witnesseth with our Spirit where we have two witnesses joyning together their Testimonies to assert this truth That we are the Sons of God Two I say viz. Our spirit and the spirit of God the witness of our spirit i. e. of our conscience is the first The spirit of God is the second His work is not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to witness together with our Spirit i. e. To confirm and ratifie what that hath asserted So that indeed the evidencing of this Testimony of the spirit is from the Testimony of our own conscience If this do not first speak and conclude that other of the spirit speaks not at all Now the Testimony of the conscience is the conclusion of that practical Syllogism and the certainty of this conclusion depends upon the verity of the Assumption which mentioneth the work of grace in the Heart So then let it be the care of the Christian to make good the verity of the Assumption that he may truly say I do repent I am led by the spirit I do believe and rest upon Christ c. This shall not only afford him comfort by the conclusion but also assure him that he is not mis-led by the suggestion of Satan but guided by the spirit to rest upon that Testimony of his Adoption and Justification CHAP. VI Touching sin in the Conscience of the Believer The Doctrine of the Antinomians in this Point examined and found insufficient to satisfie the Conscience The right way of satisfying the Conscience and of taking away the scruple of sin set down THe Prophet Isaiah cap. 53. 11. having set down this That Christ shall Iustifie many addeth this as a reason For he shall bear their iniquities A phrase borrowed from the Levitical Priesthood in which the sacrificed Beast did bear the iniquity of the party that brought it his confession was that he had deserved death by his sin yet now casting himself upon the mercy of God he desired that the guilt of his sin might be transferred and laid upon that sacrifice and by the Blood of it he might finde Atonement So then the meaning of that saying of the Prophet is That Christ shall as a sacrifice of expiation take upon him punishment due to the sin of many Thus by bearing the punishment doth he take away the sin of his people This doth not please some the Antinomian Doctors by name The word iniquities is found in the 6. Verse of the Chapter And upon that Text one of them Dr. Crisp doth contend much for this That not onely the punishment of sin but the iniquity it self was laid upon Christ Not the guilt only but the fault it self His reason is Because otherwise it had been injustice in God to bruise hiâ— I should not much stick either at the Doctrine or the Reason but that I finde that the end of this for which they contend is not found viz. To shew the reason why it is said in Jer. 50. 20. That the iniquity of Iacob the Elect of God is sought for but cannot be found viz. Because God hath conveyed their iniquities away from the sinner and laid them upon the Back of Christ the which he seeketh to illustrate by him that to help a theef and deliver him from the danger of the Hue and Cry conveyeth away out of the thiefs house the stoln goods so that they are not found upon him It is not we see for nothing that these men depart from the received expressions of other Divines Iunius reads that sixth Verse thus Facit ut incurrat pena The punishment of us all met upon him answerable to Verse 5. The chastisement of our peace was laid upon him The Genevenses note is The punishment of our iniquitie and not the fault it self And Deodate saith Not the transgression nor the fault but the Bond by which we were lyable to Gods Iustice and the punishment of it Christ being our surety Amesius saith That the Imputation of our sin could agree to Christ in none other sense then this that he should undergo the punishment due to our sins See his Medulla Theol. Par. 1. cap. 6. But to let this pass Upon this truth and text That God hath laid upon Christ the iniquity of us all and that accordingly Christ hath born our iniquities A question is moved How then cometh it to pass that sin doth still trouble and terrifie the Conscience of many To this Question the Antinomians do Answer That many do trouble themselves needlesly that there is indeed no sin in the Conscience of the Believer but that men do put it in and so vex themselves without cause One of their Doctors out of that Text of Isa. 53. 6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all hath delivered these Doctrines 1. That it is iniquity it self and not barely the punishment that is laid upon Christ 2. This iniquity of ours is really transacted and laid upon him truely and not only by so thinking 3. The laying of iniquity upon Christ is the Lords own act it is his prerogative alone to do it 4. This act is not now to be done but it is done already 5. This grace of laying iniquity upon Christ is appliable by forgiveness of sin to persons before the least measure of Sanctification Points of Doctrine in which we cannot readily suspect any iniquity at least they might pass with a favorable interpretation But by the conclusions thence deduced we cannot but see that there is a snake in the grass Hence he inferreth 1. That the reason why believers walk in bitterness of Spirit is because they imagine sin in the Conscience whereas indeed believers have no sin at all wasting their Conscience or lying as a burthen upon them 2. That our own performances faith and repentance have no hand at all in laying sin upon
the sacrament yet do not finde that peace of Conscience which is expected Sol. It may be so But do they withal rest upon it as an Ordinance of the spirit to apply the blood of Christ and so to seal unto the soul the Assurance of peace and pardon Do they I say rest in it or do they expect to receive their Assurance by some irradiation and immediate revelation of the spirit This is the error of some Others are careless in their walking afterward They forget that Caveat of the Psalmist The Lord will speak peace to his people But let them not return again to folly Psa. 85. 8. What wonder if the re-admission of sin into the soul renew the sting and terror of Conscience Satan re-entring brings seven other spirits worse then himself Hence commonly the terror afterward is greater then before Impossible it is that the soul should finde sweetness insin desire it delight in it And the Conscience not fear and tremble at the thought of Hel and the wrath of God Corol. To close up all Is the Conscience terrified See the way to finde remedy and how thou maist provide for comfort Not in the Antinomian way viz. by a violent perswasion of this That thy sin was long since laid upon Christ in the day of his Passion But by seeking for the Application of his blood in the Word and Sacraments Prepare thee for the worthy receiving of them by renewing thy Repentance By Faith look upon Christ in the Sacrament hear him speaking in the word as the assured remedy of all spiritual diseases and distresses carefully watch against future Tentations take heed of relapsing into sin Remember that as Christ hath joyned these two Petitions Forgive us our Trespasses and Lead us not into Tentation so hath he bound up the comfort of the former in the cautelous observation of the latter Whoso doth not watch against Tentation loseth all comfort of Remission THE ARGUMENTS OF The Compassionate Samaritan Touching the Power of the Magistrate in the compulsion of Conscience Examined THe intent and scope of the Book is to shew That the Magistrate ought not to punish any for the profession of his Conscience by Conscience he meaneth the mans present judgement and opinion though it be contrary to what is determined by Authority His Arguments be these 1. Because punishment is not due to what is necessitated 2. Because no man can presume of infallibility 3. Because the Magistrate ought not to compel any man to sin The first Argument VVHere there is a necessity there ought to be no punishment Because punishment is the just recompence of voluntary Actions not of necessitated But every man is necessitated to be of that opinion which he holdeth Nor can he chuse but be of that judgement whatsoever it is Because his reason doth necessarily enforce him to it while it concludeth the Position to be true or false Ans. Grant indeed Where there is a necessity there ought to be no punishment if there be no concurrence of the will Or if that necessitation proceed not from a faulty cause ex gr. The spider is by instinct of nature necessitated to make poison as the Bee to make honey The sinew that shrank in Jacobs thigh or the joynt that is dislocated necessitateth a man to halt he cannot chuse Yet here is no punishment due because here is no concurrence of the will nor is this necessitation from a faulty cause But now when drunkenness doth necessitate some to lust and others to wrath Or rather when corruption doth necessitate wicked men and Angels to sin such is their present condition they can do nothing but sin Yet is not this necessitation an excuse to save from punishment because this is not from natural instinct but from voluntary consent it is from a faulty cause so that it is not always true that where there is a necessity there ought to be no punishment Consequently we must inquire Whence this necessity viz. That he cannot chuse but be of that opinion whence I say it cometh Whether from a faulty or a faultless cause He saith His reason concludeth it to be so and so And hereby he is necessitated to be of this opinion He cannot believe otherwise then his reason guideth him Nor indeed is it fit he should during the time that reason so concludeth But then enquire farther whence is it that his reason doth so conclude Is it from the clearness of the Argument Or from the cloudiness of his understanding In some things there is such clearness in the Argument and such evidence in the light thereof that the judgement cannot but rest in it ex gr. The Articles of the Christian Faith and the Duties of the Moral Law The truth of the one the equity of the other is so clear that reason cannot but see the evidence and conclude accordingly But in respect of some other things though no less true and good in themselves there may be such cloudiness and darkness in the understanding that it cannot apprehend the evidence and force of that Argument and Reason which is aleaged and so for the present it is hindred in yielding assent to them But then the next enquiry is what may be the ground or spring of this darkness and obscurity Whether weakness and ignorance or wilfulness and prejudice If ignorance good reason that as yet the party be excused from punishment till farther information Not so if it proceed from passion and prejudice And would you know whether it proceed from the one or from the other Consider these Rules 1. If it proceed from weakness and not from wilfulness you shall finde in the man a readiness yea a diligence to enquire and search for farther information glad he is to be instructed Not so the other he is negligent and careless to enquire he liketh his present opinion and so pleadeth Conscience when indeed it is affection and affectation that doth wholly guide him He would not be convinced of an Error least he should lose what he hopeth to receive in holding this way 2. If from ignorance and weakness it is attended with meekness and humility Not so the other he is swelling supercilious self-seeking and self-conceited ready to contemn others at no hand ready to yield no not even to know truths if he perceive that they cross the conceit which he hath taken up Whereas the weak Christian is ready to acknowledge the gifts and graces of others that are contrary minded nor will he deny any truth though he cannot as yet acknowledge this in question to be a truth and â—o subscribe unto it Nor will he as doth the other too frequently censure those that are contrary minded 3. Weakness and Ignorance causeth in him sadness and sorrow of Heart in the consideration of his own dulness Grieved he is that he cannot see what other holy Saints and servants of God do see Hence also hearty prayer that God would reveal this truth also to him that