The Goodness of God would not suffer our Justification to be sooner for he would not keep us out of Possession of what is our Right if as a just Judge he Justified us as a Merciful Governour he would Treat us as such and let us have the Common Priviledge of Free Subjects which is his Spirit Not the later for his Justice could not give to a condemned Criminal without the Imputation of Mediatorial Satisfaction the greatest of the Favours and best of the Blessings of his Kingdom but whatever Arguments proved the former Proposition proves this As for the Antinomian Notion of Justification from Eternity it seems more absurd than the Eternity of the World There is a Threefold Use this Doctrine affords of Tryal to the Doubtfull of Support to the Dejected and of Conviction to the Carnal secure Person As to the First Whatever doth prove the Sincerity of a mans Faith the Reality of his Regeneration may be to him a sure Index and Token of his Pardon since Regeneration it self is the Justificatory Sentence As to the Second Whether the dejection or despair of Mind arise from the greatness of Sin the Violence of Temptations the strength of Lust the multitude of Backslidings or long continuance in that comfortless State or from such speculative Doctrines as the Fewness of the Chosen and fixedness of the Number of them for whom Christ died yet this one thing may support the Soul and fill it with the Joy of a pardon'd Criminal that if there be the least dram of Grace though small as a Mustard-seed Mat. 17.20 thy State is secur'd whatever come of others or however uneasie our present Condition be For the Third It is a vain thing for that man to live in Hopes and trust in Gods Mercy and Christs Satisfaction without any inward Change in the Temper of his Mind for the Sentence of Justification is never pass'd upon him untill he be Regenerate Thus the Apostle argues Rom. 6. obviating that Objection If Grace be glorified in the Pardon of Sin let us continue in sin that Grace may abound He answers How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein He that is dead is justified from sin These two are inseparable a Justification from the Guilt of sin and a Mortication from the Power and Pollution of sin I come now to the other Term of the Proposition Works which I shall first Explain by several distinguishing Characters and then secondly come to the Proposition and shew in what sense the one is deny'd Of the other how far Works are excluded from Justification For the first 1. They are Good Works neither Jews nor Gentiles ever pretended that God would justifie us for bad Works that the same should be matter of Condemnation and Justification that what needs a Pardon should deserve a pardon 2. Not meerly Good in Mens Opinions the Pharisees thought their Works better than they were Luke 16.15 they did highly esteem what God did abominate and justified themselves for it for Paul might then and should have brought Arguments to prove they would be Condemn'd for their Works And 2ly would have Corrected their Error as Christ did Mat. 5. by shewing their Works were not good they came not up to the Extent and Spirituality of the Law 3. The Apostle argues against the Works of the Law Rom. 3.20 and the Law it self v. 27. and 4.13 not against a misinterpretation of the Law Christ calls that Mat. 5. said of old and said of them the Opinion and Tradition of Rabbins not the Law and Works of the Law It 's a sandy Foundation which some lay for their Comments Systems and Sermons that only the works here meant are Mosaical in the Pharisaical sense of them without one word of proof for it for then the fault or defect would be in the Law not in the Works by the Law for this Law say some of them had only Temporal Rewards and Punishments 3. All Humane Actions works in general not as Grotius only External Works Aristotle and his Followers distinguish between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Works and Actions But Divinity that has only the Morality of Actions for its formal Object cannot exclude Internal where all Morality lyes The External works of the Apostles are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Acts as their famous and Sacred History is entituled and 1 Thes 1.3 Faith and Love are styl'd Works Besides we find Obedience Righteousness and Works of the same import through the Scripture and especially in this Epistle Rom. 6.16 of Obedience unto Righteousness and without Works and without a Man 's own Righteousness are of the same import 4. Good Works are the Fruits of the Spirit Ephâ—s 5.9 The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness rigbteousness and truth Galat. 5.22 5. Good Works are wrought by a Righteous Man Mat. 7.18 A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit neither c. Ephes 2.10 The Apostle proves that we are saved not of Works because Good Works follow our being God's Workmanship 6. Good Works must be according to Divine Command for that is the Rule and Standard between Good and Bad as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 John 3.4 is the formal Nature of Sin so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the formal Nature of Good Works Deut. 4.2 Good Works are call'd Righteousness because according to the Law that is the measure of the Creators right to his Creatures and of the fellow Creatures to one another Hence we are always sent to the Law and to the Testimonies if not according to these there is neither Truth nor Goodness in them Johannes Agricola the Ring-leader of Antinomians is usually condemn'd amongst Divines and it s said was Converted by Luther from this Error That Repentance was taught by the Gospel and not by the Law for the Law is the Rule of all Obedience the Gospel is a Doctrine of Joy Luke 2.10 A word of Grace Acts 20.29 because it brings the tydings of pardon to guilty Persons The Law teaches Man's Righteousness but the Gospel teaches God's Righteousness Rom. 1.17.3.21 And hence our State being mixed of Law and Gospel no Works are truly good and acceptable to God by the Law alone Not from a defect in the Law but a defect in us that cannot fulfill it Hence 7. No work is good without Faith Heb. 11.6 Rom. 14. last There is some deformity in every action by reason of some defect or want of its Conformity to the Law And 8 Its action needs a Pardon as well as every Person and therefore are only acceptable in the Name of Christ Coloss 3.17 Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus The doing in Faith and the doing in his Name are all One so 't is a Justifying Faith that 's needed to justifie every action and this Composition makes the Actions truly good and as acceptable to God as those that were no ways deficient
for his Work trust him he is surely faithfull but never trust his Enemies you may gain your own personal Foes by Favours but never think to make God's Foes your Friends if you intend to act for God you may sooner lose ten Friends than gain one of them all your Favours will only make them Ridicule you if not put them in a Capacity to Injure you Not only may the things expected but the Expectation it self encourage you in the Administration of your Office for they who truly hope for such things at your hand will be constant Supplicants at the Throne of Grace for Piety Prudence Patience Candor and Courage for you That you may not only have a Power Faithfully to discharge your Trust but with Ease Pleasure and Success you may perform every Duty of the Station and at last descend from the Chair with an Honour greater than the Hope and Joy of your Friends at your Ascension to it in this Catalogue he counts it his Honour to be who is Your Humble Servant Walt. Cross THE HYPOTYPOSIS OR Schematical INDEX ROM 4.1 1. THe Supposition all Sinners are Justified one way whereof Abraham was a famous Pattern Page 1. 2. The Prerogatives of Abraham Prince of the Fathers p. 2. 3. The Grammatical Syntax asserted and proved viz. That according to the Flesh belongs to finding not to Abraham p. 5. 4. The Comprehensiveness of the word Flesh and sense of finding as to the Flesh 5. The Importance of the Rhetorical way of expressing this sense What shall we say then p. 12. ROM 4.2 I. An Introduction from the Momentuousness of the Doctrine of Justification p. 15. II. The Proposition that Abraham was not Justified by Works which contains four Material Parts 1. The Subject Abraham before spoken to the other three are in the Predicate or Attribute 1. Justification 2. Works 3. By. As to the first 1. The Forensical Sense of the word Justifie is asserted and proved p. 20. 2. The Correlative Priviledges are explained 1. Redemption p. 24. 2. Reconciliation p. 25. 3. Adoption p. 26. 3. The Sentence or Index of Justification viz. 4. Regeneration p. 28. 4. The Time of Justification p. 36. As to the second part Works 1. The Nature and Properties of Evangelically good Works are explain'd p. 37. 2. The Erroneous Limitations of Works refuted p. 39. As to the third part By in every Causal or Meritorious sense Works are affirm'd to be excluded p. 42. III. The Discourse on the first Argument because no Matter of Glorying has three principal parts 1. The Formation of it p. 45. 2. The Minor or Truth of it prov'd from 1. Man's Being p. 49. 2. Man's Nature Free-will p. 55. 3. Man's Guilt p. 77. 4. Man's Impotence p. 87. 3. The Major or Strength of the Argument that all Works affords ground of Glorying p. 99. ROM 3.27 I. The Litteral Explication of the Text. p. 107. II. The Supposition or Axiom the Justification of a Sinner must be in such a way as excludes boasting III. The Negative Proposition that Boasting is not excluded by the Law of Works contains 1. The Nature of the Evangelical Law p. 110. 2. The Pharisaical sense of the Law when Christians p. 116. 3. That all Laws requiring Works of us are excluded from Justification because they exclude not Boasting therefore there is excluded 1. The Nature of a Law in general p. 126. 2. The Natural Law p. 129. 3. The Moral Law p. 132. 4. The Mosaical p. 134. 5. The Evangelical p. 136. IV. The Affirmative Proposition that the Law of Faith excludes Boasting and therefore by it we are Justified contains 1. The Nature of an equal Interpretation or Exposition of a rigid Law p. 142. 2. That Christ was under a Law p. 149. 3. The Nature of that Law and its Righteousness p. 152. 4. That he Obeyed it in our room p. 155. 5. That the Law of Faith is this Mediatorial Law p. 157. Correct Page 1. line 21. for when justified r. who was justified Pag. 165. line 23. in some Copies for it 's right r. taught ADVERTISEMENT A Compend of the Covenant of Grace By Walt. Cross M A. Sold by H. Barnard at the Bible in the Poultrey Price 6 d. ROMANS IV. 2. For if Abraham were Justified by Works he hath whereof to glory but not before God THe Doctrine contain'd in this Verse is of great Moment and requires our most earnest Attention and most narrow search and enquiry into its Nature and all its Circumstances for it is How shall we be Justified before God how shall we behave our selves before such an awful Tribunal When he riseth up what shall I do and when he Visiteth what shall I answer says Holy Job Wherewith shall we come before the Lord and bow our selves before the most High will he be pleas'd with thousands of Rams or ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl shall I give my First-born for my Transgression the Fruit of my Body for the Sin of my Soul That God would plead with Isâ—ael made her Mountains tremble and the Foundations of her Earth to shake Mic. 6. It 's David's Deprecation Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified Psal 143. How can Man be just or Justified with God for if he will Contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand Job 9.3 But it is a most certain thing That we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ 2 Cor. 5. Rom. 14.12 Psal 139. and that every one of us must give an Account of himself to God We cannot decline it Darkness cannot hide from his sight nor Distance remove from his Presence We cannot flye from his Spirit tho' we had the Wings of the Morning He is higher than the Heaven what can we do lower than Hell whether can we go from the Depth of the Sea or the uttermost End of the Earth his Hand can bring us back He has appointed a Day Act. 17. wherein he will judge the World in righteousness Eccl. 12. and he will bring every Work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or evil 1 Cor. 4. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the Heart Heb. All things are naked and open to the Eyes of him with whom we have to do If there be a God there is a Governour and if there be a Governour there must be a Judgment Can we be his Creatures and his Subjects and will he be so Careless as not to take an Account of us Humane Government is but an Image of his There can be no Shaddow without a Substance Doth a Summons from Man fright us Doth the very Name of an Arraignment a Court a Judge an Appearance at a Humane Barr shake off our Security and rouse our Phlegmatick Constitution and put us into a most serious thinking frame and shall not the certain Warning of this
certain end if we take the Word Condition in its vulgar use for the whole stipulated part of the Bargain or Bond to be perform'd wholly by the restipulating party it s more apt to deceive vulgar People who have that Idaea of Condition to say its Conditional without Limitation than to say it 's not Conditional and do they think their Brethren have neither Power nor Skill to add Limitations to their not Conditional as well as they to their Conditional and fewer are Necessary viz. tho' Faith and Repentance are Gifts of Grace yet they are Duties and tho' the Lord calls effectually where he will and when yet our Consent is courted and wooed not forc'd we freely yield to the Spirits Conduct though our yielding is the Spirit 's Effect and Effects bear not the Name of Conditions The Sense then of the Apostle is this That no Works Ceremonial Moral with Faith or without it by the Spirit of Grace or Strength of Nature external or internal perfect or sincere no Works of any Law perform'd by us are either Merits Matter Form Legal Condition or Plea c. for our Justification before God they neither by Efficacy do Constitute it nor by Dignity deserve it What the Apostle has excluded without Limits we should The Arguments for the Truth of this follows next in the Text. So I come now to the second Part of the Verse which is the first Argument that proves we are not Justified by Works He hath whereof to glory but not before God The Argument is from the Topick of Impossibility or Absurdity the Matter is impossible and the Action is absurd that such a Worm as Man or any thing that is a Creature should boast or have ground of boasting before its Maker Much more absurd is it for this Creature becoming a Rebel and a Transgressor to boast of its Meritting a Pardon or rendring its Pardon a Justification If a Slave should break a Vessel of great worth and boast he could restore it or fatisfie for the Dammage when he is not his own it would be unbecoming but too mean a Type of this There are three things to be Treated in the Argument 1. The Form of it 2. The Truth of it 3. The Strength of it 1. The Form of the Argument is thus Maj. If Abraham were Justified by Works he has Matter of glorying Min. But Abraham has no Matter of glorying at least before God Concl. Ergo Abraham is not Justified by Works This is the general Interpretation of Protestants and some others Erasmus Vatablus Calvin Zegerus Beza Piscator Paraeus Dickson Hyperus Melancton Sclater Tuckney But there are Interpreters of great Number and Note that form the Argument in a contrary Method thus Maj. If Abraham were Justified by Works he would have no Matter of Glorying before God Min. But Abraham had Matter of Glorying before God viz. His Faith Concl. Therefore not Justified by Works Origen the first Interpreter says if Faith had not been a real Glory before God he would not have Imputed it to him in place of Works but there is no Reason to Impute this Error to Origen but his Popish Translator for we have no other Origen on this Epistle that I know Rufinus as we may read in his Preface to that Epistle p. 634. Basil They say there is so much of this work thy own that thou shouldst entitle it with thy own Name not Origens But tho' I have had an Herculean Labour in adding diminishing and altering yet I will not steal his Title that laid the Foundation but let the Reader ascribe the Merit of the Work to whom he will to him or to me I shall put both our Names in the Title They who form the Argument thus are of two kinds either 1. Those who differ both in Form of the Argument and in the Truth as the Papist Aquin. Sasbout Estius c. who say that Free-will affords a Man Matter of Glorying by it he has made himself differ from others Converted himself Prepared himself perform'd the Conditions of the Covenant May not a Work-man glory in his Work 2. Those who only differ in Grammar and Form as First The Fathers Chrys Faith thinks highly of God and so glorifies him Therefore he gloried not that he loved God but that God loved him Secondly Some Protestants as Bucer P. Mart. and also L. de Diu. His glorying before God was glorying in God 1 Cor. 1.31 He that glories let him glory in the Lord. Faith sends a Man out of himself to glory in God and in Christ I reject this Form of the Argument and embrace the former for these Arguments 1. The Propositions of the latter Argument are not in the Text but the contrary are the Text says not If Justified by Works he has no Matter of glorying but quite contrary He has Matter of glorying if justified by Works the Text says not He has Matter of glorying before God but Not before God so nothing of their Syllogism in the Text all the other is 2. Both the Propositions of their Argument are false The first is false That Works afford no Matter of glorying for Rom. 3.27 Glorying is not excluded by the Law of Works Eph. 2.9 If we were Sav'd by Works we would boast An Innocent Man has more Matter of Glorying in his Works that deserve a Justification than a Pardoned one whose Works deserve Damnation The Second is false That Abraham had any Matter of glorying for 1 Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ what hast thou that thou didst not receive if thou didst receive why dost thou glory 3. We find the same Apostle forming the Argument according to the first Eph. 2.9 We are not Sav'd by Works that we may not glory v. 10. 1. Because we are God's Work 2. Thorough Christ so a Relation there before 3. Good Works the End Ergo not the Mean Christ the Mean to our Good Works not Good Works the Mean of an Interest in him 4. From the following Argument v. 3. that Faith is imputed to Abraham for Righteousness proves no matter of glorying in Faith For 1. It is a Gift Eph. 2.8 Heb. 12.2 no glorying in a Gift 1 Cor. 4.7 2. Faith put for its Object or containing its Object makes glorying in God not before God 3. For the Exercise of Faith which is receiving trusting depending affords no more Matter of boasting before God than the Beggar 's glorying of his Receiving before his Benefactor and his Bounty 5. Those who do not Err as to the Matter commit a double Fault in the Grammar of the Words 1. To translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before God or with God in God or from God as we may see from Parallel places 2 Cor. 2.17 As of God in the sight of God speak we Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God 1 John 3.21 If our Hearts Condemn us not then have we Confidence towards God So that the Sense is to have Matter of glorying
God being Judge and Witness and consequently Matter of Justification for they differ but in this that Justification presupposes the Charge of a Crime or Suspition of one Praising or Glorying doth not So that Praising and Justifying differ only as Comfort and Joy and Grotius himself being Judge on John 1.1 this is the Sense of the Phrase 2. Glorying in God is expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.17 And makest thy boast of God 1 Cor. 1.41 He that gloryeth let him glory in the Lord Psal 34.2 My Soul shall make her boast in the Lord. These two are vastly different to have Matter of Glorying in our selves in our Actions towards God God himself being our Judge and Witness and to Glory in God his Favour and Kindness when we have deserved nothing but Wrath. A second Grammatical Error is to think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differ in Scripture for we find that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glorying is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matter of Glory 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoicing is this the Testimony of our Conscience Rom. 15.17 I have therefore whereof I may Glory in things that pertain to God And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Act of Glorying 1 Cor. 5.6 Your glorying is not good 9.15 Make my glorying void 2 Cor. 5.12 Occasion to glory on our behalf But beside if Man had Matter of Glorying there might be justly glorying where there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God doth never deny any man his due The deepest Degrees of Humility God requires are but suitable Apprehensions and Conversations to what we are And Lastly a Man's Works affords Matter of Glorying as well as his Faith Heb. 11.17 James 2.20 God praises Abraham's Works as well as his Faith 6. The Criticks generally are against this Translation and so the Ancient Versions as the Ethiopick which puts a Reward here in place of Glorying and the Arabick which says If he was Justified by Works he should have Glory in them Lastly It is the making of a Neutral Verb active without any Authentick Examples to Countenance it But I come to the second thing which is the Truth of the Argument That Abraham had no Matter of Glorying before God I shall form it into this general Doctrine That no meer Man has any Matter of Glorying before God This I shall Confirm and Illustrate from these four general Topicks 1. From Mans Existence and Being 2. From his Constitution or Essence 3. From his Undoing of himself his ruining and destroying his Soul by Sin his guilt which not only affords matter for Humility but of mixing it with Sorrow Shame and Confusion of Face 4. From our Impotence to restore our selves from this Fall tho' there is matter in it to remove our Sorrow none to remove our Humility or lay a Foundation of our Glorying I shall begin with the first of these Topicks First Our Being or Existence this has seven Properties that are inseparable from it or from any Creature whether Angels above us or Beasts below us They are the seven Properties of a Creature as a Creature and the just Consideration of them is that which makes Angels never Mind themselves but be unwearied and without Intermission taken up with the Praises and Contemplations of a God These are the things which make Seraphims cover their Face and their Feet with their Wings The first is Creatures Contingency that is tho it now is it might not have been and may not be again there is no repugnancy to not Being in its Constitution which I shall thus Illustrate Before our Birth we were not Men Atheists that pretend our matter to have been from Eternity and that when we dye we only dissolve into that Common Mass yet they grant that we begin to be Men and cease to be Men and that every individual Man hath a beginning 1. If there is no Necessity of our being Men there is no Necessity of our being any thing especially Inferiour to Man as Matter is owned to be for Necessity of Existence is a high Perfection Contingency that borders next to nothing is a great Imperfection and therefore the greater Perfection is to be placed in the more perfect Being Therefore if no Necessity of his Being man there is no Necessity of being any thing Inferiour to him Necessary Existence must be the Attribute of something for since something now is something always has been and that which hath been always doth Exist by the Intrinsick Perfection of its own Essence for what suffers nothing to be before it admits of no External Cause But 2. That which hath the least Imperfection of any kind it wants this Perfection of necessary Existence whatever has any Imperfection is but a Contingent thing For if there be not a reality of Perfection to exclude a little Imperfection there cannot be a sufficient reality to exclude a greater Imperfection If the fulness of the Beings Perfections do not include a lesser Perfection they cannot include a greater for instance if Matter cannot include among its Perfections these lesser ones of Thinking Reasoning Speaking Feeling it cannot include a more Noble Perfection of Necessary Existence for not to be is a greater Imperfection than not to be Reasonable or not to be Sensitive Necessary Existence is at the greatest distance from not Being that is possible and therefore since not Being is the greatest Imperfection necessary Being is the greatest Perfection and whatever has it must want no Perfection and whatever wants it is but a Contingent thing 3. All that own a God own that necessary Existence is his incommunicable Attribute and does contain an incomparable an incomprehensible Perfection it is the highest Degree of removal from nothing a grain of Dust is better than nothing all Creatures are in a middle State between Nothing and a necessary Being Nothing is not Gods Name is Being Exod. 3.14 I am what I am his Name alone is Jehovah But Creatures are indifferent to be and not to be there is no repugnancy in us against Being nor no impossibility in our Constitution to hinder us from not Being Christ himself bears a Similitudinary Image of Independency because having once a Life given he is said to have Life in himself in his own Power but there is no Image of this Necessary Existence Atheism is very unreasonable to place this Perfection in Matter which as the Reverend Mr. Howe says is next to Nothing for it can do nothing and shall we place the Attribute that is most distant from Nothing in the Subject which is next to nothing What great ground of Humility doth this afford that I am more than a Fly it is of God not of me that I differ from the Dust or the Dirt I tread on I owe it to God I am not so much as one Breath yea the smallest particle of the most subtil Air of my self that I am more than