not in the power of his own seeking to finde what he sought but in his to give therefore he put him upon that which he was never able to do That was to sell all he had and follow him so he led him to become a fool in himself that he might submit to Christ to make him wise from this ground it is that God commands man to plow up the fallow grounds of his heart Deut. 10.16.30 Jer. 4.3 4. and to circumcise his heart and then promises that himself will circumcise it and thus man becomes a Saint How could Christ look upon him Quest and be so pleased with man before faith when another Text affirms Without faith it is impossible to please God It is one thing for God to be so pleased with man before faith Ans comming to Christ and another thing for God to be so pleased with man as to give him possession of eternal life as to all right beleevers he doth because it lies in the nature of the thing that is of right beleef to possess it self of eternal life in receiveing Christs righteousness as the eye possesses it self of the light which a man before faith can never do and so these Texts are reconciled What if these men so seeking honour and glory Quest c. die before faith shall these mens case be no better then those that sit down contented in this Worlds good and seek no further nor no better then men openly prophane The Universal Justification Answ it did not only pardon Adams sin to all men but also gives every man a right to eternal life and no man can loose that right but by refusing to come to Christ which those that so seek as is described do not therefore they loose not their right It may be objected Object that they dying without possession of it by faith do loose their right and consequently they perish for ever If they do die without possession of it by faith Answ yet die so seeking as is described actually or but virtually they shall hold their right and have possession to eternity when they die for God hath not only saved all mankind without faith from the damnation due unto them in Adams sin but also all mankind dying in infancy notwithstanding original sin shall be saved and be possessed of eternal life as is proved in my first Treatise p. 36 37. Again To binde mans eternal life to faith it is to make an Idol of our faith as for example because my eye which is a dark body which receives the light shall I therefore prefer this dark body before the light And I will ask any beleever this question if it were Abraham himself what gives him right to eternal life Is it not pardon of sin and that gift of eternal life as included in the imputation of Christs righteousness in which he is the light of life to man or is it the dark body of his own faith or beleef CHAP. VII In which is opened the manner how the Saints persevere in the Grace of God by Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures FIrst A word or two for introduction That although there be a difference between men that seek honour and glory as is discribed and betwixt those that are dead in sins and in trespasses before the gift of faith yet after there is no difference but both are alike possessed of eternal life for he that rightly beleeveth hath eternal life whatsoever he was before A second thing premised is this what is meant by the grace of God in Jesus Christ I answer Two things the first is Gods merciful acceptance of a beleevers person as a mystical member of the body of his Son and to be his adopted Son in him and so to no men else Secondly By grace is meant his endowing of them by the work of his spirit with inherent righteousness every man according to his measure as of Faith and love and patience c. and these men are called new Creatures and none else If you ask me Quest why I distinguish between right beleevers and true beleevers I answer An ungodly may beleeve truly but never rightly in order to his own eternal life So Balaam beleeved that Oracle truly which the spirit of God dropped from his lips but not rightly First Because his mind creeped on the earth or earthly contentments like the Serpent which God cursed for they run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward Secondly Because he leaped over a sanctified life Epist Jude 11. onely desiring to die the death of the righteous Thus did the proud and covetous Priests Pharisees and Scribes the great professors of those times truly beleeve the Oracles of God delivered them by Moses to be the word of God but they did not beleeve rightly for if so they would have embraced the Lord of glory and never imbrewed their hands in his blood therefore I distinguish between right beleevers and true beleevers so now I come to the point The Saints perseverance And in the first place it is grounded upon that which may ever be distinguished but never separated in this business that is the power of Christs spirit and the Saints exercise of their graces already received And thus they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation that is in perseverance unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5.9 Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your souls Wherefore gird up the loines of your mindes be sober and hope to the end Vers 13.7 The trial of your Faith being much more precious than of Gold which perisheth Vers 1.21 That your Faith and hope may be in God from this ground it is the Apostle gives them this rule Gird up the loins of your minds for the Grace which is brought unto you seeing you have purified your selves in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfaigned love of the truth see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently in this work of the Saints perseverance the power of Christs spirit and the exercise of their graces formerly received may ever be distinguished but never separated as is formerly said Again Peter in his second Epistle 2 Pet. 1.3 comes more close to the point of perseverance even to be established immoveably according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and Godlinesse thereupon he enforces the exhortation Giving all diligence adde to your faith virtue and to your virtue knowledge add to your knowledge temperance and to your temperance patience and to your patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity and then renders them this reason why they should so do for if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Joh. 13.17 13. wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election
therefore neither of these were lost in Adams fall The third distinction is as concerning the freedom of the will to righteousness that is rightly to choose Gods word and God himself as his cheefest good and rightly to refuse whatsoever is contrary to this Man in the fall lost all this totally and whatsoever else did tend to blessedness for although God created his nature in righteousness and holiness yet holiness and righteousness was not his nature for if it had been so it could not have been lost in the fall for the being of the Creature depended not upon the standing or falling of Adam but upon the Essence of God onely Now that which did depend upon his standing or falling was every thing that any way tended to his happiness and nothing else therefore the Lord Jesus Christ by all his works does no way extend to the being but to the blessedneses of the Creatures wherefore if man would have blessedness he must look only to Christ and keep to his rules for he is the Authour of eternal salvation to all that obey him otherwise not for that 's implyed If it be objected Object that consequently it followes that the salvation of the Saints is altogether uncertain and so there is a possibility that none shall be saved 'T is true Answ there is such a possibility in the nature of the two foresaid Contingencies as also in the nature of original sin to byas the will to evil and in these three respects it is possible that all the Saints may fail of salvation yet notwithstanding the Contingencies pronounced by the tenor of the Gospel that is He that beleeves and continues to the end shall be saved that 's implyed if not shall be damned And notwithstanding the wills natural liberty or the wills being thus byassed by original sin yet it is far more possible for all the Saints to be saved then it is possible for them to be damned for the Gospel-tenor pronounces salvation to beleevers and they are by faith possessed of the chiefest good therefore the wills natural liberty hath more reason to keep to the highest good which it hath possession of because it is suitable to the natural property of the will to follow good as the eye to follow light therefore much more this true good of which it is possessed before any other seeming good And whereas the will is byassed by original sin to evil the will in the Saints is much more byassed according to the degrees of their graces to that which is good by Regeneration because Regeneration in the nature of it contains virtually at least the spirit of love of power and a sound minde therefore it is more possible that all the Saints shall be saved then any of them should fail of salvation by the three Contingencies aforesaid If it be objected Object That Satans temptations and the Worlds alurements do forcibly draw out original sin to a custom in actual sin and so it is likewise possible that the Saints may fall totally from good to evil If they exercise that degree of their spirit of love Answ of power and a sound minde then they shall finde that he that is in them is stronger then a world of Devils and wicked men and their own corruptions to carry them on from strength to strength in Syon to that stability as never to fall as is formerly proved If it be objected Object The Saints through negligence in exercise of their graces may loose their first love and make shipwrack of that faith and conscience that was once good and so may fall totally away In this case there is far more danger Answ then in the former contingencies except they return in time but if they do timely return although their strength be brought very lowe and weak yet if they do return in that small strength which remains they may be saved for two reasons First Because then God will pardon their sin for to the Saints it is that the Text saith If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sins c. Secondly If they return in time in that small strength which remains Christ by his spirit will assist and comfort them in that return if their strength be but as a bruised Reed or smoaking Flax for to such he saith Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will refresh you Thus he did to David and Peter and so he will to any other for he is the same God to the Saints which suffer ship-wrack by their own negligence now as then But they must thus come and return which is repentance for God forceth or compelleth the will of no man for then mans will is no will no more then he doth make a man to be man without a reasonable soul for so he is no man Again I answer If the Saints do give diligence and shake off negligence adding to their faith vertue as is described then God will make his word of an immortal force by the power of Christs spirit and keep them through faith unto salvation and establish them as Mount Sion that shall never be moved therefore it is far more possible that all the Saints may be saved then to fail of salvation Now the ground of the point is this To the Saints that so exercise as a reward of their works and labor of love through divers temptations God will habitually manifest himself virtually to the will which will draw the will habitually and hold it to himself virtually at least and on this particular depends their stability But what this manifestation is shall be proved in the next Chapter CHAP. VIII In which is proved what is that manifestation that so drawes the will to keep to God virtually at the least FIrst It is written Luke 24. Luk. 24.13 Our Lord appeared to the eleven Apostles and the two men that went to Emmaus and opened to them the Oracles of God which spake of himself Ver. 44. And the Text saith Then he opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures that is more clearly the mystery of his sufferings and Resurrection Verses 45 46 47. This further clearing of the understanding in the Saints in order to their perseverance and to the Apostles in order to their Ministery contains in it two things The one is right information to the understanding of the word of God as here we see Christ to these two men informs them of his sufferings and Resurrection The other is He illuminates their minds by his spirit to a more right understanding of his word and so this illumination adds more light to the understanding of the truth of God in his holy Oracles and so the will is rightly drawn to God for as sin and error shuts up the understanding and will of the Saints hindering their perseverance so this information and illumination carries them on to the said stability
received by the Saints inherent righteousness as in the particular branch of beleef and so make a conjunction as the eye with the light yet the light is one thing and the dark body of the eye that receiveth it is another thing and ever distinguished as distinct in their natures so it is between Christs righteousness received by beleef and that particular branch of their inherent righteousness which receives it in their natures are ever distinct for Christs righteousness which is by God imputed and by beleevers received is in the perfection of degrees otherwise eternal life could never have been attained by it but every branch of the Saints inherent righteousness is but in the perfection of parts and as filthy rags as is proved then what fellowship can there be between Christs perfect righteousness and the Saints imperfect as to the attaining of eternal life even as much as is betwixt Christ and Belial yet neverthelesse I grant by the way of similitude and by virtue of that union between the head and the members there is a conformity betwixt Christs righteousness and the righteousness of the Saints and therefore Christ as the head is sensible of the sufferings of the members therefore when Saul persecuted the Saints Christ called to him and said Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Again observe Is it the second property of love to adde to the perfection of the thing loved then you that know your selves to be Saints every one according to your measure received adde to the perfection on of Gods prayse by being filled with the fruits of your inherent righteousness adding to your faith virtue as is described for then as saith the Text Ye shall not be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ for this in you is it which doth adde to the perfection of Gods glory as saith our Lord Herein is my Father glorified that ye bring forth much fruit and this will demonstrate to your secret mind that you love God for saith our Lord He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and then Christ will manifest to your mind that he loveth you and this will be your honour for God saith I will honour them that honour me And thus he did honour David while he was upright in his measure received by strengthening him to the destruction of the Lion and the Beare and Goliah and so advanced him to be King so on the contrary those Saints that dishonour him he will dishonour them and cause them to be despised as he did David for the matter of Batsheba and Uriah by delivering up his Son Absolom to his wicked mind to attempt the thrusting of David out of the Kingdom that he might be King in his Fathers room as also to commit filthiness with Davids Concubine in the sight of the Sunne and all Israel Again observe you that are Saints If you love him which did beget you will also love them that are begotten not by the will of the flesh but by Gods word of truth for here you see the property of true love is to adde to the perfection of the thing loved then look what affection you bear to the godly because they are such whether you compassionate their misery be they mighty or mean in the World if they are lost in fooles Paradise and vain prosperity as was David esteeming his Molehill as a Mountain If you have opportunity and ability adde to the perfection of their godliness and from divine truth blast their pride and foolishness or according to you own intimacy with God procure some merciful chastizement upon them that they may not perish with the world of ungodly so in this case God did withdraw his wonted presence from Davids secret minde and this was his trouble and the occasion of his return to God or to your Brethren that are mean in the world to adde to their perfection according to their necessity and your ability Also by your example abounding in the fruits of righteousness and so lead them into paths of true godliness then this will evidence to your secret minde that you do adde to the perfection of the thing loved consequently that you do love God and your Brethren not onely in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth CHAP. XI Wherein is treated of Patience as to its perfect work IN brief Patience in its perfect work is no more but this a quiet sufferance in bitter crosses unto the end liking it as issuing from the sacred hand of God Aaron went something neer to the perfection of patience for when Jehovah slew his Sonnes Levit. 10.2 3. Aaron held his peace So Eli answered It is Jehovah let him do what seemeth him good so David 1 Sam. 3.13 18. Psal 9 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou diddest it But as for Job in him patience had her perfect work for he quietly suffered his bitter and transcendent crosses to the end thereof as issuing to him from the hand of God to the losse of his whole estate and all his Children by fierce winds by robbers and fire from Heaven for then he arose and rent his mantle and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshipped and said Jo 1. from the 3. to the 22. Naked came I out of my Mother womb and naked shall I return thither Jehovah hath given and Jehovah hath taken away and blessed be the name of Jehovah And the Text concludes In all this Iob sinned not nor charged God foolishly that is patience had her perfect work as formerly is described wherefore the Scriptures layes this down as the onely pattern of patience Christ excepted that is under the execution of Satans first Commission upon him and also in the entrance of the second he did detain his patience for a time for when Satan had stroke him with boiles from the sole of his foot to his crown he sate down among the ashes took him a pot-sheard to scrape himself withall whereupon said his wife unto him Dost thou still retain thine integrity Job 2. v. 3.7 8 9 10. Curse God and die But he said Thou speakest as one of the foolish Women speaketh What shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil and the Text concludes In all this Iob sinned not with his lips that is though his minde did begin to boyle and rise yet he did restrain it implying here was patience but not to her perfect work as before But when Iob came off suffering under the first Commission saith Iehovah to Satan Hast thou considered by Servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil and still he holdeth fash his integrity although thou movest me against him to destroy him without cause The first Commission in these words Iehovah said unto Satan Jo. 1.12 Behold