and dependance notwithstanding those Doubts nothing but perfect Faith casts out all Doubts and where is it to be found They that never doubted never believed Then Faith might be lost for Assurance may in that tho some are assur'd but not fully and some fully yet none immutably Then Damnation would be not for want of Faith but of Assurance which is necessary not for our Safety but Comfort only and Salvation would be by the reflex and not by the direct Act of Faith for Assurance consists in a reflex Act contrary to the tenure of the Promise of Salvation made Not to the Act of Assurance but of Faith and not to the Degree but Truth of it They that make Assurance to be Faith do more than is needful for Assurance is but a Fruit of Faith and Faith may be alive without it as a Tree may though for a time without Fruit though Assurance cannot be without Faith for God never sets his Seal where he has not first set his Hand They that make Assent to be Faith do less than is needful For Tho Justifying Faith cannot be without General Faith yet General Faith may be without that for it is not a single but complicated Act not the single Act of the Understanding but of the whole Composition not an Act of the Understanding only to Actus complicatus totius compositi know and believe a Divine Revelation as true but of the Will also to receive it as good a Consent as well as an Assent an Assent of the Understanding as it begins there and a Consent of the Will as it ends in it without which the first will avail but little For It is not Christ as dying but as believ'd on nor as tender'd by a hand of Love but as receiv'd by a Hand of Faith that saves So that it appears that Faith is neither an Act of Assent only nor of Assurance but an Act of Affiance also which is more than the first and less than the second viz. That Grace wrought by the Spirit through the Word whereby sensible Sinners are enabled to receive Christ as offered in the Gospel trusting to and relying upon him for Salvation I. It is the Work of God's Spirit It is not our Work but God's Not our Work For Of our selves we are no more able to perform the Articles of the second Covenant than those of the first nor to believe the Gospel than we are to keep the Law But God's Work It is call'd God's Work not only John 6. 29. in regard of Excellency but Efficiency it is not the Work of Men nor of Angels but of God only the powerful Work of his Spirit preparing us for it and enabling us to it we believe through Grace and come to Christ by Acts 18. 27. 1 Cor. 12. 9. Christ To him by Faith from him II. It is the Work of the Spirit through the Word Faith comes by hearing and hearing by Rom. 10. 17. the Word the hearing of Faith wrought by the Spirit as the Efficient and by the Word as the instrumental Cause of it Through the Word viz. both Law and Gospel by one Occasionally and Indirectly by the other Properly and Directly First By the Law not properly but Occasionally and Indirectly 1. Not Properly for the Law has no Power of its own either to Convert or Comfort Sinners Not to Convert them It shows them the sinfulness of their corrupt Nature and Lives but prescribes no Cure and tells them what their Duty is but gives no strength to the performance of it The Law commands Obedience The Gospel enables to it Not to Comfort them It wounds but pours no healing Lex graves manus habet Balm into those Wounds arraigns and condemns but allows no Psalm of Mercy for the Voice of the Law is He that has sinn'd shall die The Law condemns but the Gospel acquits and saves 2. But Occasionally and Indirectly 1. By discovering Sin Sin is the Burden and that which Rom. 3. 20. 5. 20. Gal. 3. 19. makes it feel heavy is the Law For by the Law is the knowledg of Sin viz. a knowledg of Guilt by it Where there are no Bounds there can be no Trespass nor any Transgression where no Law 2. By discovering Wrath due to Sin Where there is no Law there Rom. 2. 8 9. 4. 15. is no Sin and where there is no Sin there is no Curse but where Sin is there a Curse is due to it and the knowledg of it is necessary not to merit Mercy but to dispose to it The Law is the Ministration of Death 2 Cor. 3 7. The Gospel is the Ministration of Life 3. By afflicting and wounding under a sense of Guilt and Wrath due to it It is a fiery Law that has Heat as Deut. 33. 2. Galat. 3. 20. well as Light in it Light to discover Sin and Heat to afflict and torment for it The Law works by Fear The Gospel works by Love 4. By discovering an impossibility for them to help themselves being under a Guilt they cannot expiate obnoxious to a Wrath they cannot flee from shut up in a Prison they cannot break and surrounded with a misery that they cannot redress The Law shows the Wound The Gospel shows the Cure The Help of Salvation is from God Your Destruction is of your selves Hos 13. 9. Thus as Moses brought the Israelites to the Borders of Canaan so something there is of the Hand of Moses viz. something of the Law though but occasionally and indirectly in the Work of Faith Secondly By the Gospel viz. Properly and Directly The Law shews Misery as an Indictment shews the Offence and works Fear the Gospel as a Remedy shews the Disease and works Faith By discovering 1. A remote possibility of Mercy No absolute necessity they should tho' Sinners be damn'd because Grace is rich and free 2. A tender of Mercy indefinitely Isa 55. 1. John 3. 10 The Voice of the Gospel is All that will come may none are excluded but such as wilfully exclude themselves An Indefinite is equivalent to a Vniversal 3. A Suitableness Fulness and Willigness in Christ 1. A Suitableness As being Wisdom Righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30. Sanctification Redemption Healing Life and Salvation for the relief of blind guilty polluted captiv'd sick dead lost and undone Sinners No Fountain like this Jordan to wash in for Sin and Vncleanness Zech. 13. 1. 2. A Fulness Meat and Drink are a suitable Good John 1. 16. Col. 2. 9. to the hungry and thirsty because Hunger and Thirst are Appetites determined to those Objects but a Crum or a Drop is not enough in that tho' it is a suitable yet it is not a full Good but in Christ there is a fulness of Merit to justify and of Spirit to sanctify that which is every way commensurate to the Desires and Necessities of distressed Sinners If they have him they are made If not they are
Interest in the Promises 5. We have Victory over our Enemies 1. We have Union with Christ What this Union is is hard to tell the word Mystical implies as much but that there is a Union is most certain for it is one of the great Mysteries of Godliness It is not the Essential Union of divers Persons in one Nature nor the Hypostatical Union of two Natures in one Person but more than a Political Natural or Moral Union for it is Mystical viz. of divers Natures in one Person and Spiritual not outward by External Profession only but inward by Internal Implantation made by the Spirit on Christ's part and by Faith on ours by that Primarily and Efficiently by this Secondarily and Instrumentally There is a Moral Union by Love and a Mystical one by Faith a Union both Real and Inseparable 1. Real As Real as the Union betwixt God and Christ tho' in a different manner that is Essential and Substantial this Mystical only yet not less Real because Mystical and Christ and they John 17. 21. who are thus united are as truly One as God and Christ are they are one with Christ tho' not the same one Body tho' not one Person 2. Inseparable The Ax may sever the corporal Union betwixt Root and Branches and the natural Union betwixt Head and Members Death the Conjugal Union betwixt Husband and Wife Time the Artificial Union betwixt the Foundation and Building distance of Place or an Accidental Difference the Moral Union betwixt Friend and Friend Vnus uterqut fait alter ego who were one in Affection and in whom there was but one Soul tho' two Bodies but neitheir Men nor Devils can break this Union betwixt Christ and them no nor Death it self Jer. 31. 3. 32. 40. Hos 2. 19 Rom. 8. 38 39. whether Natural or Violent The Hypostatical Union was not broken by Death the Vision was suspended but the Union was not broken nor can the Mystical it is then more near and firm and the Reason is because it depends on God's Will and not on theirs The great Honour conferr'd upon us is by the Hypostatical Union to our John 13. 1. Heb. 7. 25. 2. 16. Nature and the Mystical Union to our Person an Honour above any conferr'd upon Angels for Christ took not on him the Nature of Angels nor has he at any time said unto them Ye are my Body Other Graces make us like to Christ This makes us one with him 2. We are reconciled to God Adam by Creation was a Son of Luke 3. 38. Love by Corruption he became a Son of Wrath his state of Innocency was a state of Favour that of his degeneracy a state of Wrath in that God and he were one in Point of Affection but in this at Variance Sin separated those Friends he rebell'd and God proclaim'd his displeasure against him Adam being the Natural Head and Representative of all Mankind the Covenant made with him concerned them as well as him being as naturally in him as Branches in the Root sinning in him they fell with him and became Enemies to God haters of Rom. 1. 30. him and hated by him Enemies without a Power to flee from him a Strength to withstand him or a Will to be reconciled to him God that in Ephes 2. 7. 3. 11. 2 Cor. 5. 19. 2 Tim. 1. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 20. the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding Riches of his Grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus in whom he was reconciling the World to himself ordain'd him before time and sent him in the fulness of Time to make reconciliation for Iniquity by reconciling him to the World and the World Gal. 4. 4. Dan. 9. 24. to him Christ the Prince of Peace as the only Mediator betwixt God and us was usher'd into the World by a Quire of Angels with a Song of Peace on Earth peace and good-will towards Luke 2. 14. Men while living he published it and when dying purchased it for us In the first Adam we lost Peace in the second Adam by whom the Enmity is abolished we may find it but not unless by Faith in him we apply to us what he by his Death hath purchas'd for us for tho' merited for us without any Qualification in us it will not be conferr'd upon us without an Application by us the Blessing of Peace is the Blessing of Faith in Christ who as a Prophet published it as a Priest purchased it and as a King applies it to none but them and to all them that believe in him He died to merit it and ever lives to maintain it by him they have a right to it and by Faith in him the possession of it 3. Our Duties are accepted In the first Covenant the Person was accepted for the Work 's sake In the Second the Work is for the Person 's Ephes 1. 6. sake viz. accepted in Christ Until our Persons are accepted we are Enemies Objects of Wrath and appear before God as an incensed Judg upon the Seat of Justice we stand at a Exod. 24. 1. distance and worship as the Elders of Israel afar off with Fear but when they are accepted we come to him as a reconciled Father upon a Ephes 3. 12. Heb. 10. 22. Throne of Grace and may come in the full Assurance of Faith with boldness by Faith our Persons are accepted and by the same Faith our Works are Faith justifies our Persons Works justify our Faith and Faith sanctifies our Works they shew our Faith to 1 Pet. â— 2. Splendida peccata omnis virtus absque Christo vitium be good and Faith makes them so for they are all but splendid Sins without it viz. without Faith looking to the Command as the ground of them to the Promise as the encouragement to them to God's Glory as the end of them to the Spirit for assistance in them and to Christ for the acceptance of them the Law as a Rule directs the Promise quickens the End excites the Spirit assists and Christ presents but not unless they are by Faith offer'd up in his Name in whose strength all our Duties are to be perform'd and for whose sake alone they are accepted 1 Pet. 2. 5. There is no pleasing God meritoriously without Christ nor instrumentally without Faith in him without whom the best Duty and worst Sin are both alike 4. We have an Interest in the Promises The Promises run for this Life and that to come an Entail that can never be cut off and are all as so many Bonds and Bills under God's Hand either Explicitly or Implicitly made over to Faith None are ours until we believe nor any that are not when we do for if Christ is ours all are ours â— Coâ— 3. 23. The Rabbins suppose that Abraham's â—en 24. 10 Servant when sent to get a Wife for his Son Isaac carried with him Tesseram hospitalem wherein was written
that are terrified by the Law assaulted by the Devil haunted by Sin tempted by the World and through fear of Death subject to Bondage beholding the Conquest over these Enemies may triumph and bid defiance to them all The Curse of the Law is abolish'd by Heb. 2. 15. Rom. 8. 3. 6. 6. the Satisfaction made by Christ to Divine Justice Sin is condemn'd in the Flesh by him the Sacrifice for it and Crucified with him the Devil the Prince of this World is judg'd and cast out by him the World is conquer'd John 12. 31. 16. 11 33. and Death vanquish'd in his Victory over them Let us then triumph in our Victory and give thanks unto God who through Christ has given us Victory The Devil is a captiv'd damned Enemy his Captives are ransom'd redeem'd rescued out of his hands and he himself become Captive rage he may for that is part of his torment but rule he shall not for greater is he that is in 1 John 4. 4. Rom. 12. 10. us than he that is in the World he may accuse and he will but his Charge shall be made void and all his Accusations answered by Christ who ever lives to plead either our Innocency or our Pardon The Law that was Sin 's strength 1 Cor. 15. 56. not as encouraging to Sin but as condemning for it is now become weak for its killing damning Power Rom. 8. 1 3. Gal. 3. 13. is taken away by the Virtue of the Cross Sin that was once a living reigning conquering Enemy is now subdu'd as a routed Enemy it may rally again but shall never conquer Sin shall not have dominion for it is a Body of Death it has receiv'd its death's Wound Rom 6. 14. 7. 24 25. by the Power of the Cross and shall e're long give up the Ghost Death is unstung it is swallowed up in Victory the Power of the Grave is weakned Death that Destroyer is destroy'd we must fall by its hand but shall rise again it will end our 1 Cor. 15. 53 55 56 57. Mortality but not our Life for this Mortal shall put on Immortality We must be Prisoners in the Grave for a time but we shall not be perpetual Prisoners Christ who broke the Bars of that Prison will redeem us from the Power of Grave the time of Psal 49. 15. Isa 16. 19. Ezek. 37. 5 12. Redemption for our Bodies will come our dead Bodies shall rise our dry Bones shall live again the Graves shall be opened the Captives redeem'd and then Destructions shall come to a perpetual End for we shall live and never die more Awake and sing all ye that dwell in the Dust The Devil is captiv'd the Law is silenc'd Sin is condemn'd the World is conquer'd and Death destroy'd Who can hurt us What need we fear they are all conquer'd Enemies and the Conqueror is ours thanks be to God who has given us Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ and always causeth us to triumph in him through Rom. 8. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Over-over-comers whom we are over all these more than Conquerors The Warfare of Faith ends in Victory and the Victory must be crown'd with Triumph Of the Inseparable Evidences of FAITH All have not Faith some have not 2 Thess 3. 2. the Faith of Assent and therefore cannot have the Faith of Adherence some think they have a Faith of Evidence and Assurance who have not attained to a Faith of Adherence and Dependance and some have Faith in the Habit but little or none in the Act or Exercise How is it that ye have no Mark 4. 40. Faith and by reason of it walk as uncomfortably as if they had none it concerns us therefore to examine whether we are in the Faith and the Faith 2 Cor. 13. 5. in us and what that Faith is whether a General or a Particular and an Appropriating Faith a Temporary and Perishing or a Sound and Lasting one Col. 2. 12. a Faith of the Operation of God or of the Devil Holy or Unholy Feigned or Unfeigned Dead or Alive Common and Ordinary or Special and Saving the Faith of Reprobates or of God's Elect that Faith which they Jude â—0 2 Tim. 1. 5. Jam. 2. 26. Titus 1. 1â— and none but they have and which all of them have and never can lose The Acts of Faith for a time may cease but the Habit abides Faith 1. Arises from a sense of misery out of Christ 2. Begets a Superlative Love to Christ 3. Is fruitful in good Works 4. Is accompanied with Holiness 1. It arises from a sense of Misery out of Christ Spiritual Poverty is the nearest capacity of believing for Faith is the Act of a weary heavy-laden distressed undone self-condemned Sinner going out to Christ for Rest Life and Salvation Humiliation is not Faith no more than the preorgination of the Body is the Soul but a disposition to it going to Christ without it is building without a Foundation resting in it without going to Christ is laying a Foundation without building upon it a House without a Foundation will be of little use a Foundation without the superstructure will be of no use Without Humiliation Faith is as a House without a Foundation and without Christ it will as a rotten Foundation break under us there is nothing to warrant or encourage our going to Christ before we are humbled for we go before we are call'd nor any thing to assure Salvation to us if we do not go when we are that without him cannot help us he without that will not for we must be lost sick and damn'd in our own sense and apprehension before he will seek heal or save us A Faith of Education is a Weed of Infidelis fiducia Presumption that grows in common Ground Saving Faith is a Plant of Renown growing upon the brink of the Infernal Pit that like self-grown Corn will wither and come Ps 92 13 14. Mat. 15. 13. Jam. 3. 18. to nothing this will flourish that begins in Presumption and ends in Despair this begins in Despair viz. of our selves and will end in Comfort 2. It begets Superlative Love to Christ Christ as consider'd in the Glory and Comeliness of his Person the Graces and Perfections of his Nature and the great Offices he was anointed to viz. of a King above all Kings in Order Power and Authority of a Priest above all Priests in Nature Compassion Sacrifice Merit of a Prophet above all Prophets in Primacy Infallibility and Efficacy is beyond all compare there is nothing in him but what is lovely nor any thing lovely but is eminently in him he is fairer than the Children of Men yea than all the Angels and Saints in the highest Heavens more full of Beauty than the Sun or Morning-Star the Brightness Heb. 1. 3. of his Father's Glory his first and best-beloved the Joy and Delight of the Saints in Heaven
and on Earth the Wonder of Angels and the Center of Excellencies but not so to us until we believe They that do not know Christ cannot love him for as we apprehend so we affect they that believe not in him do not know him the God of this World has blinded 2 Cor. 4 4. the Eyes of them that believe not to them therefore he is a disallowed Stone 1 Pet. 2. 7. not worth the owning This Beloved Isa 53. 23. no more than nor so much as any other Beloved without Form and Comeliness or any thing to attract their Quantum credimus tantum ditigimus Love but to them that believe he is the Head of the Corner the chiefest of Ten thousands altogether lovely so in himself and so to them as loved by them above their Souls and Happiness they see not only a need of him but an excellency in him Excellency and nothing but Excellency a Superlative Excellency eclipsing the Glory of all created Excellency more than the Sun does the Light of the Stars enough to beget wonder and astonishment as one that is as far above their Praise as Love as appears by their sincere Amor lex sive severissima Obedience to him the effect of Divine Power constraining to it and their uncessant desires after him the sparks of that Holy Flame that are ever-ascending Animus est ubi amat to him Knowledg precedes Faith Faith produces Love Love evidences Faith it shews it to be true it is not the cause of Faith but the 2 Cor. 6. 6. 2 Tim. 1. 5. sign of it as Breath is of Life and a full Tide of a full Moon Vnfeigned Love to Christ shews unfeigned Faith in him for to them that believe he is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. 3. It is fruitful in good Works By Faith our Persons are justified Rom. 5. 1. and by Works our Faith is justified by that our Persons before God by these our Faith before Men by that our Persons are acquitted from Sin by these our Faith is acquitted from Hypocrisy by that our Persons are made Righteous by these our Faith is made Jam. 2. 22. 2 Cor. 12. 9. 1 John 5. 12. Fides foeta operibus ubi bona opera non ad extra fides non ad intra Faith produces Works Per modum causae efficientis motivi impetrationis quod lex operum minando imperat lex fidei credendo impetrat perfect i. e. made manifest as God's strength is said to be made perfect that is made manifest in our weakness by that we are in a state of Life he that has the Son has Life by these our Faith appears to be alive Christ prov'd his Deity by his Works and Faith proves her Divine Original viz. the Faith of God by Works too There is no Love without the labour of Love nor any Faith without the Work of Faith For As Works are dead without Faith so Jam. 2. 17. Faith without Works is dead also 4. It is accompanied with Holiness Justification and Sanctification are as one saith always distinguish'd but never separated Distinguish'd The Righteousness of Justification is in Christ the Righteousness of Sanctification flows from him that is Relative and without this is Real and within in that there is a change in our State in this a change in our Na-Nature that is perfect and alike in all but this is imperfect in all as to Degrees though not as to Parts by that we are acquitted from the Guilt of Sin by this we are cleansed from the filth of it in that we have Peace with God in this we are made like to him one by the Merit the other by the Spirit of Christ Not Separated They that are justified by the Grace of God are sanctified by the Spirit of God for the justifying Vertue of Christ's Blood is ever accompanied with the purifying Vertue of it moral Vertues are as the Philosopher Indiâ—iduus virtutum comitatus says inseparably connected and so are Divine Graces too the Fruits of the Spirit are of a Cluster the Spirit infuses the Habits and Faith quickens the Acts it is as the Sun to the World and the Soul to the Body that influences all the radical Grace that maintains the Life of them the Leader and Commander in chief as the Brain is the facultas mandans as it is the Seat of Sense as the Heart is of Life by whose Conduct they are guided according to whose motion as the Primum Mobile they all move and proportionably to the strength or weakness of it they are strong or weak rise or fall as some Fish as is said wax and wane with the Moon Our Justification was merited by Christ is applied by Faith and by these as concomitant with it assured without which we can never make out our Title to it for as Life of any kind is known by the Actions of Life a Tree by its Acts 15. 9 Fruits and a Fountain by its Streams so a pure Faith is known only by pure Acts if it has not Virtue to sanctify it has none to justify nor can it be Fiducial unless Obediential An obediential Faith justifies it self Abraham believ'd and obey'd A DISCOURSE OF Self-denial Being an APPENDIX TO THE Treatise of FAITH OUR first Parents fell by Infidelity and Self-seeking and we rise by Faith and Self-denial Self-denial is of the Essence of Christianity it is founded in the Nature of it and we have no more of one than we have of the other it does not abound as the Stoical Philosophy did with Improbable Opinions Contradictions and Irreconcile-Paradoxes yet with many things above Reason though with none contrary to it things harsh and difficult to Flesh and Blood And that 's the Reason Christ has so many idle Retainers and so few true Servants so many that follow him as Peter once did afar Mat. 26. 58. off and so few that keep close to him that will not like Politick Souldiers stir an inch upon disadvantage nor venture like wary Merchants all in one Bottom nor sail so far into the Sea like those that go thither for Pleasure only but that they may return when the Storm arises They study more the Doctrine of Self-preservation than of Self-denial how they may keep all from Christ rather than forsake any thing for him and therefore will not venture their whole stock with him lest they should as they think be undone by him Many such followed Christ for a time when he was here in the days of his flesh thinking it an easy pleasant and gainful Life but when told what they were like to meet with the good things they must forsake the evil things they must endure and after all follow him they took their leaves of him and went no more after him A bare profession of Christ will not entitle us to him for all that outwardly profess him must be Followers of him nor a bare following of
King and Law-giver and become Saviours to our selves for in effect we say That we do not need him We never trust in him as a Saviour but with a distrust in our selves nor can we have any benefit by him unless we do Christ is a compleat Saviour and admits no Partner with him in the Work of Salvation for it is a Royalty proper to him alone We make void his Rom. 10. 3 4. Phil. 3. 9. Righteousness by establishing our own we must therefore renounce ours and take sanctuary in his cast off the Rags of our Righteousness that go hardly off as the blind Man in the Gospel Mark 50. 10. did his Garment and go naked to Christ become nothing in our selves that he may and without which he will not be all unto us All Sacrifices were sprinkled with Blood by the Priest in Type and by Christ in Substance and what there is of worth or value in all Duties is from him we must therefore be poor in Spirit in the midst of them and humble after them we must not ascribe any thing to our selves But as Joab gave the honour of the Victory to David when he fought with his Forces so we must set the Crown on Christ's Head and give the Glory and Honour of all unto him by whom they were performed and through whom accepted Joseph's Brethren carried Spices with them as a present to Joseph but durst not appear without Benjamin nor can we expect the acceptance of our Services without Christ Without them Gen. 43. 4 5 11 12. we cannot avoid Hell nor without him obtain Heaven They as Moses may lead us to a sight of Canaan but it is Joshua Christ alone that can lead us into it A TREATISE OF REPENTANCE There is a two-fold Repentance 1. A Repentance that is call'd a Care of mind such a one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as consists in Sorrow under Terrors for Sin the effect of a troubled Head and may be found Mat. 27. 3. in Hypocrites Many were stung in the Wilderness that never receiv'd Healing and Numb 21. 6. many have been humbled for Sin and yet never saved from it 2. A Repentance that is call'd a Change of Mind such a one as consists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a turning from Sin the effect of 2 Cor. 7. 10. a wounded Heart which from this Repentance receives the Name of a New Heart not physically in regard of Secundum animam sumus secundum hanc benè sumus the Substance but morally in regard of the Qualities of it and is found in none but those that are sincere We may be humbled for Sin and yet perish in it and shall unless we are so humbled under it as wholly to depart from it Repentance is an Evangelical Grace necessary in order unto Pardon Acts 2. 38. The Law knows neither Repentance for Sin nor Remission of it but the great Work of the Gospel is to call us to Repentance It comes with quickning Motives to it For It gives clear and strong Convictions Rom. 13. 12. John 16. 8. of Sin clearer and stronger than those under Nature and the Law It produces strong Arguments to it For It reveals Christ crucified for Sin and those Hearts are hard indeed Zech 12. 10 11 that will not be softned by his Blood shed for it It reveals Repentance and accepts it Mark 6 12. The Law promised Life to the Righteous but the Gospel assures it to the Unrighteous repenting It works Repentance It is not only a Light to discover it John 17. 17. 〈◊〉 1. 11 12. but a Covenant-will to give it and teaches it as a Worker as well as a Tutor viz. by Efficacy as well as by Doctrine It pronounces a Curse upon the neglect of it The Gospel has a terrible Voice as well as the Law a Curse for our Luke 13. 3. Sins except ye repent ye shall perish a Curse more terrible than that of the Law there is no condemnation Heb. 2. 3. 10. 28 29. like to that in the Court of Mercy Repentance was a part of the sum of Christ's Doctrine he taught the necessity Mat. 3.2 4.17 â—8 20 Mark 6.12 Luke 24.47 Acts 20 2â— of it and of the Apostles Doctrine and all that laid the Foundation of Christ's Kingdom right laid this not only as a Stone in the Building but as a Foundation-stone It is the Foundation of all Gospel-Righteousness that which disposes for the receipt of Gospel-Grace for without it we are uncapable of it and that which shall continue as a necessary means on our part in order to it as Luke 24. 47. long as the Gospel shall continue Repentance is not matter of Dignity but Duty whereby God is glorified to our Benefit not to his and necessary not as a Satisfaction to Justice but as a Qualification for Mercy not to merit it for Adam before he sinn'd could not merit much less then can we by our Repentance for it but to dispose to it and goes necessarily before it Not in the accidental Properties of it they are usually Antecedent but not necessary for God by his Prerogative Royal can in a moment work on the Heart Nor in the exercise of it as in the Case of Children and Lunaticks for the Promise is made to the Principles of Grace Nor in the several Measures of it for the Promise is made not to the degree but truth of Repentance and it is not the weakness but want of it that ruins But in order of Nature the Sun is before the Beams in order of Nature and so is Repentance before Pardon and as the Subject before the Adjunct for Repentance qualifies the Subject for Pardon and makes it meet for it not in a way of Merit but Condecency both to receive and prize it The Means are before the End viz. in Execution as the End is before the Means in Intention Union is before Mark 1. 4. Acts 3 19. Communion for all Communion flows from it Vocation is before Justification and a Real Change before a Relative we are not justified until converted adopted until renew'd nor sav'd unless sanctified that which is necessary to the renewing of Pardon as Repentance is is no less to the first procuring of it and the contrary of that which makes us uncapable of Pardon as impenitency does must necessarily as Repentance does go before it For There can be no Remission without Repentance no more than there can be any Salvation without Remission To assert the contrary Deprives God of the Design of his Elective Love for Election is to Holiness as well as to Happiness and saves none without it divests Christ of one of his Offices viz. his Regal Office makes void the Office of the Spirit as to its sanctifying and comforting Work for it gives neither Peace nor Joy in a way of Sin robs Heaven of its greatest Royalty viz. Holiness the Condition required on
our part to make us meet for it and declares That God loves us better than himself and saves us in contradiction to himself in that he loves and saves us in our Sins and that Christ justifies Sinners to his own reproach or rather justifies Sin than Sinners It concerns us therefore in all our Supplications for Mercy to have an eye to the End of Mercy to seek Mercy upon the Terms of Mercy viz. the Terms upon which it is offer'd lest we make Patents of Mercy to our selves that God will never confirm For As his Justice is wrong'd by a distrust of Mercy upon Repentance so his Mercy is abus'd by an expectation of it without it 1. We should then admire the distinguishing love of God to us He passed by the Fallen Angels more excellent Creatures than we and left them to perish in their Sin but has found out an Expedient for us by Repentance to escape the Wrath due to it The Devils cannot repent nor are they assur'd of Pardon if they could but sinful Men are the more happy they and the more astonishing the freeness of Grace to them they are not call'd to Repentance but these are and assur'd of Pardon if they do repent but not unless they do for as Devils and impenitent Sinners are alike in Nature viz. in their sinful not in their created Nature alike as to kind tho' not as to degree both sinful but one more than the other so they shall fare alike as to punishment They are now reserv'd in everlasting Chains unto Jude 6. â—… the Judgment of the great Day and these are upon a Chain that if not broken will lead them captive to Hell they are shut out of Heaven these are not unless their own Wills keep them John 5. 40. out they are without hope of Pardon these are under a possibility yea a certainty of it upon Repentance for God has ratified the Promise of Pardon upon it As a God of Mercy he made the Promise and as a God of Truth he will perform it 2. Since Repentance is the first Lesson that we are to learn under the Gospel it was the first in St. Paul's Catechism Heb. 6. 1. and a Duty that we are daily to perform and never to neglect we should no more dare to live than we would dare to die without it They that look upon Repentance as a Legal Duty and flee from it as that which is more likely to scare them out of their Wits than Sins will at last find more terror in the Neglect than ever they would have found in the practice of it The neglect of it will make two Hells viz. within and without here and hereafter but a serious and daily exercise of it will make two Heavens viz. without and within above and below in Heaven and in our own Souls 1. In Heaven For when Sinners repent Luk. 15. 7 10. God the Father rejoices As a Father in the Birth of an Heir God the Son rejoices He died big with love to Sinners and cannot but rejoice to see of the travel of his Soul in the Conversiof Isa 53. 11. of theirs God the Holy Ghost rejoices He who has so long and so often been grieved by Sinners rejoices and is made glad that now he shall be a Comforter to them Angels rejoice As having one Companion more join'd to their Heavenly Quire It should be our Joy to promote Heaven's 2. In our own Souls The Song of Lamentation must be sung here or hereafter Therefore If we have not mourn'd for Sin or resolve not to do it we would do well to remember that the more is behind and that the time of mourning for Sin will come for it is like Jabez brought 1 Chron. 4. 9. forth with Sorrow its Issue will be sorrow here or hereafter and we must either begin or end in it in Time or Eternity But if we are in Sorrow we may be Dâ—â—o de peccatis poenitens de dolore gaudâ—o glad at our Heaviness there is a Song of Joy that attends the Song of Lamentation Sun-shine with our Rain God will give us joy of our Repentance and the greater our Sorrow is the greater shall our Joy he The deeper the Wound the farther the Balm shall go in Of the Nature of Repentance REpentance Is not a bare suspending the Acts of Sin It is more than that It is not a destroying the Being of Sin It is less than that 1. It is not a bare suspending the Acts of Sin All are alike evil by Nature tho' not by practice and there is ever a proneness in us to sin the more unhappy we but we are not always actually in it yet some Acts may cease not from any inward Principle either of Love to God or hatred to Sin but from a Principle of slavish Fear or through the want of a Supply for Sin or an occasion to it and when so can no more be called Repentance than that can be said to be a Merciful Fire that goes out through want of Fuel The Influence of the Sun may by an Eclipse be suspended and yet its Light not extinguish'd and Sin for a time deprest and yet not destroy'd 2. It is not a destroying the Being Rom. 7. 9. Patitur non facit Bern. of Sin It is true when Penitent Persons commit Sin it is usually contrary to the purpose of their Will but to some particular Acts only and ever attended with shame and grief but yet commit it they both do and may even then when they have truly repented of it for tho' Sin by Repentance receives its Death's Wound yet it has a strong Heart and will be long a dying A Being it will have in them while they have a Being So that Repentance is neither a suspension of the Acts of Sin nor the destruction of its Being it is more than the first and less than the second viz. That Work of the Spirit whereby an humbled Sinner being made sensible of the Evil of Sin in the general and the Misery due to it and of his own Sins in particular and of the Mercy of God in Christ ready to pardon them does most affectionately mourn for them and most effectually turn from them unto God 1. It is the Work of the Spirit Our Times are in God's Hands and Psal 31. 15. Rev. 2. 21. so are our Hearts too one for the Space the other for the Grace of Repentance for it is in his Soveraign Power alone to give both viz. the Time without which we cannot well repent with any comfort to our selves or others and the Grace without which we cannot repent at all neither begin nor proceed in it for it is a supernatural Work and falls not within the Love Desire or Power of Nature Water came not out of the Rock in Horeb until Moses smote it with his Exod. 17. 5 6. Rod Nor will ever the Waters of Repentance flow from our