there needâ—th no preparation the almighty â—ower of God calleth them to be his people that were not his people 1 Pet. 2. 10. And by calling them to be so hee maketh them to bee so Rom. 9. 25 26. As hee saith inHosea I will call them My people which were not my people and her Beloved which was not beloved Verse 26. And it shall come to passe that in the place where it is said unto them Yee are not my people there shall they be called The children of the living God While Satan the strong man keepeth the house Christ the stronger cometh upon him and bereaveth him of his armour and divideth the spole Luke 11. 21 22. Wee are dead to our first husband the Law by the body of Christ Rom. 7. 4. and therefore it is by the vertue of Christs death we have fellowship with Christ and that giveth the deadly stroak unto our first husband The second Question WHether a man may evidence his justification by his sanctification The state of the Question is thus unfolded First To take a mans sanctification for an evident cause or ground of his justification is flat Popery Secondly To take a mans sanctification for an evident cause or ground of that faith whereby hee is justified is utterly unsafe for faith is built upon Jesus the Christ the head corner stone Ephes 2. 20. Mat. 16. 16. and not upon works A good work floweth from faith not faith from them Thirdly To take common sanctification that is such a reformation and a change of life as floweth from a spirit of bondage restraining from sin and constraining unto duty and sometimes accompanied with enlargement and comforts in duty yet without the sense and feeling of the need of Christ and before union with him to take such a sanctification for an evident signe of justification is to build upon a false and sandy foundation Fourthly That when a man hath first attained assurance of his faith of his justification by the witnesse of the Spirit of Christ in a free promise of grace made to him in the bloud of Christ Acts 13. 38 39. hee may discern and take his sanctification as a secondary witnesse or an evident signe or effect of his justification The Question being thus stated I propound the Question thus Whether a man may gather the first evidence or assurance of his faith of his justification by his sanctification Wee hold in the Negative part The first Argument As Abraham came to the first assurance of his justification so wee and all that beleeve as Abraham did for hee is made a patterne to us in point of justification Rom. 4. 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him V. 24. But for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeve on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead V. 25. Who was delivered for our offences and raised againe for our justification But Abraham came to his first assurance of his sanctification not from any promise made thereunto but from a free promise of grace Rom. 4. 18. Who against hope beleeved in hope that hee might become the father of many nations according to that which was spoken So shall they seed be V. 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was above an hundred yeares old neither the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe Vers 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith giving glory to God Vers 21. And being fully perswaded that what hee had promised hee was able to performe Vers 22. And therefore it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse The promise was absolute and free So shall thy seed be as the stars of heaven this hee beleeved with full assurance of faith resting onely on the faithfulnesse and grace and power of him that promised Rom. â— 21. Therefore wee and all the children of Abraham come to our first assurance of our Justification not from our Sanctification or from any promise made thereunto but â—â—om the free promise of grace The secoud Arguwent No man can take his assurance of the faith of his Iustification But as God will declare and pronounce him righteous in Christ Iesus But God will not declare and pronounce us righteous in Christ upon the sight and evidence of our sanctification Therefore we cannot take the assurance of the faith of our Iustification from the sight and evidence of our sanctification The Assumption is proved thus If God justifieth us that is declareth and pronounceth us to bee righteous he doth then declare his owne righteousnesse that he might be just Then he doth not declare us to be righteous in Christ upon the sight and evidence of our sanctification which is a righteousnesse of our owne But when God justifieth us that is first declareth us and pronounceth us to be righteous he doth declare his owne righteousnesse that he might be just Therefore he doth not first pronounce and declare us righteous upon sight and evidence of our sanctification which is a righteousnesse of our owne The proofe of the Proposition It will not stand with the righteousnesse of God to declare and pronounce a man just upon the sight of such an imperfect righteousnesse as our best sanctification is And therefore when God declareth and pronounceth us righteous He doth it not upon any sight of any sanctification or righteousnesse of ours But onely upon the sight of the perfect righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto us The proofe of the Assumption That when God justifieth us that is when he first declareth and pronounceth us to be righteous he doth declare his own righteousnesse that he might be just as Paul speaketh Rom. 3. 26. and the justifier of him which beleeveth on Jesus And it is the speech of David that when God declareth himselfe to bee just hee declareth onely the sinnefulnesse of the Creature Psal 51. 4. The third Argument If the promise be made sure of God unto faith out of grace Then it is not first made sure to faith out of works But the promise is made sure of God to faith out of grace Rom. 4. 5. to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is accounted for righteousnesse Therefore the promise is not made sure to faith out of works From the opposition of Grace and Works Rom. 11. 6 Aud if by grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace The opposition standeth not onely betweene grace and workes but beweene grace and the merits of works now no man ascribeth the assurance of faith in the promise to the merits of works The opposition standeth not only betweene grace and the merits of works but between grace and the debt due to workes For so the Apostle Paul expresseth it Rom. 4. 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of graco but of debt If
the assurance of faith of our justification doe spring from sight of sanctification it is by right of some promise made unto such a worke and the right which a man hath by promise to a worke maketh the assurance of the promise but debt unto him and then the promise is not sure unto him out of grace The fourth Argument If when the Lord declareth himselfe pacified toward us he utterly shames us and confounds us in the sight and sense of our unworthynesse and unrighteousnesse then he doth not give unto us our first assurance of the faith of our justification upon the sight and sense of sanctification But when the Lord declareth himself pacified towards us he doth utterly ashame us and confound us in the sight and sense of our unworthynesse and unrighteousnesse Therefore he doth not first give us assurance of the faith of our justification upon the sight and sense of our sanctification The consequence is plaine from the Law of Contraries For if the Lord shame us with a sight and sense of sinne hee doth not then first comfort and incourage us with the sight and sense of sanctification Minor is proved Ezek. 16. 63. Rom. 4. 5. Ezek. 16. 63. That thou maist remember and bee confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord God Rom 4. 5. To him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is accounted for righteousnesse The fift Argument When sanctification is not evident it cannot be an evidence of justification But when Justification is hidden and doubtfull Sanctification is not evident Therefore Sanctification cannot be our first evidence of Justification Minor When Faith is hidden and doubtfull Sanctification is not evident But when Justification is hidden and doubtfull Faith is hidden and doubtfull Therefore when Justification is hidden and doubtfull Sanctification is not evident The first proofe of the Major If Faith be the evidence of things not seene then when Faith it selfe is hidden and doubtfull which maketh all things evident what can be cleare unto us But Faith is the evidence of things not seene Hebr. 11. 1. Therefore when Faith it selfe is hidden and doubtfull Sanctification cannot be evident The second proofe of the Major If no Sanctification be true and sincere but when it is wrought in faith then neither can it be evident But when it evidently appeareth to bee wrought in Faith Therefore when Faith is hidden and doubtfull Sanctification cannot be evident But no Sanctification is pure and sincere but when it is wrought in Faith nor cannot be evident but when it evidently appeareth to bee wrought in Faith Therefore when Faith is hidden and doubtfull Sanctification cannot be evident The sixth Argumont Such a Faith as a practicall Sillogisme can make is not a Faith wrought by the Lords Almighty power For though Sillogismus â—iâ—em facit yet such a faith is but an â—umane faith because the Conclusion followeth but from the strength of reasonings or reason not from the power of God by which alone Divine things are wrought Ephes â— 19. 20. Col. 2. 20. But the Faith which is wrought by a word and a worke and the light of a renewed Conscience without the witnesse of the spirit and â—efore it is such a Faith as a practiâ—all Sillogisme can make Therefore such a Faith as is wrought â—y a word and a worke or by the â—ight of a renewed Conâ—cience without the witnesse of the Spirit and â—efore it is not a Faith wrought by the Lords Almighty â—ower The proofe of the Minor From the condition of all these â—hree the Word the Work and the â—ight of a renewed Conscience they are all but created blessings and gifts Thereâ—ore cannot produce of themselves a word of Almighty power Because the Word without the Almighty power of the Spirit is but a dead Letter and the Work hath no more power then the Word nor so much neither For Faith cometh rather by hearing of a Word then by seeing of a Worke Rom. 10. 17. And the light of a renewed Conscience is a created gift of spirituall knowledge in the conscience 1 Iohn 2. â— Hereby we know that wee know him that we keepe his Commandements 1. John 3. 14. Wee know wee have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren Vers 19. Hereby we know we are of the 〈◊〉 No better Answer need to be expected then what Calvin hath given in the exposition of these Scriptures who thus expoundeth them Though every beleever hath the testimony of his Faith from his Workes yet that commeth in a posteriori probatione a latter or secondary proofe instead of a signe Therefore the assurance of Faith saith hee doth wholly reside in the grace of Christ and we must alwaies saith he remember that it is not from our love to the Brethren that we have the knowledge of our estate which the Apostle speaketh of as if from thence were fetched the assurance of salvation For surely wee doe not know by any other meanes that we are the Children of God but because hee sealeth unto our heart by his Spirit our adoption of us out of free-grace and we by faith receive the assured pledge of him given in Christs love Therefore as an addition or inferiour helpe for a prop unto faith not for a foundation to leane on Certaine it is that those which â—ohn writ unto were three sorts of â—en Old men Young men and Babes â—et there was none of them but did know their good estate by the knowledge of the Father before they knew their good estat by their brotherly love For even of Babeâ— he saith they knew the Father 1 Iohâ— 2. 13. And therefore by the rule oâ— relation they knew their Son-shipâ— and adoption And if it should be asked how they knew it John telleth By the unction they had receiveâ— from Christ â— Ioh. 2. 27. that is bâ— the spirit it selfe which taught them tâ— know all things which no created gifts of Sanctification could doe Even in nature children doâ— not first come to know their parents either by their lovâ— to their brethren or by their obedience to their parents but from their parents love descending on them So we loved him because he first loved us 1 Iohn 4. 19 Herein is love not that we loved God buâ— that he loved us and sent his Son to beeâ— propitiation for eâ—r sins 1 Ioh. 4. 10. If Iohn could give sanctification foâ— an evidence of adoption to such a knew their good estate before by the witnesse of the Spirit this were but to light a Candle unto the Sunne Whether were it more absurd to light a Candle unto the Sunne or to light a Candle to see to a mans eyes Now faith is instead of eyes unto the soule By Faith Abraham saw the day of Christ and rejoyced â—hough it were a farre off Ioh.
and shew it unto you Joh. 16. 14. Nor will he so much dishonour the righteousnesse and grace of the Father of glory as first to pronounce and declare us justified in the sight of our owne righteousnesse In Mat. 7. from verse 16. to 20. The tree is knowne by his fruit True to others but not unto himselfe If a tree could know it selfe it would first come to know it selfe by seeing upon what root it grew before it came to see what fruit it did beare Joh. 15. 1 2 3 4 5. But this Doctrine is new it is not ancient nor gray-headed The Doctrines of the Covenant of free-grace are ever new because they are the Doctrines of the New-Covenant which can never waxe old should it once waxe old it would soone vanish away Heb. 8. from vers 8. to 13. though it be as ancient as Abraham yea as Adam for hee had his first comfort and assurance in an absolute promise of free-grace Gen. 3. 15. yet it hath ever seemed new in every age Augustines Doctrine of Conversion that is of grace and not of free-will Luthers Doctrine of Justification that is of faith not of works Calvins Doctrine of Predestination that is of grace not of faith and works fore-seen were all of them thought new Doctrines in their times and yet all of them the ancient truths of the everlasting Covenant of grace And surely for this Doctrine in hand Calvin is as clear as my hearts desire to God is wee all might be his words have been partly rehearfed before in the answer of some Objections and partly in my large Answer to your Reply Bellarmine taketh it to be the generall Doctrine of the Lutherans That Assurance of faith goeth before works and doth not follow after Institnt lib. 3. cap. 9. And Pareus in answer unto him saith That though there be an assurance that followeth good works yet the former assurance from the witnesse of the Spirit goeth before And seeing they that are the chief Reformers of the Protestant Assemblies doe generally make sanctification a fruit of faith and doe define faith to be A speciall assurance of mercy in Christ it must needs be out of controversie their judgement That a man receiveth his first assurance not from his sanctification which they make to be an effect flowing from it but from an higher principle even from the grace of the Father and the righteousnesse of the Sonne the Lord Jesus Christ and witnessed by the holy Spirit Bilney in the Book of Martyrs in his Epistle to B. Tuâ—stall relating the manner of his conversion proâ—ested That when hee had wearied himself in many superstitious works of fasting and Popish pennance hee received at last his first assurance from that place in Timothy 1 Tim. 1. 15. hee calleth it a most sweet word unto him This is a true saying and worthy of all men to be received Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the chiefe A word from an absolute promise set home unto him by the â—oly Spirit without respect of any sanctification formerly wrought or seene in him Alas how farre are they mistaken that thinke the contrary Doctrine hath beene sealed with the bloud of Martyrs Zancheus his judgement though he was a godly and an eminent learned man yet I would not have named him but that Mr. Perkins highly approved his discourse and translated it as a choyce piece into his owne Volume which maketh it obvious to every godly Reader that studieth Perkins learned Workes Page 429. the first testimony saith Zanchey and Porâ—ius for him by which God assureth us of our election is that inward testimony of the Spirit of which the Apostle Paul speaketh Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit witnesseth to our spirits that wee are the sonnes of God And afterward comming to give some direction how a man may know whether this testimony be true and proceedeth from the holy Spirit or no. Hee answereth Page 433. three waies First A man may know it first by the perswasion it selfe Secondly By the manner of its perswasion Thirdly By the effects For the first the holy Spirit doth not simply say it but doth perswade with us that we are the sonnes of God And no flesh can doe it againe By reasons drawne not from our worke or from any worthinesse in us but from the alone goodnesse of God the Father and the grace of Christ freely bestowed and in this manner the Devill will never perswade any man The perswasion of the holy Spirit is full of power for they which are perswaded that they are the sons of God cannot but must needs call him Father and in regard of love to him do hate sinne and on the contrary they have a sound hearty desire to do his Word and Will revealed For the second Answer to the imputation of Novelty Either saith John Cotton I am exceedingly deceived or it justly falleth upon the contrary Doctrine and they are much mistaken that think otherwise I never read it to my best remembrance in any Author olde oâ— new that ever a man received his first evidence of the faith of his Justification from his Sanctification unlesse it be one whom I met with within these two dayes Printed within these two yeares that maintaineth our first comfort of Justification from Sanctification But â—enerally all our English Orthodox Teachers doe oppose it Amongst the English Teachers one for ought I know did more â—dvance the Doctrine of Marks and â—ignes then Master Nicholas Byfield â—â—d yet he himselfe professeth that â—umane reason cannot beleeve such â—reat things from God from any â—â—ing that is in us But onely beâ—use we having the Word of God â—suring such happinesse unto such â— lay hold upon the promises conâ—ined in it So that it is that which â—eedeth Faith or as he calleth it â—e perswasion of our good estatesâ—et notwithstanding saith he the â—â—surance of Faith is much increased â—â—d confirmed by Signes the forâ—er part of which speech touchâ—â—g the first begettings of the assuâ—â—nce of Faith consenteth with me the latter concerning the increasing and confirming of the assuranceâ— argueth plainely his consent thuâ— farre also that he meant not that thâ— assurance of the Faith of Justification should spring from Sanctification But when he would have thâ— assurance of Faith to bee increaseâ— and confirmed by the light 〈◊〉 Signes I would not refuse it 〈◊〉 by the assurance of Faith hâ—â— meanes onely assurance of Knowledge or if he meaneth onely aâ—surance of Faith properly so caâ—led I would then put in this caâ—tion That then the Spirit of Goâ— himfelfe had need by his owne tâ—stimony to reveale our justificatâ—on unto us and Gods free grace 〈◊〉 accepting us in Christ or else it 〈◊〉 not Word nor Worke nor tâ—â— light of a renewed conscience thâ—â— can increase or confirme the assâ—rance of Faith of our Justificatioâ— But only the manifestation of Goâ— Free-grace in a Divine testimony â—atified by his owne
denyed That power which can disanull â—e greater must needs disanull the â—â—â—er if the death of Christ put an 〈◊〉 to the heavenly Fathers Cereâ—oniall Worship and in prayer and â—aise at or before the Ark or in â—e Temple then it will put an â—nd to all mans devised Worship unlesse you will advance the authority of man above God the Father Col. 2. 20 21 22 23. If Christ by his death hath freed us from the rudiments of the world the Mosaicall Ceremonies why living in the world are wee intangled with ordinances after the doctrine traditions and commandements oâ— men But they are set up for the glory of God Not I but Paul shall answer fom me They have a shew of wisdome iâ— will-worship but it is onely a shew there is no substance in it Wee harden the obstinate Papist in their superstition for they say and that truly Wee received moâ—â— of our formes of prayer and praiâ—â— from them Wee rob the Spirit of his glory who is given to Saints to form prayer and praise in them 1 Cor. 1â— 15 16. Rom 8. 26. Gal. 4. 6. Wee impose a burthen upon 〈◊〉 conscience to be practised which God hath left arbitrary to be used according to our necessities If we be afflicted then pray if wee have tasted how bountifull the Lord hath been to us in blessings then let us praise him Jam. 5. 13. If wee frequent devised formes of Worship in prayer or praise we shall lay a stumbling block before a weak brother and cause him to fall Woe be to them that follow the way of Balaam who taught Balack to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel Revel 2. 14. Jud. v. 11. Now offences must come but woe unto the men by whom they come It were better for me that a milstone were hanged about my neck and that I were cast into the sea then that I should offend one of these little ones Luk. 17. 1 2. If wee frequent devised formes of Worship in prayer or praise we shall offend our consciences even so many of us as are Saints enlightned to behold the beauty of his spirituall Worship performed or offered in his spirituall house the Congregation of the faithfull united Now if our consciences condemne us God is greater then our consciences and hee will condemne us also 1 Joh. 3. 19. for he knoweth all things Therefore I say to you who blame us for not frequenting devised forms of Worship in prayer and praises as Shadrach Meshach and Abednego did to King Nebuchadnezzar We are not carefull to answer you in this matter Our God whom wee serve is able to deliver us out of your hand But if he will not be it known to you we will not serve your gods nor worship our God in that devised way that men set up Dan. 3. 16 17 18. It one set form of spirituall Worship in prayer and praises had been needfull Christ would have left one But the Prophets Christ the Apostles never prayed nor praised God by any set forme of Worship invented by man but by the powerfull worke of the holy Spirit Rom. 8. 26. Gal. 4. 6. A set forme of Worship prescribed in prayer or praises cannot in prayer expresse the severall necessities of Gods people for the more grace they have the more they see their owne wants and the more sensible they are of their owne infirmities corruptions and sinnes Neither can it in praises expresse the manifold experiences that the Saints daily observe of Gods mercifull dealing with them Therefore a set Forme of prayer or praises to Gods Saints and faithfull ones principled with a spirit of prayer and praise it is altogether unusefull 1 Cor. 14. 15 16. Soli Deo honor gloria FINIS A DESCRIPTION OF THE Spirituall TEMPLE OR THE SPOUSE Prepared for the LAMBE The LORD JESUS Written by FRANCIS CORNWEL a Minister and Servant of Jesus the Christ for the benefit of poore distressed conscences in City and Countrey LONDON Printed by John Dawson 1646. TO THE HONOVRABLE and the true lover of all conscientious Covenantours that stand up for a through Reformation according to the word of our good God in England and Ireland CORNELIUS HOLLAND Esquire a Member of the House of Commons Assembled in Parliament SIR DAvid describeth the godly man by his pleasure and by his paines First the pleasure of the godly man in these words He delighteth in the Law of the Lord. Secondly the paines of the godly man And in that Law he meditateth day and night not only in the day appointed for man to labour in but in the night also appointed for man to rest the reason is because it is his meat and drinke to doe the will of his God Honoured Sir The Word of Christ being the Rule of Englands Reformation the good Lord that writeth his Lawes in his peoples hearts according to his new Covenant of Grace Heb. 8. 10. put it into my minde seriously to consider What Schisme was that I had covenanted against And searching the Scriptures I found it thus written 1. Tim. 6. 3. If any man teach otherwise and consent not to the wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to godlinesse Vers 4. He is proud knowing nothing but doting about Questions and strife of words whereof commeth envy strife raylings evill surmisings Vers 5. Perverse disputings of men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth supposing that gaine is godlinesse from such withdraw thy self Yea and after a further enquiry to understand aright the things that are controverted amongst us by the good providence of the Almighty I found two Texts of holy Scripture setting forth two sorts of men Diametrally opposing one another as light doth darkenesse truth doth falsehood the one thâ—s written 1 John 5. 1. Whosoever beleeveth that Jesus is the Christ is borne of God And the other thus 1 John 2. 22. Who is a lyar but he that denyeth that Jesus is not the Christ He is Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Sonne And when I thought to understand the difference it was to hard for me untill I went into the Sanctuary of God where the Father of glory of his good pleasure revealed to me the most unworthyest of all his servants the truth of that which I conceive is the root of all our Controversies and gave me to understand the meaning of the Scriptures 1 John 5. 1. Whosoever beleeveth that Jesus is the Christ viz. the eternall King Prophet Priest of the Church of the new Testament ratified with his bloud whom the Father of glory hath exalted to bee Lord and Christ Acts 2. 36. and head Ephes 2. 20 21 22 23. Is borne of God Seeing no man can say that is confest that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 3. Hence I find it written Joh. 1. 11. Jesus came to his owne but his owne received him not that