undone for ever 3. A Willingness viz. To give what he has for the relief of Sinners if they come unto him all that will Mat. 11. 28. come may if they are willing Christ is willing if they to come he to welcome If Christ was able to help and not willing it would be all one as if he was not able and tho' willing yet if not able all one as if not willing therefore a discovery is made both of his Will and Power equally alike Duo principia motionis ad Christum 1. Cognitio 2. Appetitus great that they may and without which none ever will believe in him III. It is the Work of the Spirit whereby sensible Sinners are enabled to receive Christ as offer'd in the Gospel trusting to and relying upon him for Salvation The Parties concern'd are Christ Heb. 5. â—… and Sinners He as the Author of Salvation and They as the Subjects of it He as a Saviour and They as Sinners He as the Brazen Serpent lift up and They as stung with the fiery Serpent looking up unto him He as dying to save and They as undone without him 1. Christ as dying to save The Object of Faith according to the Schools is something above Reason not seen yet true and revealed by God Something above Reason Quid supra rationem 1 Cor. 2. 4. Above it tho' not contrary to it Something not seen Quid non visum Heb. 11. 1. It is no contradiction in terms to say We may see by Faith what we cannot see by Sense Something true and in its own Nature Quid credibile credible That which is false cannot be the Object of Faith Something revealed Quid Revelatum A thing may be credible in its own Nature yet not so to us until reveal'd but when reveal'd it is tho' never so seemingly impossible The Doctrine of the Scripture the Inititur divinae veritatit anquam Medio Aquin. Things revealed in it are the Object of Faith general which is no more than a bare Assent to the things reveal'd there as true They that have no more Faith are no Jam. 2. 19. better than Devils they that have not so much are worse But the Object of Justifying Faith viz. of that formal Act of Faith by which we stand justified before God is It is called the Faith of Christ viz. of which he is the Object as well as the Author Christ only He who was prefigured in all the Types foretold in all the Prophecies and design'd in all the Promises He as consider'd in his Person God-Man He as dying expiating Sin by his meritorious death making a suitable and sufficient Satisfaction to Divine Gal. 2. 16 20. Justice suitable as he was Man and sufficient as he was God by one satisfying the Equity and by the other the Infiniteness of it The Promises may be a ground of Circumferentia Fidei Verbum Dei Centrum Fidei Verbum Deus Mat. 11. 28. Faith but Christ only is the Object of it to whom we are to come and in whom we are to believe they are a Warrant of Encouragement to us in our coming but he only from whom our help comes if we do in them our encouragement to it in him alone our safety by it Nothing could heal the Israelites Numb 21. 9. John 3. 14 15. 12. 32. when stung in the Wilderness by fiery Serpents but the Brazen Serpent lift up by Moses on a Pole nor that unless they look'd up unto it None but Christ can save for there is no other Saviour nor is there any other way to be saved by him but by Faith looking up to him as lifted up Rom. 4. ult upon the Cross who died to justify and arose from death to declare it to him we are to look and to him as dying we are to look that we may be justified and by looking up we are not for it but by it not for it nor yet without it nor from any intrinsecal Virtue in Faith but from the Vertue in Christ the Object apprehended by it If Faith does but declare Justification What difference is there betwixt Faith and Works 2. Sinners as undone without Christ He as a Saviour they as Sinners not simply consider'd but so qualified viz. sensible Sinners It is to such only that he does look and none but such will look to him He is not offer'd to any until they are so nor would they receive him if he was nor can they have any Benefit by him tho' they are so until they receive him for Christ until receiv'd is but a Tender and not a Gift nor receive him aright unless upon Gospel-Terms his Terms and not theirs viz. 1. Freely 2. Sincerely 3. Wholly 4. Only 1. Freely It is not barely a Consent not in case of Exigency or Extremity only but an Act of Choice It is not enough that Christ is willing unless they are so too for he will save none invito genio 2. Sincerely They take Christ for himself whatever for the present they may suffer or lose by it they do not with the Scribes refuse to believe unless he will come down from the Cross nor make haste with Joseph of Arimathea to take him down and leave the Cross Mat. 27. 42. 57 58. behind but take him when on the Cross as well as when on the Throne when suffering as well as when reigning with the Reed in his Hand as well as the Scepter and follow him to Mount Calvary as well as to Mount Tabor when to be Crucified as well as Transfigured as content to abide with him in the shame of his Sufferings as well as in the Glory of his Triumph They are as willing to drink of his Cup as to eat of his Loaves 3. Wholly Christ's Person is not separated from his Offices nor his Offices separated from one another Is Christ divided No he is not divided to one as a Prophet 2 Cor. 1. 13. to another as a King and to a third as a Priest but all or none not a Bone of his Body was broken nor is any one Office of his sever'd from another but as he was anointed to all so he is offer'd in all viz. as a King to Reign to rule where he lives as a Prophet to teach to instruct where he rules as well as a Priest to save and they take him as so offer'd not only as Jesus but as Lord a Priest upon the Throne as a Zeeh. 6. 12 13. Sanctifier and Instructer as well as a Saviour and as saving from Sin as well as from Hell viz. from the Power of Sin as well as from the Punishment of it They that will not take Christ as a Lord to rule to them instead of a Jesus to save he will be a Judg to condemn 4. Only and for ever Him they chuse accept and receive and none but him whole Christ with their whole Heart and not for a
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
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
Hearts more hard than that Rock unless they are smitten not only with the Rod of the Law but the Staff of the Acts 2 27. Gospel It was God's standing upon Psal 78. 15 16. 105. 41. the Rock more than Moses's smiting with a Rod that caused the Waters to run down like Rivers and the Spirit more than the Staff that causes Tears the Blood of a wounded Heart to flow from us for without it it will like the Staff of Elisha in Gehazi's 2 Kings 4. 31. Hand prove ineffectual to it When God causeth the Wind viz. the Wind of his Spirit to blow then Psal 147 18. and not before will those Waters flow 2. That Work of the Spirit whereby a Sinner is made sensible of the Evil of Sin in the general and the Misery due to it The Devil when he tempts to Sin holds the wrong end of the Prospective Glass that Sin may not appear as it is but in a disguise under the false representations either of Pleasure or Profit the usual Vermilion he paints most Sins with But the Spirit when convincing of Sin in order unto Repentance pulls off Sin 's Visard washes off that Jezabel's Paint and shews the evil of it it is a Isa 4 4. Jer. 31. 19. Spirit of Judgment and it's Office is to convince as well as comfort and to convince of Sin in order to it and where the Conviction is right the sight it gives of Sin is clear not through thick Mediums but in the Chrystal Glass of the Word a true not flattering Psal 19. 8. Glass pure enlightning the Eyes to behold Sin as it is viz. in its own proper Nature and native Deformity original and actual Sin the Flesh and the Lusts of the Flesh and both in their Filthiness and Depravation Folly and Disingenuity and Demerit too viz. the Wrath deserved by them and due to them The Degree is not alike in all tho' the more the better yet a less Degree will not serve than that which discovers the great Evil of Sin and the Wrath due to it for tho' Sin is Jâ—â— 2.19 an evil and bitter Thing evil in it Self and evil in the Cause yet unless so apprehended it will not be bitter in the Effects or not so bitter as it should be to us 3. That Work of the Spirit whereby a Sinner is made sensible of his own Sins in particular Sin lies hid in the Heart of an Impenitent Sinner it plays least in sight but the Spirit in the Work of Repentance brings it to Light when the Rom. 7 9. Commandment came Sin revived viz. in sense and appearance by giving sometimes a particular but ever a full and lasting sight of it Sometimes the Spirit makes use of one particular Sin as an entring Wedg as one says to rend the Heart of a Sinner asunder It was that particular Sin of crucifying Christ when made known that wounded the Penitent Jews through and through as the Word Acts 2. 37. notes and stuck as an Arrow so fast in their Hearts that no Hand but that which wounded them could pull it out But it ever gives whether a particular or no a full and durable sight of Sin viz. in the extent and latitude and in the aggravating Circumstances of it as under with and against both Judgments and Mercies little Sins are made great and heavy forgotten Sins are brought to mind and secret Sins either as secretly committed or kept secret from the Understanding Psal 19. 12 are brought to light and all with their particular Aggravations that Sin may appear as it is exceeding sinful and this not in a glance only or in transitu like a flash of Lightning that is as soon gone as come but so as ever to have them in his Eye and always upon his Heart as Job who possessed Job 13. 26. his Sins and David who had his ever Psal 51. 3. before him If Sin comes not to our remembrance here it will hereafter to God's if not to ours to conviction it will to his to our condemnation 4. That work of the Spirit whereby a Sinner is made sensible not only of his Sins but of the Mercy of God in Christ ready to pardon them Christ Acts 5. 31. having purchased for and God promised to all that repent the pardon 1 John 1. 9. not of one Sin only viz. the first nor of many Sins the lesser but of all both great and small The greatness of Mercy reveal'd shews the greatness of our Misery as much Physick prepar'd shews many Diseases and the greatness of Misery the need of great Mercy and a sense of both is necessary in order unto Repentance one that he may tremble before God the other that when afraid he may put his trust in him one that we may see his need of Mercy the other that he may seek after it None but Sinners need repent and none but they that are thus sensible will therefore such a sense is necessary without which they would rather flee from God than to him If God did not hate Sin Repentance would be needless and if he would not pardon it it would be hopeless 5. That Work of the Spirit whereby a Sinner made sensible of his Sins and the freeness of Mercy to pardon them does most affectionately mourn for them and most effectually turn from them to God 1. Most affectionately mourn for them Some count it the Perfection of Grace not to be troubled for Sin but Jer. 31. 18. Joel 2. 13. Zech. 12. 10. it is a cursed Piety that denies it they that have had the greatest assurance of Divine Love have been most deeply concern'd in sorrow for Sin Paul after he had been in Heaven mourn'd for it and all that ever truly repented of Sin have been so too for true Repentance is never without Sorrow tho' Sorrow may be without that it is not Repentance for that lies in the turn from Sin to God but a necessary adjunct of it and as necessary to it as Joy is to Thankfulness Sorrow is good for little else and all Joy to be suspected that is not founded on it 2. Most effectually turn from them Purposes are no Deeds a Purpose to give is no Gift in Law nor a bare resolution to forsake Sin Repentance for that seconds Purposes with Endeavours and follows Resolution with Action and all that are sincere in it not only confess and bewail the Sins committed but forsake the Sins bewail'd They do not as some barely confess and not forsake nor as others confess and Sin the more as if by Isa 1. 16. that they had obtain'd a Dispensation to it but cease to do Evil and depart from all Iniquity not from some Sins only but all viz. against God and Man themselves and others Personal and Relative Publick and Secret Great and Small Inward and Outward of Heart and Life and as Ephraim from his Idols so as never to have