action be lawful to me and not onely whether it be lawful in it self or not forbidden by some Law unknown to me I say If this be the doubt the Principle will be true and the Resolutions upon it certain without any prejudice to this Hypothesis These cautions premised I shall proceed to give an instance or two of the Case 1. Some Divines have asserted the second Commandment to forbid all manner of Ceremonies not expresly commanded in Scripture to be used in Divine Worship Suppose this assertion should be true can it be said to be sufficiently evident to oblige my belief or to convict me of any culpable ignorance whilst I understand it not being no otherwise declared than in the terms of that Commandment forbidding nothing expresly besides the making and worshipping of Images and having no evidence for this comprehension of uncommanded Ceremonies other than from the interpretation of those Divines contradicted by most other Divines of equal judgement at least whether now is the interpretation of those Divines that affirm the Prohibition of un-instituted Ceremonies from that Commandment a sufficient Promulgation of that Law to me If it be it must certainly be such as obligeth my belief for I cannot be bound to obey a Law which I am not bound to believe to be a Law because then my obedience could not be grounded upon my faith as all obedience ought to be But how can I in reason be obliged to believe this interpretation upon the account of their assertion whilst I know it to be denyed by others of equal credit and greater Authority And if that Interpretation be not a sufficient Promulgation of this supposed Law how am I that have either no other or no better evidence for it obliged by it though it were a Law And if I be not why may I not act in Faith especially when I am commanded by just Authority to the Act notwithstanding my doubt whether that interpretation may not possibly be true Why may I not perswade my self that if this should be the sence of the Commandment I am not at all obliged by it till I have some better evidence thereof Or 2. Let the Question be whether it be lawful to use any set Forms of Prayer It is certain this is no where expresly forbidden in Scripture But some Divines have judg'd it unlawful and given some reasons for their opinion depending upon uncertain Principles or unnecessary consequences Suppose now a weak judgement be induced to doubt the lawfulness of any forms upon the account of these Divines Opinion and Arguments against them This doubt must necessarily suppose ignorance because if the truth were known the doubt could not remain is then this ignorance culpable or inculpable If it be culpable then the doubt is so too and then the party was bound to believe that Opinion without any doubt notwithstanding whatever reasons he might have to the contrary If it be inculpable whilst he hath no better evidence to determine his belief how can he be hound to forbear the use of Forms by any Law whereof he is thus ignorant notwistanding his doubt which doth not take away but necessarily infer the ignorance which would be impossible without it May be not therefore notwithstanding this doubt make use of Forms with perswasion that to him it is yet lawfulâ— to do whatever be true concerning the question in general I am very sensible how much these Discourses â— want of those enlargements of illustration and conâ—imation which they might and perhaps ought to havâ— if the occasion would bear it But I must not forgâ— that I am writing a Preface to a small Book where I have already exceeded the bounds of a just proportion and therefore am to leave the modest proposal of thâ— Problems to them that are best able to consider aâ— judge of them hastening to a conclusion of these prely minary Discourses which I shall finish with the addtion of a few things concerning the second Tract tâ— wards the further clearing of the Doctrine there delivered from appearance of contradiction to that St. Paul concerning justification by Faith withoâ— works I say therefore 1. That the business of that Discourse upon â— proposed Text was not to determine what particulâ— Act it is which God in the New Covenant doth prinâ— pally require as the special condition of justification But to inquire what that intire Work is whereby aâ— cording to the direction of Scripture the Salvation 〈◊〉 a Christian was to be wrought out 2. Yet in the Method of the same Discourse a prâ—critie is given to Faith as that which gives the first rigâ— to justification or a right to the first justification beforâ— and therefore without any such works as are consequâ— to that Faith Vndoubtedly Faith is the Root of â— such Works as are truely goâ—d in a Theological sencâ— that is of all such as are done upon any account of â— ligion because it is plain Faith is the first act of Reâ— gion and the ground of all the rest He that comâ— to God must believe that he is and that he is thâ— Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 Whatever good Works can be done by a man without Faith or not proceeding from Faith can have no respect at all to God and therefore are not respected by him St. Paul therefore in that Chapter by many Examples proves Faith to be the principle of all good Works Vers 5. By faith saith he Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he had this testimony that before his translation he pleased God So the words I am sure may and I think should be read because it is certain that Enoch pleased God before his translation but the testimony thereof he had not before but long after his translation being that which was given him by Moses above a thousand years after in the words of that Text Gen. 5.24 which the Apostle refers to as appears by his using the same words which are there used by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And Enoch pleased God and was not found c. The same translation is quoted by the Son of Syrach Ecclus 44.16 We read according to the Hebrew he walked with God which imports the same sence For they are said to walk with God in Scripture phrase whose life is pleasing unto God or agreeable to his Will Amos 3.3 But so can no mans life be without Faith as the Apostle adds But without faith it is impossible to please God That which makes any mans works pleasing to God is his Faith without which as they could not be done to any such end so neither would they have any such effect For he that cometh to God must believe at least so much that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him This is the shortest Creed that can be and
what acceptance it may have with God in such as are invincibly ignorant of the Gospel we are not concerned to inquire But to all them to whom this Gospel is sufficiently revealed the Christian Faith or Faith in Christ is absolutely necessary to render their works pleasing to God And that Faith is undoubtedly the principal◠condition of Justification and Salvation And although other conditions be required to Salvation yet they are subordinate to this Faith as the proper effects and verifications thereof whereby it becomes allowable to God So that the concurrence and efficacie that other Graces and all good Works have unto Salvation is by vertue of Faith from whence they proceed It is Faith in Christ the Saviour that gives us Vnion with him and his Church and that consequently gives the first right to that Salvation which is procured by him and is the onely priviledge of his Church But this Faith must he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Faith unfained which it cannot be unless it be joyned with repentance and worketh by love and so makes a man a new Creature Faith is the prime Article of the New Covenant And in congruity to the design of mans Redemption and Salvation by Christ the principal act of this Faith is to receive him as the Author of this Salvation and to depend upon him and the expiation that he hath made for us by his blood But because he is also propounded to us in the same Gospel as Christ the anoynted of the Lord as well for a Prophet and a King as a Priest and sent by his Father to declare the Minde and Will of God in his Precepts as well as to publish his Grace in the Promises and is invested with all power to rule and govern his people as well as to save them therefore are all Christians that expect to be saved by him equally obliged to receive him as Lord and Christ to observe and keep his Precepts as well as to trust upon his Promises And thus much is included in the notion of their Faith given unto him when they are baptised for his Disciples which is the solemn Rite of ingaging our Faith unto him For that Faith which is professed in our Baptism is undoubtedly the same with that by which we are justified and saved But the Faith which is professed in Baptism is not a bare trust in Christ as a Saviour but a Faith given unto him as our Lord and Master to become his faithful Disciples importing our defire to learn and stipulation to observe his Precepts And therefore as S. Paul saith we are saved by faith Eph. 2.8 So S. Peter saith Baptism doth also save us 1 Pet. 3.21 Interpreting his meaning in the following words Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer or stipulation of a good conscience And to this purpose it is observable that when our Saviour gave commission to his Apostles to go and make Disciples of all Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost he adds this as the interpretation of their discipleship teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Implying that their Profession to be his Disciples which is the import of their Baptisin doth signifie their ingagement to observe his Precepts and to live like Christians To believe in Christ is to be a Christian that is a Disciple if Christ which was the first Title of Believers Act. 11.26 But that Title of a Disciple of Christ without respect to his Precepts imports contradiction to believe in Christ therefore and not to observe his Commandments is a plain contradiction As therefore all Christians are obliged to an explicit faith in Christ which is the ground of their Title to that name s◠are they to do all manner of good Works upon the groun◠of this Faith with desire and confidence of pleasin◠God through Christ and not expecting any acceptan◠of their works otherwise than by and through Christ Col. 3.17 Whatsoever ye do in word or deed d◠all in the name of the Lord Jesus 1 Pet. 2.5 The Original of the first transgression by which th◠whole Race of Mankinde fell into a state that neede Salvation was unbelief Eve by the temptation of th◠Devil was first induced to quit her Faith in Go◠Word that had said The day thou eatest there of thou shalt surely dye the death This unbelief was that which made way for the sin of disobed◠ence to the Command For had she not doubted th◠truth of Gods Word she could never have been per◠swaded to taste of that forbidden Fruit. Thus w◠unbelief the prime cause of mans ruine and there◠fore the first step and principle of his restauration an◠Salvation is Faith And as unbelief of the threa◠ning by which the first Law was fortified was th◠cause of our destruction so the belief of the promi◠of the Gospel is the principle of our justification B◠believing the Serpent the Abaddon and Apollyo◠the destroyer we were undon by believing in Jesu◠the Saviour we are saved But as that unbelief became destructive by its effects as a practical infidelity producing disobedience to the Commandment So is our Faith effectual to Salvation then onely when it is sincerely practical reducing us to our duty of obedience to our merciful Saviour If that saying of the Father must stand for a Catholick Axiom bona opera sunt via ad regnum non causa regnandi I must have leave to interpret the latter Clause so as may import no contradiction to the first that is that good works are the way to the Kingdom not the Cause that is the principle or meritorious Cause of our raigning for a Cause they must needs be that is a moral Cause if they be the way that is the means of our raigning as that signifies not onely the Term or End of this way but the Reward of our walking in it When therefore S. Paul excludes works from justification I take it his onely scope is to secure the freedom and assert the necessity of Divine Grace purchased by Christ and promised by the New Covenant of the Gospel And when he saith a man is not justified by the works of the Law he sometimes means ceremonial works such as was that of Circumcision and the obedience to that whole Law which a man was made a debtor to keep by his Circumcision Gal. 5.3 otherwhiles by the righteousness of works he seems to understand perfect indefective obedience to the whole Law or Will of God upon which account it is impossible for a sinner as he concludes all men to be now Rom. 3.23 Gal. 3.22 to be justified because his being so imports a contradiction to such Works Besides it is observeable that S. Paul doth never say that a man can be saved without Works but that he is justified without them speaking generally of the first
justification or being put into a state of justification by the free pardon Rom. 4.8 2 Cor. 5.19 or not imputing of sinâ— past This Grace he affirms to be obtain'd by a sincere Faith in Christ not onely without respect to Works antecedent to this Faith buâ— also without and before any such works as are duly consequent unto it All those who were converted from Heathenism or Judaism unto the Faith of Christ were by that first act and profession of this Faith brought into a state of justification before and there fore without any such works as remained afterwarâ— to be done by the ingagement of this Faith But because this Faith if it was unfaigned did imply an ingagement of the Believer to all good works of love anâ— obedience to the commands of the Saviour the Lorâ— Jesus therefore this right of justification conferrâ—â— upon the condition of such an ingagement could nâ— be beld without works And consequently Salvation which is nothing else but the final conpletion of this justification unto life Rom. 5.18 〈◊〉 not attainable without them But stiâ— good works have their acceptance and validity unâ— the reward of Salvation by vertue of Faith in Chriâ— the onely Saviour and his Merits So that they 〈◊〉 concurr to Salvation onely as verifications of our since Faith in Christ It is this Faith that must be the plâ— of a sinner for his final justification at the last judgment but this plea can never be made good unless thâ— Faith be found free from any contradiction or 〈◊〉 faisance by the works of a mans life The two Apostles S. Paul and S. James will 〈◊〉 perfectly cleared from all reality of contradiction all or any of these three things shall be found true 1. That they speak not of the same Faith 2. Nor of the same Works 3. Nor of the same Justification 1. Not of the same Faith S. James speaking of an ineffectual dead faith not onely abstracted from works in its notion but being altogether without them Jam. 2.14 What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and hath not Works And vers 17. Even so faith if it hath not works is dead being alone And vers 26. Whereas S. Paul speaks of a true and living Faith working by Love Gal. 5.6 such as was the Faith of Abraham that offerd up his onely Son Isaac at the command of God 2. Not of the same works S. James speaking of Evangelical works done in and with the Faith of the Messiah and in obedience to the Gospel Whilst S. Paul speaks of legal works or works of the Law as such Nor thirdly of the same justification S. Paul speaking of the first justification of a sinner upon his sincere believing in Christ before the confirmation of that faith by his works S. James understanding the continued state of justification as appears by his Example of Abraham vers 21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar Abraham was justified long before that work yet he is said to be justified thereby not before men but before God Any one of these differences in the Discourses of the two Apostles is sufficient to salve them from any reality of contradiction But the exact disquisition of those particulars not agreeing with the limits of my present undertaking must be left to them that are better able to pursue it It is more than time to relieve the patience of the Reader which shall be done witâ— the addition of this onely request that he will joyn witâ— the Author in his hearty Prayer to the Lord of Glory and the God of our Salvation for such a blessinâ— upon these Discourses as may render them at least iâ— some measure effectual to those blessed Ends tâ— which they are intitled ERRATA REader you are desired to take Notice That the words Part I in the running Titles upon the head of the pages in the latter part of the Book are wholly to be left out And in the first Discourse Page 16. line 9. read as is p. 25. l. 21. dele with p. 41. in the Margent r. je renie dieu maugré de dieu malgrádo de dÃo In the second Discourse Page 10. line 5. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 36. l. 1. r. as is p. 46. l. 12. r. the work of conversion or repentance to begin in the understanding the ruling faculty c. p. 50. l. 10. r. supposition p. 57. l. 11. dele as p. 73. l. 16. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 91. l. 20. dele by it p. 108. l. 8. r. prevention THE Main Duty of a Christian 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God AS the highest Happiness of Man consists in the fruition of God and his favour So the highest Vertue and Perfection of man consists in his being intirely devoted to God by dedicating and Consecrating all that he is and all that he hath and all that he doth to the glory of God according to the precept of this Text which is the most transcendent Rule of Religion the prime fundamental Law of godliness properly so called In Moral and Civil Conversation between man and man that Common Rule of Equity and Charity is fundamental viz. that Eveny Man should do unto others as he would they should do to him In Politicks or publick Acts of Civil State and Government The safety of the People is the supream Law and all things are to be done to that end but in Religion the Canon of the Text is the only fundamental Whether ye eat or drink c. This general Rule is here brought in by the Apostle upon a special and particular occasion viz. by way of Argument to confirm an Admonition given to the Corinthians to beware of the Scandal of Idolatry by Communion with the Heathens in their Sacrificial Feasts celebrated to the honour of their Idols This Admonition the Apostle had begun at the 8th Chap. and after a brief Intermission he resumes it in this v. 14. Where he declares the main Reason why Christians should not partake with Heathens in their Idol Feasts namely because that would be to Communicate with and to be partners in the Idol-sacrifices and so to joyn in the worship of Daemons or Devils to whom those Sacrifices were offered v. 20. and therein to have communion with Devils As in the Christian Feast of the Lords Supper which is also a Sacrificial Feast or a feast upon the Sacrifice oâ— Christ's body and bloud repesented by bread and wine they that are partakers of that Supper are thereby partakers of the Sacrifice viz. of the body and bloud of Christ v. 16 17. And as in the Jewiss Feast upon their Sacrifices they that did eat of the Sacrifices were partakers of the Altar so they that are of the Sacrifices which by the Heathens were offered to Devils v. 7. Fxod 34.15.16
are to be found in Scripture pertaining to this end I shall take up with a few of them and principally with three to which all others may be referred and which are the more remarkable because they were purposely designed by our blessed Saviour himself and the two great Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul for a distinct answer to the question we have propounded i. e. What a man should do to be saved I shall begin with the resolution of the same Apostle that directs the admonition in the Text. When the Gaoler sympathising with the quaking Earth with fear and trembling came to him and Silas his fellow-prisoner inquiring What he must do to be saved They said Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Acts 16.30 31. The same answer was given by our blessed Saviour himself to the Jews that put the question to him What they should do that they might work the works of God Which question bears the same sense with that of the Gaoler as appears by the occasion of it expressed in the fore-going verse where our Saviour had bidden them Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth to eternal life Hereupon they moved this question What was that work which God had appointed them to do in order to that end which he had prescribed them that is to obtain that mean which endureth to everlasting life which is all one with What they should do to work out their own salvation Jesus answered and said unto them This is the work of God meaning not now the work which God works but which he requires of them to work that ye beleeve on him whom he hath sent John 6.27 28 29. This then appears to be the first and principal work so called by our Saviour to be done by him that designs to work out his own salvation viz. to believe on Jesus Christ the Author of salvation This is the term by which the condition of salvation is most commonly expressed both in the Gospels and Epistles especially of St. Paul who laboureth much to confirm the Doctrine of Justification by faith in Christ And to be justified is to be put into a state of salvation wherefore also he saith By grace ye are saved through faith Eph. 2.8 Jesus Christ being the Author of this salvation the way to attain unto it in reason must needs be to believe in him For nothing can be more reasonable than that they that will attain unto salvation should be obliged to acknowledg the only Author thereof and depend upon him for it especially since he hath purchased it for us at so dear a rate as that of his own blood it was most highly equitable that he should have the honour of it which is given him by faith as that imports an affiance or trust in him for the attainment thereof Faith in Christ therefore is the undoubted foundation of our hope and the prime title to Salvation And that being so proves that every man is as much concern'd to work out his Faith as he is to work out his own Salvation Which that he may do it is at least very requisit that he should understand what this Faith is Although the end of this Faith which is the salvation of the Soul doth not necessarily depend upon the truth of the notion that a man hath of it but upon the truth of the thing it self For it is no lesse possible for a man to have a true Faith that hath a false notion of it than it is for a man to attain unto Salvation and the felicities of Eternal life although he neither hath nor can have any exact notion thereof in this life Or than it is to have a reasonable soul and to act reasonably thereby though a man knows neither what the Soul nor yet what Reason is As the Sadduces that believed not that there were any Spirits at all were nevertheless informed with rational and immortal Spirits Yet in as much as the want of a right understanding of the nature of a true Faith may render a man liable to be deceived as well in the practice as in the notion thereof it is hugely necessary that he be possessed with a right knowledg of this work of God as I may take leave to call it after our Saviour in the forementioned Text Joh. 6.29 And after St. Paul 1 Thes 1. Remembring your work of Faith Which term 2 Thes 1.11 beside that agreement that it hath with my Text is useful towards the resolution of that great Question What Faith it is to which the Scripture doth so often attribute the effect of justification and Salvation For by these Texts and many others hereafter to be quoted we may learn that the true justifying and saving Faith is not 1. A bare notional historical or intellectual Faith consisting altogether in the asseâ— of the minde or understanding to the truth of thâ— holy Scriptures and all the Articles of the Christiâ—â— Creed which in it self or as such differs not froâ— the faith of devils Jam. 2.19 save that it seems neâ— to be so strong and free from all degrees of doubâ— as theirs is for want of that forcible Evidence sense and experience which they have of the truâ— of those things which they have seen and felâ—â— viz. the Miracles of Christ his Death Resurrect on and Ascention c. Nor yet secondly the single act of Affiance reliance trust or rolling mans self upon Christ for Salvation which indeeâ— is an eminent act or effect of Faith and so muâ—â— the more acceptable to God as it excludes all glâ—rying in our own works Rom. 3.27 Much lâ— thirdly that reflex act or consequent of Faith which consists in a full assurance confidence â—â—perswasion of a mans salvation by Christ which Scripture is no-where to my understanding â—â—led Faith And therefore although it were indeâ— the first notion of faith that I was Catechised 〈◊〉 in English and seems to be confirmed by the 〈◊〉 definition in sense found in many of the most 〈◊〉 thentick Catechisms of reformed Churches yeâ— must profess my self least satisfied with it of 〈◊〉 that I have met with Because all the assurance salvation that can ordinarily be had in this 〈◊〉 is nothing but a consequence of Faith ground upon the promise of salvation to him that 〈◊〉 believes And if I have any assurance of my 〈◊〉 vation I must first be assured that I do believe 〈◊〉 then my believing cannot be my assurance of my salvation Because that were to make the same thing the consequent of it self And imports no less absurdity than this that I believe or am assured that I shall be saved because I believe or am assured that I shall be saved For he that saith Faith is Assurance saith also that Assurance is Faith and then if my assurance or confidence that I shall be saved be grounded upon my faith as the condition to which Salvation is promised it must
have a true notion of his nature and essence whereto the right of universal dominion doth necessarily belong and addes thereunto a firm assent of the mind Heb. 11.6 to the verity of his existence i.e. that he is the only true God and thereby obligeth our obedience to him This Notion of Faith is notably declared and exemplified by S. Paul in Heb. 11.2 4 7 8 17. By Faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain by which he obtained witnesse that he was righteous By Faith Noah being warn'd of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Arke to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteouness which is by Faith By Faith Abraham when he was called to go into a place which he should afterwards receive for an inheritance obeyed c. By Faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaak and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten Son And this was the Faith which was imputed to him for Righteousness that is by which he was justified before God Rom. 4.3 Gal. 5.6 But for a final confirmation of this notion of saving Faith as the only complete one I mean this practick Notion I shall add no more Arguments than what may be inferr'd from those Texts of Scripture wherein there is the least appearance of expressing it that is those Texts wherein this saving Faith is described by no other Act than that by which we believe the verity of these Propositions That Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that he was raised from the dead c. John 20.39 These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ and that believing ye might have life through his Name Rom. 10.9 10. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation 1 John 5.1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 This was the Eunuch's Faith whereupon he was admitted to Baptism by Saint Philip I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Acts 8.37 This was the Faith for which our Saviour pronounceth Simon Peter blessed Matth. 16.16 17. Thou art Christ the Son of the living God The same was the Faith of Martha whereupon she expected the Promise of Life declared by Christ John 11.26 27 I demand now What kind of Faith it is that is to be understood in these Texts Is it no other than a certain real and unfained assent to the truth of these Propositions and shall every such Believer be saved or is he born of God Surely no man that reads the Scriptures can think so If then this speculative dogmatical Faith though never so true in a philosophical sense that is not only in respect of the Object but also in respect of the Act of Assent be not the true saving Faith What can â—t be but the practical Faith which answers to the foremention'd Notion of a practical knowledge of God that is such a Faith as effectually produceth all such affections and obedience to Christ with dependence upon him as the belief of these Propositions obligeth a man to I conclude therefore that these Texts and all others wherein Faith is named as the sole condition of Salvation are to be interpreted by that single one of S. Paul above mention'd Gal. 5.6 For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing but Faith which worketh by Love So much for that first Resolution to the Question in hand given by our Saviour himself and S. Paul viz. That he that will work out his own Salvation must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Not as Jesus only or a Saviour but as the Lord and Christ And to work out this Condition 1 Thess 1.3 is that which he calls the Work of Faith being the Work of Obedience to the Lord Jesus who is the Author of Eternal Salvation to them that obey him Heb. 5.9 that is to them that so believe in him as to obey him TO this agrees an other Answer which our blessed Saviour made to one that put the question to him in express terms Matth. 19.17 and Mark 10.17 And behold one came and said unto him Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may have Eternal Life And he said unto him If thou wilt enter into Life keep the Commandments Which words being the Answer of him who is the Author of Salvation and who best knew the Condition whereupon it was to be had and had least reason to utter any thing to the prejudice of his own merits do plainly shew that the keeping of the Commandments in some sense or other is necessary for him that will be saved as well under the Gospel as under the Law I am not ignorant that this speech of our Saviour hath received such an interpretation from divers modern Interpreters as seems to imply the quite contrary to this inference viz. That these words were not designed for a direct Answer to the young man's question as serving to instruct him what he was to do to enter into Life but intended rather to discover unto him his inability to attain Salvation by any thing that he could do and thereby to draw him to seek it out of himself and dispose him to imbrace the Evangelical way of Salvation by Faith in him the Saviour without Works But this Interpretation with due reverence to the Authors and Abetters thereof seems to me improbable upon diverse Accounts 1. Because it makes our Saviour's Answer to be indirect and insufficient at least if not untrue For whereas the man 's Inquiry was What he was to do that he might be saved this Answer by this interpretation gives him either no direction at all or such a one as was either not true or not sufficient and by this Hypothesis impossible to be performed The keeping of the Commandments was either necessary to Salvation or it was not If it were necessary Why should our Saviour whiles he seems so plainly to affirm it be supposed not to intend it If it were How could this be a true Answer to the Question 2. Because I neither find any Circumstance in or about this Text nor any necessity from any other to incline me to preferr such an indirect obscure interpretation of our Saviour's words before that which is direct and plain 3. Because this sense is disagreeable to a second Answer that our Saviour made to the reply of this Questionist alledging himself how truly is not to the purpose to have kept those Commandments Jesus said unto him If thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast and give to the Poor and
thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven and come and follow me Which last words do indeed imply a necessity of Faith in Christ without which no man can come to him but they do also as plainly teach a necessity of Obedience too without which no man can be said to follow him And the whole Answer doth clearly intimate that it was not only necessary for him to endeavour the keeping of those Commandments if he would enter into Lâ—fe but that he must do more than so namely be ready upon his command to part withall that he had to follow him as his Disciples had done 4. Because the foremention'd Interpretation seems to have been devised of purpose to exclude the necessity of Obedience to Salvation and to secure the Doctrine of Salvation by Faith only without Works in such a sense as St. Paul never meant Therefore I find no such interpretation in any of the Ancients before the Controversie about Works was raised Lastly because the same necessity of Works of Obedience to Salvation that seems to be taught by our Saviour in this Text is fully and plainly asserted by himself and his Apostles in many other Texts As Mat. 5.20 Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Where by the Sequel of his Discourse it is evident that he speaks not of a meer imputed righteousness but such a one as is inherent and practical consisting in the observation of the Precepts there afterward mention'd by himself in the same and the two following Chapters And as it were of purpose to prevent the error of the Solifidian Doctrine or a presumption of Salvation by Faith without Works he expresseth himself most clearly Chap. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord that is pretendeth or professeth to believe on me shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven The whole Sermon contain'd in those 3. Chapters is a summary of the Law of Christ Gal. 6.2 The Christian Ethicks or the institutions of the Christian Philosophy The main Scope whereof is to shew upon what terms and conditions that Kingdom of Heaven which he preached and promised was to be obtained as may appear both from the beginning and end of the Sermon For as it begins with the Promise of Blessedness limited to the endowments and practice of special Christian Vertues such as Humility Meekness Mercy purity of Heart Peace and Patience c. so it ends with a peremptory assertion of the necessity of Obedience to the Precepts before delivered Chap. 7. from vers 22. to the end Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a wise man which built his House upon a Rock c. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his House upon the Sand c. Which words can signifie no less than that all hopes of Salvation that are built upon any other Foundation than that of Obedience to his Precepts as the proper effect fruit and trial of an unfained Faith in him are built upon the Sands Or that the study of conformity to his Commandments is fundamentally necessary to the hope of everlasting Life From whence this Inference seems to be necessary that to believe there is no such necessity of good Works to Salvation is no less than a fundamental Error in the Christian Profession And so without doubt it is if it be held practically But because such an erroneous Opinion notionally held may be consistent with the real practice of Christian Obedience as I doubt not but that it is in many Lutherans and some Antinomians it doth not necessarily exclude from Salvation For whosoever heareth Christ's sayings and doth them is by our Saviour likened unto a wise man that built his House upon a Rock and therefore shall undoubtedly be saved whether he believes his Obedience necessary to Salvation or not A simple error in the Understanding effectually corrected in the Will I believe shall never be imputed to the honest-minded man But considering the natural influence of the Understanding upon the Will this Heresie though not in it self to be reckon'd in the number of those which St. Peter calls damnable may yet easily prove so And therefore though it must needs exercise the Patience of an intelligent Orthodox Reader to add to these express words of our Saviour so many Testimonies of his Apostles as might be alledged from their Epistles for the confirmation of this Doctrine Yet their pardon must be allowed for the mentioning of some of them towards the removal of so dangerous an Error as the same Apostles thought necessary to warn Christians of by many Emphatical Texts Saint Paul himself after he had msisted so much in his Epistles to the Romans and Galatians upon the Doctrine of Justification by Faith without the Works of the Law doth specially caution both Churches to take heed of this misprison Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live See Gal. 5.6.21 and Chap. 6. v. 7 8 9.15 Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall be also reap For he that soweth to his Flesh shall of the Flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1. Cor. 6.9 10. St. James Jam. 2. spends a whole Chapter to undeceive Christians of this Error St. John gives the same admonition 1 Jo. 3.7 Little Children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous as he is righteous He that committeth Sin is of the Devil c. What can be plainer than the words of our Saviour Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City viz. the heavenly Hierusalem From whence it is to be concluded beyond dispute that howsoever the right to this heavenly Inheritance be at first obtained by the act of an unfeined Faith in Christ yet it is held by the homage of Obedience to the Commandments I shall conclude with that General Doctrine so oft delivered as well in the New Rom. 2.6 2 Cor. 5.10 Mat. 16.27 Rev. 22.12 as in the Old Testament That God will render to every man according to his Works Confirmed by our Saviour's description of the last Judgement Matth. 25.31 to the end of the Chapter That all men shall fare in the Life to come according to their doings in this L. Herbert E. of Cherbery Lib. de Veritate is one of
Faith as hath been declared doth not exclude other works but necessarily require them as it's effects and consequents By the work of the Lord therefore must certainly be understood all manner of good works that is all such as are agreeable to the known Will of the Lord. For albeit no man may expect to be saved by or for any merit of his works yet the Scripture frequently declareth that every man shall be judged by and according to his works And though Faith be the prime condition of justification and gives a man a title to Salvation yet is this title to be held under the Condition of good works without which this Right cannot be maintained Because such a Faith as gives this right cannot be maintained without them Jam. 2.14.22 For Faith without works is dead that is ineffectual and vain What will it profit a man to say he hath Faith and have not works Can Faith save him No for Faith is made perfect that is effectual and saving by works To work out a mans Salvation then is to do all manner of good works that are in his power and to abstain from evil upon a principle of Faith in the Lord Jesus working by love And this must needs be all that can be done by a Christian in order to this end Provided that this work be persued in such manner as is directed by the Apostle's Exhortation in the first words Be ye stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord wherein two things are prescribed concerning the performance of this duty the first is Constancy expressed in three words stedfast unmoveable always The second is Diligence and Zeal signified by the word abounding First to be stedfast and unmoveable is to stand fast in the Faith and to be constant in the work of Faith And so much is implied in the word work out your own Salvation which as before was observed supposeth the work already begun and yet remaining to be perfected by a continued perseverance whereunto only the promise of Salvation is made He that endureth to the end shall be saved Mat. 10.22 And when the Apostle saith God will render to every man according to his works he interprets himselfs in the next words To them that by patient continuing in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality God will render eternallife Ro. 2.6 7. Secondly He that will work out this end is advised by the Apostle to labour to abound in the work of the Lord which is the same thing that S. Peter teacheth us when he exhorts to give disigence by good works to make our calling and election sure And though the abounding in good works be not absolutely necessary to the attaining of Salvation as it is to the qualifying a man for the Degrees of the reward yet it is without doubt the safest course to secure the Title it self which a few good works with the neglect of others will not do If these things be in you and abound saith S. Peter they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful A field or tree is judged barren and unfruitfull though it doth bear some fruit as suppose there and there an ear of Corn or an Apple if there be no proportion between the ground or the tree with the respective cost bestowed upon them and the crop that they yield So certainly will men be judged by the proportion of the ablities that God affords them to their good works else almost every man would be saved because there is scarce any man so bad but he doth or hath done some good works at least materially good Thus I have shewn at large from Holy Scripture only what that work is by which our Salvation is to be wrought out and shall finish my Answer to that Question with the addition of one Advertisement more which is that none of this work can be done without the assistance of Divine Grace as we are taught by the words immediately following my Text For it is God that worketh in you to will and to doe of his good pleasure of which something more afterward At present I only observe this consequence from them agreeable to the question in hand viz. That seeing there is such an absolute necessity of Gods Grace to the performance of this work it follows that Whatsoever is necessary to obtain this Grace must be equally necessary to work out our own Salvation Seeing therefore that Prayer Hearing Reuding and Meditating on Gods word and the frequent participation of the Holy Eucharist or Supper of the Lord are the ordinary means instituted by God for the obtaining of his grace it is necessary that a Christian should diligently apply himself to the practice of these duties not only as good works but as the means of grace to inable him to do what ever else is required of him to work out his Salvation But of these things more hereafter in the Application Come we now to the third Question viz. What is meant by those words with * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fear and trembling We have spoken of the matter of this work wherein that consists These words are added to expresse the manner of the performance of this duty And it is not to be imagined that there is any material difference in the sense of these two words though the latter of them doth properly signifie the effect the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chryst For Trembling is the effect of fear But here they are no other than Synonymous expressions the general use whereof is only to fortifie and urge the same sense The meaning of the words will best be understood partly from the opposites of such a disposition as is thereby signified and partly from the use of the same words in other Texts of Scripture Now the direct Opposites of fear and trembling are presumption and self-confidence or vain confidence together with * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Ioc. negligence and spiritual sloth Fear and Trembling is first opposed to presumption and self-confidence and so signisies humility modestie and reverence From an humble sense of our own weakness aptness to neglect and inability to perform this work without the special assistance of divine grace Rom. 11.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not high-minded but fear This agrees with the subsequent words declaring the reason of this disposition For it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure And with this sense of these words agrees the use of them in Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling i. e. with all humble reverence and dread of his Divine Majesty as Heb. 12.28 Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear And without doubt a second thing signified by this fear and trembling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost is diligence care and sollicitude upon the due apprehension and consideration of
Means how hainous a Sin must it needs be To tread under foot the Bloud of the Son of God! I shall conclude my Discourse with some special Directions how to prosecute this Work with the best advantage 1. Because as we read in the following verse It is God that worketh in us to will and to do of his good pleasure it behoves us to pray earnestly frequently and constantly for the effectual assistance of his grace That Godly fear and trembling which the Text requires serves to drive us to God in the humble sense of our own danger and impotency And we have a promise that Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.13 Not that this is all that is required to Salvation but that he that doth so shall not want any assistance of Gods grace necessary to Salvation And that he will give the holy Spirit to them that aske it Luk 11.13 Alwaies supposed that we aske aright with sincere and earnest desire to receive and improve the gift which requires that we be carefull not to receive the grace of God in vain not to resist or quench the spirit as is usually done by many that daily pray for his grace in a formal and hypocritical manner The successe of our prayers depends upon the sincerity of our desires which is only verified by our diligent indeavors to obtain the things we pray for Secondly Because the Word of God and especially the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation able to save our soules to make us wise unto Salvation it concerns us to attend diligently to the reading hearing and meditating of this Divine Word and that not only because it affords unto us direction how to attain this end by informing us concerning the conditions thereof but also because it is a powerfull mean to work them in uâ— The holy Spirit by which God worketh in us both to Will and to do breathes in the Word and is ordinarily conveyed thereby into the souls of men Thirdly Because although this work cannoâ— be done for us by any other persons yet it may bâ— promoted by their assistance we have great reason to desire the assistance of Christian brethren by their charitable admonitions counsel conference and prayers And this help is most desirable from them that are best qualified to afford it and therefore especially from our spirituall Pastors and Teachers without neglect of faithful brethren It is Saint James his advice Confess your sins one to another and pray one for another Jam. 5 16. the effectual prayer of a righteous man availeth much When men are to work out some temporall interest to save themselves from danger or to obtain any preferment they will desire the assistance of others especially such as are most able to further them in it And have we not as much and a great deal more reason to do so in this spiritual design Fourthly It behooves us to take great heed not only of all such things as do directly oppose this work as being contrary to it such are all sinful practices and customes but also of all hinderances and divertisements from it Such as are found in the world The men of the world and the things of the world First The men of the world by their vain company evil example and otherwayes are great impediments to the serious prosecution of this work And therefore it behooves Christians to have as little familiarity with them as they may Depart from me saith David for I will keep the commandments of my God Psal 119.115 it is not an easie thing to keep the commandements of God in the company of evil doers I have not sate with vain persons saith he again neither will I go in with dissemblers I have hated the congregation of evil doers and will not sit with the wicked As we shall have none of their company in Heaven so neither should we desire or delight in it on Earth because it hinders us in our way to Heaven Secondly The things of the World are very great incumbrances and lets in this holy work The profits Pleasures and Preferments of this world though innocent in themselves yet do very much â—ivert men from the pursuit of true holiness and happiness They that will be rich saith Saint Paul fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts 1 Tim. 6.9 which drown men in destruction and perdition 2 Tim 2.4 No man that warreth intangleth himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a souldier Take heed of being too sollicitous for thy portion in this world lest that prove to be all that thou shalt have The generality of men lose all the treasures joys and glories of Heaven by being too covetous of the supposed lawfull riches pleasures and honours of this world Remember the words of our Saviour how hard a thing it is though not impossible for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of Heaven If thou wouldest be sure to save thy soul Love not the world nor the things of the world 1 Joh. 2.15 If thou wouldst once be happy indeed content thy self here in this world with the hopes of it in an other life and doe not seek to anticipate it in the injoyments of this world Fifthly Examine thy self often and seriously whether this work be truly begun and how it goes forward It is the exhortation of the Apostle Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith prove your own selves 1 Cor 13.5 It behooveth Christians to put the question to themselves whether they be in the right Faith whether they be true beleevers or no whether they be duly qualified for this Salvation according to the conditions declared in the promises Do I indeed believe in the Lord Jesus with an unfained Faith How is this Faith perfected or verified by my works Have I truly repented and brought forth fruits worthy of repentance Do I live after the flesh or after the spirit Is it my study and diligent indeavour to cleanse my self from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and to perfect holiness in the fear of God Am I in the right way to Heaven or no This practice of self examination is so much the more necessary as it is easie to be deceived in a mans pretended title to this salvation multitude of persons are deceived and wil finally perish that make account to be saved and do not suspect their own condition This is certainly the case of most men For almost all men do hope to be saved and yet our Saviour tells us that the gate is so narrow and the way so straight that they are but few that will find it How much then doth it concern us To work out our Salvation with fear and trembling to be exact and curious in this business and to take heed of flattering our selves with vain hopes and false grounds 6. Lastly To secure this work let us remember and observe carefully the precept of our Saviour and his Apostles Mat. 13.13 Take heed watch and pray Watch ye stand fast in the faith 1 Cor. 16.13 Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil 1 Pet. 5.8 as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour 1 Thes 5.6 Let us not sleep as do others but let us watch and be sober Take heed of spiritual sloth and that thou fall not asleep in sin and security Remember the parable of the foolish Virgins that slept away their opportunity of meeting their Lord and were shut out of his company There is no general practice so usefull and necessary to the keeping of a good conscience and the perfecting of holmess as this of constant watchfulness over our selves The want whereof is the cause of mens neglect of and miscarriage in this work THE END
you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Whereby we are taught that the work which is to be done by us in order to our own salvation doth indeed necessarily depend upon the good pleasure of God that is upon his preventing operating and cooperating grace without which nothing can be done by us available to this end But so far is thâ—â— in the judgment of St. Paul from being any reasonable excuse for our negligence or any grounâ— of presumption for us to sit down and leave thâ— whole work to God as if we had nothing to dâ— towards it but to believe it and be thankful foâ— it that this same Doctrine concerning the necessity and efficacy of divine grace is by him alledged as a strong reason why we should work 〈◊〉 our own salvation As appears by that Causal Particle For For it is God that worketh in us to will and to do of his good pleasure The force and fitness of which reason shall be shewed in its place viz. when we have opened the whole matter of the Exhortation Wherein are these 3. particulars to be considered 1. 1. Finis 2. Opus 3. Moduâ— operandi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The end or design and concern of every Christian which is his own salvation 2. The work that is to be done for the effecting this design or obtaining this end signified by the word work-out 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The manner of pursuing this work with fear and trembling These are the parts of the Text which to serve the common method I shall reduce into a Doctrinal Proposition viz. That it behoveth every Christian to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling Of this Proposition my purpose is to speak plainly by way of Explication and Application First By way of Explication we shall enquire 1. What this salvation means which is to be wrought out 2. What it is to work out our own salvation or what is the full importance of that Phrase 3. How or whereby this salvation may or ought to be wrought out 4. What is meant by those words which concern the manner of this work with fear and trembling First We are to consider what this Salvation means That being rightly understood and unfainedly believed contains so powerful a Motive of the duty which the Text requires as makes it scarce possible to be neglected especially if the Philosopher Arist 2. Phys Thom. 1. q. 82. a. 1. and the School-man be not deceived whil'st they teach us that every one doth naturally and necessarily desire his own Happiness For if that be so how can it be that a man should wholly neglect that thing wherein he understands and believes his onely happiness to consist So that the general reason why this work is so much neglected seems to be because either the end or the work which is necessary to it is not rightly understood or not duly believed My business therefore shall be as plainly as I can to inform the understanding in each particular that is both what this salvation is and what work is absolutely necessary to the attainment thereof But when this is done to undertake also to perswade the belief of it by any other evidence than will be contained in the respective explication and declaration of the matter of it from Scripture from whence onely it can be declared is not to be expected by Christians because their being such supposeth their belief of that evidence and is no less than a contradiction to the want of that faith Come we then to the first of our Enquiries viz. What this salvation is which the Text speaks of For the understanding of that word a fit rise may be taken from the interpretation of the blessed Name of Jesus given by the Archangel to the Mother of our Saviour the Author of this salvation Matth. 1.21 Thou shalt call his Name JESVS for he shall save his people from their sins There can be no doubt but that this is the salvation which our Text speaks of For salvation properly signifies preservation or deliverance from evil And all the evil that is in the world is either sin or the consequent and punishment of sin The first and the greatest evil is that of sin which being the cause of the evil of punishment that also is comprehended under the name of sin by an ordinary Metonymie But then to confine the signification of the word Sin in the Angel's Speech to this secondary and figurative sense wherein it 's taken for the punishment of sin with exclusion of the first and most proper sense cannot be reasonable except it may appear to be necessary which cannot be unless the design of this Jesus were onely to deliver men from the punishment and not at all from the dominion and practice of sin The contrary whereof is evident by those many Texts of Scripture wherein we are taught Matth 9.13 Acts 3.26 That he came to call sinners to repentance That God sent his son Jesus to bless us in turning away every one of us from his iniquities That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies Luke 1.74 75. might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life That God hath exalted him with his right hand Acts 5.31 to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins That he gave himself for our sins Gal. 1.4 that he might redeem us from this present evil world i. e. from the corruption and wickedness of the world That Tit. 2.14 he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works That he loved his Church Eph. 5.25 and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish That he died for all that they which live 2 Cor. 5.15 should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again That he was manifested to take away our sins 1 John 3.5 8. and that he might destroy the works of the Devil 1 Pet. 1.18 That we are redeemed by his blood from our vain conversation unto God Rev. 5.8 Who his own self bare our sins i. e. 1 Pet. 2.24 25. the punishment of them iâ— his own body on the tree that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness By all these Texts and many more of like import it appears that the design of Christ was to save us not onely from the punishment of our sins but also and first from that which makes us liable to punishment that is from the power and practice of sin And as the word save is thus to be
of Faith we met withall before and if there were not some other of Repentance as easie it were scarce possible for men to perswade themselves they have repented of their Sins without any actual sincere reformation of their lives Or to believe that the last hour of their lives is time enough for this work when they know such a reformation is altogether impossible But I am not in this place to enter upon the common place of Repentance or to discourse 〈◊〉 the various acceptions of the word My design iâ— only to shew what that Repentance is which iâ— necessary to be wrought out in order to a man's salvation And that will be learned most compendiously from a remarkable Text of Saint Pauls 2 Cor. 7.10 For godly Sorrow worketh Repentance to Salvation never to be repented of Where it is first to be observed that the rise or spring of Repentance is * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Godly Sorrow or â— Sorrow according to God which inports first a due sight and sense oâ— Sin secondly a hearty sorrow for it as it relatâ— to God that is as it is a transgression of the Law of God and so injurious and offensive â— Him and not only as it is noxious or perilous â— our selves There may be a true Godly sorrow as well foâ— the sufferings as the sins of others But the sorrow which is apt to bring forth repentance is a sorrow for our own sins And two things there are in Sin which are the just matter and motive of a Godly sorrow 1. The nature of it 2. The effects and consequents of it 1 Joh. 3.4 Rom. 2.15 The proper nature of sin is the transgression of Gods Law whether written in the Bible or in the Heart The Effects of sin do referre either to God or to our Selves and our Brethren Those which respect God are his displeasure and his dishonour For all sin is both displeasing and dishonourable to God upon the same account because it is a transgression of his will Those which respect our selves are â—ll manner of evils privative and positive that may accrue to us from sin either by the nature or by the punishment thereof Now albeit these â—atter events of sin be just matter of sorrow â—nd that sorrow may also conduce to the effect of â—epentance yet is not this properly called Godly sorrow because it is not a sorrow for Gods cause so â—uch as for our own And the root of it is self-â—ove rather than the love of God I conclude â—herefore that the proper object and motive of â—odly sorrow is sin as sin considered with â—â—e event that necessarily proceeds from it as such â—â—z the dishonour of God with his just displeasure â—hich being the greatest evil in the world is the â—â—â—test matter of Sorrow The glory of God and his â—â—vour are the most desirable good things and â—â—ght to be the highest ends that we should proâ—ound to our selves and most to be rejoyced in â—nd therefore the contraries of these things his â—ishonour and his displeasure ought above all â—â—ings to be averted and grieved for And the â—â—rrow for sin upon these considerations is the â—ost Godly sorrow because it implies a love to God with a conversion of our wills unto his will from which by sin it had been averted This is thaâ— Sorrow which is signified by the Scholastiâ— term of Contrition the abstract of the concreâ— word so oft used in Scripture Contrite to expresse the disposition of a penitent heart Thâ— Latin word Poenitere and the English to Repeâ— do first and most properly signifie to be sorry â— a thing done amiss And the word Repentanâ— in Scripture doth sometimes signifie no more thâ— this But in this Text and all others where 〈◊〉 hath the promise of salvation or remission of â— annexed to it Repentance hath a further signifiâ— tion Which is The second thing to be observed from â— Apostle's words towards the rectification of meâ— judgments concerning the notion of Christian Râ—pentance which is available to Salvation viz. that is not a bare sorrow for sin though it be a goesorrow much less every kind of sorrow A nâ— may have sorrow for sin more than enough aâ— yet be as far from repentance to Salvation as Juâ— was who is expresly said to have repented hâ—self Matth. 27.3 His heart was desperately 〈◊〉 mortally wounded with the sense of his â— and sorrow for it But a godly forrow it was â— that brings forth repentance to Salvation but â— quite contrary the sorrow of the world that brâ— forth death Act. 1.25 and hastened his dispâ— to his own place where there a good store of such penitents weeping and waing and gnashing their teeth without dâ— for their sins that brought them thither Judâ— case was indeed very miserable if we consider a repentance wherein there seems to be a distinct example of all three parts of the Scholastical repentance As first such a deep Attrition as by the Pontifician Doctrin seemed to want nothing to have turned it into Contrition but Absolution which considering his free and particular Confession the second part of his Repentance I have sinned in betraying innocent blood and that joyned with a voluntary satisfaction the third part in his bringing again the thirty pieces of silver was unmercifully denied him by the chief Priests Matth. 27.3 4 5. But Judas his conscience could not be satisfied much less his sin discharged with all this repentance which yet was a great deal more than that which is commonly presumed to be sufficient For most people think if their consciences be pricked with the sense of their sins so that they can say they are sorry for them let it be upon what consideration it will they are truly penitent especially if this sorrow be but distinguished from that of Judas by a presumptuous hope and confidence of pardon And much more if they can but deceive themselves into a present sleight purpose of some amendment of their lives Then they think they are out of danger and may build upon the promise of the Gospel for a certain Pardon Whereas by the necessary sense of this Text it is perfectly evident that the most sincere sorrow for sin is not in it self a compleat repentance but a cause and a preparative to it For Godly sorrow worketh repentance But the cause and the effect cannot be the same thing nothing can produce it self But because Godly sorrow if it be right will work repentance therefore it may in some case where there is no time for any works to be brought forth be accepted for Repentance upon the same account by which the will is accepted for the deed when it is a sincere firm and ratified Will which God only can judg of and which it is scarce possible for any man to know of himself without some reasonable trial And therefore there is small comfort for any man in a repentance that hath proceeded no farther God may
somtimes by accident through infirmity or inadvertency act such things as are opposite to this end but make it their constant work study and chief business so to do Living so as if their design were to work out and assure their own damnation As if they were not only contented to be damned but ambitious of preferment in the Kingdom of darkness Treasuring up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath Instead of labouring to be reconciled to God they strive continually to augment the anger of God who is a consuming fire and make themselves irreconcilable to him blowing up the fire of his wrath instead of studying to fulfil the conditions of the Promises they do as it were set themselves to accomplish the conditions of the Threatnings Working with both hands earnestly as the Mica 7.3 Prophet speaks i.e. with might and main such things as they do themselves believe and know to be inconsistent with any present hopes of Salvation How many Gallants are there that think they have nothing else to do no work that they can or will find Tit. 3.3 but to serve diverse lusts and pleasures Are there not many that make it their whole imployment and travail to pursue ungodly designes of lawless pleasure ambition covetousness malice revenge or saction Yea and many so professedly vitious and debauched as to glory in their wickedness striving to outvie other men in sin that affect and are ambitious to seem more vile vitious than they are greater Drunkards Whoremasters or Cheats than indeed they are Making themselves guilty by their vain pretentions of many acts of sin which they never were able to commit Hear ô Heavens and be astonished ô Earth that men that are reasonable should as it were in despite and affront of their own reason wilfully prefer the depths of Eternal misery before the utmost Height of all possible Felicitie That they should despise all promises that are valuable to an immortal Soul nay that they should flie from Salvation and â—urt their own Destruction That they should be â— love with death and be so zealous for Hell â—hat men should be so malicious to their own â—ouls such Abaddons and Apollyons to themâ—lves as to combine with the Devil to bring â—emselves into the same cursed state with him 〈◊〉 is the Devil's business to work out the final and â—recoverable damnation of men and because he â—nnot do it alone without their own assistance he â—â—s men a work to do it themselves Oh that men should be so caitively disposed as industriously to â—dermine ruine and utterly subvert their own Salvation How dreadful it is to see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil â—ow men will cark and care what â—fficulties perils and pains they will undergo to assure their own â—erdition what vehement distasts â—hey have to holiness purity and â—iety what passionate doting affectiâ—ons to vice How impatient and angry they will be at any thing or person that hinders their progress towards the mouth of the bottomless pit 2. With these are to be joyned such as do not only refuse to work out their own Salvation but under and discourage others as much as they can from this work by mocking and laughing at them that are so solicitous so careful for such a melanâ—holy design that are so tender-conscienced as not â—o run with them to the same excesse of riot that are so fearfull of doing any thing that may barr them from Salvation or leaving undone any thing that may be necessary to attain it that are so scrupulous of their words and actions that make such a do about this business of saving their Souls and spend so much time in the works of Religion Praying Fasting Watching Reading Hearing Meditating Such also as tempt and solicit men to neglect this work and to addict themselves to contrary practices Oh that these men would consider whose agents they are What direct adversaries they are to the Gospel taking up Arms against the design of the Saviour of the world joyning with the Devil to oppose the Salvation of Men and to promote their damnation How exactly Satanical they are How they out-malice the Jews and Turks and vie malice with the Devil himself whiles they tempt men and women to act contrary to that Gospel which they believe to be true as he doth whiles they mock and discourage men from doing such things as they know to be good as the Devil doth And like him are not willing to be damned alone but ambitious of gaining Proselytes to him and filling up the Regiments of that Prince of darkness I have no words sharp enough to pursue the reproof of these men And therefore must leave them to the more powerful rebukes of their own Consciences Which if they be not possessed with a dumb Devil cannot but tell them they must never look to be saved til that comfortable heresie of Origen be approved for sound Doctrine that is That God not only would have all men to be saved but will save all Devils and all at last 3. An other sort of men there are not altogether so desperate as these elder sons of Belial no such zealous servants of Beelzebub but yet as negligent in the service of God as these are diligent in the Devil's work as careless in the working out their â—wn Salvation as others are despeate in seeking their â—wn destruction Men that are something afraid â—f Hell but have very cold and faint affections for deaven Men that could be content to be saved â—ather than be damned to Everlasting fire but â—ave little or no ambition care or sollicitude for â—heir own Salvation They dare not make such post â—ast to Hell-ward but withall have as little hast towards Heaven That live as if they were indifferent whether they be saved or no That can â—â—â— and hear Preachers discourse of Heaven and â—alvation with as little or less affection than they will hear or read a good Tale or a Romance and regard it no more than if it were but a Poetical description of the Elizian fields a Platonical Idea or a good fashionable piece of religious Invention and speculation a good honest Fraud devised to â—osen men of the pleasure of their lusts and to fright or flatter them into a civil life That seem by their carriage to imagin we are not in earnest when we perswade men to take so much care for an other world O how do the greatest number of Christians by profession slight vilisie and neglect this great Salvation and all those rich and precious promises of the Gospel as if they were some inconsiderable trifles not worth the regarding whereas if it be but a carnal or worldly interest that a man hath to work out some good purchase or bargain a good place of preferment or some choice piece of pleasure he will never leave working by himself and his friends till he hath effected it his head will be waking and plotting night and day to bring it
about He will spare no travail no pains to gain his end How doth the Covetous maâ— cark and care and drudg to get wealth The ambitious man to get honour The voluptuons man to satisfie his brutish sensual appetite Whiles this spiritual eternal Interest is so generally neglected as if it were a matter of no valuable concernment Whereas no common notion or principle of truth can be more evident than this is That this Salvation if men admit the truth of it is the only true and supream interest of a man as a Man The common interest of all Creatures is Their safety and welfare Now who is there that understands and believes any thing meant by this term of Salvation that doth not know that it is that wherein consists his only possible safetie and happiness There are indeed some other petty points of temporal safety and content in this world which some men call happiness But in truth he deserves not the name of a Man much less of a Christian that doth think his chiefest Good can consist in any thing that this world can afford Nay that doth not consider which is somthing more than to know the notorious vanity of all this worlds goods both in regard of the imperfection of the matter of them and in respect of the uncertainty of the duration Who doth not know that it is utterly impossible to secure his temporal injoyments for any definite time though never so short But if that could be it is not possible for any man of the largest fancy in the world to name set down or imagin what portion of worldly things would fully content him so that if he could work out the obtainment thereof his desires would be so fully satisfied as not to extend any â—urther as to any more of the same or to any other things Doubtless it is experimentally and sensibly evident to all but Idiots and Infants that all the Objects which this world affords are â—o more able to fill the capacitie of humane Deâ—ires than a pint of water would be to fill up the whole channel of the Sea or to satisfie the thirst of the droughty Earth On the other side he that believes the Gospel cannot but believe that this Salvation once effectually wrought out and obtained secures a man from all possibilities of evil and brings with it as perfect a fulness of happiness as the nature of Man is capable of and that this safety and happiness in this state of Salvation once possessed is secured to Eternity beyond any fear of mutation And is it not then a stupendious piece of irrationality for any man that knows and believes all this to neglect the working of it out that is either not at all to regard it or to make it no more than a meer by-business the least part of his care Yet what is more common than this extremity of folly even amongst them who are not the worst of Christians When they go about any thing towards this end how pitifully do they go to work Instead of this fear and trembling this spiritual shaking palsy they are possessed with a torpedo a dead palsy or numbnesse as if every faculty of the Soul and Body were crampt When they come to hear the Gospel of Salvation and to receive instruction how to work it out which is the main end and scope of our preaching what lazy listless yawning postures do they appear in How wearily do they sit If they pray how cold heartless and Zeal-less is their formal devotion If they give Alms how penurious how degenerous is their charity Notwithstanding that the Author of this Salvation hath so frequently and particularly described this as a special means of working out ouâ— Salvation Yet except men can find out some other end advantage or motive for their charity what a poor pittance is it that they will part with upon this design When men are frequently admonished exhorted and perswaded by the most powerfull applications of Gods word to the duties of mortification self-denial watchfulness holiness of conversation how will they strain their wits to invent excuses and pretences to evade the necessity of these practices There is nothing that we have so perfectly learned from our first Parens as the art of excusing our selves from our Duties and our Sins Nothing that men so vehemently desire as to evade the power of Divine Grace when it makes towards their Souls by the preaching of the Word When the holy Ghost makes towards them to overshadow them to the end that Christ might be conceived and formed in them How strongly is he resisted How does the harlot mind strive to prevent the conception of Grace or to force abortion Such a desperate aversness there is in the Carnal mind to the kindness of the Divine Spirit flying from his approaches loathing his imbraces despising his allurements sleighting his rich presents and bountifull promises strugling against all his importunities Whereas let but the unclean Spirit come with any sleight temptation to corrupt and deflowr the Soul no common Strumpet is so ready to prostitute her body as the carnal man is to abandon his Soul to the lusts of the Devil And what is the reason why the spiritual and heavenly promises of the Gospel are so much despised Why There is a double prejudice which the nature of all men hath against them 1. Because they are promises of future Happiness 2 Because that Happinesse is spiritual and heavenly 1. Because they are but promises of Happiness to come in another world and those generally confronted with some variety of present injoyments in this world which must be relinquished either in whole or in part by him that will build his hope upon those promises Without doubt the consideration which so much abates the sense that carnal men have both of that extremity of Misery which is threatned and also of all that Felicity which is promised in another world is the futurity of both at such an uncertain distance of time And consequently this is one of the chiefest reasons of all that stupidity which is shewn in their so great neglect of this Salvation So impotently childish and sottish are the passions of men that a dram of present pleasure appears more valuable to them than a thousand talents of future gain which is a judgment so perfectly brutish as deserves not to be confuted by sober Reason 2. An other Prejudice that carnal men have against the promises of the Gospel is from the matter of them which is spiritual and heavenly haveing nothing of the Turkish carnal Paradise in it Nothing that flesh and bloud the habitual sinner can tell what to make of Those high raised priviledges of the Beatifical Vision the inheritance of the Saints in light heavenly glory the Crown of life and those things which are above where Christ fits at the right hand of God are things that have no juice no taste in them to carnal minds who are not easily
brought to understand or believe there can be any true felicity or pleasure in any thing which is not carnal and sensual But this is not only an infallible Symptom of Infidelity but a degree of Sottishness beneath that of the better sort of Epicureans There is yet one branch of Reprehension remaining and that belongs to the presumptuous The persons I have hitherto been speaking of are such as do either obstinately oppose or wretchedly neglect this duty as not having it in design to work out their own Salvation and so are most directly peccant against the matter of this precept But there are others no less to be reproved for their deficiency in the manner of performing it Being such as do indeed project and expect to be saved but are extreamly far from any such thing as that fear and trembling which the Text requires But instead of that they are transported with presumptuous confidences and vain hopes built upon the sands of their own Imaginations promising themselves to be saved upon far easier terms than those which from the Gospel have been declared As upon a meer idle fruitless faith that is either an historical dogmatical beleif of the truth of the Gospel of Christ that indeed there was and yet is such a Person as Jesus Christ and that he was a true Prophet sent from God and the Messiah the Son of God and that which is written of him in the Gospel is no fable but real truth Some of which things are as well believed by Turks and all by the Devil more effectually than by them for the Devils believe and tremble Or else nothing but a certain fiducial confidence in Christ as a Saviour only without regarding him as a Lord or having any respect to his precepts as of any necessity to Salvation Hereupon they never doubt of their Salvation or if they do against their wills they account it their greatest sin as if it were indeed no less than the doubting the truth of Gods promises This hath been taught by many to be the only true justifying saving Faith And no wonder that men have been apt to entertain such an easie Doctrine and that having entertained it they are carried away with presumption to think nothing else of necessity required to qualifie them for Salvation Certainly flesh and blood cannot wish an easier way to Heaven than this is But this error in them that can and do read or hear the Scriptures of the New Testament as well as the Old can be no other than willfully affected There being so many hundred Texts of the same Scriptures altogether as clear and positive as any that can seem to favour this Doctrin that require other conditions and qualifications for Salvation than that of Faith besides many that do sufficiently declare that this is not the Faith to which Salvation is any where promised I say hundreds of Texts are found in Scripture which do as plainly and as positively as is possible declare that Repentance Holiness of Life Mortification of fleshly Lusts with all Duties of Piety and Love to God and our Neighbour are Conditions of Salvation no less necessary and indispensable than Faith is And many Texts before alledged that do clearly shew the true justifying Faith to be no other than such as works all these things in the unfeigned Believer and therefore comprehends them all in those Texts where it is made the sole Condition of Salvation Faith that purifies the heart that overcomes the World that is obedient to Christ If these Texts be as good Gospel and as Authentick as any of those which make mention of Faith alone without any additions or interpretations what can it be but wilful presumption to expect Salvation upon such a Faith as is not joyned with these Conditions Others there are who do quit themselves of all this fear and trembling all the sollicitude which the Text requires upon a summary Consideration and Confidence of God's mercy Let their Lives be what they will God is merciful they are sure especially to such as trust in him and that they are resolved to do whatever Duty else they neglect And though they do not deny his Justice yet they will hope in his Mercy even against Hope And why may not the Devil do so too if he could Doth not he know that God is merciful O but he knows He will not be so to him And how doth he know that Hath he any greater assurance of it than this Revelation of his Will And is not his Word so Yet they will never believe that God will be so severe in his Last Judgment as he seems to be in his Threatnings but that his tender Mercies Psal 145.9 are above all his Word as well as his Works That he is more merciful than not to save his own Creature though he saith the contrary He that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them Isai 27.11 will shew them no favour more merciful than just or true or holy more merciful in his Deeds than true in his Words That he doth not mean as he saith though he swear to it when he threatens damnation to men Heb. 3.11.18 19. and that they shall never enter into his Rest Divers other grounds there are of Presumption whereby wretchless Souls in favour of the Flesh to ease themselves of the Yoke as well of the Gospel as of the Law are wilfully deceived Such are all single Instances of partial Vertue as Temperance Continence just Dealing some Works of pretended Charity some particular practices of External Piety an outward Profession of Religion siding with Parties Forms of Godliness without the power thereof Freedom from some kinds of gross Vices that others live in The Pharisee's plea They are not as other men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers c. they are no Murtherers Thieves common Drunkards no Hereticks nor Schismaticks nor Rebels c And what then Why without doubt if they say true they shall not be damned for any of these Vices And therefore they shall be saved They Fast and give Tithes and Alms too yet have no Charity 1 Cor. 13.3 as did the Pharisee And shall not they be saved No surely if our Saviour must be the Judge and will keep to his Word For I say unto you saith he that except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5.20 But I shall conclude my Application with a serious endeavour to give force and efficacy to the Exhortation of my Text first by some powerful Arguments Secondly by some general Directions for the practice of this so important a Duty I shall begin with the Arguments or Motives whereof the first is to be drawn from the Consideration of the infinite Concernment of this Business The infinite weight worth and moment of this End hath been already declared in the beginning of this Discourse in answer to the
to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity viz. to all Men as well 〈◊〉 Strangers and Enemies as Brethren to distinguish it from brotherly kindness or kindness to the Brethren that is to all Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Wherefore the rather Bretheren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall For so an Entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Where note these three things 1. That to give diligence to make our Calling and Election sure is the same thing as to work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling For Calling and Election do signifie the free Grace and Mercy of God whereby Christians are called and elected to the state of Salvation by him that hath given unto us all things that pertain to Life and Godliness through the Knowledge of him that hath called us to Glory and Vertue vers 3. Life and Godliness Glory and Vertue are the things that comprehend the full sense of the word Salvation first declared as it signifies The being saved from our Sins that is from the power and practice of Sin as well as from the guilt and punishment thereof And to give diligence to make our Calling and Election sure is to take care that this Grace by which we are Called and Elected may prove effectual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 firm and permanent and that we may obtain the benefit which was designed us thereby 2. The Direction given by the Apostle to this end is to add to our Faith Vertue c. that is to apply our selves with all diligence to the constant practice of all these Vertues and to labour for a proficiencie in them If these things be in you and abound and if ye do these things c. which agrees with the interposition of those words in the Vulgar Latin and some ancient Greek Copies vers 10. Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by good Works to make your Calling and Election sure Our Calling and Election is to be made sure that is firm and effectual by good Works in the practice of the above-named Vertues And this is to work out our own Salvation 3. This Direction is urged with an Argument drawn from the assured success in the use thereof in those words If ye do these things ye shall never fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For so an Entrance shall be ministred or afforded unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ The latter words do plainly shew that the assurance of our Calling and Election 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expressed vers 10. doth not referr only if at all in this place to that certitude of the Subject as it is ordinarily called that is to our being assured or confident that we are Called and Elected or to our acquiring a certain Plerophorie of faith or hope that we are at present in the favour of God and in a state of Salvation but signifies also and rather a certainty of the Object that is that our Calling and Election shall be and remain firm and effectual See Rom. 4.16 and 15.8 unto our entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of Christ which certitude ariseth from the performance of the conditions of the Promise of entrance into that Kingdom A second Text of like general direction to this end is in Tit. 2. v. 11 12 13. For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath appeared or hath appeared to all men For the Greek words are indifferent to either Reading teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for the blessed Hope c. Where we are taught by the grace of God that bringeth Salvation that is by the Gospel what manner of Conversation is required of them that look to be partakers of this blessed hope of Salvation to wit that denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts not indulging themselves in any known Sin against first or second Table they should live soberly in reference to themselves and their own Bodies in all temperance and chastity and righteously towards all others in all acts of Justice and Charity and Godly to God-ward in all Piety and Holiness of inward and outward worship both private and publick Hereunto agrees that of S. John 1 Joh. 3.2 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure And a compleat paraphrase of that Text we have in the words of S. Paul 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Salvation is promised in the Gospel under condition of sanctification 2 Thes 2.13 And is therefore no otherwise to be wrought out than by a through cleansing of our selves from all kinds and degrees of pollution both of Soul and body as far as is possible and labouring to perfect holiness in the fear of God I shall mention but one Text more by way of general Direction what a Christian should do to work out his own Salvation and that shall be from the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.58 Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast and unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. The word therefore referrs to the precedent discourse that takes up the whole chapter containing an ample confirmation and explication of that grand Article of Christian Faith viz. the Resurrection of the Faithfull to Everlasting life and the final accomplishment of their Salvation from sin and death The truth of which Doctrine to him that believes it affords an argument abundantly sufficient to perswade and incourage him to all that may be necessary or profitable to the attaining unto this blessed estate wherein his labour will be so fully recompenced And therefore together with this argument from the certainty of the reward the Apostle concludes his discourse with special directions how it is to be attained shewing 1. What that work is which is to be done to this end 2. How it is to be persued viz. with all constancy and diligence 1. He sheweth what that work is which is to be done by him that looketh for this reward It must be the work of the Lord and what 's that our Saviour hath told us in the Text before quoted Joh. 6.29 This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent But this