this Idol It 's now in Vogue and puts on many various shapes I could reckon several but shall forbear the Schemes of them till afterwards I mention them now only to show Satan's Diligence in Obscuring and Perplexing this Case that is of greatest Concern to our Souls of any in this World or the World to come and should not we be as diligent in Searching out and Contending for this Faith once deliver'd to the Saints since it is a Title to so great an Estate our Charter for Heaven And yet for the weak Christian's Comfort I must say the Doctrine may be Fundamental that may have many Problematic Questions about it that the Ignorance Doubts or Errors in will be but as the Stubble and Hay upon a good Foundation Ill Management of our Plea at a Tribunal of Grace will not make us lose the Cause when uttermost diligence is given Once more under Correction I believe that serious Christian that holds Faith as the Instrument of Justification in his Profession and the other that earnestly Contends it bears the room of a Condition often have not the least difference in their Idea's or Thoughts when they plead their Cause in Prayer before God yet when Ministers inculcate in People's Ears they may yea ought to plead their good Works at the Day of Judgment as lately has been it will soon breed this Difference in Ignorant People's Minds and they who are Teachers of others ought to be better instructed themselves A 6th Help Because the Purity of this Doctrine of Justification from any Mixture of Man's Works or Merits with it is the greatest Blessing of the Reformation from Popery In England the Discipline was very little altered the Idolatry of Worshipping of Saints fell as a Consequent of this Doctrine that ascribes all Merit to Jesus Christ This Doctrine was the Everlasting Gospel Prophesy'd of Rev. 14.6 7. and was fulfill'd in the Preaching of Zuinglius and Luther and they who followed them they were the first of the Witnesses or Protestants God illuminated with this Doctrine and encourag'd them to bear their Testimony for it thorough all manner of Persecutions For the Gospel is the Doctrine of Christ's Righteousness his Righteousness is the Evangelical Righteousness Rom. 1.17 c. 3.20 21 22. c. 9.31 32. c. 10.3 and the Righteousness of Faith or by it it is the Test of a Protestant and Shibboleth of an Heretick It is says Luther Articulus stantis aut cadentis Ecclesiae and Augustine before him Ecclesia discernit justos ab injustis non Lege Operum sed Lege Fidei And there is great Reason for it it has such an Influence on all other Doctrinal and Practical Truths The Deity of Christ if not God no Value in the Satisfaction the Trinity if no distinct Persons no Mediator Original Sin for if all not lyable to Death guilty Sinners no need of his Righteousness c. There is no fear of relapsing into Popery by any Person on whose Heart this Doctrine is impress'd but there is ground to fear that Luther was a true Prophet who said Post mortem nostram hac Doctrina rursus obscurabitur As we would Value the faithfulness of our Ancestors who suffered Martyrdom for propagating this Doctrine to us it is the most precious Inheritance we enjoy as we would Value our own Souls for there is no escaping Wrath if we neglect so great a Salvation Heb. 3. as we Value the Sacred Revelations of God for this is the Marrow of it we would seriously set about this Study How shall I be Justified before God What doth Christ's Righteousness contribute to a Sinner's Salvation What Kindness has our Lord Jesus Christ for poor Sinners But I shall come to the Words which contains these two things 1. The Explicatory Repitition of the former Proposition that Abraham found nothing as to the Flesh for if Abraham was justified by Works 2. An Argument for the Proof of it because he had nothing to Glory in before God To begin with the first of these though the Proposition is Explicatory yet such is the Subtilty of Satan and his Diligence in filling the World with darkness of Error and reflecting his black Clouds upon the Light of Scripture that the Explication it self needs a Comment or rather a Defence The 1. Thing to be explain'd is the Signification of the Word it self Justifie Never was there Word of greater Moment or Concern for Justification is the Soul of Religion and Marrow of the Gospel without it nothing in the whole Scripture could Comfort a Sinner never was Word matter of greater Strife and Contention and yet never less Reason for it but the greatness of its influence for bringing Souls out of Satans Kingdom makes it Satans principal Butt and Aim the most of all other Disputations of Religion end in Criticism but this begins with it The 1st Question is between us and Papists with whom the Swinckfeldians take part that is Whether this Word Justifie in St. Pauls Epistles especially in this when it treats of our Righteousness the Ground of our Pardon before the Tribunal of God is to be taken in a Physical or a Forensick Sense Whether for sanctifying a Sinner and making an unjust Person just or for a judicial Absolving of a guilty accused Person from the charge brought against him The latter is the common Sence and Tessera of a Protestant and the former the Shiboleth of a Papist excepting Grotius and his Followers who in this and worse take part with Papists Therefore this shall be the first Assertion That it is a Justidiction not a Justification of a Moral or Politick and Relative not an absolute Nature 1. Arg. Tho' the Word it self is barbarous in the Latin Tongue and made by Divines for the most genuine near and faithful Translation of the Original Text yet the Latin will favour this Sence for Justifica mens deorum Catul Signifies their juridical Distributions of Rewards and Punishments and an Adopted Son is call'd justus filius from Jus Right and in English we use the Word Magnifie and Glorifie not for making but esteeming Great and Glorious The Hebrew with all its Oriental Daughters do far more Confirm this Sence for one of their Conjugations usually adds declaring to the Primitive Signification as Barar pure in Arabick the Conjugation Taphahalah makes it signifie he clear'd himself or justified himself juridically in the Heb. Tame polluted Levit. 13.12 signifies to pronounce Unclean which in this Word Zadak to Justifie holds almost always in all the six Oriental Languages in Hiphiâ— as to the Greek we find it about thirty six or thirty eight times in the New Testament always in this Sence declaring esteeming or judging Just the shortest Method of the Proof is by instances of these Texts that the Papists plead for and some Protestants are willing to yield that it often signifies Forensically the Papist themselves grant the Principal place is Revel 22.11 A Forensick Justification is not
The Goodness of God would not suffer our Justification to be sooner for he would not keep us out of Possession of what is our Right if as a just Judge he Justified us as a Merciful Governour he would Treat us as such and let us have the Common Priviledge of Free Subjects which is his Spirit Not the later for his Justice could not give to a condemned Criminal without the Imputation of Mediatorial Satisfaction the greatest of the Favours and best of the Blessings of his Kingdom but whatever Arguments proved the former Proposition proves this As for the Antinomian Notion of Justification from Eternity it seems more absurd than the Eternity of the World There is a Threefold Use this Doctrine affords of Tryal to the Doubtfull of Support to the Dejected and of Conviction to the Carnal secure Person As to the First Whatever doth prove the Sincerity of a mans Faith the Reality of his Regeneration may be to him a sure Index and Token of his Pardon since Regeneration it self is the Justificatory Sentence As to the Second Whether the dejection or despair of Mind arise from the greatness of Sin the Violence of Temptations the strength of Lust the multitude of Backslidings or long continuance in that comfortless State or from such speculative Doctrines as the Fewness of the Chosen and fixedness of the Number of them for whom Christ died yet this one thing may support the Soul and fill it with the Joy of a pardon'd Criminal that if there be the least dram of Grace though small as a Mustard-seed Mat. 17.20 thy State is secur'd whatever come of others or however uneasie our present Condition be For the Third It is a vain thing for that man to live in Hopes and trust in Gods Mercy and Christs Satisfaction without any inward Change in the Temper of his Mind for the Sentence of Justification is never pass'd upon him untill he be Regenerate Thus the Apostle argues Rom. 6. obviating that Objection If Grace be glorified in the Pardon of Sin let us continue in sin that Grace may abound He answers How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein He that is dead is justified from sin These two are inseparable a Justification from the Guilt of sin and a Mortication from the Power and Pollution of sin I come now to the other Term of the Proposition Works which I shall first Explain by several distinguishing Characters and then secondly come to the Proposition and shew in what sense the one is deny'd Of the other how far Works are excluded from Justification For the first 1. They are Good Works neither Jews nor Gentiles ever pretended that God would justifie us for bad Works that the same should be matter of Condemnation and Justification that what needs a Pardon should deserve a pardon 2. Not meerly Good in Mens Opinions the Pharisees thought their Works better than they were Luke 16.15 they did highly esteem what God did abominate and justified themselves for it for Paul might then and should have brought Arguments to prove they would be Condemn'd for their Works And 2ly would have Corrected their Error as Christ did Mat. 5. by shewing their Works were not good they came not up to the Extent and Spirituality of the Law 3. The Apostle argues against the Works of the Law Rom. 3.20 and the Law it self v. 27. and 4.13 not against a misinterpretation of the Law Christ calls that Mat. 5. said of old and said of them the Opinion and Tradition of Rabbins not the Law and Works of the Law It 's a sandy Foundation which some lay for their Comments Systems and Sermons that only the works here meant are Mosaical in the Pharisaical sense of them without one word of proof for it for then the fault or defect would be in the Law not in the Works by the Law for this Law say some of them had only Temporal Rewards and Punishments 3. All Humane Actions works in general not as Grotius only External Works Aristotle and his Followers distinguish between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Works and Actions But Divinity that has only the Morality of Actions for its formal Object cannot exclude Internal where all Morality lyes The External works of the Apostles are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Acts as their famous and Sacred History is entituled and 1 Thes 1.3 Faith and Love are styl'd Works Besides we find Obedience Righteousness and Works of the same import through the Scripture and especially in this Epistle Rom. 6.16 of Obedience unto Righteousness and without Works and without a Man 's own Righteousness are of the same import 4. Good Works are the Fruits of the Spirit Ephâ—s 5.9 The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness rigbteousness and truth Galat. 5.22 5. Good Works are wrought by a Righteous Man Mat. 7.18 A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit neither c. Ephes 2.10 The Apostle proves that we are saved not of Works because Good Works follow our being God's Workmanship 6. Good Works must be according to Divine Command for that is the Rule and Standard between Good and Bad as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 John 3.4 is the formal Nature of Sin so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the formal Nature of Good Works Deut. 4.2 Good Works are call'd Righteousness because according to the Law that is the measure of the Creators right to his Creatures and of the fellow Creatures to one another Hence we are always sent to the Law and to the Testimonies if not according to these there is neither Truth nor Goodness in them Johannes Agricola the Ring-leader of Antinomians is usually condemn'd amongst Divines and it s said was Converted by Luther from this Error That Repentance was taught by the Gospel and not by the Law for the Law is the Rule of all Obedience the Gospel is a Doctrine of Joy Luke 2.10 A word of Grace Acts 20.29 because it brings the tydings of pardon to guilty Persons The Law teaches Man's Righteousness but the Gospel teaches God's Righteousness Rom. 1.17.3.21 And hence our State being mixed of Law and Gospel no Works are truly good and acceptable to God by the Law alone Not from a defect in the Law but a defect in us that cannot fulfill it Hence 7. No work is good without Faith Heb. 11.6 Rom. 14. last There is some deformity in every action by reason of some defect or want of its Conformity to the Law And 8 Its action needs a Pardon as well as every Person and therefore are only acceptable in the Name of Christ Coloss 3.17 Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus The doing in Faith and the doing in his Name are all One so 't is a Justifying Faith that 's needed to justifie every action and this Composition makes the Actions truly good and as acceptable to God as those that were no ways deficient
than the others for v. 3. Abraham had Believ'd for Ten Years and yet his Works not Imputed to him and so Paul Gal. 2.16 1 Cor. 4.4 2. If Works after Faith be most Meritorious then there is most Matter of Boasting from them but Abraham had none to boast of therefore none that could Merit 3. The Works of Believers 1. Are Due 2. Not our own 3. Imperfect therefore cannot Merit But tho' there are different Opinions about what Works are excluded there is an Agreement about what Works are included Faith as a Work as the Matrimonial Consent pregnant of all the Duties of Marriage Repentance is included Sincere Obedience is included which I shall endeavour to refute on the fourth Verse The Second thing proposed was In what Sense they are Excluded I shall Treat this 1. Positively 2. Comparatively 3. Give Account of the different Notions and Respects under which others think they may be Included For the First the Text excludes them indefinitely in all respects that may be brought under the Particles with of or by for not by Works without works are the Apostle's Terms For tho' Works are the Effects Evidences Concomitants Properties of our Justification yet Justification is not by them for by denotes some Causal Influence either by Efficacy or Dignity and Works have no such Influence on our Justification 2. Comparatively they are more excluded from our Justification here on Earth before God than at the great Day of Judgment Works have a less Influence on our being Called and Entered a Member of the Church Militant here below than on our Entering the Triumphant State in Heaven for the former is meerly a Matter of Right and our Works have neither Being nor Dignity for that End but the latter is Matter of Possession and many things are requisite to Possession that are not to Purchase Our Justification at the Great Day requires Proof of our being Justified here and many things are Necessary to the Proof of Justification that are not Necessary to the first being of it Yet I much doubt any formal Process the bare appearance of the Persons in Sanctity and Glory is evidence enough 1. In Order to our going to Heaven besides the Necessity of Precept Gratitude For Right good Works are real Means of Order Preparation of our selves and helping of others thither 2. Good Works have a real Efficacy in them as all Actions have to beget and strengthen a Habit. 3. Good Works have a real Congruity in them to make us meet and fit for that Holy Fellowship and Communion above 4. Good Works are the Necessary Effects of Justification and Sanctification the Spirit of God cannot dwell in a Soul without transforming it more and more into a Likeness to Christ 5. Good Works have a real Utility in 'em for heightning our Reward in Heaven Not that they can from their own dignity Merit Degrees of Happiness more than the Being of Happiness but from the beautiful and harmonious Order of Divine Providence in advancing us from one step to another and not Conferring Degrees per saltum there is no End of the Encrease of Christ's Kingdom as to its Blessings but its Encrease is by way of a Life in a perpetual and gradual Growth 6. Heaven is truly a Reward to our Holiness here by Virtue of Divine Order and Connexion from Divine Condescendency as Basil says Manet requies sempiterna non tanquam debitum operibus redditum sed secundum munificentissimi Dei gratiam Hysichius The Kingdom of Heaven is not the Reward of Works but is the prepared Grace of God And as another says It 's proposed as a Reward more to attract us to Duty than a due Debt of our Duty and it is rather the Righteousness of Christ by which all our Actions are rendered acceptable that is Rewarded than our Actions themselves Lastly Our good Works are Necessary to Heaven as the Beginning and Growth of a thing is Necessary to its Perfection as Sowing in the Spring is Necessary to Reaping in Harvest and our being Children in Order to our being Men. Perfect Holiness is as much the Condition of Heaven as Faith is of Justification and Ordinances of Conversion and rather more for there are Exceptions in the last but none in the first The Third thing proposed was the several respects that several Persons plead Works to be necessary in Order to our Justification and herein there is a greater Variety of Terms viz. A Tenor or Hold a Plea the Form or Matter Preparations Dispositions Conditions Moral Means Merits of Dignity or Congruity than there is in Thought and Opinion and so a greater variety of Persons Professions Names and Ages of the World than there is in the thing it self for all these very different Sentiments we may find amongst the Papists themselves 1. The grossest of them as Vasquez and Cajetan fay Our Works Merit from their own Dignity that God in strict Justice could not but Reward such Pains such Mortifications such Fastings and Prayers with Heaven or Eternal Happiness this not true of Adams Covenant But a second and more Moderate sort as Marsilius Leonardus c. admit of a Tripple Allay to render them Meritorious And the first is That Christ hath merited that our Works may Merit Ours as subordinate Conditions to an Interest in his The second is from Divine Ordination because though our Actions are not worth a Pardon yet he hath Promised both a Pardon and a Heaven for them A third that lays Foundation for the former is a natural Congruity and Aptness that the diligent Worker should have a Reward and the sincere Endeavourer should not be slighted when the Bounty doth not Empoverish but Honour the Donor and that a Penitent Person should be pardoned And ever since the Interim at the first Birth of the Reformation there has been a party amongst Protestants in little or nothing differing from them called sometimes Interimists Cassandrians Majorists Conditionalists Calixtians and others that have run as far to a no less dangerous extream as Amsdorfius who said Good Works were so far from being necessary to Justification that they were pernicious and hurtful to it I do not comprehend under Conditionalists all who have asserted the Covenant to be Conditional for they have explain'd themselves that they mean no more by it than the immediate and nearest means of these Blessings viz. Justification and Glory And add many Cautious and Negative Senses that destroy the proper Nature of a Condition some five some ten but I see no Reason for their Zeal against them who say it 's not Conditional since they say it 's three to one five to one more not Conditional than Conditional viz. it 's not Conditional Antecedently it 's not Conditional Naturally it 's not Conditinal Meritoriously it 's not Conditional Legally it 's not Conditional Uncertainly and yet cry Error Error if another say it 's not Conditional and call it a Disposition of Grace thorough means to a
Condition Eph. 1.5 Having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace if the Intention was Free why not the Execution Rom. 9.11 That the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of Works but of him that calleth Rom. 11.6 There is a Remnant according to the Election of Grace and if by Grace then is it no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace but if it be of Works then is it no more Grace otherwise Works are no more Works This Opposition is not between Grace and External Works but between the very Nature of Grace and Works they are repugnant they can no more be the Moral Causes or Motives of any one Action than one individual thing can be White and Black in the same part So our Calling is Free 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath sav'd us and call'd us with an Holy Calling not according to our Works but according to his own Purpose and Grace as Purpose gives Measure to Calling so Calling gives Measure to Justification Rom. 8.13 Whom he did predestinate them he also Call'd but it is equally free Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace What is wrought in the Soul by Calling has no more Influence in our Justification than our Justification has on our being Glorified Whom he Justified them he Glorified But Justification can never merit Glory being Gods Act but is only a Prior Blessing in Order this Equality of Freedom solves an Objection which is to many in appearance a great Argument for Admission of our Evangelical Obedience unto a Subordinate Merit or ground of Right to our Justification The Objection is founded on these Scriptures Rom. 4.14 If they which are of the Law be Heirs Faith is made void and the Promise is of none Effect Gal. 2.21 If Righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in Vain Chap. 5.4 Christ is become of none effect to you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from Grace The Objection is thus formed Our Works are no farther excluded from Justification than they exclude Faith Christ and the Promise from Justification but Evangelical Obedience Gospel or gracious Works do not exclude Grace for they are the Fruits of Grace nor Faith for they flow from it nor the Death of Christ for that has purchas'd it nor the Promise for they are conveyed through it therefore Gospel Obedience is not excluded from Justification Resp 1. This Evangelical Obedience does not exclude Grace Faith Christ and the Promise from our Sanctification thus explain'd Because it owns good Works to flow orderly from them all but it does not suffer them to have an equal Freedom in our Justification because these Works though the Fruits of Grace they are as much ours as Adams Works were For God was the Author of the Ability by which they were wrought therefore when what is ours truely and properly is a Legal or Federal Condition in order to enjoying the one and not the other makes a great difference between the Freedom of the one and the other All Christians Experience witnesses the Labour Pains and Sweat that is necessary to Mortification of Lusts and Exercise of Grace and by this Opinion we must look on Justification as the Reward of our own Labour thô we must look on Sanctification as a Free Gift 1. In particular there is a Derogation from the Fulness of Christ his Satisfaction to the Law was not Compleat if our Obedience to the Law be one Penny of the Price 2. From Grace that will be all or nothing in this Affair according to Rom. 11.6 it will admit of no Composition if Works come any way in as a Plea they must either be perfect or we must be condemned for there is no Law in Scripture requires less than Perfection the Law that requires Faith requires perfect Faith and the Law that requires Patience requires perfect Patience Therefore we must fall from Grace that is be certainly Condemned if justified by the Law So Works won't admit of Grace more than Grace will admit of Works Grace will have nothing the Law will have Perfection the Composition is a Contradiction 3. It derogates from Faith that is from its Office which is alone in this Work and that as receiving not as doing we are justified by Faith as we are nourished by our Appetite Hence is it call'd Eating Drinking Hungring Thirsting it is the Food not the Appetite that nourishes us 4. It derogates from the Promise because it Promises Remission of Sin Inheritance of Life freely but this puts in an exceptive Clause of something on our part first to be done Faith will be only Applicative alone in the Office tho' not in the Subject or not at all Christ will be alone the Meriting Cause or not at all Grace alone the End and Motive or not at all and therefore these Arguments are as strong against Compounders of Grace and Works as against Opposers because the Compounding is an Opposing Divine Wisdom and Order A Man that Digs tho' the Spade be borrow'd of his Master will not think his Wages Charity at Night but on as exact Justice due as he that digg'd with his own A Man that walks twenty Miles a day after his Lame Leg restor'd will never impute the Journey to the Physician And thus Christ and Free Grace tho' inabling us to Work would lose their Honour and Glory in Justification I am now come to the last part of the Text viz. The Law we may be justified by without ground and danger of boasting which is the Law of Faith All Christians are generally agreed that this Law is the Evangelical Law the Law of Chancery or Equity but all are not agreed about the Nature and Kind of that All agree that there can be no Salvation or Justification by the Moral Law in its full Rigour requiring Perfect Personal and Perpetual Obedience requiring the Righteousness of our Persons as well as our Works since Sin There must be some Room for Equity or none for Hopes there is a Triple Application of this Equity some applies it to the Sanction of the Law some to the Duty of the Law and some to the Persons subject to the Law The first is Originisme saying the Equity lies in the Mitigation of the Punishment an Eternal Death by Desert is turned into a Temporary by Justice of Equity and a Perpetual Hell into a Transitory Purgatory The second Opinion applies it to the Duty and Works of the Law before there was required Perfect Obedience now imperfect will serve if it be Sincere Divine Government is content to take a Penny in a Pound and of this Way there are several Explications The Socinians who deny Christs Deity and Satisfaction do hold that it 's of meer Soveraign Mercy but Arminians and Papists hold the Merits of Christ as the Fruit of that Soveraign Mercy to be the immediate Foundation of this Justice of Equity They say he
Law may meet with external Changes in its Administration either by Dispensation when positive only as the Ceremonial or an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abatement of the Rigor in Words but the Law the same that suffers the change 3. The Law may suffer some Change in particular Precepts which are its Integral Parts A Man is the same Man still thô he lose his Thumb Collective Bodies are capable of Increase or Decrease so Jus Collectum of Derogation Surrogation or Erogation but Abrogation or Obrogation alters the Essence and until the Moral Law is Abrogate we cannot expect one specifically distinct from it But the Opposition is perspicuous thus A Law that requires your Works a Law to be obey'd by you and a Law that requires your Faith a Law fulfill'd by another for you which you ought to believe and it thus Answers the Argument we are justified by most perfect Obedience but we perform'd it not it was Christ Fourthly It is manifest from the Context and Harmony of the Apostles Discourse he had all along join'd the Laws and the Works together which he excluded from Justification First The pure Natural Law among the Gentiles Secondly The manifold Mosaical now he tells us of a Righteousness and a Law that we may and must be justified by if at all is it reasonable or possible to separate these two Ver. 21 22. But now the Righteousness of God is manifested Even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ If the one be the Righteousness of Christ the Mediator surely the other is the Law of it shall we separate the Righteousness of Faith and the Law of Faith The Text would not be a good Conclusion from what precedes without this that which he had prov'd was there is no Justification by the Deeds of the Law but only by the Righteousness of God Well says he if the Case be so Where is your Boasting it is excluded He draws his Conclusion Triumphing over them How By the Law of Faith You are justifi'd by the Righteousness of God you are justifi'd in a way that excludes Boasting the Law of Faith excludes Boasting and the Righteousness of God justifies you do not then these two Coincide the one as the Work the other as the Command if it were another Law requiring a new kind of Obedience and Righteousness distinct from what he had spoken of he had drawn a Conclusion without any Premises There are two things should have been enlarged on First To prove that this Righteousness is the Righteousness of Christ as Mediator The Second Whether or not this Law of Faith referrs to the Righteousness as the Rule of it or the Faith by which it is applied Both which I must deferr to some proper Verses in the fourth Chapter only at present as to the first that 2 Pet. 1.1 may perswade any unprejudic'd Person Thorough the Rsghteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ As to the second our Confession of Faith says We are not justifi'd by Faith or that is not imputed to us it self as an Act nor any other Evangelical Obedience But this is to be treated in ver 3. Fifthly This Law is a Law we can be justifi'd by and it is before prov'd that we cannot be by any Law requiring Obedience of us Sixthly The difficulties that attend the Explication of it by Socinians Arminians aliis melioris notae who say this Law is the Law of Christ the Mediator not as made under it but as a Law-giver requiring Faith and Repentance of us as the Condition of an Interest in his Merits and Justification by them I say the difficulties that attend it render it the less credible 1. This Gospel-law or Law of Faith must be a perfect Law requiring Faith in Perfection Repentance in Perfection and so other Evangelical Obedience Mr. Bull in his Examination who is Zealous for this New Law and who as Mr. Pitcarn one of his many Adversaries says is of the greatest Acumen of the kind he not only owns it but proves it from Christs own Words Mat. 5.48 when he was Promulgating his Law Be ye perfect as my Father in Heaven is perfect 2 Pet. 3.18 Grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ On which he thus Acutely Comments The Commands of growth have no Bounds nor Limits until we come to the Unity of the Faith and the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the Measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ and it is a certain Truth that there is no Duty in the Gospel wherein Gods Law only requires sincere and not perfect Obedience Patience should have its perfect Work and that 's a special part of Evangelical Obedience Either the Gospel Law or Law of Faith must require Perfection of Obedience in these Duties or some other Divine Law else God would become an Indulger of Sin by Law if it be by another Law viz. the Moral that he requires perfect Obedience and by this sincere only then these two Laws differ but in Degree not in Specie or Kind because both require the same Duties or Works and so this Gospel Law would be no Distinct Law but only the Measure of sincere Obedience would receive a new use which we own it has to wit to be an Index and Mark of our Justification tho' we cannot own that use of its giving Right but to proceed a distinct Law they must hold or quit their Cause or this Foundation of it for the Text sets the Law of Faith down as an opposite Law to that of Works and that they hold 1. Then if it be a perfect Law requiring perfect Obedience there is no possibility of Justification in this Life Poppius the Arminian grants the Conclusion that our Obedience must be consummate before our Assurance and others distinguish between a Compleat and Partial Justification the former is not they say until the day of Judgment But this is not all the difficulty for it 's the adding a Load to a Burden Is this Gospel to a Man that is unable to perform the least part of the Moral Law to tell him that God or the Mediator requires perfect Obedience to it for the Future and another too Or is this Gospel to say you shall perish Aeternally and have the Fire of Hell seven times heated if you obey not this Gospel It s indeed a Conditional Hell but it 's more dreadful than the Law-Hell and the Condition is more impossible because we have less Power to shun this difficulty of two perfect Laws Mr. Bull owns no other perfect Law but this Gospel-Law since Man fell but by shunning one difficulty he falls into two as great 1. Then the Moral Law is abrogated beside the falsness of the Doctrine it self for it is impossible that should cease to be our Duty to love God with all our Heart and Soul what Advantage brings Christs Death To abrogate one perfct Law and
for his Work trust him he is surely faithfull but never trust his Enemies you may gain your own personal Foes by Favours but never think to make God's Foes your Friends if you intend to act for God you may sooner lose ten Friends than gain one of them all your Favours will only make them Ridicule you if not put them in a Capacity to Injure you Not only may the things expected but the Expectation it self encourage you in the Administration of your Office for they who truly hope for such things at your hand will be constant Supplicants at the Throne of Grace for Piety Prudence Patience Candor and Courage for you That you may not only have a Power Faithfully to discharge your Trust but with Ease Pleasure and Success you may perform every Duty of the Station and at last descend from the Chair with an Honour greater than the Hope and Joy of your Friends at your Ascension to it in this Catalogue he counts it his Honour to be who is Your Humble Servant Walt. Cross THE HYPOTYPOSIS OR Schematical INDEX ROM 4.1 1. THe Supposition all Sinners are Justified one way whereof Abraham was a famous Pattern Page 1. 2. The Prerogatives of Abraham Prince of the Fathers p. 2. 3. The Grammatical Syntax asserted and proved viz. That according to the Flesh belongs to finding not to Abraham p. 5. 4. The Comprehensiveness of the word Flesh and sense of finding as to the Flesh 5. The Importance of the Rhetorical way of expressing this sense What shall we say then p. 12. ROM 4.2 I. An Introduction from the Momentuousness of the Doctrine of Justification p. 15. II. The Proposition that Abraham was not Justified by Works which contains four Material Parts 1. The Subject Abraham before spoken to the other three are in the Predicate or Attribute 1. Justification 2. Works 3. By. As to the first 1. The Forensical Sense of the word Justifie is asserted and proved p. 20. 2. The Correlative Priviledges are explained 1. Redemption p. 24. 2. Reconciliation p. 25. 3. Adoption p. 26. 3. The Sentence or Index of Justification viz. 4. Regeneration p. 28. 4. The Time of Justification p. 36. As to the second part Works 1. The Nature and Properties of Evangelically good Works are explain'd p. 37. 2. The Erroneous Limitations of Works refuted p. 39. As to the third part By in every Causal or Meritorious sense Works are affirm'd to be excluded p. 42. III. The Discourse on the first Argument because no Matter of Glorying has three principal parts 1. The Formation of it p. 45. 2. The Minor or Truth of it prov'd from 1. Man's Being p. 49. 2. Man's Nature Free-will p. 55. 3. Man's Guilt p. 77. 4. Man's Impotence p. 87. 3. The Major or Strength of the Argument that all Works affords ground of Glorying p. 99. ROM 3.27 I. The Litteral Explication of the Text. p. 107. II. The Supposition or Axiom the Justification of a Sinner must be in such a way as excludes boasting III. The Negative Proposition that Boasting is not excluded by the Law of Works contains 1. The Nature of the Evangelical Law p. 110. 2. The Pharisaical sense of the Law when Christians p. 116. 3. That all Laws requiring Works of us are excluded from Justification because they exclude not Boasting therefore there is excluded 1. The Nature of a Law in general p. 126. 2. The Natural Law p. 129. 3. The Moral Law p. 132. 4. The Mosaical p. 134. 5. The Evangelical p. 136. IV. The Affirmative Proposition that the Law of Faith excludes Boasting and therefore by it we are Justified contains 1. The Nature of an equal Interpretation or Exposition of a rigid Law p. 142. 2. That Christ was under a Law p. 149. 3. The Nature of that Law and its Righteousness p. 152. 4. That he Obeyed it in our room p. 155. 5. That the Law of Faith is this Mediatorial Law p. 157. Correct Page 1. line 21. for when justified r. who was justified Pag. 165. line 23. in some Copies for it 's right r. taught ADVERTISEMENT A Compend of the Covenant of Grace By Walt. Cross M A. Sold by H. Barnard at the Bible in the Poultrey Price 6 d. ROMANS IV. 2. For if Abraham were Justified by Works he hath whereof to glory but not before God THe Doctrine contain'd in this Verse is of great Moment and requires our most earnest Attention and most narrow search and enquiry into its Nature and all its Circumstances for it is How shall we be Justified before God how shall we behave our selves before such an awful Tribunal When he riseth up what shall I do and when he Visiteth what shall I answer says Holy Job Wherewith shall we come before the Lord and bow our selves before the most High will he be pleas'd with thousands of Rams or ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl shall I give my First-born for my Transgression the Fruit of my Body for the Sin of my Soul That God would plead with Isâ—ael made her Mountains tremble and the Foundations of her Earth to shake Mic. 6. It 's David's Deprecation Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified Psal 143. How can Man be just or Justified with God for if he will Contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand Job 9.3 But it is a most certain thing That we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ 2 Cor. 5. Rom. 14.12 Psal 139. and that every one of us must give an Account of himself to God We cannot decline it Darkness cannot hide from his sight nor Distance remove from his Presence We cannot flye from his Spirit tho' we had the Wings of the Morning He is higher than the Heaven what can we do lower than Hell whether can we go from the Depth of the Sea or the uttermost End of the Earth his Hand can bring us back He has appointed a Day Act. 17. wherein he will judge the World in righteousness Eccl. 12. and he will bring every Work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or evil 1 Cor. 4. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the Heart Heb. All things are naked and open to the Eyes of him with whom we have to do If there be a God there is a Governour and if there be a Governour there must be a Judgment Can we be his Creatures and his Subjects and will he be so Careless as not to take an Account of us Humane Government is but an Image of his There can be no Shaddow without a Substance Doth a Summons from Man fright us Doth the very Name of an Arraignment a Court a Judge an Appearance at a Humane Barr shake off our Security and rouse our Phlegmatick Constitution and put us into a most serious thinking frame and shall not the certain Warning of this
rouse us out of our sleepy Condition and entirely monopolize our Thoughts Yet because of our Dullness to hear things concerning our Eternal State I shall propose these Helps to render us serious about it 1. The Majesty and Holiness of the Judge the Voice of the Arch-Angel the Trump of God the Train of Saints and glorious Appearance at the Great Day will add nothing to it he is as Holy as Just as Powerful now as then as nigh to us now as then When his Seat is upon the Conscience is he not as nigh as when he makes a Cloud his Theatre the Matter to be try'd the same now that then all the Business of that Day depends upon this A sight of this God by Faith and the Belief of our being now in his Presence would put us in the same frame we shall be in then as we may see from Job 40.4 5. 42.5 Behold I am vile what shall I answer I will lay my hand upon my Mouth once have I spoken but I will not answer I have heard of thee by the hearing of the Ear but now mine Eye seeth thee wherefore I abhorr my self in dust and ashes Job's Faith would make Job's Temper 2. Exactness of the Law we are under as his Creatures it 's holy just and good it allows not nor indulges any Sin in Thought Word or Deed and is fenc'd with the most severe Sanction In the Day thou eatest thou shalt dye Cursed is he that continueth not in all things written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3.10 This may fill Sinners with Terror Isa 33.14 The Sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulness hath surpriz'd the Hypocrite who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings 3. Our Condition Sinners Transgressors of this Law Rebels against this Sovereign God There is none righteous no not one Jews and Gentiles all are under Sin there is no Pagan but he approaches God with his Sacrifices and Prayers as an Offender Propitiation Pardon Reconciliation is that he looks after Every one that has an Exercise of Conscience whose Heart is not entirely hardened has this for his principal Care What shall I do to be saved Acts 2. 4. This is the Summ of the Gospel the principal End of all Divine Revelation to teach how this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this guilty Person this Enemy this Ungodly Man may be Justified Rom. 1.16 17 18. for these come all to one thing How Saved how Pardon'd how Justified how Reconcil'd how Sanctifi'd how in Covenant of Peace with God how shall I escape Hell how shall I enjoy Heaven Christ is the one true and living way Christ is the one Mediator Christ is the Surety of the Covenant We are Justified thorough the Redemption that is in Christ that Jesus Christ is the Object of the Gospel Gen. 3.15 Rom. 1.2 3 4. Heb. 7.25 This is the End of the Law Gal. 3.24 Rom. 10.4 And this is the End of Ordinances Salvation is by Faith and Faith by Hearing A 5th Help to render us studious about it is Satans Pains and alas his Success too in either Corrupting it in our Thoughts or keeping us from Thoughts of it Satanae solamen sicut solamen miserorum est habere socios A ring-leader of Rebels drew all to his Party he could or can and all Mankind he has brought unto the same Condemnation with himself But our God from his special Compassion to us poor miserable Men who are deceiv'd by Satan has invented this way of our Salvation thorough Christ which is a Delivery from Satan's Tyranny into the sweet Government of Christian Liberty this he endeavours to hinder by Blinding Mens Eyes that they may mistake it 2 Cor. 4.3 If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost whose Minds the god of this World hath blinded His Device among both Pagans and Jews in the old World was to trust to their own Sacrifices that God in Mercy would accept the Blood of a Beast for the Life of a Man or one Man for many The Jews took the Ceremonial Law for a Remedying Law Gal. 1.6 7. The Apostle calls it another Gospel that is none and v. 4. tells what the Gospel is But all Sacrifices being laid down among the Christians after Christ's sacrificing himself Satan attempts other Methods 1. The grossest That Christ dy'd only for an Example and that his Self-denyal to Natural Inclinations might move us to be deny'd to our sinfull and that his Powerful Interest in his Father and Prayer to him inclines him to Pardon on easie Terms so that now half-work may be taken for the whole 2. Others That Christ's Sacrifice did obtain a Pardon but not for all kind of sins some for Original Sin only some for sins in Ignorance also some for all sins before Conversion for others their own good Works Merits Penances together with the Priestly Absolution must pay or appease A 3d. Opinion is That Christ Merited that we might Merit immediately we are accepted for our own Works but remotely for Christs for on his Account our own are acceptable Christ has purchas'd a Covenant of Grace for all which Promises Remission of Sin Helps of the Spirit and a right to Heaven under the easie Conditions of Faith and Repentance by these a Man is just in respect of this Covenant that requires no more and by this Justice and Righteousness he is Justifi'd but it is on the Account of Christ's Merits that this is reckon'd Righteousness and this Covenant or Law of Grace is given that accepts such imperfect Holiness for Righteousness This Righteousness is Meritorious says Grotius Luk. 17. because it consists in the Willingness of the Mind the Obedience is due but to do willingly Merits As to the Order of the Covenant it Merits an Interest in Christ's Righteousness By this Doctrine all are equally Justifiable by Christ's Righteousness but all do not equally partake of Gifts to perform the Conditions Nor is there any Promise of Ability to perform these Conditions for then some of the Promises would be absolute Our Justification is by our own Works but our Justification on such Imperfect Works is of Christ or we are oblig'd to Christ for this easie Law but the Works of the Law are our own and we must be try'd by them And yet some Protestants say this Evangelical Law requires greater Perfection than the Law of Nature Bull. Examen p. 173. and that no other Law threatens Eternal Death or Promises Eternal Life but it and all since Adam are born under this Gospel-Law alone as to Eternal Concern I think this deserves the Title of Neonomianism and justles both Christ and his Gospel out of doors for then there is no Pardon of Sin by Christ for none can transgress the Law they were or are not under and according to themselves Christ did not suffer for Sins against the Gospel but they admit any Absurdity for
Tyrannical Conqueror 2. Redemption is put for the Application of the Priviledge bought by this Price to the Person As when a Slave in Algiers has not only attained Money to be paid to his Patron but he himself is actually returned home and therefore in Scripture it is seldom or ever used for the Application of any one of the Priviledges apart but for the compleat Consummation of all of them in Glory Luke 21.28 The day of Judgment is called the day of our Redemption and also Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the Holy Spirit whereby you are sealed to the day of Redemption Because all the Priviledge purchased by that Price doth not so much as commence till then There is a beginning of Redemption from Guilt before in Justification and a Redemption from Enmity before in Reconciliation and from Sin before its Pollution and Dominion but they are not compleated nor a Glorification from Death and Mortality so much as begun So much for the Relation between Justification and Redemption The third Relative Priviledg is Reconciliation and that is of two kinds too either 1. As it puts on the Nature and form of an Inward Affection For we cannot conceive of God positively but under some humane resemblance thus it is rather a reconcileableness and belongs to the Love of good Will a Willingness that mutal Communion and Fellowship should be again renewed and that distance by which we are undone no more continue Gods becoming our Councel from Eternity some improperly calls this a Justification but Council praecedes the Tryal Justification follows and his so early Intimations of his kind Purposes and his giving his Son to be a Peace-Maker tho' the pulling down of the Partition Wall cost his Blood Reconciliation taken thus is the Foundation of Redemption and all built upon it These two viz. Love of God and Gift of his Son differ as a Natural and Artificial Foundation the natural Rock and the first laid Stone this Love and Reconcileableness is the very Nature of God or an immediate result from it on the Position of such an Object for God is Love and Love made him communicate of the fulness of his Being to nothing and he is a faithful Creator to protect and provide for what he brings forth Love makes him so 2. Reconciliation is taken for the Agreement of Minds Amos 3.3 Can two walk together and not be agreed Two Persons who once were of one Mind and of one Heart they had the same designs and ends mutually engaged in Amity and now this Temper and Condition after a miserable misunderstanding is again renewed as Davids bowels yearned after Absalom he was reconcileable but Communion was not renewed until he had lived a considerable time in Jerusalem So Pharaoh's Butler when he is again restored to his wonted Place Thus Reconciliation is the very same with Justification The divorced Woman is again reconciled to her Husband in the same State of Fellowship through the Covenant of Grace that she was before breach of the Covenant of Works as Justification is a restoring a Man to his former State before the Charge or Suspition of guilt so Reconciliation is a restoring to that State we were in before Enmity they have both the same blessed Author God the Father Son and Holy Ghost they have both the same moving Cause Goodness and Love breaking forth in Grace and Mercy from Eternity God became Mans Council in this Trial wherein he is justified and that Council was a Council of Peace they have the same meriting Foundation Christs Redemption they commence both at one and the same time Guilt and Enmity falls at once The one Simile only helps to illustrate wherein the other may become defective for all the Transactions between Men and Men have their Exceptions and Dissimilitudes when they are brought to represent the Case between God and us The one represents the Case as friendly made up without going to Law the other represents a fair Trial the one represents it as a private Case the other represents it as a publick Crime pardoned Authority being appeased by a Satisfaction By the one Guilt is removed by the other Enmity the one teaches that the other is not to be wire-drawn for finding of something in it answerable to all the parts of the Simile The fourth is Adoption which is of the same Relative Nature with the former and has the same Causes and Means of Conveyance and commences at one and the same time but yet seem to differ in these things 1. Adoption comprehends a greater Blessing Justification gives Life but Adoption gives an Inheritance Justification makes us free Subjects but Adoption makes us Sons Justification puts us in Adam's Condition but Adoption gives a right to Adam's Expectation for Adam's Marriage from its very Original seems to be a Type of our Communion and Fellowship with Christ Gen. 2.24 They shall be one Flesh Eph. 5.32 it is said to be a great Mystery Vid. Dr. T. Goodwin 2. Justification of a Sinner is a Sublapsarian Blessing but Predestination to Adoption is an Antilapsarian Blessing design'd for Man before he fell Eph. 1.5 3. Justification is a Mean Adoption is an End Tit. 3.7 That being Justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life and so in this Chapter it is treated of from the 13th Verse as posteriour to Justification 4. Justification is a more immediate Effect of Christ's Death Adoption more mediate it is by Justification that the blessed Line of Divine designs that was broken by Sin is again tyed God designed a perpetual ascending Line of Blessings to his Creatures but from Sin to Justification is a Parenthesis in this Line John 12.24 Christ compares himself to a Corn of Wheat that dyes that it may bring forth fruit so Psal 45. Christ dyed and was Anointed to the Office of a Mediator that he might recover those who were design'd his Fellows and Companions from their Forfeiture of it and Unfitness for it Hence it is call'd a Purchas'd Possession Eph. 1.14 by reason that is Purchas'd without which we could not enjoy it We can have no Priviledge without Life 5. The one seems to require a more Noble and Heavenly Temper of Spirit correspondent to it Regeneration answers the one but the Spirit of Adoption which is a higher degree answers the other The Regenerate Man may be under a Spirit of Bondage but they who have received the Spirit of Adoption are more free from that slavish Temper Rom. 8.14 Heb. 11.16 their Desires are fix'd upon and more proportion'd to their Estate 6. The one is ascribed more to the Death of Christ the other to his Life We are Justified by his Blood Saved by his Life Rom. 5.9 By Authority he forgives sins but by his Intercession he prays for the Priviledges of Adoption But whatever dictinction there may be there is no Separation which is frequent among Men who have their Life often spar'd without restoring their
Estates and may forfeit the one sometimes without the other 7. There is a Priority in Justification to Adoption tho' not in Time yet in Order of Nature this follows consequentially from all the rest John 1.12 The right to Sonship follows Justifying Faith Tit. 3.7 being Heirs follows being Justified Rom. 8.17 We are first Children then Heirs and a Spirit of Prayer and Divine Conduct for a Holy Life answers Adoption First Life then Estate in Order of Nature The Arguments brought against it by the Learn'd Forbesius are answerable First To Adopt is the Act of a Father and the Acts of the Father in the Trinity are before the Acts of the Son and Spirit Resp That Order holds more in their Concurrence to one Act than in distinct Acts for Justification is the Act of the whole Trinity so is Adoption 2. That Order holds more in Antelapsarian than Sublapsarian Actions for in the latter Redemption which is Christ's Act is first for there Actions flow not from God immediately as God The Second What is first in Christ is first in us but Christ is a Son first before Justified as a Redeemer Resp This is true in the Order of Intention for we are first design'd Sons to be the Companions and Fellows of that only begotten but 't is not true in Order of Execution 3. We are Christs Brethren by Adoption Resp He is a Brother by Incarnation and fitted for being our Redeemer by it It is not our Brotherhood by Adoption fitted Christ for Redemption but his becoming our Brother by Incarnation The relation of the absolute Blessings Regeneration Sanctification c. may be understood by the following head A Second Help for more distinct Knowledge of this Blessing is what supplies the room or place of the Justificatory Sentence By Virtue of what Act of God upon the Arraign'd Person doth he become formally free from the Curse of the Law By what doth he publickly manifest such a particular Person pardon'd Resp There are four apparent Competitors for this place 1. The Voice of the Gospel declaring all that believe are justified Act. 13.39 but the Voice of the Law and the Voice of the Judge are of distinct Natures The Gospel is in room of the Law it 's the Constitution of Christ's Kingdom and it is also in room of the Records of a Court it shews in general what is Constitutive of Justification Rom. 5.19 By the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous and is Decisive of them that are Justified or to be Justified and them that are not or shall not be Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath Life and he that believeth not shall not see Life But the Judg's part is to make an Authoritative Application of this Law or Constitution to an individual Person this the Scripture doth not All that Christ dy'd for are Justifiable by the Gospel Constitution but they often live a considerable time before they be actually Justified 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but you are sanctified but you are justified Mr. Baxt. Confes p. 40. There is a treble Pardon constitutive by God as a Law-giver declarative by God as a Judge determining our Right and Executive in not inflicting the Poenalty The Gospel doth the first the second is that in question There are others such as the Testimony of the Spirit in a Person 's own Conscience and the solemn Sentence at the Day of Judgment which I referr to the several Courts our Cause is try'd in That which I shall conclude on as bearing nighest resemblance to it is God's Act of Regeneration his first Gift of Saving Faith and Sanctifying Grace that beside its absolute Nature in Conforming the Soul to Christ and raising his Image in it it has a relative signification of Divine Favour that is better than Life God by that Deed or speaking Action says All thy sins are blotted out thy Iniquiâ—ies forgiven thou art a Freeman in the State 1. 2 Cor. 3.17 Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty Rom. 6.7 He that is dead is freed Orig. justifi'd from sin 2. As soon as ever man sinned Gen. 3. he became guilty and as soon as guilty the Punishment of spiritual Death followed so if as soon as sinn'd condemn'd as soon as Christ's Righteousness applyed he is justifi'd the receiving such a blessed Fruit of it as the Spirit is a sure Application of it there is as present and effectual Vertue in the Medicinal Potion for Life as there was in the Poyson to Death 3. Eph. 1.14 The Spirit of the Lord is an Earnest of the Inheritance wherever he is and since he ensures Adoption much more he ensures Justfication 4. Regeneration makes us Sons and the Priviledge of a Son is more than that of a Subject 5. Rom. 5.10 11. Whenever we are reconciled we are justifi'd for they are but different representations of the same Priviledge and Sanctification takes away the Enmity 6. When the Spirit is given to us we receive a great Trust many Talents and called to a great Office in Christs Kingdom to praise and glorifie him to propagate his Kingdom created unto all good Works Sir Walter Raleigh and with him all Lawyers judg'd his being put in a place of Office and Trust did virtually contain a Pardon in it It implies much weakness in Government or Governours to employ Traytors Rebels and Criminals in places of Trust who must strive for their Lives to hinder the just administration of the Government which would take away their own Life 7. Mat. 9.2 When Christ the Judge of the World verbally pronounces Forgiveness he signifies all imports one thing Arise and walk Eyes be ye open Be thou healed Or Thy sins be forgiven thee His gifts are in a comprehensive Cluster there is a strong Chain of connexion among them and he may name what is most easie hence are they so united and involved into one another by Scripture Titus 3.5.7 1 Cor. 6.11 Rom. 8.30 Act. 5.31 And 8. There is not only the Example of Christs Justifying but the Example of his being justify'd Who was justified in the Spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 All the Works of the Spirit on him and by him were God's justifying him His Resurrection was his declared Justification Rom. 4.25 It was the Pattern of ours besides other great Influences on ours By it was he taken from the Prison of the Grave and acquitted from the Judgment where try'd therefore our spiritual Resurrection Rom. 6.7 is call'd Justification 9. Ancient Custom shews that Authority did intimate their Sentence by symbolical Actions and things as well as words Ovid. Albis atrisque Lapillis The White Stone was sent as a Symbol of Absolution to the Person whose Name they wrote upon it Pierius in his Egyptian Hierogliphicks gives this Account of the Rights of a Slaves Manumission That he was Cloath'd in White Raiment and his Patron 's Ring put upon his Finger and did eat at his Master's Table The Scripture
either in Matter or Manner The Use I shall make of this is of Refutation for since none can pretend to be justified by any Works but such as are good and acceptable in the sight of God and none are such that want the foremention'd Qualifications all the distinctions of Adversaries about the Kinds of Works are to no purpose That this may be more evident I shall rank them under these four Kinds 1. The Socinians who say that the Apostle means Works in their Perfection that are excluded from a divine condescendency to our Impotency he will not require what we cannot perform but will justifie us for what we can Resp 1. If we did and always had perfectly fulfill'd the Law we should have been justifi'd by its Works Rom. 2.13 The doers of the Law shall be justified 2 Tit. 3.7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done 2. It would heinously reflect on the Holiness of God as a Law-giver or Judge to make an Imperfect Law or to Judge a Man just for Imperfect Performance of a Perfect Law Gal. 3.10 Cursed is he that continues not in all things c. The Second Opinion is of them who exclude the Mosaical Law and these of two and may be more sorts 1. Some exclude only Ceremonies and indeed the Controversie began about them Act. 15. the Instances by Paul most mention'd are of that kind Gal. 2.14 16. and by their resemblance of a Remedying Nature the Jews mistook them for the thing it self Thus Lombard and the Schoolmen Alphons a Cast Dom. a Soto But the Law the Apostle speaks of as the Rule of the Works he excludes cannot be Confin'd so narrowly for Rom. 2.15 it 's a Law that the Gentiles had Rom. 3.20 28. a Law that bound all Flesh a Law by which the Knowledge of sin Rom. 4.14 a Law that worketh Wrath. 2. By others the whole Works of the Mosaical Law are excluded in the Pharisaical Sense of them that is as separated from the Essential Duties of the Covenant as given to Adam Noah and Abraham Respon 1. I grant that the Pharisees did mistake the Law in its Extent and Intent too the former Christ corrects Mat. 5. but it 's very reasonable to think that they who had now embraced Christ to whom the Apostle writes had forsaken that Error for the Apostle's Dispute is of another kind not what was their Duty or Work but what place this Work or Duty had with respect to its Reward Whether or not it was truly Meriting and his Business is to prove that let their Works be what they would they could never serve for this Use and the Apostle tells them Rom. 10.4 5. that they did not know Christ compleatly viz. that he was the End of the Law who would put such a Value on their own Works Sir Nor. Knat Observes on Rom. 2.14 that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Work of the Law signifies the Office of the Law this was to Convince a Man of Sin that he might fly to Christ as Galat. 3. 't is called a School-master to bring us to Christ The Law is the Mean He is the End The Moral Law was a Mean to make them sensible of their Need of Christ and the Ceremonial was a Mean to represent him as the End of the other as One who was a Sacrifice and gave satisfaction for their Breach of the Law 2. The Apostle gives no Countenance to this Opinion in his Phrase for Galat. 3.21 If there had been a Law given c. There is an Impossibility in any Law or its Works prescribed to Adam Noah or Abraham since Man was a Sinner to Merit in any sense Justification at the Hand of God 3. Romans 3.20 21 22. The Apostle calls the Works he excludes Works of the Law not in any abstracted sense but Works that the Law required and the Mosaical Law comprehended all the former Laws under it as Joh. 7.32 Ye received Circumcision of Moses not that it was of him but of the Fathers And when the Mâ—saical and the Christian Constitution are opposed Mosâ—ical comprehends the whole Old Testament State 4. The Righteousnesses that are in this Epistle opposed are God's and Mâ—n's not Adam's essential Duties in the first Edition of the Naked Covenant and Moses his in the Political Administration of it Rom. 3.22 The Syriac renders it thus The Righteousness of God by the hand of Faith on that Jesus Christ Not a Righteousness that is God's Gift and is acceptable to God by Virtue of his prescribing it as the Condition he required a Righteousness that lay in the Fruits of Faith or in the Nature of Faith from its Conformity to the Law of the Covenant but a Righteousness that Faith as a Hand takes hold of 5. This Law the Apostle speaks of comprehends all inward Obedience all Righteousness Vid. Ch. 3. and 7. of this Epistle nay the Pharisee Mat. 22. did conclude Love to God to be the great Duty of the Law 3. The third Opinion is of Grotius who if the Writings that go under his Name and have so much Corrupted the Age be his own he was both a Papist and Apostate or if Mr. Baxter's Grotian Errors and that other Book called Grotius Papizans or Walleus in N. T. Preface be to be Credited indeed his Doctrine on this very Point of Justification is a very great Proof it as his Comments on the Epistles doth testifie especially this for tho' they are as Corrupt as he in their Disputes yet rarely in their Expositions are any Papists so Corrupt His Doctrine is thus 1. Works that are only External Civil deserving Praise of Men and by Humane Strength performable are excluded from an Interest in Justification 2. Faith of God is an Esteem of his Attributes and Faith of Christ is the Knowledge of him and his Doctrine 3. To Justifie is to Purifie to Cleanse from Vice so the Works are hypocritical the Faith historical and that which Devils has the Justification papistical Resp 1. It 's very improbable that the Apostle should Dispute so Nervously that a Man cannot be Internally Sanctified by External Works and as improbable that any should be so absurd to maintain it that a Man may become Just by Hypocritical Performances that external Civility is internal Holiness 2. That Law Rom. 7.7 14. requir'd more than external Works 3. Abraham had better Works than External and Paul when he knew nothing by himself yet not thereby Justified did not mean only External 4. They were what Works the Law requir'd and the God that searcheth Hearts nevâ—r made a meer External Law to Judge Men by 4. The fourth Opinion is that which is common among Papists 1. Works before Faith are excluded but not after Faith Sorrow for Sin without the Aids of Grace doth not Merit Preparatory Works to Grace doth not Merit though some and that generally allow a Congruity and Fitness to them others as Becanus deny it This is no more true
certain end if we take the Word Condition in its vulgar use for the whole stipulated part of the Bargain or Bond to be perform'd wholly by the restipulating party it s more apt to deceive vulgar People who have that Idaea of Condition to say its Conditional without Limitation than to say it 's not Conditional and do they think their Brethren have neither Power nor Skill to add Limitations to their not Conditional as well as they to their Conditional and fewer are Necessary viz. tho' Faith and Repentance are Gifts of Grace yet they are Duties and tho' the Lord calls effectually where he will and when yet our Consent is courted and wooed not forc'd we freely yield to the Spirits Conduct though our yielding is the Spirit 's Effect and Effects bear not the Name of Conditions The Sense then of the Apostle is this That no Works Ceremonial Moral with Faith or without it by the Spirit of Grace or Strength of Nature external or internal perfect or sincere no Works of any Law perform'd by us are either Merits Matter Form Legal Condition or Plea c. for our Justification before God they neither by Efficacy do Constitute it nor by Dignity deserve it What the Apostle has excluded without Limits we should The Arguments for the Truth of this follows next in the Text. So I come now to the second Part of the Verse which is the first Argument that proves we are not Justified by Works He hath whereof to glory but not before God The Argument is from the Topick of Impossibility or Absurdity the Matter is impossible and the Action is absurd that such a Worm as Man or any thing that is a Creature should boast or have ground of boasting before its Maker Much more absurd is it for this Creature becoming a Rebel and a Transgressor to boast of its Meritting a Pardon or rendring its Pardon a Justification If a Slave should break a Vessel of great worth and boast he could restore it or fatisfie for the Dammage when he is not his own it would be unbecoming but too mean a Type of this There are three things to be Treated in the Argument 1. The Form of it 2. The Truth of it 3. The Strength of it 1. The Form of the Argument is thus Maj. If Abraham were Justified by Works he has Matter of glorying Min. But Abraham has no Matter of glorying at least before God Concl. Ergo Abraham is not Justified by Works This is the general Interpretation of Protestants and some others Erasmus Vatablus Calvin Zegerus Beza Piscator Paraeus Dickson Hyperus Melancton Sclater Tuckney But there are Interpreters of great Number and Note that form the Argument in a contrary Method thus Maj. If Abraham were Justified by Works he would have no Matter of Glorying before God Min. But Abraham had Matter of Glorying before God viz. His Faith Concl. Therefore not Justified by Works Origen the first Interpreter says if Faith had not been a real Glory before God he would not have Imputed it to him in place of Works but there is no Reason to Impute this Error to Origen but his Popish Translator for we have no other Origen on this Epistle that I know Rufinus as we may read in his Preface to that Epistle p. 634. Basil They say there is so much of this work thy own that thou shouldst entitle it with thy own Name not Origens But tho' I have had an Herculean Labour in adding diminishing and altering yet I will not steal his Title that laid the Foundation but let the Reader ascribe the Merit of the Work to whom he will to him or to me I shall put both our Names in the Title They who form the Argument thus are of two kinds either 1. Those who differ both in Form of the Argument and in the Truth as the Papist Aquin. Sasbout Estius c. who say that Free-will affords a Man Matter of Glorying by it he has made himself differ from others Converted himself Prepared himself perform'd the Conditions of the Covenant May not a Work-man glory in his Work 2. Those who only differ in Grammar and Form as First The Fathers Chrys Faith thinks highly of God and so glorifies him Therefore he gloried not that he loved God but that God loved him Secondly Some Protestants as Bucer P. Mart. and also L. de Diu. His glorying before God was glorying in God 1 Cor. 1.31 He that glories let him glory in the Lord. Faith sends a Man out of himself to glory in God and in Christ I reject this Form of the Argument and embrace the former for these Arguments 1. The Propositions of the latter Argument are not in the Text but the contrary are the Text says not If Justified by Works he has no Matter of glorying but quite contrary He has Matter of glorying if justified by Works the Text says not He has Matter of glorying before God but Not before God so nothing of their Syllogism in the Text all the other is 2. Both the Propositions of their Argument are false The first is false That Works afford no Matter of glorying for Rom. 3.27 Glorying is not excluded by the Law of Works Eph. 2.9 If we were Sav'd by Works we would boast An Innocent Man has more Matter of Glorying in his Works that deserve a Justification than a Pardoned one whose Works deserve Damnation The Second is false That Abraham had any Matter of glorying for 1 Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ what hast thou that thou didst not receive if thou didst receive why dost thou glory 3. We find the same Apostle forming the Argument according to the first Eph. 2.9 We are not Sav'd by Works that we may not glory v. 10. 1. Because we are God's Work 2. Thorough Christ so a Relation there before 3. Good Works the End Ergo not the Mean Christ the Mean to our Good Works not Good Works the Mean of an Interest in him 4. From the following Argument v. 3. that Faith is imputed to Abraham for Righteousness proves no matter of glorying in Faith For 1. It is a Gift Eph. 2.8 Heb. 12.2 no glorying in a Gift 1 Cor. 4.7 2. Faith put for its Object or containing its Object makes glorying in God not before God 3. For the Exercise of Faith which is receiving trusting depending affords no more Matter of boasting before God than the Beggar 's glorying of his Receiving before his Benefactor and his Bounty 5. Those who do not Err as to the Matter commit a double Fault in the Grammar of the Words 1. To translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before God or with God in God or from God as we may see from Parallel places 2 Cor. 2.17 As of God in the sight of God speak we Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God 1 John 3.21 If our Hearts Condemn us not then have we Confidence towards God So that the Sense is to have Matter of glorying
be They are Lusus Dei the Fruit of his meer Pleasure things of no moment so when we experience in our selves that the Foot the Tongue the Hands the Eyes move in Obedience to the Will as Nimbly as we can think it doâ—â— not represent God's Essence but his Relative Sovereignty over his Creatures so 't is but an inferiour part of an Image 3. The Will of God is a Power and causes these real goods that are its Objects but the Liberty of Man is only admissive or rejective of these Objects in the Understanding and gives occasion to their Influence upon the Faculties of the Soul and so affords no Matter for Glory in the Work of our Conversion Suppose the Sun-beams should enter a Room before dark by some Casement or Cranny and fill this room with Light yea render its Earth flourishing and verdant should we ascribe this great Change to the Sun or to the Casement Nay suppose farther that the Sun by its perpetual Heat and repeated Influence has made the Boards give way and made its own entrance should we ascribe the Glory of the Action to that which so long hindered it and is yet the Cause of the Works being so weak And this is the very Case as far as Matter can represent Spirit for the Lord opened the Heart of Lydia and he says Rev. 3. Behold I stand at the door and knock and if any Man open I will come in 4. The Will of God never acts without the highest Wisdom Ephes 1. According to the Counsel of his Will Therefore the setting up of a Liberty in Man distinct from the Conduct of the Understanding is a Chimera no Image of God who cannot deny himself in any of his Works he never did any thing that might give us false Sentiments of his Nature 5. Our Liberty is much inferiour to God's because of the Narrowness of its Sphere The Beast has only Sense Man has also spiritual things for his Object to Converse about but the Divine Will converses about those things we never saw nor heard nor has it entered into our Heart to conceive 6. Our Liberty is a Gift God's is Self-originate ours a Shadow his the Substance ours but an Emanation of his as the Image of a Face in a Glass but we have no such Help distinct from him he is the Support and Spring of both 7. His is Infallible always equal vigorous active Ours faints and wearies as in Sleep and Infancy and fails as in every Sin 2 Prop. The Liberty of the Mind of Man consists to be more particular about it in a Freedom from Physical Necessity or Coaction in a Freedom from Sense or Matter It is a general Axiom and therefore needs the less proof That Free-will is only the Property of thinking and reasoning Creatures that propose an End to their Actions and deliberate about what is fittest for gaining that End The Fire burns whatever comes nigh it but the Will doth not choose every thing proposed The Imagination of a Beast is confined to Material Ideas but the Mind of Man is not determined nor limited to such Objects A Beast can only be allured by present things but things of a hundred years distance can move a Mind this is a great Priviledge but affords no matter of Glory For 1 It lays us under the greater Obligation to our Maker who made us Men and not Beasts 2 Our Abuse of it in making our selves worse than Beasts being carnally minded and lead by Sense who have more Noble Faculties to govern us 3 The more Knowledge the more Liberty by this Rule and therefore our Blindness and Ignorance should make us bemoan our Confinement The Natural man knoweth not the things of Godâ— and thereâ—ore can have no Liberty about them But more of this under another Head 3 Prop. Liberty consists in a Freedom from Restraint an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goes to the making up of this Perfection a Willingness as well as a Judgment Augustine de Spir. Lib. Chap. 31. defines it to be A Power of doing what we will and thus it doth principally consist in the Imperate acts called free because they proceed from a free Principle To will and to can are two different things a Man may will what he cannot and then the Will hath not this Freedom The Scripture seems to take it in this sence 1 Cor. 7.37 Having no Necessity but hath power over his own Will and hath so decreed in his heart By Freedom from Necessity there is meant a Power to put his Purpose in Execution And so Rom. 7. What I would that do I not The Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weak Taking Liberty thus for a freedom from Constraint or a Power of doing what we will it affords no matter of Glorying to Man he is under so many Restraints by his Nature by his Sin by Punishment all his Faculties are restrained about Objects Natural Moral and much more Spiritual he is restrained and limited As we see among sensitive Creatures some are confined to the Water as Fish some to the Earth but others have a more ample Sphere of Activity and a more vigorous Principle to carry them through Water Earth or Air. So we find Man more confined than Angels we can only underâ—tand Earthly things John 3. Christ tells Nicodemus that there was a Necessity of representing Heavenly things under some Earthly Similitude that we might be capable of understanding them 1 Peter and Paul were Saints of the first magnitude and yet when they were brought to converse with Heavenly things the one confessed he knew not what he heard and the Spirit asserts of the other that he knew not what he said It is an old Jewish saying That God descends in a humane Mantle that we may have some suitable Apprehensions of him and it is most amazing Humility in God to reckon our highest Thoughts of him an Honour or a Glory to him 2 By Sin the Scripture calls Man Darkness led captive at the will of Satan a slave to Sin and deaâ— in Sin therefore he is wonderfully confined and restrained by it A Habit in any one particular Vice how doth it ensnare and confine one to its Courses How can you believe that receive honour one of another The Pharisees who were covetous derided the Doctrine of Charity They that are accustomed to do evil can no more do good than the Aethiopian can change his Skin or the Leopard his Spots 3 All Afflictions and Sufferings put Restraints on Mans Liberty John 21.18 Thou girdest thy self and walkedst whither thou wouldst here was Liberty but another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldst not here is a Restraint or Compulsion A man may have a will to move a gouty Finger or stop a Convulsive or Paralitick Motion of his Nerves but he has no Liberty to do it as Dr. Lock says well 4 In our Intellect and elicit acts of
of God neither as to Law or Fact as to the former there is no dispute the latter these Arguments may Confirm 1. Man would be then an ungovernable Creature which is a great Absurdity for God intended the Care and Government of the Creatures he made he could not make him Happy or Miserable in Spirit if not free his Will and would he make one that might disorder his Harmony and frustrate his Designs whether God would or no 2. Such a Power in Man would limit an Infinite Being it would limit his Will he worketh all things according to the Counsel of his Will Eph. 1.11 The distinction has Absurdity enough in it of those who say 't is true in Natural things but not in things Moral 3. It limits God's Power as to all Civil Affairs in the World for still his designs must depend on the Inclination of Man 4. The Knowledge of God This Conclusion is so apparent for what is uncertain in it self cannot certainly be known that Poieret denies God's foreknowledge of Sin and that until it came to pass there was not one Thought or Idea of it in God And Pomponatius denies his Knowledge of Future Contingencies 5. It would both rob God of much Praise and Glory and rob poor Sinners of much Hope and Comfort For 1. The Doctrine of Perseverance is undetermined by it No Person could have any Assurance from his highest Attainments in Grace Paul could not have had any Confidence of God's perfecting the begun Work of Grace Phil. 1.6 if that had been true Nor Peter have concluded God's establishing strengthning and settling the dispersed Jews from their being called 1 Pet. 5.10 Those Chains of Grace between Predestination Calling Justification and Glory would be very easily solvible 2. God's Providential Care Mat. 6.31 If God so cloath the Grass of the field shall he not much more cloath you Oh ye of little Faith is overthrown by it 3. The Work of Conversion Luke 11.25 I thank thee O Father because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed unto Babes is derogated from Goâ— by i. 4. The Scripture positively asserts the contrary both in Morals and Spirituals Exod. 34.24 Neither shall any Man desire thy Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year There was then a brave opportunity for the Enemies to invade Israel when all the Males were at Jerusalem and not one Man in all the Land not one Man in all the Countrey left to defend any Fort Passage City or Castle the Lord promiseth not only that he would protect it which he could have done by many miraculous ways but he promiseth though they should fight against it all the Year over yet at that time they should not desire it John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father draw him every Man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me Phil. 2. He worketh to will and to do Psal 110. The people shall be willing in the day of thy power Jer. 20.9 Thou art stronger than I and hast prevailed the manner how is expressed before O Lord thou hast deceived me and I was deceived But the Original is Thou hast enticed or overperswaded me Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his Name but his word was in my heart as a burning fire I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay 5. The Efficacy of Effectual Calling is ascribed to the Efficacy of Divine Influence on the Heart of Man and not to Man's Will or the Rethorick of Ministers 1 Cor. 2.4 that Efficacy is call'd a Powerful Spiritual Demonstration there is a tripple Demonstration the one is to our Sense when we see with our Eye and hear with our Ear the other is to Reason when the Connection between Terms or Properties of things are clear and evident but this third Kind seems to be the Lords immediate proposing clear Apprehensions of the thing to the Soul of Man which is called a speaking to the Heart Hos 2.14 I will allure her and will spâ—ak to her Heart which is particularly described 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. There is first the Image or Idea which is a Glorious and ravishing Apprehension of God Secondly There is the Glass wherein this Idea is represented which is either the Scripture as the Mean of Conveyance or rather the Intellect of Man because it is by an immediate Efficiency of the Spirit and the Apostle is discoursing of the Jews who had that Glass of the Scripture but could not receive this Idea into their Minds from it by reason of a Vail on their Minds they were blinded but this Vail is done away in Christ So there is a double operation the first is a disposing of the Mind so as these Objects may be suited to it for there is no Love but where there is a Likeness Different Pallats reliâ—h different Dishes the Eye cannot be made to see by outward light without a due Disposition for receiving and reflecting this Light the Pharisees could see no takingness in the Doctrine of Humility while they received Honour one of another nor any goodness in Charity while they remained Covetous The Gentiles thought the Gospel foolishness while they judged their own imperfect Rigeteousness acceptable to God or their Sins so small that the loss of a Beast in a Sacrifice could make a sufficient recompense And so it is said of every Natural Man that the things of God are foolishness unto them and that they cannot discern them because they are spiritually discerned But when he is Spiritual he discerneth all things So this subjective Influence is the making of a Man Spiritual which is call'd a New Creation a Regeneration a Resurrection The third thing is the Author of this Perswasion or of this Image raised in the Mind the Spirit of the Lord. The fourth thing is the inflâ—ence it hath upon the Soul we are changed into the same Image So that whether the Objective Operation or the Subjective have the precedency is a Question among Divines But this Text sets the amiable and most perswading and charming Object of God presented to the Soul as that which moulds the Soul in a likeness to its self as we see in Bodily things passionately seen marks a Child in the Womb of the Motâ—er This is call'd A drawing with the Cords of a Man that is not by Violence as with Cart-ropes but with bands of Love Hos 11.4 and the constraining Power of Love 2 Cor. 5.14 And when the Word is blest to be an Instrument of it it is called an ingrafted Word or a Divine Seed Lastly This Doctrine of Denying God an Absolute Empire and Government over the Will of Man to turn it which way
has an influence upon it all and yet the Scripture tells us this is the manner of Grace's influence viz. To renew the Will by enlightning the Mind 2 Cor. 3.18 3. Obj. Stat pro ratione voluntas that we often have no other Reason of our acting but our meer Will or as some say I will because I will Resp That saying either is the saying of a Polititian who means he will Conceal his Reason or of a Fool that knows not what he says 4. Obj. Ignorance much excuseth a Fault but if our Wills did always follow our Intellects then all our Sins would be Sins of Ignorance and so not so full of Aggravation as otherwise Resp The Scripture calls all our Sins Errors Heb. 9.7 Which he offered for himsâ—lf and the Errors of the People And both the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thâ— Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie to Mistake or Err and the very first sin of Man is called a being deceived 2. There is an Ignorance that aggravates as well as an Ignorance that excuses for he that has given Diligence and Pains to know the Will of God and State of his own Soul he that has attended upon Ordinances for encreasing the Knowledge thereof is less guilty than he who remains Ignorant of what the other knows by his Negligence I shâ—ll conclude this with these two Inferences 1. That there then was an Error or Mistake in the first sin of Angels as well as Man tho' they had no Outward Tempter yet their own glistering Beauty and glorious Excellencies appearing in their own Mind were too abstractly Considered and too precipitantly doted upon 2. That the great Object of our Prayers and Diligence should be to attain true Knowledge Wisdom is the principal thing we ought daily to Watch at her Gates that the Eyes of our Vnderstanding may be enlightened that we may know what is the Hope of his Calling and what is the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance to know more of God's Love and Power toward them that believe to know more of the Beauty of Holiness Vileness of sin and Vanity of the Creature The fourth Proposition is That the Will of Man is not free to all things Every thing is Confin'd to its own Sphere the Carnal Man to Carnal things the Spiritual Man discerneth all things yet that is Confin'd to spirituals here below for neither Peter nor Paul could Converse rationally about Heavenly things This necessarily follows from the former Proposition viz. That the Will of Man is confin'd to the Understanding Indeed the Appetite is in this sense larger that it Craves a greater Good than the Eye of the Mind can point out to it but in particular Choice and Prosecution it can only seek after such as the Mind demonstrates to it Ignoti nulla cupido and it will be further prov'd under the last Topick viz. Man's Impotency The third Topick or General Argument for our Humility is our Guilt This is the Argument the Apostle insists so largely upon to prove by it that we are not justifi'd by Works or to render the Gospel which brings the Tydings of a Justification by Faith more acceptable First We are Naturally guilty Eph. 2.3 and we are by Nature the Children of wrath even as others a Child of Wrath is one liable to Wrath or guilty of Wrath as Judas is called a Son of Perdition Joh. 17.12 And so we read of a Son of Hell Mat. 23.15 and Children of the Curse 2 Pet. 2.14 Deut. 25.2 a Child of beating is translated worthy to be beaten But the great Controversie is What is meant by being thus liable to Wrath by Nature There be two ways that they who deny Original Sin explain it First some say it signifies only truly Children of wrath as in Gal. 4.8 By Nature were no Gods Resp 1. We grant they are truly so but where doth ever the word Nature signifie no more For these Gods wanted a Divine Nature Spirituality Independency c. and the Rule of interpreting Scripture is to let every word signifie as much as it can 2. The obviated contrary would be such as none ever pretended viz. and were in Opinion the Children of Wrath even as c. the Jews were not in their own Opinion thus Gal. 2.5 A second way is By Custom Children of Wrath they found their Interpretations on these two things The Context speaks of their Conversation 2. The word Nature signifies sometimes Custom 1 Cor. 11.14 Nature teaches that if a Man have long hair it is a shame unto him Resp 1. He mentions two kinds of Sins beside Conversation viz. Flesh and its Lusts Wills or Desires by way of Genealogy succeeding one another 1. Flesh 2. Lusts 3. Conversation or Fulfillment of them There are two things here to be proved That we are Flesh Antecedent to any Custom 2. To be Flesh is to be sinful For the former see John 3.3 every thing born of flesh is so 1 Cor. 3.3 it 's common to Man as Man in this State are ye not carnal and walk as men For the latter see Rom. 8.6 7 8 9. The Apostles design is to prove that the Jews were not only as guilty as the Gentiles in Conversation but in Lusts and fleshly Dispositions and so naturally Acts are before Custom but a natural Principle before Acts. It 's Nature before Custom teaches that Lesson which brings forth longer and more Ornamental Hair in Women than Men Rev. It s a Natural Character of distinction of Sexes 2 Custom is called second Nature Like Nature or acquired Nature not Nature simply and teaches nothing of this Matter for in some Countreys Men nourish and dress it in others not but Nature constantly distinguishes and these distinguishing Characters are called Nature Rom. 1.26 27. Two Ways Nature is most usually taken 1. For the Internal Causes the Principium motus the Disposition or Constituti of a thing Rom. 2.14 The Gentiles do by Nature the things of the Law Or 2. for Birth as Rom. 2.27 The Gentiles are the uncircumcision by Nature in opposition to the Jews who by Birth had the priviledge of Circumcision belonging to them Gal. 2.15 Both these are here comprehended the Arguments for it are these 1. Flesh and Nature here seem to be one thing for the reason of our being Children of Wrath is because we had our Conversation in the lusts of the Flesh By Flesh in Scripture is understood that Natural byass and tendency to Carnal things that is in every Man from his Birth Hence it 's call'd a fleshly Mind a Carnal Mind and in my flesh dwells no good thing and this fleshly Disposition is Nature to us for whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh There is substantial Flesh of which we are born and then there is this fleshly disposition that is the property As it is said That what is born of the Spirit is Spirit The one is the Holy Ghost the other a Holy Habit
this be if we consider how many things of far greater Moment and worse Influence this is a foundation to in each of us since in Ephes 2.2 to follow the fashion of the World is a certain sign of a Child of Disobedience I come now to the Last thing in the Verse the strength of the Argument or necessary Connexion between Justification by Works and Glorying what is just ground for the one is just ground for the other also they have a reciprocal Relation Ch. 3.27 28. if no matter of Glorying not justifieed by Works in this Verse not justified by Works because no Matter of Glorying The Reasons of the Connexion are 1. The Sameness and Identity of the Matter the difference between Praising and Justifying lyes only in Circumstances the one is before a Populacy the other is in a Court of Authority the one is a Panegyrick the other a Juridical Transaction the one supposes an Accusation or Suspicion the other not they differ as Comfort and Joy Repentance and Obedience they are of the same Intrinsical Nature Comfort and Joy are the same motion of Blood and Spirits the same Temper of Mind the Acts of Obedience and Repentance are Works of the same Law only the one supposes the Course of Obedience interrupted it 's a repeated or renew'd Obedience after Transgression as Comfort renew'd Joy after Sorrow Justification is a Vindication of Honour and Credit by Authority after some Cloud on it it is renew'd Praise or Glory Among Men there is usually another difference in degree Men are prais'd for Heroick Acts Acts of great advantage to Learning Religion or Countrey but justify'd for obeying Orders doing no Evil or Injury to them But this has no place with God for we are unprofitable Servants at best 2. Humility is the Test of all true Doctrine and therefore a proper Test for this Doctrine of Justification Whatever Doctrine tends to the debasing of a Sinner and humbling of a Creature is sound Doctrine To walk humbly with our God is the summ of our Religion and Rom. 10.3 their going about to establish their own Righteousness is called the want of Submission to God The humble Publican went home justified while the proud Pharisee standing upon his Personal Differences was rejected of God Luke 18.14 The Papists thô in Dispute with Protestants do seem to deny a Glorying to their Works yet Necessary Connexion makes the contrary Conclusion appear in their own Writings against their Will Bell. lib. 5. Ch. 3. De Just says Because it is more honourable to have somewhat of Merit than of Grace alone therefore God that he might the more Honour his Children has done this for them that they might prepare Eternal Life to themselves by their own Merits and yet more proudly Ruard Tap. in Art Lev. God forbid that the Righteous should expect Life Eternal as a poor Man doth Alms for its much more Glorious for them to possess Heaven as Victors and Triumphers do a Palm of Glory due to their own Sweats But the Scripture teaches us Psalm 115.1 to say Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give Glory for thy Mercy and for thy Truths sake Rom. 3.19 Every mouth must be stopt before God for we have not one word to say in our own defence 3. God doth never deny Man his due Humility is the true Sentiment or Value of a Man 's own self in his own Mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are only required not to think of our selves above what 's meet or not to think of our selves more highly than we ought Rom. 12.3 yea 't is added positively that we may think of our selves soberly according to the measure of Faith God has given us And because Scripture is a true Rule to our Judgment we are bid to think not above what 's written If therefore we had any Works to be justified by or any Ground to plead from as of our selves our Glorying so far would not be a Sin God ascrib'd to Abraham Glorying before Men because his due 4. Glorying is a Species of Pride but Self-justifying is a Glorying We can never be justify'd thrô the Exercise of what is most abominable to God Luke 16.15 and 18.12 God resists the proud they are Sins of the same kind and suppose a Diabolical Temper of Mind 1 Tim. 3.6 and a Mind very ignorant of it's own Condition Job 42. he owns he had utter'd what he understood not since more acquainted with God his Judgment is alter'd Paul says thô he were so sinless as to know nothing by himself he durst not adventure a Tryal upon that score yet I am not thereby justify'd 5. To be Justify'd by Sincerity would afford us as much Glorying as Adam by Perfection because his strength proportion'd It 's as much Glory for a Child to do a little thing as a Man a greater that we have receiv'd the Grace thrô a Mediator doth not abate any Glorying Adam's was Free Gift this our Sureties and Brothers Purchase nor that ours subordinate to Christ's for it 's reckon'd the sole Condition of the Covenant of Grace that gives right to Christ's Merits Christ's Merits are no Conditions of that Covenant Works Faith and Repentance are not Lex Negotio addita but Negotium it self in it This is the sense of them who would bring in Evangelical Works as giving a right to Remission of Sin or Glory It 's true the Angels are justifi'd by their Works yet Rev. 5. they ascribe all Glory to God and our Lord Jesus Christ But that is the Glory of those Works they could not perform the Work of Redemption and saving of sinful Man but we do not find them denying themselves to the Glory of not Confederating with the false fallen Ones tho' they deriv'd the Grace by which they stood from God If our Sincerity were the proper Condition or Matter of our Justification Man might Glory of God's yielding to him and coming to lower Terms All own the Works of the Innocent deserves praise but if a Nocent and Guilty Person should bring forth Works worthy of a Justificacion he should deserve more praise than the Innocent because Works of an higher value necessary to it nay more praise than the Works of our Lord Jesus Christ far easier to be Mediator for another than themselves easier for an Innocent to Merit than a guilty Person to Merit Sinlesness was a necessary Qualification in the Mediator but if one sinful could Merit the more Worth must be in the Work Therefore suppose it be granted a Working Meriting Glorying under Christ it may be equal to Adam's for if he had stood as Angels it must have been by freely given Grace but this cannot be allow'd because a more low Humility is required of us than Adam by Repentance Sorrow Grief c. Therefore I add 6. There is no Kind of Works but affords some Matter of Glory in them Rom. 3.27 Where is boasting then it is excuded By what
Law of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith So where-ever there is place for Works as the Condition of our Justification there is place for some boasting but the Scripture every where stops Man's mouth Rom. 3.19 That every mouth may be stopped and all the World may become guilty before God And it ascribes all the Glory to him Psal 115.1 Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give Glory for thy Mercy and for thy Truths sake Eph. 1.6 To the praise of the Glory of his Grace 7. All kind of Works affords some Plea and pleading is a Glorying for it is a standing upon our own defence and this is another way of addressing God than either the Example of the Saints or the Rules of Holy Writ teach us Petition and Confession Deprecation and Lamentation with Praise and Thanksgiving on the Receipt of Mercies are the only ways we are taught to approach God The lowest kind of pleading is one of these four First By way of Comparison as when a Man can say I must have either done that or worse either to have neglected a Parent or a Wife either to have fled or suffered the Army to be cut off there was no room for this Excuse in Adam's Sin Secondly Relation when we throw the fault upon them that accuse us this did but aggravate Adam's Crime and add to the Sin when he said The Woman whom thou gavest me Thirdly When we remove the Evil of the Fact upon some other Person as Eve did the eating of the Apple upon the Serpent and Adam upon Eve Lastly A Purgation when we acknowledge the Fact but diminish it thrô some necessary Circumstances or Ignorance We do not find any of these ways usual or acceptable at the Throne of Grace but rather an aggravating of our own Guilt like Poreus when he was Converted from the Pelagian Error to the Catholick Truth What I shall first condemn in my self I know not wherein to excuse my self I know not Petition or Deprecation says the Learned Vossius out of Cicero is no pleading except for a Person whose former Actions have highly merited and therefore it becomes not a Court of Justice as Cicero for Ligarius before Caesar O Caesar I have brought many Pleas and that before thee when in Court where thy Honour and Authority was concerned but never as now when privately and before a Parent then I pleaded the Crime is a Fiction the Witnesses are false he never did it he never thought it But now O Father he has erred he has fallen he will never do the like But a Justifying Defence must be made before Authority Juridical I shall conclude this with Answering some Objections briefly that are brought as Arguments to prove that since no Works are excluded but what affords occasion of Glorying then some Works may have room for an Interest in our Justification For instance 1. God may freely first give Grace to work give Faith and Repentance and then justifie us for the Exercise of them whereof we cannot Glory because the Grace is receiv'd and they are the Fruits of Grace 2. God gives a Gracious Law a New Law the Law of Faith Rom. 3.27 that excludes Glorying and therefore we may be justified by the Works thereof 3. These Works come not in as the Meriting Cause of Justification but as the Condition of it Resp. In general this Contrivance of the Method of Justification is such a Fruit of Divine Wisdom that it is the special Glory thereof and therefore there is no wonder that the feeble Beam of our Light cannot show us the depth of it or pierce into all the Harmonies and Connexions of it's parts or their mutual Relations and Influence and consequently no wonder Divines do not agree about such things and the Disagreement ought to be born with Meekness Patience and mutual Endeavour to instruct one another I profess my self a Seeker and a Learner in many of these mysterious Points and I am never satisfied with a Sermon except I receive some Edification to my Understanding by it And if Divisions and bitter Language unbecoming Christians Scholars or Men were not the sad Fruits of these Disputants not the Disputes they ought to be encourag'd I bless God for the Sparks I have already receiv'd from them and I hope to receive more and that my Heart is as much united in Love to both Parties as ever and I am as much at a Loss as the poor Children when ask'd whether they Love Father or Mother best But in particular I shall begin with the first Objection Resp. 1. It is inconsistent with what I have before prov'd viz. that the Gift of absolute and distinguishing Grace the Spirit a New Heart c. that beside its absolute and sanctifying Vertue it is of a Relative Nature both to signifie and entitle as the Ring in Marriage or other Earnests and entitling Symbols Phil. Melanct. in his Annotat. on this Epistle in Comparison of which Luther says that Jerom and Origens Commentaries are but Merae nugae Ineptiae says Deus solus Justificat transfundens in nos Spiritum suum p. 17. We must either reckon him a Papist who was the first Protestant this Book I have is Printed 1522. or else say that Gift was the Sentence or its declarative Sign Mr. Baxter says When a Person is Converted the Angels rejoyce and therefore have some Notification of it and they who know our Conversion cannot be ignorant of our Justification which they cannot know without some Divine Manifestation A second part of the express'd or declar'd Sentence of our Justification he says is the illustration of our Minds with the Holy Spirit althò often obscure I think there is great Reason to unite these two in one thus The Angels who are so well acquainted with our Minds and the Language of Divine Operations know our Justification from the ruling of the Spirit in us after such a special manner Eph. 1.17 Who is the earnest of our Inheritance and so the Earnest of total and Compleat Pardon Now if Absolute Grace bear the Nature of a Title or Sentence the Exercise cannot be the Cause tho' it may be the Condition that is orderly Connexion for tho' it procure it 's own Confent it is not receiv'd except complyed with and yielded to Our Confession of Faith says We are not justifyjd until the Holy Spirit apply Christ to us and confirms it from Tit. 3.6 7. which Text seems to shew a greater Connexion between them than that of Time By the renewing of the Holy Ghost that being justified c. Resp. 2. All Glorying of boasting is not excluded by this half-workers should receive half-wages and half Credit Now when Grace is exercised the Work is ours Believing Repenting c. Tho' this is not Pelagian it is Popish Suppose a Man have a broken Arm or Leg and do some great or Heroick Act after it's Cur'd he will not ascribe the Glory of the
Abomination next to the Condemning of Innocent Thirdly No Man has any inherent Righteousness of his own whether Jew or Gentile Fourthly That all Righteousness is by a Law on this Subject he shews there is a Tripple Law The Natural Law and it's Righteousness from Chap. 1.17 to Chap. 2.17 he excludes both the Law and it's Righteousness from any Ability of this kind 2. The Mosaical and Moral Law from that Verse 17. to the 21st of the third Chapter he also excludes that Law and it's Righteousness from being able to justifie Sinners From Verse 21. he begins positively to assert and explain a third Righteousness which he calls the Righteousness of God or Righteousness of Faith and a third Law a Law of Faith All which is Evangelical for in the beginning of the Epistle he had described the Gospel and his own separation to the Office of preaching it and laid down this Doctrine Chap. 1.16 17. That it was the Power of God unto Salvation to every Believer and the Reason it is so is because therein is the Righteousness of God revealed This Righteousness after having excluded the Law with it's Works he most accurately explains from Verse 21. to the Text where he begins a Discourse which is a Conclusion from the former and a Proposition to the latter part of the Context built upon this fifth Axiom That there is a Necessity of the Justification of Sinners being in such a Method that may utterly stop their Mouth from either Glorying or Boasting God has his Glory for his ultimate End in all his Actions but there is a particular Reason that the Glory be entirely his in this great Action for a Sinner is Gods Enemy there is a Controversie between them if the Peace or Reconciliation should be so made up as Man should have any thing to brag of God were so far the Yielder and conquer'd party Man were the Victor and Triumpher in this Affair whatever Glory we ascribe to Man we derogate so much from God This may be clearly illustrated by the Transactions of Peace between Armies Nations Besiegers and Besieged they contend as much for having the Glory of the Peace on their side as for having the Victory of the War on their side And we find the Scripture punctual in ascribing the Glory to God in all the particular parts and points of this great Contrivance 1. Election Eph. 1.4 2. Permission the very letting of Man fall in Sin Strangius says Sin is none of Gods Mediums but the Permission of Sin is Rom. 11.22 Gal. 3.22 3. The Calling of Man Tit. 3.5 4. The sending of the Son into the World 5. The ordaining of such weak Ordinances for means of Conversion and Edification 6. The Calling of Men when they stand at greatest disadvantage for Conversion and so all the other parts of this whole Project and likewise we find the Scripture in nothing more punctual than in describing Man's Guilt and Impotency his Wickedness and his weakness and every thing that may contribute to humble and vilifie him in the sight of God And Satan is in nothing more diligent than to propagate this Lust of Pride it was his own first Sin and the Foundation of his Kingdom and he maintains it as the principal Pillar thereof Carnal Pride is a very strong Hold in his Kingdom it is a very difficult thing to be denied to Credit Honour and Reputation among Men But Spiritual Pride is a more subtil Sin and not easily discernable far less conquerable And if Satan can maintain this one hold we are never like to be sound about this Doctrine of Justification whatever may be our Speculative Opinions in Profession if we retain a Practical Sentiment of a Self-distinguishing Work we run a very great Danger as to our Souls Therefore as ever we would obtain this incomparable Priviledge we would endeavour to walk humbly with God and to get Self-abasing Sentiments of our Selves I come now to the Minor Proposition or second Doctrine which the Text expresses by way of Dialogism What is not and what is the way of Justification that excludes Glorying I shall begin with the Negative part viz. That Glorying is not excluded by the Law of Works The Sence of it is That if a Person can be justified by Works he doth not want Matter of Glorying for God doth not require Humility of a Man beyond his due if his own Works can answer for him before the Tribunal of God he has in Justice viz. Distributive merited his Life and where there is Matter of Merit there is Matter of Glory There are a great many attempts to diminish this Proposition viz. If a Man be justified by Works he has Matter to Glory by the Law of Works 1. Some say it is only the Ceremonial Law and it's Works 2. Others say it is only the Judicial Law and External part of the Moral which made up the Jews Civil Law 3. Others say only the Moral Law is excluded so far as obeyed without Grace 4. Others say it 's the Mosaical Law in the Pharisaical sense thereof 5. Others say 'T is the Law as requiring Perfection 6. Others as Meriting But 7. It has been the most Universal Sentiment among Protestants that all Law is excluded and all Inherent Works in sinful Men as Righteousness or being conformed to that Law It is more easie to fix upon this Question Whether or not the Evangelical Law and it's Works be excluded yea or not For though all these six Ways differ in what Law is excluded yet they generally agree that the Evangelical Law with it's Evangelical Obedience are not here excluded but put in opposition to the former and comprehended under this Notion of the Law of Faith The first thing Needfull is to enquire into the Nature of this Evangelical Law which is the Influence of the Gospel upon the Law The Moral Law and the Gospel are the two Ingredients whereof our Christian Religion is Constituted and being thus Compounded have an Influence one upon another and the Law by reason of the New Modes and Relations it receives from this blessed Yoak-fellow in the Covenant of Grace is called a New Law and a New Commandment and an easie Yoak and light Burden The New Constitution of the Law that we are under is one of the blessed Fruits of Christ's Death and this makes the Preaching of the Law Gospel to us for the Gospel strictly taken Rom. 1. to the 17. v. and Rom. 3. from the 21. to the 26. v. is a Narrative of Christ his Nature Person Offices States with the blessed Fruits thereof to us and the Manner of Application to us by the Power of the Holy Sprit But in particular the Moral Law is by the Gospel a New Law that is a Renewed Law after Man's Fall Jure the Law was quite Obliterated but he who is the Light that enlightens every one that comes into the World has re-wrote some Fundamental Parts of this Law in their Consciences
undertake all these Tribulations on this Condition that in my day thou shalt raise the Dead even all who have died from the first Adam until now and all those that shall be Created and shall save them c. The Conclusion I draw from this large Narrative is That no part of Evangelical Obedience is here wanting Faith and Repentance the influence of the Spirit Jesus a Lawgiver and Principal Meriter Sincerity an acceptable Measure c. And suppose them not all of a Mind yet Charity will ever make us conclude the Believers to be of the best Mind among them And the Error here oppos'd in this Church at Rome by the Apostle is the same that now in the Church of Rome is oppos'd by the Protestants 2 Thes 2.7 This was that wherein the Mystery of Iniquity did already Work the Doctrine of Merit was already begun and no other Error can be found to have such a fair appearance when the Apostle wrote to the Thessalonians the Church at Thessalonica was free of the Error and she of all the Churches only was and may be therefore the Mystery of it was reveal'd to them Mr. Squire of Shore-ditch says on this Epistle to the Thessalonians That the placing of Faith between Mercy and Merits is like the Infant between the two Mothers if divided it must be destroyed It s like the Pale Horse Death sits on it and Hell follows it is a damnable Assertion without peradventure and a Bellarmine after his long Dispute for Merits concludes that it is most safe to trust in Mercy alone And what way Rome had her first beginning by that way she is most likely to attempt her Restauration and by opposing Merit our first Reformation began which has this for its Glory it s a Restauration of Christianity to its Primitive Purity and while we preserve this Doctrine she will never corrupt or stain our Souls however she may prevail to oppress our Bodies But it is to be lamented that so many bearing the Name of Protestants are so deeply tinctur'd with this Doctrine of Opera Tincta Works Meriting because tinctur'd with Christs Merits The Third Enquiry shall be a more close Examination of the Extensiveness and Comprehensiveness of this Law of Wâ—rks that is excluded from being the Rule or Law of our Justification Because boasting would not be excluded from us by it if justified by it and on the most sincere Scrutiny I can make I find all Laws and all Works as perform'd by us are excluded the Arguments for Proof of it I shall reduce to these five Heads 1. The Nature of a Law in general is excluded 2. The Natural Law is 3. The Moral Law is 4. The Mosaical Law is And 5. The Evangelical and our Evangelical Obedience to it is excluded 1. The Nature of a Law in General is for every Law is a Law of Works and a Law of Works is excluded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Law signifies either in general Doctrine as Isa 2.3 Out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Joh. 10.34 Is it not written in your Law I said ye are Gods That is no Precept See Joh. 15.25 Gal. 4.21 Or it is taken properly and then it signifies a Doctrine of Works hence Works and Law are reciprocal without Law Rom. 3.21 is the same with 4.6 without Works We are justified not only without the Law of Works but by a Righteousness without the Law Gal. 3.21 If there had been a Law given which could have given Life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law Works is no Distinctive Addition as Dr. Tuck of Cambtidge says but Explicative Rom. 2.13 The doers of the Law shall be justifi'd to do the Law and Works are the same in the Apostles style they are of so nigh kindred he adds it to tell us what he means by Righteousness of the Law viz. Works Commanded by and Conform to the Law the whole Constituent parts of the Description of a Law manifests this first its generical Nature it s a just Act of a Superiors Will. We call Statutes or Laws Acts of Parliament it s their Will what the Subject should do Psal 33.8 He commanded and it stood fast Psal 143. Teach me to do thy Will and in the Lords Prayer Thy Will be done 2. The Author of a Law is the most Supream Power Dominative Power as the Master over the Servant the Father Husband Tutor c. Juridical Power is not Judges are but Administrators Applyers of the Law to particular Cases and Persons they are Jussa Populi rogante Magistratu the Peoples Commands ratified by the Supream Magistrate It 's very diminutive English of Jussa when it 's called Votes that is only Wishes the old Saxon word is Lowe Consent because a Covenant between Prince and People is the Spring of Laws But why all this Authority The Command needs it it 's to Work hard Work is required and we need Awe to put us on hence Exod. 19. 20. God sets an Emblem of his Power and Authority before his Law 3. The Effects are 1. Obligation 2. Command and Prohibition 3. Punishment or Impunity by permission but all terminate in Works And tho' the Mediatorial Law which was the most severe Penal Law that ever was Sufferings being the great Duty yet the Fruit of it is called Work and Doing I come to do thy Will and to work the Work of his Father 4. The Subjects of the Law are by way of Eminency call'd Subjects Rom. 3.19 They that are under the Law are call'd so from its Energy and working Efficacy in them And therefore tho' only a rational Creature is a doer of a Law mov'd reasonably by Fear or Hope yet the Efficacy occasions Metaphors in mute Creatures Job 38. Hast thou commanded the Morning since thy Day and our Inclinations to Wickedness are call'd the Law of the Members and Rules of Art are call'd Laws Custom which is a Habit of working is call'd a Law 5. The Matter or Object is Work something to be done Th. A. A Law is a Rule directing our Acts what is to be done and what not And again It 's Divine Wisdom as directive of all our Acts and Motions Biel. It 's a sign of Right Reason dictating what we are obliged to do and what not 6. The Properties are Rom. 7.12 Holy Just and Good 1. Holy from the Matter it distinguishes between Holy Actions and the Vile ones 2. Just from the Manner not to give Laws where not Subjects or where they neither Protect nor can Punish The Law-giver must be able to Save or Destroy what he gives Laws to Jam. 4. therefore it 's ridiculous for Man to give Laws to a Spirit or Conscience in Matters religious and where he has Power he must distribute Burdens and Works by Proportion according to Ability to bring one part of a Nation under Penal Laws and another under Priviledges is not an equal distribution except
is to represent a Cure We only see the Malignity of the Distemper by the Strength and Power of the Medicine the first Edition of the Natural Law was to direct to Duty and to prevent sinning but the principal end of this Edition is to make Trangressors sensible of the Number and Aggravations of their Sin and so to be a Schoolmaster to bring to Christ 2. That Law is excluded that worketh Wrath Rom. 4.15 For the same Law cannot bring a Man both under the Curse and under a Blessing both to be a Ministration of Death and Life the same cannot be both matter of Justification and Condemnation and there is no Law renders a Man liable to Wrath as this doth for being Guilty Wrath is unavoidable by it 3. The particular Vices nominate from the 9th verse to the 19th which hinders Men from being justified by this Law discovers this Law to be Moral whereof they are Transgressors The Fear of God that comprehends inward spiritual Worship not following the Way of Peace that shews want of Love to their Neighbour and what can be more Spiritual than Vnderstanding of God and Seeking of God and in the second Chapter Theft Murther and Sacriledge and want of Heart Circumcision are mentioned as Reasons why they could not be justified by the Law 4. That Law and its Works are excluded which is of universal Extension Chap. 3. 19. That all the World may become Guilty before God but that 's only the Moral which is but circumstantially distinct from the Natural 5. All Works that we have done are excluded Titus 3. Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but all own Moral Obedience to be our Works 4. The Mosaical Law is excluded for farther Explication of this we may find it meet with a double Acceptation as it is a Politick or Spiritual concerning the Soul or Civil a Type or Antitype for their whole State was significant for the former as it was their Common-wealth Law it did comprehend Ceremonies the Judicial Law and the External part of the Moral this made up their Civil Constitution and its faults were punishable by the Magistrate It had only Temporal Promises and Penalties and it was twofold either most severe as the Common Law threatning Death for Non-performance to a Tittle and this did 1. Represent the Moral Law or 2. It was remedial for smaller faults for Types must not be enlarged to have overthrown the Common-Wealth and therefore there were no Sacrifices for Murther and Adultery and the like Lev. 20. But 2. There was a Chancery or a Remedying Law to prevent these Penalties in many Cases Acts 13.39 If there had been in all Cases the Order of the Common-wealth had been turn'd into Confusion This we may see in Heb. 7.8 9 10 Chap. This was the Ceremonial Law Levit. 15. A Man for burying the Dead was liable to perpetuâ—l Exile which was a necessary Moral Duty had it not been for this Relief Now all grant this Law literally taken is excluded from our Justification and some lay the stress meerly here viz. in the Insufficiency of the Law as that which God never intended to justifie any Man as to Aeternal concerns by but we see on the contrary it was the insufficiency of the Obedience that did prevent it not the Law it self 2. The Mosaical Law is to be taken Spiritually and this in Correspondence to the Type must be twofold also Either as a most severe Law requiring Perfect Personal and Perpetual Obedience in Thought Word and Deed and Threatning Death for every offence I have proved already this Law is excluded or 2. As a Remedy for all Transgressions and Failures against that exact Law for the Parallel of a Remedy as to some offences Acts 13.39 is excepted and this was the Law as fulfilled by Christ Jesus for us for he it was and his Obedience who was obedient to the Death that was represented by all these Ceremonies that were Tipifying Remedies under the Law he was the City of Refuge he was the Propitiating Sacrifice his Blood sprinkles both Book and People and only Purifies as to Conscience and this is the Gospel or Law of Faith by which we are justified and by which our Mouth is stopt as to all boasting we being no ways fulfillers of it For he alone did tread the Wine-press of the Fathers Wrath of all the People there was none with him he built the House and he ought to bear the Glory by one Sacrifice he hath for ever perfected them that are Sanctified They who plead for a Remedying Law to be obey'd by us ought to find Scriptures interpreting the Typical Remedying Law to represent it but they all Terminate and End in Christ and therefore the Law is remedial as satisfi'd or obey'd by him the Mediatorial Law is the Remedying Law Indeed the Quietists Interpret a Broken Heart and Contrite Spirit to be typifi'd by the Sacrifices because called Sacrifices that God will not despise but then they deny Christs Sacrifice for the Type must Point at one thing else it would be of an uncertain sound other things are by Allusion but nothing is more plain in all the Scripture than that he is the Antitype of all that Remedying Law The Armin. System by Limbourgh says The Dedication of our selves to God as living Sacrifices Rom. 12.1 Or Alms and Charity were represented by the Thanksgiving Offerings not the expiatory Sacrifices we must be Priests in a justifi'd State a fellow of the High-Priests before we can offer acceptably This was the Gospel and Law of Faith and differ'd from ours only as symbols from express Words a gradual difference in Clearness and Obscurity and rendred the promis'd Seed of the Woman bruis'd after the manner of an Expiatory Sacrifice the Object of the Old Testament Faith 5. The Evangelical Law and its Works are here comprehended under the Law of Works for the Distinction lies more in the Manner of Obedience and Acceptance of the Works than in the Preceptive or Sanctive Nature of the Law 1. The Works of all Men are excluded by the deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be justified Rom. 3.20 The Expression seems to be borrowed from the 143d. Psalm v. 2. Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified They to whom Paul writes were Saints Rom. 1.7 Beloved of God called to be Saints Galat. 1.2 4. They were the Churches of Galatia in whose State Paul enrolls himself Ver. 4. Who gave himself for our Sins Abram is brought in here as an Example having his Works excluded from giving any Right to Justification and David who was a Man according to Gods own Heart is brought in as another Instance expecting Gods imputing Righteousness without Works And indeed the Apostles Arguments for Justification without Works would be of small Strength against any Man except Believers in Christ Galat. 2.21 If Righteousness câ—me by the Law then is Christ dead
in Vain They who did not believe in Christ would grant all his Arguments viz. that Christ died in Vain with respect to that End of Redemption of Sinners under the Law Galat. 4.5 And not only Professors of Faith but real Saints being sanctified in Heart and Life as may be seen by the Apostles answer to that Objection Rom. 6.1 The Objection lies thus If Grace be glorified in pardoning of Sin and our own Works have no Interest in obtaining the Right of Pardon then our Works are useless but our Sin useful Let 's continue in Sin that Grace may abound and the like Rom. 3.5 If our Vnrighteousness commend the Righteousness of God how can God be Righteous in punishing man Had it been the Works of any one kind of Law that the Apostle had been here excluding the most proper Answer had been by Distinction of Laws and Righteousness viz. thô Ceremonial Works be excluded yet Moral Obedience is requisite or thô the Moral Law be excluded and its Works yet Evangelical Obedience is not exâ—luded But the Apostles answer is of another kind viz. How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein and he that 's dead is justified from Sin The Strength of his Answer is founded on the necessâ—ry Connexion between Justification and Sanctification the Blâ—ssing of the one is the Badge of the other Bellarmine's Answer to this Argument savours neither of Honesty nor Subtlety viz. Saints do many things that are not Evangelical Obedience many of their Works have neither Faith as a Principle nor Gods Glory as their End but who did ever expect to be justified before God on the account of their Sins and Transgressions The very Pagans supplicate for the Pardon of such Crimes and here the Apostle is disputing against a Company of seduced Christians 2. Arg. As the Works of all Men are excluded so all kind of Works are excluded There is no Man can do any Works that can be ground of Right to Pardon or Glory We have Apostolical Testimony for this Ephes 2.9 Not of Works lest any Man should boast There are in that Text four Arguments excluding Works from our Salvation 1. An Opposite Principle Grace By Grace are we saved therefore not by Woâ—ks By Gods Gift not your Merit 2. The ill consequent that would follow our Works being exalted to such a Dignity vsz Boasting lest any Man should Boast A third is from the distorting of Divine Order in the Method of our Salvation by putting Works before the Promise We are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works which God had before ordained The Divine Order lies thus 1. A Pre-ordination unto Holiness 2. An Union with Christ as the great mean thrô whom its consistent wiâ—h a just God to bestow Blessings on Man 3. There is the Blessing it self our being new moulded by a New Creation for New Ends Lastly comes in the result of all good Works unto good Works Holiness is a Possession it 's a begun Heaven and the Right of Title must be before the Possession Fourthly The Reason is added why they might be occasion of Boasting because we are the Subjects of that Grace Should Boast for we are his workmanship that we should walk in them What is in us is ours as shall be prov'd which is directly contrary to what is asserted by the Adversaries that Works from Grace will not give occasion to Glory The like is asserted of the Text A Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law and Galat. 2.16 Knowing that a Man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ I cannot here pass Bellarmine's Exception to this last Text from the Vulgar Translation which renders it thus Nisi Except by the Faith of Jesus Christ so he would make the Sence run thus A Man is not justified by the Works of the Law except these Works flow from Faith so that Evangelical Works here have room in the Matter of Justification For the Refutation of which I shall rejoin these Considerations Nisi signifies sometimes But Cic. De re nihil judicare possum nisi mihi certè persuadeo te talem virum nihil temere facere Ter. Nescio nisi mihi Deos satis scio iratos fuisse The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which often in the New Testament must be translated but and signifies adversatively Matth. 26.42 If this Cup may not pass away from me except I drink it The Opposition is there Adversative And Matth 12.4 And did eat the Shew-bread which was not lawful for him to eat but only for the Priest John 5.19 The Son can do nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Synonymon of it and that is most frequently in the Septuagint and also in the New Testament put adversatively 4. The Syriack in this Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from it is the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all which signifies but so thô the Apostle wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he spoke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rather took 'em both in one Sence 5. These proves that it may be as properly translated but as except but Scripture Interpreting it self shews that it must be translated but and therefore our Translation is preferable to the Vulgar For 1. Other Texts in express Terms put Faith and Works Adversatively and not Conditionally and therefore if it contradict not it self must be so understood here Rom. 3.28 A Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law Without cannot signifie a Condition 2. The Text shews that the form of the Argument is Disjunctive thus A Man is either to be justified by the Works of the Law or by the Faith in Jesus Christ but a Man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ as we may see Thirdly In the Applicatory Conclusion Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law Any new Law must suppose an Abrogation of the old but that was impossible and thereâ—ore there was a necessity of Christs fulfilling it for us but he having fulfill'd it for us by a kind of Equity our imperfect Obedience is accepted for Duty but not for a Condition of Life which I shall enlarge on the second part of the Text. 3 Arg. As all Mens Works and all Works of all Men are excluded so all Law is requiring Works of us Galat. 3.21 If there had been a Law given which could have given Life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law But this has been spoken to under the third Head 4 All Evangelical Obedience being imperfect it can never be the Matter of our Justification for what needs a Pardon for it self cannot Merit a Pardon for another If it cannot stand the Test of the
in the Mind So as the Seed of Grace in a Regenerate Man is called the Divine Nature So this Flesh or Carnal Disposition it is our Corrupt Nature and it is called Flesh from its opposition to the Spirit for as Substances Flesh and Spirit are opposite in the Scripture so also Spiritual and Carnal Disposition untill a Man hath a higher principle he only can converse about Carnal things Carnal and Earthly things are equivalent they did partake of your Carnal things So Galat. 6.12 2 Cor. 5.16 Phil. 3.3 The strength of the Argument lies thus That since by our Birth and by our Natural Disposition we are Carnal therefore by our Birth and Natural Disposition we are liable to Wrath. By our Birth we are Flesh John 3.3 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and the Text says this Flesh renders us liable to Wrath. 2. We are liable to Wrath from all the successful Temptations of the Prince of the Air for all the results saith the Context are Disobedience Now Satan both can and doth act us before any acquired Custom or Habit and according to the Common Notions of the Soul there is no apparent repugnancy why his suggestions may not be thrown into the Soul and succeed too before we are born 3. Nature and Grace here are opposed as Comprehending the two entire States of Man by Nature you are the Children of Wrath but by Grace you are saved So Nature comprehends the whole of a Mans Life before Grace else he may be sav'd without Grace except Nature were taken in this sense his Argument would be in two considerable Points defectible 1. In shewing as to Eternal Concerns that by Birth and Nature the Jews and Gentiles condition were alike as well as by Conversation 2. In depressing the Jews false grounded Pride who reckon'd all the Seed of Abraham in a sinless Condition untill adult Gal. 2.15 Is it supposable that when the former is so true and the latter so dangerously false and both the Apostles design in the very place that there should be nothing in his Argument to signifie them or that when no word more proper than this word Nature could be thought on that that word should be us'd in a most improper sense I might add four more to enforce this 1. Authority Austin and Prosper did interpret this Text of Original Sin 2. Etymology the word Children is changed it is not the same that in the second is called Children of Disobedience but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies our Birth 3. The other Texts of Scripture Psal 5. and Job I was conceived in Sin and born in Iniquity Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean 4. Matter of Fact Infants dye suffer Miseries Pains that are the Effects of Wrath in Scripture Language if they were not lyable to them how should they generally and frequently suffer them 2ly We are personally guilty To prove that all Men are guilty is because the Scripture describing the Heraldry of our Sinfulness doth not derive it from our Actions but derives the Evil of our Actions from our Persons We are Corrupt trees and therefore bring forth Corrupt fruit That which cometh out of a man defiles a man and Satan like when he speaks a lye speaks his Own John 8 44. If God from a Man's Birth do determine his Will and so sanctifie him it may stop this Course but being left to himself he cannot but sin for Nature will follow its own Course For the Wicked drink in Iniquity as the fish do the water they go astray from the Womb speaking lyes and being left to himself as soon brings shame as Wise Solomon observes Mat. 12.3 4. being evil ye cannot speak good An evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things Tit. 1.15 Vnto them that are defil'd every thing is impure Prov. 21.4.27 the plowing and praying of the Wicked are Sins Hag. 2.12 they defile whatever they touch the dead Carkass and other defiling things under the Law did typifie them The Nature of God is the Rule of ours antecedently to his Will being the Rule of our Actions and the want of Conformity to the Rule is a Sin and where the want of his Image is there is the want of a Likeness or Conformity to him this may be called a Personal Guilt antecedent to our Guilt by Actions and is a Confirmation of the former and much of the same Nature with it 3dly We are universally Guilty This is the Apostles great and demonstrative Argument to prove that we are not justified by Works 1. He supposes Salvation possible attainable 2. That a Righteousness was necessary to it for the Judge could not be just in justifying the Unjust 3. This Righteousness must be inherent or imputed a Righteousness to be believ'd or a Righteousness to be done by us a Righteousness by Works or Faith by our own Righteousness or anothers by a proper Righteousness or Vicarious what Soveraign Authority in Justice might accept in its room the former is by the Law the latter is by the Gospel the former is that the Apostle rejects with most industrious pains and strenuous proof For it 's a disjunction that admits of no Medium if guilty by the Law only sav'd by the Gospel 4. He proves that we are universally guilty as to the Law 1. The Gentiles are from Chap. 1.18 to Chap. 2.17 Because they knew God but did not glorifie him they detain'd the truth in unrighteousness they condemn'd in others what they did themselves their Conscience accus'd them for transgressing the Law wrote on their minds 2. He proves the Jews guilty and that in measure above the Gentiles from Ch. 2.17 to Ch. 3. From their having more Knowledge and worse Lives by which they made the Gentiles blaspheme their Religion and the Author of it 2. By doing the same things or things of like Nature they taught from the Law of God was not to be done After the obviating of an Objection against that Argument from Ch. 3. to v. 9. he there begins a New Argument to prove all guilty to v. 20. by the Authority of the Old Testament the Jews and Christians only owns the strength of the Argument but it 's Conclusive Universality doth not only prove the Jews are guilty but all v. 9. both Jews and Gentiles v. 10. None righteous no not one v. 19. All the World guilty before God The Citations are so interwoven as to guard against all Exceptions Negatively None righteous Positively All gone out of the way Subjectively understanding none understandeth Will none seeketh after God Words v. 13.14 Their throat is an open Sepulchre c. Works v. 15. Their feet are swift to shed blood Objectively against Men v. 16. Destruction and misery are in their ways Against God viz. There is no fear of God before their eyes Which may sufficiently discover the unreasonableness of their Opinions who to limit this Guilt and make some room for Works in
Justification say The Guilt and Works here spoken of are only against the Ceremonial Law others against the Judicial and Civil Constitution of the Jews others the Moral only as abstractly consider'd from Evangelical in Strength or Duty But more of this on Verse 4. 4thly Not only Vniversally guilty but Numerously guilty Every Man is not only guilty of Sin but the account of his Sins are Innumerable For first the Actions of our Life are innumerable together with the words of our Tongues and Thoughts of our Mind and there is a sinfulness accompanying each of these We must give an account of every idle word Mat. 12.36 and all our Actions are to be set before us and how will then the Sinner be humbled when his aggravated Talents or Sins amount to ten thousands and no coming out till all be paid Mat. 18.24 34. how much more numerous must Farthing-Debts be And yet Mat. 5.26 there is no coming out till the uttermost farthing be paid 2. God as a Punisher or as a Pardoner he reckons the multitude of every Transgressors Sins great Gen. 6.5 The Deluge was sent on the Old World because every thought of the imagination of their Heart was only evil continually The Captivity was sent on the Jews Ezek. 16.25.51 because their Whoredoms were encreased and she had multiplyed her Abominations more than Samaria Nay Samaria had not committed half the Sins When God forgives Sins he forgives many Sins All manner of Sin and Iniquity shall be forgiven Luke 7.47 I say unto thee her Sins which are many shall be forgiven Rom. 5.16 The free gift is of many offences unto Justification James 5. and last He that Converts a Sinner hides a multitude of Sins 3. The Saints own account of their Sins or rather Vain Attempts to account of them Job 9.2 3. We cannot answer for one of ten thousand ten thousand was one of the least parcells he could put by their selves David Psal 19.12 Who can understand his errors Cleanse thou me from secret faults Psal 40.12 Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine Iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up Solomon Eccles 7.27 One would expect the best account of him of any body if he should lay out his Talent of Wisdom that Way which after he became a Penitent or one gathered into the Church as the Hebrew Phrase is he did for Verse 25. he says I applied my Heart to know the wickedness of folly even of Wickedness and Madness Ver. 27. he says This he had found counting one by one to find out the account which yet my Soul saith he seeketh but I find not That is he found the account of Sin was not to be found out but this he found Verse 29. that they were many they had sought out many inventions and that God was Author to none of them 4. The Similitudes they are compared with the Hains of our head Psal 40.12 the drops of a living Spring the Sand on the Sea-shore as the words of Manassehs Prayer hath it The very Tongue it self saith St. James is a World of Iniquity the Dimensions of Sin are high as Heaven Ezra 9.6 Deep as Hell Hos 9.9 Psal 130.1 It s Breadth and length are such as nothing but the Incomprehensible heighth depth length and breadth of the Love of Christ can cover 5. We may know the Number of our Sins by the Books of Accounts that the great Auditor of Accounts Christ Jesus will make use of at the great day There is the Book of Scripture that contains the Law and so teaches us Skill in this Holy Arithmetiek the second is the Book of Conscience which is like our Diary Rom. 2.14 and has all Matter of Fact wrote in it By comparing these together every Man may get sight of a huge and terrible Number of Sins First for the Law it is exceeding broad but yet there is an opposite Law in our Members that is as broad as it for there is no Law but we have some way or other broken and that by a nigher Transgression than by that Rule the Apostle gives he that transgresses one is guilty of all This Law has a famous Division in Ten Commandments but the Jews subdivide them into 613 Ceremonial and Judicial Precepts and so may we in as many particular Moral ones As for Instance Thou shalt have no other Gods before me Comprehends our Faith in God and all his Promises and who can reckon the number of Promises Blessings Secondly Knowledge and Study of God and who can reckon the various parts of Divinity Thirdly Love of God and this should be as much repeated as his Mercies are to us that admit of no Intermission Fourthly Adoration and this admits as many parts as there are things unknown of the Incomprehensible God or as there are New Discoveries made of them Fifthly Obedience and this is as large as all particular Precepts Sixthly Farther if we shall take one of these particular Commands they admit of Variety of Kinds of Transgressions against them for Instance Adoration Atheism Idolatry Magick Superstition Blasphemy Hypocrisie are all Transgressions of that Duty and yet there is none of these Species of Sins but may be subdivided into multitude of Inferior Branches For Instance Idolatry Men have been as many ways guilty of it as there are Creatures the very Mouse has been Worshipped and Art has been put on the Rack for Invention of Kinds of Molten Carved Painted Idols or Images There has been variety of Idols for all the Ends or Uses Man wanted any good There has been Gods of Sneezing there has been as many Idols as there are things that Men set their Hearts too much upon Profits Pleasures Honours If we will next take the other Book of Conscience and search how often we commit Idolatry with what is our Idol which by our practice we perpetually pursue We talk on it we think on it we dream on it who can then reckon the multitude of his Transgressions If our Consciences be secure and we reckon our selves pretty Innocent from gross abominable Sins yet this Number might startle us there are multitudes Multitudes in the Valley of Decision We cannot but say Beelzebubs Sin was the greatest Sin in the World yet we dare not say 't was greater than the Sins of all the rest that Complied with him for they lost God a vast number of Creatures and threw Dirt on multitudes of his Glorious Images So thy many Sins have robbed God of many Duties Beside in the number of our Sins there is not only a bare encrease of Quantity but there is encrease of Intention with their Extension As Poyson or Physick five Grains at one time will work more than four Grains at two times So we find Mat. 18.22 Peter thought eight times was unpardonable and the Lord says Numbers 14.22 Because they had ten times rebelled they should none of them enter into the Land Lastly Constant Multiplication of