for Right the same is expressed in the other by the special word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best kind of Rights Also to have Right by the Law Rom. 4.14 or to have the Inheritance by the Law is the same in sense And then the Promise is frustrate For if they which be of the Law be heirs Faith is made voyd and the Promise made of no Effect Chap. 5. Right The word Righteousness is taken in this last sense jurally for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jus or Right supposed in all Acts of Justice Equity and Righteousness opposed to Injustice Iniquity and Unrighteousness For whensoever any of these Acts are done to any person that person is supposed to have some Jus or Right otherwise we can do him no Injustice Injury or Wrong For as where there is no Law there is no Sin so to him that hath no Right there can be done no wrong as to Slaves Reas 1 Because Right signifies the effect of Gods Promise God promised a Right of Alliance Issue Inheritance and therefore Abraham had a Right Title and Interest to all these else the promise had been unjust and of no effect Reas 2 Because the New Testament so expresseth it But to him that worketh not Rom. 45.6 but believâ—th in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for Righteousness Even as David also describeth the Blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without Works So also in the 10 11 12 13 22 23 24 verses of this Chapter Reas 3 Because the Old Testament so expresseth it Ps 106.30 31. Then stood up Phinehas and executed Judgment and so the Plague ceased And this was counted to him for Righteousness to all generations for evermore This gave him a Right to the Fee-simple of the Priesthood to him and to his Heirs for ever for so the Charter runs Num. 25.10 11 12. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the Priest hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel while he was zealous among them that I consumed not the Children of Israel in my jealousy Wherefore behold I give unto him my Covenant of Peace and he shall have it and his seed after him even the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood because he was zealous for his God and made an atonement for the Children of Israel He had a Right to the Priesthood before by Reas 4 his Birth but this was a Corroboration for ever Because all Rights consist in accounting which is their Essence As that the use fruit or propriety of such a thing is accounted or reckoned to such a person as belonging to him and not to another Thus God by his promise accounted to Abraham a Seed to be multiplied into the higher Powers of Numbers As into Squares Cubes Squares of Squares Squares of Cubes and Cubes of Squares i.e. into Tens Hundreds Thousands and hundred Thousands and thousand Thousands till they were numberless as the Starres of Heaven And the Root unto all these Powers was but the Binary of Abraham and Sarah old dry and dead in Body but young and lively in Faith Illustration Thus the working servant hath Right to his wage by the meanes of his work The Son that worketh not hath right to his maintenance by his Birth The first born Son hath right to his Inheritance by his Majority or Primogeniture The Believer hath no Right by Birth nor by Works but by Faith only of Grace not of Debt This Faith is but a personal Act Rom. 4 4. but the right thereby is a real permanent and hereditary Benefit Thus Right to Blessedness was the effect whereof Gods Promise was the Cause and Abrahams Faith the means whereby that Cause wrought this effect The summe is God by his Promise counted to Abraham a Right and accounted his Faith for a means to obtain that Right So his Faith was accounted for his Right and his Right was accounted to him for his Faith Abrahams Rights were Issue Inheritance and chiefly Alliance with God Chap. 6. Blessedness therefore God is called the God of Abraham which is blessedness in the Abstract i. e. Heavenly blessedness not expresly so mentioned but contained in the Promise which wise Abraham in his reasoning well understood though a farre off Heb. 11.19 and made a right reckoning of it accounting that God was able to raise from the Dead And that God was bountiful so to do to be his exceeding great reward every way for Issue for Inheritance but especially for Eternal Life Heb. 11.10 For he looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11.16 And he desired a better Country then the Land of Canaan was even a heavenly and a better life then this For God is not a Benefactor to the Dead while they are dead He is not the God of the Dead but of the Living And therefore that he may again become to them a God he raises them from the Dead unto Eternal Life Because that is the great Blessing which they want and he only can gives and it is fitting only for his children to receive and therefore he hath prepared for them a City even Jerusalem which is above which is the Mother of us all Luc. 20.35 36. Christ reasoneth just so They which shall be counted worthy to obtain that World and the Resurrection from the Dead neither marry nor are given in marriage Neither can they die any more but are equal unto the Angels and are the children of God being the children of the Resurrection Now that the Dead are raised even Moses shewed in the Bush when he calleth the Lord The God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob For he is not a God of the Dead but of the Living for all live unto him Now the Title that Abraham had to all these Rights was not his generous Birth nor his Righteous works but his acceptation of Faith Jus Fidei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4.11 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 9.30 Faith-right opposed to Birth-right and Work-right Reas 5 Because accounting is the common Genus to both Justifying and Condemning for Accounting is a Word larger then Justifying or Condemning and therefore is the common Genus to them both being acts of accounting To Justify is to acquit as just to some reward To condemn is to adjudg as sinful to some Punishment For I will not justify the Wicked Eâ— 23.7 The Lord will not leave him in his hand Ps 37.33 nor condemn him when he is judged Rom. 4.8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin Reas 6 Because Abrahams Tenure to hold this Right was the obedience of the Faith by which he had that Right Therefore he was accounted Righteous only by his Faith but he kept his Righteousness by his Love and
are his and all the faithful are Instituted written Heirs of God ex Asse and there is no Disinheredation or Preterition of any faithful Soul 4. Assurance is Gods accounting us for righteous for our Faith or by the means of our Faith And if God so accounts us to have Right to the Kingdome of Heaven what greater Assurance can there be Ob. The Conscience accuseth therefore no Assurance Sol. The Conscience of a Believer doth not accuse nor can accuse 1. Because God accuseth not and if God accuseth not who can If God justifies who dare condemne 2. Because the soul that believes knows that she believes therefore knows that she is thereby justified and therefore cannot accuse The Soul that lives in trespasses and sins that Soul doth not believe well therefore may that soul accuse and God accuseth much more But the soul that lives not in trespasses and sins that Soul believeth and therefore that soul cannot accuse but excuse because God excuseth much more Say not therefore O faithful soul that thy conscience accuseth thee and that thou art in the state of Damnation Nay It is not thy Soul that can say thus but it is thy Fancy thy Passion thy Humor thy Distemper thy Disease thy Temptation Why then shouldest thou doubt or speak unadvisedly with thy lips or charge God so foolishly O thou of little Faith To reckon Right with God Chap. 10. Reckoning God accounts thee to be Righteous for thy Faith or by the means of thy Faith and they that God account Righteous are Righteous indeed for God judgeth righteous Judgment and makes a true accompt therefore we may most safely reckon with God as God reckons by the means of our Faith Yea we wrong God and our selves if we do not Our reckoning then is upon Gods Promises those sure mercies to Abraham and his seed Therefore Christ came to performe the mercy promised to our Fore-fathers and to remember his holy Covenant For the hope of which promises the twelve Tribes of Israel even the children of the Promise do instantly serve God day and night and to this Promise they hope assuredly to come upon the strongest grounds of Reasoning and accounting that can possibly be made even to a demonstration that cannot be denyed For all Rights that do arise from any Promise Chap. 11. Promises are conveyed to the party to whom the Promise is made by no other means but by Faith i. e. by Acceptance of the promise and the right specified therein For all Promises are made effectual by Faith by his Faith to whom the promise is made For if he be unbelieving and refuse it then the Promise is dead and of one effect but if he give Faith to it and accept it then it binds him that made it to perform it and creates a Right to him that accepts it to enjoy the benefit of it And the Reason is because Acceptance formes a Promise into a Covenant whereby there is a convening or meeting of minde unto minde and will unto will viz the mind and will of the Receiver to the mind and will of the Promiser Thus the Promise Rom. 4.13 that Abraham should be the Heir of the World came not to him through the Righteousness of the Law but through the Righteousness of Faith i.e. not by any Act of the Law but by the Act of his Acceptance For as the Promise was an Act of meer Grace on Gods part that made it So the Acceptance was a meer Act of Faith on Abrahams part that received it And as between God and Abraham so is the Nature of all Promises and the Assurances of the benefits by them To prove our Reckoning right In Ratiocination and Reckoning 3. Chap. 12. Proof there is a way to prove the Argumentation or Accompt to be free from fallacy or error as wise Logicians and Arithmeticians use to do So every wise Christian will prove his own Faith by which he reckoneth upon his own Salvation whither it be true or no. And that must be by his Works Cap. 13. Works For Works do declare this Right to Salvation to be truly concluded and reckoned and do justify that faith by which we reckon our selves to be justified Note here that Works do not make and create a Right where there was none before but do manifest the right which was before made but concealed My Faith doth create and make me to have a Right in Christ but my Faith is a thing invisible spiritual and concealed within my heart I cannot see it nor the World cannot see it unless I shew it by the fruits thereof outwardly to God and Man Jac. 2.18 c. A man may say saith St. James Thou hast Faith and I have Works Shew me thy faith without thy Works and I will shew thee my Faith by my Works Know O vain man that faith without works is dead Abraham was justified by Faith when he embraced the Promises but Abraham was justified by Works when he offered up Isaac his Son upon the Altar Seest thou how Faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect And so the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for Righteousness Works therefore do perfect thy Faith and declare thy Faith to be perfect Faith justifies before God without the concurrence of works as to the meer act of Faith but works justify Faith before men by their concomitancy with Faith And though Faith gave thee a Right yet works do demonstrate to thy self and to the World that Faith hath been lively and operative to give thee this Right and Interest in Christ Works therefore do perfect that Faith by which thou art justified and Works do declare thee to be justified because they declare that Faith by the which thou art justified Thy Faith alone doth procure that Right to be justified but thy Faith alone doth not declare that Right to me which it creates and makes to thee But thy Faith needs works to declare and prove both to thee and me that Right which it hath created and made to thee for thy great comfort and satisfaction and the Glory of God and praise of good men I conclude therefore that Faith makes a Right Reckoning with God but Works prove this Right Reckoning to be right made But this is not all For as Faith is the means whereby we have a Right and Title present to the future Possession of the heavenly Promises So works are the means whereby we hold the Right and Title present to the future Possession of the heavenly promises that we may maintain and keep our Right and make a Right reckoning thereof unto the end that our Faith fail us not and that we may not come short of the heavenly Glory Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore sear least a promise being lâ—ft us of entring into his rest any of you shouâ—d seem to â—ome short of it For some did not keep the
all Sin is in my Flesh 2. How all misery is in my Flesh And that this is but my outward Man the old Man That decayes and dies which I am daily putting off 3. How all Grace is in my Spirit 4. How all Glory is in my Spirit And that this is the Inward Man The new Man That quickens and lives which I am daily putting on And that therefore by my Faith I live above sin and above Misery and beyond them both while in my flesh I am perplexed with them both What then is all this Mourning by reason of Sin and for Afflictions here below Is not this the way to Heaven though it be thus Rugged and Thorny Is not this the Sea and are not these the Waves and Storms and Rocks and Quicksands that are therein But is not Christ my Pilot and am I not safe under him Have I not a sure Guide that will bring me into a safe Harbour Can I not then have a little Patience T is but to have a little Patience Dabit Deus his quoque finem 'T is but standing still a while and I shall see the Salvation of God Wherefore then all this a do Wherefore do ye trouble my Spirit I am ready not only to suffer but to dye There is no strang thing happened unto me but such as is common to all the faithfull and such as happened to Christ himself What though I am Tempted Afflicted Oppressed I live still The just shall live by his Faith My Vessel is covered with Waves yet she bears up against them My House is beaten and shaken with winds and waves yet it stands still because it is founded upon a Rock I am fearful naturally I do confess yet by the Grace of God I can look Sin Misery and Death in the face and trust in God still If I look only upon Sin and Misery and Death and Hell alas I dye for fear But if I look upon God and Christ I live for evermore If I consult with flesh and bloud I mourn and die but if I consult with the Spirit I rejoyce and live They that live after the Flesh shall die but they that by the spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh shall live Qu. Do we then live by Faith or by Sense Spiritually or Carnally Ans If we say we live by Faith and by the Spirit I say then what means this lowing and bleating of the Beasts that I hear Vnde Luctus Planctus Where is all this howling and Lamentation Why all this Despairing and Doubting O we of little Faith A voice in Ramah is heard bitter Lamentation Rachel mourning for her children and refuseth to be comforted because they are not But is Christs Church a Widdow hath she not a Husband is she an Orphan and hath she not a Father Is she a stranger and hath she not a Protector Surely she is the Spouse and Daughter of Christ and no stranger therefore God will take care and charge of her and do for her abundantly above all that she is able to aske or think Doth God take care for Oxen and for the Birds of the Air and for the Lillies of the Field and shall he not much more take care for us O we of little Faith Let me alone therefore and trouble me no more from henceforth with idle Questions or direful Curses I have a God to trust to I have nothing to do with you O ye subtil O ye uncharitable ones O my Soul strengthen thou thy self in thy God alone it is good for me to wait upon my God and to keep my self close to the Rock of my Salvation Why Have I not found his Goodness all along and should I doubt now Have I served so good a Master and now should I leave him Why how and by whom have I lived all this while under all sorrows And how do I live still And how do I hope to live hereafter And how do I hope to live for evermore but by my Faith in Gods Promises I am not exactly Righteous therefore I cannot live by my works but I am willing to work Righteousness and by the Grace of God I shall be accepted and live by Faith CONCLUSION The Doctrine of Faith is sufficiently known that thereby we are Justified Regenerated Adopted Incorporated into Christs Church Elected Sanctified Assured and shall be raised up from the dead and live in glory everlastingly But who are the true Believers is not so sufficiently known and it is hard to know All will profess their Faith but how do they prove it All will reckon upon Salvation but how do they prove their Reckoning Here lies the main Point that men should not deceive themselves Professors enough Teachers many but how true God knows 2 Cor. 13.5 and they themselves do not know for want of Trial of themselves Well therefore said the Apostle Examine your selves whither ye be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates I take great care upon This. I find high Pretenders to Faith and to the Spirit Chap. 17 Pretenders and mighty zealots in all duties of Devotion but I find also that they are not honest but Lyars Cheaters Malicious Proud Boasters Rebellious Sacrilegious Extortioners Lovers of themselves Luxurious Covetous and the greatest Troublers of the World I do not say Swearers nor open Drunkards c. I wish these men to examine themselves better and know themselves to be Hypocrites For God and the World know them so to be for they daily rob God in Tithes and offerings and his Priests of honor and respect They rob the King of Tributes and Customes and of Honour and Obedience They do cheat and forswear to the ruin of their neighbours none more Now shall such a Faith save them It must be no other then a dead Faith Because they are Hypocrites and do no good works therefore they have made shipwrack of a true Faith and of a good Conscience 2. I find ordinary Professors of Faith formal enough Customary hearers and Worshippers and just men But they are not zealous but they are not sober and temperate but they are cursers and swearers I do not say they are Lyars I wish heartily these men would examine themselves better They are in a good way and are almost but not all together good Christians They are too luke-warm and formal They must stir up themselves more or else they will come short of true Faith 3. I find some that are close and private and make little open shew of any Religion to the World Being no comers to Church no Readers nor Prayers at home regard no Laws nor Magistrates nor Ministers But keep to their shops and employments greedily groveling upon the World and minding no divine Deity I wish these men would examine themselves better and awaken out of their sottish condition For they can have no grounds to build any solid