and it may be in the same page tells us they go about to establish their own righteousness To conclude this Chapter after the Author hath so cryed up the attainments of men in his first image as we have seen when he hath affirmed them to be called out of the world Christ made their righteousnesse in a way of justification and told us how they are one flesh one body with Christ knit and married to Christ faithful walkers with Christ he tells us very fairly at last Page 361. That these are the devills subjects though he telleth us in that same page that they owne themselves in a professed subjection and conformity to the law of God that is to what is righteous holy and good in its nature and not onely as it is within themselves but as they are made righteous in another viz. Jesus Christ the righteous Truly we never thought the devill had such subjects but the Author could not this Gordian knot if he were set about it for if righteous in Christ in a way of justification and sanctified by his blood how are they the devills subjects nay the Author before had told us they were Christs subjects and a man at the same time cannot be Christs subject and the devils subject a man is translated from the power of darknesse when he is translated into the Kingdome of Christ Thus have we examined the Authors notions concerning men in his first image so full of contradiction to themselves and the truth Now to examine his doctrine about men in his higher image which he maketh a saving state shall be the work of the next Chapter CHAP. IV. Examines the Authors doctrine about his higher Image which he counts a saving state HE tels us Page 7. That this higher Image is the communion of the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13.14 which Paul wishes unto them after the grace they had shared in from Jesus Christ our Lord as the common salvation Jude 3. and as the fruit of the love of God the Father This shews the Author to be a Critick indeed as if a man might have the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and yet be shut out for ever from the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Ghost but what is it to have the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ but to have the pardoning strengthning sanctifying quickning grace of the Lord Jesus and he that hath this to be sure hath the love of God he both loveth God and God loveth him and this communion of the Holy Ghost is an effect of the love of God and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who giveth the blessed Spirit to those who are partakers of his grace and righteousnesse to sanctifie them wholly comfort them lead them into all truth and seale them to the day of redemption and the common salvation spoken of Jude 3. which the Authour quotes is the grace of God which bringeth salvation to all true Believers Gentiles as well as Jews called there common because this righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ is upon all and unto all them that believe whether Jews or Gentiles for the same Lord is rich in mercy to justifie and save all that believe on him though they be not Jews by nature but sinners of the Gentiles in this respect is the grace and righteousness that is in Christ called common salvation and not that it is common to them that are eternally saved and to them that perish Page 58. He describes the higher Image to be a beholding of Gods very similitude open and bare faced But is this saving faith to be beholding Gods very similitude open and bare faced as the Authors phrase is Alas we can have no access to him as an absolute God with comfort and for salvation without relation to a Mediator sesus the surety of the better Testament John 14.6 No man commeth to the father but by him and he saveth them that come to God by him Hebr. 7.25 that is true saving faith not the seeing of Gods similitude open and bare faced but how much better doth the Apostle describe faith and saving grace 2 Cor. 4.6 where he calleth it Gods shining into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ There is a very neere approach to God that the Saints shall have in glory and a glorious view of him in the beatifical vision in glory but that is not faith but glorification not here but hereafter as God told Moses Exod. 33. No man shall see my face and live But blessed be the Lord for ever that he puts us into the clift of the Rock the Lord Jesus and there we see his goodnesse passing before us and hear him proclaming his name the Lord the Lord God gratious and abundant in mercy and that by beleiving in Christ we are his children and that because we are thus his sons he sendeth the spirit of his son into our hearts whereby we can call him Abba Father this is unspeakable comfort to us in our present state that we thus know that we are now the sons of God though yet it doth not fully appear to us what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear even Jesus Christ the righteous that we shall be like him and see him as he is as 1 John 3.3 and however others pretend to see God in his very similitude open and bare faced we confess as 1 Cor. 13.12 that we now see but through a glass darkly though we yet expect at that day break of eternal brightness in Heaven to see face to face and know as we are known That which the Author saith of saving faith and the higher Image p. 75 76. we will grant taking it in a good sense and with this caution that what he there saith is improperly called the newbirth but rather glorification and that his expressions are too liable to mistakes but for quietness sake we will pass them by and come to Page 139. He saith these in the higher Image are under the ministery of Christs second appear ance wherein he doth not only appear a King of righteousness conveying a seed of righteousness answerable to that perfection commanded by the Law but also a King of peace conveying a seed of everlasting peace But the Author must know that where Christ is to any soul a King of righteousnesse he is also a King of peace The peace of God which passeth all understanding for its sweetness and comfort is an effect of Christs righteousness and so saith the Scripture Isaiah 30.17 the work of righteousness shall be peace to wit peace with God the effect of righteousness to wit Christs righteousness quietness and assurance for ever for as Rom. 5.1 being justified by faith that is by Christ and his righteousness believed in we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ so that this is the difference
Christ and lose it the notionall and historicall faith and beliefe of the Gospel may be lost and men may sin away such inlightnings and convictions of the spirit but such faith as truly receives Christ into the heart and unites us unto him in the greatest stormes will not be shipwrackt and that man having this faith and hope in Christ hath an Anchor for his soule both sure and stedfast Heb. 6. ult this faith swims in the sea of Christs blood in the Ocean of free grace where it cannot suffer shipwrack Page 221. 222. He saith concerning Abrahams calling that his first remove was out of the state of degenerate nature and his heathenish life into circumcision or experience of that commumon with God which is by the first Covenant which he made use of but as an Iun in his passage to the higher state If the Author had consulted with the fourth Rom. he would have bloted out this passage for in that Chap. the Apostle haveing spoken of justification Gods imputing righteousness without workes and remembering their sins no more he telleth us in the 9.10.11.12 verses that before ever Abraham received the signe of circumcision he was thus justified and therefore had true saving faith He received circumcision a seâ—l of the righteousness of faith which he had being yet uncircumcised that he might be the father of all them that believe though they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed to them also and the Author is mistaken to think that circumcision was a seale of the Covenant of workes for it was a seale of the righteousness of the new covenant which Abraham had believed in before Page 318. He saith these under the first image wherein yet there is not eternall life are planted into Christ as branches in the vine and good olive tree and so rendred righteous in the righteousness of their head and root That place John 15.1 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit is taken away the learned very well and according to the originall read thus Every branch that beareth not fruit in me is taken away and so the meaning is that though men beare never so much fruit by their husband the law yet all these children are but bastards unlesse they be married to Christ the true husband and though such may go for true saints yet they are not and doth not at all hold forth that any man may be truly in Christ and yet not be in a saving state which will be more evident if we compare this place with Rom. 8.1 where the Apostle saith That there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus to them that are truly in Christ planted into him to such there is no condemnation but they are passed from death to life and this Author confesses that these men are rendred righteous in the righteousness of Christ their head and root and if so what hinders their eternall salvation will not Christs righteousness justifie them and save them for ever we are content to leave it upon that issue and venture our soules upon that score that if our being rendred righteous in the righteousness of Christ our head and root will not bring us to Heaven we are willing to miscarry for ever but we know assuredly that his righteousnesse will justifie us for ever and save us to the utmost that come to God by him In that Page 318. He saith these go about to establish their owne righteousness not submiting to the righteousness of God But hath not the Author often said that these men in the first image seek acceptance with God onely by the righteousness of Christ and in this same page saith they are rendred righteous in the righteousness of Christ their head and if so how do they go about to establish their owne righteousness but the mystery lieth in the Authors understanding of the righteousness of God distinguishing betweene the righteousness of Christ and the righteousness of God but it s the righteousness of Christ that the Scripture calls the righteousness of God and we have shewed before why the righteousness of Christ is called the righteousness of God not as if the righteousness of Christ by which we are justified was the eternall righteousness of the Godhead as Osiander dreamed which is not communicable unto us but whatsoever the Author saith here of men in the first image that they will not submit to the righteousness of God yet page 118. he saith they are made the righteousness of God in Christ Page 320. He saith these are begotten againe into Gods own likness wherein man was created at first and have the visible characters thereof shining forth in it not written with inke and on tables of stone but with the spirit of the liveing God and on the fleshly tables of the heart shewing it selfe a right change and a reall heart work above and beyond all that is accounted civility and morality and above all notion and spirituality that is but head work and fancy and the tempter perswades them to rest here and praise and blesse Gods word and makes them say its good for us to be here especially if we be upon the Mount and brought hither by Christ himself It being supposed what the Author confesses that these look for acceptance with God onely in the beloved this is a blessed state and all they that are brought into it are taught of God and not by the devill as the Author imagines to blesse Gods word and be thankfull for this rich grace and say its good for us to be here whither should we go we are with him that hath alone the words of eternal life we are with him that justifies us sanctifies us stays us with flaggons comforts us with apples quickens us influences us with his spirit kisses us with the kisses of his mouth whose love is better then wine guides us by his counsell and afterwards brings us to his glory surely we may blesse the word of the Lord and magnifie his grace and say its good to be here and blesse the Lord that he brought us to this blessed state and for sanctification who are partakers of it as the Author here describes it but the true believers its they onely that put on the new man which after the image of God is created in righteousnesse and true holiness 〈…〉 3.3 rejoyced in such as the Epistle of Christ whose hearts were so written on by the spirit of the living God and Hebr. 8.10 it s made a speciall blessing of the new Covenant of grace I will put my lawes into their minde and write them in their hearts such have God to be their God in Covenant for ever and they his people for ever and though the heart of a naturall man may in some sort be swept and garnished yet not thus written on by the spirit of God as the Author saith Page 325. He saith That these in the first image have their consciences purged from dead
between the first Image the second that in the first Chrst is only to the soul the King of righteousness and in the other both the King of righteousness and peace is a meer notion for they are inseparable if Christ be the one to the soule he must of necessity be the other and he is upon this notion too pag. 214. that the higher image forms the heart into the subjection of Christ not onely as he is the King of righteousness but as he is the King of peace but we have seen that these two are inseparable and the latter the effect of the former Page 224. He saith after effectuall calling that which is the precious saving faith of Gods elect which he counts the higher image may lie undâ—stinguished in operation from that first faith which the spiritual seed may continue a long time in the single exercise of in common with the children 〈◊〉 the first covenant as was most evident in Peâ—â—â— who after he was effectually called yet how 〈◊〉 and weak did the operation and power of faâ—â— remain in him to the suffering of him to fall 〈◊〉 shamefully as he did This we deny that a man that is a believâ—â— his faith may lie undistinguished in operaâ—â—â— from the legall work that men have that aâ— under the covenant of works and that theâ—â—â—liever as this author saith may goe on â—â— single exercise of legall principles for 〈◊〉 true faith is in any soule that soule hath a 〈◊〉 incumbence and reliance upon Christ 〈◊〉 for life and salvation which no man hath 〈◊〉 der the covenant of works and this incumbence and reliance upon Christ is an act and operation of true faith that is distinguishing from the legall principles of men under the covenant of works so that the man doth not as this authour saith goe on a great while still in the single exercise of the principles of the covenant of works for if so he is not a believer and whereas this Authour saith that this is most evident in Peter he is greatly mistaken for though his faith might not act when he fell into denying of Christ yet he had before that time acted faith on the blood of Christ and so much the authors own words imply and so are a sufficient answer to him but as the Author jumbles the covenant of works and the covenant of grace together in justification so doth he in faith and sanctification but he must know that as soon as a man believeth in Christ he obeyes upon principles of faith and love and thankfulâ—esse in measure and we may as well imagine that the Sunne can be without light as faith be in the heart without its effects and operations more or lesse and as high as the Authour would seem to carry us the Apostle James will tell him that such a kind of faith as he here speakes of to be the higher image is but a dead faith James 2. where he tells us Faith without works is dead a dead faith v. 17. That faith that doth not work the soule out of its selfe into Christ for justification and doth not work out sin upon Gospel principles in some measure is a dead faith if this be the faith that he calls the higher image it s an image indeed as the Lord said of those images the people made that they have eyes but see not and cares but beare not and feet but walk not and so could this Author have his higher image to be that a man for all it goes on in the single exercise of legall principles and sees not acts not at all by faith well the Lord keep me from such a faith and give me faith that works by love and is distinguished in operation from a legall work But the Authour saith in that page and in the next that when James 5th saith Faith without works is dead the meaning is that it is dead in point of comfort but not only so but it is a dead faith and the man that hath such a faith is dead in trespasses and sins the Author pretends to shew us a higher state and puts us off with a dead faith a dead image but this is plain that he that hath truly believed in Christ faith hath acted and operated in him to an adherence to Christ to the receiving of Christ in his heart and doth work in him Gospel-holinesse in some measure so that he that hath true faith and hope in Christ that blessed work is doing in his heart it is begun even to purifie as he is pure 1 John 3.3 Page 304. He saith by this faith and higher image man is made no longer able to keep his selfish power to doe his own will to speak his own words or think his own thoughts or finde his own desire or exercise his own lust to good or evill as living upon his naturall root That after we have true faith in Christ we have yet remainders of corruption is plain enough by Scripture and all our experiences that we too much think our own thoughts and speak our own words but how commeth it to passe that this Authour telleth us that we cannot lust to do good or evil as living upon our naturall root How then say I either the true Saint must never sin which the Author will not affirm or else he must doe it as he liveth in part according to his naturall root the law of our members for so far as we live upon Christ his spirit his love so we sin not and so far as we live up to the principles of the new creatâ—â—e laid in our hearts in the new birth so far we sin not and let the Reader examine how this passage and the last we examined will hold together he had said before a man in the higher Image might be like others These are the clearest descriptions that I can finde him give of his higher Image and now let the Reader judge whether this which he calls the higher image be any thing more then the first image setting aside some improper expressions wherein he confounds the new birth and the glory which follows for that is the Authors way to apply Scriptures that speak of the future glory of the Saints those he applies to his higher Image But now let us consider seeing that among all the writers in all ages since the Apostles there hath none written in this Authors way unless in some small matters and there hath been and yet is a remnant according to the election of grace how doth the Author mitigate the asperity of his doctrine as to those who have not known of his notions Page 213. He tells us that he doth not condemn those professors of Christ and saints of God who have dyed or yet may dye without ever acknowledging a higher or better state of acceptation with God then under the first Image So that as much weight as he laies upon his higher Image he confesses it is such a thing that a
by him in his own person imputed to him as he saith but now the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace are so differing as we have already discovered that its impossible that a man can be justified upon the terms and tenour of the Covenant of grace and works too for what saith the Scripture Rom. 11.6 If it be by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace But if it be of works then it is no more grace otherwise work is no more work and to be justified by faith and to be justified by the Law and upon the tenour of the Covenant of works are everywhere in the Scripture rendered inconsistent I say not this as if I owned the Authors judgement in that particular as if what he calls being justified upon the tenour of the first Covenant were so indeed for there is no such thing but whosoever is justified by Christ is justified upon the terms of the Covenant of grace but to shew how the Author maketh a linsey-woosley businesse of it and falls into that mistake according to the tenour of his judgment that he would impose upon us to wit our looking for justification by the Covevenant of works whereas we look for our justification only upon the terms and tenour of the Covenant of grace and think the justification of the new Covenant so entire and perfect that we look for no justification upon the tenour of the Covenant of works to compleat it for as Paul told the Galatians if they were but circumcised to wit with a conceit to adde that to the righteousness of the new Covenant for their justification Christ should profit them nothing no though this Author insinuates that those that are called Orthodox are ignorant of the way of justification by the Covenant of grace yet they are not to seek for the knowledge of it nor do not distract mens faith as this Author doth to send them first to Christ for a justification upon the tearms and tenour of the Covenant of works and when they have got that to see that they are not safe there but then they must get a justification according to the Covenant of grace no they do not go about the bush thus but hold forth Christs righteousness and the Covenant of grace and mercy directing men to apply the blood of sprinkling to receive Christ to be their Priest to save them their King to rule them and their Prophet to teach them and then they have an Ancre for their soules both sure and stedfast CHAP. VII Takes a general View of the Authors Book HAving already particularly singled out some of the Authors Doctrine and examined it under several Chapters I shall now give the Reader a more miscellanious and general view of this Authors Doctrine And here we shall not oppose all that might be opposed but keep to the end which I propounded to my selfe to wit to deal with those passages in the Book that obscure the Gospel and are most likely to mislead or stumble-the unwary Reader Page 83. He saith Cain and Abel were both for a while worshippers and servants of God approaching to him by Sacrifice in testimony of their coming and relying upon the blood of Christ Cain without faith only by a life derived from Christ as he is head of the natural man and he hated Abel because he was in the higher Image But what Scripture saith Cain was a servant of God or had such a life from Christ as the Author speaks of though he offered sacrifice as well as Abel yet every one that offereth sacrifice is not presently the servant of God what though Cains mother said she had gotten a man from the Lord of him are all things that any mother may say in a sense of the wickedest child and though he offered sacrifice yet it doth not follow as the Author saith that he relyed upon the blood of Christ a man may doe a hundred times more then that and yet never rely upon the blood of Christ and if Cain did hate his brother Abel because he had true faith in Christ and so offered up a more acceptable sacrifice then he yet it doth not therefore follow that as the Author saith he was the servant of God and relyed upon the blood of Christ and was in the first image but rather the contrary that he was not thus for if he had owned and relyed upon the blood of Christ his sacrifice would have been accepted as well as Abels for it was by faith and relyance upon Christs blood that Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain Page 175. He saith Christ brings us to eternal glory the same way he came to it himself who was made perfect by sufferings But we are brought to eternal glory by the righteousnesse of another imputed to us but so was not Christ we are brought to glory by Christs sufferings not by our own let us have a care of Sâ—â—â—ianism Page 175. He saith that every man may keep himself from such high provocations for which God swears in his wrath they shall never enter into his rest God can keep men from such high provocations and wilful resistance of him and his wayes but man cannot keep himselfe God can do it by his restraining grace but man cannot The way of man is not in himselfe it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps without Christ we can doe nothing and therefore David prayed that God would incline his heart to his testimonies and not to covetousnesse the very inclination of the heart in man to the wayes of the Lord is from the Lord not from our selves Truly I think even those that are Saints if the Lord had left them to themselves would have fallen into those high provocations and wilfull resistance and refusal of Christ which is the main thing for which he swears in his wrath that we shall not enter into his rest If Saints and such Saints as Noah David Peter and Solomon when left to themselves did fall so shamefully then what power is there in other men to keep themselves from the greatest sins David one of them saith Psal 73.22 So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee These Saints that fell as they did would have backslided and revolted more even into all evil were it not that God kept them by his mighty power and plucked them as firebrands out of the fire let us not think every man hath power to keep himselfe from such high provocations and wilfull resistance of Christ and his grace but rather admire and be thankfull to him who is so rich in mercy as to keep any of us from the greatest transgression and transgressions for we who as the Scripture telleth us are not able to think a good thought of our selves are not able to keep our selves from the highest provocations what are we but an infinite and endlesse evil we goe astray as soon as we are
to have new hearts should rather question whether they themselves be so sanctified and their hearts so really and actually changed as to have new hearts and spirits and when we come to examine this very thing we shall finde that it is not such an ordinarie thing to have the heart which by nature is so desperately wicked to be so really and actually changed though the life may be much changed yet the heart may be the same even like a painted Sepulchre beautiful without but within full of dead mens bones but for this he maketh use of 2 Pet. 2.20 of mens escaping the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ who yet may be againe intangled in them But doth the Author know no difference between mens hearing of Christs calling for holinesse and departing from iniquity in the preaching of the Gospel that they do now leave their former prophaneness and pollutions hoping to get heaven or make themselves worthy of Christ by this their reformation I say is there no difference between this and the having of the heart really and actually changeed because Herod did many things and heard John Baptist gladly doth it therefore follow that he was so sanctified as to have his heart really and actually changed and purified Acts 15.9 the heart is purified only by true faith in Christ Jesus the life may be reformed by education by convictions of conscience and by a common head and notional knowledg of the Gospel and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ yet I confess in a good sense the hearts of some natural men may be said to be changeed but it must be very warily understood Another place he quotes for this attainment of the matural man is Heb. 6. Those that tasted of the heavenly gift and yet might fall away c. What if these are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enlightened so was Balaam and others that I hope were never justified and sanctified by Christ we do not deny but that the natural man may have illumination what if they are said to have tasted of the heavenly gift and if this heavenly gift be Christ himselfe men may tast of Christ as Cooks do of their sauce which they spit out again men may come to try Religion and tast Christ and not having a pallat that savours the things of the spirit may not like him there is a great difference betweene the unbelievers tasting and the true believers experience what if they are said to be made partakers of the Holy Ghost that may be said of any man that is any way enlightened by the Holy Ghost and partakers of his common gifts only yea Bezaliel and Aholiab are said to be filled with the Spirit of God when yet it was but to enable them to devise cunning works in gold and in silver and in brasse Exod. 31.3.4 What if they tasted of the good Word of God I question not but a natural man may do so as Herod that heard John Baptist gladly which shewed he was affected with the word and tasted some sweetnesse in it And what if they tasted the powers of the world to come and have often been scared as Felix was Acts 24.25 when Paul reasoned of the Judgement to come Felix trembled and so may other natural men do but doth this Scripture say as the Author doth that they received Christ in their hearts as their Lord and Christ and were made the righteousnesse of God in him this is the thing that we deny any natural man attaines to but we grant they may tast of the heavenly gift and of the powers of the world to come as that place in the 6. Hebr. doth declare Page 134. he saith These in the first Image are righteous workers according to the Law in the most Gospel administration of it but at the bottome are still upon the tenure and account of debt What is the most Gospel like administration of the Law but Christs fulfilling of it for us and taking the Law now into his own hands and prescribing the obedience the Law requires as duty to him the Lord our righteousnesse so that there is a modification of the Law to the fallen estate of man that Christ now doth not propound the Law to us as a Covenant of works that we should seek righteousnesse to justifie us by the works of the Law but he himself is made of God unto us righteousnesse and his blood cleanseth us from all sin and now will have us obey the Law as he exhibits it to us in the way of the Gospel that we should now obey out of love thankfulnesse and obedience to our Redeemer and this is the Gospel and Christs administration of the Law but this Author tells us that all the bottome they are upon the account and tenure of debt and that they are but still under the first Covenant which is a meer contradiction for the obeying of the Law in the most Gospel like administration of it implyes a disclaiming our own righteousnesse and confidence in our owne obedience and obeying it upon Gospel principles even our love and duty to Christ that constraineth us to do his will and what is acceptable in his sight and I would ask the Author whether those that came into his higher image are not to obey the Law and if so surely he will say they must obey it in the most Gospel like administration of it and then the obedience of them both are alike the confounding of Law and Gospel doth a little hang in this Authors light Page 136. He saith This sort of men were incorporated with the true spiritual seed in every one of the seven Churches mentioned Revelations 2. 3. Chapters But I pray were the Laodiceans that were neither hot nor cold that said they had need of nothing and knew not they were miserable and poor and blind and naked did this frame of spirit shew them to be made the righteousnesse of God in Christ and to be sanctified in Christ Jesus which is the question under debate but do not these things rather shew the contrary and that they had but a name to be thus but were dead and without Christ and Philadelphia which was one of the seven Churches doth the Lord say there were any of that Church that were not in a saving state are any enemies to the Crosse of Christ detected in that Church let the Author read Revel 3.7 to 13. and then let him tell us how he cometh to know that there were such in that Church as were not true Saints and the spiritual seed I am sure he that is holy and true in his message to them saith no such thing findes no such fault with them as he doth with the rest of the Churches but truly whatsoever this Author saith it would have been well if all the members of all those Churches had been such as have Christ to be the Lord their righteousnesse and truly received Christ
God unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in a strong guard or garrison that the Devil can never take as he did Adams state by craft when the serpent beguiled Eve yea when Satan desires to have us that he may winnow us as wheat Christ prayes for us that our faith faile not but he that hath begun his good work in us to have our faith and hope in Christ will perform it to the day of Jesus Christ the righteousness of Christ is imputed to no man but by an act of the free grace of the Father and being so freely imputed its continuance is certain and for ever God by his mighty power keeps them from drawing back to perdition keeps them in a way of believing and preserves them to the heavenly Kingdome eternal life is freely given them by Christ and therefore they shall never perish neither shall any man be able to pluck thâ—â— out of his hands John 10.27 28. CHAP. VI. Treats more particularly of the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace and the difference between them THe Author to make his Doctrine more taking up and down his Book would perswade the Reader that those that he saith are called Orthodox doe but seek their life and righteousnesse from the Covenant of Works and that we may be made the righteousnesse of God in Christ and yet be but under the covenant of works This we have touched before and here by the grace of God shall more particularly treat of First then Let us consider what the Law and Covenant of Works is It calls for full and perfect obedience on our part with promise on Gods part to give life thereupon and threatning death and damnation to him that disobeyes that the soule that sinneth it shall dye as Gal. 3.10 As many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing that is written in the Book of the Law to doe it which shewes us how the Law curses and condemnes all that are under it upon the least transgression and disobedience and therefore as the Apostle saith here being we have all sinned as many of us as are under the Law and not under grace are under the curse and if under the curse of the law then its false that the Author saith in many places of his Book that a man may have Christ made righteousnesse to him in a way of justification and yet be but under the law and covenant of works for a man cannot at the same time be both justified and be under the curse and we see whoever is under the covenant of works is under the curse and so consequently it is a mistake that the Author holds that such have Christ made righteousnesse to them in a way of justification According to the law and covenant of works the least sin damnes a man one vaine thought one idle word brings the vengeance of eternal fire every disobedience receiveth such a just recompence of reward therefore saith the Scripture Rom. 4.15 The Law worketh wrath for where no Law is there is no transgression no man under the covenant of works can be justified as this Author imagines for the law and covenant of works worketh wrath sets justice against us and makes all the world become guilty before God Rom. 3.19 No man is absolved under the covenant of works and hath remission of sins but all become guilty before God Hence also 2 Cor. 3. 6,9 the covenant of works is said to kill the Gospel only to make alive the covenant of works to be the ministration of condemnation the covenant of grace to be the ministration of righteousnesse and so Rom. 7.8 Without the law sin is dead hath no power to condemn us for the strength of sin is the law and Paul ver 11. saith by it to wit the law sin slew him Adam was the primus faederatus in the covenant of works the Lord Jesus the second Adam in the covenant of grace The first Adam was a common person in that covenant of works and stood in the room of all mankind he Broke the conditions of that covenant and there can be no renewal of that covenant of works no coming to life that way that covenant is broken and so all the world become guilty before God there is no receiving of Christ upon the terms of this covenant of works as this Author saies page 118. and in many other places and in the same page saith that we are made the righteousnesse of God in Christ upon the tenour of that covenant for we have seen that by the covenant of works we stand upon our own obedience not upon Christs we have our life in our own righteousnesse not in Christs it is by the Gospel the covenant of grace that any man comes to have Jesus Christ made of God unto him wisedom righteousness sanctification and redemption which Covenant of grace comes next to be explained This Covenant of grace whereof we now speak was made principally with Christ as the common person representing all the elect as the Covenant of works was made with Adam a common person representing all mankind and Christ Jesus is said Isa 49.8 to be given for a Covenant to the people the father and Christ having struck hands in that Covenant of grace and peace between them both Now this Covenant of grace is a blessed compact and agreement between the father and Christ Jesus that Christs soul should be made an offering for our sins that he should purge away our sins by the sacrifice of himself reconcile us to God by the blood of his Crosse and that God would be our God remember our sins no more accept us in him the beloved justifie us sanctifie us bestow upon us grace and glory and blesse us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in him this is that which we count to be the Covenant of grace and let this Author if he can shew that this is but the Covenant of works Our standing in the Covenant of works depended upon Adams obedience while he stood we stood when he fell we fell our standing in the Covenant of grace depends upon Christ that while he is righteous we are righteous that are found in him and so Christ tells us John 14.19 because I live ye shall live also he hath performed that commandement that he received of the father to lay down his life for his sheep and so God is reconciled for ever in the volumn of Gods book it is written of Christ that he should thus do the will of God in bedring the chastisement of our peace in the body prepared for him Heb. 10 Christ according to his agreement and Covenant with the father to purchase eternal life grace and glory for those whom he had given him did bear our sins in his own body upon the tree was delivered for our offences and rose again for our
justification and his having died thus for our sins is as if we had all died the Law fully satisfied To explain a little what Christ according to this blessed Covenant of grace hath done for us in his death and sufferings for our sins 1. He hath taken away the curse of the Law by being thus made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 that the law cannot curse us or condemn us for ever he hath borne the curse of the Law for us that the Law hath lost its sting in Christ it inflicted its curse upon Christ he by the will of God and his own will spontaneously yeilded to it so that now the Law can lay nothing to the charge of the believer because Christ hath payed all thus as Psa 89.19 God laid help upon one that was mighty we could not pay the debt we could not satisfie justice but the Lord hath found out one that was able and willing to do it that was able to bear the curse of the Law and be more then a conquer or if that the Lord Christ hath not satisfied the Law to the full let the Law lay it to his charge then indeed we had not a perfect righteousness and remission of sins but help was laid upon one that was mighty that upon the Crosse said it was finisht all was pay'd all the curse borne all the wrath suffered 2. He purged away our sins by this sacrifice of himself Heb. 1.3 there was a commutation of persons he was made sin for us who himself knew no sin 2 Cor. 5. ult the sins that we had committed he according to the Covenant between him and the father is willing to bear and God laies all our iniquities upon Christ Isa 53. he hath all our sins charged upon him and he purgeth them all away by bearing the punishment of them which makes full satisfaction for them all the Law is satisfied either by our performance of what is required or hearing the punishment for not performing Christ he freely suffers for our sins bears the punishment the just for the unjust and so God accepting of his suffering in our stead according to the agreement between the father and Christ in that behalf we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace and if this Author will call this but a legal righteousness of Christs and will seek another to be justified by and have remission of sins let him we know that thus our sins are purged away for ever and we can never come into condemnation but are delivered from going down to the pit because Christ hath thus pay'd our ransome the God of all grace according to the Covenant of grace between him and Christ having thus set forth Christ to be a propitiation for our sins through faith in his blood and thus we are justified freely by his grace and all our sins purged away through this redemption which is in Jesus Christ as Rom. 3. and no man is justified through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ but he is justified freely by grace not upon the tenour of the Covenant of works as this Author imagines but upon the tenour of the Covenant of grace 3. Christ thus dying for us and in our stead hath obtained an eternal redemption for us Heb. 9.12 not a temporary redemption and upon the terms of the Covenant of works as this Author supposes Christ tells us John 16.10 that his spirit shall discover unto us that there is perfect and everlasting righteousnesse in him because he goeth to the father and we see him no more he having undert aken to expiate and purge away our sins for ever If he had not fully and perfectly done it the father might have sent him to die again but that maketh it evident that he had pay'd the utmost farthing in that he goeth to the father and we see him no more but there he sitteth down at the right hand of God Thus our redemption in Christ is an eternal redemption never to come into prison again an everlasting peace he hath made between God and us by the blood of his Crosse his righteousnesse and comelinesse he puts upon us which presents us to the father without spot or wrinkle or any such thing for ever 4. Christs death is not only satisfactory but meritorious so that faith and saving grace is Christs purchase also both grace and glory we are blest with all spiritual blessings in him this is the Covenant of grace and surely fitly so called for all in it is meer grace meer grace that God and Christ who had been happy for ever though we had all perished that there should be such blessed counsel and Covenant between them that the second person in the Trinity should suffer for our sins the just for the unjust and that by his stripes we should be healed if ever any thing was grace this was surely that God the Father should appoint his only begotten son to dye for us enemies and ungodly and that application is made of this blood of sprinkling is rich grace also which is the blessing of the New Covenant to give us new hearts faith and holiness is no this blessed Covenant truly enough called the Covenant of grace Iet this Author call it the Covenant of works we see cause enough to call it the Covenant of grace and to cry grace grace unto it Thus we have seen the nature of the Covenant of work and the Covenant of grace and we see there is no justification to be had upon the terms of the Covenant of works as this Author imagines but only by the Covenant of grace but alas this Author not well understanding the nature of the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace jumbles the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace together in our justification and so overthrows the Covenant of grace as will appear Page 334. He there saith that the Saints for their justification have the robes of Christs righteousness as they are worn by Christ in his own person made white by himself in his own blood imputed to them for justification of his legall righteousness for their justification upon the â—â—nour of the first Covenant And Page 120. He saith the spiritual seed receive Christ not in part only whereby they have in common with those in the first image all the forementioned benefits viz. calling justification and sanctification upon the tenour of the Covenant of works but in whole whereby they have over and above that which excels possessing and enjoying the riches of both Covenants absolutely and unchangeably From these passages of the Author it is plain indeed hath a perfect analogy with his judgment that the true believer is justified upon the tenour of the Covenant of works as well as a man in the first Image but this is not all his justification but over and above he is justified by the robes of Christs righteousness as they are worn
born are transgressors from the womb and if leâ—t to our selves grow worse and worse revolt more and more and if what the Author saith were true then every man had power to keep himselfe from unbeliefe for to be sure that is one of the highest provocations for which God swears in his wrath men shall not enter into his rest And the Author here telleth us that men may keep themselves from such provocations and if they have power to keep themselves from unbelief then consequently they have power to believe then farewel the discriminating grace of God his making us to differ we know men have their Wil nots as wel as their Cannots there is both they will not and they cannot they want will and power there is both wilfulnesse and weaknesse such vile and miserable Creatures are we of our selves and let not the Author make our case better then is is let us have a care of Freewill Page 182. and 183. He saith men may have a feare of God to keep them from sinning against him and may have an experimental sense of the emptinesse of their good works to justifie them and yet neither be under the Law nor Believers and so it was with the Centurion who was neither under the Law nor a Believer until Peter came to him and this he speaks in reference to those that are usually called the Heathens But though the Heathen have such a light set up in their understandings according to which their consciences accuse them or excuse them yet where doth the Scripture say that the fear of God keeps them from sinning nay most of them have denied that there is a God that infinite first being of all things and then they could not through the fear of him be kept from sinning and the truth is no man but the true believer is truly kept from sinning through a true fear of God the fear of hell and wrath may be without a true fear of God the true feare of God is a peculiar benefit of the covenant of grace and how have the Heathens an experimental sense of the emptinesse of their good works to justifie them that know not of heaven or hell to come the businesse of justification before God and forgivenesse of sins is not in all their thoughts But let us come to the Centurion and try whether he were thus and whether he was neither acquainted with the Law nor was a Believer before Peter came to him and the tenth chapter of the Acts will resolve us in these things out of that Chapter we may gather that Cornelius was a Proselyte in his beliefe and Religion and so might be a true believer in Christ though he did not know that Christ was already come and therefore the Lord sent Peter to acquaint him with it and so ver 22. shewes us that this Cornelius was of good report among all the Jewes and the word which God sent unto the children of Israel preaching peace by Jesus Christ that word Peter told Cornelius he knew Acts 10.36 37. From all which it is plain that Cornelius was not to be reckoned among the Heathen and that he might be a believer in Christ before Peter câ—me to him he might believe in Christ as to come though he might not have light to believe that he was already come as he was taught afterwards by Peters Sermon Page 183. He saith Paul when he saith that he was alive once without the Law Rom. 7. shews that he lived in good conscience in such a state But when Paul saith he was alive without the law once his meaning is not that he was not acquainted with the Law that was written in Tables of stone but that he was not acquainted with the spirituality of the Law but only made an overly Exposition of it not knowing how the Law reached the thoughts and principles of the heart for otherwise Paul knew the Law and was no Heathen in that sense for he was an Hebrew of the Hebrewes a Jew by father and mother and circumcised the eighth day but it shewes how a man may have the outward knowledge of the Law and yet be without the inward and spiritual knowledge of it Page 197. He saith those that hold general redemption and their opposers that goe under the name of Orthodox doe both bear a true witnesse and a false one against another and both of them oppose and exclude upon divers grounds the true righteous seed that live by faith But they cannot be both in the right in that dispute either Christ did die for the whole race of mankind or he did not and either there is an election from all eternity of a certain number to grace and glory or there is not and so throughout that controversie so that I say they cannot be both in the right in these disputes Well but he saith they both oppose and exclude though upon divers grounds the true righteous feed that live by faith God forbid But if it be so is not the Author one of them for I am sure he holdeth general redemption as his book doth sufficiently witnesse and though those that hold universal redemption are surely mistaken in that yet it doth not follow that they and their opposers therein doe exclude the righteous seed that live by faith for most that hold universal redemption and those that oppose them agree in that to wit that he that truly believeth in Christ shall be saved and no other many who are mistaken about the extent of Christs death are yet sound in the Doctrine of Justification Page 198. He saith those that are for the general extent of Christs death finding the truth of their belief expressed in the Letter of the Gospel as indeed it is satisfie themselves in that and rest there thinking it sufficient to try and judge all men as they reject or own this literal knowledge of the Gospel I shall not mingle so many disputes together or else I might undertake to shew that general redemption is not expressed in the letter of the Gospel if by the letter the Author meanes the meaning and mind of the holy Ghost but that hath been sufficiently witnessed by the worthies of our times but yet this Author doth not doe well to charge all those of that judgement in general that they rest there and try or judge all men as they reject or own that Doctrine for though I have known some that have been so rigid yet it is not so with all there are those of that judgement that do not own all to be saints that believe general redemption neither do they disown others that differ from them in that point but notwithstanding their judgement in that particular they do own or disown men according to their faith in Christ and power of godliness neither do they as the Author saith rest there but hold the necessity of applying the blood of Christ and of a new birth though yet some of them may take up