Mark for the Prize but not by the way of any thing we can do but from God above alone viz. by the High Calling of God in Christ and not by our own Strength but as apprehended of Christ for it By this Canon all the Perfect Perfect in regard of Sincerity Walk though they count not themselves Perfect otherwise This Apostle and therefore no Apostle did so Count For he was not behind the chiefest They all then walk'd by this Canon If any Perfect or Sincere be never so little otherwise minded God reveals even this great Pursuit and End to them That so far as they have attained whatever it be they should Forget what is behind and press Forward Mind that Point the Holiness of the Resurrection To raise the Spirits of his Saints to which though they had not attain'd to it at the going out of the Body yet in a Moment in the Twinckling of an Eye in an Indivisible Point of Time Christ apprehends them Even then and with a greater Ease in the Nature of the Thing then he raises their Bodies Incorruptible having hold of them for that very thing even by the mighty Power of his own Death and Resurrection whereby he is able to Subdue all Things unto himself This Canon had never been so depretiated as to be applyed to any Outward Form or Church-Order as it is call'd if the greatness of the Apostles Point had been considered and for which there is not any Ombrage here except that the Word Canon which has been so Debauched by the working of the Mystery of Iniquity puts any one in Mind of it For only according to the present occasion it s taken by the Apostle from the Olympick Races to the great purpose of the New Creation Gal. 6. 16. and here to shew the Christian's Rule or Line is up to the highest Holiness even that of the Resurrection Thus large have I been on this Head because it is of so great Moment Head 20. Christ does not Repent and Believe for us Conciliation Christ hath yet laid the Foundation of all our State in Grace and Glory in himself and in his own Action wherein we are to be made like him as from the Archetype and Life He took part of Flesh and Blood because the Children were Partakers He was Circumcised Baptized Dyed Rose 〈…〉 Justifieth me who will contend with me That Agony wherein He sweat Drops of Blood standing under the Sense of the Sins of All for whom he Dyed and made Supplication with strong Crys and Tears unto him that was able to save him from Death and was Heard in that he Fear'd was as it were the great Penitential of the Redeemer in the Behalf and as in the Person of his Redeemed And as for Faith It is written Heb. 2. 13. I will put my Trust in him Thus all our Springs are in him and from him and the Efficacies that Work all our Works in us and for us They are so vested in our Faculties and Action that they are in us and yet by so Supreme a Vertue from him residing in him and given us as in a Line of Communication from him to us That they are wrought by him for us And in this rightly understood Sense he may be said to Repent and Believe for us though also in us and by us The three last Heads concerning Gospel Preaching have been all along aimed to be thus determin'd That it is certain Both Conditional Preaching and Absolute Preaching have each their respective Foundations in Scripture And both tend to the same end to shew the Absolute Necessity of Christ and Grace from him As also the Absolute Necessity of Holiness as indeed the Thing is flowing from the Grace of Election through the Efficacies of the Mediator by his Spirit as the greatest Scriptures concerning our Salvation witness Yet for Wise and Holy Purposes so Administred that our Action is all manner of ways insisted upon by the general Course of Scripture as hath been declar'd So that none are to be blamed in the Abundance of their Ministry in that part who do more continually in their Preaching and sometimes in most solemn Discourses set out Christ The only VVay the Truth and the Life flowing from the Eternal Fountain of Electing Love and Grace But if we compare one part of Preaching with another seeing the Life of all Conditional Preaching depends on the Absolute Grace of the Covenant That must needs be the most excellent part of Preaching wherein the Life of the other is laid up and to which the other is but subordinated But as we find Scripture gives Example of the Conditional Preaching as the more general So it seems most adapted and suited to this low State of the Administration of the Redemption of Christ and we find the Divine Spirit who Divides to All his Servants as he will does more generally and universally move the Preachers of the Gospel more abundantly into this Conditional Preaching But when that better State that higher Administration of the Redemption of Christ in his Kingdom shall come on as it is now very near That as it were a new Song which hath been so much out of use it is as it were a new Song at least in its high Mount Zion Senses even I say notwithstanding so much of it recovered into use by the Reformation This Song of the Redemption of Christ in more lofty Ayrs shall be Heard and Learnt as hath been already said by all the Illustrious Assistants or By-Standers and Followers of the Lamb on Mount Zion In the mean time God does raise up some who aspire to these Truths of the highest Excellency and as we say of the first Magnitude and highest Elevation and such was Dr. Crisp in my Account But because we are yet in this dark and low State there are many Infirmities much Rudeness of Speech want of Mightiness in Word and Deed in such Aspirings an Universal want of the Glory and Holiness flowing from these great Truths because these Truths are not come into their proper Time of Glory This Song cannot be Sung while the Babel State yet continues because it was the Lord's Song and cannot be Sung in a strange Land to Perfection by reason of which these great Doctrines are under a Veil and not only so but under great Prejudice Let us therefore earnestly prary these Mists these Shades and Clouds may fly away and yet even the unwarinesses of Expression in such as Dr. Crisp are over-ruled by God like the speaking of Stones to make the main Preaching more notable and to excite our Research of them These things are written for Reconciliation not Exasperation and that we may be all stir'd up earnestly to pray That the Day may break and the Shadows fly away and our Beloved come on his Mount of Spices SOME General HEADS OF Mr. Williams 's Conciliated in this Discourse THE Elect are Children of Wrath till effectually called The Filth of Sin not transacted on Christ The Act of laying Sins on Christ is not the Discharge of the Elect. Mens Sins their own and not Christ's Sins Our Sins laid on Christ before he was nailed to the Cross Christ not abhorred by the Father No change of Person between Christ and the Elect. Christ's Mediatorial Righteousness not subjectively in us and how imputed Believers not as Holy as Christ The Covenant of Grace explained and what a Condition is The Covenant of Grace Conditional Faith not a Perswasion that my Sins are pardoned c. Prevailing Enmity a Hindrance to our present Interest in Christ The Elect not united to Christ without Faith What Vnion with Christ is Justification not before Faith Repentance necessary to Pardon Sinners have much to do to be Saved The Gospel hath Threats and Promises Happiness and Good Works necessary to Salvation They are profitable and God pleased c. Our own Good should be intended Assurance by Gospel-Marks and not by an Inward Voice God Chargeth Sin on Men and they should repent for repeated Pardon Sin may hurt Believers God afflicts for Sin Sincere Holiness not Dung. Christ doth not repent c. for us Conditional Proposals of Benefits on Terms of Duty Gospel-Preaching To excite Fear in sense of Danger not Legal Preaching Christ more Exalted by the former Truths than Dr. Crisp's Opinions The Free Grace of God not honoured by Dr. Crisp though more Freeness be asserted by him than by these Truths The END
becomes a Standard by which the full Value of the Satisfaction of Christ by his Sacrifice and Obedience unto Justification and the Infinite Grace of God in Pardon is tryed and made glorious by which the Duties of Humiliation Confession of Sin Application to Christ for Righteousness Repentance should be both understood and urged Here is the Rule for Holiness and new Obedience out of which all the Holy Precepts of the Gospel are drawn Hereby the Remainders of Sin are Discern'd and Humiliation under them wrought Hereby is the Infinite Grace of Christ towards his Legatees his Redeemed set at full Light in working an Inward Conformity to this Holy Law in all parts of it And hereby the Government of God committed to Christ is continued with Relation to all Mankind even to all not given to him For they who have the Gospel Preached to them are judged not only according to the Law of Righteousness first written in the Heart but according to this Divine Revelation and Grace which highly aggravates their Disobedience and makes it more Tollerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for them Mat. 10. 24. They who have not the Gospel are judged according to that Law and Light of Nature They have concerning the Law and that Witness of an Intention of Grace God gives to them in giving Fruitful Times and Seasons and all the Discoveries of his Patience Leading them to Repentance even as the King of Nineveh who shall rise up in Judgment and condemn Heathens who have not by such a Light from the forbearance of God argued to Repentance as he did And thus are the Secrets of all Hearts judged according to the Apostles Gospel as he said Rom. 2. 16. Some Ombrage of which Heathens have Thus the Law is established and preserved in its full Authority and the Gospel is also establish'd as Divine Revelation and in its High purely promissory Part as a Ministration of the Spirit And if the Designation of the Gospel be particularly singled out for the most powerful Preaching of it by some and yet in the mean time the more large and universal Motion and Doctrin of the Gospel be Preach'd more universally by the most of the Preachers whom the Spirit of God according also to the general Stream of Scripture hath so Missiond Commission'd and Enabled I cannot see but here may be the Sweetest Union and as great a Conspiration as between the Apostle Paul and the Apostle James while one tells us a Man justifyed by Faith without Works and the Last tells us by what of Faith viz not by the Body of Faith or a Confession of Faith but by the Spirit of it the Vis Essectrix or Operatrix the working Efficacy of it which I take on great Reason to be the very true Expedient of Reconciliation between the two Apostles and yet in both by the Righteousness of Christ by Faith alone and that Faith given only by Christ So all is of Grace Ephes 2. For Faith and all its Works flow from the Blood and Righteousness of Christ drawing nigh to his Elect People to Regenerate and to justifie together Titus 3. 5. c. And surely by a close and universal Compare of Scripture The Day of Judgment must be according to this very same Grace For when the Spirits of Saints are immediately with Christ and He receives them who Dye and Sleep in him in a Moment in the Twinkling of an Eye made Perfect and when they are Raised Incorruptible he brings them with him and they together with Christ Judge Angels and the World And it is given to them to Appear in Robes wash'd white in the Blood of the Lamb and to be Cloathed in Linnen white and clean which is the Righteousness of the Saints and he presents them to himself without Spot Wrinckle or any such Thing It cannot be understood that the Day of Judgment in relation to the Saints is by way of Tryal of Judgment on particular Actions But their very Appearance is their Absolution and Adjudgment to Glory as Clad in the rich Robes Wash'd in the Blood of the Lamb All their Graces and Holy Duties fill'd up and their Sins perfectly blotted out and remainders of Corruption effaced by Grace perfected in Glory On the other side The wicked have Appearances in their Sins having found them out covering them as a Garment of Dishonour and as filthy Garments that expose them immediately to Condemnation And as if their particular Sins were written upon them and the Condemnation together with them And thus each appear visibly before the Throne Tribunal and Judgment Seat of Christ during the whole Thousand Years of his Kingdom One Crowned with Glory and Honour the other cover'd with Shame and Contempt If any should object Christs insisting on the particular Duty of Visiting Cloathing Feeding Mat. 25. either as perform'd or neglected It is to be observ'd each sort first were set one on the Right Hand the other on the Left one as Sheep the other as Goats So the Tryal was easie If it be further said God will bring every Work into Judgment whether it be Good or Evil. This I attribute to the mighty Power and Wisdom of God giving together with every Person before his Judgment all the Holy Actions of Saints wash'd and perfected in and by the Blood of Jesus and fill'd up with his Grace and by the Spirit as in a Moment an Atom of Time the Twinkling of an Eye and their Sins so taken away as not only not to be found but not to be Whereas the Talents of wicked Men that is any good Things they had here not being purged by his Blood perfected by his Obedience and fill'd up by his Spirit are taken from them and they appear All in their Sins And thus the Order of Things at that Day is according to the free Grace of Election Calling Justification and Sanctification covered under Justification in that Chain of Salvation Rom. 8. and Glorification springing from all Head 15. Holiness and good Works are necessary to Salvation Conciliatiion Good Works are so as they are the Provision and Preparation of God even of his Eternal free Grace in furnishing us with them and as we are his Workmanship in Christ Jesus Created to them But the Number Measure Elevation of them in higher or lower Degrees of Excellency so diverse in Saints shew the Foundation of our Salvation as well as Justification rests elsewhere Head 16. Good Works are profitable and please God Conciliation They do so as they are the Fruits of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Disposalls of his free Grace in us and to us and so by us And as God is pleas'd to shew himself as the Supreme Rector and Governor according to his Holy Law but yet so that the Poles on which Salvation moves are the Grace of God in our Election and his Acceptation of us to Righteousness in Christ and if he leave any of his Servants in their Service and
Good Works to the Eleventh Hour or that he fits them not to such Abundant Services Eminency and Exemplariness therein as he doth other of his Saints He hath an Infinite Fund to supply them out of viz. the Righteousness and Obedience of Christ and Power of Grace to Accomplish them to their Measure Head 16. Our Good should be intended by Good Works Conciliation Our Good should be intended by them as they are Manifestations of the Grace of Christ in us and suitable to that Law he influences his Servants by his Spirit according to In the want of which we have great reason to Mourn as giving Fear and Suspition Christ is not in us of a Truth and that he leaves us to do the things very displeasing and offensive to his Holy Nature and the Rule of Life and Action his Grace governs his Servants by but yet they are not of themselves our Title but our Evidences only of our Title which is Christ alone and if we are his we shall certainly be born up to what He as our Mediator Surety and Testator hath thought necessary to our Salvation and will accept and supply the want of by himself Yet all is and ought so to be carried that we may be urg'd and press'd to our Duty as under the Holy Rectory of God and Christ and according to all the Rules of his Word Head 17. Assurance is by Gospel-Marks and not by a Voice within us Conciliation Marks are according to Scripture yet so that they are but few of any of the Servants of God but have reason to fly to the Witness of the Spirit and its Voice crying Abba Father and to appeal to Infinite Grace seeing in the midst of our Falls Failings and Imperfections we cannot otherwise discern where Sincerity and Perfect Obedience divide one from another and what is enough in our many Corruptions to constitute Sincerity Besides seeing our Staple-hold is the Righteousness of Christ without us our Supreme Testimony depends upon his Spirit witnessing within us indeed yet from what is without us viz. Free Grace Head 18. God charges Sin on Men and they should repent for Repeated Pardons Conciliation This is among the Wise Holy and Gracious Methods of God and Christ in this present Low State of the Redemption appearing until its Glory in the Kingdom of Christ that Sin is charg'd and Pardon repeatedly begg'd in Daily Prayers But all notwithstanding is secur'd in the unchangeableness of Electing Love of Justifying Grace of the daily Issuing Pardon of the New Covenant immediately ready and thus express'd as if it issued out upon the very Sin I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesses and their Sins and Iniquities I will remember no more Heb. 8. 12. Before David had said any more than this I have sinned against the Lord Nathan said from God The Lord hath put away the Iniquity of thy Sin Thou shalt not Dye 2 Sam. 12. 13. The Grace of the Covenant went forward therefore in him as in all Saints to the Composure of his Heart to that great Penitential Psal 51. So that in a way of Consolation of Saints and Encouraging of all to Come into Christ there may be great Freedom of Expression us'd in which some Things may need Review and Correction as Humane and yet the main Scope and Intention preserv'd as consistent with sincere Design to promote Holiness most livelily flowing from the Grace of the Covenant and the Death of Christ into the Hearts and Lives of Believers there being hence much more hope both in Conversion and Renewed Repentance than in any thing within Men themselves whenever they have fallen into Sin after conversion or while in an unconverted estate Head Sin may hurt Believers and God afflicts for Sin Conciliation While we look down to the present State and to God's present Government of the World this must be acknowledg'd and yet when we lift up our Hearts to the Consideration of the Supreme Grace of God in Jesus Christ the very hurt Sin does Believers or even the Elect is made to serve the Triumphs of Grace and all their Afflictions for Sin are Salutary Dispensations All which must needs be granted on close reasoning these Points and will bear out many Amplifications of this Grace in Discourses declararatory of it tho' on the other side a very different way of speaking of them must be submitted to in this Atmosphere this Dark and Foul Place of the Apostacy we are yet in and it is born out by a very general way of Scripture-speaking Head 19. Sincere Holiness is not Dung nor does the Apostle include such Holiness in that so great Scripture concerning Evangelical Righteousness Philip 3. 7 c. Conciliation For the clearing of that great Scripture and the Points dependent upon it I must first take the freedom to assert That the Apostle doth in that Context lay down at full and at large the two great Points of Justification and Sanctification In that of Justification he rises to the heighth and so in that of Sanctification and these are both handled so distinctly that they cannot be confounded For the Apostle had fallen severely upon the Concision by whom he most probably means those who compounded the Profession of Christianity with the Works and Ritualisms of the Law as if Christ were not enough without them for Acceptance with God for Righteousness in Justification and Holiness in Sanctification and therefore he calls them not The Circumcision meaning Pure and Perfect Jews but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Concision as a Peculiar Brand of Reproach upon Them and calls Himself and Sincere Christians The Circumcision viz. The Spiritual Circumcision who Worship God in Spirit who hold the True Righteousness of Faith of which it was the Seal Rejoyce in Christ Jesus alone and have no confidence in the Flesh that is in Creature Righteousness In the same sense Flesh is taken Rom. 4. 1. What shall we say that Abraham our Father hath found according to the Flesh viz. according to his own Righteousness not only Ceremonial but Moral For if Abraham were justified by Works c. So But if he had no other way but to believe on him that justifieth the Vngodly It is evident it was not Ceremonial Ritual Works the Apostle discoursed of but Substantial Works of Righteousness opposed to Vngodliness Thus the Apostle reckoning up his own Priviledges first gives indeed those which were External and Ritual but adds Moral in those words According to the Righteousness of the Law which was not only Ceremonial but Moral He was Blameless which words may be expounded by those I have liv'd in all good Conscience before God to this day Acts 23. 1. Now upon all this he sits as an Accountant with his Tables before him and what had been Gain or Riches in his Account he now writes it All Cypher And then by way of Triumph and in a mighty Elevation of his Discourse he adds Yea doubtless I count not only