By Grace are ye saved through Faith That is as I told you in the Explication of the words by Christ believed on or Faith on Christ for you must always take it with the object we are not to place Righteousness in our Act of believing for by our believing we add nothing to our justifying Righteousness but do only apply it as wholly derived from Christ alone John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life We are not to take up our Standing partly in the Act of Faith and partly in the Object of faith making up as a Holy Man now with the Lord was wont to say a Righteousness partly from our selves and partly from Christ But we are by Faith to go out of our selves unto Christ for our whole sole and Justifying Righteousness The Scripture does not ascribe our Justification to the Act but wholly to the Object of Faith not to our believing but to Christ believed c. Now Faith being thus taken with the Object we may hence note by way of Doctrine or Observation That the Free Grace of God and Faith may stand together They don't one take away the other Faith hath been always Requisite as the the Instrument to apprehend and take Christ our Righteousnoss that so we might in God's sight be Justified This as the Apostle tells us the Scripture plainly holds forth 〈◊〉 12. The Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the Promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe And it is said God so loved the World that he hath given his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should have Everlasting Life 〈◊〉 16. Where we see Faith to be brought in as the Instrument without which neither the Promise can be appropriated nor Salvation attained When the Jaylor cryed Sirs what must I do to be saved You hear what Answer is given to the Question Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 30 And therefore as the Righteousness of Christ hath been bestowed upon Men so it is true That Faith hath been all along appointed as the Receiver thereof Faith as one well notes is our Modus Habendi it is the Way and Means by which we come to have God and Christ and an Interest in Salvation by Grace We cannot have the Son but by Faith nor be in Christ but by believing but here some may object what I have already said namely That the grace of God cannot stand with any thing in man how then may such say can it stand with Faith I answer It is true that the grace of God does not brook any thing inherent in man and of man and yet notwithstanding may well agree with faith for faith is not of man no not in man by nature for says the Apostle all men have not faith 2 Thes 3.2 but it is only in Renewed Men and Women and in them as a gift of meer grace 2dly Faith does not justifie as it is an inherent quality in us but as it apprehends Christ Jesus the Redeemer 1 Cor. 3.30 who is made of God to us Wisdom and Righteousness and Purity God does not justifie us because of any antecedent act of Faith we have lying by us and which we could produce as a price as it were and a meritorious means of our Justification God justifies us by working Faith in us and therefore the Apostle says it is of faith Rom. 4.16 that it might be of grace thus you see that Faith is not at all prejudicial to the free grace of God And this is not the only Reason because that faith is given of grace for then all the gifts of the Holy Ghost might come likewise into the Article of Justification For 3dly Faith receives only and shews to God that righteousness of Christ which God hath given ond only for that thing received and not for the receiving that it seeks to be justified Oh that these great Truths which are the fundamental Points in our Religion were more advanced by Ministers and admired by Hearers 4thly Faith receiving Christ stands with the free grace of God because it is of Grace that the believing soul laying hold on Christ is justified for the Law knows not this Righteousness but bids us bring one of our own it is therefore of the Lords grace that we have faith to lay hold on the Righteousness of his Son so that it is clear that the free grace of God and faith may stand together hence by way of Use it is so that free grace and faith may stand together and that faith is tho' not our righteousness yet of singular use and excellency in that it apprehends the righteousness of Christ and for that righteousness seeks to be justified Oh then magnifie and adore the free grace of God for this gift if it had not been for faith Christ and our souls would have never met we had never tasted any preciousness in him nor have been led out in desires after him Oh therefore be bowing your selves before the Lord for the gift of Faith bestowed on you tho withheld from others But 2dly Seeing faith tho it be instrumental yet it is not causal in the matter of our Justification let this reprove those who would put in claim for justification on account of their faith as if that were materially or influentially causal of Justification Faith it self as it is the Believers Act comes under the notion of a work it may be necessary therefore to consider what part it is that faith holds in this matter lest whiles we exclude works as inconsistent with grace I mean as a procuring cause of our Salvation we make a work of faith it is the Office or Work of Faith to make the soul live wholly on the fulness of another and to get emptied of it self to apprehend that righteousness by which grace justifies therefore such are highly reproveable who presume upon coming to God with price in their hand they never truly received the gift of Faith for that comes empty handed to God and leads the soul to God as a forlorn worthless Creature looking for justification and salvation from nothing on this side the free grace of God True faith moulds the soul into the frame of spirit old Jacob was when he cried Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies it bows down under a sence of its own nothingness which is fixed upon Christ's fulness But 3dly It is so that faith though not causal is very instrumental in the matter of justification and salvation Oh then as ever you would suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations â—sa 66.11 as ever you would see any beauty or loveliness in faith or reap comfort and satisfaction by the abundance of faith beg earnestly that God would strenghen your faith imitate the man in the Gospel who cried Lord I believe Mark 9.23 help my unbelief q. d. Lord I cannot
XXI Salvation laid on its Right Foundation OR The Free Grace of God prov'd to be the only ground of and to have the alone stroke in the matter of our Salvation Being the Sum of Two SERMONS Preach'd to a Country AUDITORY By an Admirer of Grace and the Freeness of it 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy Calling not according to our Works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began Titus 3.5 Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us Dei gratia non erit gratia ullo modo nisi gratuita fuerit omni modo Aug. de pec Orig. l. 2. c. 24. LONDON Printed and are to be sold by R. Baldwin at the Oxford Arms in Warwick-lane 1698. To his much Honoured and his very good Friends Capt. William Thompson Esq AND TO Madam Katherina his Pious Consort Salvation Much Honoured in our Lord THE great Acquaintance You have with Honour for and Delight in the Truths treated upon in the Subsequent Tract strongly inclined me to this Dedication I have no Design in publishing these Labours of Courting the Applause of any nor Recovering the Esteem I once had among some I have Learned Rom â— to My own Master I stand or fall That which engaged me in the Work was a desire to put to my poor help in hand for the clearing up and magnifying of that Glorious Weighty and Soul-Refreshing Doctrine of Salvation by Grace which of late has been so strangely o're clouded by the Mists and Fogs the Legalists have Raised I confess I have all Reasons in my self to bow down under a sense of my Inability for so great a Work But as one who desires to be found Faithful I cannot but endeavour an Improvement of my One Talent and should be much Raised in my Spirits if God should incline others to Imploy their Five in a Work so necessary at this day in which the Doctrine of Salvation by Grace is Contemned and greatly Aspersed not only to the great Debilitating but indeed Amazement of the Honourers of this Glorious Truth though indeed the Wonder is somewhat lessened when we consider That Every Man is an Arminian born i. e. such he is by nature and therefore greatly in love with himself and fond of his own Improvements and so stifly bent to a Covenant of Works that it is no easie matter to draw him off from priding himself with the Pharasaical Feathers of his own Performances â— 65 5. â—ke 18.11 Stand by for I am holier than thou is a Distemper somewhat Epidemical and God I thank thee I am not as other Men are has strangely seized the generality of Mankind the folly of which they shall readily acknowledge when set on the other side of Eternity for then those Justiciaries who have magnified Man and presumed to exalt him at so high a rate shall then freely own that Man fallen is poor blind wretched and naked and at enmity with all that is truly good and that he is never more remote and far off from God than whiles in high thoughts of himself glorying in his own Understanding Strength Worthiness and freedom of Will which the stroaking himself with makes him proud and presumptuous I say this they shall then own and the admirers of free distinguishing Grace would count it hall joy to see God convincing them of it now Arminianism is a dangerous bottom and the more because it is so agreeable with corrupt Nature it being natural to Men to think that if they be saved it must be by their own Merits and Worthiness not from the free special distinguishing grace of God and 't is that which Arminianism brings Men to at last for if God have not laid the Foundation of their Salvation on the bottom of free Grace then they with what Helps they had common to them that are saved and to them that perish do make themselves to differ and how God dishonouring a Principle this is let our Enemies themselves consider it is no less than a robbing God of his Glory which he has declared 〈◊〉 2.8 He will not give to another to which end it is the Apostle bars and shuts out the desert of Works from being causes of Salvation 〈◊〉 9. Not of Works least any Man should boast clearly intimating that nothing which we do doe's merit our Salvation or is a cause procuring it unto us Thus Sir and Madam I am persuaded you have learned Christ God having by his Servants fed You with the finest of the Wheat and happily placed You in Your relation to a Church where You are blest with the Sound of the true Shibboleth the Strength that God in his rich mercy is pleased yet to 〈◊〉 to your Worthy Pastor being greatly imployed in magnifying the freeness of God's Grace and debasing proud Man and all his empty performances a Work which not only He but all of an Evangelical Cast delight in and Rejoyce to be promoters of well knowing that as this is what they now own and preach so it is what they shall Triumph in in the Great Day when such as have Exalted Grace and the Freeness of it shall be Exalted by it when on the contrary such as have Exalted empty Man so as to detract or lessen the Glory of God which is all in all in the matter of Man's Salvation shall hang down their heads with shame and confusion of Face and be Rejected as Friends to Antichrist and Preachers of Popish yea Devilish Doctrine for no better is that which puts Men upon seeing most in the Creature and least in the Creator who is God blessed for ever more I 'll not detain You any longer in the Porch only to hint that it might have been thought necessary by some that I should have given the World some account of those Graces which so eminently shine in each of You a Theam so copious that I should sooner want Words than Matter but being well acquainted how little You delight in it and how every way unfit I am for it I shall wave Encomiums of Praise to bow my knees in Prayer that God in the riches of his grace would more and more enable each of You to put the hopes of Your Salvation out of your Selves upon that which God hath done for you in Christ and fling your selves by Faith into the meritorious Arms of the Lord Jesus adoring that grace by which you have hope of being made meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Now that our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting Consolation and good Hope through grace may comfort your Hearts and establish you in every good Word and Work shall be the earnest desire of him who is for the temporal and eternal Happiness of You and Yours SIR and MADAM Your
gracious and merciful To be gracious is to do well to one that deserves ill and if otherwise it wou'd be but after the Covenant of Works or first Covenant which yet was not faulty or defective in it self for it gave a Sufficiency to obtain the Benefits proposed by it which if they had used and improved as they might there would not have needed a Second but the Lord foreknowing the Creatures Mutability and consequently what need there would be of another Kind of Power and Grace than that Adam was Created with did therefore resolve of a Second which in Scripture is called Tit. 1.2 The hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot Lye promised before the World began It is styled The Covenant of Grace not only as designing the Glory of his Grace in the saving of Men but as giving freely and of Meer Grace and Favour whatever must bring about that salvation for where else can lie the difference between the Two Covenants It cannot be in respect of the Duties injoyned by either for Faith and Repentance are much more above the Compass of Natural Power than to forbear the Forbidden Tree but the differ noe lies in this that the New Covenant consists of better Promises And this Excellency lies in the free and absolute Engagement of God himself to invest his covenanted ones with all things conducing to the Blessedness held forth That is to give to them and work in them whatever he in this Covenant requires of them The Law shews us our Duty but does not give strength to perform it The Covenant of Grace does both by writing the Law in the Heart The Covenant of Grace runs not upon Conditional or failable Terms I will if ye will but Absolute and Sovereign I will and ye shall And further this Covenant Gives salvation not upon your Ingenious complyance with what it prescribes or better Improvement of what you have in Communion with others Such claims and pretensions the Lord disallows and often cautions against but of Grace that all our Hope might be in God and the Riches of his Grace This being the nature and Substance of the Covenant of Grace is a sufficient Reason Why God will save his by meer Free Grace and Vndeserved favour The uses of the point are several First It is so that we are saved by meer Free Grace and undeserved favour Then this Confutes the Error of Arminians Free Willers c. In holding a Concurrence of our works Whereas it is evident That if our Justification be of Grace then there can be no room for any Inherent Holiness or works of ours to make up or Concur with it For the Apostle makes a flat Opposition between Grace and Works otherwise Grace were no Grace Rom. 11. they are so opposite that like Fire and Water they expel each other and as one says Grace is no more to be Accounted Grace unless it be every way most Free. By Grace is meant The free favour of God who is not moved by any thing without himself But what he does he does freely without respect to Mens desert Nay their undesert rather is an expedient consideration in this Act of Grace By Works we are to understand All that self Righteousness Goodness or whatever else is performable by Men there Viz Grace and Works he proves as Inconsistent as Contraries can be Grace and Works have always clashed To him that worketh the reward Rom. 4.4 is reckoned not of Grace but of Debt The setting up of the one is the deposing of the other it 's dangerous daubing with things unmixable and thus are Grace and Works in no wise to be mingled If you take in any part tho never so little of your own performances as necessary to that being justified you forfeit the whole benefit of Gospel Grace By Grace are ye saved is the Language of the Text and in Rom. 3.24 It is said We are justified freely by his Grace which word freely is very Emphatical and is especially taken up in three Cases First When a Man does a thing without hope of the least profit Secondly When a Man does a thing rashly or inconsiderately but this sense is not proper here Thirdly When a Man doth a thing undeservedly nothing moving him thereunto but much which might lead him to the contrary and thus it is here to be understood For when there was nothing in us which might procure it Nay much which might Exasperate the Lord against us even then he saved us freely of his Grace zek 16.6 When we were in our Blood then he said Live and even then resolved to make us Eternally happy and that against the Natural bent of our own will leaving us to admire that his Love should be fixed on such as we Crying out What are we and what is our Fathers House Sam. 7.18 that God should bring us hitherto And how is it That thou hast manifested thy self to us and not unto the World John 14.22 Secondly By way of Consolation Is it so that we are saved by meer Free Grace and undeserved Favour Then this affords matter of great Comfort and Consolation to true Believers for if our Salvation be of meer Grace and depends not on any Worth or Holiness in us why should we fear Indeed if we were to be saved by what we have done then we might be in daily despair and indeed utterly despair Alas what are we unclean Wretches that we should be of any worth in God's sight 〈◊〉 25.5 6. before whom the Stars are unclean Yea the Stars are unclean in his sight How much less Man that is a Worm and the Son of Man which is a Worm Alas what are the best Performances of such poor Creatures 〈◊〉 15.15 when it is said The Heavens are not clean in his sight Nay He charges his Angels with Folly 〈◊〉 4.8 How much more Abominable and Filthy is Man which drinketh up Iniquity like water as at the 16th of the 15th of Job Oh! what is our Holiness but as a Menstruous Clout and our Righteousness not Righteousness in this or that Act but our Righteousnesies all of them and the best of them are but as silthy Rags But now seeing it is not of him that willeth Isa 64.6 nor of him that runneth but in God that sheweth we may boldly accept and confidently trust in this Free Grace of God Rom. 7.16 We are to bear our selves upon it altho as of our selves we are unworthy of it For why should we put away this Rich Grace held forth and offered to us Why should we not chearfully embrace it and rejoyce in it especially since it hath appeared unto all and God without respect of Persons makes tender of it to the poor base despised ones of the World as well as to the Rich Mighty and Noble And let it be observed That it is not a true Humility but a sottish Pride to put away and Judge our selves
most humble Supplicant at the Throne of Grace R.C. Jan. xxix 1698. A Word to the Admirers of Free Grace especially those who were hearers of these Sermons Dear Friends ONE would think the Doctrine of Free Grace is so Illustrious in Scripture as not to be spoken against but seeing it meets with great opposition from the Arminian Party who are desirous not only to be Teachers but Thunderers of the Law understanding not what they say nor whereof they affirm especially when they charge Antinomianism upon the Preachers of Free Grace who are so far from being Enemies to the Law that it may be easily made appear they are better Friends to it than our Opponents who instead of yeilding a full and perfect Obedience to the Law put it off with Lame Imperfect Performances when the Admirers of Free Grace are for having it satisfied to the full in that they plead the compleat and plenary satisfaction made by their Elder Brother the Lord Jesus 〈◊〉 1. The Opposition I say the Doctrine of Free Grace meets with was a means to Midwife these Sermons into the world which otherwise would have been buried in Oblivion the Author retaining a deep sense of his Inability for such a work as also the great discouragement he at present lies under having of late been toss'd upon the blustring Waves and Billows of Envy and Reproach which Storm was so violent and tempestuous one Wave beating in upon the Neck of another that his sinking Spirits are scarce recover'd in which Storm he 'll not tell you now how sorely he was shot at by some nor how Indecorously he was dealt with by others seeing it may be said of all these Storms as of Julian's Persecution Nubecula cito Transitura they 'll soon be blown over and then follows a perpetual Calm This short Night of Sorrow will produce such a bright and lasting Morning of Joy as will never suffer Eclipse more in which you 'll see many Heirs of Grace in Heaven whom you thought hardly sit to live upon the Earth And a matchless mercy it is that God sees not as Man sees Man looks at the outward Appearance the Worthiness and Towardliness in us above others but God looks upon us as cloathed in the Righteousness of his own Son which he of his Free Grace hath bemantled us with and wrapt us in The Design of the ensuing Discourse is to magnify God's Grace and the Freeness of it and to prove we are saved wholly by Grace from first to last our Election Redemption Conversion all is from special Discriminating distinguishing Grace we have not the least thing to Glory in as if we had made our selves to differ from those that Perish But we must wonder here and to all Eternity in Heaven that we should find Grace in the sight of the Lord. In handling the point I have endeavoured the avoiding all Rhetorical Flourishes as no way Condecent to a Truth so weighty and misterious in it self and in this it is masticated and prepared for the more unintelligible Reader The Author hopes those many Reflections cast upon him which were exhal'd out of the Bog of Ignorance and Malice will not prejudice those to whom he is known against the Truths treated upon in the following Tract because Published by him and also that his real weaknesses which he humbly acknowledges to have been not a few Will no ways Impede the chearful Embracing of and closing in with the Soul-Refreshing Truths laid down in the following Discourse He is sensible it has been his Lot to have his Actions viewed with the Green Spectacles of prejudice and you know through a Green Glass every thing appears Green and he also knows it is the Easiest thing of a Thousand for a malicious mind to soyle the Glory of the bravest and most beautiful Actions with ill and wrong Interpretations And it were well if both Ministers and People would Learn more tenderly to handle the Reputation of one another it being like a white Ball which sully's by being tost from hand to hand professors themselves being in this case too well acquainted with Addition and Multiplication And where is that Man which does not sometimes such Actions as he would not have discretion scan Integrity it self would not be aw'd by a blabbing spy It is therefore to be wisht that Men in all their Commerce would make appeals to their own Consciences would I have this measure meeted out to my own Soul And Oh! That Men would abhor speaking that of another which they would not have another speak of them or Condemn that in any one which we would not but have pardoned in our selves And Oh! know if that Man or Woman you defame be a Child of God you must expect to pay dearly for it What says God to Aaron and Miriam Saints 〈◊〉 12.8 Were you not afraid to speak against my Servant Moses seeing they were not Miriam suffers sorely for it Ver. 9.10 And so shall those who upon the Malicious Instigation of a Viperine Brood or their own base Hearts deride Reproach or disgrace any of the Members of Christ For most dangerous it is to Rake in those sores which the Blood of Christ hath healed The Author would not have dwelt so long upon what is so disgressive from the matter contained in the subsequent Tract had he not been sorely pounded in the morter of Reproach In which State he through Grace being free from that Gun-Powder Spirit which every little spark blows up has pressed after having a heart fraught full of Holy Magnanimity and Heavenly Greatness which walks so high as to slight and disregard the Frowns of Honoured Insolency and to Trample upon the Scorns and Taunts of Dunghill Malice still keeping on his way of admiring Free Grace and Relying upon it To conclude the Sermons you are presented with might have been more Polite and Accurate had the Author designed the Accumulating any praise to himself which he being no ways Ambitious of offers them to you as they are begging that for you which he often does for himself even that your Souls may be gathered to that People who have a Principle and Heart given them of God 〈◊〉 15. to say to Eternity Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be all the Praise of the hopes of our Salvation R. C. Salvation laid on its Right Foundation SERMON I. EPH. II. 8. For by Grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God AS this Great and Blessed Apostle was Eminently carried forth in Magnifying the Riches of God's Free Grace in all his Epistles so was he in a Superlative manner in this to the Ephesians which in general may be called by the Apostle's own Direction his Knowledge in the Mystery of Christ Chap. 3 Ver 4. In the Two First Chapters he discourses of Election the foundation of every Believers happiness shewing the freeness of God's grace in saving his