partly outward the inward part of the Covenant which was Christ was clouded and very dark as was said before and very little notice taken of it by the greatest part of them But the outward part of it was very plain and easie and they all knew it very well and acted generally according unto it and minded earthly Canaan long life and outward prosperity therein more than heavenly Canaan or the sweet and comfortable enjoyment of God in the lively apprehension of his love and favour But now Christ who indeed is the new Covenant for he is the substance of all those former Covenants being come and having acted his part in the flesh is now revealed in the Spirit for he is that Spirit or power of Gods infinite love proceeding eternally from the Father upon the Son and from the Son upon the Saints and into their hearts and now the Saints look not for Christ in outward observations but in inward and spiritual demonstrations of infinite love shed abroad in their hearts whereby they are transformed and conformed unto Christ their head more and more Neither doe the Saints now look to any outward Covenant for there is no promise made unto them of any outward or temporal things but with persecution and that they shall be contented with their conditions But the Saints look unto Jesus who is the author and finisher of their faith and count it all joy when they are accounted worthy to suffer rebuke for his name And this is the true reason why the Saints walk with God so chearfully and joyfully because they clearly see that they are not justified by or for any work or merit or worth of their own but meerly by the free grace and love of God in and for the righteousnesse of Christ Jesus who is the Lord our righteousnesse both unto justification and also unto sanctification Q. What is justification Or how may sinfull men be said to be justified or made righteous before God A. Justification is an act of Gods free grace and love whereby he through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ hath freely forgiven the sinnes of all his elect and accepts of them in him as perfectly just and righteous But more plainly Justification is that whereby God himself is pleased to condiscend and to cloath himself with our flesh and in our nature and our flesh to fulfill all the righteousnesse of the Law for us and also to subject himself in the flesh to death and curse hereby paying all our debts and satisfying divine Justice on our behalf and so became our righteousnesse for justification All which he hath done freely without any desert or desire on our part Q. But doth not the Scripture say that we are justified by faith What is faith And how are we justified by the same A. There be in Scripture divers kinds of faith mentioned by reason whereof many think that they believe to justification and are deceived for justification is free on Gods part and without any condition at all on our part for if faith were a condition of our justification then it were not free justification being an act of God in his eternal counsell and purpose before the world began if faith were a condition thereof then are we justified for some fore-seen grace in us and not freely by his grace Now faith is neither a meanes nor yet any condition of justification but rather an evidence or demonstration thereof for true faith is that whereby we close with God in the promise of life and salvation in and by Jesus Christ Now this faith is not in us by nature but is wrought in the heart by the manifestation of God in the soul When the Lord is pleased to reveal Christ in the soul and to discover to the same that he is well pleased with him in Jesus and that he hath freely forgiven all his sinnes meerly for the merit and righteousnesse of Jesus and that now he accepts of him as righteous in his beloved Son and that in Christ he hath adopted him to himself to be his Son now when the soul apprehends this then it is thereby enabled to believe it and rests upon it And thus true faith doth not act in the workes of justification but onely believes it when it is revealed in the soul and then believing hath peace with God and can look upon him with comfort and can joy in him in all tribulations Now no man can believe in Jesus Christ untill he be revealed unto him by the Father and according to the measure or degrees whereby God is pleased to discover himself to any man so he can believe or confide in him more or lesse so that it is plain that faith is no meanes or condition of our justification but by faith we believe it and rest confidently assured of it when it is revealed and so have joy and peace in believing Q. But doth not the Scripture say that Abraham was justified by works what say you then of good workes as prayer reading and hearing the word repentance and all other duties of piety and charity are not they required as good meanes of our justification A. The scope of that Scripture is not to declare that Abraham did act any thing in the work of justification for it is said that Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse and those good works whereby Abraham is said to be justified doe rather declare him to believe and his faith to be a live than any way to act in the matter of justification For faith as is said before doth not justifie but believes it and applies it true faith works by love and shewes what house it comes of by actions of piety and mercy There is a faith which is dead it being nothing else but a perswasion of a carnal heart which is deceitfull and of this many men brag and boast and cry religion religion but they doe not walk in love neither toward God nor men and this faith profiteth nothing or profitable to no man and is no better than the faith of Devils But true faith where it is indeed it proceeds from a holy seed being begotten by the manifestation or discovery of God in the soul and hath for its ground a word of promise not onely without but especially within and is reall and not in imagination so also it acts like it self and is profitable every way First toward God it gives him the glory of all his wisdome power justice mercy and goodnesse when men can say indeed In the Lord have I righteousnesse and in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength when a man can say now I live yet not I but Christ lives in me yea I can doe all things be any thing suffer any thing through Christ that strengthens me I can be abased and I
can abound I can as well be content to be hungry as to be full fed to be poor as to be rich to suffer as to raign to dye as to live when a man can live in God and unto God above all this world and esteem all things but drosse and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus And true faith is also profitable to men when it is exercised in godly conference building up one another comforting one another and if need require reproving one another when it works in feeding the hungry clothing the naked releiving the oppressed and by doing to every man as we would be done unto This is living faith and it is thus evidenced to be alive Thus we are not justified by nor for our good workes for we are his workmanship created a new in Christ Jesus unto good workes that we should walk inthem Justification where it is indeed will evidence it self by acts of sanctification Q. What is sanctification And how is it wrought A. As Christ is made of God righteousnesse unto us for justification so also for sanctification as he is our justification because he perfectly fulfilled the righteousnesse of the Law for us and paid all our debts yeilding up himself to death for us so also he is become our sanctification by fulfilling the righteousnesse of the Law in our hearts even by living in us As we are justified by his death so we are saved or sanctified by his â—sfe Sanctification is an act of Gods infinite love whereby he takes us out of Adam or the old man and puts us into Christ or the new man and this is the new creation or the new creature when a man that before was unholy profane and to every good work void of judgement is now become through the power of Christ living in him holy unblameable and ready to every good work and this is wrought by the power of God revealing Christ in the soul when Christ is revealed in the soul to be white and ruddy the most excellent the most amiable one in whom God is well pleased and in whom his soul delighteth yea and by whom and in whom he is well pleased with poor sinners and delights in them then that soul is ravished with his beauty which is his love and with beholding or apprehending of it is transformed into the same Image of love more and more Christ is the Saints life and this life is hid in God untill it be revealed and when Christ who is our life doth appear in the soul then the soul lives in his life and appeares with him in glory Now every one in whom Christ lives indeed he conformes them to himself First in death if Christ be risen in the soul then the old man is crucified that the body of sin might be destroyed and the soul is dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God in holinesse through Jesus Christ who lives in him Secondly Where Christ is risen indeed there is a conformity in life Christ being the life living in the soul the soul must needs live indeed and live unto God and not any longer to the flesh for to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace and thus is Christ our sanctification when he arises and appeares in our hearts whereby he transformes and changes us into his own Image even his Image of glory more and more Q. But doth not the Lord in Scripture call men to repentance and promise them life upon condition of the same yea the Lord doth solemnly protest that he delights not in the death of him that dieth but rather that he should repent and turn and live And again why will yee die repent and turn and live yee And our Saviour saith except yee repent yee shall all perish and the Apostles exhort them in the Acts to repent for the remission of sinnes and that their sinnes might be blotted out And again if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse Doth it not from all these places appear very plain that repentance is necessarily required as a meanes or at least a condition of life A. There is in Scripture a twofold repentance spoken of a repentance of the Law and a repentance of the Gospel The repentance which is of the Law is suteable to that Covenant of workes which the Israelites were under for temporal blessings when they at any time acted contrary to the command then the Lord plagued them sometimes with famine pestilence warre captivity c. untill they did repent and when they repented or ceased from their wicked wayes and works then the Lord would also repent or remove the judgement for temporal blessings were promised upon condition of outward obedience and temporal punishments were diverted or turned away upon their legal repentance and ceasing from their evill wayes In the time of Ezekiels prophesie the Israelites were many of them in captivity already and the rest of them were threatened and when the Lord by the Prophet called for repentance the people thought it was to small purpose to repent seeing their fathers had eaten sour grapes and their teeth were set on edge and that it was but a light businesse to promise them any good upon condition of repentance seeing they did but pine away in their fathers sinnes To which the Lord commands the Prophet to tell them that it was no such matter it was their own sin which was the cause of their misery and that if they would return from their idolatries and other abominations he would cease from punishing of them and hereupon uses that solemn oath As I live I have no delight in plaguing you I had rather yee would turn from your evill wayes and live in your own land why will yee die or why will yee be slain or die by famine or pestilence c. And so our Saviour tells those which spake to him of Pilates cruelty that unlesse they did repent they should likewise perish meaning that some temporal judgement would overtake them and thus legal repentance served onely for the preventing or diverting of temporal punishments But repentance which is of the Gospel is not any meanes or condition of life for eternal life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord and it is a free gift and not purchased by repentance nor yet promised nor given upon condition of repentance for it is not sin nor Satan nor death it self can make a separation between them that are elected and the love of God in Christ Jesus which is eternal life The Lord who hath promised is not a man that he should lie or the son of man that he should repent in this respect Now this repentance is called godly sorrow and it is wrought by the working power of
believe not in him and are not thus united and made one with him in the Spirit though they eat his flesh and drink his bloud namely in the carnall and outward use of Bread and Wine yet they have no life in them neither shall they enjoy any true comfort in him nor eternall life by him but shall goe into condemnation Q. But is it not said in the Scriptures that Christ died for all men and that as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life How say you then that some go into condemnation A. Christs death did in some respect reach forth it self unto all men God had a glorious design in making of man and for this end did bring forth this outward creation of all things to be subservient to his glory to help forward this design yea and the Lord was rich in mercy and store and abundantly provided aforehand to keep this design on foot for Christ was that Lamb prepared and slain before the foundation of the world Now if Christ had not died in the purpose and account of God before man had actually sinned then there had been an utter subversion and dissolution not onely of mankind but also of the whole Creation by mans sin But now the death of Christ coming between divine wrath and the whole creation did still give a being unto the same that it should be serviceable in helping forward this glorious design And upon this account meerly it is namely by the death of Christ that all men even the most wicked enjoy a temporall life health riches yea all outward things whatsoever for in this sence he is said to save or preserve man and beast for he doth good to all and makes his Sun to shine and his Rain to fall upon the just and unjust namely the Sun and Rain of his outward providence and thus Christ died for all men and so he is the Saviour of all men But there is a more especial salvation as the Apostle saith He is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that believe and this salvation is not that outward or temporal salvation but an inward and spiritual one and is peculiar onely to them that believe in him and are made one with him and upon this ground it is that the Apostle saith as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men to justification as if he had said that as Adam by sinning brought all men into a state of sin and so of condemnation so all that are justified unto life are made just by the free gift and grace of God by faith in the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ so that the words doe not extend that as all men fell in Adam so all without exception should be justified and saved by Christ but onely they who by faith lay hold on the righteousnesse of Christ the which the Apostle declares at large in the 3 4 5 6 7. Chapters In the 3. Chapter he proves all men to be under sin and that by the workes of the Law no man can be justified and that God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation that whosoever believes should be justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in his bloud In the 4. Chapter he tells them that even Abraham was not justified by or for any work which he wrought but onely by faith in Christ Jesus and that faith was reckoned unto him for righteousnesse and so it shall be to all that doe believe In the 5. Chapter he tells them that justification by faith brings peace and joy into the soul which justification by the work of the Law could not doe because the work was ever doing but never done and they looked upon God in that estate as ever angry But now sayes he we have peace with him and can joy in tribulations for though in Adam we were under condemnation yet now believing in Jesus and looking to him for righteousnesse we are justified unto life Thus the Apostle is farre from intending a general redemption but an especiall salvation by faith in Jesus Christ peculiar onely to them that believe Q. But the Apostle writing to Timothy exhorts that prayer be made for all men because he will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth and further saith that Christ is the Mediator between God and man who gave himself a ransome for all And the Apostle John saith That Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world How say you then that salvation is peculiar onely to them who doe believe A. For the clearing of this the meaning of these Scriptures must be inquired into The Apostle indeed exhorts that prayers intercessions and giving of thankes be made for all men for Kings and all in authority and gives a twofold reason First in respect of themselves that so they might live in quietnesse and godlinesse under them The second reason respects God it is his will he is well pleased with our praying for them because he will bring some of all sorts high and low to the knowledge of the truth that so they may be saved And if he say what must we pray for the Gentiles for our Governours are no Jewes is it lawfull to pray for them Yea saith the Apostle God will have all to be saved Gentiles as well as the Jewes for there is but one God and he is the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jewes and there is but one Mediator between God and man even the man Christ Jesus who gave himself to ransome the Gentiles as well as the Jewes and this mystery was not known to former ages but now in due time it is to be manifested and for this very purpose saith he I am ordeined a Preacher and an Apostle to bring this good tydings to the Gentiles and to assure their hearts that if they believe in Christ they shall be saved and thereof you need not doubt for as Christ who is truth is in me so that which I speak is truth And hereto agrees that of the Apopostle Peter in Acts 10. 34. That God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation Gentiles as well as Jewes he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him shewing plainly that the purpose of God in bringing in the Gentiles was a secret to that day but now was revealed And where the Apostle John saith That Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world he doth not mean every particular person in the world but onely they who walk in the light as God is in the light even these the bloud of Christ doth
all temporal blessings were made to the outward conformity and literal observations of the Law the Lord being pleased to deal with them as with children even to hire them to an outward conformity unto the same by giving them outward prosperity But the Covenant as it was inward and spiritual respected onely spiritual Israel believers both Jewes and Gentiles in all ages and in all nations to the end of the world Yet notwithstanding the Ordinances of the Law or Covenant were to continue but for a season namely until the promised seed should come which is Christ Q. What were those Ordinances and Services of the Law or Covenant A. First there was the Tabernacle and afterward the Temple which were representations of the flesh of Christ and also of the Saints in whom God would please to dwell and manifest himself And then there was the Priesthood of Aaron signifying the eternal Priesthood of Christ And there were also many Sacrifices and Offerings which did betoken the Sacrifice of Christ who should by that one offering of himself to God obtain eternal redemption for them And there were many and divers washings and cleansings which did shew forth the bloud of Christ which can onely wash and cleanse away all sin These and many others being visible representations and significations of Christ in the flesh his perfect fulfilling of the Law his making satisfaction to divine Justice c. All which were to be fulfilled and accomplished in him which being done the significations were to cease and to be of no more use Q. The Gentiles or Heathen had no fellowship or communion at all with the Israelites but were utter enemies unto them and hated them and sought their ruine continually How or in what respect then did the Law or the Covenant therein contained concern the Gentiles or belong to them A. The Lord having in his eternal purpose chosen to himself a people to be heires of life by Christ Jesus did yet notwithstanding for many generations suspend the manifestation of his love and favour unto all the people of the world except the seed of Abraham or the Israelites onely whom he had brought near to himself and to whom he manifested his great love not onely in outward and temporal blessings but chiefly in spiritual administrations withall forbidding them to have any communion with any nation whatsoever unlesse they would be circumcised and worship God according as he had commanded them which thing occasioned such an enmity and hatred in all nations against the Israelites that they would not be reconciled unto them at any hand yea though the enemies were very different in Religion and Idol-worship and hated one another even unto death yet they could agree together against the Israel of God to root out their name from the earth And this enmity or hatred was not against them as they were men or because they were of different nations but herein lay the enmity because the Israelites did worship the true God with such holy worship as he had commanded the seed of the Serpent or the Devil in all false worships and religions persecuting the seed of the woman or Christ and the Saints in the true Religion and pure worship of God in all agés and so the hatred was not onely against the Israelites in their persons but even against the good wayes of God in his pure worship and herein against God himself The great mystery that the Gentiles should be heires of life with the Jewes partakers of the same promises and of the same body was not yet revealed but kept secret But now they who were sometimes afarre off were made nigh by the bloud of Christ for Christ by subjecting himself in the flesh to death did break down that partition wall and that enmity that was between Jewes and Gentiles being slain thereby so that although they before were twain and hated one another yet now by the death of Christ they were united and made one and not onely reconciled to one another but also to God through faith in Jesus Thus the Gentiles by the preaching of the Gospel came to know that which before they did not know even to believe their Son-ship and their interest in the Covenant by Jesus Christ yet notwithstanding they were not under the Law as it was a Covenant of works for temporal blessings for so it concerned the Israelites onely and according as they acted to the command so they prospered in their temporal estates and this part of the Covenant was peculiar onely unto them But as the Law was spiritual and contained in it a Covenant of grace so all the elect both Jewes and Gentiles were concluded in it it being an eternal Covenant made with all the Saints in Jesus Christ in the eternal purpose of God before the world began and in due time manifested according to the dispensation of God who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will that is who revealeth and discovereth himself in Jesus to whomsoever after what way soever and in what time soever he himself pleaseth But yet the Gentiles were not under those legall services and formal observations of the Covenant as the Passeover Circumcision all those Sacrifices and Offerings those legall washings and cleansings in a word all that Temple-worship whatsoever they being all fulfilled consummated and ended in Christ for now in this way of Temple-worship neither Jewes nor Gentiles were to worship God he having withdrawn himself in his appearances out of all these things but now both Jewes and Gentiles were to look unto God in Christ in whom and by whose most precious death and bloud-shedding he declared himself to be fully satisfied for all those transgressions and disobediences from which they could not be justified by the workes of the Law Q. The Gentiles indeed were not to observe those legall Worships and Services which the Jewes did But were they not to make the Law of God the rule of their obedience A. The Law as it was delivered to Israel upon the Mount so it was a revelation of the most holy and perfect will of God and so it was the rule of their obedience Now the Law being of a twofold consideration it was the will of God that their obedience should be suteable thereto First As the Law was outward and respected onely the outward man so it was his will that they should be obedient in all things to the very letter and form of all his commands and herein they were to act with all their strength in case they would be outwardly happy But secondly As the Law was spirituall and concerned the inward man so their obedience was to be answerable to the will of God herein Now it was not the will of God that they should act herein according to the letter and think to attain Righteousnesse by a strict
prophecies and types which made mention of him and therefore they were enabled extraordinarily to declare both in word and writing the whole will and counsell of God and the word so spoken and written being a revelation of Christ through the Spirit was written and spoken for our instruction Christ now reveales himself to us also by the same Spirit and to the same ends and purposes but not in the same manner nor in the same degree Christ by revelation enabled them to speak and write a mystery and by revelation he enables us to know and understand that mystery which was spoken and written by them They were inspired by the Spirit immediately to write and speak the mind of God perfectly To us it is given to understand and believe the will of God in the mystery of Christ by attending upon reading exhortation and doctrine even by the same Spirit The Apostles were sent to preach the Gospel and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word preached Paul was an Apostle a teacher of the Gentiles and unto him was this grace given that he should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ c. The Gospel must be preached but every preaching is not the preaching of the Gospel for some men preach neither Law nor Gospel but their own fancies others preach justification by the duties of the Law knowing neither what they say nor whereof they affirm and others jumble Law and Gospel together saying that men must believe in Jesus Christ and yet they must walk in a strict performance of the duties of the Law or else they cannot be saved But the Gospel where it is purely preached is not with wisdome of words to exercise or set forth mens humane arts and acquired abilities but in the evidence and power of the Spirit to perswade men to believe the preaching of the Gospel is not to chide or revile men for not believing but to beseech men to be reconciled to God The preaching of the Gospel is not to threaten wrath and vengeance against sin and sinners but to offer termes of peace reconciliation and salvation through Christ Jesus to the worst of sinners Moreover the Lord hath in much wisdome and goodnesse manifested his will in a written word for he very well knew what was in man many Prophets of old did run before they were sent but because they spake not according to the Law and the Testimony their written word their was no light in them There were also false Apostles in the Primitive Churches but because they spake not according to the word of faith revealed in the true Apostles they were soon discovered to the Saints The Mystery of iniquity in that man of sin came into the world after the working of Satan with signes and lying wonders and men were deluded by them because they did not receive or believe the truth as it was revealed in the written word but Christ hath already in part and is daily destroying more and more that mystery and kingdome of the devill by his appearing and the brightnesse of his coming according to this written word And there be many also that boast and brag of visions and revelations and despise and deride the Scriptures but because they resist or put away the truth therefore they shall not be able to proceed much further for their folly shall be made manifest to all men by the power of truth revealed in the Scriptures Neither is the Scripture contrary to it self or any the least contradiction in it for as no part of it was written by the private motion of mans own Spirit so neither is it of any private interpretation nor to be drawn or stretcht to any mans private purpose for we are not to use the Scriptures for our own self ends or so much of them as will serve our turnes but to weigh and consider the whole Scripture and labour to reconcile seeming differences for though there may appear some small seeming jarrs in the letter yet being compared with other Scriptures and weighed with a Spirit of love and meeknesse there will be found a sweet harmony in the sence and meaning and where any thing is hard and difficult and not easie to be understood there we are not rashly to determine but by prayer and supplication to wait upon God who is a revealer of secrets and to whom interpretations doe belong and in due time we shall reap if we faint not Q. What is Prayer A. Prayer is much spoken of and much used among men but it is not very well understood for many people can and doe utter words and sentences which the Saints in Scripture have used in prayer and yet they doe not pray prayer is not every lifting up of the voice to God nor every lifting up of the heart to God for the most wicked man may pray and that earnestly and that for life and salvation and yet not pray aright yea a believer and one that is in Christ may be very fervent in prayer and yet not being rightly catechized and instructed in the nature of true prayer may not be accepted but offend in praying Prayer is not a work of wit or memory or of any other common gift of the Spirit but true and right prayer as it goes up to God through Christ so it comes down first from God by Christ and is indeed the intercession of Christ in the soul for no man knowes how or what to pray for as he ought yea the Saints themselves are compassed with many infirmities and many of them lie under many outward crosses c. by reason whereof they may and doe now and then use prayer in a carnal manner now it is the Spirit which removeth or helpeth against these infirmities when the Spirit prevailes as it doth for the most part in the Saints then it assures them of the love of God and overcomes all feares and doubts and carries them up to God with free accesse making them to know that God is not delighted with eloquent words and speeches or sentences finely framed and artificially drawn into a method But that he is well pleased with Christ and delights in nothing but Christ and if he be in the soul though at present they cannot utter many words or outward expressions nay if they can but groan in spirit he knowes the meaning thereof for he knowes the heart and understands the mind of the spirit If prayer proceed from a mans own spirit then it is alwayes for self ends but if it be the intercession of Christ in the soul then it is alwayes agreeable to the will of God for he even Christ maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God Q. If prayer be the intercession of Christ in the soul then how is it said that he is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession
of the Gospel A. Whatsoever was practised by the Apostles and Primitive Christians is already declared how they to prevent contention and strife did condescend to the weaknesse of many knowing that in time the Baptisme of the Spirit which is a Baptisme of Fire would eat up the Baptisme of Water as the fire that came down upon Elijahs Sacrifice did lick up all the water that was in the Trench But whatsoever hath been done in Water-Baptisme since that time it is hard to say is or was done with warrant from Scripture but is to be feared was rather a part of that mistery of iniquity which began to work even in the Apostles time And that Baptisme is come in the room of Circumcision was never yet made good by Scripture nor never will It is true God made a Covenant with Abraham and gave him also Circumcision as a sign or seal thereof But the Covenant which God made was twofold Inward and Outward The Inward part respected his soul in the sweet enjoyment of Gods love and favour by Christ Jesus both in this life and in eternall glory The Outward part of it respected the outward man the enjoyment of the land of Canaan with long life and prosperity therein Now so farre as the Covenant was inward and respected his soul so farre Circumcision could not be a seal thereof for nothing could seal the true spirituall love and favour of God to his soul but the Spirit whereby all believers were and still are sealed to the day of redemption But as the Covenant was more outward that he should be the Father of many nations that in Isaac should his seed be called and that he would give the land of Canaan to his seed for an everlasting Possession so farre Circumcision was a seal of the Covenant But now in the daies of the Gospel the new Covenant is a single Covenant that old weak part of it being vanished away and it is now established upon better promises than earthly Canaan For the Covenant which God makes with his people now is altogether inward and Spirituall which is Christ and there is no seal of this Covenant but that Spirit or the Lord Jesus called the Spirit of promise And to make Water-Baptisme or a Carnall thing to be a seal of a Spiritual Covenant which is Christ in the soul sealing up the love of God to the same to all eternity argues much ignorance in the mistery of God and carnall mindednesse in the things of God in a great measure And whereas the Apostle tells the Corinthians their Fathers were baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea That is no warrant for Baptisme at all But he speaks it rather to take them off from depending upon outward Ordinance c. For thus he seems to speak Your Fathers were high in outward Ordinances but they were not very high in Gods favour for they were overthrown in the wildernesse and these things were written for your example c. And for that of the Apostle Peter where he is speaking of the Floud and that in the Arke but a few even eight souls were saved by water and that by a figure Baptisme doth not save us First we must understand that the Ark saved those eight soules from the water And then that the figure here spoken of is not between the floud and water-baptisme But between the Ark which saved them from those great waves and Christ who saves us from the sea even the red sea of Gods fierce wrath as they that did believe and obeyed and prepared an Ark were put into it by God and so saved from death So all that do believe are shut up in Christ and made one with him and so saved from wrath For so saith the Apostle Baptisme doth now save us but not the washing away of the filth of the flesh with water but the answer of a good conscience to God by the resurrection of Christ from the dead If Christ be not risen in the soul and if he raise not the soul from death that man is not baptized indeed though he be washed in water a thousand times And as for Infants that they should be baptized there is not the least intimation in all the Scriptures that they whiles they are such ever were or ever should be baptized If Water-Baptisme were any thing or had any thing in it yet infants are in no capacity at all to apprehend it no not so much as in signification yet they which make a prop of it to hold up their tottering kingdome can see good reason for it and draw goodly consequences from Scripture to help forward the practise of it Q. Though there be nothing in it as indeed there is not it being an outward signe may we not use it therefore in obedience to Christs command as a sign of our ingrafting into him and as an ordinance that gives us admission into Curch-fellowship with the Saints A. The commands of Christ are not empty and barren commands but full of power and efficacy When Christ coms forth in a command then there is a work wrought indeed If Christ say to a dead man live then is he quickned indeed If he command a man to believe then there is faith and confidence wrought indeed If he command the Saints to love one another then it is effected indeed Christs commands where they come and he himself come along in them or else they are not his commands they never return in vaine but do certainly accomplish their work not in imagination but in reality and truth Now if Christ had commanded to Baptize a man or an infant in water certainly some notable work would have been wrought thereby But we see in experience that to dip or to sprinckle in or with a little cold water produceth no effect in the inward man Therefore to Baptize with water as a command of Christ is to offer injury to Christ and to make the commands of Christ which are full of power and life to be empty and fruitless commands which is not safe to imagine Moreover Christs Kingdome is a Spirituall Kingdome and is altogether inward And as it is not attained so neither is it enjoyed with any outward observations Indeed under the Law they had their outward Ordinances and Services and all of them had their significations shewing forth something of Christ of his death and resurrection c. And this Kingdome was more Carnal than Spiritual and they were led on in it by outward and carnal observations But now Christ having finished all his work in the flesh and being come again in the spirit he exerciseth all his Kingly power in the soul and this Kingdome of Christ is the Kingdome of Heaven and there is no signification in it at all but all is reall For it is the glory of God begun in the soul not in imagination but in deed and in
with us in the flesh in this flesh he walked exactly fulfilling all Righteousness for us yea he subjects this flesh to Death and Curse and therein makes the Atonement between God and man Q. Was there no other course to be taken nor any other means to be used to reconcile God and man A. Infinite justice could not be satisfied without the death of some person without shedding of blood there was no remission to be had And forasmuch as all men were sinners and so become weak and neither able to bear the weight of Divine justice nor yet to make satisfaction to the same for the least offence therefore now infinite love works strongly towards poor Man-kind The glorious God assumes mans nature clothes himself with mans flesh and in this nature and this flesh became Surety for man paying all that debt and undergoing all that wrath and curse which was due to man for sin Q. But did not God on Mount Sinai give the Israelites a Law contained in ten Commandements and did he not tell them that upon their obedience and conformity unto the same they should live and be happy A. God indeed gave Israel a Law but it was not his meaning that they should attain happiness by an outward conformity to the same for he had before declared himself to the contrary to Adam in the Seed of the woman again to Abraham saying In thy Seed shall all the Families of the earth be blessed which Seed was Christ Now if he had intended that they should re-gain his favour and so become happy by their obedience to this Law then this former promise had been void and of none effect But then secondly this Law was of such infinite holiness and perfection of righteousness and they having nothing of their own to further them in their obedience and conformity unto it but a nature and disposition continually inclinable to sin and rebel therefore the more they expected happiness from their obedience falling so short in their obedience the more they threw themselves under the curse and so became more miserable Q. Were all men without exception in this weak and low condition Were none of them able to keep the Law A. No not one there was not in any of them any strength at all to endure Gods presence but removed and stood afar off and durst not abide the sight of infinite Righteousness nay the very best of them even Moses was exceedingly terrified at his glorious appearance Q. True indeed they were much affrighted at that sight because the Lord was pleased to shew himself in such a terrible manner in such Thunders Lightnings and Earthquakes but did they tremble or were they terrified at the apprehension of the Law A. Although the beholding of Gods appearance was very terrible and full of amazement yet that was not the onely cause of their fear but the Law that was then delivered was so transcendently holy and righteous and they being conscious to themselves of their former grievous miscarriages and also sensible of their own inability and indisposition to yield any answerable obedience to the same for the future This caused them to fear that divine Justice would presently seize upon them Q. Why did God appear in such a terrible manner at the giving of the Law A. Man in the state of innocency was able to look upon God with comfort the manifest ations of God were his life but when he had sinned the case was altered If he now would look upon him or think to attain his favour by any worth or strength of his own there was nothing to be expected but terrour and danger Cherubims and a flaming Sword Now lest these people should be conceited of their own righteousness as indeed they were therefore he appears in this terrible manner to let them know that there was no comming near unto him nor any favour to be expected from him without perfect righteousness unless they could endure devouring fire and everlasting burnings Q. Since the Law was of such infinite purity and righteousness and all men so prone to evil and averse to that which is good yea and also so weak that they were not able in the least to yield any sutable obedience to the same What then was Gods meaning to command them this Law A. God who is infinite in wisdom and goodness yea and in all other glorious perfections had many excellent ends in giving them this Law although they were not able to obey As first to shew his Soveraignty over them he was their Lord they his servantt he wastheir King they his subjects and were to observe his Lawes which were holy and righteous like himself Secondly God gave them this most holy Law to let them see what man was able to do in time of his innocency before he wilfully disabled himself and therefore he might justly exact the same at their hands Thirdly God gave them this Law especially in such a terrible manner that it might at least restrain them from outward and gross enormities and keep the outward man in good behaviour Fourthly this Law was given to discover sin that thereby they might be convinced of that most abominable and sinful disposition that was in them for all men by nature are ignorant and do not know sin to be sin Besides man is a proud creature and is not willing to know it much less to own it to himself therefore was this most pure and perfect Law given forth that they might not at all plead ignorance but be altogether without excuse But then fiftly The main end and highest intention of God in giving them this Law was to give them to understand that he was a God of such infinite purity and of such transcendent righteousness that there was no favour nor comfortable communion to be had or enjoyed with him but rather a fearful expectation of fiery indignation unless there were in them an answerable holiness and sutable righteousness unto the same Now forasmuch as there was not in any of them any thing at all sutable thereunto but rather a nature and disposition quite and clean contrary to the same his meaning therefore was that they should be driven out of themselves to look for righteousness in the promised Seed which was Christ 1 Cor. 1. 30. Gal. 2. 16 17 21. Phil. 3. 9. Q But were they acquainted with this promise or were they ignorant of it A. They could not be ignorant of the promise because God was pleased to appear alwaies unto them by the name of the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and they very well knew that they were the Seed and Posterity of these men Moreover all the greatest and most eminent works of God were fresh in memory as the Creation the Flood the building of Babel the burning of Sodome with many other of like
note much more the promse which was to them of greatest concernment yet notwithstanding the greatest part of them were ignorant of Gods meaning in the promise there were but very few that knew any more than the outside of it namely that God would raise up some man of the Seed of Abraham who should deliver them from their bondage in Aegypt and settle them in the Land of Canaan where they should be free-men and enjoy peace and plenty c. And this it is very probable they expected should have been fulfilled now in Moses For God had wonderfully manifested himself by Moses in Aegypt and at the Red Sea by many great and terrible works of wonder and now at this time also Moses was able to endure the presence of God and to hear him speak and to go up into the Mount when he call'd him And because they were not able to abide the sight of God nor hear his voyce therefore Moses must go to God and bring them word what God saith and then they will hear him and be obedient for they perceived that Moses was very high in Gods favour and therefore they desired him to be a Mediator between God and them Q. But how did God take the matter Was he well pleased with them for this thing A. Yes God did very well approve of them for desiring a Mediator for he said they had well spoken But withal he told Moses that he was not the man in whom the promise must be fulfilled for I will raise them up a Prophet of their Brethren saith God like unto thee and I will put my words into his mouth and he shall declare unto them all my Councel and in hearkening unto him they shall be happy and he that will not hear that Prophet I will require it of him Q. But if it was not the purpose of God that they should be happy by their obedience unto the Law why then did he annex such large promises unto the observation of it and denounce such heavy curses and judgements in case they disobeyed A. The Lord having brought forth this people of Israel from Aegypt where they had been a long time under cruel Bondage and minding according to his promise made to Abraham to take them to himself for a peculiar people above all the Nations of the earth was graciously pleased in giving them this Law to enter into Covenant with them herein promising to be their God and that they should be his people to which they did agree Now this Covenant was two-fold Inward and Outward or Spiritual and Temporal And so the Promises that were annexed to the same were of a two-fold consideration also That part of the Covenant which was outward or temporal was at large declared and often repeated and so were the promises which belonged to the same but the inward or Spiritual part of it was not expressed but implyed and so were the promises Q. What was the outward part of the Covenant and the promises which belonged to the same A. The outward and temporal part of the Covenant was this That if they would acknowledge the Lord to be their God and diligently obey his voyce and observe and do all his Commandments with their whole hearts then the Lord promised to set them up on high above all the Nations upon earth to give them the Land of Canaan to multiply their Seed to prolong their dayes to give them peace and plenty and to make them prosperous in every thing they set their hands unto And on the contrary if they would not hearken unto his voyce nor obey his commandment but walk after other gods c. then the Lord would make their plagues wonderful and curse them cross them until he had destroyed them Q. What was the inward or Spiritual part of this Covenant A. The Lord was pleased herein to Covenant That forasmuch as this Law was Spiritual and their hearts were Carnal and altogether indisposed to obey yet he himself would undertake for them and though they were weak and unable yet he would lay help upon one that was mighty and herein make over himself to be righteousness unto them and for them And in this they were not to act but believe that God not for their righteousness but for his own sake would be merciful to their unrighteousness and freely forgive their sin becomming Justification and Sanctification unto them And the Promises which were hereunto annexed were Spiritual and very mystical for here the Lord promised that he would be their God that he would fill their hearts with joy and peace in believing that is that he would in the right apprehension of this Covenant so communicate and discover himself unto them in the sweetness of his love and the excellency of all Spiritual and heavenly comforts that they should not now look upon him as an Enemy with terror but should have sweet fellowship with him as dear Children with a loving Father that so partaking of his glory in some measure in this life and living according to it he would at length glorifie them with himself in eternal glory But on the contrary if they were disobedient that is unbelieving trusting in their own righteousness thinking to obtain his favour by their own outward and litteral observations then he would leave them to their hearts lust and fill them with their own devices And instead of enjoying him in the lively apprehension of his love and favour which is Eternal life they should in this life not onely be empty of all true and sound comfort and joy but also be filled with terror and horror of conscience vexation and sorrow and to be for ever separated from the presence of the Lord in endless misery Q. Did God give them any other Lawes besides this Law of the ten Cammandments Or was the Covenant wholly comprehended in it A. God by the Ministry of Moses did command them divers and sundry Lawes and Ordinances conteined in the Judicial and Ceremonial Lawes so called But they were wholly comprehended in those ten words or ten Commandments for they even those ten words were indeed the very summe and substance of the most pure perfect and absolute will of God yea they being the righteousness of God revealed which is Jesus Christ for therein he was mystically exhibited or held forth for he is the Lord our righteousness and he is made of God righteousness to us 1 Cor. 1. 30. and we are made the righteousness of God in him Neither was there any thing at all which the Lord expected form his creature in his obedience unto him but what was wholly conteined in those ten words Q. The Law-being delivered in so few words and the Covenant therein conteined being so dark and mystical How came they then to understand Gods meaning therein A. The Lord was pleased in much wisdom and goodness to