FREE-GRACE OR THE FLOWINGS OF CHRISTs Blood free ' to Sinners Being an Experiment oâ—Jesus Christ upon one who hath been in the bondage of a troubled Conscience at times for the space of about twelâ—â— yeers till now upon a clearer discovery of Jesus Christ and the Gospel Wherein divers secrets of the seâ—â—â— of sin and temptations are experimentaâ—â—â—â—â—ed and by way of Observation conâ—â—â—â—ing a natural condition and a mixed conditioâ— of Law and Gospel With a further revealing of the Gospel in its glory liberty freenesse andsimplicity for Salvation By John Saltmarsh Preacher of the Gospel at Brasteed in Kent The second Edition corrected London Printed for Giles Calvert dwelling at the black Stred-Eagle at the West-end of Pauls 1646. TO My Honorable Friends Sir John Wray Knight and Baronet Sir William Strickland Knight and Baronet Both Members of the Honorable House of Commons HONORABLE IKnow ye both well to have loved the acquaintance of Truth long and in those times when truth was an errour and light darknesse in the account of most therefore I hope the same Lord will not cease to reveal to ye more of himself till ye come to know as ye shall be known The truths if I mistake them not I here present you are of Free-grace such things as if cleared to the World would enlighten us more in the mystery of iniquity then any other There is one thing appears to us in the discovery of this which is love God loving us freely and sending out his Spirit of love into our hearts this should be that onely principle of power in beleevers now under the Gospel love began all the work of salvation in God and love should carry on this work of salvation in men· This is a way of service which none know but those whom the Son hath made free indeed The Lord fill ye with this love that ye may obey as gloriously as ye are commanded in the Gospel and that the experiences of Free-grace may dwell richly in ye that ye may spiritually judge of the siner and more subtile parts of Antichrist All is not in that grosse Idolatry which is seen and felt there is more of mystery then so in it I could not but thus publikely acknowledge ye who are such publike Assertors of that Liberty we of this Kingdom enjoy at this day and because ye have acknowledged me in many favours to my self formerly for which I am Your Servant in the Lord JOH. SALTMARSH AN Occasional Word IT would be matter of much peace amongst beleevers if the names of Antinomian and legal Teacher and the rest might be laid down and no mark or name to know one another by but that of beleevers that hold thus and thus for distinction Surely carnal suspitions and jealousie do much encrease our differences Some hearing the doctrine of Free-grace think presently there will follow nothing but loosenesse and libertinism and the other hearing of holinesse of duties and obedience think there will follow nothing but legalnesse and bondage and self-righteousnesse and upon these jealousies each party over-suspecting the others doctrine bends against one another in expressions something too uncomely for both and there are some unwarrantable notions to be found on all sides But let us consider Can the Free-grace of Jesus Christ tempt any one to sin of it self Can a good Tree bring forth evil fruit And shall we call every one Antinomian that speaks Free-grace or a little more freely then we do If any man sin more freely because of forgivenesse of sins that man may suspect himself to be forgiven for in all Scriptures and Scripture-examples the more forgivenesse the more holinesse Mary loved much because much was forgiven to her and righteous and holinesse blood and water Jesus and Lord and Christ called and justified are still to be found together in the Word There are some too of another sort who make some noise of Free-grace but if all were well observed it is not so free as it seems I have heard of a Gentleman that because he would seem very free to his Neighbours bid fill out Wine freely but he had commanded the servants beforehand to burn it that it should be too hot for any of them to drink I wish the Wine in the Gospel by some be not over-much heated by the Law and conditions and qualifications that poor souls cannot taste of it freely and yet seem to fill it out freely too Free-grace may be there in the notion of it yet not in the truth of it The Arminians boast themselves to be as great Patrons of Free-grace as others And why Because they teach that all that is still given to man is for Christ and in Christ and though by Faith and works yet all that is free-gift So the Papists boast of Free-grace That Christ is given freely from the Father for sinners and it is of Free-grace that we are accepted though of works too So as surely there is some other way of carrying Free-grace then by joyning men so into the work for else it is but a Popish an Arminian Free-grace Jesus Christ hath appeared more of late and his glory hath been more abroad then this Kingdom ever saw before and indeed Antichrist goes never rightly down but when Christ is lifted up and if Jesus Christ had been more in the divinity of these latter times and in their Preachings for Reformation and Moses lesse we had not onely had more of his grace but more of his glory then we yet see Yet I do not see that the power of Christ crucified is so abroad among beleevers as it should be but some several Ordinances are rather the businesse of this age Yet thus it hath been alwayes whenever there were any shadows or carnal Ordinances beleevers went more after them then Christ himself Under the Law it was so and under the Gospel it is so some outward truths of Christ are sought after more then Christ himself and we make more of the beams then the Sun of righteousnesse and rather warm our selves by the sparks then the fire like those Souldiers who cast lots for his Garments but let his Body alone upon the Crosse not but that every thing of Christ is precious yet nothing so precious as himself So as These things ought we to have done and not to leave the other undone I hope by this time Free-grace is no Antinomianism amongst beleevers yet it hath been ever Satans policy and the Lords providence to manage a truth sometimes through a whole age yea and ages too in another name then its own and some other age have seen it for a truth which God would not reveal to those unthankful times Light hath walked abroad in a vail of darknesse and Truth in the likenesse of errour and Christ hath been crucified by those who after knew him for their Lord of glory and were wounded for him whom they had wounded themselves O that the times we live in had not too many
sanctification so far as the Scriptures do as a lower motive and more carnally mixed and uncertain way of perswasion and assurance of justification But a little to note to you two sides sadly mistaking one another in points of this nature The one cryes out against the other as if they held we were justified partly from our being sanctified or from our works the other on the contrary cry out that such would cast out all sanctification Now such opinions are in neither of them Justly in them I mean in those of both that can spiritually judge But there are some expressions on both parts which make the one passe for legal Teachers and the other for Antinomians The one giving too much in their Sermons and Books to Faith and Works in an unwarrantable jealousie lest holinesse should be sleighted some other lesse then is fit lest free-grace should lose her due and both in an unwarrantable jealousie And indeed the latter I must prefer before the former For if I must erre I had rather cry down men to exalt Christ then Christ to exalt men though I would do neither but let both have their place and order In this point I hope in the Lord to keep from dashing against the Scriptures either way the Spirit of the Lord lighting my candle The Doubt Because I feel not my self sanctified I fear I am not justified The Doubt being thus I shall lay down these particulars 1. If you suppose that God takes in any part of your faith repentance or new obedience or sanctification as a ground upon which he justifies or forgives you you are clear against the Word For if it be of works it is no more of grace otherwise work is no more work 2. It must then be onely the evidence of your being justified that you seek for in your sanctification And these two things premised I now proceed 1. We must allow any to take in any thing of their sanctification to help their assurance which the Word allows as the Spirit and the fruits of it repentance mortification of sin new obedience c. But then it must be done in the Scriptures own cautions and way 2. The Scriptures lay down these following things 1. Christs sanctification to ours or his true holinesse 2. Faith about our own sanctification 1. As first Christ is revealed to be our sanctification Christ is made unto us righteousnesse sanctification I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Ye are Christs but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus He hath quickned us together with Christ We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith That new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones And be found in him not having my own righteousnesse I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me That we present every man perfect in Christ Jesus But Christ is all and in all Your life is hid with Christ in God See Heb. 13.20 21. All these Scriptures set forth Christ the sanctifiâ—ation and the fulnesse of his the all in all Christ hath beleeved perfectly he hath repented perfectly he hath sorrowed for sin perfectly he hath obeyed perfectly he hath mortified sin perfectly and all is ours and we are Christs and Christ is Gods 2. The second thing is faith about our own sanctification We must beleeve more truth of our own graces then we can see or feel which the Lord hath in his infinite wisdom and dispensation so ordered that here our life should be hid with Christ in God that we should walk by faith and not by sight So as we are to beleeve our repentance true in him who hath repented for us our mortifying sin true in him through whom we are more then conquerours our new obedience true in him who hath obeyed for us and is the end of the Law to every one that beleeveth our change of the whole man true in him who is righteousnesse and true holinesse And thus without Faith it is impossible to please God This is the Scripture-assurance for a childe of God or beleever to see every thing in himself as nothing and himself every thing in Christ Faith is the ground of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen Heb. 11.1 All other assurances are rotten conclusions from the Word and such things as true legal Teachers have invented not understanding the mystery of the Kingdom of Christ The Scriptures bid you see nothing in your self or all as nothing These Teachers bid you see something in your self so as the leaving out Christ in sanctification is the foundation of all doubts fears and distractions And he that looks on his repentance on his love on his humility on his obedience and not in the tincture of the Blood of Christ must needs beleeve weakly and uncomfortably But now to propose some questions to you Quest You say you feel not the change of the whole man Answ Yea. Quest Then I must prove your sanctification to you not your justification Answ Yea for they that are justified are sanctified too which I cannot finde in my self Quest Will you say a thing is not there because you feel it not there Answ But I do not know it to be there Quest But will you conclude it is not there because you know it not to be there Answ Nay Quest You say well for David cryed out in the bitternesse of his soul that his sin was ever before him and then his sanctification was out of his sight and that God had forgotten to be gracious But I said says he this is my infirmity You know in a house when it is dark all things are there that were before but you see them not till the candle be brought in The womans groat in the Parable was in the house but she found it not till she had lighted her candle Therefore you must say as David Light my candle O Lord and the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord Answ But I feel corruption more violent which would not be if it were mortified Quest You are mistaken in that it is from life in you and spirit in you that you feel corruption if you were dead in sins and trespasses you could feel nothing no more then a dead man These oppositions in you shew a twofold law within you A law in your members with the law of your minds Two natures in you of flesh and spirit the flesh lusteth against the spirit nor is the light of a meer natural conscience or a soul commonly enlightned such a strange opposer and complainer against the law of sin in the flesh as you seem to have in you besides John saith If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves But I dare not carry you on too far by signs
God is said to be in Covenant with a soul A Soul is then properly actually or expresly in Covenant with God when God hath come to it in the promise and then when it feels it self under the power of the promise it begins onely to know it is in Covenant and yet to yeeld and obey as if it were but to enter into that Covenant which God hath made with it in Christ before it could do any thing so as they that beleeve do rather feel themselves in that Covenant which God hath made with them without any thing in themselves either faith or repentance c. X. A justified person is a perfect person A Person justified or in Covenant is as pure in the sight of God as the righteousnesse of Christ can make him though not so in his own eyes that there may be work for faith because God sees His onely in Christ not in themselves and if they were not in such a perfect righteousnesse they could not be loved of him because his eyes are purer then to behold iniquity or to love a sinner as a sinner XI Sin separates not his from God but from Communion with God NO sins can make God who loves for ever unchangeably love us lesse and yet a beleever will grieve for sin because it grieves the Spirit of his God and though he know sin cannot now separate from God yet because it once separated he hates it and because it separates still though not from God yet from Communion with God grieving the holy Spirit of God XII Christ in the flesh CHRIST in the flesh was God himself who that he might reveal his love to us made us partakers of the divine nature by fashioning our nature for his own glory to live in and by being both God and man amongst us and for us and herein is the mystery of reconciliation None but the nature of God could reconcile God and no nature but mans that had sinned could properly suffer for man therefore there is one Mediator betwixt God and man the man Christ Jesus XIII Christs being in our nature CHRIST was love mercy and riches of free-grace manifested in the flesh and in our nature that they might slow out more abundantly upon our nature on the vessels of mercy chosen in this Christ before the foundations of the world XIV Christs love CHRISTS love must needs exceed all the love of the children of men for he was the very love of God clothed in flesh and blood This is he that was red in his apparel as he that treadeth in the wine-presse XV Christ doing and suffering for our sakes CHRIST came into the world that he might do what we could not do to the fulfilling of the Law and suffer what we could not suffer for the breach of the Law XVI Christs Mediatorship CHRIST standing now as a Person betwixt God and the children of men takes in the fulnesse of righteousnesse and sin from both natures righteousnesse from God and sin from men whereby all the sins of his people are fully done away by the infinite glory of that righteousnesse both from himself and us XVII The right general Redemption by the second Adam CHRIST is the second Adam in whom all are made alive as all in the first Adam were dead but not so as if all who were dead in the first Adam were made alive in the second but as the first Adam was the person in whom all that are dead did die so Christ is the second Adam in whom all that are alive do live for Christ is the common nature of the living mankinde who live unto righteousnesse as Adam was the common nature of the dead mankinde who die unto unrighteousnesse For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many are made righteous God hath concluded all under sin That the promises by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve Gal. 3.22 XVIII Christs love THe love of Christ exceeded in this that he gave himself to die for us when we were enemies to him and crucified him our selves who came to be crucified for us and could neither love him nor pitty him for what he did For while we were as yet sinners Christ died for us and greater love then this hath no man This is the mystery that man could not live in Christ till he had killed Christ first And thus he was wounded in the house of his friends O all ye that passe by the way behold and consider if ever there were mystery like unto this mystery XIX Christs blood THe blood of Christ was not the blood of man onely but the blood of the Son of God and therefore it was a price for sin the very power of the Godhead as it were bleeding for sin by which it is called The Redemption of his blood and the blood of the Son of GOD XX Christs Blood powred out THe Blood of CHRIST powred out wrought greater compassion in GOD towards men I speak as a man then the sufferings of all the men in the world could do because he being begotten of GOD himself and the expresse Image of his person though he could not suffer being so infinite a glory yet because that person suffered which was GOD and man or the Son of GOD in man the Father in an unspeakable way beheld the travel of his soul and was satisfied XXI Christs Vesture dipt in blood CHRISTS Garment which he was described in by the Prophets under the Law is of a colour to set forth love and suffering under the Gospel for this is he that came from Bozra with his garments died red XXII Christs comelinesse THe comelinesse of Christ in the Gospel is a most desireable comelinesse for the sons of men to love it is the glory of the onely begotten Son of God full of grace the â—weetest object for those in misery to delight in This is that beloved which is more then another beloved XXIII Christs beauty CHRIST hath both the form and power of love in him and therefore it is that his Spouse or His behold him as white and ruddy and the fairest amongst ten thousands white in the glory of his Godhead and ruddy in the sufferings of his Manhood and because of his sweet oyntments or powrings out of spirit the Virgins follow him for his hands drop myrrhe upon the soul even spiritual graces upon the handles of the Lock XXIV Christs names CHRIST will be known to His by no other names but names of love and grace a Lover a Bridegroom a Physitian a Saviour an Emmanuel or God with us an onely begotten Son of God the brightnesse of his glory a merciful and faithful high Priest a Sacrifice for sin a Mediator an Advocate for sin a Beloved and he brings a soul to the banquetting house of spiritual things and his banner over it is love XXV Christ and His CHRIST having adorned his in the riches of his
are saith the Apostle his workmanship created in Christ Jesus Ephes. 2.10 And now why shall any servant of Christ refuse to give out that blood of his Masters which runs so freely to sinners And any sinner refuse to receive it because their vessels are not clean enough for it when it is such a blood as makes the vessels clean for it self LII The simplicity of the Gospel-Salvation easie and plain JEsus Christ and forgivenesse of sins in his Name and redemption through his blood is the first and onely thing held forth in the Gospel to sinners the other Mystery of righteousnesse is revealed to beleevers forgivenesse of sins is first taught that they may beleeve and the other glorious Mysteries are taught that they may know what they do beleeve they are first to see Gods love and afterwards his glory Jesus Christ crucified is the best story for sinners and Jesus Christ exalted for Saints and therefore it is that in all the Apostles Sermons the story of blood and redemption was first preached and when they did beleeve that then they wrote Epistles and Revelations of greater things unto them so as they spake of Christ onely to make them beleeve and wrote to them of him when they did beleeve Salvation is not made any puzzeling work in the Gospel it is plainly easily and simply revealed Jesus Christ was crucified for sinners this is salvation we need go no further the work of salvation is past and finished sins are blotted out sinners are justified by him that rose for justification And now if you ask me what you must do to be saved I answer Beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved All that is to be done in the work of salvation is to beleeve there is such a work and that Christ died for thee amongst all those other sinners he died for To beleeve now is the onely work of the Gospel This is the work that ye beleeve on him whom he hath sent Joh. 6.29 This is the Commandment that ye beleeve on his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3.23 That is that ye be perswaded of such a thing that Christ was crucified for sins and for your sins and we are called on to beleeve because they onely that can beleeve are justified By him all that beleeve are justified Act. 13.39 So as salvation is not a businesse of our working and doing it was done by Christ with the Father sin and Satan and Hell were all triumphed over by Christ himself openly for us and all our work is no work of salvation but in salvation in the salvation we have by Christ we receive all not doing any thing that we may receive more but doing because we receive so much and because we are saved therefore we work not that we may be saved and yet we are to work as much as if we were to be saved by what we do because we should do as much for what is done already for us and to our hands as if we were to receive it for what we did our selves This is short work Beleeve and be saved and yet this is the onely Gospel-work and way Christ tels ye in few words and his Apostle in as few As Moses lift up the Serpent in the Wildernesse so must the Son of man be lift up That whosoever beleeves on him should have life Joh. 6. Paul tels you Say not in thy heart Who shall ascend unto Heaven That is to bring Christ from above Or who shall descend into the deep That is to bring up Christ from the dead But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart the Word of Faith which we preach If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 10.6 7 8 9 c. So as here is but looking up on Jesus Christ and salvation is in thy soul and beleeving with thy heart and thou art saved thou wert saved by Christ before but now in thy self There are yet these grounds why salvation is so soon done 1. Because it was done before by Christ but not beleeved on before by thee till now 2. Because it is the Gospel-way of dispensation to assure and passe over salvation in Christ to any that will beleve it 3. There needs no more on our sides to work or warrant salvation to us but to be perswaded that Jesus Christ died for us because Christ hath suffered and God is satisfied Now suffering and satisfaction is that great work of salvation 4. Because they and they onely are justified who can beleeve Righteousnesse is revealed from faith to faith and all that beleeve are justified Rom. 1.17 Acts 13.39 5. That it may be by grace and not of works Being justified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24 LIII Christ and every part of Christ to be studied and beleeved in THere is not any thing of Jesus Christ but it should be matter for a Beleevers faith to be exercised in from his divine nature to his incarnation and so to his exaltation that they may be able to comprehend with all Saints the height and depth and bredth of the love of God for God was infinitely influencing into every passage of his birth his growing up his infancy his circumcision his baptism his preaching his praying his temptations his fasting his obedience to the whole Law his sufferings his reproaches his poverty his humiliation his bloody sweating his judgement and Judges his condemnation his crucifying his peircing his nailing his drinking Vinagar and Gall his strong cryes and tears his crown of thorns his blood flowing out from his feet hands and side his giving up the ghost his death burial resurrection ascension exaltation and sitting on the right hand of God his Priesthood Mediation Intercession Dominion There is infinite vertue in all these and the Gospel is made up of these in these are those unsearchable riches of grace love and Redemption These are to be the subjects of every Beleevers meditation and he is to seek into the spiritual extent of these and deepnesse of these Out of these he is to draw strength power love holinesse spiritualnesse regeneration mortification new obedience faith repentance humiliation meeknesse temperance c. Christ and every thing of Christ is to be matter for him and meditation for him These are those ministerial and instrumental means of grace and life to sinners not an historical or tragical use of these but a beleeving use a relying resting comforting spiritualizing use These were all but parcels of the work of redemption but parts of the whole and to all these there is an infinite depth of sin and temptations opposed And therefore the more we are improving our selves in these things of Christ the more spiritual and infinitely provided shall we be against the other It is not enough to look on Jesus Christ in his single person glorified and
his from God but from Communion with God p. 130. 12. Christ in the flesh Ibid. 13. Christs being in our own nature p. 131. 14. Christs love Ibid. 15. Christ doing and suffering for our sakes p. 132. 16. Christs Mediatorship Ibid. 17. The right general Redemption by the second Adam p. 133. 18. Christs love p. 134. 19. Christs blood Ibid. 20. Christs blood powred out p. 135. 21. Christs Vesture dipt in blood Ibid. 22. Christs comelinesse p. 136. 23. Christs beauty Ibid. 24. Christs names p. 137. 25. Christ and His Ibid. 26. Christs love in Heaven to us or Christ exalted p. 138. 27. The Gospel is Christ revealed Ibid. 28. The mystery of Christ in the Gospel a mystery of love p. 139. 29. A beleevers glorious freedom p. 140. 30. All the sins of beleevers done away on the Crosse Ibid. 31. Christ offered to sinners p. 141. 32. A beleever must live in Christ not in himself Ibid. 33. How Christ and a beleever were one in sin and righteousnesse p. 143. 34. We must come before God as having put on Christ first not as sinners and unrighteous p. 144. 35. The Law is now in the Spirit and in the Gospel for a beleever to walk by p. 146. 36. Legal and Gospel-commands and duties p. 147. 37. The Gospel in the holinesse and grace of it p. 150. 38. The new Covenant further set forth to be meerly a promise p. 15â— 39. The way of assurance for beleevers p. 155. 40. The Gospel Ministration very glorious p. 157. 41. In what kinde the Gospel is glorious p. 160. 42. The form of the Gospel or way of dispensation p. 163. 43. Gospel promises p 164. 44. God under the Law and the Gospel legal and Gospel-worshippers p. 166. 45. God and His in Reconciliation p. 169. 46. The fears of weak beleevers and their remedies p. 171. 47. Remedies to each fear p. 175. 48. Legal conversion p. 177. 49. When the Spirit of adoption works not freely p. 179. 50. Opinions make men legal p 181. 51. Jesus Christ offered to sinners as sinners p. 184. 52. The simplicity of the Gospel salvation easie and plain p. 190. 53. Christ and every part of Christ to be studied and beleeved in p. 194. The several wayes of Free-grace and the general point searched p. 197. THe first way of Free-grace free without all conditions of Grace Ibid. A second way of Free-grace free onely with conditions p. 198 A third way of Free grace free onely upon condition p. 199. A fourth way of Free-grace free meerly in extent Ibid. Some Truths of Free grace sparkling in former Writers and in some famous approved men of our times in Testimony to what is in this Discourse of Free-grace p. 204. THe Law by the Preaching of it cannot reform but onely Faith Ibid. No preparatory works before Christ p. 205. Free-grace hath many enemies We should stand for Free-grace p. 206. Faith is no condition of the new Covenant of Grace Ibid. We have all in Christ p. 207. Christ is every thing to us p. 208. God was never an enemy to his p. 209. That we and those commonly called Antinomians differ little Ibid. Concerning our not resting on sight or our own graces for assurance p. 211. The Law as given by Moses no rule to Christians p 212. Faith before Justification is no Grace p. 213. God is never an enemy to his though sinning p. 214. Christ promised to sinners as sinners p. 215. A beleevers Law is Christ and his Spirit p. 216. ERRATA Page 198. lin. 19. and pag. 199. lin. 17. and pag. 202 lin. 21. for intervenings read interfeerings The flowings of Christs Blood freely to Sinners Occasioned by an Experimental Discourse CHAP. I. Of the Parties natural condition and how they felt themselves in their state of nature before they could perswade themselves they had taken Christ Quest WHat manner of life did you lead as you can well remember Answ I continued in a course of some particular sins long Quest Had you no fits of terrour of conscience in your continuance in those sins Answ I had some gripings and accusations in my continuance in those sins but they tarried not with me Quest Had you any reluctancy in sinning or did you it with full consent Answ Yea with full consent to my remembrance Quest Were you much delighted in those sins so as you committed them with greedinesse or were you over-powred partly through the strength of corruption Answ I delighted in them and felt no over-powring of that kinde Quest In this your natural state how far did the light of conscience check you or put you upon any Reformation Answ Upon some duties of Prayer and hearing the Word and checks divers times I had Quest Were not your checks such as put you upon some other religious duties Quest Did you not see any need of Christ Answ Yea but it was I thought rather for my self-ends then for love to Christ One asked me if I could be contented without Christ if it were possible that I had my sins pardoned and peace of conscience and not have Christ I answered I did not know Quest But after all these proceedings and soul-conflicts which I perceive you had and your dealings with many concerning your condition How came you to that assurance of your calling and the spirit as you were once perswaded you had Answ I shall relate unto you my experiences which I had as I was then assured on of my calling First When I was minded to make away my self for my sin the Lord sent into my minde this word I have loved thee with an everlasting love Ah thought I then hath God loved me with such an everlasting love and shall I sin against such a God! Secondly I had many doubts and fears but through the strength of Christ I overcame all These doubts and fears arose from the examination of my self how I could finde the work in my soul agreeable to that testimony for I was much afraid of being deluded Thirdly The promise in Isai. 55.1 did stay my heart and Christ in my partaking of him in his Ordinances did sweetly witnesse and exceedingly that he was my Christ Fourthly I went on for some time full of joy and of comfort upon these promises and another I had Fear not I will be with thee I will never leave thee I will never forsake thee Fifthly I was in fears again that I could not pray but I had a promise I will fulfill the desires of them that fear me These and many more were my grounds and evidences which I thought were right then when I had them Sixthly Sometimes in hearing the Word Christ did witnesse to my soul yet but seldom But O how I did strive against this work as I thought of my being called to put away all promises of mercy from me I may justly say The Lord saved me whether I would or no Sometimes I was dead and could not pray sometimes very much quickned and stirred up
will say How if a soul answer I cannot beleeve for all this I answer This being a Scripture-way and the clearest way revealed to salvation I shall commend such to the Lord who is the onely Author and finisher of Faith Heb. 12.2 And for establishing souls upon any works of their own as a way means or ground of assurance as that upon such a measure of repentance or obedience they may beleeve by I dare not deal in any such way of our own righteousnesse because I finde no infallible mark in any thing of our own sanctification save in a lower way of perswasion or motive I finde in the Old or New Testament scarce any beleever that stood the surest but they had some cause through sin and corruption and that unregenerate law in their members to suspect their righteousnesse as David and Peter and Paul c. And likewise the stream of the Word runs all against our own righteousnesse But you will say What are all the divers Scriptures which set us upon trial and examination of our saith and works I answer There is another kinde of analogy and rule to interpret these by more principal and not of assurance for salvation These are rather marks for others then our selves to know us by as in the Epistles of John and James c. And for those other few Scriptures they are rather to be interpreted to the testimony of the Spirit of God witnessing and perswading then to the mixt spiritually carnal works of our obedience and holinesse which can give but a mixed act of assurance at the best being of a mixed nature of flesh and spirit But you will say What way of assurance would you commend to a soul thus troubled I answer Christ in the Word and Promise to beleeve in for assurance This was that way the Lord himself commended to his Disciples as to Peter when he knew he should deny him and foretold him of it and knew how it would discourage him and wound him yet he puts not Peter to this course saying Peter thou art an holy obedient loving Apostle remember this to comfort thy self under thy denial But he says Peter I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not And thus he laid him in an encouragement from a word or promise to beleeve by and not from any thing in himself and so to his Disciples when he was to leave them he laid them not in assurances thus O my Disciples though I am from you yet ye have been thus and thus penitent humble loving obedient and let this be your ground and assurance when I am gone But he layes in words and promises You beleeve in God beleeve also in me I will sâ—â—d the Comforter and I will see you again And these are the grounds for their assurance to beleeve by and this was Abrahams way He beleeved the promise in hope against hope And so all that walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham II. The unstablenesse of such as are not converted in a pure Gospel-way I observe that the calling and conversion which souls have in a legally-Gospel-way not from a pure and clear apprehension of Jesus Christ revealed in the Gospel Covenant or Promises though there may be truth in such a calling and Christ received yet the manner being not in the way of pure Gospel-dispensation the soul may be exceedingly puzzled and perplexed so though Christ may be truely there yet being not in a Gospel-form but a legal the soul may mistake and lose the knowledge of Christ as when Christ was in the habit of a Gardiner many knew him not and when he walked with the two Disciples to Emans they knew him not And thus many under the Law though they had Christ as truely then as now yet not in that form not manifested in the flesh and the free Promises as now And Christ observes this to his Disciples Ye beleeve in God says he implying how their Faith was more carried out to God as then then to himself and therefore he addes Beleeve also in me that is Now let me manifested in the flesh be the truth whom you beleeve III. The several wayes which the Lord makes use on to salvation I observe That the Lord doth improve many ways and means to bring a soul under the power of the Gospel as several accidents and occasions though those things are not properly or principally to be called the ministery of Christ or the Gospel-Ordinance for revealing Jesus Christ but they are like the Chariot in which the Eunuch rid which was onely an outward accommodation to his receiving Christ but the proper and more immediate means was the Book of the Prophets which he had with him in his Chariot We see Paul was by a sudden accident brought into a way for the Gospel to have the free passage to his soul nor did that accident or occasion serve as the means of his receiving Christ but Ananias was sent to him the means instituted by the Lord to be a way of conveying the power of Christ upon his soul Faith cometh by hearing and the Gospel is that Power of God unto salvation and the Spirit comes by the preaching of Faith IV. The want of pure Gospel knowledge in Jesus Christ is the cause of many distractions in beleevers I observe When the Lord sends the light of Jesus Christ into a soul that hath formerly been in darknesse and in the shadow of death then it begins to see its corruptions and lusts and if there were any master-sin or chief-sin which had dominion as lust in some pride in others revenge in others worldly mindednesse in others then the soul presently is pricked upon the discovery of that and there is a remorse and perplexity in the soul They in the Acts after Peter had laid open their sin of shedding the blood of Christ were pricked to the heart for it and were inwardly troubled and wounded saying Men and Brethren what shall we do And if there be not a clear understanding of Jesus Christ and the Gospel the soul thus wounded will groan under many legal convictions the soul will hardly distinguish its condition from a worse or more miserable even that of sorrowing under the power of the Law Had not Peter been assured of the love of Christ and had his word that his faith should not fail his tears and Judas sorrowing had been all of one colour and kinde to the present and not clearly enlightned apprehension as Joseph who till he had opened himself to his Brethren was mistaken by them for a cruel and a harsh Governour but when they saw it was their Brother Joseph O what meltings and embracings were then amongst them Many a soul convinced by that Spirit which Christ hath sent to reprovo the world of sin walks sadly under the wound or burden not knowing the nature or condition of such a spiritual wound and many Preachers like some Chirurgions who keep their Patients
way of Faith of Christ and the Promises and the glory of the New Testament is ever unsetled unstable full of fears doubtings distractions questioning and the more such a soul is reasoned with concerning their condition the more they question the truth of every spiritual working in them and this comes from the power of the Law still upon their consciences which is more powerful to convince and accuse them then the Gospel is to excuse or acquit them having more of the ministery of condemnation before them or in their eye then of the ministery of life Jesus Christ and Satan he takes advantage of their legal condition and stirs up jealousies and doubts and so much as there is of legal apprehensions so much there is to hinder the bringing in of the Kingdom of God into the soul which is not onely righteousnesse but peace and joy and therefore under the Old Testament where they saw the Blood of Christ onely through the blood of Bulls and Goats and heard the Apostles afar off in the Prophets and were brought to the Mountain that smoaked they lived in much bondage and being under the Law till the fulnesse of time that the Seed came were like servants though they were heirs too the heir as the Apostle saith then differing nothing from a servant though he was lord of all There is nothing but the taking in of the Law and accusings or condemnations of it which can trouble the peace quiet of any soul for where there is no law there is no transgression and where there is no transgression there is no trouble for sin all trouble arising from the obligement of the Law which demands a satisfaction of the soul for the breach of it and such a satisfaction which the soul knows it cannot give and thereby remains unquiet like a debtor that hath nothing to pay and the Law too being naturally in the soul as the Apostle saith the conscience accusing or else excusing It is no marvel that such souls should be troubled for sin and unpacified the Law having such a party ingagement already within them which holding an agreement with the Law in Tables or Letters of Stone must needs work strongly upon the spirits of such as are but weakly faintly enlightned and are not furnished with Gospel enough to answer the indictments the convictions the terrours the curses which the Law bâ—ings therefore all the power of Christ and the Gospel is to be applyed to raise up such souls from under the power of those stones and burdens which the Law would â—oll upon them Such are to have more Gospel then ordinary applied because they have so much Law naturally within them Such are to know they are not now under the Law but under Grace and the Law hath no more dominion over them and they are dead unto that Husband and they are now upon a new foundation Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone and we should say to such Let not your hearts be troubled ye beleeve in God beleeve also in Jesus Christ VII The working of the Spirit of Christ in a soul though not so clearly enlightned I observe That in a soul though legally enlightned or receiving Christ yet there are certain Gospel-workings whereby it will appear that Jesus Christ is there 1. There is a closing or fastning or clasping about Christ in the Promises of the Gospel especially some of the freest and fullest of Grace for such souls can onely finde some freedom of going out to Christ in them as some who delights most in men of easiest and hearty behaviour and can sooner make a friend of them then any other and if there be but any promises with the least condition of repentance c. they dare not meddle with such suspecting themselves not enough prepared for them and suspecting the promises like strangers of too narrow behaviours for them to be familiar with like some modest homely Maide that is unwilling to go abroad into company of greater quality then her self lest she should not be well thought on or received as too mean or ill-bred for their society So are the souls of such as cannot close with the conditional promises 2. There is in such some breathings of soul to God some flowings out of Spirit some meltings of heart in prayer and dispositions like a birth newly quickned where there are many motions of life so where Christ is new formed like a Lock in tune where there is in every wheel put turnings and stirrings My beloved saith the Spouse put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved for him I rose up to open to my beloved and my hands dropped with Myrrhe and my fingers with sweet smelling Myrrhe upon the handles of the lock 3. There is in such a secret working against sin and lust or corruption the spirit that is come in is a pure a clean an holy spirit and all the motions and operations of it are to make the soul and body clean and spiritual as they that are of a neat and finer disposition they will not live in a room unswept and ungarnished I have put off my coat saith the Spouse how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them And he that hath this hope saith the Apostle purifieth himself even as he is pure and having received such promises there will be a cleansing themselves from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit What communion hath light with darknesse 4. There is in such some acts of Communion with God in his several Ordinances and with the Spirit and Christ such will finde a power and efficacy a rellish and sweetnesse a stirring and awakening in the Word preached in prayer in spiritual conference in every Ordinance which others that are yet meerly carnal do not experience though it fares often with such as with Samuel when he was young and the Lord called him he thought it had been Eli that had spoken he was not acquainted with the voice and speakings of the Spirit or of God So the souls of such know not the Word not Spirit in their souls many times the voice of Christ is not heard for the voice of Moses nor the voice of Grace for the voice of the Law and they know not when the Lord breathes or comes as Eliah whether in the winde or in the fire when as he is in the still and small voice of the Gospel there are many things which hinder such in their discernings and perceivings of the Spirit of Christ not onely things without as the Law c. but something within the Passions and legalnesse of their own spirits which troubles both their spiritual hearing and seeing and that makes many souls walk so little in the Spirit and be at such a losse in their Communion with God and all this is for want of bringing the soul more out into the glory of the Gospel being called the Ministration
of this nature without Christ who is a beleevers sanctification as well as righteousnesse But to stop the issuâ— of the soul in these questions and scruples with this Question Quest Can you have any assurance that the change that is in any childe of God in this life or their sanctification is such in any particular act or work as there is no spot of sin in it Is it not mixt of flesh spirit Why then do you feel after it so as you do Since the best and throrowst sanctification in any is not pure enough for the eyes of the Lord why make you it then any bottom for assurance You see all the while you have so done you can finde like Noahs Dove no rest for the soal of your foot for saith Christ When you have done all you can you are but unprofitable servants and all our righteousnesse is but as filthy rags and while you gaze on your work of sanctification you finde a rottennesse in every part of it and call all into question and finde fault both with your repentance mortification and new obedience and all therefore you must take Christ in here for sanctification still to settle and establish your spirit Answ But what use is there then of my sanctification Are not the fruits and effects of the spirit in me such as follow immediately upon my being justified Quest Yea they are the natural flowings and workings of your faith they help to evidence your faith and comfort your faith in their kinde and degree But as I said before they are given to be a light in some measure to your own and others consciences Let your light so shine before men and glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits Shew me thy faith by thy works they are the bracelets of the Spouse they are the beams of Christ the Sun of righteousnesse Now clouds may hinder the beams from enlightning a room but the Sun is still where he was the Tree you know is there where it was when the Apples or Grapes may be blown down so the glory of sanctification may be often darkned and the fruits of it blown down by the winde of temptation spoken on in the Parable Yet then such promises as these are laid in for such a season Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darknesse and hath no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Isai. 50.10 And the vision is for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lie though it tarry waite for it waite for it because it will surely come and not tarry But the just shall live by faith Habac. 2.3 4. Answ But why do the Apostles presse sanctification and the new man so and love and new obedience c. in all their Epistles Quest I answered this partly before Sanctification is the beginning of the forming of Christ here in this life in one part of him which is Holinesse which shall be perfected in the life to come when we shall be fashioned like unto his glorious Body Sanctification is the witnesse to the Righteousnesse of Christ which being a glory out of sight to the soul and the world is made clearer by faith and holinesse to both So as in sanctification both soul and body flesh and spirit joyn to glorifie the riches of Christ Ye are bought with a price glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits and walk as children of the light and of the day So as the wisdom of the spirit is seen much in the Word in pressing sanctification and praising sanctification both to set forth the nature of the spirit in beleevers and to quicken flesh and blood against an empty formal Profession CHAP. V. The Parties third Doubt concerning Faith or Beleeving which I call the Great The third Doubt is WHether you do beleeve or no The great Gospel-secret concerning Faith or Beleeving FIrst I shall shew you my thoughts concerning the nature of this Doubt It is one thing to beleeve and another thing to know we beleeve I suppose none ought to question whether they do beleeve or no but to beleeve till they be perswaded that they do beleeve more and more of the truth of their faith or beleef righteousnesse being revealed from faith to faith My grounds for this are these 1. Christs command to beleeve and this is his Commandment That we should beleeve on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ Now Commands of this nature are to be obeyed not disputed Good servants do not reason their duty out first with themselves but fall to doing as they are commanded 2. I finde not any in the whole course of Christs preaching or the Disciples when they preached to them to beleeve asking the question Whether they beleeved or no or whether their Faith were true Faith or no I finde one saying Lord I beleeve help my unbeleef But not Lord whether do I beleeve or no And Lord encrease my faith But not Lord whether is this true faith I have or no It would be a strange question in any that were bidden to a Feast to ask the Master of the Feast whether his dainties were real or a delusion would not such a question disparage him for a Sorcerer So in the things of the Spirit to be over-jealous of the Truth of them as many poor tempted souls are doth not be come the faithfulnesse of Jesus Christ The way to be sure of the truth of the good things is to taste and see how good the Lord is Spiritual things are best felt and tasted with feeding upon them Eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved 3. For any to doubt whether they do beleeve or no I finde to be a question onely fit and proportionable for Christ himself to satisfie who is called the Author and finisher of our Faith None can prove more properly to a soul it beleeves then he on whom it beleeves Who can more properly shew one that he sees then the light which enlightens him for that very purpose 4. Faith is truely and simply this A being perswaded more or lesse of Christs love and therefore it is called A beleeving with the heart Now what infallible signe is there to perswade any that they are perswaded when themselves question the truth of their perswasion There may be some things which may strengthen and help which I shall hereafter shew you from the Word which are by way of effects and properties of this faith and beleef but none can simply perswade a soul that it doth beleeve but he on whom it doth beleeve God shall perswade Japhet Who can more principally and with clearer satisfaction perswade the Spouse of the good will of him she loves but himself Can all the love-tokens or testimonial Rings and Bracelets They may concur and help in the manifestation but it is the voice of the beloved My beloved
spake and said unto me rise up my Love my fair one saith the Spouse 5. We ought to beleeve till we be perswaded that we do beleeve because the more we do beleeve the more we shall be perswaded to beleeve according to that place in the Ephesians In whom also after ye beleeved ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise And he that beleeveth hath the witnesse though there is more to be said to this last Scripture The way to be warm is not onely to ask for a fire or whether there be a fire or no or to hold out the hands towards it and away and wish for a greater but to stand close to that fire there is and to gather heat 6. We ought I suppose no more to question our Faith which is our first and foundation Grace then we ought to question Christ the foundation of our Faith For as all Christian Religion is destroyed by the one so all the salvation in that Religion to any soul in particular by the other Therefore it is said they entered not in because of unbeleef And again The Word did not profit being not mixed with Faith in them that heard it And hence is the Apostles caution Take heed lest there be in any of you an heart of unbeleef 7. It is Satans greatest policy to put a soul upon such a question For by this he sets on the soul for evidence from things which he knows can afford little but a questionable assurance as perswasion most upon marks and signes of our own sanctification or works which cannot hold good without Faith it self to bring down Christ upon them For he puts us clean back if we observe We are proving our faith by our works when as no works can be proved solidly good but by our faith for without Faith it is impossible to please God We know that every piece of coyn or money is valued according to the image and superscription that it bears and if Cesar be not there though it be still silver yet it is not coyn it is not so currant and he that hath it cannot make such use of it and so assure himself to trade with it as otherwise he might do So there is not any thing of sanctification currant and of true practical use comfort to be a beleever unlesse Jesus Christ be there and the Image of Christ which is righteousnesse c. or true holinesse While Satan puzzles us in questioning our faith or beleeving he keeps us off from beleeving knowing that this is the condemnation He that beleeveth not is condemned already We are first to beleeve and all other gifts will follow c. HEre I cannot but wonder at any that keep souls in acts of preparation and qualification from the act of beleeving as if we could beleeve too suddenly and many a one loses some degrees of faith while they are seeking it thus in the evidence of their works for while faith is kept off from Christ and the soul suspended faith decayes and becomes weaker and weaker when as if it were still exercised upon Christ in the promises it would soon bring a clearer and more undeceivable evidence with it then can any other way be ministred unto it In the Gospel all are immediately called to beleeve to day if ye will hear his voice Sirs saith the Jaylor what must I do to be saved Beleeve say they on the Lord Jesus Christ And this is the work that ye beleeve on him whom he hath sent saith Christ and saith Philip to the Eunuch If thou beleevest with all thy heart thou mayst and he answered and said I beleeve So as I shall draw this conclusion for many that are in the dark in this point both Preachers and people That none can beleeve too hastily in Jesus Christ our righteousnesse because righteousnesse is revealed from faith to faith and while we beleeve not we live not properly for the just shall live by faith and while we beleeve not we may after a sort be said to be under condemnation for he that beleeveth not is condemned So as we ought not to stay the exercise of our faith either for repentance or humiliation or any other grace but we ought to beleeve that we may have these for faith worketh by love c. And adde to your faith vertue saith the Apostle and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse All these are to be added to faith or work from faith nor are we to stay our beleeving till we be assured by some signes that we do beleeve we must beleeve that we may know that we do beleeve for the witnesse comes by beleeving The spirit bearing witnesse Yet to these I allow you any examination or tryal of your faith which may consist with beleeving Well I shall put some Questions to you after these grounds Quest Is faith alwayes with full assurance Answ Nay Quest Can you conclude you have no faith because you have no full assurance Answ Nay Quest You say well for there are degrees of beleeving one degree is to beleeve another is to be assured you beleeve There are in the Word beleevers of several ages some are called little ones weak ones babes children strong men some are such as have been sound beleevers and are made weak through sin and temptation and ignorance of the Covenant of free-grace and their righteousnesse in Christ and the glorious estate of a beleever under grace as a man that is not perfectly healed of some infirmity For the nature and properties of true saving Faith which I told you on They are better discerned in the Word Christ then in the soul that hath them because they are not in the soul purely but with mixture of corruption which like mud in the water troubles the sight and the spiritual discerning and that makes so many beleevers who can spiritually judge care so little to see themselves in their own righteousnesse but in Christs as Paul and be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse The nature and properties of true saving faith is almost the businesse of the whole new Testament 1. The nature of faith is this It is called the ground of things hoped for and the evidence of things that are unseen 2. The properties are everywhere described by repentance and humiliation and love godlinesse and purity and charity meeknesse and all holy conversation and prayer and hearing and obeying the Will of God All these are with true faith and a beleever is one who though he hath all these yet he will not behold them in himself but in Christ and as Paul I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Now the great mistake which I finde in this and ages before is the singling out the properties of a true faith and sending a beleever for his assurance most thither in himself which caused the beleevers of
righteousnesse looks on them and loves them in his own glory so as they both love one another Christ and His delight in one another Thou hast ravished my heart my sister my spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thy eyes with one chain of thy neck saith Christ and saith the Spouse My beloved is the fairest amongst ten thousands XXVI Christs love in Heaven to us or Christ exalted THe love of Christ is more now in Heaven towards us by how much more the love of God is gloriously shed abroad within him yet his nature is the same for he is no lesse man nor more God then he was but more excellently God and man even the man Christ Jesus XXVII The Gospel is Christ revealed THe Gospel is Christ himself and love revealed or the Word of God in the Word or the glad tydings of what he hath done and suffered for sinners and over whom he hath conquered being Captain of our salvation having spoiled principalities and powers making a shew of them openly and triumphing over them Col. 1.15 It is the ministery of life and peace and glory or God speaking to men from Heaven and intreating them to beleeve that he was born of the seed of David suffered died and rose again for their justification and that they are sitting together with him in heavenly places XXVIII The Mystery of Christ in the Gospel a Mystery of Love THe whole businesse of Christ as it was begun in love and brought forth in love unto the world and all the actings and workings of it from Gods being in Christ to Christs sitting at the right hand of God are but a Gospel or Story of unspeakable love revealed to the world so the carrying on of all yet is in love man in this Gospel is only to be perswaded of such love in love and sweetly tempted and drawn to love again in the ministery of the Gospel and the Spirit of love and adoption is shed abroad by the Gospel in the souls of men to reconcile them who are otherwise enemies in their mindes by wicked works and to make them love him who never was an enemy to them in Jesus Christ in whom they were chosen though the mystery is revealed to us under a particoloured work of sin and grace XXIX A Beleevers glorious freedom THe Spirit of Christ sets a beleever as frâ—e from Hell the Law and bondage here on Earth as if he were in Heaven nor wants he any thing to make him so but to make him beleeve that he is so for Satan sin sinful flesh and the Law are all so neer and about him in this life that he cannot so walk by sight or in the clear apprehension of it but the just do live by faith and faith is the evidence of things not seen XXX All the sins of beleevers done away on the Crosse THere is no sin to be committed which Christ did not pay down the price of his Blood for upon the Crosse making peace through the blood of his Crosse and yet a beleever will sin as tenderly as if all his sins were to pay for yet knowing that he is not redeemed to sin but from sin not that he may sin but that sinning he may not suffer for sin Christ is risen for our justification XXXI Christ offered to sinners CHRIST in the Gospel cals out of Heaven to sinners by that very name and tels them he hath salvation for them if they will beleeve him Nor doth he stand upon what sins lesse or more greater or smaller so as none can say they are not called on and proffered salvation be they never so sinful XXXII A Beleever must live in Christ not in himself A Beleever hath a twofold condition yet as a beleever but one in Christ in himself yet he ought ever to consider himself in Christ by faith not in himself in Christ he hath perfectly obeyed the whole Law perfectly suffered and satisfied for all his sins to the Justice of God and in Christ is perfectly just and righteous and therefore it is said that our life is hid with Christ in God and we are raised up with Christ and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus even already but in himself there is a body of lust corruption and sin and there is a Law revealing sin accusing and condemning So as if a beleever live onely by sense reason and experience of himself and as he lives to men he lives both under the power and feeling of sin and the Law but if he live by faith in Christ beleeving in the life righteousnesse obedience satisfaction and glory of him he lives out of the power of all condemnation and unrighteousnesse And thus a beleever is blessed onely in a righteousnesse without not within and all his assurance confidence comforts are to flow into him through a channel of faith not of works beleeving himself happy for what another even Christ hath done for him not what he hath done or can do for himself XXXIII How Christ and a beleever were one in sin and righteousnesse ALL the ground of a beleevers righteousnesse and salvation and exemption from the Law sin and the curse is from the nature office and transaction or work of Christ and Gods accounting or imputing Christ stood clothed in our nature betwixt God and man and in that with all the sins of beleevers upon him God having laid on him the iniquities of us all In his Office he obeyed suffered satisfied and offered up himself and now sits as a Mediator to perpetuate or make his sacrifice obedience suffering and righteousnesse everlasting and thus bringing in everlasting righteousnesse And God he accounts reckons or imputes all that is done in our nature as done by us calling things that are not as if they were and in his person as in our person And thus he is made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him XXXIV We must come before God as having put on Christ first not as sinners and unrighteous A Beleever in all his dealings with God either by Prayer or other way of drawing neer is to state and consider himself thus in Christ in the first place and to put on the relation of Sonship and Righteousnesse and to look at or consider sins no otherwise in himself then as debts paid and cancelled by the blood of Christ and by this all bondages fears and doubtings are removed and his Spirit is free For the Son hath made him free And now he comes in the spirit of adoption and calls God Father and here begins all faith hope confidence love liberty when as others dare not beleeve themselves in such a condition till upon terms of humiliation sorrow for sin works of righteousnesse they have as they think a reasonable measure price or satisfaction to come with and then begin to beleeve hope and be confident And thus in way of compounding and bargaining with God
1 Joh. 2.27 And I will put my Law in their mindes Heb. 8.10.11 And the comforter whom I will send he shall teach you Joh. 14.26 1 Thes. 4.9 Acts 2.17 Thus whatever doctrine of holinesse is in the new Testament we are to receive it because it is now the doctrine of him who is the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord as well as Jesus Christ and one who commands as well as saves Nor is there any Covenant of works in such kinde of obedience Life is given us to make us obey but not for obeying XXXVIII The new Covenant further set forth to be meerly a promise THe Covenant that is called the new Covenant that God makes with his now under the Gospel is all on his own part without any thing on mans he makes himself ours and makes us his all is of his own doing though a Covenant in the strict legal common sense is upon certain articles of agreement and conditions on both sides to be performed Thus stood the old Covenant there was life promised on condition of obedience and so in covenants and contracts betwixt man and man but now there is a Covenant or rather promise in Jesus Christ who is called the Mediator or Mannager of the Covenant in which God gives himself freely in Christ to be the God of a poor sinner Christ undertaking all both with the father and the soul such a kinde of covenant was established with Noah Gen. 9.11 Behold I establish my covenant c. nothing required on mans part This is called a new Covenant for it is clear against the strain of the old wherein man was to have his life upon condition yet it were good that we did not rest too much in the notion of a covenant nor is it the way of a covenant that the Gospel uses but rather the promise or grace or salvation for the Spirit uses the word Covenant onely by way of allusion and because the soul being under the power of the spirit doth it self contract and covenant with God to obey though God gives no life in such a way of a covenant or obedience And I observe that the usage of this word hath a little corrupted some in their notion of free-grace makes them conceive a little too legally of it And I conceive that the Doctrine of it in Heb. 8.10 c. I will write my law c. And I will take away your stony heart c. And put a new spirit within you Jer. 31.31 Hezek 36.26 doth clear it to be onely promise and grace and free-love to a sinner for if any thing were to be done for life or salvation we should darken the glory of free-grace and make it a promise neither wholly of grace nor wholly of works And if it be of grace it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace Rom. 11.6 Nor is this promise of salvation given to sinners as sinners barely simply and singly nor as qualified or conditioned not to sinners as sinners for God can onely love in Christ nor as qualified and conditioned for so life should be purchased by us rather then for us so as we are onely sinners in our own and others judgements but truely loved in Christ when the promise comes And thus the Scripture cals us ungodly and sinners and children of wrath Not that we are so but seem so or not so in Gods account but the worlds So as here is ground enough for any to offer salvation to the veriest sinners and for the veriest sinners to receive for God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 XXXIX The way of assurance for beleevers THe surest knowledge that any one hath that they have received the promise is the closing of their heart with Christ the real receiving and beleeving the relying and going out of the heart upon Christ The just shall live by faith Rom. 1.17 We walk by faith and not by sight This was the assurance the Father of the faithful had who staggered not at the promise but gave glory to God Yet this assurance is such as the soul cannot be content with onely there is something in man beside faith to be satisfied reason will have more light to see by and therefore the working of the spirit in new obedience and love and repentance and self-denial are such glimmerings as the soul may be refreshed by though not strengthned by and comforted by though not supported by Works though they cannot assure by themselves yet raised up by faith may with it cheer up the soul if we beleeve more of those works then we see or feel and so strengthen them by faith they may be like the tokens and change of raiment by which Jacob was perswaded that Joseph was alive by these we may be better perswaded that we live and live in Christ Therefore the soul being a reasonable and discoursive spirit is much satisfied in such a way when the Spirit of God helps it to reason and draw conclusions as thus The Word sayes Whosoever beleeves shall not perish But I beleeve saith the Soul and therefore according to this Word shall not perish The Word sayes To beleeve is to receive or put confidence in or trust as in John 1.12 But I receive Jesus Christ for mine I trust in him for salvation therefore I beleeve The Word sayes Repentance love self-denial obedience to the Will of God are all the fruits of the spirit but these are in me I can repent and love and deny my self and obey The Word sayes That we are compleat in Christ and righteous in Christ but when I repent or love or obey I beleeve I am in Christ and therefore my love and repentance and obedience is such as I may beleeve though not in themselves yet in him to be good and spiritual And thus a beleever may beleeve for assurance and yet reason for assurance and some other questions a beleever may put to his own spirit and draw it out into more conclusions for beleeving Am I Christs or my own If I be Christs do I walk with Christ And live to Christ And obey Christ Do I delight in Christ and those that are Christs Or do I live to my self to my lust To my profit or credit To others or the world XL The Gospel-Ministration very glorious THe ministration of the Gospel exceeds in glory for now under the ministery of Jesus Christ himself the heavenly things themselves are brought forth the free-love of God in Jesus Christ and the free-love of Jesus Christ himself all the powrings out of spirit and the full discoveries of love were reserved for Christs own day the Kingdom of God the righteousnesse the justification the forgivenesse of sins the spirit of comfort the glorious liberty of peace and joy unspeakable are the glory of Christ come in the flesh the treasures that went with his
which can work that and yet that shall be no spiritual work neither the pressing things legal and as meer commands from the Word may there is something of the Law in the heart beforehand and by nature to side with the Commandments in the Word and so to work something within as well as without and so there may be an obedience or conformity of the spirit of man and yet no spiritual obedience nor conformity 2. There are Gospel-terrours as well as legal as Hell and Hell-fire and the worm that never dies and condemnation and Jesus Christ Judge of quick and dead c. All these in the Word carry such an Image of wrath as they work fear and passions c. which force on the soul to reform and yet but to a form of godlinesse not to the power 3. There are certain ends nature propounds to it self for conforming as life eternal c. and reputation and men-pleasing there are exhortations perswasions of preackers or friends or acquaintance there is education there is examples of judgement upon sinners godly society c. All these carry in them a power to make men do something and but something in the way of Religion All these being of an operative and working nature may bring forth a thing like conversion which indeed is but a restraint at best or a more purely natural condition Nature is of it self excellent and if not originally corrupted more excellent We see how temperate meek just wise liberal merciful many have been and amongst Papists how self-denying contemplative divinely practical and morally excelling and amongst Formalists in Religion how severe strict professing and practising in Religious duties So as the way for pure conversion and to be spiritually renewed is by Jesus Christ He that hath the Son hath life Faith and not works quicken us XLIX When the spirit of adoption works not freely WHen they put something of satisfaction towards God upon any thing they do upon any performance or obedience as if God were prevailed with by any thing of their own When they take in Christ for a Mediator but by the way not resting wholly on him and in him but as it were to make up all sure with God they look rather on the by upon his intercession When they are in bondage to some outward circumstances of worship as time or place or persons that they cannot pray but at such hours or in such places c. When they do things meerly as commanded from the power of an outward commandment or precept in the Word that brings forth but a legal or at best but a mixt obedience and service of something a finer hypocrisie When they do because of some Vow or Covenant they have made c. it is more properly the service of the old Testament and part of their bondage for wanting the power and fulnesse of the Spirit of adoption to work them to obedience freely from within they were under the power of outward principles to put them on from without When they come to God in any act of worship as prayer c. as to a Creator rather then a Father and as a God rather then a God in Christ they put themselves under such an infinite glory purity and justice as they can neither have accesse with Faith nor boldnesse When they take any outward thing to move them rather then apply to Christ for strength life and spirit for the more any motion or obedience is caused from things without the more forced and unnatural is all such obedience and the lesse from a spiritual power within When they measure their forgivenesse by their sin and sanctification and can beleeve no more then they have peace for and that peace upon something of their own performed and not from beleeving on him who hath performed all God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound minde 2 Tim. 1.8 or of a minde not corrupted with any of these L. Opinions which make men legal THere are certain principles by which some are religious which carry them off much from the Gospel-way of obedience 1. Men naturally think it impossible that they should be accepted of God and justified and do nothing themselves for it and in it Hereupon flesh and blood can hardly be brought off to beleeve forgivenesse of sins nakedly and freely for nothing in themselves But to take a way this consider that forgivenesse of sins is of a meer grace and mercy and gift By grace ye are saved it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 and through Jesus Christ through the Redemption of his blood Rom. 3.24 As a Prince raises up a beggar and Pharaoh's daughter brought up Moses so are we raised up freely and in mercy 2. Men think that whatsoever they perform in obedience to God that God cannot but approve it because they themselves approve it for good hereupon men come to look on themselves as doing something for life and salvation But to take off men from any such self-love and opinion in the work os salvation consider there is sin in every thing they do 1 John 1 8. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves And there is none righteous no not one Rom. 3.10 Neither doth God judge as man judgeth God seeth not as man seeth man looketh on the outward appearance but God beholdeth the heart 1 Sam. 16.7 God hath ballances to weigh thy actions and to be laid in the ballance they are altogether lighter then vanity Psal. 62.9 3. Men naturally think it impossible to be damned for good works and serving God in a mans own fashion and surely none are condemned simply for good but as that good is evil in some kinde or degree and hereupon men raise up hopes and comforts to themselves from such a course of life as they live in with God Thus from something they fansie good in their own way and from something they fansie in God of mercy and forgivenesse to sinners upon this they venture themselves But to take away this consider though God be merciful yet he is onely merciful of his own fashion not of ours not in the way we may corruptly think him Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self Psal. 50.21 Gods love and grace have wayes and fashions of their own they move in and if we be not in their way we shall not receive of his fulnesse The Jews were very zealous after God yet not in Gods fashion but went about to establish their own righteousnesse The Papist is a follower after God and the legal formal poor ignorant Protestant runs in a course of obedience and serving God yet it is not in Gods way of righteousnesse and so they misse of â—alvation for not seeking it purely in Christ their righteousnesse LI. Jesus Christ offered to sinners as sinners THe Apostle hath a pretious doctrine and it is this This is a faithful saying and worthy of all
some famous approved men of our times in Testimony to what is in this Discourse in part asserted and in these times by others Assertors of FREE-GRACE The Law by the preaching of it cannot reform but onely Faith and Grace Dr. Preston in his Serm. on the new Coven Comment. in Galat. 3.5 which he quotes Pag. 347. IF I should onely preach to you the Commandments c. I might preach long enough ere you could keep them Do you receive the Spirit by the preaching of the Law No but by preaching promise of pardon and forgivenesse Page 333. 2. If a man would desire to change his course to be made a new Creature the way is not to consider the Commandments what he ought to do but my beloved the way is to get assurance that thy sins are pardoned to consider the Covenant of Grace Heb. 9.14 No preparatory works before Christ Master Rogers in his Book of the right way to be saved c. P. 54. DIvers mistake and look for something to ground on in themselves and so are wofully bewildered and in great perplexity It is as if one should not set a young Tree but let it lie above the ground till they see what it will bear Free-grace hath many enemies We should stand for Free-grace Dr. Sibbs his Book of the excellency of the Gospel above the Law Pag. 241. DO ye wonder why the Free-grace of God hath found such enemies c. The heart of man is in a frame of enmity against God and sets it self most against that God will be most glorified in Let us vindicate nothing so much as grace We must live by grace and die by grace and stand at the day of judgement by grace not in our own righteousnesse Faith is no condition of the new Covenant of grace Master Perkins Commentary on the Galathians P. 157. THe Gospel called by Paul the Promise offers and gives life freely without the condition of any work and requires nothing but the receiving of that which is offered It may be objected that the Gospel promiseth life upon the condition of our Faith Answ. The Gospel hath in it no moral condition of any thing to be done of us Indeed Faith is mentioned after the form and manner of a condition but in truth it is the free gift of God as well as life eternal c. Pag. 184. We have all in Christ Thou must not receive the Promise immediately of God but Christ must do it for thee though thou be unworthy yet there is dignity sufficient and worthinesse enough in him If thou say that thou must at the least receive the promise at the hand of Christ I adde further That he will not quench the smoaking flax c. And ou◠salvationg stands in this not that we know and apprehend him but that he knows and apprehends us first of all Christ is every thing to us Mr. Calvin in his Book of Institutions Book 2. chap. 16. P. 167.8 WE must take heed of drawing any part of Salvation but from Christ If we seek Salvation let it be in the Name of Jesus Christ if the Spirit or any gifts or graces let us seek them in his Unction if strength let us seek it in his power if purity in his conception if mercy in his nature which was touched with our infirmities if redemption in his passion if forgivenesse in his condemnation or being a curse for us if satisfaction in his sacrifice if cleansing in his blood if mortification in his Sepulcher and death if newnesse of life in his Resurrection if immortality in the same if an heavenly inheritance in his entering into Heaven if all good things in his Kingdom and Dominion here All treasures are in him and they who are not content onely with him shall have no rest anywhere although too they may look principally at him Nor can there be any unbelief nor doubtings where his fulnesse is thus known God was never an enemy to his Calvin quoting Augustine in his Book of Institut Tract. in Evangel Johan 110.2 Chap. 16. P. 106.1 INcomprehensible and unchangeable is the love of God not that love which we obtain from reconciliation by the Blood of Christ but wherwith he loved us before the foundations of the world therefore when it is said Christ reconciled us it is not to be understood as if then he begun to love those whom he hated before but he reconciled us even to that love wherwith he loved us Rom. 5.8 therefore in a wonderful manner he loved us when it is said he hated us That we and those commonly called Antinomians differ little Mr. Gattakers Testimony in a late Treatise Gods eye c. in Epist. to the Reader P. 10. THe matter in controversie between us and these men is not how far forth sin is removed or abolished in Beleevers or how far forth it is by Justification abandoned or in what sense God is said to see or not see sin or to take notice of it in beleevers and justified persons c. As if all these things were granted on both sides Note Men of learning you see and judgement do not cry out Antinomianism on Free-grace or free justification as others do c. But acknowledge a consent in all these c. Why Luther is not quoted here LVther I could quote but he is now lookt on by some as one that is both over-quoted and over-writ Free-grace and bending himself against works which was the Popery and Antichristianism of those times He raised up grace rather in opposition as some think to whom I dare not so fully agree to the excesse of works then to the just advantage of grace and yet they can allow him in other things Thus we can pick and chuse from a Reformer what fits to the standerd of our own Light and Reformation and cast the other by I shall therefore quote some later Concerning our not resting on sight or our own graces for assurance Mr. Tho. Goodwin in his Book Christ set forth in Epist. to the Reader Pag. 1 2. AN immoderate recourse unto signes though barely considered as such is as unwarrantable when therby we are diverted taken off from a more constant actual exercise of daily thoughts of faith towards Christ immediately as he is set forth to be our righteousnesse c. And yet the mindes of many are so wholly taken up with their own hearts that as the Psalmist sayes of God Christ is scarce in all their thoughts· But let these consider what a dishonour this must needs be unto Christ that his trai◠and favourites our graces should have a fuller court and more frequent attendance from our hearts then himself who is the King of glory and likewise what a shame also it is for beleevers themselves who are his Spouse to look upon their husband no otherwise but by reflections and at second hand through the intervention and assistance of their own graces as mediators between him and them Now
to rectifie this errour the way is not wholly to reject all use of such evidences but to order them c. We are justified in Christs Justification when he rose Pag. 202. Christ his Resurrection was the original act of Gods justifying us in Christ we were virtually justified then in Christ his being justified as in a common person God remembers not our sins P. 207. As by reason of his Intercession God remembers not old sins so likewise he is not provoked by new The Law as given by Moses no Rule to Christians Mr. Bolton in his Book of the true bounds of Christian freedom P. 74. OThers say we are freed from the Law as given by Moses and are onely tied to the obedience of it as given by Christ and as Christ renews it and as it comes out of the hand and from the authority of Christ and we have it immediatly from the hands of Christ I shall not much dislike this c. Beleevers and God are never at enmity P. 14. As none of our sins shall condemn us so none of our sins shall put us into a state of â—ondemnation more none of our sins shall ever put us under the curse under wrath again God doth not punish Beleevers for sin P. 14. We are freed from all miseries afflictions punishments which yet are the fruits of sin as they may be conceived to be fruits of wrath or have wrath in them Faith before Justification is no Grace Mr. Rogers on the Articles Art 13. P. 57. WOrks done before Justification please not God before men do please nothing that they do can please him hereby the vanity of them is perceived who think before mans justification his deeds do please God Note What is faith then to be accounted before Justification according to this principle God is never an enemy to his though sinning Mr. Herbert Palmer in his Charact. of a Christian in Paradox c. P. 10. HE beleeves the God that hates all sin to be reconciled to himself though sinning continually and never making nor being able to make him satisfaction We are justified though ungodly P. 11. He beleeves the most just God c. To have justified himself though a most ungodly sinner We are not saved by any thing we do P. 58. He knows he shall not be saved by his works and yet doth all the good works he can A beleever sins not P. 68. He cannot sin yet he can do nothing without sin A beleever beleeves against hope P. 74. He beleeves like Abraham in hope against hope God freely pardons P. 12. He beleeves himself freely pardoned Beleevers are pure in Gods sight P. 13. He beleeves himself to be pretious in Gods sight Christ promised to sinners as sinners Master Tho. Goodwin in his Book of Christ set forth P. 30. THere are absolute promises made to no conditions as when Christ is said to come to save sinners c. Now in these it is plain Christ is the naked object of them so that if you apply not him you apply nothing for the onely thing held forth in them is Christ We are justified in Christs justification P. 122. Even so it is in the matter of our justification it was done virtually in Christ and afterwards when we beleeve it is actually passed in and upon our selves So by Christs being justified we are all virtually justified and in Law through a secret yet irrepealable Covenant between God and Christ who onely did then know who were his A Beleevers Law is Christ and his Spirit Mr. Perkins in his Comment on the Gal. P. 128. THey which are true Beleevers are a free and voluntary people obeying God as if there were no law to compel them they have Christ to live in them the Spirit of life that is in Christ is in them and that is their Law It is the property of a childe of God to obey God as it is the nature and quality of the fire to burn c. Thus in the quoting or citing these Divines concerning some pretious truths of Christ I have done as Paul said to the Athenians when he would prove a God As certain also of your own Poets have said So the truths which are abroad mistaken by many are truths as also some of your own Divines have said FINIS