which all our Justification tends Now all Pardons are by Grace and the pardoned to his pardon hath no other Title than the Grace and Favour of the Prince For Pardon is above Law the Law hath no power to pardon but is altogether against it and where the party is condemned the Law is all for speedy execution but Pardon is of Grace and that Grace is not against the Law but above it for God's Pardon comes from God's Prerogative SECT X. Reason 4 Because these Rights come by Election All the Righteous are elected and chosen to the Rights they are justified unto Election For the Kingdom of God is an Elective Kingdom not for the Kings part only but for all the Subjects for the Subjects of that Kingdom are not Natives nor born so but all Electives comming in by Election Hence the Righteous are called the Elect for all they and they only are Elected And Justification is but an effect of Election as Filiation is of Adoption And hence our Election so often mentioned is not grounded upon any works of ours but only on the pleasure of God that elects us which is the election of his Grace For all Elections are by Grace Rom. 9.11 and the Elected hath no other Title to his Right by Election than the grace and favour of the Elector hence St. Paul calls it the Election of Grace SECT XI That all the Glory might be to God Titles by Law bring some Glory Reason 5 to the Titulary hence Men are so prone to strive in Suits of Law Glory because the Eviction of their Right by Law is some glory to them The title by Birth is a glory hence all Inheritance and Nobility is grounded For Nobility properly is Honour by Birth the Title by Purchase is more glorious to the Purchaser than to the Seller For every sale of an Estate is a blemish to the Seller The Title by works is a glory to the Work-man but Titles by Grace are altogether glorious to the Donor As in Adoption all the glory is to the Adopter in a Presentation all the glory to the Patron For seeing the Receiver hath all the profit there is great reason the Donor should have all the honour and glory seeing he hath nothing else for the grace he bestows God then justifies thee by Grace that all the glory might be to him God hath predestinated us to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ Eph. 1.5 6. to himself according to the good pleasure of his will To the praise of the glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved SECT XII That no boasting might be left to Man Titles by Law are subject to Reason 6 boasting for commonly Men boast of their Birth Boasting and for that purpose they set up their Arms. So the Jews boasted We have Abraham to our Father we are the Seed of Abraham And they boast of their purchases as in the Parable did two of the guests that refused to come Math. 22. I have bought a piece of Ground saith one and I have bought five Yoke of Oxen saith another This they say partly by way of excuse and partly by way of boasting And Men boast of their Works so did the Pharisee who instead of praying fell to boasting I am no extortioner no adulterer c. But Titles by Grace bear no boasting to the receiver because boasting seekes for Glory and as was shew'd before all the glory goes to the Donor In Adoption the adopted can boast of nothing unless it be of his Father's goodness and that is to his Father's glory In a Presentation the Clerk can boast of nothing unless it be of his Patron 's bounty and that is to the Patron 's glory God then justifies thee by Grace to exclude all boasting Ro. 3.27 that no boasting might be left to thee This reason follows the Text God is just and the justifier of the Faithful and the Title whereby he justifies them is Grace Rom. 8.26 Why so To exclude boasting that it might not be by the Law of Works but of Faith i. e. by no Law at all but only by Grace therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace SECT XIII ☞ Hence it appears that the Grace which makes us this Title is not a moral term that signifies any virtue residing in us For if our Justification were the work of such a Grace then should it be of works But this Grace is a jural term opposed to Law and signifies a work flowing from God from a virtue residing in him which the Scripture calls his Love his Kindness and his Mercy Whereby when God creates a right unto us above Law and above our deserts such an affection in God is called Grace Rom. 4.16 and the effect of that affection upon us is called Grace also As for the Freedom of this Grace it is a work of Gradation for Grace hath two degrees SECT XIV Will of the Receiver 1. When it begins at the will of the Receiver and comes upon the occasion of his motion or else it had not came at all This is but a low and servile Grace such as the Master grants to the Servant and one stranger to another So Christ healed the Centurion's Servant and the Daughter of the Cananitish Woman upon the request of the Master and Mother SECT XV. Will of the Donor 2. When it begins at the will of the Donor and comes upon the occasion of his kindness only or else it had never come This is a high and Filial Grace As when the Father makes the Son his heir whether born or unborn before he have done good or evil or whether he be a Stranger made and adopted to be a Son There is no Law for this Free-Grace for Law is binding but Grace is free God or Man may choose whether they will be gracious or to whom or when or how at their pleasure So God gave the Kingdom to Saul when he was seeking for his Father's Asses To David when he was following the Ewes great with young Thus Paul was called from Heaven in the height and heat of his persecution The Gentiles that sate in darkness saw a great light which they neither sought for nor so much as thought of God's Grace prevents our works our words and thoughts SECT XVI Reason 1 Because God's Free-Grace begins at his own will his will his first and leading Free-Grace begins at God's will ours is secondary and following His will is not against our will but above it and before it not violently forcing it but gently perswading a free rational agent to yield to his most gracious will Thus we are born again Joh. 1.12 16. Not by the will of the Flesh nor by the will of Man but by the will of God Justification is so far from being our own will that it is a Mystery to our Understanding and so could never come
infinitely unlike him and disagreeable to his Spirit And only the pure Spiritual offices do remain which are in their own nature acceptable unto God very like him and agreeable to his Spirit This is the dispensation of the Grace of God Eph. 3.2 5. The Mystery which in other Ages was not made known to the Sons of men as it is now revealed unto the holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit The CONTENTS Writing in Tables Law lost Law found Law lost again Law restored Septuagints Translation Law burnt Maccabes Sects of Jews Christ's coming Law on Mount Sinai the same with that of Adam in Paradise The Renewal of the Covenant of Works The equivocal word Law TITLE XVI Of the History of the Law THE History of the Law is this 1. Besides the universal Writing in the hearts of all men much obscured by evil Practice and Examples 2. It was written by God briefly in two Tables Moral Writing in Tables It was farther written by Moses in a Book Ceremonial that it might be read by the King and published by the Priest to all the People in the solemnity of the Feast of Tabernacles Deut. 17.9 3. After that by Malice or Negligence this Book was lost Law lost Then by chance found by Hilkiah the Priest Law found 2 Chr. 34.12 2 Kings 22.8 and brought to Josiah the King and by him published 4. Few years after at the Captivity of Babylon it was lost Law lost again Neh 8.1 Dan. 9.13 or at least corrupted At the Return from seventy years Captivity Esdras Law restored the Scribe and Priest either restored it or amended it as it is now who also expounded it And hence came the Scribes and Doctours of the Law 5. Septuagints Translation This Book by Ptolomeus Philadelphus was translated by the Septuagint into Greek which Original was burnt in the Temple of Serapis by the Souldiers of Julius Caesar while he was dallying with Cleopatra the Egyptian Queen brought to him in Culcitro but by the Providence of God there had been Copies thereof in several places whereby it is preserved to this day Law burnt 1 Mac. 1.42 6. Some years after Antiochus Epiphanes King of Syria compelled the Jews to forsake and burn their Law Maccabes 7. Little more than five years this mischief continued then came Judas Maccabaeus and relieved the Jews Sects of Jews 8. The Assanonaei his Race coming to reign the Law was retrieved but many Heresies and Sects arose as Scribes Pharises Sadduces Essens the Schools of Shanai and Hillel c. who falsly interpreting the Law led the People into Errours by vain Traditions Teaching for Doctrines of God the Commandments of Men. Christ's coming 9. Then came Christ in a corrupt Age and restored the Truth and confuted their vain Doctrines and Manners And abolished the Ceremonial or Ecclesiastical Law of the Priesthood and brought in a New Law and a New Priesthood of his own after the order of Melchisedeck And by this his New Law Gospel Covenant and Testament he fulfilled the Old of Types and perfected the Moral Law of Nature The Law on Mount Sinai the same with that of Adam in Paradise The Law delivered by God to Moses on Mount Sinai and written by him in two Tables of Stone was the same Covenant of works with the Children of Israel which he had made before with Adam in Paradise before his Fall writing it in his heart Do this and live and renewed to Noah Gen. 8.21 Heb. 9.9 to Melchisedeck Gen. 14.18 To Abraham David and all the Prophets And that this was the Covenant of Works appears by that of Moses The Lord made not this Covenant with our Fathers Deut. 5.3 but with us These Fathers were the Patriarchs unto Adam with whom he made the Covenant of Grace after his Fall The Renewal of the Covenant of Works The reason of the Repetition and renewal of this Covenant of Works by writing it upon Tables of Stone was because that Law which was written by God in Adams heart was obliterated and defaced by customes of Idolatry and all sorts of wickedness which the Sons of men gave themselves unto while the Sons of God by keeping the Old Traditions and the help of divine Revelations retrieved the Impressions of God's Law And yet the Posterity of Abraham Isaac and Jacob by conversation and example in Egypt had much forgotten the Old Rules of Nature's Law and the Instructions and Examples of their godly Parents and imputed not their own sin unto themselves because they saw no Law written against their Actions and could not see the Law in their own hearts Ro. 5.13 20. neither heard of any punishment denounced against them for their wickedness and would not hear the checks of their own Consciences And therefore because Sin was in them and increased and death reigned over them for their sin yet they being without a written Law to evidence this sin and death unto their Consciences God saw it necessary that there should be a New Edition and publication of the Law or Covenant of Works to bring them to the knowledge of Sin and Punishment and thereby to stop them in their career of Wickedness by the fear of a Curse and a Fleshly hope of a fruitful Land to dwell in if they would observe his Laws Reserving a greater Blessing if they would trust in his Promises which was the Covenant of Grace by which they were to be justified upon their Faith in those Promises and not by the Works of the Law So the Law was added because of Transgressions till Justification should ome by the Promise of Grace For the Law was weak and unprofitable to the purpose of Salvation but helpful to the discovery and stopping of Sin and the Curse that they might see the need they had of the Grace of God by which they might be saved and not by Works For as the Covenant of Grace made with Adam and renewed to Abraham had been needless if the Covenant of Works could have given Life So after the Promise or Covenant of Grace was once made it had been needless to renew the Covenant of Works to the end that Righteousness and Life should be had thereby Gal. 3.19 It was meerly added because of Transgressions that is not set up as a solid thing in gross sufficient of it self but added or put to the former Law given to Adam which was most forgotten Furthermore this Law given on Mount Sinai was added by way of subserviency and attendance the better to advance and make effectual the Covenant of Grace so that although the same Covenant which was made with Adam was renewed on Mount Sinai yet I say still it was not for the same purpose but it was given to Adam as a Rule of Salvation by it self if he had kept it but it was renewed only to help forward and to introduce another and better Covenant and so to be
are as Isaac who was a True Son and had the State of the Person and the Right of a Son because he came from a Woman who had the state of a Woman and the Right of a Wife and was no Bond-woman nor Concubine So it is plain from this way of Argumentation used by the Apostle That the Sons of the Law that trust to the Law only shall be as little justified or have as little Right to the Inheritance of heaven as Ismael had to Abraham's Inheritance which was none at all because he was born of a Woman who had Works enough for she was a Bond-maid but those could create unto her no Right nor to her Son to inherit But the Sons of the Gospel that trust to the Gospel only shall be thereby as much justified and have as much right to the Inheritance of heaven as Isaac had to Abraham's Inheritance which mas a complete Right because he was born of a Woman who had Faith to conceive when past Child-bearing which did create to her a full Right to be a Mother and to her Son to be an Heir This was the first Difference between the two Mothers and the two Sons on the Mother's side The second Difference is between the two Sons only by the Father's side For though they had one and the same Father yet they were begotten from different principles and operations in Abraham enabling him to beget them Gen. 16.2 1. Ismael came from Abraham as from a natural Father born after the flesh by Abraham's natural power and strength of Generation as also from Agar's natural force of Conception For Abraham was not restrained by Nature from begetting being then but eighty five years old though Sarah was restrained from bearing though not by Nature as being the younger yet by God's will 2. Isaac came from Abraham as from a supernatural Father born after the Spirit by Abraham's supernatural power and strength of Generation from God as also from Sarah's supernatural virtue of Conception by God For Abraham was restrained by Nature from begetting Ro. 10.7 being then Ninety nine years old and Sarah had a double deadness for besides that she was barren she was Ninety years old yet conceived by virtue of God's Promise Ro. 9.8 9. or by the Spirit and power of God upon her Faith So they that will be under the Law which is a Bond-woman and engendring to Bondage though thereby they be the Children of God yet they are but his natural and carnal Children because born after a more natural and carnal way by Works under the Law Heb. 9.10 consisting in carnal and fleshly Ordinances But they that are under Grace or under the Gospel which is a Free-woman and engendring to Liberty they are the True Divine and Spiritual Sons of God because they are born after a more supernatural and Spiritual way by Faith under the Gospel consisting of Spiritual Precepts Thus that which is born of the Law or Flesh is flesh Joh. 3.3 according to the nature of the Law but that which is born of the Gospel or Spirit is Spirit according to the nature of the Gospel And the Sons of God by Faith are Sons by Adoption and Grace Heirs of God and Co-heirs with Christ Jesus Eph. 1.13 and are sealed with that Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of their Inheritance SECTION III. Many more Covenants God made But two Eminent Covenants but these two of the Law and Gospel were the most eminent 1. Because they were National The Law was a Covenant with the Nation of the Jews and the Gospel was a Covenant with all Nations The rest of the Covenants of God were Personal God was one Party and the Counterparty to him was some single Person as Adam Noah Abraham David c. 2. Because these two were Mediatory Covenants made by the Intervention of two solemn Mediators Moses and Christ the rest were immediately proposed by God and had no Interlocutor or Mediator Yet though these two Covenants disagree from all the rest yet are they different and contrary the one to the other Hagar and Sarah and the Children of the Covenant as contrary the one to the other as Ismael and Isaac The Apostle addeth to the Nature of the two Covenants the adjuncts of Place and Effect 1. For the Law the Place it was from Mount Sinai in Arabia Gal. 4.25 the Country of Hagar's Posterity called Hagarens though they would be thought to be of Sarah and called Saracens Exod. 19. Gen. 2â— And Hagar her self was originally of Egypt the house of Bondage 2. The Effect of the Law was Bondage engendred thereby For according to the Nature of the Law so are the Spirits and Manners of men under it The Law of Moses burthensom for its Rites and contains only outward Precepts and Temporal Promises and Curses And therefore it self begets a Spirit or Genius correspondent to it of servile drudgery and slavish fear under a Curst Mistress II. For the Gospel 1. The Place it was from Mount Sion in Jerusalem the Country of Sarah and her Posterity which though free in comparison of Arabia yet is in bondage being compared with the heavenly Jerusalem which is absolutely and truly free Gal. 4.26 Heb. 11.10 Heb. 11.16 and is the Mother of us all A City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God in a better Country than Canaan that is the Heavenly Canaan where God hath prepared this City For we are come to Mount Sion and to the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem Heb. 11.22 and to an innumerable company of Angels to the General Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of Just men made perfect This is the holy City Apoc. 21.2 3. the New Jerusalem that comes down from God out of heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband The Tabernacle of God with Men. So the Seat of the Gospel is above whence it was delivered to Christ and from whence Christ brought it to the World below 2. The Effect of the Gospel is Liberty engendred thereby For according to the Nature of the Gospel so are the Spirits and Manners of Men under it The Gospel of Christ is easie and light for its Rites which are but two Baptism and the Lord's Supper and for its Precepts and Promises and Threatnings pure spiritual and eternal And therefore it begets a Spirit or Genius correspondent to it self of Son-like Diligence and filial Love under a kind and tender Mother The Mothers differ so do the Children The Children resemble their several Mothers The Children of their several Mothers resemble one another and are all in a like state of the same Spirit The Children of the Law are chiefly for the Letter The Children of the Gospel are chiefly for the Spirit The Children of the Law are chiefly for Temporals The Children of the
Gospel are chiefly for Eternals The Children of the Law know darkly and understand Spiritual and Eternal things afar off The Children of the Gospel know clearly and understand Spiritual and Eternal things as near at hand Faith being the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen The Children of the Law are in their Minority not only in their Father's Gal. 4.1 c. but in their Servants power under Tutors and Governours as Servants though they be Lords of all But the Children of the Gospel are in their Majority Adult and Manumitted They that are under the Law are as a Wife under the Dominion and Power of her Husband But they that are under the Gospel are as a Wife whose Husband is dead Ro. 7.1 c. and therefore loose from the hard Law of a severe Husband and is now married to another more gentle and generous Husband under whom she enjoys a noble Freedom The Law is the Mother of the Jewish Nation and all that observe that Rule but the Gospel is the Mother of all Nations for Grace Mercy and Peace to them and to the Israel of God Isaac's Posterity was double to Ismael's The first Covenant of the Law lasted but for a time but the second Covenant of the Gospel endures for ever Ismael Persecuted Isaac He that was born after the Flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit The Jew Persecuted and still the Carnal Jewish Christian persecutes the Spiritual Christian indeed But as the Son of the Bond-woman was cast out with his Mother because he should not inherit with the Son of the Free-woman so the Son of the freedom is kept in and abides in the house of God for ever with his Mother to inherit the Kingdom of the Father unto which they of the Law cannot be justified by their works but they of the Law by Faith only So then we that are of Faith are not the Children of the Bond-woman but of the Free and consequently are not under the Law but under Grace SECTION IV. By all this we are taught the Excellent state of Christian Liberty State of Christian Liberty by which 1. The Jews are redeemed from the Ordinances of Policy and Ceremony which was a bondage such as neither they nor their Fore-fathers were able to bear 2. The Gentiles are redeemed from Idolatry under the kingdom of Satan to Christ's Kingdom The Jews were Children and Servants in their Minority The Gentiles were Aliens and Strangers from God Both are made the Sons of God adoptive by Grace Great Mistakes there are in the World about this Liberty 1. Papists have quite lost it They have no liberty to use their own Judgments but are captivated in all things By the Infallibility and Supremacy of the Pope By an absolute Dictatorship of every Casuist or Confessor though never so ignorant to impose upon them that have more Learning and Judgment than themselves if they would dare to use it The slavery of the Soul is the greatest of all others I do not wonder at the Ignorant People because they never knew better things but I wonder at wise men that might know better and doubtless do 2. Papists have no Liberty of Practice No Liberty to read the Scriptures No Liberty to understand their own Prayers No Liberty to eat or drink Clergy Monks and Nuns no Liberty to marry Laity no Liberty to the Cup. No Liberty to go to God directly but must go first to Saints and Angels No Liberty for Time of Feasts and Fasts No Liberty of Estates Church must have all No Liberty of Speaking scarce of Thinking I had rather be chained at an Oar and tug in a Gally or dig in a Mine or draw in a Wagon like a Horse and be free in my Soul than to be a Lord and a slave in my Will to the wills of others more ignorant and wicked than my self A Pope or Councel or perhaps an Ignorant Frier shall domineer over my Conscience and impose upon my Faith or make me go bare-foot or bare-leg or Whip my self or kiss a rotten Relique of a dead man's Bone or an Old-shoe Kings have been trod upon or made to hold Stirrups or kiss the feet of Popes 2. Fanaticks have quite lost it and turn Licentious Are allowed all due Christian Liberty but abuse it to Licentiousness Are allowed Liberty of Judgments and Liberty of Practice in safe things They have the Scriptures to use They have Prayers in a known Tongue They have Liberty to eat and drink The Clergy may marry All have Liberty to go to God directly not to Saints or Angels at all They have Liberty of the Sacrament They have Liberty for Time They have Liberty of Estate They have Liberty to speak and confer and ask counsel O happy we of the Reformation if we did but know our happiness and make good use of it 1. We are therefore justly to be rebuked for the Ignorance of our condition under the Gospel 1. For the Purity of Doctrine teaching to be pure in heart poor in spirit to hunger and thirst after Righteousness to mourn to be peace-makers to suffer for Righteousness sake to love our Enemies c. 2. For the Purity of Discipline and Spiritual worship in decency and order 3. For the Pretious Promises of Grace and of the Spirit of Resurrection and Eternal Life 4. For the greatest assistances and Assurances 5. For Christian Liberty 2. We deserve rebuke for our Ignorance of the Dignity of Christian Churches and Gospel Dispensations therein A Purer Priesthood than Aaron's was A Purer Altar A Purer Sacrifice A more honourable Maintenance A Purer Law O that we were wise that we would consider these things and remember our Latter end that we might not do amiss The CONTENTS Fulness of Time Jews a childish People Time of Minority Redemption Adoption Plenage Gentiles exempted from Minority Popery Administration of both Testaments Idolatry Remedy against Idolatry TITLE XIV Of the Minority and Majority of the Church BY the Bondage and Slavery under the Law and the Liberty and Freedom under the Gospel is understood the Minority of the Church under the same Law and the Majority thereof under the Gospel SECTION I. This is called the Fulness of time Fulness of Time But when the Fulness of Time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons 1. There is a Time of Pupillage in Persons till twelve and fourteen and of Tutorage till twenty one and twenty five Princes are priviledged sooner as Josiah 2 Chr. 34.3 who in the twelfth year of his Age began to act as King And others for the pregnancy of their Wit have the pardon of their years by favour allowed them 2. There is a Time of Minority in States Kingdoms and Common-wealths for Wealth Arms and Laws And also a Time of Majority for
a Pledge of our following after him Christ after his Resurrection receiving this Power sits not on his Royal Pavilion as an idle Spectator of his Subjects from heaven but gave at first a sensible demonstration of his invisible Power by sending down the Holy Ghost in the likeness of Fiery tongues upon the Apostles inspiring them with Tongues and revealing to them the Mysteries of God's Kingdom This JESUS hath God raised up Act. 2.32 and being by the Right hand of God exalted he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear Else at first if it had only been an invisible Kingdom above it might have seemed a dream to them which were yet but Novices But since he hath continued and will continue to send down his Holy Spirit into the hearts of all his Servants not miraculously with Signs and Wonders as before but ordinarily and yet sufficiently for the good of their Souls and the edification of his Church till we all come in the Unity of the same Spirit to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ And this he will do according to his Promise Lo I am with you alwaies even unto the end of the World SECTION I. Now the chief Effects of the Holy Ghost the Promise of the Father sent from Christ are Victory over Sin Victory over the Law and Victory over Death by Christ's Victory over all these Victory over Sin Victory over Sin was 1. Not External only by Christ on the Cross for the Remission of Sins and for Exemption from Punishments Col. 2.15 Where he spoiled Principalities and Powers and made a shew of them openly and where he Redeemed us from the Curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 being made a Curse for us Then did Christ put a Period to all ineffectual Sacrifices and demonstrate his displeasure against Sin afterwards publish free Pardon through his Blood which was effectually obtained by the offering of himself to God for all that repent and believe the Gospel 2. Not external by moral Righteousness of outward Works by our own natural Power according to the Letter of the Law nor yet ceremonial or ritual Observations conducing nothing to the subduing of corruptions and Lusts This is that Pharisaical Righteousness by which St. Paul professeth that he could not be thereby justified Phil. 3.6 9. although he walked according to the Law blameless and wisheth to be found in Christ not having his own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ 1 Cor. 4.4 the Righteousness which is of God by Faith Yea more though he knew nothing by himself yet was he not thereby justified Exiguum est quiddam ad legem esse bonum Seneca It is no great matter to be good according to the Rule of the Law called the Law of Works and the Righteousness of Works The Sin of the heart was by the corrupt Gloss of the Scribes and Pharisees called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Sin that came not within the Scope and Compass of the Law Because the Law enjoyned no punishment for it And if thoughts and desires were Sins they fancied that the Sacrifices would do them all away St. Paul searched into the Law as far as another man and yet he could not discern Lust to be a Sin by the ordinary Precepts till he found one more large than the rest that told him he should not lust Thereupon Tryphon the Jew noting the extraordinary high Commandements of the Gospel reaching even unto poorness of Spirit pureness of Heart mourning hungring and thirsting after Righteousness Peace-making Love of Enemies Adultery of the heart murder in heart c. wondred and declared that it was impossible to perform them Joseph Josephus therefore blames the famous Historian Polibius for ascribing the death of Antiochus to be a just Vengeance of God upon him for his thoughts of Sacriledg which he never acted saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Besides the Scribes and Pharisees set up their own Traditions above the Law of God and were errant Hypocrites For which cause Christ declareth so many woes against them and that the very Publicans and Harlots should enter into the Kingdom of Heaven before them and that not every one that said Lord Lord should enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that did the Will of his Father which was in Heaven and that their long Prayers and Fasting was to devour Widow's Houses Matth. 5.20 And that except the Righteousness of the Jews did exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees they should in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Joh. 3.3 And that except a man be born again he shall never see the Kingdom of God 3. Imputation of Righteousness Not External Imputation of an external or internal Righteousness of another as is fancied of the Righteousness of Christ and the Righteousness of the Saints both ex abundanti works of Supererogation serving over and above their own turns to the necessities of others to all intents and purposes as if they were their own A Cloathing up another Man's back to keep me warm upon a mere Imagination reckoned to be mine though I have not a Rag to cover my nakedness A kind of Dream of a Shadow in a shew of Modesty and Humility to colour inward Hypocrisy and Carnality A Title of the Holiness of another man to justifie me to the Estate of happiness without any of my own as much as if I had it really and indeed Jam. 2.14 As if a sick man could be cured by anothers health and a Blackmore cleansed by another's whiteness as if a naked or hungry Soul could be clothed or fed with words without giving them any raiment or sustenance An uncouth Notion irreconcilable with many Scriptures That God will nor justifie the ungodly but reward every one according to his works making Sin and Righteousness both phantastical without any real Evil or Good at all Of these it may be most truly said as Tully said of the Epicureans opinione tantum justi opinione tantum beati they are holy in opinion and happy in opinion only But what say the Scriptures He that doth righteousness is righteous 1 Joh 3.7 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandements is a Lyar 1 Joh 2.4 and the Truth is not in him If we say we have Fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the Truth But if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all Sin Ye have overcome the wicked one and the world by Faith He that overcometh shall eat of the tree of Life and he shall not be hurt of the Second Death He shall have the hidden Manna and a white stone and a new Name that none knoweth but he that hath it Apoc. 2.7 That I may know him and the
about with Powder and Shot to a man of War Farewell THE Second Volume OF THE ESTATE OF GOD Concerning things to be had of God The First BOOK OF RIGHTS The CONTENTS Transition Testament Things Method God's Donation Things to be had Things to be done Free-will Right TITLE I. Of Things A Testament is a just Disposition of things to be had or done Transition Testament and the things disposed to be done are the conditions of the things disposed to be had And because the conditions or things disposed to be done are contingent for daily experience shews that many of them are not done therefore the Legacies or things disposed to be had are contingent for daily experience shews that they are not had Because where precepts or things devised to be done are not done there Legacies or things devised to be had are not had And this is a just Disposition The object of God's Predestination or purpose to dispose are not Persons only but things also with relation to persons and it is all one in effect to predestinate the person to have or do a thing and to predestinate a thing to be had or done by a person For there is no difference between these two dispositions I purpose such a Mannour for my Son John and I purpose my Son John to have such a Mannour SECT III. Things All Entities or Beings are Things Rights Persons and Actions that is things to be had or done or actually had or done i. e. Corporeal or Incorporeal things by all Persons The best Disposition that can be made by God or Man is of an Inheritance because an Inheritance is an universal right to the whole Estate of the Testator And such is the Inheritance of the Estate of God by Jesus Christ For the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord in whom we are heirs and co-heirs for all things are ours and we are Christ's and Christ is God's and if God hath given us Christ How shall he not with him also freely give us all things Now because by the works of the Law which is the first Disposition by way of Testament no flesh living can be justified to the Inheritance of Eternal Life which was by promise therefore Justification is without the works of the Law by faith in the promises of the Gospel which is the second Disposition by way of Testament So then Legal Righteousness by works is altogether insufficient as to give us any Right or Titles to the Kingdom of Heaven and Evangelical Righteousness of Faith is the only means to obtain the Inheritance of Promise SECT IV. Method The Nature therefore and Differences of the Old and New Testament being understood a way is fairly laid open to the true understanding of the great and so much controverted point of Justification which is very easie in it self but hath been made obscure and grievous by the perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and reprobate as concerning the right apprehension of true and saving Faith First therefore to treat of Rights and then of justification to the best of Rights in the best Testament of God to the best Inheritance will be the natural method herein to be followed After this order we will now begin speaking first of Things then of Persons then of Rights belonging to them and last of all of the Actions of those Persons for the obtaining of those Rights in those things that belong to those Persons for an Estate consists not only of Material goods of Lands Persons Cattel or Utensils or things immoveable and moveable but of immaterial goods as Rights to Lands Persons Cattel or Utensils or things immoveable or moveable And Actions Pleas Services or Priviledges in all these which are both beneficiary and honorary and burdensome parts of mens Estates of all which they may make a voluntary Disposition SECT V. God is an Eternal Being of all things in himself God's Donation and from him all things have their being and by him they are preserved and governed All things beside God are either Spiritual or Corporeal with or without life have or have no end and they all serve for the glory of their Creatour These things thus framed upheld and ruled by God are the Heavens and the Earth with the Waters and all that belong unto them The use and benefit of them all together with the regiment of some he hath given to the Sons of men Besides all this he hath of his abundant grace and bounty given and granted eternal blessedness to them in his Son the Principal Heir of all things that by him they might be made the Sons of God and Heirs together with him of the Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven In order to this great donation we must consider the Things to be had by it and the Things to be done for it SECT VI. I. Things to be had The Things to be had by it are 1. Present all Spiritual and Temporal Things 2. Future all Celestial and Eternal Things For Godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come and all things are ours whether the world or life or death or things present or things to come and we are Christ's and Christ is God's and God is all in all SECT VII II. Things to be done The Things to be done for it are 1. Natural to understand desire remember put forth and exercise the faculties of Soul and Body in God's Service 2. Spiritual to receive and use higher illustrations affections memorials and aids for the exercising of Soul and Body in Divine Faith Hope and Love Now there is great reason that where there is something to be had there should be something to be done for it But especially in gifts of this nature where all things are to be had it is honourable for the giver and reasonable to the receiver that some small thing should be done which can no ways be commensurable nor proportionable to the liberality of the donor and those Temporal Spiritual and Eternal things bestowed by him yet at least in acknowledgment and gratitude they are justly and honourably expected and required by the benefactor at the hands of the beneficiary Obj. It is objected that all is given by the free-grace of God and nothing to be done by us Answ All things are given indeed freely because Christ is given but not absolutely without any condition for such a gift is not in wisdom and honour to give all and expect no return no not so much as of Love and Obedience As for Recompense and Requital there can be none in the Receiver nor is expected or needed from the Giver But every gift ought to be disposed prudently else it is no true bounty but waste and prodigality And all such gifts are thrown away from which there ariseth no true benefit to the Receiver nor honour to the Giver Now God doth all things most freely and with the greatest love imaginable
there have been that have made it a Substance and there have not been wanting those that made it nothing at all It is my Choler saith the Revenger It is my Melancholy saith the Desperate one It is my Blood saith the Wanton It is my Appetite saith the Glutton It is it is not what every one pleaseth Well be these darknesses in the Understanding and these perversnesses and slaveries of the Will and these pollutions of the whole Man what they may be yet for all them nor for all the Devils in her that are about them we shall not sin nor die unless we will our destruction is from our selves 1 Cor. 6.12 And if such we were all yet now we are washed now we are sanctified now we are justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ And the Leper who is cleansed complaineth no more of his scab but returneth to give thanks and strives to keep himself sweet and clean None but dogs will return to their vomit and none but swine when they are washed will wallow in the mire The Blind Man who is cured will not return into the ditch and impute it to his former blindness but rejoyceth in the light and walketh therein And we cannot without soul ingratitude deny but what we lost in Adam we have recover'd in Christ with manifold improvements for not as is the offence Rom. 5.15 19. so is also the free-gift For as by the offence of one many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous Made so not only by imputation for that would please us well have sins removed and be Sinners still but made so that is supply'd with all helps and strengths necessary to perfect that Holiness which is required of them that are justified by Faith in Christ Jesus For is not the Gospel above the Law Grace above Works God above the Devil the Second Adam stronger than the first the Spirit above the Flesh Mighty for the casting down of the strong holds of Sin and Satan and for the translating us from the power of darkness into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God To conclude If in Adam we were all lost and crowded into Hell in Christ we are all saved and advanced into Heaven And if we are weak yet in God is our strength And therefore why will ye die O ye house of Israel Take we heed of sowing pillows under our own elbows and if they be not soft and easy enough to sleep on beware of bringing in a good meaning and honest intention to stuff them up least on these we sleep so securely as Sampson did on the lap of Dalilah till our strength go from us indeed and be fit for nothing but to grind in his prison and to do him service who put out our eyes able to die and perish but not able to live and be saved strong to do evil but feeble and lost to all good And as we pretend Original Sin to be our driver into all other evils and calamities so we pretend the want and insufficiency of Grace to save us and as we know not what that monster of Sin is so we understand not the Beauty of God's Grace Grace as Sin is in every Man's mouth the sound of it hath gone through the Earth Ebrius ad phialam mendicus ad januam The drunkard speaketh of it in his cups and vows 't is better than Wine and by the Grace of God he will be drunk no more The Beggar maketh it his Topick and hopeth that God's Grace will melt the hearts of the Rich to relieve his wants and he will promise to fall to work for his living but the one adds drunkenness to his thirst and the other hath no power to unfold his idle hands for all this Even they that are Giants for Learning leading Men of the first rank and file that say they know it and have it have kept it to themselves or but slightly discovered it to the People in that simplicity and nakedness that upon the first sight they may say This is it Sometimes they represent it to be an infused Habit sometimes a Motion or operation sometimes they know not how to distinguish it from Faith and Charity it is one and the same and yet it is manifold it exciteth and stirreth us up it worketh in us and it worketh with us it goeth before us and it follows us Thus they handle Grace as the Philosophers do the Soul they tell us what wonders it worketh but not its Essence they tell us what it doth but not what it is In all that I have written I profess not to slight or jeer at that original Weakness or attainder of Sin and Death which all of us have cause to bemoan but my scope is to attest the Justice and Mercy of God who hath been made too much the author of Sin and Death And to satisfie the ignorant that Sin is not entailed upon us by fate or Blood nor Grace neither whether we will or no. They have been too long made to believe that Sin and Grace have been real infusions and Physical operations from the evil and the Good Spirit working sensible alterations in the Flesh and Spirit without any concurrence or operation of the Will of either Upon this inevitable necessity of sinning and damnation on the one hand and of Grace and Salvation on the other hand they are moved to lie still under the one which they cannot help and wait for the other if ever it be decreed to come which they cannot call nor invite unto them The People are astonished when they are told of their blindness and lameness and deadness to all good and of the necessity of a real descension of the Spirit into the Heart which being stark blind and stone dead is not able to know what is done unto it in the Reviving thereof no not so much as to consent to receive what shall be given it If Sin were inevitably decreed and accordingly infused by the Devil into all Souls beginning at Adam it should be non-sense to define Sin to be a transgression of the Law and a covenant with Satan And if Grace were inevitably decreed and accordingly poured by God into all Souls beginning at Adam it should be non-sense to define Grace to be an obedience to the Gospel and a covenant with God There was never yet any Covenant made without consent of Wills between both parties The Devil and the Sinner are agreed and God and the Godly are agreed also And this Agreement must be free on both sides for a forc'd will is no will nor can the will be forc'd either by God or Man Nullum pertinaciae remedium posuit Deus aut homo There is no remedy against the obstinacy of will either from God or Man God hath made in Man a Free-will to work freely neither can it work otherwise neither will God destroy the work of his own hands nor is there any reason
can possibly be reckoned or accounted from another Man as that the use-fruit or propriety thereof should belong to me and no other No right can be imputed or reckoned to any Man's Virtues or vices which are the qualities and habits of his Soul no more than the temper features or proportion of his Body can be accounted to another But Rights adherent unto things to have use and enjoy them may and are with very good reason accounted and reckoned unto such or such Persons As by Birth Labour Purchase Donation or Usuâ—apion are qualified for them The summe is God by his Promise counted to Abraham a right not for his Birth generous nor for his Works righteous but for his acceptation of Faith Jus fidei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ro. 4.11 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ro. 9.30 Faith-right is opposed to Birth-right Work-right Purchase-right Gift-right or any other Right To all Rights Accounting is the common Genus that is to the species of justifying or condemning Rights for both these are acts of accounting either to justify Men to some good by giving to them a reward or to condemn Men to some evil by inflicting on them some punishment or taking their Rights away and laying contrary hardships upon them SECT VI. Reason 4. Abraham was legally and morally righteous before he believed the Promise and yet he was not justified by that Righteousness But when once the Promise was made by God and accepted by Abraham then was created unto him a Right which he never had nor could have before to a numberless Issue and plentiful Inheritance to an Alliance and Friendship with God and to an exceeding great reward which he had not here And therefore he looked for a City whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11.10 And he desired a better Countrey than the Land of Canaan was even a Heavenly And so did the Patriarchs who had not their portion in this life Heb. 11.16 but wandered up and down in Deserts and in Mountains and in Caves of the Earth clothed with sheep skins and Goatskins being destitute afflicted and tormented of whom the World was not worthy wherefore God was not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City and he is not the God of the Dead but of the Living I conclude therefore as far as I am able to conceive being ready to learn better that all Rights that do arise unto any Person from a promise are convey'd to that Person by his Faith or which is all one his Faith is reckoned unto him to be the means to give him Right to the thing promised and be he never so Righteous or Holy otherwise this is not nor cannot be imputed or reckoned to him to give him any Right as to God and his Rewards but Faith only Hitherto hath been treated the Righteousness of Man which is the stream now in humility I approach to God who is the Fountain from which all Righteousness is derived SECT VII God is only Righteous yea Righteousness it self There is none good but God who hath all Right and doth all Right God Righteous All that have Right and do all right both have it and do it from God they are of God and do the works of God that have any jural or legal or do any moral Righteousness Satan only is unrighteous and wickedness it self not having any jural or legal nor doing any moral Righteousness he hath no right and doth all wrong All that are unrighteous have it and do it from Satan As to have no good by Jural Righteousness and to do no good by Moral Righteousness Ye are of your Father the Devil because you do the works of your Father All Righteousness of God is by Faith and all unrighteousness of Satan is by infidelity SECT VIII 1. God is Legally Righteous the Fountain of Law and Justice Legally The Judgment is Gods he sitteth amongst Princes The Judg of all the World must needs do right Just and true are thy waies O King of Saints that thou mightst be justified when thou speakest Ps 51.4 and clear when thou judgest SECT IX 2. God is Morally Righteous the Fountain of Mercy and Pity Morally whose Mercies are above all his works He doth abundantly pardon and pass by iniquities transgressions and sins and remembers them no more SECT X. Jurally 3. God is Jurally Righteous the Fountain of all Lordship and Dominion that hath the Allodium the absolute direct soveraign Dominion of the whole world over all owners Lords and Kings by right of Creation all other Lords holding of him and he only of himself To Mankind God hath granted the utile Dominium the Usufruct and Emphyteusis of the World in fee under him and they performing the condition of Faith Homage and Allegiance to him their Liege Lord upon them he hath setled the Heavenly Inheritance And for the better Conveyance and assurance of this settlement God after the manner of Men ordained his last Will and Testament and confirmes it by the death of Jesus Christ that it might never be revoked and disannulled and justifies them to all the Rights and Legacies therein contained by the Title of their Faith Transition of which Justification we come now to speak in its proper place The Third BOOK OF JUSTIFICATION The CONTENTS The Term Justify Accounting Synonyma Bondage Freedom Burden Corporation Other names TITLE I. Of the Name of Justification THE Term Justifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies three things Term. 1. To make upright 2 To make kind 3. To make a proprietary or owner two waies 1. Declaratively by Sentence in Judgment to do Men right not to justifie the wicked The doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2.13 2. Efficiently by free donation i. e. to be Jurified 1. Procreantly My righteous Servant shall justifie many i. e. shall give them a right By the obedience of one many are made righteous 3. Conservantly to hold right Thus Abraham was justified by works after he was justified and created righteous by Faith Ja. 2.24 25. For by works a Man is justified and not by Faith only So Rahab was justified by her works Faith gives right works declare and keep right Works are a sign to shew Faith and a cause to conserve Faith from being a dead Faith The Term Justifie and Justified in English is a Latinisme in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ro. 5.19 made Righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Constituted just in French Rendred just To Justifie is to declare a Man guiltless or to pardon and give him a right to have and to hold all those rights whereof condemnation would deprive him Ps 82.3 should Sentence of Law be given against him Defend the poor and Fatherless do justice to the afflicted and needy The Latin saith Humilem pauperem justificate Justifie the oppressed and poor vulgar English
Laws and therefore above them as morally righteous or gracious and jurally righteous or an owner of all things to make Man not only legally righteous according to Law and morally righteous according to Law but jurally righteous according to free Grace The CONTENTS Imputation Logick Logistick Christ's Righteousness TITLE II. Of the form of Justification Imputation THe Form of Justification is Imputation or rather Reckoning Accounting Reasoning or Concluding Computing Ascribing or Numbring The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that so signifies The great Acts of Counting are Logick and Logistick SECT I. Logick 1. Logick is the counting of sayings or Propositions according to their Rations or Reasons as they are composed to infer their Conclusions and to be resolved into their Principles For the Conclusion is the effect of two Propositions rightly figured whereof one is the Cause the other the Medium or mean between the Cause and the Effect and produceth the Effect The major Term in the major Proposition is the Cause the minor Term in the minor Proposition is the Effect and the medium or middle Term in both major and minor Propositions is the mean that produceth the Effect in the Conclusion as thus Every breathing Creature hath sense Every Man is a breathing Creature Therefore Every Man hath sense This last Proposition is the effect of the two former in which sensibility which is the major term is the cause and a Man is the effect and a breathing Creature is the means whereby this cause produceth this effect For because a Man is a breathing Creature therefore a Man hath sense or is sensible SECT II. 2. Logistick is the Counting of Numbers Logistick according to their rations or rates as they are composed into their powers and resolved into their roots The power or product is the effect of two numbers rightly multiplied when one of those two is the root of that power and the other is the rate between the root and the power As 6 is the cause of 12 and 12 is the effect of that cause and the root 2 multiplying 6 is the means between the cause and the effect producing the effect 12. So the cause of Salvation is God's promise The effect of this cause is Salvation it self The Mean between both that makes the cause to produce this effect is Faith And as in Logick the Conclusion is the effect of two sayings or propositions rightly figured when one of those sayings is the cause of that effect and the other saying is the reason or mean between the cause and the effect so in Logistick the power is the product of two numbers rightly multiply'd when one of those two numbers is the root of that power and the other is the rate between the root and the power Both these Countings or reckonings or reasonings do manifest the ration or rate of a saying to a saying and of a number to a number SECT III. The grounds of both these reasonings and reckonings are two 1. Those things that agree in one third do agree among themselves as in Logick the major and minor agree in the medium therefore they agree among themselves so in Logistick the multiplication and the product agree in the root or multiplier therefore they agree among themselves As 6 and 12 agree in 2 for 2 times 6 is 12. So God's promises and our salvation do agree in Faith 2. Whatsoever is affirmed of the genus is affirmed also of the species and all that are under it As whatsoever is affirmed of Abraham the Father of the Faithful is affirmed of his Children For all that believe are blessed with faithful Abraham A Believer is blessed Peter c. are believers Therefore Peter c. are blessed So that to account is to conclude by reasoning or numbring by arguing to find the conclusion by addition to find the total by multiplication the product and by division the Quotient The Grammatical sense of the word Impute is to cut divide purge or clear but custom hath made it to signifie to account reckon ascribe pass over the right or title to a thing or the thing it self or something for it by acceptilation either voluntarily by private act of gift Contract Payment release or consideration otherwise or necessarily by publick act of condemning or discharging for punishment or reward Imputation therefore that is accounting or reckoning is a Spiritual action for the conveyance of rights which are Spiritual things belonging to corporeal things Which rights are jural belonging to Persons and may be passed over from one to another by donation succession cession or dereliction deputation or assignment degradation or deprivation And therefore in this great business of Justification to the Rights of Spiritual and Celestial Blessedness Faith is the means whereby all these things are accounted or reckoned to be due unto us or which is all one Faith is accounted for our right unto them And this is clearly demonstrated Rom. 4.3 1. From the letter of the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness Ja. 2.23 And ver 9. Cometh this blessedness then upon the Circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also for we say that Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness And ver 22. It was imputed to him for Righteousness not for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe c. 2. From the scope of the Scripture Faith is the means of Justification instead of works by the which no Flesh can be justified and this is the only true work that God would have us to work even to covenant with him and embrace what he hath promised as for other works of our own righteousness Joh. 6.28 29. we may not relie upon them at all but meerly depend upon Grace accounting our Faith only for our right What shall we do that we might work the works of God Jesus answered and said unto them This is the work of God Ro. 3.24 c. that ye believe on him whom he hath sent Being justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of works nay but by the Law of Faith Therefore we conclude that a Man is justified by Faith Ro. 5.1 2. without the deeds of the Law Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by Faith unto this Grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God Much more then being now justified by his Blood Rom. 5.9
Dower nor power from Abraham in his House as a Wife but was still a Bondmaid to her Mistress and when she had served both and done her work as a slave she was fairly turned out of doors 2. Isaak the younger by a Free-Woman his Legitimate Son by a lawful Wife Sarah free born and free living a Matron that had right of Bed and Board Dower and Dignity Power and Rule under her Husband over the Family As the two Mothers conditions were quite contrary the one to the other so were the two Sons for Partus sequitur ventrem one therefore a Bondman the other a Freeman one had no right to the Inheritance because a Bastard the other had right because a lawful Son So those under the Law unjustified are in the condition of Ishmael who though a Son had neither the state of a Person nor the right of a Son but was a Bondchild and Bastard because he came from a Woman who had not the state of a Woman nor the right of a Wife but was a Bond-maid and a Concubine So the Sons of the Law that trust to their Mother Bondwoman shall be as little justified or have as little right to the inheritance of Heaven as the Law can afford them which is none at all for Righteousness comes not by the Law and by the Law no flesh can be justified even as little right as Ishmael could have to Abraham's inheritance who was born of a Woman who had works enough for she was a Bondmaid yet no right by them for she had no right in her Person But they that are under the Gospel are justified are in the same condition of Isaak who had the state of a Person and the right of a Son because he was born of a Free-Woman who had the state of a Woman and the right of a Wife So the Sons of the Gospel that trust to their Mother Free-Woman shall be as much justified or have as much right to the Kingdom of Heaven as the Gospel can afford which is All right Even as much right as Isaak had to Abraham's inheritance who was born of the Free-Woman who had Faith enough for she was free and therefore All right by her Faith for she had all right in her Person This was the first difference between these two Sons on the Mother side because born of several venters The second difference is on the Father's side For though they had one and the same Father yet they were begot from different principles operating in Abraham and enabling him to beget them Gen. 16.2 1. For Ishmael came from Abraham as a Natural Father born after the Flesh by Abraham's natural power and strength for though Sarah was restrained from bearing yet Abraham was not restrained from begetting at eighty five years old 2. For Isaak came from Abraham as a Supernatural Father born after the Spirit by a Supernatural power of God when he was ninety and nine years old and Sarah ninety years old and was ever barren which was a double deadness of age and custom This Generation and Conception was by God's promise Rom. 9.8 9. or by the Spirit and power of God So they that will be under the Law which is a Bondwoman and therefore engendreth bondage though thereby they be the Children of God yet they are but his Natural and Carnal Children because born after a meer natural and carnal way Heb. 9.10 and live under a Law consisting of carnal and fleshly ordinances But they that are of the Gospel which is a Free-Woman that engendreth Liberty and Freedom one of the Divine and Spiritual Sons of God because by means of their Faith they are born of the Spirit For that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh but that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Joh. 3.3 Ephes 1.13 And because after that Faith they are sealed with that Spirit which is the Spirit of Promise SECT XXIX Many more Covenants God made but these two of the Law and the Gospel were the most eminent Because 1. National and OEcumenical Covenants 1. The Law was National to the Jews only 2. The Gospel was OEcumenical to all the World The other Covenants that were made were but personal or famular to one single Person or Family as to Adam Noah Abraham David c. 2. Mediatory and Testamentary Covenants by the intervention and execution of two solemn Mediators and Executors Moses and Christ The rest were immediately proposed and executed by God and had no Interlocutor nor Performer beside Though these two Covenants and Testaments do disagree from all other Covenants and Testaments yet they are as different and contrary one to the other as was Hagar and Sarah SECT XXX 1. The Law was a Covenant of Bondage 1. From the adjunct of place from Mount Sinai Law a Covenant of Bondage Exod. 19. Gen. 25.18 the place in which the Law was given and the Country of Hagar Gal. 4.25 2. From the adjunct of Bondage engendred according to the nature of Law so are the Spirits the Genius and manners of Men. The Law of Moses is carnal and burdensom for its rights and contains only Temporal promises and curses accordingly therefore it begets servile labour and servile fear a hard Mother a curst Mistress SECT XXXI 2. The Gospel is a Covenant of Liberty 1. From the adjunct of place from Mount Sion Gospel a Covenant of Liberty the place in which the Gospel was given and the Country of Sarah Jerusalem which yet is in a kind of bondage too compared with Jerusalem which is above which is free and the mother of us all Hebr. 12.20 Hebr. 11.10 Rev. 21.2 3. 1. The Seat is above 2. The State is free 3. The Issue general Because the mother of us all the true Spouse of God by whom he begets Children by his Promise and Spirit John 3.8 Gal. 4.29 He that is born of the Flesh persecuted him that was born of the Spirit Law published on Earth by an Angel Gospel published in Heaven to Christ and from Heaven to the World Heb. 12.25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven Sarah Mother but of one Nation Jerusalem the Mother of all Nations Is 54.1 Glorious then but after the Captivity more glorious So will the Gospel be after many Ages of barrenness Isaak's Posterity double to Ishmael's New Covenant more large and more lasting than the Old The Jew persecuted the Christians as Ishmael persecuted Isaak by mocking him The carnal Christian who persecutes his Brother learnt it of the infidel and carnal Jew But the Son of the Bond-Woman shall be cast out for he shall not be heir with the Son of the Free-Woman 2. From the Adjunct of Liberty As is the Gospel so are the Spirits of Men. The Gospel Spiritual and easie a
inheritance and who hath to do with it if an Earthly King or Parent do so And what is this or can be to an Heavenly Estate Esau being saved as well as Jacob brought up in the same Family and Principles of the Fear of God though for reasons best known to God he had not an equal share of an Estate of Land and Dignity in this World This is enough to satisfie if Men would not be willful for the true sense of that Paragraph Ro. 9.9 c. so much mistaken and misapplied in the world to the dishonour of God and the destruction of ignorant and tender minds And as this so those other controverted points of the Real presence Free will Prayers to Saints c. might easily be understood if Men would learn to observe the scope and Analogy of the Scriptures the standard and rule to try and settle all things by and the publick Interpretation of all doubts without a visible infallible Judg. After these Allegories let us return to the true Title of Justification by Grace Transition All Right of State Power Honour or Profit requires a Title much more the state of Eternal Salvation A means must be used or some act must be done for the reception of a Divine state else the Testamentary acts of God's Predestination or Institution may be ineffectual as they are to all that refuse despise reject Because all Testamentary acts do leave unto the Party instituted a liberty to accept of or refuse the Gift For a Testament is no Law to constrain much less a fate to necessitate but is the Grace or Good will of a Testator to offer and invite to acceptation A Title is the cause that makes a just Right and assures the party thereof and defends it to him against all opposers As Birth doth to an Inheritance Work to Wages Mony to a Purchase Acceptation to a Gift SECT XXXIII Works If then the true Title to our Justification by Faith be Grace then the wrong Title is Works So Grace excludeth Works for he that claimeth by one Title must exclude all the rest Therefore no works of the Law either in the Literal sense as delivered by Moses and understood by the Israelites or in the Spiritual sense as it was declared by Christ and is understood by the Faithful are of efficacy or virtue to create us a true Title to the Right of Eternal Blessedness Seeing then the true Title to Justification by Faith is Grace under the Gospel that of Works under the Law is to be relinquished as an act of God once propounded but ever ineffectual and now altogether expired and dead together with the Law it self that required it For we are dead to the Law Gal. 2.19 that being dead wherein we were held that we might live unto God For seeing God by Christ hath declared his New Will and Testament of the Gospel therefore his former Will of the Law though for a time it were good and useful is now utterly infringed cancelled and void For by the Works of the Law no Flesh living can be justified That is no mortal Man whose life is exactly scann'd by the Law shall by observance thereof be found so compleat as to have performed universal and perpetual obedience to every Precept in every sense thereof without failing The reasoning of this Point by the Apostle runs thus If a Man will be jurally justified by the works of the Law Gal. 2.16 i. e. If he will claim a right to Heaven by the Title of his works then he must be legally justified i. e. declared never to have offended the Law For supposing but not granting that the Law can justifie morally yet it cannot do this to any but to such as are upright every way in the sight of God for if a Man offend in any one Law he is guilty of all and the work of the Law is presently to condemn him without mercy imputing to him a Right to a future Curse Rom. 4.15 saying Cursed is every one that walketh not in all the Commandments of God to do them The Law worketh wrath and whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all i. e. is guilty of Death and of more he could not be guilty if he broke all because Death is a final punishment beyond which there can be no other there being no subject of punishment because the offender is not Now though in Mens Tribunals some may be legally justified as Paul might be Touching the righteousness of the Law blameless Phil. 3.6 yet was he not thereby justified in the sight and knowledg of God So Job was a perfect and upright Man before Men but not before God Luc. 1.6 So Zacharias and Elizabeth were said to be both Righteous before God walking in all the Commandments of God blameless yet truly before God no Man living save Jesus Christ ever was or ever will be legally justified i. e. sinless or blameless before Almighty God See Ro. 1 Ro. 2. Such are all Men shut up under sin by the Law Rom. 3.9 19. that every mouth may be stopped and all the World may become guilty before God because all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God Therefore all Men being and being declared sinners by Law Heaven can come no other way but to them that are made Righteous and declared so by promise The Scripture hath concluded all under sin Gal. 3.22 that the promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe The summe is this If a Man have right to Eternal Life by works jurally then he must by these works be declared upright legally before God But no Man living can be declared upright legally before God by his works and therefore works are a wrong Title to Justification which was the thing to be demonstrated Yet though works are no Title to acquire a Right yet they are a tenure to hold a Right that is acquired To be justified or to have righteousness imputed reckoned or accounted is to be absolved and quitted from sin and misery and to be intitled to holiness and happiness and all by Faith not Law v. Gal. 2.21 Gal. 3.18 Ro. 4.3 45. Reward may be of debt to the worker but it is properly and purely of Grace to the Promissary A promise creates a right and he to whom the promise of an inheritance is made by his acceptance thereof is a Person invested with right unto it 1. Therefore Justification is the Acquitting of the penitent Believer by a Judicial act of God's Grace in the Covenant of the Gospel through Christ Justified freely by his Grace Rom. 3.24 through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ 2. Therefore Justification is the Approving commending rewarding adjudging or giving right to holiness and happiness As to impute no sin is to forgive sin so to impute Righteousness is to adjudg to the high reward of Faith
Rom. 4.4 i. e. to be accounted for Righteousness and the reward to be reckoned of Grace are all one For all our Justification from sin and misery to holiness and happiness is by the Grace or kindness of God Ro. 1.17 18. The Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith i. e. the kindness of God for it is opposed to wrath v. 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men who hold the Truth in unrighteousness But now the Righteousness of God without the Law Ro. 3.21 c. is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe for there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God being justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Bloud to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God To declare I say at this time his Righteousness that he might be just and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith Therefore we conclude that a Man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Eph. 2.7 8. That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his Grace in his kindness towards us through Jesus Christ for by Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God Not of Works lest any Man should boast But after that the kindness and the Love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared Tit. 3.4 Not by works of Righteousness but according to his mercy he saved us The Conclusion will be That by Faith in Christ we have through God's kindness or Grace 1. Legal Righteousness i. e. we are accepted for exactly righteous before God who imputes no sin unto us through the merit of the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ 2. Jural Righteousness i. e. we are imputed or accounted heirs at present to the future inheritance of Eternal Life through the Righteousness of Christ the righteous heir of God to whom all the promises were made and in him are Yea and Amen and through him are derived to all his Seed who are partakers of the same rights with him So by Faith in Christ 1. We give credence to the report of a promise 2. We trust thereto and rely upon it 3. We accept and embrace it 4. We re-promise and so enter into Covenant with God which is the state of Grace and Salvation The CONTENTS Relapse a revolt from God Breach of one party disobligeth the other Mutability of Justification Kingdom of God Natural Man Spiritual Man Forfeiture Example of Israelites TITLE V. Of the Continuance of Justification MY Justification by Faith through the Free-Grace of God puts me into a state of Righteousness and therefore it doth extinguish and destroy my state of sin formerly I had no right to any thing save a curse for my sin but now I obtain a right to a Blessing through the Righteousness of Christ imputed to me When a Slave is enfranchised his slavery is thereby extinguished so when a Sinner is justified his sin is thereby actually destroy'd Because these two states are contrary one to another and inconsistent one with another in one and the same Person at one and the same time Yet upon my Justification the passions motions or lusts of my sin are not destroy'd in facto esse complete but they are in fieri begun to be suppressed and in a good course and ready way to be extinct For their Dominion and over-ruling power is already destroy'd so that they cannot compel me to the acts of sin And my Justification by Christ obliges me to this resistance against sin and my Sanctification by the Spirit of Christ doth enable me to beat back the force of Satan's temptations more and more and will enable me if I faint not or will fully turn back to be more than a Conqueror But after my Justification if I through the subtilty of Satan or the pravity of mine own heart shall suffer my self to be perswaded that either there is no bond upon me or no power in me or no Grace sufficient for me to finish the work of mortification and thereupon shall either neglect this work or act quite contrary not the acts of Ignorance or Infirmity but of malice and presumption and of despair it self Then by these my sinful acts I do destroy the state of my Justification and degrade my self and make my self unworthy of that Salvation which I was an heir unto if by my resipiscence I do not recover it again For 1 Cor. 6.9 For The unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God such as are fornicators adulterers idolaters effeminate abusers of themselves with mankind thieves covetous drunkards revilers and extortioners And they which do the works of the Flesh shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Gal. 5.9 This I know that no whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous Man who is an idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God SECT I. 1. Because by this Relapse I am a revolter from God Reason Relapse a revolt from God and a Traitor to him who after my Homage and Allegiance sworn to him have deserted him and rebelled against him For doth not the Law of Nations teach me that by such contrary facts as these I forfeit my Estate Liberty and Life And doth not right Reason teach me that if my Tenure fail my Estate must needs escheat and my Life too in case of Treason And doth not the Sacred Scripture teach me that my last state is worse than my first and if I sin wilfully Hebr. 10.26 after that I have received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for that judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries And it had been better for me not to have known the way of Righteousness 1 Pet. 2.21 than after I have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto me And the Devil being cast out as out of a house haunted if he be re-admitted Luc. 11.24 doth re-enter with seven Spirits worse than himself and so the last state of that Man is worse than his beginning And such are like unto the dog 2 Pet. 2.22 that licketh up his vomit again and like the Sow that after washing walloweth in the mire 2. Because the Right of impunity which is one of the priviledges which Christ justifies me unto gives me no licence to sin For shall I sin that Grace may abound God forbid As in the Family the right of impunity which
promise by a solemn oath See Gen. 13.15 and Gen. 15.18 and Gen. 22.16 and Gen. 26.3 and Gen. 28.13 And they had farther an assurance of this right settled upon them by many miracles and tokens 1 Cor. 10.1 c. For they all were under the cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all baptized in the cloud and in the Sea and did all eat the same Spiritual meat and did all drink the same Spiritual drink c. Hath any Christian a better right or a greater assurance to the Kingdom of Heaven than the Israelites had to the Kingdom of Canaan yet many of them by reason of their carnal sins of lust idolatry fornication and such like did never enter that inheritance but were overthrown and destroyed in the Wilderness for God in his wrath retracted by oath that promise which before by oath he had confirmed See Num. 14.23 and Psal 95.11 and Ez. 20.15 and Heb. 3.18 2. Now all these Judgments happened to them for our examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come 1 Cor. 10.11 12. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall The mischief therefore that regularly follows upon our walking after the Flesh and committing of carnal sins is a Disherison or exclusion of us from the actual entrance and possession of that Heavenly inheritance whereto by Faith we had a right and title For although our good works are not sufficient enough to create us a title to that Inheritance yet our evil works are miscreant enough to defeat us of the title we had by Faith and to draw upon us a forfeiture of our former rights because our evil works argue us to be the Children of disobedience who will not be led and ruled by the Spirit of God they convict us of ungraciousness and unthankfulness for the Grace of God and condemn us to endure the wrath of God For although the Gospel be a Charter of Grace yet this is the Law of it against evil works because thereby we not only despair but we do despite to the Spirit of Grace which is an affront unto God who grants it and so justly we lose the benefit of the Grant through our own default Quod erat demonstrandum The CONTENTS Transition Works James 2.18 explained Works of Love TITLE VI. Of the Tenure of Justification MY state of Election requires a Tenure Transition For because the state of it is thus mutable therefore it requires a Tenure to preserve and hold it And because my state of Justification had a cause to create it so also it requires a cause to conserve it That which I have my Estate by is my Title by Gift or Birth or work or Purchase and that which I hold my Estate by is my Tenure or Homage by serviency Escuage or Soccage i. e. by Court-service War-service or Plough-service And because Estates are in this Life transitory and defeisable to come and go to be had and lost therefore when I have an Estate I must use the means to hold it otherwise I may make no benefit by it And this is necessary in all Estates to have a Title to get and a Tenure to keep or else no Estate would be permanent yea the whole World if it were not upheld by him that made it would eternally fall to ruin The Tenure of my Justification is works Therefore this assertion Works A Man is justified by works and not by Faith is as much the word of God as this assertion A Man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ and both are equally true 1. Faith is the Title of Right to my Justification 2. Works are the Tenure of this Right and Title till I am to possess the Inheritance which my Faith gave me Right and Title to The Reasons by which St. James proves this Justification by works are these 1. Because works keep Faith alive The act of Faith without them is of no effect though it did justifie to a right because without works following we can have no benefit of our Justification As a Bill or Bond or other specialty of Writing without a Seal or Hand is voi'd cancell'd to all intents and purposes contained in them So c. 2. Because Faith is by works made perfect it being alone a thing imperfect and ineffectual For in justifying it gives a Right and Title of Institution and Expectation claims Interest and Hope of a future inheritance which Right is escheatable and may be destroied but Faith seconded and animated by works 1 Pet. 1.4 finishes and compleats our Right to a fruition of the Inheritance seized upon invested in us and subject to no defeisance An inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us Thus Abraham was justified by works when he had offer'd up Isaak his Son upon the Altar And Rahab was justified by works when she had received the Messengers and had sent them out another way Faith alone without works is like the Devil's faith who tremble without any hope or works And Faith without works is like the Body without the Soul But though my Tenure of Justification be works yet Faith is not excluded Not works alone nor Faith alone but both together do conserve the Title of my Justification which I had by Faith only And herein Faith hath the preeminence Faith without works doth justifie me to have my Right and Title but works without Faith do not justifie me to hold my Right and Title I say not works with Faith but thus Faith with works doth make me hold my Right Faith is the Principal and works are the Accessaries thereunto to animate enable and render Faith effectual to the possession of an Inheritance which that Faith gave right unto but could not bring to a full enjoyment without works And farther it is most certain that works do also justifie declaratively by manifesting that Faith to my self and to the World which did justifie me efficiently James 2.18 explained Shew me thy Faith without thy works and I will shew thee my Faith by my works ☞ Note here also That Paul by his assertion that a Man is not justified by the works of the Law but by Faith only opposeth the Judaizing Christians who were still operaries and rituaries of the Law thinking to be justified by them to the Evangelical Christians who were fiduciaries and spiritualists of the Gospel thinking to be justified by Faith only And that James opposeth the Gentilizing Christians who were still fiduciaries and libertines standing only for Faith and Freedom and neglecting and disgracing all works to them that were truly Evangelical that stood to their Faith and Liberty but admitted and honoured all good works also allowing therefore to the Verb justified these two senses of creating and conserving Justification it will follow That Faith only without works doth create
Justification but Faith with works doth conserve Justification And so Paul and James do full well agree and James's Doctrine will be a consequence from Paul's principles For because my Faith only without works doth create my Justification and because evil works do destroy the state of it and do build again my state of Sin therefore it followeth That good works do continue my state of Justification and keep it from ruin For in case I should fall my Faith alone cannot restore me but if I recover working my works of repentance must be the means of my recovery 1 Cor. 13.2 And because as Paul saith Though I have all Faith so that I could remove mountains and have not Charity I am nothing Therefore as James teacheth Faith without works is dead And lastly because as Paul teacheth In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith that worketh by Love Therefore as James teaches Faith working with works is by works made perfect For the farther clearing of this seeming contradiction of St. Paul and St. James note That as faith sworn by the Vassal to his Lord justifies the Vassal to his Fee or benefice to have right thereto so the Homage it self is the life of his faith and justifies him to the same benefice that he may hold his right so obtained by his Faith In like manner faith made to God justifies his Creature to the Estate of Blessedness to have right thereto and the Homage it self which is the life of his faith justifies him to the same Estate that he may hold his right so obtained by his faith For faith without homage or works doth not justifie fully nor homage or works without Faith So true it is that Faith though it doth justifie alone to have right yet works also do justifie to hold it so both Faith and Works do justifie compleatly and not one without the other And this distinction rightly weighed and compared may easily put an end to this Controversy SECT I. The works that are the Tenure of my Justification are works of Love Works of Love 1. The Right of Justification under the Law was Faith of the promise to Abraham and his carnal Seed for the Land of Canaan 2. The Tenure of Justification under the Law was by the works of the Law of Rites and Ceremonies Thou shalt walk in all the waies which the Lord your God hath commanded you Deut. 6.24 that ye may prolong your daies in the Land which ye shall possess i. e. you shall continue your possession in the Land whereto you have a right The Law it self speaketh thus Lev. 18.5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments which if a Man do he shall live in them i. e. shall prolong his life from violent death inflicted by the Law The Just shall live by his Faith He that hath walked in my Statutes to deal truly he is just he shall surely live The doers of the Law shall be justified i. e. continue to be justified For default of this Tenure of works the Ten Tribes forfeited their right to Canaan for ever and the other Two Tribes were sequestred for seventy years in Babylon 3. The right of Justification under the Gospel is Faith in the promise to Abraham and his Spiritual Seed for Heaven 4. The Tenure of Justification under the Gospel is by the works of Grace which are acts of Love exercising equity mercy and kindness above the works of the Law 1. Because the works of Love are super-legal above and beyond the Law of Moses as to feed the hungry and to cloth the naked to entertain Strangers visit the Sick relieve the Prisoners pray for Persecutors c. 2. The works of Love are supernatural above and beyond the Law of Nature as not to be angry and not to resist and revenge evil to suffer persecution gladly for Righteousness sake to rejoyce in temptations to lay down our life for the Brethren c. therefore much more for God To love our Enemies and comparatively to hate our Friends Luc. 14.26 as our Father and Mother Wife and Children Brothers and Sisters these and the like works of Love are not commanded in the Law but they are the commands of Grace Hence Christ calls Love a New Commandment Joh. 13.34 A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another And Christ calleth it his Commandment That ye love one another as I have loved you And this Love is the fulfilling of the Law He that loves his Brother abideth in the Light 1 Joh. 4.16 He that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him These are the works of Love not of Law which St. James saith do justifie Was not Abraham our Father justified by works Jam. 2.21 when he had offered Isaak his Son upon the Altar That work was not a duty of the Law but a service of Love by God's immediat command to try Abraham's love for no Law did command a Father to sacrifice his Son His love therefore was superlegal beyond any Law of mercy And not only so but supernatural beyond any Law of Nature when his love to God to whom he had Alliance only by Faith surpassed his love to his only Son to whom he had Alliance only by Nature and in whose behalf he had received the promises Jam. 2.25 Likewise also Rahab the harlot was justified by works when she received the Messengers and had sent them out another way Those works were not duties of any Law Josh 2.12 but the Offices of Love or as she called it A shewing of kindness in entertaining lodging and protecting of Strangers Her love was therefore superlegal above and beyond the Law for no Law commanded to entertain Spies to the destruction of a City And her love was supernatural above and beyond the Law of Nature when she shew'd kindness to her Enemies in housing hiding and sending them away safely The Ceremonious works of the Ritual Law are carnal in themselves and could justifie to nothing but a carnal purity and a security from a carnal punishment of Death All these Rites of Sacrificing Washing Feasting Fasting Circumcising c. are extinct The Moralities of Moses Law as to be no idolater no forswearer no murderer adulterer thief lyar nor deceiver c. are the bare negative duties for the most part and according to the letter are themselves dead and I am dead to that dead Letter which killed those that are under it with a curse and it is a part of my Justification to be free from the Law for I am not under the Law but under Grace nor under the Letter but under the Spirit And therefore the works of the Gospel are works of the Spirit which gives life by faith and maintaineth it by Love the works whereof are purely Spiritual inward and lively free from all carnal and outward shew
which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses Ro. 3.28 Therefore we conclude that a Man is justified by Faith without the works of the Law Hebr. 8.10 11 12. This is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will pour out my Laws in their mind and write them in their heart and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People all shall know me from the least unto the greatest for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their iniquities will I remember no more Act. 2.37 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost for the promise unto you and to your Children and to all that are afar off and to as many as the Lord our God shall call Ro. 8.3 4. What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for sin condemned sin in the Flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Num. 16.20 c. Unusne homo peccaverit adeò graviter in universum coetum irasceris S. Ignat. Ep. ad Trall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Aug. de Civ Dei l. 16. c. 18. Peccatum Originale Nascuntur non propriè sed originaliter peccatores Ulpianus ff l. 48. T. 19. de Poenis Praegnantis Mulieris consumendae damnatae poena differtur quoad pariat Deut. 24.16 Non occidentur Patres pro filiis nec filii pro patribus sed unusquisque pro peccato suo morietur Gen. 18.25 Absit à te ut hanc rem facias occidas Justum cum impio fiatque justus sicut impius Absit inquam à te nunquid Judex universae terrae non faciet Judicium Ignat. Ep. ad Magnes Peccatum Originale 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in 5. Rom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. lib. 3. Strom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peccatrix concepit sed non peccatorem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mar. Q. 88. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Hieronym Ep. 3. ad Nepot Noxa caput sequitur neque virtutes neque vitia parentum liberis imputantur L. Sancimus C. De poenis Peccata igitur suos teneant auctores nec ulterius progrediatur metus quà m reperiatur delictum S. Cyrillus Catech. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Chrys Hom. 42. in Gen. 38. Ubi gemellos quos Judas Patriarcha ex Thamar suscepit in figuram Christianorum Judaeorum exponit Ordinante enim Deo Lex Fides manum prior extendit qui posterior nasciturus erat Ut significaret subing ressuram Legem quae Fidei cessura erat Lex ad peccatum cohibendum Fides ad extinguendum S. Chrys ad Gal. 3.16 Deus ostendit Fidem antiquiorem esse Lege Hoc autem ab Abrahamo manifestum facit priusquam enim extitisset Lex ille justificatus est S. Theodor. ad Gal. 4.11 Cum Fidem Lege antiquiorem praestantiorem demonstrasset rursùs Legem promissione Abrahamo factâ aetate posteriorem demonstrat Cum gratiam Lege antiquiorem pronunciat S. Epiph. initio Magni operis Neque ulla erat in terris Secta aut sententiarum dissidium Tantùm hominum appellatione censebantur labio uno unâque linguâ praediti Pietas autem Impietas erat sola naturae Lege voluntatis cujusque secundum naturam electione definita necdum Error emerserat sive Disciplinâ sive Scriptorum monimentis introductus Neque Judaismus neque alia ulla Secta erat sed illa eadem ut ita dicam Fides vigebat Fides quae nunc in eâ quae Catholica appellatur Ecclesia quae cum ab initio extitisset posteà patefacta est Nam qui studio veritatis rem spectare voluerit inveniet primam extitisse Catholicam Ecclesiam ex ipso ejus scopo Adam enim primus à Deo formatus est non circumcisus sed praeputio praeditus Neque tamen Idololatra erat sed Deum Patrem cum Filio Spiritu Sancto agnovit Erat enim Propheta Itaque Circumcisionem non habens Judaeus non erat sculptile autem nullum adorans aut aliud id genus Idololatra non erat Propheta enim erat Adam noverat Patrem Filio dixisse Faciamus Hominem Quis igitur erat Neque circumcisus neque Idola colens sanè Christianismi formam indicabat Idem de Abele Setho Enos Enoch Mathusala Noe Ebero usque ad Abraham judicium Obtinebat autem pietas impietas Fides infidelitas illa quidem Christianismi imaginem exhibens haec autem infidelitatis faciem ac transgressionis usque ad illud tempus quod designatum est S. Aug. in Psal 73. Si enim discernimus duo Testamenta Vetus Novum non sunt eadem Sacramenta nec eadem promissa eadem tamen plerumque praecepta Nam Non occides Non moechaberis Non furaberis honora Patrem Matrem Non falsum testimonium dixeris Non concupisces res proximi tui Non concupisces uxorem proximi tui Duo Testamenta nobis praeceptum est Videamus quare praecepta eadem quia alia sunt Sacramenta dantia Salutem alia promittentia Salvatorem Sacramenta N. T. dant Salutem Sacramenta V. T. promiserunt Salvatorem Promissa quare non eadem Quia promissa est Terra Chanaan Terra copiosa fructuosa affluens Lacte Melle Promissum Regnum temporale promissa felicitas saeculi promissa faecunditas filiorum promissa subjectio inimicorum Haec omnia ad terrenam felicitatem pertinent sed quare ipsa primo promitti oportebat Quia non primò quod spirituale est Sed quod Animale postea inquit Spirituale Sed ne quisquam putaret ab alio fuisse factum hominem terrenum ab alio coelestem ideo Deus estendens se esse utriusque Creatorem etiam utriusque Testamenti se voluit esse Auctorem ut terrena promitteret in V. T. coelestia in Novo Testamento Idem de Bapt. contra Donat. l. 15. Ecclesia verò quae est populus Dei etiamsi in istius vitae peregrinatione antiqua res est in aliis hominibus habens animalem portionem in aliis autem Spiritualem Ad animalem pertinet V. T. ad Spiritualem Novum Sed primis temporibus utrumque occultum fuit ab Adam usque ad Mosem A Mose autem manifestatum est vetus in eo ipso occultabatur Novum quia occultè significabatur Postea verò quà m in carne Dominus venit revelatum est Novum Veteris autem Sacramenta cessarunt sed concupiscentiae tales non cessarunt In illis enim sunt quos Apostolus per Sacramentum N. T. natos adhuc tamen dicit animales non posse
a word they say and unsay sometimes bring in remission of sins and sometimes their own satisfaction and so set St. Paul and their Church at such a distance that neither St. Peter himself nor all the Angels and Saints she prayeth to will be able to reconcile them and make his Gratis and their Merits meet in one It is true every good act doth justifie a man so far as it is good and God so far esteemeth them holy and good and taketh notice of his graces in his Children he registreth the patience of Job the zeal of Phineas and the devotion of David not a cup of cold water not a mite flung into the treasury but shall have its reward But yet all the works of the Saints in the world cannot satisfie for the breach of the Law for let it once be granted what cannot be denied that we are all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 guilty and culpable before God that all have sinned and are come short of the glory of God then all that noise the Church of Rome hath filled the world with concerning Merits and Satisfaction and Inherent righteousness will vanish as a mist before the Sun and Justification and Remission of sins will appear in its brightness in that form and shape in which Christ first left it to his Church Bring in Abraham and Isaac and all the Patriarchs and Prophets and Apostles and deck them with all those vertues which made them glorious but yet they sinned Bring in the noble Army of Martyrs who shed their blood for Christ but yet they sinned They were stoned they were sawn asunder they were slain with the sword but yet they sinned and he that sinneth is presently the servant of sin obnoxious to it for ever and cannot be redeemed by his own blood because he sinned but by the blood of him in whom there was no sin to be found Justificatio Impii this one form of speech of Justifying a sinner doth plainly exclude the Law and the Works of it and may serve as an Axe or Hammer to beat down all their carved work and those Anticks which are fastned to the building which may perhaps take a wandring or gadding fancy but will never enter the heart of a man of understanding We do not find that beauty in their artificial and forced inventions that we do in the simple and native truth Neither are those effects which are as irradiations and resultances from forgiveness of sin so visible in their Justification by faith and works as in the free remission which is by faith alone The urging of our Merits is of no force to make our peace with God They may indeed make us gracious in his eyes after remission but have as much power to remove our sins as our breath hath to remove a mountain or put out the fire of hell For every sin is as Seneca speaketh of that of Alexander in killing Callisthenes Crimen aeternum an Eternal crime which no vertue of our own can redeem Let me add my passions to my actions my Imprisonment to my Alms let me suffer for Christ let me die for Christ But yet I have sinned We may observe those Justitiaries how their complexion altereth how their colour goeth and cometh how they are not the same Men in their Controversies and Commentaries that they are in their Devotions and Meditations Nothing but Merit in their ruff and jollity and nothing but Mercy on their Death-Beds nothing but the Bloud of Martyrs then and nothing but Christ's now nothing but their own satisfaction all their lives and nothing but Christ's at their last gaspe Before Magis honorificum it was more honourable to bring in something of our own towards the forgiveness of our sins but none for the uncertainty of our own Righteousness Because there is no harbour here Christ's Righteousness is called in with a Tutissimum est as the best shelter And here they will abide till the storm be overpast Id. ib S. 24. p. 870 c. Imputed Righteousness Some stand much upon imputed Righteousness and it is true which they say if they understood themselves And upon Christ's Righteousness imputed to us which might be true also if they did not interpret what they say For this in a pleasing phrase they call To appear in our Elder Brother's Robes and apparel that as Jacob did we may steal away the Blessing Thus the Adulterer may say I am chast with Christ's Chastity and if he please every wicked Person may say That with Christ he is crucified dead and buried And that though he did nothing yet he did it though he did ill yet he did well because Christ did it This Righteousness if they have no other doth but ill become them because it had no Artificer but the Fancy to make it For that Christ's Righteousness is thus imputed to any we do not read no not so much as that it is imputed though in some sense the phrase may be admitted Jerm For what is done cannot be undone no not by Omnipotency it self for it implyeth a contradiction Deo qui omnia potest hoc impossibile God who can do all things cannot restore a lost Virginity He may forgive it blot it out bury it not impute it account of it as if it had never been but a sin it was We read indeed that Faith was imputed to Abraham for Righteousness Ro. 4.3 And the Apostle interpreteth himself out of the 32. Psal Blessed is the Man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without work Gal. 3.6 2 Cor. 5.21 That is as followeth whose sins are forgiven to whom the Lord imputeth no sin And Abraham believed in God and it was imputed to him for Righteousness And we are made the Righteousness of God in him That is we are counted righteous for his sake And it is more than evident that it is one thing to say That Christ's Righteousness is imputed to us another that Faith is imputed for Righteousness or which is the very same our sins are not imputed to us Which two imputations of Faith for Righteousness and not-imputation of sin make up that which we call the Justification of a Sinner For therefore are our sins blotted out by the hand of God because we believe in Christ and Christ in God That place where we are told that Christ of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification is not such a Pillar of Christ's imputed Righteousness in that sense which they take it as they fancy'd when they first set it up For the sense of the Apostle is plain and can be no more than this That Christ by the will of God was the only cause of our Righteousness and Justification and that for his sake God will justifie and absolve us from all our sins will reckon or account us holy and just and wise Not that he who loved the error of his life is wise or he that hath been unjust is righteous in that wherein he was unjust or
Christ's Mediation to bring us to God Cross to be gloried in Cross outward and inward Effect of Cross-crucifixion Procured by outward cross Philosophy Christianity Christ the Sacrifice and Priest Christians true Sacrifices and Priests Decrees Christ's doing and suffering our doing and suffering Corollaries Christ a Priest Christ quickened by his eternal spirit Christ a Prophet Christ a King p. 224 APPENDIX OR Application to the Clergy and Laity Title 1. Of the Clergie's Calling Word Sacraments Gospel-spirit p. 243 Title 2. Of the Clergie's Doctrine Precepts Promises Conditions p. 244 Title 3. Of the Clergie's Persons p. 246 Title 4. Of the Clergie's Study Law Law-terms p. 247 Title 5. Of the Laitie's Calling p. 251 Title 6. Of the Laitie's Doctrine ibid. Title 5. Of the Laitie's Persons p. 252 Title 8. Of the Genius of the Gospel Joy Fear Decrees Gospel dispensations Worship spiritual Ceremonies Difference of Mosaick and Christian Rites Church of Rome Perfection of Christianity Spiritual perfection Ritual worship abolished No other Rites to be superinduced No Rites ever pleased God Greater perfections in the Christian Religion Prayer and other duties are Relativi Juris p. 254 THE CONTENTS OF THE Second Volume of the Estate of God The First Book Of Rights Title 1. Of Things TRansition Testament Things Method God's Donation Things to be had Things to be done Free-will Right p. 287 Title 2. Of Persons Personality Forfeiture Freedom Falling Recovery p. 293 Title 3. Of Rights Transition Right Definition Instances Independency Indifferency Liberality Creation Donation Declaration Faction Reception Justification Private right Publick right Justice Rights to God Rights to body and soul Rights to wife Rights to children Rights to estate and honour Rights not to be violated Day of Judgment Shame To be right To make right To bestow right To have right To do right Collections Rather hurt self than others Moral honesty not doubted of Vse Reason Reason of Nature Equity of Conscience Tricks in law Severity of old in the Church Man's judgment Relations Friendship Possibility of law Fates Justice in God and Man Wrong none Truth evident Caution p. 295 Title 4. Of Actions Transition Intention Execution Free-will Imperfection Willingness Implicit faith Social actions Jussion p. 316 The Second Book Of Titles Title 1. Of a Sinner Transition Vnjust legally Vnjust morally Vnjust jurally Oppressed Blemished Distressed Tainted p. 322 Title 2. Of Original sin Rom. 5.12 explained Recapitulation Accounting Adam's will not ours Levi's paying of Tithes All mortal in Adam Righteous in Christ Immortal in Christ Every Individuum acts for it self Sinner legal Sinner moral Sinner jural Psal 51.6 explained Ephes 2.3 explained Soul a spirit Good most common Good lovely v. lib. 7. Tit. 3.2 Vol. Argumenta Laciniata p. 326 Title 3. Of a Just man Just Just legally Just morally Just jurally Right Accounting God righteous 349 The Third Book Of Justification Title 1. Of the Name of Justification The term Justifie Accounting Synonyma Bondage Freedom Burden Corporation Other names p. 357 Title 2. Of the form of Justification Imputation Logick Logistick Christ's Righteousness p. 364 Title 3. Of the Matter of Justification Right Corporation Impunity Liberty Provision Protection Audience Alliance Resurrection Jurisdiction Glory Rights of Christ Expectation Supplication Possession p. 371 Title 4. Of the Title of Justification Free grace Titles Birth Purchase Desert Favour Condemnation Gifts Impunity Election Glory Boasting Will of the Receiver Will of the Donor Free grace begins at God's will Free grace makes the Title stronger Free grace makes for God's grace and glory Justification is the best state of love All Rights are from Grace Donation Election Promise God justifieth Christ justifieth The wrong title Law Allegory of the two Covenants Ishmael and Isaac Hagar and Sarah Law a Covenant of bondage Gospel a Covenant of liberty Jacob and Esau Works p. 380 Title 5. Of the Continuance of Justification Relapse a revolt from God Breach of one Party disobligeth the other Mutability of Justification Kingdom of God Natural man Spiritual man Forfeiture Example of Israelites p. 398 Title 6. Of the Tenure of Justification Transition Works James 2.18 explained Works of love p. 405 Title 7. Faith Notions of Faith Credence Trust Promise given Promise taken Re-promise Courage Hope Covenant Faith in Christ Christ the conveyer of faith Christ the author of faith Declaring God's will Proving God's will Testament ad pias Causas Physical operation Moral operation Saving faith Means of faith A new heart 409 The Fourth Book Of Sanctification Title 1. Of the Spirit Transition Spirit the first Agent Hidden man Outward man Natural man Supernatural inspiration Penal and grievous Beneficial and gracious Holy spirit Spiritual man p. 421 Title 2. Of Conscience Definition Seat Vnderstanding Will Memory Reflection p. 424 Title 3. Of the disposition of Conscience To direct To urge To register To testifie To accuse Before the action In the action After the action p. 425 Title 4. Of the indisposition of Conscience Suspension of the offices of Conscience In good men In evil men Ignorance Learning Riches Poverty Self-love Idleness Prejudice Companions God 's not regarding Cross sins Success Satisfaction Want of a spiritual Clergy p. 431 Title 5. Of the restitution of Conscience Believe Conscience Not believe Conscience Self-examination Forsake sin Confess sin Collections p. 440 Title 6. Of a New Creature Transition Old man Old leaven Natural man Carnal mind New man New lump Spiritual mind New birth First resurrection Old creation Concurrency of God and man p. 444 Title 7. Of the Flesh and Spirit Transition Sensual and Spiritual life Mind and will of Flesh and Spirit Life in man threefold Spiritual senses and passions Life of Faith Corollaries Conclusion p. 450 The Fifth Book Of Assurance Title 1. Of the Nature of Assurance Transition Promises Publick Faith Spirit Waiting p. 455 Title 2. Of the Grounds of Assurance Matter of Fact Matter of Right Matter of Witness Spirit of Assurance Ability Sealed Earnest p. 460 Title 3. Of the Kinds of Assurance Names Species p. 465 Title 4. Of the Abuse of Assurance Doctrine of Masses Of no Salvation without the Pale of the Church Of lying still in sin Imputed Righteousness Collections Cautions Obstructions Rules Election p. 468 The Sixth Book Of Tenures Title 1. Of Allodium Transition Estates Allodium Lordship Model from the Goths Etymology Crown Lands Caution Apology p. 476 Title 2. Of Feudum Name Definition Promise Investiture Felony p. 481 The Seventh Book Of Christ's Church and Kingdom Title 1. Of a Feudal Kingdom Transition Feudal Customes Feudal Kingdoms best Goths and Vandals Goths honest Goths endowed the Church first with Lands and Lordships Jus Feudale Manners of Goths Resemblances of a Feudal Kingdom Blessedness Cursedness Church Militant Church Triumphant Tenure of Heaven conditional Holding of God Absolute dominion Feuds a middle government Christ sole Judge Customes in a Feudal kingdom Excellency of a Feudal government Collections Parables run not on all four Tenure of
through all the Labyrinth thereof I think it necessary besides all these proofs to add the best reasons I can to fortify this cause Right Reason 1. The matter whereunto a Man is justified is some Right which cannot be a Moral Righteousness for that is a virtue and is not deviseable to be convey'd as Rights are to any by gift or otherwise nor can Moralities descend to any by succession No Man was ever able to bequeath his Wisdom or Goodness to another from himself in his life time neither did any Son or Heir inherit his Father's Mental perfections as he may his corporal likeness or constitution or his Honour and Estate A Right is an incorporeal thing belonging to some Dignities or Revenues and Men attain to them several waies by Birth or Gift or labour This Right of Justification comes not by Birth nor yet by Work but by Gift or Grace Ro. 4.4 5. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for Righteousness i. e. For a Right because it hath reference to the three former words Reward Grace and Debt The labourer and believer agree in this that both have a Right or claim the labourer to his Wages the Believer to his Promise but they differ in this the labourer hath a Right of Debt to his Wages by the title of his work that earned them the Believer hath a Right of Grace to his Promise by the Title of his Faith Abraham had a Seal of the righteousness of his Faith Now a Seal cannot be of any Moral Righteousness but of a Jural Right or Interest to some Estate of Honour or Profit A Seal fixed upon a Cabinet or parcel of Goods or upon an Instrument is a sign of the Right which the owner hath that none but he can challenge any of those Goods contained or expressed in those vessels or Writings The Right sealed to Abraham is that he might be the Father of all Believers which is a Jural Right of Dignity and that he might be the heir of Canaan which is a Jural Right of propriety Ro. 4.13 For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his Seed through the Law but through the Righteousness of Faith i. e. not by the Right or title of the Works of the Law but by the right and title of Faith for Righteousness hath reference to the two former words Promise and Heir which are Jural terms proper for matter of Right And a Promise is an act that worketh a Right and an heir is a person that hath a Right The Hebrew word Zedakah is Englished a Right 2 Sam. 19.28.29 What right have I therefore to cry any more unto the King saith Mephibosheth and that right must be concerning his Land of inheritance whereof he stood then disseized by the treachery and calumny of Ziba For the King said unto him in the next verse Why speakest thou any more of thy matters I have said Thou and Ziba divide the Land And Mephibosheth said Yea let him take all c. Nehemiah said to Sanballat and Tobiah Neh. 2.20 You have no portion no right nor memorial because they were strangers in Jerusalem Sanballat a Samaritan Tobiah an Ammonite and Geshem an Arabian Some strangers were made capable of Rights with the native Jews these Proselytes were called Gerei Zedeck Advenae Justitiae Strangers of Righteousness because of their conversion to the Jewish Religion So they had right to eat of the Pass-over Exod. 12.19.48 49. to the Feast of Expiation Lev. 16.29 to offer Sacrifice Num. 15.14 c. to use Holy water Num. 19.10 to Judicature Lev. 24.21 Ye shall have one manner of Law as well for the stranger as for one of your own Countrey Deut. 1.16 Num. 25.30 Lev. 19.33 Lev. 25.35 c. Num. 35 15. A Free holder in our Writs of Common Law is styled Homo probus legalis one that hath right to something So that Justice and Righteousness though they do signify Moral Justice Righteousness in some places yet in others they must signify Jural Rights and Titles Gal. 2.21 as If Righteousness come by the Law that is the Right to the inheritance as it is expressed Gal. 3.18 If the inheritance come by the Law it is no more of promise Both these sayings carry the same meaning that the Right of inheritance is by promise not by Law The reason of this reason is because every inheritance is a right though every right be not an inheritance And an inheritance is the best kind of right because it is an universal and perpetual right to an Estate ex asse ie to all Honours Priviledges and Profits thereof freely given by Testament for ever And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken for Right is a Genus to the special word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is one of the best kind of Rights And again both these sayings as Premisses infer the same conclusion That a Man is not justified by the Law proved ab absurdo for if a Man be justified or if his Right of inheritance be by the Law then the Grace of God is frustrate Faith is frustrate and the death of Christ frustrate and the Promise frustrate Rom. 4.14 Tit. 3.7 Gal. 2.21 So that to a discerning ear To be justified by Faith and to be made an Heir of God and to have Faith imputed to us for Righteousness or Righteousnes imputed to us by Faith do sound one and the same thing Reason Effect 2. The Right or matter of Justification is the effect of God's promise which can be no moral Righteousness but a thing promised God promised a right of Alliance Issue and Inheritance to Abraham and therefore he by his Faith had a right Title and interest in this promise else it had been unjust and of no effect His Faith was counted for Righteousness Rom. 4.5 or his Faith was imputed to him for Righteousness Gal. 3.6 When Phinebas stood up and executed judgment This was counted to him for righteousness to all Generations for evermore That is this gave him right to the fee simple of the Priesthood to him and his heirs for ever For so the Charter runs Num. 23.10 11 12. Wherefore I give unto him my Covenant of Peace and he shall have it and his Seed after him even the Covenant of an Everlasting Priesthood because he was zealous for his God and made an attonement for the Children of Israel He had a right to the Priesthood before by his Birth but this was a corroboration of it to him for ever SECT V. Reason Accounting 3. All Rights consist in accounting which is their essence As that the use-fruit or propriety of such a thing is accounted or reckoned to such a person as belonging to him and no other Now no Moral Righteousness
have them more My virtues or vices can no Man have but my self but others may have the like Ergo no Individual Rights can be reckoned to another Person but specifical only The particular right to such a place Dignity or Profit may be taken away from one Man and given to another but if it belong not to a Place but to a Person only then the specifical right of one may be taken away from him and given to another Man No reckoning or accounting any thing to any Man but rights Faith is accounted and Right is accounted Faith for Right and Right for Faith The righteousness of the Law is not imputable or transferrible to another But the Man that doth them shall live in them Gal. 3.12 and no other And the unrighteousness of the Law is not imputable or derivable to another but the Man that doth them shall die in them for the Soul that doth well that Soul shall live but the Soul that sins that Soul shall die If it be objected that we are united with Christ and therefore all that is Christ's is ours I answer It is all for us and our union with Christ is our capacity to have a righteousness imputed to us from Christ by our Faith in Christ and therefore was Christ united unto us that we might be united unto him Hence there is a sympathy between Christ and us Saul Acts 9.4 Saul why persecutest thou me Heb. 4.15 In asmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me He was touched with the feeling of our infirmities So if we suffer with him we shall be glorified with him Rom. 8.17 He hath raised us up together Eph. 2.9 and made us to sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus My Beloved is mine and I am his Christ espoused our Nature Cant. 2.16 and took our sins and sorrows upon him and Christ espoused our Persons and we take his Righteousness and Glories upon us And all things are ours 1 Cor. 3.22 and we are Christ's and Christ is God's As Christ was made sin by imputation not inhesion for us so we are made righteous by imputation but not inhesion by him Is 53.6 The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all and by his stripes we are healed God hath made him to be sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him And be found in him 2 Cor. 5.21 not having our own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ Phil. 3.9 the Righteousness which is of God by Faith So Christ's righteousness that justifies us is not the righteousness of Christ in us but a righteousness put upon us and imputed unto us by Faith Ro. 4.6 And Blessed is the Man to whom God imputeth righteousness without works Justification is not the discharge of a sinner acquitted from blame and punishment but the collation of a right from the justifier to some farther benefit Not a legal right to the sinner that was illegal but a jural right to the Quasi-sinner that had no jural right by his Faith the means to make him imputed righteous and morally righteous to walk accordingly Which righteousness though it be not exact coming up to the perfection of the Law yet it is accepted for exact in and through the perfection of Christ Here is still no imputation of Christ's Personal righteousness to be found given out and bestowed upon us but an imputation of righteousness by Faith for Christ his righteousness sake not our own We are accounted righteous before God saith our Church * See the 11. Artic. of Religion That is the merits of Christ's righteousness hath so far prevailed with God in our behalf that by and upon our Faith we shall be accounted righteous before God in Christ by our Faith which in it self and by it self justifies not but instrumentally and as the means of justification So God looks not upon a justified Person as if he had done and suffer'd sufficient to justifie him but upon Christ and the justified in Christ who did and suffered sufficiently for him It appears on all hands that there is such a thing as Imputed righteousness but at no hand is there found any agreement what this should be 'T is true that Christ's righteousness is imputed to us but not as they mean who in a popular pleasing phrase tell us That we put of the rags of the Old Adam and put on the rich Robes of the New that we are clothed with garments of our Elder Brother as Jacob was with Esau's that we as he may steal away the Blessing What dint of argument will such weak sayings endure So the Adulterer may say he is chast with Christ's chastity the intemperate sober with Christ's temperance the Rebel obedient with Christ's obedience the malicious loving with Christ's love and every wicked Person righteous with Christ's righteousness May it not as well be said That as we are holy with Christ's holiness so we are redeemers with Christ's redemption for he who is said to be our righteousness is as much said to be our redemption Many strange and dangerous consequences may issue from such imputations as they fancy If any eye can pierce farther into the Letter and find more than Imputation of Faith for Righteousness and not Imputation of sins for Christ's Righteousness sake let him follow it as he pleases so it be not to dishonour Christ and cheat his own Soul by taking no care to be any thing that is good because Christ is all in all unto him not flinging in so much as a mite into the Treasury of Holiness because Christ hath poured in that Vast Talent which at the last day he accounts of his own Head shall be reckoned to him as his own proper goods to all intents and purposes The better to fix the true sense of Imputation in our minds we must know That Imputation is a Genus to these three things Justification Condemnation and Oppression which how different soever and opposite they are among themselves yet they all agree in this one common general that they are an imputation whereby some good or evil is ascribed accounted and imputed to us For Condemnation is an imputation of that punishment to a Man which he hath deserved by Law Oppression is an imputation of that punishment which he hath not deserved by Law And Justification is an imputation of that benefit which he hath deserved by Law or not deserved by grace and favour And besides we have no word whereby to express our owning of any thing that is ours but this of Imputation Hence sin is imputed to us because it is properly our own as we have made it by our evil will and punishment is said to be ours because by our sin it is justly imputed to us And Righteousness is imputed to us because it is made ours by
Salvation descends not on the Son is not entailed The original Right that Adam had was entailed but his sin cut off that entail and his Bloud was corrupt and tainted to all his Posterity and we are heirs to his guilt but not to his right as the Son of the tainted Father is heir to his Father's bond and burdens but not to his rights and priviledges We are all born in sin and by such our birth are all deprived of our right to Glory All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God SECT III. Purchase 2. Purchase or Buying so Jacob had a right to the Estate of Isaac and his Title was by Purchase for he bought Esau's Right for a Mess of Pottage Esau and Jacob had successively a right to the same Estate but not by the same Title Esau's was by Birth Jacob's by Purchase Among us the Title many have to their right for their Estates is by Purchase of such a Manor Land Lease or House Our Title to the right of Glory is not by Purchase for 1. Such a Purchase is unlawful Is the sale of Honour of it self unlawful and shall not the sale of Glory be much more Is it simony to buy a Living that can last but for a time and is it not much more to buy the Living that is everlasting 2. Such Purchase is impossible no summe sufficient can be raised to make that Purchase the whole World will not afford it What shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul if the whole World cannot countervail for the loss of it much less can it satisfie for the Salvation of it SECT IV. Desert 3. Deserts of Virtue Service or Works When Saul made David a Colonel he had a good right to that Office and his Title was his Deserts by his good Service done to the King and State by the virtues of his wisdom and valour he behaved himself more wisely and valiantly than all the Servants of Saul he had slain Goliah and diverse Philistins In the opinion of the Jews the Centurion had a right to have his Servant healed and his Title as they pleaded it was his good deserts and works For say they he loveth our Nation and hath built us a Synagogue Our Title to our right of Salvation is not by deserts service or works The World talkes much of Merits and Deserts and many flatter themselves with an opinion of them though daily they see themselves cast in that Plea For Deserts breed a Title to nothing but Honour a naked and empty Right that consists in having a Name or taking Place to matters of power and profit ineffectual SECT V. 4. Favour and Grace And the motive to that Grace only God or Man Favour So the King ex mero motu of his own free will grants a Boone so God grants the right of Salvation according to the good pleasure of his own will which is our Title thereunto Our Title is no base and low Plea but eminent and high not only of Grace but eminent Grace the highest and best Title creating Jus pingue the Best of Rights As our sin was exceeding sinful so our grace is exceeding gracious Hence St. John terms it Grace of Grace of his fulness all we have received Grace for Grace i. e. Grace not requested but freely granted Divines call it Preventing Grace Grace that fore-stalls all our desires we sue not for it pray not for it For a clear knowledg of this we are to understand that Grace is of two degrees 1. Upon the motion petition or suit of the party that obtains the Grace 2. Upon the proper motion of the Donor without all petition or suit of the Receiver This later is Free-Grace most gracious Grace God gave Abraham a Son that was Grace for Abraham was barren and out of hope for Children yet that was not Free-Grace but Grace upon request For Abraham made his prayer to God for a Son lest the Steward of his house should be his Heir God gave Abraham the Land of Canaan to him and his Seed that also was Grace for Abraham had no other title to it none by birth purchase or desert And that was Free-Grace without any prayer or suit of Abraham Christ healed the Centurion's Servant of the Palsie that was Grace yet not Free-Grace for he did it at the suit of the Centurion who came and worshipped and besought Christ to heal him Christ raised the Widows Son of Naim from death that also was Grace and Free-Grace for he did it without any petition or suit unto him upon pure compassion he had on the poor Widow his Mother SECT VI. From all that hath been said I may modestly gather that the Rights we have by Justification are exceeding many and great and the Title to those Rights is no way by Law not by Birth not by Purchase not by Desert but by the meer favour kindness and mercy of God SECT VII Reason 1 Because our Justification is contrary to our Condemnation our title to death whereby we are condemned is by works Condemnation for it is by sins For the wages of sin is death And by the offence of one many are dead Our title then to life whereto we are justified must needs be by Grace and so life must needs be a gift For if death be a wages and a payment due for sin then life must needs be not a wages nor a payment but a meer Gift and Favour For if things contrary have contrary forms then contrary Rights must have contrary Titles If our Right to die come by Law our Right to live must needs come by Grace So St. Paul reasons at large Rom. 5.15.16 c. SECT VIII Reason 2 Because all the Rights that come by justifying are Gifts Thy right of Liberty and Impunity Gifts of Resurrection and Glorification c. are all of Gift for they are not entailed upon us and therefore not by Birth nor sold unto us and therefore not by Purchase not let out therefore not by Works and Service but are all pure Gifts St. Paul opposes these rights to our penalties in Adam for sin Ro. 5.15 c. and in four Verses together for four several times he terms them Gifts Now all Gifts are acquired by Grace and the Donatary hath no other title than the Grace and Favour of the Donor SECT IX Reason 3 Because the Original Right of Justification is Impunity or Pardon For when God creates these Rights unto us Impunity we are in the state of sin for in that state we are born into the World And our first Right is impunity or pardon i. e. to be accounted righteous Hence our Justification is so frequently termed Imputation of Righteousness and Absolution from sin which two Attributes make but one and the same thing For they differ only in the term saving that Imputation of Righteousness is the better term because it is the term positive or term of access to
kind Mother and Mistress This Ishmael was born after the flesh of Hagar a young Woman and Abraham able to beget by her Isaak born after the Spirit of Sarah an old Woman and Abraham an old Man not able to beget but Abraham was supernaturally enabled Heb. 11.12 especially Sarah who was both old and barren 1. Ishmael typifies those that seek Justification by the Law or works 2. Isaak typifies those that seeks Justification by Grace or Faith They that seek Justification by works depend upon themselves and their own natural goodness or strength or the works of Law They who seek Justification by Faith depend upon God's Grace and free Promise ☞ Note here by the way that Isaak was a Type not of personal Election from all Eternity but of such as shall be justified by Faith in the Promise For the scope of the Epistle is in opposition to the Jewish confidence to prove that Justification is not by the Law So that the conceit of Election and Reprobation from this place is quite and clear Eccentrical from the scope and business which the Apostle aims at in this place 1. From whence I observe That the Mysteries of Salvation are declared not by words only but by Providences and Dispensations 2. That God without acceptation of persons may advance one above another in temporal benefits Acceptation of Persons hath place only in Judiciary rewards not in Dispensations of Grace and Mercy to eternal Rewards SECT XXXII Gen. 25.3 Jacob and Esau Besides that Allegory of Jacob and Esau denotes two Nations for the Text saith Two Nations are in thy womb and is by the Apostle applied to the Freedom of God preferring the younger Brother the Gentiles before the Elder the Jews Ro. 9.11 c. not upon any account of works For the children being yet unborn neither having done good or evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth it was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger As it is written Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated But the Preferring of the Gentiles before the Jews was only upon the account of Faith by the which they were justified and the Jews could not be justified because they stood upon their works So Jacob and Esau were not Types of a Personal Election and Reprobation but of a specifical National Election and Reprobation whosoever how many or how few soever not to an Eternal but to a Temporal Inheritance 2 Sam. 8.14 For the Elder shall serve the Younger and so the Edomite did serve the Israelite v. 2 Sam. 8.14 Je. 60. 1 Chron. 18.11 13. And the Idumaeans revolted Psal 137.7 Ez. 35.5 10. yet were they subjects 1660 years Jacob signifies the People of the New Testament by Faith Esau signifies the People of the Old Testament by Works Object Gal. 3.17 The Covenant that was confirmed of God before in Christ the Law that was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disannull that it should make the promise of God of no effect Solut. These words prove not that the Gospel or Covenant of Grace was before the Law or Covenant of works but before that solemn repetition or new Delivery thereof upon Mount Sinai When there was a Brief Transcript of it written and delivered unto Moses in Tables of Stone by God Rom. 5.20 Gal. 3 19 c. The Law entred that the offence might abound The Law was added because of transgressions till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made c. And that the Law or Covenant of Works was in being yea in force in the World before the publication of it from Mount Sion appears For untill Law sin was in the world Rom. 5.13 that is from the beginning of the World until the giving of the Law in words and writing from Mount Sinai And Consequently a necessity of the Law because where no Law is there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 but sin is not imputed where there is no Law that is Ro. 5.13 sin is not charged upon Men or punished nevertheless death reigned from Adam inclusivè unto Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression and consequently there must needs have been a Law without the breach whereof Men had not been obnoxious unto death Yea not only the Moral Law properly so called was extant in Men's hearts and delivered by Tradition but some particulars of the Ritual Law practised in the World before the delivery of the same Law much disused and forgotten to Moses in Writing upon Tables of Stone upon Mount Sinai As appears by the offering of Sacrifices of old and of the Sabbath and of Circumcision commanded to Abraham and his Seed and by the Marriage of the Widow of a Kinsman dying without Issue before the Law Yea the Law or Covenant of Works was as ancient as Adam and by transgression thereof he and all his Posterity incurred the guilt and punishment of Death Therefore the Law or Covenant of Works was the first born Testament or Covenant of Works made by God with Mankind And upon this account they who are of the Law i. e. who seek for Justification by the Law of works are resembled by Esau the Elder Son and they who expect Justification by the New Testament or Law of Grace i. e. by Faith are properly typified by Jacob the Younger Brother When God said to Rebecca Two Nations are in thy Womb ☜ and the Elder shall serve the Younger he mystically signified that his absolute will and purpose was never to own for Sons and Heirs of Heaven the People of the Elder Covenent i. e. those that should seek for Justification by the Law but to assign over those for Servants or Bondmen to his Children i. e. those of the later or younger Covenant who should seek the Adoption of Sons or Justification by Faith Thus God was pleased to declare to the World that his purpose according to Election might stand firme and unchanged and that he meant not to elect or make choice of those whom he should or would adopt by the rule of Works or by any rule that Men should commend to him or desire to impose or obtrude upon him but only by the Rule of his own most free gracious and wise pleasure which he hath declared to be the Rule of Faith Inasmuch as in equitable Right the making his own choice in this kind accrueth unto him as he is the sole Magnificent Founder of this Blessed Feast of Justification calling and inviting the World from all Quarters to come unto it For a Clench to keep this Interpretation from stirring The Prophet Malachi brings in God thus Saying Was not Esau Jacob's Brother Mal. 1.2 c. yet I loved Jacob and hated Esau and laid his Mountains and Heritage waste for the Dragons of the wilderness He gave Esau a lesser portion of an earthly
the Son hath above the Servant not to be ejected or punished for every fault as the Servant may doth give the Son this priviledge in faults only such as are ignorances and infirmities but excuseth him not in crimes such as are malignities and wilful presumptions from being disinherited As a Malefactor relapseth into the same crimes or worse after pardon destroies himself As a Slave after liberty sells himself again to bondage is the author of his own ruin My unthankfulness therefore is the cause of the forfeiture of my right by Faith Not that I have no Faith for then I could not be justified but my Faith for want of works becomes dead It had life enough to accept of the promises and legacies of God's Will and Testament but not of the precepts and conditions So my Faith not working by Love dies and looses the right to Blessedness except it revive again by Resipiscence SECT II. Reason Breach of one party disobligeth the other Because God promiseth me a present Right to a future Blessing I accept the Promise and thereupon have right unto it and by this acceptance I do tacitly re-promise unto God that duty which as a beneficiary I owe unto my Lord by the Law of Nature and Equity Now if I for my part perform not this my promise God for his part is disobliged from the performance of his promise of which my unfaithfulness is the cause who have broken the Covenant betwixt God and my Soul My ungraciousness is also the cause of the forfeiture of my right by Faith This is a high degree of unthankfulness 1. To God so High a Person 2. For so Great a Grace as to be his Son and Heir 3. For so Free Grace without any desert desire or motion of mine or any other only my Faith to accept it If therefore to this Great God for so great Grace so freely bestowed upon me I do not return that love honour and obedience with all my heart and with all my Soul as is due from me a Son to such a Father then this extream unthankfulness and ungraciousness of mine deprives me of that benefit which I should have received from it SECT III. From hence will flow these Consequences Mutability of Justification 1. That my state of Justification is mutable It is in it self stable and permanent it may and should be perpetual but during my Natural Life and before I die it may be defeated and destroyed I do not say It must be defeated and destroyed for the mutability of it is not necessary as is the mortality of the Body which must die But the mutability thereof is possible for as it may so it may not be defeated It may not be defeated 1. It may not be defeated For when I was made a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven this state was intended to continue to me for ever For when I am dead and dissolved into dust God still remaineth my Father and my God and Christ my Elder Brother and Co-Heir and from the dead I shall be raised to the possession of my Father's Blessing for God is not the God of the dead but of the living For as Marriages so rights of Inheritances are not temporary for term of years but of perpetuity for ever Hence the Son is said to differ from the Servant because The Servant abideth not in the House for ever John 8.35 i. e. hath no right to abide for ever but the Son abideth for ever i. e. hath right to abide for ever 2. It may be defeated It may be not defeated Gal. 2.18 Else how could I build again my first state of sinfulness which once I destroyed If therefore my state may be not destroyed it may be destroyed I find by good history and sad experience that states of perpetuity have been defeated and destroyed that many a Man which had a good Estate in Fee-simple to him and to his Heirs for ever yet by making himself a transgressor against his Lord and King hath forfeited that his Estate to him and his Heirs for ever That many a Woman who was married for life till death should depart her and her Husband yet by making her self a transgressor against her Husband hath been divorced from her Husband and lost her Husband and her Dower That many a Son who was Heir apparent to his Father's Estate yet by making himself a transgressor against his Father hath been disinherited and lost his Estate And the like is possible concerning my Estate of Justification see the Scriptures Joh. 5.14 Rom. 11.20 1 Cor. 10.12 1 Tim. 1.19 Heb. 3.12 1 Pet. 2.11 Math. 12.43 44. Heb. 6.4 Heb. 10.26 27. 2 Pet. 2.20 As also consider the examples of Aaron David Solomon c. which exhortations and examples do necessarily demonstrate the mutability of my Justification Because to a thing that is impossible there needs no Exhortation Reason or Dehortation And Because of a thing impossible it is impossible that there should be any Example The Grand Reason that my state of Justification may be defeated is because it is Conditional for though God's donation of my present right to be his Son and Heir is absolute without any condition or preceeding act on my part except it be the passive act of my Faith to accept thereof yet my future possession of that inheritance whereto I have now a present right is conditional and that condition runs upon my good behaviour of deporting my self as becomes the Son of God for this condition is sufficiently expressed in God's last Will and Testament Or supposing but not granting that in God's Testament there is no mention made of any such condition yet such a condition must be understood because the very Nature and Equity of the thing requires it And the state of a Son and Heir wherein I stand doth necessarily draw this duty along with it and so bind me thereto that for non-performance thereof my state may be destroyed Yet every trespass will not destroy it neither because God will forgive me a thousand faults upon my repentance and commands me to pray unto him therefore and promises to forgive my trespasses and commands me to forgive my Brother that repenteth though he sin against me seven times in a day nay seventy times seven times Therefore certainly he being my Father will upon my repentance forgive me more times for all the daies of my life For because I am his Son therefore I am not so much under his Law as under his Grace i. e. God will not deal rigorously and strictly with me according to Law to reject or punish me for every trespass like a Slave who is under the will and pleasure of his Lord but he will use me mercifully and kindly to correct me in measure or to forgive me like a Son who is under the love and grace of his Father But if I rise up in open rebellion against my
on me believeth not in me but on him that sent me Joh. 12.44 i. e. not on the ultimatly but beyond me to my Father SECT V. 2. Because Christ is the author beginner and finisher of our Faith Christ the Author of Faith 1. By being the publisher of our Faith who hath made Faith thereof to the World 1. Of his Person that he is the Son of God and the Son of Man 2. Of his Message that it is the Last Will and Testament of God and consequently doth on his part sufficiently work in us Faith to accept of the Legacies contained therein This Faith was originally taught by Christ secondarily propagated by the Apostles and their Successors which were witnesses to attest the truth which was first testified by Christ who made Faith of it 1. By declaring it to be God's Last Will and Testament Declaring God's Will decreed from the beginning of the World but during many Ages it was a Mystery or Will sealed up Therefore it is called God's Secret will the purpose and Counsel of his Will the Mystery hidden from Ages and from Generations but now is manifested unto his Saints Known it was in general that there was such a Will the being of it was witnessed by the Law and the Prophets yet the particular contents thereof were not known But in the last Age of the World God nuncupated his Will unto Christ and the particular counsels thereof And Christ by special Commission was sent from his Father into the World to publish this his Will and to work in us our faith of it Therefore First he made it known to the Apostles saying Joh. 15.15 All things that I have heard of my Father have I made known unto you I have given unto them the Words which thou gavest me and they have received them Joh. 17.8 and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me He commanded the Apostles to make this Will known unto all Nations for the obedience of Faith Ro. 16.25 26. Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the World began but now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the Commandment of the everlasting God made known to all Nations for the obedience of Faith To God only wise be glory through Jesus Christ for ever Amen Eph. 1.9 God hath made known to us the mystery of his Will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself 2. By proving the Will of his Father Publication was for the matter and contents thereof Proving God's Will Probation is for the verity of it that it is the true Last Will and Testament of God Never any Will of God or Man had such a probation For Christ hath made Faith thereof five waies 1. By Witnesses as John the Baptist sent from God who came to bear witness of the Light that all Men through him might believe That was the true Light Joh. 1.6 7. that enlightneth every one that cometh into the World He pointed him out saying Joh. 1.19 Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the World An Eye witness who saw the Spirit of God descending from Heaven like a Dove Joh. 1.32 and lighting upon him And he saw and bare record that this is the Son of God Mat. 3.17 2. God the Father from Heaven at his Baptism said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him And at his Transfiguration But I have greater witness than that of John Mat. 17.5 for the works which my Father hath given me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me Joh. 5.36 Therefore if Man's witness be valid for the proof of humane Testaments much more is the witness of God valid for the proof of his Divine Testament And if at the mouth of two or three witnesses every truth shall be established much more when one of the witnesses or the sole witness is God 1 Joh. 5.10 He that believeth not God hath made him a lyar because he believed not the record that God gave of his Son 2. By his Miracles which are full proofs to make Faith He rebuked the Winds and the Seas and they obey'd him he cast out Devils and cured all manner of diseases Joh. 5.36 and raised the dead Go tell John what ye have seen and heard the blind see the lame and sick are healed and to the poor the Gospel is preached if ye will not believe me yet believe me for the works sake for they testifie of me If two or three Miracles of Moses made Faith of his Ambassage to the Children of Israel when he did them in the sight of the People and they believed much more shall the many and great Miracles of Christ make full faith of his Message to the World when he did them in the sight of the World and they believed For without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness 1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into Glory These works suffice to produce Faith to the Worlds end Mat. 9.35 1. Because they are incomparable The like had never been seen in Israel Never Man did as he did nor spake as he spake Mat. 11.21 2. Because they were most powerful to beget Faith If the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Tyre and Sidon they had repented long since in sack-cloth and ashes Joh. 5.36 The works which the Father hath given me to finish these bear witness of me that he hath sent me If I do not the work of my Father believe me not but if I do though ye believe not me believe the works that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him Miracles and signs are the strongest means to give credit to the Authority or Doctrine of God or Man Mar. 1.24 3. By his Holiness He is called the Holy one the Holy one of God Vid. Acts 2.17 Acts 3.14 John 2.20 Holy every way Luc. 7.35 1. His Birth holy The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee and therefore that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God 2 Cor. 5.21 Heb. 4.15 1 Pet. 2.22 2. His Life holy He knew no sin in all points tempted like as we are tempted yet without sin He did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth Which of you convinceth me of sin Like unto Man in all things sin only excepted 3. His Death holy He was led as a Sheep
the Flesh is a base fordid and slavish Life 3. The Life of the Flesh is a dull stupid and sottish Life 4. The Life of the Flesh is a vexatious toilsom and uncomfortable Life But on the contrary 1. The Life of the Spirit or of Faith is an high towring and Stately Life 2. The Life of the Spirit is a free generous and noble Life 3. The Life of the Spirit is a clear brisk and most ingenious Life 4. The Life of the Spirit is a pleasant and fully contented Life 5. The Life of the Spirit is an everlasting Life 6. The Mind and Will of Sense and the Mind and Will of Reason were the Gift of God by Creation passing to Mankind by the means of Generation without sin and before sin and Law that made sin to be known 7. The Mind and Will of the Spirit perfecting and sanctifying the Mind and Will of Sense and the Mind and Will of Reason were the Gift of God by Promise or Covenant and Faith of God and Man convey'd to Mankind by the means of Regeneration without sin and after sin and Law that made sin to be known by Grace and Pardon through Jesus Christ 1. Thus the Life of Sense is natural and good till it exceed in its operations the rules and limits of a law put upon it For sin is the transgression of a law and where there is no law there is no transgression but still the sense is unregenerate 2. The Life of Reason is natural and better in a tendency to Regeneration while it acts like it self by rules of right Reason and the Law of Nature till it be debauched by the carnal Mind and Will and drawn down to unreasonable notions and appetites 3. The Life of Faith is Supernatural good and best of all which is the state of Regeneration and a new Creation of a new and perfect Man in Christ Jesus SECT IV. 1. Therefore we are to do all in Faith Corollaries 1. Acts of Sense and Passions of love joy fear c. 2. Acts of Reason Arts Sciences and Mysteries Speculative and Practick So we live above all these 2. Therefore we are to suffer all in Faith 2. Sense pain sickness scorn shame c. 2. Reason ignorance errour and all failings So we live above all these 3. Therefore we keep integrity in all Conditions 1. Peace health honour wealth favour and all prosperity 2. War sickness shame poverty and all adversity 4. Thus we may try and judg of both estates the Old Man and the New the Flesh and the Spirit the Old Creature and the New the unregenerate and the Regenerate the Child of the Devil and the Child of God 1. Consider a Man that leads a Carnal Life He is very busie about what pleaseth his sense and carnal reason he takes care for his health and pleasure he hunts after gain honour and pride he studies for Learning Arts and Sciences Well what will all this do Ask him when he comes to die Where 's his pleasure profit Learning c. all is gone and he is going from all and what comfort have they left behind Now he must die and all 's left behind He enjoy'd his worldly wealth as long as he could and now some body will sing O be joyful and throw it away as fast as he raked it together and faster too 2. Consider a Man that leads a Spiritual Life He is very busie about what pleases his Soul he takes care for his Soul's health he searches for the true gain he studies for the true Wisdom Well what will all this do ask him when he comes to die Where 's his pleasure profit Learning c. all is present with him and go along with him his end is Peace and he enters into Peace He dies a wise and holy Man and he is happy and gone to God and his memory is precious 5. Thus by Faith I am justified to the promise By Faith I enter into the Promise by Faith I receive the Spirit of Promise the Adoption Sanctification Hope Comfort Love and Glory by Faith I labour in the works of Love and work out my Salvation with fear and trembling by Faith I hold out in prosperity from being translated ravished or overcome by peace wealth c. By Faith I hold out in adversity and live in all storms from being overwhelmed by pain grief c. into despair By Faith I resist and overcome the Devil by Faith I live by Faith I die and rest in hope to enjoy the end of my hope Everlasting Life Conclusion Therefore without Holiness there can be no happiness for to be carnally minded is Death but to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace for if we live after the Flesh we shall die but if we through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Flesh we shall live Ergo 1. In Feudation is Adoption Justification and engrafting into Christ By Faith 2. Homage is Regeneration Re-creation and Sanctification by works Quod erat demonstrandum The Fifth BOOK OF ASSURANCE The CONTENTS Transition Promises Publick Faith Spirit Waiting TITLE I. Of the Nature of Assurance OUR Justification doth create unto us a present right to the future possession of Heavenly Blessedness Transition The matter whereunto the Right claimeth is the Heavenly Blessedness it self the Title whereby this Right is acquired or had is Faith by the higher Title of Free-Grace the Tenure whereby it is continued or held is Sanctification or Works and the Services of Love and the Assurance whereby it is witnessed or proved is the Spirit by Faith For where a Right is imparted convey'd or settled upon me Reason it is good reason that besides my Title and my Tenure I should have some good Assurance from the Donor or Granter whereby the truth of such conveyance may be witnessed and proved in case the Donor or Granter should fail or deny or recal such conveyance But especially this Assurance is to be made where the Gift or Grant is imperfect as alwaies it is in all Promises For by force of a Promise there is convey'd unto me only a bare right or interest to a thing and not any possession of the thing it self but the actual delivery of it is suspended until some time future And therefore in the mean time some Assurance is most necessary for me that thereby I may know how to witness the Promise formerly passed unto me for my future possession of the thing promised when the time thereto assigned shall be expired 1. In the Old Testament God promised unto Abraham the inheritance of the Land of Canaan and Abraham believing God or accepting the Promise had by virtue of such his Faith a present right thereto But because he had not the present possession of it he requested some Assurance whereby he might know that he should inherit it Gen. 15.8 And he said Lord whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it And God gave him an Assurance by
he that was impure in that he was impure is holy because Christ was so but because God will for Christ's sake accept and receive and embrace us as if we were so Unless we shall say that as we are wise with Christ and holy and righteous so with Christ also we do redeem our selves For he who is said to be our Righteousness is said also to be our Redemption in the next words c. Id. ib. S. 44 p. 1074 c. It is true indeed the Gospel hath been preached these 1600 years and above many questions have been raised about Justification For though Men have been willing to go under the name of justified persons yet have they have been busie to enquire how Justification hath been wrought in them They are justified they know not how Many and divers opinions have been broach'd amongst the Canonists and Confessionists and others Osiander nameth twenty and there are many more at this day And yet all may consist well enough for ought I see and still that sense Justification which is deliver'd in Scripture as necessary remains entire For 1. it is necessary to believe That no Man can be justified by the works of Law precisely taken and in this all agree 2. It is necessary to believe that we are not justified by the Law of Moses either by it self or joyn'd with Faith in Christ and in this all agree 3. That Justification is not without remission of sins and imputation of Righteousness and in this all agree 4. That a dead Faith doth not justifie and here is no difference 5. That that is a dead Faith which is not accompanied with good works and a holy and serious purpose of good Life And in this all agree Lastly that Faith in Christ Jesus implyeth an advised and deliberate assent that Christ is our Prophet and Priest and King And in this all agree Da si quid ultra est And what is more is but a vapour But those interpretations which have been made upon this Nihil ampliùs quam sonant Nec animum faciunt quia non habent What matter is it whether I believe or not believe know or not know that our Justification doth consist in one or more acts so that I certainly know and believe that it is the greatest Blessing that God can let fall upon his Creature and believe that by it I am made acceptable in his sight and though I have broke the Law yet I shall be dealt with as if I had been just and righteous indeed whether it be done by pardoning all my sins or imputing universal obedience to me or the active or passive obedience of Christ c. Id. 1. Vol. S. 22. p. 427. Adam sinned and we die We were all in the loyns of that one Man Adam when that one Man slew us all And this we are too ready to confess that we are born in sin Nay Original Sin we fall so low as to damn our selves before we were born This some may do in humility but most are content it should be so well pleased in their Pedigree well pleased that they are brought into the World and in that filth and uncleanness that God doth hate and make the unhappiness of their Birth an Advocate to plead for those pollutions for those willful and beloved sins which they fall into in the remaining part of their life as being the proper and natural issues of the weakness and impotency with which we were sent into the World But this is not true in every part That weakness whatsoever it is can draw no such necessity upon us nor can be wrought into an Apology for sin or an excuse for dying For to conclude and wrap up all our actual sin in the folds of Original weakness is nothing else but to cancel our old obligations and to put all on our first Parents score and so make Adam guilty of the sins of the whole World Our natural and original weakness I will not now call into question since it hath had such Grandees in our Church Men of great learning and piety for its Nursing Fathers and that for many centuries of years but yet I cannot see why it should be made a cloak to cover our other transgressions or why we should miscarry so often with an eye cast back upon our first Fall which is made ours but in another man Nor any reason though it be a plant water'd by the best hands why men should be so delighted in it why they should lie down and repose themselves under its shadow why they should be so willing to be weak and so unwilling to hear the contrary why men should take so much pains to make the way to happiness narrower and the way to death broader than it is In a word why we should thus magnifie a temptation and disparage our selves why we should make each importunate object as powerful and irresistible as God himself Petrar and our selves as Idols even nothing in this world Magna pars humanarum querelarum non injusta modò materiâ sed stulta est for when our souls are pressed down and overcharged with sin when we feel the gripes and gnawings of our Conscience we commonly lay hold on those remedies which are worse than the disease suborn an unseasonable and ill applied conceit of our own natural weakness which is more dangerous than the temptation as an excuse and comfort of our overthrow We fall and plead we were weak and fall more than seven times a day and hold up the same plea still till we fall into that same place where we shall be muzled and speechless not able to say a word where our complaints will end in curses in weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Omnes nostris vitiis favemus quod propriâ facimus voluntate ad naturae referimus necessitatem we are all tender and favourable to our own sins and because they pleased us when we committed them We are unwilling to revile them now but wipe off as much of their filth as we can because we resolve to commit them again And those transgressions which our lusts conceived and brought forth by the midwifry of our will we remove as far as we can and lay them at the door of necessity are ready to complain of God and Nature it self Now this complaint against Nature when we have sinned is most unjust for God and Nature have imprinted in our Souls those common principles of goodness That good is to be embraced and evil is to be abandoned that we must do to others as we would be done to Those practical notions those anticipations as the Stoicks call them of the mind preparations against sin death which if we did not willfully stifle and choak them might lift up our Souls far above those depressions of Self-love and Covetousness and those evils which destroy us quae ratio semel in universum vincit which Reason with the help of Grace overcometh at
and anon and trouble their Writings Ib. p. 34. Did God generally under the weak and worldly state of the Jewish Church send forth those Prophets whose learning education holy lives great works admirable gifts commanded even prophane men to a reverence of their Persons and Message And doth he now make use of Monsters Comets Meteors or the Apparitions of unclean Spirits as his Praecones Publici Id. ib. p 47. Signa Moralia signs of a Moral nature such as were the gradual lessening of the lustre and glory of the Jewish Polity and Pedagogy Oeconomy of Moses decaying by the ceasing of Prophecy the absence of Heavenly fire the Ark of the Covenant the Schechinah the Oracles by Urim and Thummim From the Second Temple the lapsing of the government from Kings to Dukes from Dukes to the Sanhedrim from them to the Romans there having been no Kings types of Christ after David and Solomon except Hezekiah be admitted a Candidate for that hand this vanishing splendour of the face of Moses that Oeconomy whereof he was the Minister was a sign that the Sun of Righteousness was now arising under whom a state of more Spiritual and Inward glory was shortly to obtain Ib. p. 48. All the Shadows and Rites of the Law were to expire and conclude like the Phoenix in a Nest of Spices in the Graces and Truths and Glories of the Gospel state that the wall of Partition was now to be taken away and all Nations to own themselves Brethren under one Common-Father The Times there intended were times rather present than future Times wherein the Mosaical Oeconomy brought on with mighty Signs and Wonders was to determine Times wherein the Church was to be put under an immutable and excellent form of Administration and therefore the last time in Scripture Signs The Jews were a people so used to Signs that the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 1.22 The Jews require a Sign And it was the vulgar opinion amongst them That as all extraordinary Prophets were to seal their Commission with a Miracle so all events extraordinary were to be foreshewn by a Sign Hence the Jews came to our Saviour with that bold demand What Sign shewest thou unto us Mar. 8.11 seeing thou dost all these things Jo. 2.18 God perhaps gave them Signs to assure them that the evils which befell them arose not out of the dust but came upon them from the fore-appointing Counsels of heaven and to awaken their dull and worldly minds into a lively sense of his Justice and Providence But now in the broad day light of the Gospel 't is expected that we should not need awakening by any such Monitors into a sense and awe of the Divine Majesty We must now believe without a Sign and derive our Repentance not from mighty Earthquakes and Prodigies but an ingenious and understanding sense of sin Id. ib. p. 74. We are to discard all sowr Jealousies concerning God Sowr jealous conceits of God Synesius hath observed that however the Nations were distanced from each other like the lines in the Circumference 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by very different opinions and sentiments in reference to God and Religion in other matters yet still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all center'd and met in this great Doctrine both wise and unwise That God was a good bountiful and benign Being The greater wonder to me it is that so many Doctrines among the Heathens and Christians too which I am not here to take notice of should be received with a Non obstante to this native and easie sense of the Divine goodness and Philanthropy lodged in their minds the Leaven of a Sowr conceit which cannot dwell with a belief of Gods goodness Plutarch justly challengeth in Herodotus That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Deity is of an envious and troublesom disposition That God is only ingeniosus in malis that his Counsels are especially taken up with the contrivances of new plagues and miseries for the hated World than which did never a more pestilential Air breath from the bottomless pit crazing the very vitals of Religion and corrupting the first and earliest notions rising up in the Soul when conceiving of a God Whereas if men did not measure the Nature of God by that froward and envious Spirit which commands themselves they might easily understand all the Evils sometimes sent down upon the World to be in the language of the Moralist only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Divine Testimony given in against sin and intended but to discipline the mad World into some sober and wise thoughts and they would believe the fairer reports which Scripture makes of God which tells us He doth not willingly grieve the Children of men that fury dwells not with him that Judgment is his strange work Ib. p. 77. A generous indifferency as to the good and evil things of this world Indifferency to the world The more the heart of a man outgrows the joys and fears of this world the more will all things therein appear to him much too little for the solemnity of a Prodigy The more will he think nothing here of value enough to have its fall come with pomp and observation and the less will he concern himself to know the future condition of such a vanity as this world is 'T is only when mens hopes and fortunes are much embarked in this world that they are impressive to any great fears in reference to its future state The Gentiles of old that could never lift up their heavy and drossie minds above the dull flats of things sensible and worldly were the greatest Professors of all the Arts of Divination by all manner of strange and unusual Accidents And the Jews to whom God had promised a heaven on this side thereof in the literal enjoyment of this Worlds blessings were very solicitous about the meaning of strange Prophecies the signs of the times the issue of things And God was pleased by many Oracles Signs and Prophecies to accommodate himself to this low and worldly temper of theirs But since the introduction of a Better hope the Tenders of such Spiritual promises we have scarce any intimations and notices given us of things future unless some very dark Prophecies in the Revelation which some Learned men conceive already accomplish't God hereby supposing our eyes now to be fixt so upon the more clearly revealed felicities of another world as not much to look down to the futurities of this P. 80. Shall we value our Faith at so cheap a rate as to trust it with the oracles of the Father of lies Can the Devil be presumed able to give us true Resolutions to any Questions de Futuro Did God ever make him of his Counsel or deliver times and seasons into his power or willing if able to do it with any fair and single purposes and intentions Have the beams of the Sun of Righteousness put out all the fires on his Altars the glory and power of the Divine Oracles and Miracles
Fathers Sister Cons Mothers Sister Cons Fathers Brothers Wife Aff. Mothers Brothers Wife Aff. Wives Fathers sister Aff. Wives Mothers Sisters Aff. Downward Neeces Brothers Daughter Cons Sisters Daughter Cons Brothers Sons Wife Aff. Sisters Sons Wife Aff. Wives brothers Daugh. Aff. Wives Sisters Daugh. Aff. A Man may not marry Upwards his Mothers Grandmothers Great Grandmothers In Nature In Law Forwards his Brothers Neeces In Nature In Law Sidewards his Aunts Great Aunts In Nature In Law Downwards his Daughters Grandaughters Great Grandaughters In Nature In Law A Woman may not Marry in the Right Line Upward in the First Degree Fathers Father Cons Stepfather Aff. Husbands Father Aff. Second Deg. Grandfathers Grandfather Cons Grandmothers Husb. Aff. Husbands Grandfather Aff. Downward in the First Degree Sons Son Cons Husbands Son Aff. Daughters Husb. Aff. Second Deg. Grandsons Sons Son Cons Daughters Son Cons Sons Daught. Husb. Aff. Daughters Daug. Husb. Aff. Husbands Sons Son Aff. Husbands Daugh. Son Aff. Side Line Forward Brothers Brother Cons Husbands Brother Aff. Sisters Husband Aff. Upward Uncles Fathers Brother Cons Mothers Brother Cons Fathers Sisters Husb. Aff. Mothers Sisters Husb. Aff. Husb. Fathers Brother Aff. Husb. Mothers Brother Aff. Downward Nephews Brothers Son Cons Sisters Son Cons Brothers Daugh. Husb. Aff. Sisters Daughters Husb. Aff. Husbands Brothers Son Aff. Husbands Sisters Son Aff. A Woman may not marry Upwards her Fathers Grandfathers Great Grandfathers In Nature In Law Forwards her Brothers Nephews In Nature In Law Sidewards her Aunts Great Aunts In Nature In Law Downwards her Sons Grandsons Great Grandsons In Nature In Law Prohibitions to the Third Degree inclusively A Man may not marry his 1. Mothers 2. Sisters 3. Aunts in Blood or Nature in Marriage or Law A Woman may not Marry her 1. Fathers 2. Brothers 3. Uncles in Blood or Nature in Marriage or Law Permissions of Cousins beyond the Third Degree Briefly A Man may not marry in the Right Line any of his Mothers Grandmothers Daughters Grandaughters Side Line any of her Sisters Aunts Neeces Persons forbidden in the Right Line 15 in all 30. Side Line 15 in all 30. Briefly A Woman may not marry in the Right Line any of her Fathers Grandfathers Sons Grandsons Side Line any of her Brothers Uncles Nephews Persons forbidden in the Right Line 15 in all 30. Side Line 15 in all 30. A Postscript THose that have had the patience hitherto let them favour me a little farther for their satisfaction to read the Testimonies of some Ancient and Modern Divines who have either said the same things with me or else very like them or have given me hints at least to enlarge upon them Authorities I know by custome sound high and prevail much to vulgar perswasion But solid reason is of much more force in it self and prevails much more with intelligent and unbiassed Souls Examine well the scope of all and without prejudice and let the Learned correct qualifie expunge or add as their wisdoms shall prompt them with all Candour Hear therefore next to the Holy Scriptures what these Learned men do say Testimonia Laciniata The CONTENTS Peccatum Originale Lex Fides Duo Testamenta Fides Scripturae Nature Grace Absolute Decree Spirituale Sacrificium Superstitio Promissa Adamo Praedestinatio Meritum Perseverantia Satisfactio Praedestinatio Peccatum Originale Imputatio Labes Originalis Controversies Ceremonies Definitions and Determinations Scoffing and Railing Atheism Gravity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two Covenants Testament New Covenant Correspondence of Covenants Sacrifices Decalogue Baptism Natural Law Law and Gospel Resurrectio Justitia Imputatio Fides Justificatio Remissio Imputatio Justification Imputed Righteousness Justification Original sin Weakness Generousness Elements Nonage of the Church Fanaticks Terrible representations of God Popular errors Fathers not all pure OEconomy of Moses decaying Signs Some jealous conceits of God's indifferency to the World Jewish Nation a Pattern for others Votum pro Pace Christian Religion Immanation of God Emanations of God Appetites of Man's Happiness Recovery Doctrines troubled Vulgar errours Discerning Party Primitive Terms Reformation A Postscript Old Covenant Gen. 2.17 IN that day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are in the Law to do them Deot 27.26 If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God to observe to do all his Commandments and his statutes then shall all these curses come upon thee and overtake thee Deut. 23. Lev. 26.23 c. And if you will not be reformed by these things but will walk contrary unto me then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seven times for your sins New Covenant 2 Cor. 3.6 Who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life 1 Cor. 10.1 c. I will not have you to be ignorant how that all our Fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the Sea and did all eat the same Spiritual meat and did all drink the same Spiritual Drink for they drank of that Spiritual Rock that follow'd them and that Rock was Christ Job 8.17 Luc. 10.24 The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ For I tell you many Prophets and Kings have desired to see those things ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye have heard and have not heard them Matth. 11 1◠Verily I say unto you Among them that are born of Women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he Hebr. 7.19 For the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in a better hope did by the which we draw nigh unto God Hebr. 8.6 Now he hath obtain'd a more excellent Ministery by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant which was established upon better Promises Hebr. 9.15 And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of Death for the redemption of the transgressions which were under the first Covenant they which are called might receive the promise of eternal Inheritance For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator c. 2 Tim. 1.9 10. Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel Act. 13.38 39. Be it known unto you therefore Men and Brethren that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from