is not a covenant of Works but a commandment of well-doing and he having given it we take our selves bound to be subject to it The Apostle also presseth the Moral Law upon several relations of men Ephes 6.1 2 3 c. It is an honour to Jesus Christ that his servants should be holy as he is holy it is for the glory of God and he requireth it The Apostle James presseth it Chap. 2.8 to the end of the chapter If you fulfil the Royal Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self ye do well And again Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all Thus we see the Apostles of Jesus Christ put it upon Christians to keep the Law of God and Christ himself beareth witness to the Law for God will never justifie sin to be no sin though he will justifie the person of a sinner Now as the Lord Jesus giveth the Law and as it were reneweth it so he doth also give his Spirit unto his servants enabling them to keep it Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 36.27 I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them And again I will put my law in their hearts and write it in their inward parts Now this Law would he not write in the hearts of his people nor give unto them his holy Spirit enabling them to keep his Law were it not his will in Jesus Christ that the Law should be the rule of holiness and righteousness unto his people hence it is that the children of God though they be not under the Covenant of the Law yet take themselves to be bound to the obedience of it for if Jesus Christ have given the Law as well as Moses and if he have ratified it by giving them his Spirit to teach and strengthen them to keep it though not perfectly yet sincerely then they take themselves bound to obey the Law though they be under the Covenant of Grace for do we make void the law through saith God forbid yea we establish the law For what need have Christians of free Justification by Christ if they were not bound to obedience by the Commandment of the Law Therefore the free Justification of men under a free Covenant of Grace doth establish the obedience of the Law otherwise what need they run to Christ to save them from the curse of the Law Why do we still run to Christ for the continuance of our justification But that we find our selves ungodly creatures against the righteous and holy Law of God therefore if God have given men the Law and his holy Spirit to strengthen them in the obedience of it and his grace to save them from the curse of it then Christians are to know that they are bound to keep the Law they lie under the authority of it and dare not pluck their necks from under that yoke Now there are two Effects springing from the subjection of Gods people to the Commandment of the Law 1. As they take themselves bound to the obedience of it so they believe and many times feel the fatherly displeasure of God when they transgress the Law now the transgression of the Law could not bring them under Gods displeasure unless they were bound unto the Commandment of the Law this displeasure David was sensible of Psal 38.1 2 3. c. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin And many complaints of like nature doth he there make which do all of them spring from the conscience of the disobedience of the Law which God hath framed in the hearts of his servants whereby they reflect upon their sin as the ground of all the distempers which lie upon their bodies or minds This is the first effect of the subjection of Gods people to his Law they lie under the faith and sence of the danger of the disobedience of it 2. They are under the faith and sence also of Gods gracious acceptance of their waies when they are suitable to the blessed directions of his word not that they can raise therefrom the assurance of their justified estate but by the same Spirit of God whereby they are helped to obey the Commandment they do see the Lords gracious approbation of them in their poor and weak endeavours for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous that is acknowledgeth and approveth it Psal 1.6 when the Lord by his Spirit boweth the hearts of his servants to obedience then he knoweth and accepeth their obedience Gen. 22.12 Now I know that thou fearest me seeing thou hast not withheld thy son thine only son from me thus the Lord beareth witness to his servants that he doth accept their works so that they sensibly know and believe that the Lord doth acknowledge their poorest and weakest endeavours unto which they are carried forth by his Spirit in the obedience of his word This the Prophet David confirmeth Psal 18.20 to 26. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me for I kept the waies of the Lord have not wickedly departed from my God for all his judgements were before me and I did not put away his statutes from me I was also upright before him and kept my self from mine iniquity therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hands in his eye-sight with the merciful thou wilt shew thy self merciful and with the upright man thou wilt shew thy self upright c. This David speaketh of his righteous dealing with Saul and whereas his enemies laid it to his charge that he was an enemy unto Saul the Lord beareth him witness that he had walked toward Saul with a good conscience now the Lord having led him an end to deal justly and righteously and purely with Saul having kept him from all the malice and outrage of Saul and maintained his cause against Saul and delivered him out of the hands of Saul whom the Lord had now rejected herein the Prophet seeth the Lord accepting him when in the name of his Son by the power of his Spirit he is helped to attend unto the Commandments of God This is comfortable unto a Christian spirit when the Lord beareth witness to his soul that he hath an eye to all the Commandments of God And all this argueth that the servants of God being in a state of grace in Jesus Christ have looked at themselves as bound by the Commandments of the Law and as being under the law to Christ who hath given the Law and power unto his servants sincerely to keep it both by writing in their hearts a law of obedience and by putting his holy Spirit within them for if the people of God were not sensible of their bounden duty to the observation
of the Law of God they would neither have faith nor sence of Gods fatherly displeasure when they negligently break these laws neither would they be sensible of Gods acceptance of their conformity thereunto but we know what the Apostle Paul saith 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world c. and truly the Lord doth often bear witness unto the integrity of his servants against the oppositions of men so he did to Abraham to David to Paul and to sundry of the Saints of God though the servants of God are not wonted thereupon to build their safe estate yet this kind of Gods acceptance of their waies and obedience they do discern yet in their best obedience which they do perform they see the need they have to go unto God for justifying grace because if they have failed in any one circumstance their best righteousness is polluted therefore they have need of Jesus Christ to cover the failings of their most strict performances This Nehemiah was sensible of when he had been very faithful in reforming the abuses of the Sabbath and of many other Ordinances of God and though the Lord had helped him to undertake the reformation with much dexterity and success yet for all this he runneth unto Christ for acceptance and pardon Nehem. 13.22 Remember me O my God concerning this and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy and what would he have done if he had been conscious of some gross sin He would then much more have run to the Lord Jesus Thus the Law is established by faith for there is no justified person but he is very apprehensive of his sins and so of his continual need of Christ whose blood cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 and who is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness vers 9. who is an Advocate if any man sin and a propitiation for our sins Chap. 2.1 2. and what do all these things argue but that a Christian being under the Covenant of the Grace of God doth submit himself unto this yoak of God Thus far then a Christian is under the Law to Christ so far as the Law is under Christ he is under the commandment of Christ and under the power of Christ and under the displeasure of Christ if he negligently sin against the Law and unto Christ he runneth for pardon and cleansing and unto Christ he cometh for acceptance of his obedience so that he hath no use of the Law but unto Christ and in and under Jesus Christ But how is a Christian not under the Law So far forth as the Law is not under Christ I mean so far as it is without Christ freely justifying of us by his grace so far a Christian is freed from under the Law In one word a Christian man under a Covenant of Grace is not under a Covenant of Works Rom. 6.14 You are not under the Law but under Grace he meaneth not under the Covenant of the Law nor under the power and authority of the Law as of their husband Rom. 7.1 2 3 4. The husbandly Jurisdiction of the Law is taken away The Law is not made for a righteous man 1 Tim. 1.9 that is not the Covenant of the Law for else we are under the Commandments of the Law to Christ but the Jewish Teachers taught more to wit the Covenant of the Law unto salvation not but that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully he meaneth the Covenant of the Law but how shall a man use it lawfully for it is not given unto a righteous man but he reckoneth up the breakers of every commandment and unto them it is given to the lawless and disobedient to the ungodly and sinners to the unholy and profane to murtherers of fathers and murtherers of mothers to man-slayers and whoremongers and to them that defile themselves with man-kind to men-stealers to lyars to perjured persons and if there be any other things that are contrary to sound Doctrine the Covenant of the Law is given unto such and unto none but such to convince them of their sins against the Law to humble them to the death and to drive them out of themselves and considence in themselves But how doth it appear that the Covenant of the Law is not given to the children of God from hence it is manifest 1. Because a Christian man neither looketh for Justification and Salvation from his Obedience to the Law nor feareth Condemnation though he fail in his Obedience and this is a fruit of his exemption from under the Covevenant of the Law for if a man should look for Life by his Obedience to the Law and fear condemnation by the breach of it this would bring a man under the Covenant of the Law for the sanctification of the Covenant of the Law is life to them that obey and to them that disobey death and the curse But a Christian looketh not for Life by his Obedience and that is plain Psal 143.2 Enter not into Judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified so Rom. 3.20 By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified for by the Law is the knowledge of sin therefore no hope of salvation from our Obedience to the Law But methinkes you will say a Christian may fear his condemnation because of his Disobedience to the Law Truly this is a great snare and this Doctrine will be scandalous to many a poor soul but without cause Indeed if God give a man to be under the Covenant of Grace and not to see it then he may fear but if a man know himself to be under the Covenant of Grace then he doth not fear condemnation from his disobedience notable to this purpose is the considence of David Psal 49.5 where the Prophet calleth upon all People in the world to take notice of it Both men of high degree and men of low degree Wherefore should I fear in the dayes so of evil when the iniquities of my heels shall compass me about wherefore truly if there be any fear in the world one would think this might procure it what should a man fear if not this David professeth it and would have all to know it that there is no cause therein why a Christian man should fear Wherefore should I fear c. though it should follow you to the stocks or to prison yet there is no cause why it should make you fear Men that trust themselves in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a ransom for him that he should live for ever and not see corruption had David had nothing but the wealth of his Kingdom he might
sandy foundation What say you then to works after conversion All works after conversion are fruits of Faith and if they proceed from Faith then faith went before then a mans faith was not built upon a conditional promise how is it possible that it should when as all works after conversion are either fruits of Faith or else they are no true sanctification then faith went before in order of Nature and so was not built upon works but works upon it Our Faith closeth with Christ upon a promise of Free-Grace Calvin Inst l. 3. c. 2. s 29. otherwise as saith Calvin my faith would alwaies be trembling and wavering as my works be Upon a promise of Free-Grace therefore my Faith is built as upon the promise of God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself 2 Cor. 5.18 19. The word is it may be spoken outwardly unto all Christians but if God do set it home particularly unto any Soul that man receiveth this Gift of God and it is made his own First he beleeveth the promise of Free-grace and then afterward come other promises that do bear witness unto the right application of that promise unto the soul but I am first built upon a promise of Free-grace or else there is no true closing with Jesus Christ well then being thus united unto Christ from this union with Christ do flow all other blessings and benefits of the Covenant of Grace for hence springeth communion with Christ in all spiritual blessings that the Lord hath wrought for us in him and they are two of them Relative blessings as they are called by Divines two of them positive blessings The two Former are laid up in Gods own Hand and are not created in us the other two positive Blessings are created in us 1. For the uncreated Blessings They are 1. Adoption 2. Justification And they spring immediately simul semel from the former union with Christ for as soon as ever the Spirit of God is in our hearts and hath wrought faith that we do not spurn against Jesus Christ but receive him now is the Divine Nature of Christ in us and we are now become the sons of God as Christ himself is Look as in a mans first natural conception as soon as ever one doth live there is an heir of Adam even so soon as the soul liveth so it is in the new spiritual Birth as soon as the Holy Ghost cometh and hath wrought this Faith now is the Seed of God in us the Life of Christ and the Spirit of God and now we are the Sons of God as we read Joh. c. 12. As many as received him to them he gave power to be the sons of God Immediately upon this union with Christ we are Sons by Adoption and as we are adopted so likewise our sins are now imputed unto Christ and his righteousness unto us and so our persons are justified For how and when was Adams sin imputed unto us Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity in sin did my mother conceive me So soon as over there was life it was the life of Adam and then the imputation of Adams sin falleth immediately upon the soul So when we do receive Christ by this living Faith having the Life of Christ in us we have the righteousness of Christ the second Adam imputed to us For what doth the childe in the womb though it doth neither good nor evil but is meerly passive yet sinful it is and a childe of Adam So also in this our Regeneration the soul receiveth Christ by that Faith which the Lord hath wrought in it whereby also it is made capable of the priviledg of Adoption and so the Lord accounteth us his children and imputeth the Righteousness of his Son unto us whereby we are Justified These things do dwell in Gods Bosome and the meaning of them is afterwards revealed unto the soul but communicated they are both that of Adoption and this of Justification by this gift of faith wrought in us But we are still upon the first work of conversion wherein a Christian is only passive and receptive and truly it must needs be so in the first work of God upon us 2. Now for the Positive Blessings that are wrought in us They are 1. Sanctification 2. Glorification 1. When we are called then are we Sanctified then are we Glorified 1 Cor. 1.2 as in our natural conception as soon as ever the childe liveth Adams sin is first imputed and then there is a proneness in it to carry it captive unto fin and to make it backward unto any goodness So when the Life of Christ is dispensed unto the soul now the Lord comes to convey with it Justification or pardon of sin and then there is a promise in a Justified person to walk in the spirit Gal. 5.25 If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit By Faith our hearts come to be purified Acts 15.9 and the same Spirit quickneth us unto holy duties so that we live yet not we but Christ liveth in us neither are we only in his hand but the Spirit sanctifying draweth us into an holy confederacy to serve God in Family Church and Common-wealth and this Sanctification groweth and encreaseth more and more 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Thes 4.1 5.23 2. The other positive gift is Glorification which we read of Rom. 8.30 Whom he called them also he justified and whom he justified them also he glorified this the Apostle Peter mentioneth 1 Pet. 5.10 The God of all grace hath called us into his eternal glory it Christ Jesus And in truth he hath begun the work from the time that he first began to sanctifie us 2 Tim. 1.9 He hath saved us and called us from the very first time that God worketh upon the soul graciously there is a glorious work in that soul and others may see it though himself sometimes seeth nothing that he hath received Thus we see the second branch of the Doctrine opened How the Lord doth receive Abraham and his seed unto himself preparing them by a spirit of Bondage and of Burning and then taking possession of them savingly by the inhabitation of the blessed Spirit the same Spirit begetting Faith we are alive in Jesus Christ and so come to be Adopted and Justified in him the same Faith which receiveth Adoption and Justification doth begin to stir a little and to breath forth into gracious desires and some holy mourning and beginneth now to put forth such works as the holy Ghost carrieth the soul an end in working all our works in us and for us 3. Now for the third and last part of the Doctrine The Lord took the chiefest of Abrahams seed to be the Mediator of this Covenant unto whom all the Promises were made Gal. 3.16 How did the Lord constitute him so to be Quest 1. By a double Act first Answ by receiving Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary to be one Person with the
seek for some qualification in our selves and think that the Holy Ghost applieth some promise made to such a qualification and so we lay hold upon Jesus Christ a most unsafe building in my understanding for we cannot reach any gracious qualification until we have first received Christ in the Promise and then we must look up unto him to bring us unto the promises and to apply them to us It is not possible that a corrupt tree should bring forth good fruit but first make the tree good and good trees we cannot be till we be ingrafted into Christ which is indeed the ground of my great fear and solicitude and the reason why I dare not be so unfaithful as to set men in a way of faith or any other qualifications thereby to conclude their safe estate before they have received Christ in a promise Indeed when a mans soul is wounded and convinced of some hainous sins the Promises of God in such a case may support his soul but do not lead a man in such a case to see his faith or any other qualification therein to satisfie himself but if I would help and comfort such a soul I would declare to him what the Lord hath done for us in Christ I would shew him all the treasures of the rich grace of Christ I would set in order before him how he loveth freely without any deserts in us I would tell him how freely the Lord Jesus Christ doth invite men to come to him that have neither money nor moneys worth and if the Lord take delight to do him good and to do him good by my mouth he will convey his Spirit of grace in some such word as I have spoken unto him but if the Lord do not breath by his Spirit in my words then I would advise him to go and talk with some other Christians I would not limit him to any one brother but let others also tell him what Christ hath done for their souls it may be the Lord may thereby convey himself and I have sometimes known this in experience that when some have spoken scornfully of the free grace of God yet when the same hath been held forth their spirits have been subdued to stoop unto it so great is the power of the word of Gods free grace set home by the Spirit of God and the meditation thereof doth serve greatly to the firm rooting of the peace of Gods people The fourth Use Use 4 is to such a soul who is brought home to fellowship with Jesus Christ and actually justified being first adopted he is reconciled to God and is become the son of the most High and hath all his sins pardoned both past present and to come It is a ground of much Consolation to such a soul who hath the Holy Ghost dwelling in him he cannot rest till he find the free grace of Jesus Christ revealed to him by his holy Spirit in some promise thereof for Christ himself hath said That the Spirit of truth will take of mine and shew it unto you Joh. 16.14 There is strong consolation laid up for all those that cannot rest without the manifestation of the free grace of God unto their souls other things will not satisfie them the Lord doubtless will withhold no good thing from such We now proceed unto the ninth Question Quest 9 which is How doth God the Son give himself unto Abraham and to his seed in an everlasting Covenant and union that shall never be dissolved In three acts or works about Abraham and his seed Answ 1. First in giving Christ God doth give himself and therefore here is the Son's work to come and take our nature upon him For the Father gave him for that end and the Son came to fulfil the will of the Father and that is the Son's work even the true distinct work of Christ It properly belongeth unto the Son to be our actual Redeemer from all sin and misery 2. As the Father draws us to the Son and reveals the Son unto the soul so doth the Son reveal the Father also Joh. 1.18 Mat. 11.27 3. As the Father doth accept us in his Son as justified by his righteousness so the Son doth preserve us in this estate even to his heavenly Kingdom These therefore are the three works of the Son in the Covenant of Grace He takes our nature upon him for our redemption He reveals the Father to us He preserveth us in the Father and in himself Let us speak something to each of these in particular 1. For the first of these That he took our nature upon him the Apostle saith Heb. 2.14 15. c. For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage c. Therefore it was truly said Isa 9.6 Unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given c. He took our nature upon him lived a miserable life died a cursed death this is the proper character and work of the Son and thus he is made an horn of salvation to us Luk. 1.69 and all this floweth from the everlasting Covenant as also Zachariah Prophesied Luk. 1.72 73. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant the oath which he sware to our father Abraham By him we have redemption through his blood Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 This then is the first work of the Son to Redeem us And the very phrase of Redemption doth imply a double state of those that are redeemed without which it cannot be understood to wit The state whence and whereunto they are redeemed Even from a state of bondage unto Christian liberty this is found in all redemption properly so called It findeth us in bondage and setteth us in a state of liberty Heb. 2.14 15. He took our nature upon him that he might deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time made subject to bondage And this third thing also is implyed in the word Redemption with both the former namely a certain price by which we are redeemed from bondage unto liberty In a state of Bondage we were under the Law and curse of God but Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law Gal. 3.13 and now sin shall no more have dominion over us for we are not under the law Rom. 6.14 that is not under the Covenant of the Law though we lie under the Commandment of it in Christ we were sometime under the bondage of sin under the guilt and strength of sin but by Christ we have redemption even the forgiveness of our sin and as the Law was the
had put away his sin he should not dye yet still he prayed for mercy Psal 51.1 and for establishment with Gods free Spirit ver 12. and Make me to hear the voice of joy and gladness ver 8. why had he not heard it already it was a most gracious word that Nathan spake true but he is not yet clear in it it is that Holy Ghost that must make him to hear the voice of joy and gladness otherwise though a man hath much experience of Gods goodness to him and sits and talks of the wonderful things that God hath done for him to the warming of the hearts of all that hear him yet the soul cannot reach that abundant satisfaction which he doth desire till at length the Lord comes in some Ordinance of his and beareth witness freely of love bestowed upon us and such a testimony will marvelously settle and establish any soul in the world so that it is the Spirit that beareth witness unto faith and nothing can do it but the Spirit only and yet if the Spirit should breath out of the word it were but a delusion Isai 8.20 To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to that it is because they have no light in them And therefore the Lord couples his word and his Spirit together Isai 57.19 I create the fruit of the lips peace peace though it be creating work yet it is by the fruit of the lips so likewise Isai 59.21 My Spirit that is upon thee and my words that I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever Thus the Spirit of God in the word is mighty to begin and mighty to carry an end spiritual work in the soul Now the ordinary manner of the revelation of the Spirit is if he reveal Gods free justification of us it is by revealing his free grace in a promise not made to works no not to faith it self but rather as a thing to be created by the word of a free promise unto sanctification indeed he doth bear witness in any promise as if the question be about Abraham's sanctification how did the Lord reveal it we may see Gen. 22.12 By this I know that thou fearest me seeing thou hast not withheld thy son thine only son from me but for his justification the Lord had revealed that in another promise Gen. 15.5 6. wherein God brought him forth and bids him Look now towards heaven and tell the stars if thou be able to number them and he said unto him So shall thy seed be and among them he shews him that seed that shall be a blessing unto all nations this is a thing beyond his capacity but this he believed and it was counted unto him for righteousness now in this the Lord reveals nothing but his free grace without any respect unto any goodness in Abraham faith was in him before and had put forth it self by faith when he was called he went out not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 but a man is justified not by the habit of faith only but by every act of faith and as often as this is revealed so often is the grace of God revealed unto the soul for it is nothing that God seeth in Abraham for which he doth reveal his justification to him but this he doth freely of his grace and so Abraham receives it Rom. 4.4 5 6. c. To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted to him for righteousness which shews us that Abraham looks at himself as an ungodly man when he considereth his justification not but that Abraham was now godly in Scripture account before but he looketh at him that justifieth the ungodly as David describeth the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without works for thus the Lord setteth it home unto the heart without works saying Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered so it is free blessedness that the Lord reveals unto the soul and lest you should think that these things were peculiar to Abraham and David c. he tels us ver 23 24. that it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also c. As it was with the Father of the faithful so it is also with all believers which are his children that as he considered not his own body that was dead nor the deadness of Sarah's womb so neither should we consider this or that in our bodies or souls for if we were thus and thus fitted for justification then the reward would be of works and so a debt unto us now though works be there when justification is again and again revealed yet it comes not into sight for a double reason First Reas 1 Because when the Lord appears as justifying the soul he sits upon a throne of justice and a throne of grace together not accepting any righteousness but that which is compleat and adequate Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus it is not justice for God to pronounce a man just upon any other righteousness besides the righteousness of his Son for if God should mark what we have done no flesh living should be justified in his sight Psa 143.2 but through the righteousness of Christ which is perfect the Lord justifies every one that believeth in him and that act of faith whereby a man taketh hold on Christ and receiveth Christ that is it which quieteth the soul for it is not meet that the Lord should justifie any simple work of mine for if the Lord should justifie me so mine own cloathes would defile me and if I should come before him with any work which he hath wrought in me to be accepted for it this would be preposterous and out of place for he will have a full righteousness to accept me before he will pronounce me righteous and therefore I am first called to his Son for as there is no more required to make me a sinful man but that I be found in Adam so there is no more required to my justification but that I should have union with the second Adam Secondly Reas 2 As the Lord doth sit upon a Throne of justice when he justifies a soul so he doth also upon a Throne of grace Rom. 3.24 We are justified freely by his grace therefore he will not justifie any man upon works lest they should boast before him and therefore you shall finde it to be true that if the Lord be to declare his acceptance of the sanctification of his people he will not do it in respect of the worth of their works but according to the grace of his promise But is not my sanctification a work of free
grace Object doth one grace hinder another such is Bellarmines reason against justification by grace what saith he doth grace fight against grace if we say We be justified by our works it is grace that gives us those works and a will unto them thus doth he confess Our Divines answer is That if our justification be of grace it is not of works and if it be of works it is not of grace so in like manner if the Lord do shew himself in a matter of grace let all our works be silent for if Abraham hath whereof to glory it is not before God so then if grace appear it is not in our works and therefore if God do speak any comfort unto sanctification he will put his servants quite off from the conceit of their own holiness Thus we finde it 2 Sam. 7.18 Lord saith David what am I or what is my fathers house c. though at that time the Lord took notice of his sanctification and so indeed it is usual with the faithful when the Lord pronounceth any mercy to them they see no reason in themselves why the Lord should vouchsafe it as you see when the light of the Sun shineth upon a candle it dampes the light thereof so it is in this case when the riches of Gods mercy shineth upon the soul he is not so taken up in the consideration of his own works and holiness because his heart is lifted up higher in the consideration of the grace of God and yet let me say thus much There is a kinde of revelation that is under the Law Ezek. 18.5 6. If a man be just and do that which is lawful and right and hath not eaten upon the mountains neither hath lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel c. he is just he shall surely live saith the Lord God Thus a man is pronounced just upon his righteousness that is to say so far just as the Law declares him just if either he keep the Commandment or if he break the Commandment and come and bring his Sacrifice then his sin shall be forgiven him Lev. 5.10 13 16. somewhat sutable unto what we read Mat. 18.23 24 25. c. when the servant was required to make payment to his Lord and had nothing to pay he falleth down and worshippeth his Lord saying Have patience with me and I will pay thee all so out of compassion he forgave him the debt just as when the Lord taketh hold of a man by sickness and is ready to expose him to death then he cryeth Lord be merciful to me and I will become a new man and all the world shall know it and all my friends shall see it then the Lord out of compassion delivereth him from his sickness according to Psal 78 34 35. c. when God slew them then they sought him and returned and required early after God and though they did but flatter him with their lips yet he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not Thus the Lord may let men see that he doth forgive them and no small comfort sometime doth arise and all this from some works that they have done but when the Lord revealeth himself graciously by his Spirit in our justification he doth banish the sight of our works so that the soul doth look at himself as the chiefest of all sinners as not having so much as the crawling or creeping of any work of sanctification Yea when the Lord revealeth to his people their sanctification the manifestation of his love unto their souls upon that point doth take them off from the sight of their own works and move them to wonder that ever the Lord should manifest himself graciously to such as they are Now for the Use of this Use 1 Let me apply it to teach Christians not to be afraid of the word Revelation you have heard of many that have attended to Revelations that have been deceived it is true for the Devil himself will transform himself into an Angel of light he will be foisting in delusions yea many times when the soul waiteth for the revelation of Gods mercy the Devil will be apt to foist in such revelations from whence many delusions may grow but yet on the otherside let not men be afraid and say That we have no revelation but the word for I do believe and dare confidently affirme that if there were no revelation but the word there would be no spiritual grace revealed to the soul for it is more then the Letter of the Word that is required to it not that I look for any other matter besides the word But there is need of greater light then the word of it self is able to give for it is not all the promises in Scripture that have at any time wrought any gracious change in any soul or are able to beget the faith of Gods Elect true it is indeed whether the Father Son or Spirit reveal any thing it is in and according to the word but without the work of the Spirit there is no faith begotten by any promise the word of God and all his works may beget you some knowledge if you be not mistaken in them but to beget the faith of Gods elect that may be able to stand against all the powers of darkness and to crush all the temptations of that wicked one it is not all the works of God nor all the word of God of it self that is able to beget such faith if there be any it is but an historical faith a dead faith that is not able to bring the soul neerer to God I beseech you therefore consider of it as a mystery of God indeed yet marvelous plain in Scripture as I conceive That neither the word of grace nor all the works of grace are able to clear up the grace of God unto the soul it is the Spirit of God that must do it he must reveal the grace of God if ever we see it otherwise it is not possible that we should believe for though we should attain unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulness of knowledge we shall not attain unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulness of faith As for our works in justification the Lord will dash them to pieces and cast them out of his sight and though faith comes by hearing yet it is the Spirit in the word that maketh the New Testament a lively Letter otherwise as not the flesh of Christ so nor the word of Christ profiteth any thing it is the Spirit that quickeneth therefore look for this revelation of the Spirit to shew you the need of Christ and the Lords offering and presenting Christ unto you and his drawing your hearts to believe upon him otherwise you neither can have any faith nor can you discern any gift of God bestowed upon you In the second place Use 2 Let this teach and exhort us not to look for any revelation out of the Word for
the Spirit comes in the mouth of the Word and the Word in the mouth of the Spirit take heed therefore of all Revelations in which the Word of God is silent for the Spirit of God will speak Scripture to you when he comes he will not bring a new Gospel and new Revelations but he alwaies speaks in the Word of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which is given unto us therefore if any Spirit shall speak and not according to the Word it is but a delusion rest not therefore in any assurance nor revelation unless thou hast a word for it In the third and last place Use 3 This may teach and exhort us in Justification to look for no word but such as holdeth forth some absolute Promise of Free-grace for the Lord looketh for no work in our Justification but the Works of the Son it is the work of his free grace to justifie the ungodly therefore if any man having been in desperate anguish of soul have built his faith upon some Promise made unto some such work as he findeth in himself this is no other but a legal righteousness for when the Lord doth pronounce Grace in a way of Justice he will pronounce it unto that soul that he is most ungodly and that he himself doth justifie him freely for example take that promise which we read Acts 10.43 44. To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever beleeveth on him shall receive remission of sins there is a promise of remission of sins unto them which believe But was this faith in them before Nay but while he spake these words the Holy Ghost fell upon all them which heard the word and this Holy Ghost it was that did beget that Faith by this Promise whereby they did receive the Promise So in like manner if the Lord do promise that he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall finde mercy as Prov. 28.13 if he doth manifest his free grace in such a promise to any soul that soul will look at his old confessions as marvellous poor works and will not challenge this mercy promised by vertue of them for when the Holy Ghost doth apply a conditional promise to the soul he doth work the condition by the promise in the soul therefore when the Lord comes to testifie his acceptance of our persons it is freely of his Grace and thou canst not build any thing thereof upon any of thy works and if he do acknowledge our sanctification in any word of his grace he will let us see that every such gift or work of grace is freely given unto us so as that we shall be ready after all this to say with David Who are we or what are our fathers houses that the Lord should ever accept such as we are and such poor sacrifices as we offer unto him Thus having spoken of three distinct Works wherein the Holy Ghost doth give himself unto the soul to wit 1. In a work of Inhabitation 2. In a work of Sanctification 3. In a work of Revelation It now remaineth The fourth work of the Spirit that we speak unto the fourth work wherein the Holy Ghost gives himself unto the soul and that is a work of Consolation This is one of the great Characters of the Holy Ghost and this the Lord Jesus doth in special ascribe unto the Spirit Joh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter so vers 26. and this is no other but the Spirit of Truth Joh. 15.26 thus doth he stile the Holy Ghost the Comforter Why had the disciples no comfort before think you was there no comfort in the Fathers drawing them to Christ and revealing Christ in them Mat. 16.17 Was there no comfort in Christ his revealing the Father to them doubtless there is comfort in all these works the work of the Father mentioned in Joh. 6.44 is the same with what we read Isai 54.13 All thy children shall be taught of God and great shall be the peace of thy Children though it be but peace for the future yet light is sowen for the righteous herein and gladness for the upright in heart Psal 97.11 there is some ground-work of light and comfort in the Fathers work and some sparkles of it do appear for the Father reveals the Son and the Son is no sooner seen but hope is seen for Jesus Christ is our hope 1 Tim. 1.1 and hope it self I mean the grace of hope is a comfortable blessing so that the soul hath supportance in the very work of our being drawn to Jesus Christ and moreover the Father addeth further comfort in his Justifying grace for by it we have peace with God Rom. 5.1 and chap. 8.34 it is God that justifies who shall condemn such gracious supports and more then transient tastings of his mercy not such as hypocrites may have but such as do more or less stay with the Saints and people of God so that at the least there doth ever remain a seed of consolation in the hearts of all those whom God hath by his Spirit drawn home unto his Son And when the Son receives the soul he doth amplifie this comfort he reveals the Fathers work unto the soul Mat. 16.16 17. Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona flesh and bloud hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in heaven and Luk. 10.20 Rejoyce in this because your names are written in heaven So that there is consolation also in the work of the Son but you shall finde it true that it is by the Holy Ghost that both of them work and that either of them comfort the soul with those beginnings of consolation that afterwards break forth into more abundant riches of increase But what doth the Holy Ghost do more 1. For Answer He doth bear witness with a more abundant measure of consolation Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost He doth so clearly reveal our acceptance through the righteousness of Christ that from thence springeth peace unto the soul which groweth up until it passeth understanding and bringeth us unto joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 therefore he is called by way of eminency The Comforter because when he comes he doth so clearly ratifie unto you your righteousness to be in Jesus Christ 2. Secondly The comfort of the Holy Ghost is more constant and abiding as Christ speaking of the Comforter promiseth unto his Apostles Joh. 16.22 I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you not but that God may sometimes eclipse it for the trial of his servants yet ordinarily it is more constant and leaveth faith even then more constant and firm Nehem. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength when the Holy Ghost taketh in hand to comfort his people he doth abundantly strengthen them with his consolations 3. Thirdly As
the comfort of the Holy Ghost is more abundant and constant so it is more powerful Luk. 24.49 Behold I send unto you the promise of the Father tarry ye at Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high so Act. 1.8 You shall receive power from on high after that the holy Ghost is come upon you not by the gift of him nor by his inhabitation nor by sanctification nor by revelation only but in the power of all these that in the middest of strong opppositions you might have strong consolation therefore this is the ground of the Apostle Pauls thanksgiving 2 Cor. 1.5 and chap. 2.14 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so also our consolation aboundeth by Christ and thanks be to God who alwaies causeth us to triumph in Christ Thus you see the truth of the Point that the work of consolation doth in special manner belong unto the Holy Ghost yet for the further clearing of it there is a Question or two to be answered There is mention made Ephes 1.13 14. of the seal of the Spirit and of the earnest of the Spirit Therefore it may be demanded 1. What is the seal of the Spirit 2. What is the earnest of the Spirit What is the seal of the Spirit Quest 1 for so he is called Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy Spirit whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption so likewise there is mention made both of the seal and earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 1.21 22. For answer hereunto Answ to speak properly what I conceive the Scripture to hold forth I take the seal of the Spirit to be nothing else but the Spirit it self as the name of Christ is often put for Christ himself for you shall not read in Scripture that it is called the seal of the Spirit but they were sealed by the Spirit He hath sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 So that as the Spirit is the anointment and the earnest so he is also the seal when the Angel mentioned Revel 7.2 is said to have the seal of the living God it is meant of the Spirit But Quest how is the Holy Ghost said to be a seal and in respect of what workings of his is he so called I Answer Answ There is a threefold respect in which he is called The seal and he doth expresse the nature of a seal in them all 1. First He doth confirm and ratifie all the gracious promises of God unto the soul bearing witness in truth and power of them unto the soul and thereby begetting and confirming faith in the soul for the use of the seal is to confirm and this is the principal work of the Holy Ghost to confirm all the promises of God as an authentick seal There is a place of Scripture which being a little miss-translated leadeth I cannot say into a little but into a great inconveniency Ephes 1.13 In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed Calvin is much troubled about it and so is Piscator the truth is it implyeth thus much that in believing they were sealed this is the true English of those Greek words so that it is the Holy Ghost that comes in every promise of grace wherein Jesus Christ is conveyed unto the soul he setteth it home and confirmeth it to the soul by begetting faith in that grace and so setteth to his seal that it is true to thee and hence it is that the faith which is wrought by the Holy Ghost is said to be a seal Joh. 3.33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true so then the Holy Ghost setteth his seal to it when he gives us faith and thus he is the seal as he doth confirm all the word of Gods grace unto us and hence it is that faith is called the spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 Calvin disputes this point at large when he speaketh touching the authority of the word of God which though it be none of the most learned nor elegant of his works yet I think there be so many plain arguments that they may convince the most arrogant Atheist yet to make him believe it you cannot except the Holy Ghost set in to convince a gain-sayer for it is the Spirit that gives the seal and confirmation of every word of the Gospel And to speak a little more plainly in this point although the Apostle John 1 Epistle chap. 5. ver 7 8. speaketh of six witnesses that bear witness unto Jesus Christ yet you shall finde this to be true that there are none of all that do set it home unto the soul but the Holy Ghost only when the Father beareth witness he doth it by the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 10. c. God revealeth the hidden things of his love unto us by his Spirit c. when the Son doth shew us the Father and so setteth the soul at liberty and easeth our consciences thereby The Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 And it is the Spirit that setteth on his own work much more plentifully by the powerfull efficacy of himself upon the soul Act. 1.8 and for the water and the bloud who applyeth them as for the water of sanctification it is but a creature and it is not in the power of any creature to beget faith for the word of God it self cannot beget faith can any work of God do it no no it is neither the bloud of justification nor the water of sanctification that can beger faith but the Spirit only otherwise you will ever and anon suspect your faith and your sanctification and every Christian knows what I say That if a man have nothing but his works of sanctification to trust unto they will fail him unless the Spirit of God do breathe in them testifie the Lords acceptance of you All the works of creation though they may convince my judgement that there is a God yet they cannot beget lively faith in me unless the Holy Ghost set in with them for the word of God cannot do it no nor the Sacraments though they be seals but when are they seals only then when the Holy Ghost is conveyed in them and therefore we see why the Holy Ghost is called a seal because he doth confirm our faith in the works and word of God You will say But may not a soul comfort himself in the former experiences of Gods mercy True but the Holy Ghost must then breathe in them and his work it is also to bring them to remembrance Joh. 14.26 if he will reveal his loving kindness in these footsteps of his grace then they do come in to confirm your faith otherwise both word and works are dead unlesse the Spirit of God breathe in them he it is that revealeth free grace justifying the ungodly and afterward will let you know the works of your sanctification he
unless the Lord come in with his immediate power above the power of any Ordinance all that you have received amounteth not to the faith of Gods elect and unless it be the Spirit of God that enlighteneth we have received no saving light and when he doth come to seal up Jesus Christ unto our souls he ever speaketh in some promise of the free grace of God for the Lord justifieth no man upon an imperfect righteousness but in that work doth ever declare himself to be just and a justifier of him that is of the faith of Jesus Rom. 3.26 therefore seeing in this work he sitteth upon a throne to declare his own righteousness there is no place now for our righteousness to appear hence it is that if he justifie it is freely by his grace Rom. 3.23 thus God dealt with Abraham when he shewed him the innumerable stars of heaven and told him So shall thy seed be He believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness Gen. 15.5 it was the free grace of God which he mentioneth unto him But suppose the Lord should reveal a work unto you as a work there is in every soul that is justified if you should see any work in your soul yet unless the Spirit of God should above the power of the work breathe in it it is not possible that it should beget a Divine Faith it is only the work of the Spirit of God it is he also that shews you your acceptance with God and that manifesteth your sanctification and makes it a sign unto you of your justification otherwise neither word nor work can set on a promise with power upon the soul until the Holy Ghost confirm it it is his immediate work What then Object doth the Spirit do this immediately without the word No Answ if he speak peace unto the soul he ever doth it in some word of promise and if he testifie our acceptance it is in some word and in that respect it is mediate but he doth set on a power above the word and in that respect I call it immediate and therefore if a man shall seek to hammer out any thing by his own knowledge though he may add to his knowledge yet he can do nothing to the begetting of faith unless the Lord come in by a power above the word and when he doth speak in any word of his grace he doth not in the first place speak to you of your own righteousness but first convinceth you that you are a chief sinner as when he said to Saul Why persecutest thou me when he sends his Spirit it is first to convince the world of sin Joh. 16.8 9 c. and what of your sanctification next no of your justification next he will convince the world of righteousness that is of his righteousness and afterward of judgement and that is sometimes put for sanctification Mat. 12.20 A bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench until he bring forth judgement into victory But it is the Spirit that doth all this and therefore let not men deceive themselves in any conclusions that they can make for their enlightened conscience is but a creature and unless the Lord come in with a greater light then your conscience will afford you all will be but lost work unto your souls you will build but castles in the air which in time of temptation will vanish away In the third place Use 3 this may teach all the servants of God that have received in any measure the first fruits of the Spirit to know that they have received an earnest of an everlasting possession that Spirit will never leave you till you become a full vessel and running over if he have given you one promise he will give you more and if he have given you Christ he will with him give you all things else In the fourth and last place Use 4 it may teach us That if we have received Christ and our hope be in him never to rest until we do more fully and clearly see that the Lord is our God until the Holy Ghost do fill your hearts with more power and stamp more of the image of Christ in you grow more and more sensible how dead and insufficient you are unto any thing that is good be meek and lowly in heart think meanly of your selves you cannot pray you cannot preach you cannot of your selves perform any Christian duty it is Christ that must work all our works for us know therefore that if you be lively and active it is because your life is hid with Christ in God he it is that stirreth up your faith to look up unto Christ to expect all help from his hand Sometimes you must look to be severed from the world and the more clear the truths of God are unto you the more they are hidden from the world for if a man cannot look upon a candle how shall he look upon a torch and much less upon the shining Sun Therefore it behoveth all the servants of God to grow up in the power of God and the strength of his might not holding forth insolency of Spirit nor uncharitable censoriousness such things are far off from expressing the Spirit of Christ but it is the part of the servants of Christ to be faithful meck lowly humble and couragious in the waies of the Lord and when you have done all be contented to be counted the off-scouring of the world as 1 Cor. 4.9 for it must be the part of all that fear God to take heed that you give none occasion to any to speak evil of us for if we do consider the great hope of our calling how should it cast holy shame upon our faces that we walk so unworthy of our calling for if there be any work of God upon our hearts it is no transient work if God begin He will perfect until the day of Christ the work of grace is an uncessant work but as in the first creation the Spirit of God hatched upon the face of the waters till the work of Creation was perfected so doth the Lord by his Spirit in his Saints he doth not leave hatching in their hearts till he hath separated light from darkness and made every thing fruitful in the soul We must not rest therefore in former weak beginnings but if we be born of God and under a Covenant of grace we must look to grow up in all well pleasing unto God that we may not be strangers to any of all the heavenly works of the grace of God but that we may grow up to abound in fruitfulness in them all Thus having explained Second Branch of the Doctrine how the Lord gives himself in a Covenant of grace unto Abraham and to his seed we now come unto the second part of the Doctrine which is that he received Abraham and his seed to be a peculiar people unto himself which although we have spoken somewhat unto in