|
£* |
|||
|
^ |
|||
|
1 «5 |
0) |
||
|
«■■• |
5 |
||
|
M 1-5 |
to |
||
|
^*5 |
o |
||
|
*S^ fe |
U |
||
|
o |
t- |
||
|
* * |
|||
|
•^ o |
* i_ |
||
|
JS En |
3 |
||
|
^ g |
LL. O |
J |
|
|
O* M |
o |
.^ M |
V |
|
js rt |
.5 -^ |
I |
|
|
** & |
o |
•^ Va |
21 |
|
u |
Q 3 |
^ |
|
|
X** |
"5 |
||
|
G* |
O |
||
|
&l |
|||
|
V* |
|||
|
*z |
|||
|
V* |
|||
|
& |
|||
|
W |
|||
|
— i — |
S< |
»-' ^ Ml |
7S37
* ■ v ■
#*o
THE
True State
O F
JUSTIFICATION,
As it ftands between
GODandMAN.
In four Parts.
^l .
By JAMES HENWOOD Re&or of Warkley in Devon, and Chaplain to the Right Honourable Charles Earl of
A R R A N.
Jfiwt i non nflfcuntur Chrifiiani : Tertull. Apol. cap. 1.8.
Te fee then, bow that by Works a Man is j-ufti- fed, and not by Faith only, James 2,. 24.
LONDON,
Printed for Henry Btnmck at the Red Lyon, and Willi am Kipplewaite tat the Swan in St. Pauls Church-Yard, and Charles Yeo, and Pbill. Bijbop, Bookfellers in Exeter,
T O T H E
QUEEN'S
Mod Excellent Majefty.
Madam,
IT was a Cuftom very ancient y and well meant, in the Dedica- tion of their Booty, to have much regard as well to the Names they in- fcrib'd, as to the Matter they hand- led; to adjuft always the one3 to the the Dignity 0/ the other ; the mean- er Subje&s they offered to their Friends, or Equals ; hut when they dddrefsd the Great , and Good, Princes, or Potentates, the Argu- ment, to be furef was in forne inea-
A 2 furt
Epiftle Dedicatory. fure to come uf to them0 or to be thought worthy their Maintenance, The Argument here treats of the admirable Way of our Salvation , the Order, and Continuation of that great Worf\± the main Caufe, Means, and the Intention of it ; and the more Encouragement I tafy, that the Subje&fo much concerns our own Knowledge, as it does the Wel- fare of Religion ; the Sum of it isy whether Eternal Decrees ivithout a- ny Conditions/// them, be any thing concern d in our Juftification; or whe- ther Faith, and the good Works of Faith, are mofi of all to be confider'd by us ; I'm fur e, this is the Do&rine of the Church of England, as it is Gods reveddWill
There
Epiftle Dedicatory. There befome, common Enemies to Rubric, Canon, and even this Do&rine, (who have water'd their Gardens from foreign Fountains ) theycaft, as it were, tfcm^m* Night over Religion, and -profound Dark- neis upon that which is calld Light ; and this will give my Defign, ve- ry properly, accels to the Defender of the Faith, as it is wholly in the Necefiity of it, and yet not theleaji concern d for Difcipline, and Givil Conftitutions ; for when Men jh all go jo far as to disbelieve the great neceffity of Obedience, with this Re- ligion, and Juftice, and every other V ertue, mufi needs fall together ; and when Piety (hall be denied to God, the next Step, and very eafilyto
be
Epiftle Dedicatory. be made from hence, is to Invade the Powers that be ordain'd of htm ; or if they enter into publick Offices, and for the fa^e of them, tal^e the Teft, they mujl needs dijfemble their very Principles ; whilfl they mafy Merchandife of their Allegiance, and a Political ule of that Duty, which is otherwife free, lacred, and indifpenfable.
Such is t he fl ate of this DifcoUrfe, which with all humble and pons Alacrity., as the Tribute of my Duty, or Pledge of my glad Obedience, I prefent to your moft Sacred Maje- jefty : In the behalf of it, or to fet my felffree of any Envy here, I can fay, it is New., the Sub; eft handled before by very few5 or none that I
tyow.
Epiltle Dedicatory. lmorpy at leafi in the manner 1 have done ; / have endeavour 'd to refcue the Doctrine of our Juftification from the Extreams of fome Mem Divinity., according to the receiv'd Opinion and Senfe of the Churchy and I'm fure, agreeably to Gods Wordy and the Edification of all Men.
But (not any longer to trefpafs up- on Your Royal Minutes) 1 retire to my Duty, that as Your Sacred Ma- jjefty fo much exceeds even Your Self in the Excellencies of fo many Vermes, which are Your own -y fo may Tou ever Surpafs our Ene- mies with the fame Success, and pe- culiar Ads of Goodnefs You have fc plentifully fern ; may You live
long
Epiftle Dedicator)^. long to blefs tbefe Your Kingdoms, having a Secure Reign, Wile Coun- cil, and a Faithful Senate, Trufty Minifters, Powerful Arms, and ve- ry Obedient Peofle ; or what may be the Sacred Wipes -of Tour Royal- Self., that lb we may lead a qui- et and peaceable Life in all Godli- nefs and Honefty^ is ^comman- ded Prayer of,
Your Majcfty's Moft Dutiful, and Moil Obedient Subjeft,
JAMES HgNWaOR.
The true State of
JUSTIFICATION,
As it ftands between God and Man.
PARTI.
Gods Free Grace the firfl and effici- ent caufe of Juftification.
NE of the great Points of Controvei fie on foot in our Apoftks time , was about the proper means of our Salvation 5 Whether the Righ- teoufnefs which is in the Law that is, the Ordinances of the Law of Mofes 5 or whether the Righteouf- nefs of God by faith in Jejus Chrijl, B that
2 Gods Free Grace the caufe Part I.
that is, that new and living way now preach'd by him, namely Faith and Repentance, and up- on this remiflion of Sins, thedif- pute was , which of thefe two was to be followed, or whether the former was not of equal ne- ceffity with Faith it felf : The for- mer of thefe was zealoufly main- tain'd even by Judaixing Chri- stians, who notwithftanding they believ'd Chrift to be the Me/fias, was it out of an ancient reve- rence to the Law, or by mifinter- pretation of the cverlaftingnefs of if, which was now to ceafe, would needs flill impofe it'sob- ^■'5. i- ligation 3 infomuch that certain Men which came down from Judaea to Antioch, taught the Brethren^ and faid, Except ye be circumcifed after the manner of Mofes, ye can- not be faved. That it was needful tocircumcifethem, and to keep the
Law
Part I. of our Juftification* 3
Law of Mofcs. This Doctrine, it feems,fo much influenc'd thcjews at leaft, that the Apoftles call'd their fitA Council upon the Point; and notwuhftanding they com- ply'd all they could, and forbid the Gentiles upon this account the ufe of fome things, otherwife very innocent, yet it feems the efteem they had for Circumcifion, and the other Rites was fo con- firmed, that their opinion of it lafted for a long time.
Upon this St. Paul, the great Apoftle of the Qentilesy fepara- ted on purpofe for the Vncircum- cifion, fit himfelf wholly upon the defence of the latter, of that Faith which Chrifi delivered to the Saints 3 he defended this fo zea- loufly, that he witbflood even St.0"1-2- ' Peter to the face, rebuking even the leaft compliance in that Way 3 and he goes on ftill with the fame B 2 per-
4 Gods Free Grace the caufe Part I. peiRverancc for the Faith the thing when ft cms to be inlaid in all his Writings 5 in Galat.5 2,6. Behold, 1 Paul, fay unto you, that if ye be circumcijed, Chrifl fl?all profit you nothing j that in Jefus Chriji 71 either Circumcifwn avail- eth any thing, nor TJncircumcifwn, but Faith which worketh by Love. Alter this manner he ftts by the Law, by fhewing the inefficiency of it, and at once theporrer of the
Rom.1.16. Gofpel unto Salvation : And this he does by many infallible proofs, from the univerfal fall and mife-
R0».3.a3.tyj for that all have find, and come fhort of the glory of God $ from Gods univerfal Right and Title to Mankind, for that we v are all the Children of God by faith in Chrifl Jefus. For that he is ?iot 2> only the God of the Jews, but of the Gentiles alfo: from his as uni- verfal Mercy and Juftice, for that
he
Part I. of our Juftification- 5
he accepteth ?io Mans Perfon, not the Jew before the Gentile : But his chief Arguments our A* poftle draws from the -great veaknefs of the Law, it's un- ablencfs to keep us harmlcfs from the Guilt, Puniihment, or Dominion of Sin $ for as many at g*\. 3.10, are of the works of the Law are11' tinder the Curfe, that the Scrip- ture hath concluded all under Sin, that the Promife by faith of Jefus Chriji, might he given to them that believe. That the Law made no- Hebr. 7. thing perfetl, but the bringing in l ' I9' of a better hope did 5 the Law be- ing added as a Schoolmafler to bring us unto Chrift, to be a jhadow of good things to come 5 weak, and poor Elements of a much better Service. Thus he goes on trium- phing in his Arguments, that nei- ther the Deeds of the Law, nor yet the Works of Nature > not B 3 all
6 Gods Free Grace the caufe Part I.
all the Lights of Rcafonfrom a- broad, nor yet the more imme- diate Helps of Confcience,could, ftrictly fpeaking, juftifie Man- kind 5 from whence he juftly in- fers, that our Righteoufnefs muft come fome other way, even from pure Grace, and the free Gift of God : and this is our Faith in jefusChrifl^ this he eaiily proves to be the only means of our Sal- vation, from that mofl eminent Rm. 4. inftance of the Faith of Abraham, s6' L7' who is the Father of us all, unto whomy and unto whofe Seed were the Promifes made, even four hun- Gaj.f. dred and thirty years he fore the Law, By which Way, even by Faith, and by the Works of Faith, we read, in the 11 th of the Heb. 1 , i?c . that the Elders obtain d a good Report $ that this very way of Gods Righteoufnefs, which is by Faith, is witnefs'dby the Law and the Prophets, Be-
16, 17.
Part I. of our Juftification.
Being juftified freely by bis grace, through the Redemption that is in Jefits Cbrift, whom Go J hath fet forth to be a Propitiation through faith in his Blood, to declare his righteoufnefs for the remiffion of fins that are paft-, through the for- bearance of God.
Before we enter upon our Dif- courfe of Juftification, upon the nature of our Chriftian Calling, we may wifely confider the oc- cafion of it, and that is the Fall of Man 5 there was a time in- deed, when the Morning Stars fang together, and all the Sons of God fhouted for joy $ when the firft of the Creation , all the Hoft of Heaven, made their Hallelujahs unto him that fat on the Throne : In themfelves originally pure, as they came frefh out of the hands of their Maker 3 by Divine nature they were Immortal , in their B 4 Know-
S Gods Free Grace the caufe Part I. Knowledge certainly very Excel- lent, in their Will and Affections at firft moll upright: And yet, it feems, all thefe Advantages did not fecure them irom Sin, the very Angels themfejv.es had their
We $. ^.failing even in Heaven $ they kept not their firft Eftate, but left their own Habitation. Whatever their S.n was, certainly very great, as they had no Clay for their excufe, nothing wanting to their Hap- pinefs that Heaven could afford them, no Tears, nor yet Sorrow there 3 whether it was their envy at the Incarnation of our Sav:our,
:k:>r.z.i6.that he took, not on him the Nature of A?igels, but the Seed of iibra- ham; or what our Saviour fdys of that wicked one in Jo. 8. 44. That he was a Murderer from the beginnings and abode not in the truth, be caufe there is no truth in him, fef. However their Sin was,
they
Part I. of our J unification. they are fa id to be referved in e- verlafling chains under darknefs, unto the Judgment of the great Day : 'tis certain they fell wil- fully from their firft Integrity, not ot any caufe or nectflity from God 3 and when he faw their Wickednefs, be it Pride, or whatever it was, he directed it, as he does all things, to the ma- nifestation of his own Glory.
Such was the fate of the fallen Angels, what may be the efte&s of their Tranfgreflion as to us, feems to be much unknown, at firft, or in the firft intention of it,it feems nothing to concern us 5 .by one Man Sin entring into the World, and Death by Sin, from hence came the mifery of Man- kind 3 at the firft, very near like- ly upon the Creation he broke his Duty 3 his Difobedience was wilful againfta plain Command 3
for
16,17.
i o Gods Free Grace the caufe Part I.
for when God to try the obedi- ence of his own handy work, had placed the Man whom he had made in the Garden of Eden, oen. 2. with a free ufe of every Tree of the Garden freely to eat of it, except- ing only that of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, when he had back'd that juft Command with a Commination, that in the day he jhould eat thereof he fhould furely die , notwithftanding a Commandment fo reafonabie, and punifhment fo exprefs, he took of the forbidden Tree, and he did eat ; That old Serpent, which deceiveth the whole World, mov'd with envy, brought Death into the World, and the goodnefs of the Tree, that it was pleafant to the Eyes, and a Tree to be de fired to make one wife, the natural love he took tor fomething which he had not, may be faid to be the
caufc
Part I. of our J unification. 1 1
caufe of it. By this one Mans J) if obedience, even by nature are we become all the Children of Wrath 5 liable by the common courfe of Nature, to the fame Punifhments he underwent 5 the very fame guilt, if I may fo call it, has pafs'd over all; inclination to Sin and Wickednefs, averfion to what is Good, and defire to what is Evil, the want of that origi- nal uprightnefs is become our own, and the Difobedience of Adam may be faid in fome fenfe to be imputed to us $ all our Fa- culties and Affections ace much impair'd, that when we would do good, evil is prefent with us : As a Bankrupt Father muft needs derive the fame misfortune to his Children, and is by no means able to confign to them the Goods he has now loft $ or as an infirm Parent, is faid to give
down
1 2 Gods Free Grace the caufe Part I. down the fame infirmity to the Iflue, without any fault of the Children, or yet it may be of the Parent that they were fo born 3 fo by a certain neceffity of nature are we all become ob- noxious to thefe Penal Acts of the Sin of our Forefather.
However the Sin of the fallen Spirits feems to be of a deeper tot.*. 4 j)ye^ in that God ff aid not the An- gels that finned, but c aft them down to Hell: But for the iinot Adam, for all the fad effecfts of it, we had foon given us a mod effectu- al Remedy, whether the Humani- ty of the Man was any abate- ment to his guilt, as he was cloth'd with Flefh and Blood, with all the Infirmities of human Nature 5 but the free grace and goodnefs of God was, without doubt, the main caufe of our Redemption. For this reafon, when God fore-
fa\y
Par 1 1 • of our Jujli [nation. 1 3
faw the evil bent of the will of Man, that he would certainly incline to the Temptation 5 the evil a<5t God could not properly hinder,without breaking in upon his Freewill $ but for the A<5tion, that he turn'd to his own glory, to the greateft good that could be, even to the Salvation of Man- kind : the Tempter thought evil againft the Man , to deftroy him by this means, but God meant it unto good, and what was defign'd to be his ruin, by his wife direction was made a Way^ for his prefervation $ the fame Instrument that was employed by the Temper for our Fall, was again made the Inftrument by the Almighty for our Redempti- on 5 that the Seed of a Woman ihould bruife the Serpents Head 5 that a Virgin highly favour'd of God, fhould conceive a Son by
power
14 Gods Free Grace tbecaufe Part L power Divine, who is Chrift the Lords who by his Life and Do- drine, by his Sufferings he was to undergo, by rumiing the Race that was fet before him^ was to be the Saviour of the World : and that fo great a work as this might appear evident to all, God deliver'd down al] thefe figns of him from Ageto Age by his Pro- phets, together with his Tribe and Family , the place and man- ner of his Birth, the courfe of life he was to lead, and the man- ner of his Death 3 every parti- * cular paffage to be taken notice of 5 and not only fo, what was to come to pafs after his Death, not only his Refurreclion and Afcenfion, but alfo the great part he was to bear in the laft Judg- ment, and what after the judg- ment Day.
What
Parti, of our Juftifuation. 15
What reafon there fhould be for it, that God fhould give up his only begotten Son thus to die for us, we will (hew hereafter, without doubt, for his good will to Man, to difcover the exceed- ing guilt of Sin, that the price of it muft coft fo deer : Thus was the Plot God laid for our Re- demption 3 what more God has done for us, and what Chrift for this end, and what Duty on our part we are to perform for all this, I will endeavour to make out in the following Difcourfe from this Scripture, as it more fully includes, and at once, the matter in hand.
Being juftified freely by his Grace , through the Redemption that is in Jefus Chrift , whom God hath (et forth to be a Propitiation through faith in his Blood, i<rc. to dare his Righteouf?iefs for the re-
miffion
1 6 Gods Free Grace the caufe Part I.
vrffion of Sins that are pafly thro the forbearance of Go J.
The words do very plainly af- ford thefe parts to be confider'd, in which we haveacompleat ac- count of the Caufe, Means, or the Conditions, and of the end of Gods juftifying us.
I. That the firft and efficient caufe of our eternal Life, is the free grace of God, out of his pure love and mercy, being jufti- fied freely by his Grace,
\h That the great caufe under God, or the firit great means of our Justification, is the Satisfa- ction of our Lord, through the Redemption that is in Jefus Chrift. III. The means on our fide, as the Condition of our Juftifica- ncn, and that is our Obedience and Faith m thefe words, Whom God hath fet forth to be our Propi- tiation through faith in his Bloody
IV. And
Fart I. of our Juftification. 1 7
IV. And laftly the end of this great work of God, that it was to make appear his own glory and goodnefs, to declare this his good pleafure of juftifying Man- kind, to declare his righteoufnefs for the remijfion of fins that are p aft , through the forbearance of God.
In this part I fhall treat only of the firft thing,z//^. That the fir ft and efficient caufe of our Juflifi- cation is the free grace of God, or his pure love and mercy to Mankind, being juftified freely by his grace.
Our Juflification therefore is that merciful act of God, where- by we obtain remiflion of our Sins, and full acceptation with him by our true and living faith inChnftj or through whom fuch a faith is imputed unto us for our righteoufnefs. This fenfe of it ftands very plain throughout C she
1 8 Cods Free Grace the caufe Parti.
the Scriptures, m Rom. 4. 5. To him that believeih on him that m* ftijietb the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteoufnefs ; M 5.1 p. for as by one Mans Vifobedience, many were made Sinners, fo by the Rom. 5.1s. Obedience oj onejhall many be made Righteous ; or even fo by the Righ- teoufnefs of one, the Free Gift came upon all Men unto Ju/iification of Life: Ey this means our Saviour is caiPd by a common Metony- njy, cur Bjgh teoufnefs, our Re- -■piio/2 ;:u;d Sa?itlification , as he was the only Cauie and Au- tho- qf giving us
■s Pro all- ies, wlien he laid down every thing that was dear unto him 5 t, I p. say fay, his own Di- vinity, ftt by that his Reputation^ tc: 1 Q3 the form of a Ser-
vant, and gave himfeif for us, even to the death of the Crofs.
For ■
Pair 1. of oar Juftification. \9
For it feems we were loft in our firft Parent to all interits and pur- pofes ,• to every thing t'nat be cail'd good, the Q ind of God was broken, the ve*y fi it
: was, and that moil lmme- diatdy from God 5 fo that jtidg* ment came upon all to Cone;, m- vm ltfctnr.s all in H>qn flood guilty before God 5 when no Days- Man, neither Noah, Daniel, O; Jib, could fund betwixt us 5 when indeed no txcufe, fo un- reafonable was the Sin, no de- fence could be made foi it 5 when the mod beloved arrongft ten thoufand, even the ban of God ilcod up in our behalf , took upon him voluntarily the guilt , b e me for us in that cafe fo iuflicient Surety, that he finifh'd the whole Bufir-cfs,at lealt what was requird at h s Hinds 3 as when the undutitul Subjects C 2 of
20 Gods Free Grace the caufe Part L
of their Prince fhall in general fall away from their Allegiance, into fome great Rebellion againft mod juft Laws, by which they become obnoxious to capital Punifhments, from whence no- thing can fave them, but the abus'd grace and favour of their Prince 5 fo m this Calamity of our's, when Mankind by Difo- bedience was become juftly con- demned, had tranfgrefsd the on- ly Law between God and him, and confequently co?nefhort of the glory of God x, had forfeited thefe Pnviledges, would await him o- therwife, fince there was no o- ther means to reftore Man, God was pleas5 d to take this gracious way, to pafs upon him a publick Afl of Pardon and Indemnity, to juftifie him freely by his Grace.
Our Saviour therefore heigh- tens this gracious dealing of God
with
Parti- of our Jujlification- 21
with us, God fo loved the World,79'*' l6- that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him Jhould not ferijh, but have ever- lafting Life $ and St. Paul in ve- ry many places, but God who isEphej.z.], rich in Mercy, for his great love 4' 5" wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in Sins, hath quick- ned us together with Chri/l 5 and St. John makes this a6t of Mer- cy the greateft Inftance that can be of Love, in this was manifeft- 170.4.9. ed the love of God towards us, be- caufe that God fent his Only begot- ten Son into the World, that we might live through him. This ex- ceeding piece of Mercy, there- fore is recited fo often in the Scriptures, joyn'd fometimes with the Duties, fometimes with the other Myfteries of Religion, to ilnke upon our Minds this great work of God towards us, and C 3 to
22 Gods Free Grace the caufe Part I.
to provoke at once our Devoti- on for it.
For certainly never tras great- er goodnefs fhcwn^ God him- fjf, who is (o plentiful in good- n fs, who can do nothing but what is eminently good , the meanert of whofe Works will fufficicntly fet him forth, yet in this he feem'd to (hew the ixf* moft of his tender meicy. Ma- ny Examples we may fometirnes fetch , with fubmiifion , from things below, for the narrow- nefs of our underflanding, to lay out before us even things in the Heavens $ the nature of fome Myfteries, of things hard to be underfxocd} or we cake liberty to compare grcac things with fmall $ but hereto oiler at any inilar.ee to kt forth this a ft of G' r the greatn'efs or dighi- . or ifs mafchlefs nanfre,
will
an. Hi (I. Rom.
Part I. of cur ]uftificatio?i. 23
will be to no end. Tistrue, we read in Stoiy many generous In- stances ot fome who even out- did themfelves in their forgiving tempers ; chat Cafar very gene -^ roufly forgave his fellow Soldi- u'\ ers, however th:y pray'd to be decimated for their Offence $ and Demetrius of as great a mind, re- mitted to the Enemy freely fo many thoufand he took in Fight: Thefe Stories have their un- wonted and unknown Bounty $ but thefe and the other great adtions of this nature, have their defigns in them , a Name, or Vain-glory, a like kindnefs, or favour js the end of them $ but in this Gift of God, in this Free Work of our Redemption, he did the purpofe of his own Will, indued to it by no benefit of Man, or antecedent Love ; by no hopes of any Advantage C 4 he
2$ Gods Free Grace the caufe Part L hefhould receive from Man 5 no future benefit or glory did pro- voke him to it 3 nay, he did this Work for us when we deferv'd Punifliment, when his Indignati- on was againft us, yet then did he ft ill go on to blefs us more and more, and to do usfo great a good even againft our own lit. 3. Will $ 'tis faid, not by Works of Right eoufnefs which we have done, but according to his Mercy he fa~ vedus, by the wafhing of Regene- ration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft, &c.
No, by Nature we are all the Children of Wrath, and for this reafon liable to be condemnd together with the fallen Spirits j nothing therefore but the Thilan- thrcpy , the pure Loving-kind- nefs of God towards Man could fave him 5 every thing that God Jiad made, it feems heretofore
was
Part I. of our Juftification. 25
was very good, only Mankind life uphisHedagainfthim3 even the Fowls of the Air, and the Fifties of the Sea, obey'dhimall in their comely Order $ every one of them it feems made for the ufe of Man 5 for this caufe perhaps partly God might continue on his prefervation of him, tore-en- ftate him in his Dominion over them : for if we confider the ex- cellency of the Creator, with the vilenefs of the Creature $ the ex- ceeding glory of God with the irteannefs of Man, we can fee no tolerable reafon for it, that God fhould vifit us in this manner, or redeem us by Miracles, no rea- fon for all this, butmeer mercy $ Man is faid to be like a thing ofjohi^. c. nothing, whofe time paffeth a- way like a Shadow, Duft andAfh- * i» es, a Worm, and no Man, whofe Foundation is in the Duft, which
are
26 Gods Free Grace the caufe Parti. are crufked before the Moth 5 but the glory of God is mod excel- lent and perfect in it felf, exceed- ing every thing, bcfides as much as Heaven is above the Earth $ for ever bleffed in the poflcflion of his own bleffednefsj to which nothing can add, or from whom nothing can take away $ before
W. a j. 5. whom the Angels are J aid to co- ver their Faces, and the Stars are not pure in his fight, who is faid to jhake the Earth out of her place, and the Pillars thereof tremble 5 which commandeth the Suny and it rifeth not, and fealeth tip the Stars,
W- 145. which alone fpreadeth out the Hea- vens, and treadeth upon the waves of the Sea : fuch is the Divine nature, altogether part: finding out. Now when we look upon our felves impartially, how vain, and frail, and changeable is hu- man Nature 5 and when upon
God,
Parti, of our purification. 27
God, how glorious and blefled fn himfclf, the fame yefterday, to day, and for ever, furely we niuft confefs that 'tis in him we Live, and Move, and have our Being j that all the Praife, Glory, and Majcfty, muft belong to him 5 that all our Offices, how- devout focver, can make no ad- dition to his Grcatnefs 5 and that in ftriclnefs of foeaking, with all our Pvchgion, we ftitt remain unprofitable Servants : Indeed we are bound inwhatfoever we do, to refer the Action to Gods Glory ■ but ftill this is our ownDuty and Advantage,, and the gain of it is only ours. From all this,and from all that we can do, there remains nothing to God, his Wifcfom and Greatnefs, and his Power, his Juftice, and Loving- kjndnefs , his Glory \ and his other Attributes will be for ever the fame $ his Divine
Nature
28 Gods Free Grace the caufe Part I. Nature will be unchangeable, whether we be good or bad $ from whence we may eafily re- folve the words of David, which he puts by way of queftion in Pfa, 8.4, 5. What is Man that thou art mindful of him, or the Son of Man that thou vifiteft him : thou madefl him a little lower than the Angels, thou crownedft him with Glory and Honour : nay, that our Saviour fhould take upon him our Nature, who is far more ex- cellent than the Angels, whereby he might become a fit Sacrifice for our Sins, that God fhould at once accept, and fend him to be our Propitiation 5 this certainly cannot be of any thing of our f elves, not by our Worksy but of Mer- cy he faved us.
We have feen heretofore, that our Juftification is the meer gift of God, proceeding from his
Lov-
Part I. of our Juftificatio7i. 29
Loving-kind nefs and Mercy, an Aft of his Grace, very free, and altogether undeferv'd by us 5 yet how gracious foever this ad: of his goodnefs is, (and moft gracious and bountiful Deed was it certainly, that ever was ) we find there goes with it a mixture of his Juftice 5 for notwithstand- ing God for his abfolute Right and Power, might give us the thing Gratis, notwithstanding he might give us Life eternal with- out any other means 5 yet for his Juftice and Wifdom he added to it a Conditionality. Was it to refrefh our Memories of the oc- cafion of it, that God brought us out of the bondage of Sin , or was it to improve our corrupt Nature, to fit us for that King- dom prepar'd for us : Tis true, in rigour of Juftice, God might deftroy us utterly, might have
fo
30 Gods Free Grace the caufe Part % fo highly relented the guilt of the firft Tranfgreflion, that he might have utterly condemnd us 5 but be hath not dealt with us after our Sins, neither hath he re- warded m according to our Iniqui- ties : G-jds mercies were very.' plenteous to us, and historbear- j ancc in the firft Sin overcame his jufhcv;; and therefore he added a very gracious Condition as to us, which may be fa id to con- j fiit of two parts 5 a Condition fo '. reafonable at lead to us- ward,that it ftiil carries with it a farther Ar- gument o( his forbearance The firit and greateit Inilance Gods fuiiice m the matter of our Juftification, the great thing he requir'J tomakeatuil Recon- ciliation (after Mankind was fal- len into Sin, and confequently eternal Death, when he had com- mitted that Tranfgreffion of the
Com-
Part I. of our Juflification. 31
Command ) was an Expiatory Sacrifice 5 and that the Sacrifice might be of the r^ore value, God of himfelf fent the mod Holy, Harmlefs, ZJnc/ejileJ, even his be » loved Son Chrift, to be the Vi- ctim for us, which was to per- fect our Obedience through Suf- ferings, and undergoe tor our Sins, and in our ftead, a moft accurfed Death, even that of the Crofs $ who was to fuflfer by the wonderful direction of God, and reprobate blindnefs of the Jews at that time, all that Punifhment, Torments, and Agonies we tru- ly defer v'd, if not a full fatisfa- ftion to Gods Juftice , yet as much he did foe us, as could corfift with his Nature, who was both God and Man j fo much he underwent for us, in wheh we are affurcd God is well pleas'd $ and after he had fufferd all this,
he
32 Gods Free Grace the caufe Part I.
he was to rife from the Grave 3 and after his Afcenfion into Hea- ven, was there for ever to be our Advocate with the Father, inter- ceding for us by that vertue of his Sacrifice to God, and apply- ing to us Grace and Remiffion, by vertue of that great Autho- rity God has given him : Such was the Will of God briefly in the Work of our Juftification $ the feverity of the Juftice, the ° great price of our Redemption, was without doubt to learn us the exceeding finfulnefs and guilt of Sin : And yet we muft confefs, it was God himfelf did provide us the Sacrifice, looking upon it as fufficient Satisfaction for the whole World, and for ever continues upon us all the faving AcSts of his Holy Spirit.
In this part lay the great feve- rity, that the Juft fhould die for
the
Part I. of our Juftification. 33
the Unjuft 5 but fuch was the method of our Salvation, that Chnlt fliould fuffer, and perfect our Redemption through Suffer- ings : Indeed as he bore the bur- then of it himfeif, fo does he reap all the glory of U5 as he was under God, the great Caufe and Finifber of the Work, fo is he the only Caufe of our Righte- cufnefs, being accepted by God * only upon the account of his Be- loved: The other part lies on us, very properly call'd our Condi- tion, in order to our Juftificati- on, and that is our fincere faith in Chrift our Saviour. This Du- ty comes upon us from the for- mer part, by which means, that is, by Faith 1 and by the Fruits of Faith, we come to have all the Benefits of the Propitia- tion.
D The
... •
34 Gods Free Grace the caufe Parti. The fatisfatlion ofChrift, with much reverence be it faid, has done as much as we can fairly de- fire,as much certainly as will con- fill with the Free Grace ot God, with Piety, and a pure Religion : but to put all upon the Death of Chrifr, that his Death alone with his Rcfurrcdbon , or that his Righteouf?iefs7without any Chrifti- an Obedience,^ become ours, as 'tisaDocfrin made to maintain* zTiain of the other Tenets inci- dent with this, fo will it be found a very abfurd one. Without quellion a Faith Evangelical , I nib as works by Love, and Chari- ty, in keeping the Commandments of God, is in this our plain Duty : when we take our Saviour, not as our Sacrifice only, but alfoas he was our Prophet) when we look upon him in the Mount, giv- ing out his Laws, as well as the
glad
Part I. of our Juftification. 35
glad Tidings of the Kingdom ^ upon his Commands to concern us equally with the Promifes, that the one of them is made the Con- dition of the other $ when we give to Grace it's perfect Work, and to our Obedience that part belong to it: in fhort, when we maintain that Doctrine in our Lives, which the Author of our Salvation left us, thofe new and excellent Inftitutions he fpoke unto us, fo that whatever he fpoke may be held fincere and fa- cred, to have their Weight and Meditation, and not to be made void by unconditional Decrees.
As to the nature of the Sacrifice which was requir'd in the Work of our Redemption, the Efficacy and Extent of it, how far it went in our behalf, and where our Duty comes in : and fecondly, what is the nature of that Faith D 2 which
3 6 Gods Free Grace the caufe Part I.
which is faid to juftifie us through Chrift, and the Ingredients that are required to make it fo, of both thefe I am to fpeak in their proper place.
What remains here, is to make the proper Application of the Loving-kindnefs of God to us, very devoutly to confider his free Grace in the Work of our Re- demption, the loudeft Subjed: that can be for all our Devoti- Epbtfm 2. ons 5 that God who is rich in Mercy, 4. s- for the great love wherewith he lov- ed its, even when we were dead in Sins, hath quic^ned us together in Chrift, catling us out of Darfoefs, into bis marvellous Light. When wclook up to this Work of God, and view it in it's firft Intention, Avhilft we were yet Enemies, be- fore any Satisfaction made 5 or it may be given, when the A£t of our iirft Sin was juft committed,
this
Part I. of our Juflification. 37
this goodnefs of God will then truly pafs altogether our Know- ledge 5 it may be well call'd the depth of the Riches both of the Wif- dom and goodnefs of God5 and we fhould make this ufe of it, when we look back upon this Work of our Redemption, from the remembrance of our Iniquity 3 that every Mouth Should be flopped ',*«». 3.19* a?:d all the World become guilty be- fore God 3 to remember our Doings wherein we have been defiled, and even loath our [elves in our own Sight: and from this thought, let not the Wife Man glory in his Wifdom, neither let the Mighty Man glory in bis Might • let not the Rich Man glory in his Riches, but let him that glorieth, glory in this, even in the Free Grace of God in our Redemption. From hence likewife, from Gods love in this eminent manner towards D 3 us,
38 Gods Free Grace the caufe Part I.
us, our Love ought to return i3oi»4. to him again 5 becaufe God is 5.3. faid to he Love, and he that dw el- leth in Lovey dwelleth in God, and God in him $ and this is the Love of God, that we keep his Command- ments. Brotherly Kindnefs and Charity is made another ufe of $ i John 4. this by St. John, that if God (0 lov- ed us, we ought alfo to love one a- nother : That fo as we are the Work of his own Hands, who has fo juft a right to us, and that by fo many ways $ firlt by the Works of Creation and Pro* vidence, and afterwards again by this new way of our Redemp- tion $ the beft Titles furely that can be to us, the proper ufe we are to make of all thefe Benefits, is to dedicate our felves entire- ly to Gods Service, to prefent our Bodies as an Offering, holy and Acceptable unto him , and our
Souls
Part I. of our Juftification. ^p
Souls and all the Faculties within us, are evermore to praife his Holy Name.
The other twoConfiderations, which God was pleas' d to require in the Work of our Redempti- on 5 the Propitiation of his Son Chriit by Sacrifice, and on our part our Faith and Obedience in him : from the former we may difcern Gods great Difpleafure againft Sin, that even the Foun- tain of Mercy would not for- give it under fuch a Ranfom, and we are to make this ufe of it, that Go J that fpard not his own Son, but deliver d him up for us all, we mufl take care leaft he alfo [pare not us : As for our Faith in Chrift remaining on us, we are to in- tend the fame with all careful- nefs 5 that we may increafe more and more in the obedience of our Lord and Saviour, thatgiv- D 4 ing
40 Gods Free Grace the caufe Part I. ing all Diligence in our Christi- an Calling, we may add to our Faitht Vertue 5 and to Vertue, Know- ledge 5 and to Knowledge, Tempe- rance $ and to Temperance, Pati- ence i and to Patience, Godlinefs-y and to Gcdlinefs-) Brotherly Kind- ?iefs 5 and to Brotherly Kind?iefs, Charity: All this, and what be- fides we can do, will be but lit- tle, if we refpect the Recommences of the Reward, or yet that Me- lancholy part which our Saviour acted 3 the whole State of his Humiliation, his Contempt, and Difreputation, and Shame, and Alifery ; all along very difmal, until his Hour was come that he offer' d up himfcll anOblation for us: the ftd Hiftocyof which, as well as the Vertue of it, may ap- pear to us in the following fare.
. - -
The
4*
The true State of
JUSTIFICATION,
As it ftands between God and Man.
PART II. ~
That ChrifFs Death is the firft and moft effectual means of our Ju- ftification.
HAving difpatch'd that pare which treated of the principal caufe of our Juftification^ concerning the Free Love of God towards us, thro' the Redemption of Chnft , and through Faith in his Blood $ we
nowj
42 drift's Sufferings the fir ft Part II.
now come to the Work of Re- demption it felf, in which we (hall find God ftill carrying on frefli Inftances of his Love and Goodnefs.
The Redemption of Mankind then is an eminent Adt of the fame Divine Grace, that when by reafon of our fallen Eftate, we came under the high Difpleafure of God, were liable to much Guilt and Punifhment, and even eternal Death > God of his mer- cy fent his Son into the World, who by his Death and Paflion, reconcil'd us fully to his Father, leads us by his Word into all Truth, and bellows upon all that do obey him truly by his Al- mighty Power, Eternal Life : and that our Saviour came accor- dingly in due time to perform this Office, when the fullnefs of his time was eo?;iey when all the
Types,
Part II. and great means of it. 43
Types, and Figures, and Propbe- tick Marks were manifeftly made good in him, that he did all that was requir'd of him in order to this great Work, we may take for granted, having given fome account of this already, and fo we pafs diredtly to the thing in hand :
That the great Caufe under God, the firft and moft effectu- al means of our Juftification, is the Satisfaction of our Lord , through the Redemption that Is in Jefus Chrifi.
I'm fenfible of the many per* verfe Opinio'nsupon thisPoint,of fome of corrupt Minds, who turn the Truth of God into a Lie, and minifter quefiions rather than god- ly edifying, which is by Faith 5 of fome who take away too much from the Sufferings of our Lord, and give him no more than
what
44 Chrift s Sufferings the firft Part II.
what he does for us by his other Offices, of others who call his Sufferings a full Satisfaction for Sin, who (land wholly upon that Imputation, without Obedience, or it may be Faith. Some carry their Vertues too high, and make their own Works to be Meri- torious 5 and there have been, who have maintain d even the Force and Power of Nature, fuf- ficiently able to work out their Salvation. There may be need perhaps to make Reflections up- on fome of thefe, as we pro- ceed j but I fhall ncgled: them here, I intending in what I fhall fay upon this and the following Difcourfes, to put my felf whol. ly upon the Scriptures, to pro- mote as much as may be, Piety and Religion, which I take to be the great end of the Book of God : from thefc Words there- fore we will, Firfl.
Part II. and great means of it. 54.
Firft, fhew the Nature of our Redemption, or Satisfaction of Chrift.
Secondly, his Death may pro- perly be calFd a Propitiatory Sa- crifice.
Thirdly, fet forth the Efficacy of it, with refpeft to our Re- demption.
Firft, we fet down the Nature of our Redemption, or the Sa- tisfaction our Saviour made.
Our Saviour did not enter upon his Mediatory Office, be~ fore he began to be about thirty mh > years of Age-7 whether in this ht had any regard to the Levi tic al Service, that fo he might fulfill '«f3- all Righteoufnefs, or that his own Hour for this purpofe was not yet come 5 heretofore he hid his Divinity by the privatenefs of his Life: indeed fo full was he of Wifdom and Knowledge , in
whom
4$ Chrifts Sufferings the firfl. Part II. whom is faid, to dwell all the fullnefs of the Godhe 'ad r,that fome- times we find it broke forth , fome Inftances he might make of his Glory, as we read he did when he was but twelve years old, in the Temple, by hisVifpu- Luke 2. tations with the Doctors, when all *5' 47# that heard him, were aftonijhedat his Vnderflanding and Anfwers $ but he cannot be faid to begin the Work of Redemption before this time, immediately after his Baptifm, or from the time he took upon him the form of a Ser- vant : when he began to preach the Do&rine of his Kingdom, and when he had call'd Difci- ples unto him for this end 5 from hence-forward he gave himfelf wholly up to the great Bufinefs, manifesting forth his Fathers Glo- ry by Miracles, and Signs, and Wonders, and Gifts of the Ho-
ly
Part II. and great means of it. 47
]y Ghoft,by curing all manner of Difeafes,and all forts of Sicknefs 5 by abundantly making good the Character of the Me /Ji as, and. con- firming all the prophetick Wri- tings concerning him : And by this firft Office, when he had any Recefs, whenever he betook him- felf from fuch Adminiftrations, then he gave himfelf more par- ticularly to his Prophetick Office 5 when he fpoke fuch Words as never Man fpake, and deliver'd out fuch aSyftem of Duties, fo excellent in their Nature, that it is call'd the acceptable and perfect Will of God, and wbofoever fhall bear and do them, is to be caWd Great in the Kingdom of Hea- ven.
Heretofore the World lay un- der much Ignorance, the Di- vine Worihip , even that ap- pointed by God himfelf was ve- ry
48 ChrifTs Sufferings the fir ft PartIL
ry unworthy of him, poor and low Elements of pure Religion. For this reafon our Saviour was to bring with him another fort of Dodtrine, which fhould have in it all the numbers of found ifsiah6i. Wifdom , of perfetl Rigbteoufnefs tf 2' and J udgmentythat he might peach good tidings unto the Meek., to bind up the broken hearted, to pro- claim liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the Prifon to them that are bound* This new Do- ctrine therefore our Saviour gave us to fet us free from the firft part of our Mifery, which was the Power of Sin 5 but the moft fuflfering, and therefore the moft reconciling part of our Redemption, was the Death and Paffion of Chrift \ as this con- firmed whatever he taught his Difciples, by fealing to the truth of it, fo may it be faid to be
the
Part II. an J great means of it. 49
the great and finifliing A6t of our Peace: To the death of Chrift, wherefore is afcnb'd fo often our Redemption in a peculiar man- ner, who by this means is faid, to give his Life a Ramfomforma-^10' ?iy, to be deliver d for our Of en- ces : and at large by the Evange- if*. «. //V4 Prophet, furelybe hath born4,u6'7' our Griefs, and carried our Sorrows* be was wounded for our Tranfgref- fions, he was bruifed for our Ini- quities , the chafiifement of our Peace was upon him, and by his Stripes we are healed: Where- fore it is call'd our Oblation, and Sacrifice, and the Price of our Redemption, as God was pleasd to account it fo in commuta- tion of our Sin, who of his good Pleafure, and through Faith , laid upon him by this very means, the Iniquities of us all.
E Here
50 Chrift s Sufferings the firft. Part II. Here we may juftly remark upon fuch as mif-interpret this Doctrine of the Crofs, who for the fake of their Prejudices, run quite in the Extreams, fuch as derogate too much from the power of the Oblation, or fuch as heighten it as much in be- half of their Opinions $ the latter tfteeming the Paflion or Death of Chrift, to be a full Satisfaction to Gods Juftice for ourSins; thofefetting itasmuch by, and mention to us no other Benefits by Chrift, but what he plainly gives in his other Capa- cities 5 thefe affirming the very fame Righteousness of Chrift to be ours by Imputation, and fo his Sanftijication or Redemption 5 thofe that he came on purpofe to cllablilh the new Covenant, and by the Power he obtain'd from the Father, he was to turn
Men
Part IL and great means of it. 5 1
Men to Righteoufnefs, and by this way to expiate their Sins.
Thefe we are the more to heed, as the two different and unfound Opinions upon this Point, and take the fufferings of our Savi- our in a better fenfe, which is according to Godlinefs 5 and for this reafon I muft ask leave of a great Author to premife thefe two, as the two Opinions fo far difhnt from what is more Ortho- dox 5 feeing in his Difcowfe upon the Death of Chrift, D$$y& he lays it down for granted, ^lrZdDeath that the former of thefe I mentioned , which I may call the Herefieof Socinus, and what we believe, to be the two contra- Pag* 144. ry Votlrines upon this Head: this I mention with ail Reverence $ for certainly there is anothetiort of Dodtrineupon Chnft's Death, ever known to be the contrary E 2 to
52 Chriffs Sufferings the fuft Part II.
to Sochws, that of Calvin^ and the Contrare?no?iftr ants : The for- mer, that he might leffen as much as could be the Divinity of our Lord, not to deviate from his Principles, makes little or no account of his Sacrifice 5 he puts all the fatisfaction he made either in the excellency of his Precepts, or by the power he has receiv'd from God, he is ena- bled to beftow his Graces on us, and to make bitercejfion for us : on the other hand, the latter of thefe fetting by too much both the one and the other of thefe Offices of Chrift, which Socinus ftands upon, mightily inhaunces the Sacrifice, as if this only had made fatisfadtion for our Sins, and fully anfwer'd the Divine Juiticc, or the feverity of God. This Dodtrine furely is not that of our Church, to whofe Autori-
Part II- end great vie a?is of it. 53
ty I fubmit my fclf 5 for notwith- standing it wasmamtain'datDor/-, and beforehand with all thepther Covcoviita?itDo£tnncs out of Rea- fons of State: or if King James*"™ the Firft fent his Minifters there, who fubfcnb'd to the Quinquar- ticular Opinions , yet ftill we know this Dodtrine was too vi- olently on all hands pretended for the fame Reafons : Religi- on was only made the Pretence, but in the bottom of it lay Pre- judice and Difcontent 5 thefeem- ing Patriots, whilft they gave out a fpecious defence for Religion, they betray 'd it 5 and for want of a due temper, run quite upon the Extream : in thefe we are therefore to diftinguifh, left by undervalu- ing the Sacrifice of Chnft, we ftrike upon the Errors of Soci- nus 5 or on the other hand, left by referring all to the vertue of E 3 the
54 Chrift's Sufferings the firft Part II. the Sacrifice to Grace brefifii* ble> we negled: that Duty, which we may find at laft to be indif- penfable upon us.
What we are to believe then feems to come equally between thefe two Extreams, that God intending to juftifie the whole World by his Grace, yet of his Wifdom he flood chiefly upon a Sacrifice for the Sin : according- ly we believe that our Saviour made himfelf the willing Obla- tion, that as he refcued us from the Dominion of Sin by his Word given us, joyn'd together with his Holy Spirit, fo by the Merit of this Work of his, he fets us tree from the Guilt, bearing in his Body for us all the Marks of Mifery and Horror, as much at leaft as Human Nature could well bear 5 as much certainly he bore, as was require! to recon- cile
Part II. a?id great means of it. 57
cile us fully : We believe the enounce, that Chrift was co-eternal with the Father in oppofition to Socinus 5 and notwithftanding the Word was made Flefh, and how ample foever the Sacrifice by this means, yet againft Cal- vin we hold, that there remains ftill in God a right of Mercy and Remiffion of Sin , and on us Faith, together with the other £- vangelick. Duties.
The compleating and moff noble part of our Redempti- on, lay in his exalted State, in his Refurreftion and Afcenfion on high 5 all the forepart was very mean and calamitous to our Sa- viour 5 this alone can be faid to be worthy of him, here all pow- er in Heaven and Earth was now deliverd to him, he led Captivi- ty captive, and gave Gifts unto Men 5 he triumph' d oyer the E 4 Grave,
5 $ Chrifts Sufferings the firfi Part II.
Grave, and fhcd forth in abun- dance the Gifts of the Holy Spi- R«w.4.2S-rit : He is faid/o die for our Sins, and to rije again for our Juftifica- ticn$ our Sin being abolifh'd by his Death, our Righteoufnefs and Life affurd by his rifing from the Dead, by vertue of which, even by his own Blood he makes interceflion for us to the Father, giving us all the afliftances of the Spirit, new Grace, Remiflion of $m, and at laft Eternal Life 5 fo that our Redemption runs throughout the whole courfe of the mediatory Office of Chrift, throughout his humble conditi- on here upon Earth, as well as his glorious Stare : As a wife Phyfician in fome inveterate Dif- eafe, not content with fimple Medicines, but applies his Specie ficks, according to the nature of the Diitemper^ our Savipur IjJcc-
' wife
Part II. and great means of it, 57
wife by divers Steps, and af- ter divers Manners, accomplifh- ed the work of our Redemption : Our Mifery was become con- firmed and manifold, Sin and Guilt, and even eternal Death was our cafe $ for which reafon he adminiftred to us Remedies accordingly 5 as a Prophet he gave us a mod fure word of Pro- phecy, which accompanied with Grace, \sable, 'tis faid, to quench, all the fiery Darts of the Devil : as he was our Higb-Prieft and Sacrifice at once, fo in a more peculiar manner he made a great fat is) action for Sin , by his own Oblation, taking our Condemnation upon himfelf, nailing it to the Crofs $ and af- ter he was exalted to be a King and a Prince in his proper, even his Heavenly Kingdom, be- ftowing all the fruits of his Crofs
and
5 8 ChriJPs Sufferings thefirft Part II.'
and Paflion upon all them that obey him, Sufficiency of Grace, Remiflion of Sins, and Juftifica- tion, and at laft by vertue of his Judicial Office, Glory, Honour, Immortality, and Eternal Life.
Secondly, we come to (hew that our Saviour's Death for us may very properly be call'd a Propiti- atory Sacrifice.
The Rite of Sacrificing unto God certain Beafts, either to a- vert his Anger, or to be an in- ftance of Thankfgiving, was very gm:4.4: early 3 that we find Abel brought of the Firftlings of his Flock* ar*d of the fat thereof., but thefirft In- ftitution of it we read in the Law, where it was made no fmall part among the Ceremonies -y the Sa- crifices were of many forts, Eu- Lroiti. chariftical, or Burn >- Offerings, or hmit.%.i. Propitiatory, fuch as were given up on purpofe to be an Atone- ment
Part II. and great means of it. 59
ment for Sin 5 God himfclf pre- ferring what Bcafts lhould ex- piate what Sins, he gracioufly forgiving the Punifhment at lead upon that account, or by tranf- ferring it upon the Skape-Goat, or by that Blood with which the High Priefi went into the Holy of Holies. From hence it was that the Heathen World, the Greeks and Romans , delighting always to deprave the Truth , from this Fountain borrowed this Rite, fo very common with them, that they ^rgV their very Fleets and Armies by firft ma- king their Oblations to their Gods, intending by this way to appeafe their Anger, or fe- renade them for their Succefs 5 nay, to fuch Impiety were they arriv'd, to make fome propor- tion, they thought, between the Vi&im and the Crime, or to fe-
cure
6o Chrifis Sufferings the fir ft Part II.
cure to themfelves the better what they requefted, that they offer d up even their Sons and their Daughters 5 when the very beft of them, even the Sacrifices which God himfelf requir'd, were but poor Elements of a more rea- sonable fer vice of fpiritual Obedi- ence, fincere Contrition of Heart, of Praife and Thankfgiving, and the mod folemn Sacrifice of all the reft, was but a plain Figure of our own High Prieftj who by Hcb.9. a. his own Blood enter d in once into the Holy Place, it being im- pojjiblethat the Blood of Bulls and of Goat s, fhould take avpay Sins.
No, the Lamb of God was the end and meaning of all thefe , looking upon which, as upon the brazen Serpent, all former Expiations receiv'd whatever vep tue they had : All the Blood that was fhed under the Law, for what
in-
Part II. and great means of it, 61
intent foever, whether it was a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving, or a Sin-Offering, was but a Pattern of the true 3 the whole body of the Law being given only for this reafon, becaufe of Tranfgref* cd. 3. 1* fions till the Seed (hould come, to whom the Promife was made. Now that our Saviour was made a perfect Sacrifice for us, that eve- ry thing requir'd to make him fo, was made good in him 3 may be feen if we look upon him ei- ther as our High Prieft, or as he was a Sacrifice : We are to mark that he was all along made fub-G*l*>± jell to the Law, that he might re- deem them that were under the Law* As our Saviour then was our Prieft, it was requir'd by the Law, that a fpecial Innocence fhould be in him, and that in his Body he (hould be without Spot j they that made the Offer-
ings
6 2 ChrijFs Sufferings the firft Part II. ings unto Goc/, were to be holy un- to him, and that no Man that had a blemijh of the Seed of Aaron,
Ltv.n. 6. was to come nigh to offer the Offer- ings cf the Lord; and thefe Gra- ces were eminently in him, for his Form, how much foever def- pis'd at his Paffion, yet he is faid
Fjai 4?.2 .to be fairer than the Children of Men, grace was pourd upon his Lips : and when he was transfi- figured, his face is faid by that glory, to fhine a*> the Sun $ for
Mat, i7.a. purity, he was the mofl Holy , Harmlefs) Vndefiled, fepar ate from Shiners, and though in his hu-
ifr*r.4.f;. man Nature in all points tempted like as we are, yet ft ill without Sin.
As he was our Sacrifice ( for fo it was, that he was both the Sacrifice and the Prieft) (for that no more fit fatislachon could be given for Sin, nor was there
any
Part II. and great means of it. 6j
any one but the Father only worthy to give him up) in this refpe<5t all that we require in a Sacrifice, we may fee in him : Firft, that what was offer' d to God, was to come freely, that be fhould offer it of his own vo- i*v. i. 3. luntary Will, and 'tis clear, that our Saviour of himfelf did lay down his life for the Sheep 5 that he gave himfelf up very chear- fully to the Band of Men that *i.i»i* came for him, that he was brought ton is* as a Lamb to the Slaughter, and as a Sheep before her (hearers is dumb, fo he opened not his Mouth : That fince God had prepar'd fuch a Body for him, he came to fulfill his Will with a moft perfedt Obedience : Lo I come, fays he, to do thy Will, 0 God, 1 am content pfai.^6. to do it, yea, thy Law is within mine Heart. Whatever Offering was made, whether Male or Fe- male,
^4 Chriffs Sufferings the firft FartIL
male, it was to be without ble- mifh$ and this alfo was very fhi- Lw*v.i3.ning in our Saviour, full o(Gracey and Truth, and Innocence : it was required alfo in our Lord, that he fhould bear our Guilt and Sin, to this end that he fhould be fet at naught, be- tray d, and by falfe Accufations be put to Death, and that he mud alfo be accounted guilty of it: all this we find in the Pro- phets, and made good abundant- ly in him, as Condemnation lay heavily upon us before God, fo was he to bear all this before pro- phane and wicked Men 3 he was arraign d before Pontius Pilate the Roman Governor, prefs'd home by falfe Witneifo, Mifconftru- &ion put upon his Words, tho' they were the words of Truth and Righteo?ifnefs , and though never fo innocent, as he was,
( and
Part II. and great mea?is of it. 6$
(and Pilate himfelf muft own that he found in him no fault at all ) yet they condemn'd him as a Male- faSlor, for telling them the truth, that he was indeed the Son of God. W» l8- Here he was exprefly number d 'with the Tranfgreffors : befides the man- ner of his Death (hews as much, that he wasmadeaCurfefor us,it being written in the Law, cur fed is every one that bangeth on a Tree : De**- ir« in this therefore lies our AfiTu- * ranee and Comfort, that he who came to take away the Sins of the World, yet fuffer'd as a Sin- ner himfelf 5 that even the Son of God bore the perfon of the guilty, by which we have our hopes confirm' d , that he was made a Curfe for us, wounded fonfa. svs- our Tran\greffions, and bruifed for cur Iniquities, the Chaftifement of cur Peace was upon him, and with his Strifes we are healed: And F from
66 Cbrijfs Sufferings the firft. Part II.
from this laft Confideration we may alfo make this Remark, that as it muft needs be that Chrift Ihould fuffer, fo the manner of his Death feems to be the beft chofen for our purpofe 5 had he been cut off by fome fuddain Death, by Sedition, or Tumult, this could not avail us to our Redemption > but when he was formally brought before a Judg- ment Seat, and Sentence of Death pafs'd upon him $ and not only fo, but condemn'd to that very Death which was ever reckon'd accurfedby the Law 5 here we have great confidence, that be
ic#M.ai. who knew ?io Sin, was made Sin for us^ that he took our Guilt and Condemnation upon himfelf,nail- ing it to his Crofs,that he is by this
,> a. t means the Propitiation for our Sinsy and not for ours only, but alfo for the Sins of the whole World.
In
Part U. and great iheayisofit. 6^
In the Sacrifice therefore of his Death chiefly is our Propiti- ation, by the which we draw nigh to God, having by this one Offer- aeh-l0t1*- ing for ever perfected them that are fanftified^ abqlifhing there* by the Enmity ot God againft us, and reconciling us by that Blood, that we may become Heirs of the Promifes of God, and Joynt-Heirs with Chrifl : for if God of his Mercy, long before our Saviours Sufferings, whilft we were yet Enemies, was pleas' d dill through him, to fpecifie his Love and Companion to Sinners* or it the Oblations of the legal Sacrifices were accepted by him, even as a fweet fmelling Savour ■, made Atonement for the Sin, that a Kid or a Goat fhould bear all the u*t. 16. Iniquity 3 much more being now ju- Rm. 5 9 ftifiedby his Blood, we fhall be fa- ved from wrath by him. The Au- F 2 thor
68 Chuffs Sufferings tbefirft Part II.
thor to the Hebrews fets out the Preheminence of Chrifts Sacrifice in a high manner, by (hewing that all the Rites and Ceremonies
Heb.i.to intheLw, all their Meats, and Drinks, and Purgations, were all but poor Figures of a better Service 3 that as all their Ordi- nances were but fo many Types of Chrift, or of his Dodtrine, fo the High-Prieft in a very peculi-
H>b 91, ar manner, entring once a year into the fecond Tabernacle, to make his Offering for the Peo- ple,reprefented our Eternal High Prieft and Sacrifice together. And 'tis our Authors Argument, that
ffAiM*. if the Blood of Bulls and of Goats, and the Ajhes of an Heifer f pink? ling the Vnclean, favBifeth to the purifying of the Flejh 5 bow much moreJhaU the Blood of Chrift, isrc. and fince all former Offerings had their Vertue and Accomphih-
ment
Pa r t II- c?id great mea?is of it. 69
ment from thisxof Chrifts, that his Offering aswellasPnefihood was to be unchangeable and for ever, not to be repeated over a- gain, unlefs it be with Thankf- giving and Praife, that Repetiti- on of the Sacrifice of the Mafs is to be held by us prophanely ab< furd, fince in this lay the main diftindtion between the Order of the Pnefthood of Aaron , and this of Chrift, this being for e- ver to ftand, the other to change by reafon of Death 5 or between this Sacrifice of ours, and that of the High-Prieft $ in this the fame thing was oftentimes offer' d daily, at lead once a year , butnebr.^ the Offering of the Body ofCbrift*10' was made once for all : who by his perfedt Obedience to the Will of God, by force and vertue of that precious Blood, made us near and dear unto him, propi- F 3 dating
Chrift s Sufferings the firfi Part II.
dating and reconciling us fully, on condition of our Repentance and fincere Obedience. Whence
3/y,Wecome to fee the Efficacy of the Sufferings, or of the en- tire Obedience of Chrift, with refpeft to our Redemption.
From what has been faid be- fore, upon the nature of the Sa- tisfaction of Chrift, or upon the Tower of the Sacrifice, we may eafily difcern the vertue of it as to us 5 from the nature of the Redemption we confidered the three feveral Offices of our Savi- our, every one of which have their part in the Work of our Redemption: By his Word, we arc taught the ways of God more ferfeilly, by which we overcome the more eft'e&ually the Tower of Sin 3 by his Sacerdotal Office ta- king him together as Prieft and Sacrifice 5 by this means more
parti-
Part II. a?icf great means of it. 71
particularly is the crying Guilt and Punifhment of Sin aton'd for $ and by his Regal Office our Saviour fheds upon us hisfpiritu- al Bleflings, fufficient ftrength from above, even that of the Holy Spirit, and at laft even E- ternal Life : from the Dignity of the Sacrifice' it felf, we have ken the incomparable nature of it, whether of it's own vertue, or if we look upon it as fet forth by God himfelf, and receiv'd by him as fatisfa<5tion in our behalf, not only as an Oblation for Sin , but as our Saviour from thence- forward enter'd into Heaven it felf to appear in the prefence of God for us. From hence may we take very great hopes, knowing that this A<5t of his is become a fweet fmelling Savour, a full A- tonement for the Remiflion of our Sins.
F 4 If
72 Chrifis Sufferings the firfl Part II.
If we take our Redemption in grofs, the whole courfe of our Saviour's Obedience will be found to have a fhare in't, from his firft open appearance in the World to his exalted condition 5 by his Word he laid before us the Way, the Truth, and the Life, lifting up our Minds above the World to Holy Meditations $ the Sacrifice of his preciousBlood Hebr. ii. [peaks to us better things than that 24' of Abel j Forbearance5and Mercy, Love, and Life : And now in his exalted State he beftows abfolute- ly upon us every faving means: To his Word he adds the graci- ous helps of the Spirit, giving us all things by his Divine Pow- er that pertain unto Life and God- liness : So that all thefe Parts, eve- ry Office of our Saviour,have it's weight and ufe in our Redemp- tion 3 but fince the Holy Ghofl:
in
Part II. and great means of it. 73
in the Scripture afcribes very of- ten to the Death and Paftion of Chrift, our Peace, and Pardon, by which he made the Atone- ment, and bore the fhame, by which he gave his Life a Ranfom for us, and died for our Sins, whereby in a peculiar manner the Propitiation which Chrift wrought for us, is call'd the Price of our Redemption, and we lJar 6- faid to be juftified by his Blood ^- s> 9 we will briefly reflect in general upon the Efficacy of the Death of Chrift, and upon the Advan- tages which do arife to us from thence.
Indeed if we confider at large all the Fruits of the Oblation, fo he fet us free from all the Guilt and Mifery awaited us, from the Condemnation lay upon us, and the power of Darfoefs 5 fo the Blood of Chrift cleanfes us from
all
74 drift's Sufferings thefirft Part II.
all Sin, upon condition we walk in the Commandments of the Lord blamelefs$ but here we fpeak of his prefent Adminiftra- tions, which our Saviour flill does for us by vertue of his Sa- crifice, his Inter ceffton for us by that vertue to God, his conftanc Application of the Remiflion of Sin, and of other Spiritual Blef- fings : For after our Lord had given himfelf up for us, he en-
Hcbr. 9 7. ter'd, as the High Priefl did be- fore into the Holy Place, by his own Blood into Heaven it felf,
0.24. now to appear in the presence of God for us : Here he ftands up for us ftill by that vertue, interce- ding for us, as it were, to God 5 healing us by the Efficacy of his Wounds and Stripes : as Jofepb in the Court of Egypt, endued
g«.4«. with Royal Power over all the
4,,4V Landy Pharoah only bei?ig greater
in
Part II- and great meant of it. 75
in the Throne, by his Word and Prefence procur'd all the Grace that could be to his Brethren $ fo our Saviour by his Appearance before his Father, as our effectu- al Advocate, by the moil winning Oratory never failing of Succefs, even by the Merit of his Blood, he obtains for us all Favour, and Mercy, and whatever we ftand moftin need of: who is faid to be able to fave to the uttermoft them Mr, 7 1 j. that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make lnterceffion for them 5 that the Holy Spirit alfo helping our Infirmities, maketh In Rm- •■*«- terceffion for us with Groanings that cannot be utter d.
By the vertue alfo of this Ob- lation are wc reconciled to God perfectly 5 he did without doubt, ihew us much Mercy in the Grace he gave us before, but in Chrift be did fully reconcile the World
unto
76 Chrifis Sufferings the firft Part II.
unto himfelf. From hence alfo we may take great hope and confidence towards God, that our Mediator, as the Man Chrift jfefus, (o was he in all things tempt- ed like unto us $ as he took on him Human Nature, fo is he be- come a very Merciful High- Priefl 3 for which reafon we are affur'd that whatever we ask rightly in his Name, or what we pray unto him for believing, we ihall receive. From hence have we great reafon to hope, that the Sins and Offences we have committed, yet by a godly Sor- row and Contrition, may be for- given us, that he who is gone be- fore us, will certainly prepare a place in Heaven for us, if we a- bide in him. Thefe Advantages with many more we have from Chrifts Sacerdotal Office, plainly fet down to us in them famous
Texts,
Part II. a?id great means of it. 77
Texts, and elfewhere, who can &&. 4 have Companion on the Ignorant ,*Stl ' and on them that are out of the Way 5 for we have not an High Priejl which cannot be toucht with the feeling of our Infirmities, but was in all Points tempted, like as we are, yet without Sin $ let us *• \ therefore come boldly unto theT krone of Grace i that we may obtain Mer- cy, and find Grace to help in time of need. The Communications of the Holy Spirit, working m us Faith, Converfion, and new Life, our Saviour may be faid to derive to us another Way 5 by vertue of that Kingly Power was given him from the Father upon the account of his Merito- rious Paflion, by this means divi- ding it to every Man feverally as he will.
The only thing upon this place in queftion, is about the nature
of
7 8 Cbrift's Sufferings the firfl Part It
of the Efficacy of the Sacrifice, how far it goes, and where our Duty comes in : there be fome who carry the Sacrifice fo far, that our Saviour by that Obedi- ence has paid the very fame Pu* nifhment that was due to us $ caivin. made a full SatisfaSiion for our ?«£. USias, that he has taken upon l1' him the fame Guilt in all Ref- pedts belong'd properly to us, and that the Smart which he bore was fo proportion'd, that we are thereby juftified gratis, without any manner of Duty on us: Nay, they proceed fo far, to make out a full Satisfaction to the Rigour of Gods Juftice, that befides the Sufferings he bore in his Body, they fuppofe our Saviour to have undergon the very fame Punifh- ment in all degrees the Damned were to bear 3 that for this end he futfer'd much in his Soul, nay,
and
Part II. arid great means of it. y?
and feetri to fay, even in his Di- vinity. Thefe who on the other hand bring down the Sacrifice at too low a value, placing all the£/- ficacy in that Power given to him in Heaven, who deny the migh- ty Vertue of the Death of Chrift, as they do his Divinity, fo grofs a Herefie as this, we utterly re- jedl : yet how reverend this Sa- crifice is to be efteem'd, whate- ver Satisfaction it made for Sin, or what Merit it did for us 5 not- withftanding all this, we are to preferve the Grace and Mercy of God evermore 5 and that Faith and the New Creature is the plain condition of our Juftification , which we come to fpeak to in the following Part.
The ufes we are to make of our Redemption, or of the Sa- crifice of Chrift, are fet down by the Apoftle, that like as Chrift
was
8a thrift'* Sufferings thefirft Part II.
Rom. 6. 4. was raisd up from the Dead, by the Glory of the Father, even fo we alfo fhould w all-in newnefs of Life $ and that as he died for all, that
l0r's's'they which live, fhould not hence- forth live unto themf elves, but un- to him which died for them, and r of e again: that every one fhould make the fame ufe of the Crofs of Chrift, which the Apoftle did,
csi. 6. i4. but God forbid, fays hcjhat I fhould glory , fave in the Crofs of our Lord Jefw Chrift, whereby the World is crucified unto me, and I unto the World.
But our chief Meditation here, fhould be upon the occafion of the Death of Chrift, and that is for our Sin 3 the Guilt of which, it feems, lay fo heavily upon us, fo very odious in Gods Sight , that nothing lefs could be taken forfatisfa&ionforit; from hence We ought to have Iniquity and
Sin
Part II. and great means of it. 8 1
Sin in perfect hatred, and to give up our felves entirely to the bu- finefs of our Salvation -> know- ing that if we now Sin wilfully af~ *h. 10. ter that we have receive/ the know- ledge of the Truths there remain' eth no more Sacrifice for Sins, but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment, and fiery Indignation which fhall devour the Adverfaries : From hence alfo we have mat- ter of Comfort, that if we Sin we have an Advocate with the Fa- ther Jefus Chrift the Righteous 5 who fits at the right Hand of God, to make Reconciliation for the Sins of the People: That fo when we have walk'd according to the Rule fet us, in fincere Obe- dience to it, and have done as much as in us lies towards it, we may at Jaft in full aflurance com- mit our Souls unto him, as into the hands of a faithful and merci- ful Redeemer. G The
83
The true State of
JUSTIFICATION,
As it ftands between God and Man.
~~ PART III.
Faith Evangelical the Condition on our Part.
IN the foregoing Part we have feen the method of our Re- demption in Chrift, the due Eftimation of his Death, together with the Power of it $ by whom alone we have accefs to God, and by whom he was pleas'd to make himfelf well known 5 in- G 2 fomuch
84 Faith Evangelical the Part III. fomuch as to be ferv'd and wor- /hip'd in and through him : In this part therefore lies the mod no- ble means of Mans Jujiification, as does alfo our Joy and Hope, for that the Right eouftiefs of Chrift is the main caufeof ours, or of that IVifdcm from above, of our Sanftification or Redemption : the bufinefs which he came to do, he effectually finifh'd , the Work which was requir'd at his Hand he fulfill'd exactly, whateverwas needful to be done or known as to his Perfon $ the tender of all the faving means came wholly from the Father and him : For befides his own Obedience, that willing Sacrifice he made of him- felf, he fet before us the Way, the Truth, and the life 5 the di- rection of his Word, and the helps of the Spirit, which joyn'd together with our Faith, upon a
right
Part III. Cc?idition onus. 85
right ufe made of thefe means, is able to fave our Souls.
For how gracious foever the love of God has towards Man ap- pear'djOr how ample hath the love of Chrift been, or yet the offers of his Mercy $ yet the accepta- tion of this goodnefs lies upon us, or the proper ufe and appli- cation of them, we are to make our fclves $ a lively Faith, which (hall appear by Works, Obedi- ence to the Gofpel of our Lord J e- fws Chrift, to that great Salvation which was feoken to ws by himfelf, Renovation of Mind-, and a new Creature, Love, and Charity, and the like, fuch as thefe are the Subjects which belong to us, or the means on our fide, as a nc* cellary Condition of oxxxjuftifi* cation, which is to be the matter of our prefent Difoourfe-
G 2 Wh$in
j..'
$6 Faith Evangelical the Part III.
Kaw.3.25. Whom God hath fet forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood, isc. from whence we will fet down.
Firft, the nature of our Faith, the Foundation, or the Ob) eft of it.
Secondly ,that Faith and Obedi- ence in our Saviour is on us the neceffary condition of our Juftifi- cation,notwithftanding the Merit or Satisfaction by him made :
And Thirdly, the great Ab- fisrdity of it, and danger on the other hand, that our Juftificati- on fhould precede this our Duty, without any manner of regard to it.
Firft, we defcribe the nature of our Faith, the Foundation or the ObjeU of it.
The word is taken in many Significations, for the whole/bra* of found Doftrine, which Chnftor
the
Part III. Condition on us- 87
the Apoftles gave us, in divers places, as Sr. Vaul has it in his In- structions to Timothy , that they 1 71*. 3.9. Jhould bold the Myftery of the Faitb in a pure Confcience $ that in the latter times fome flwuld depart from the Faith; that be Jbould be+x.6. a good Minifter of Jefus Cbrift, nourijhed up in the words of Faithy &c. it is fometimes referred to fome particular Perfons in com- mendation of their Faith, or ta- ken for a firm aflent at large, be it to the Word of God, or Mans Teftimony, and fometimes for ^9 *. what we fee with our Eyes 5 but here and mod commonly we un- derftand by Faith, a fure and certain belief of thefe things re- veal'd to us by God, how un- known or difficult to our Rea- fon$ of the Promifes of God, or of the things hoped for : Or more properly,our Faith inChrift G 4 is
jM>. 20.29.
88 Faith Evangelical the Part III.
is our fure knowledge and afcent that he is the only Saviour fet forth to all thefe that obey him -> a full truft upon him in all his Capacities, that if we perform that Obedience he requires of us m his Gofpel, we (hall then ob- tain Remiflion of our Sins, and life Eternal 5 fo that to make our Faith good and perfeSi , there mud be many things added, as our Knowledge of what we be- lieve in general, ouvConfent,and Hope, and confcquently our Obe- dience.
And we are the more to mark the right nature of our Faith, as the thing upon which all our Religion is rais'd, as it is the Foundation of our Hope, the Condition of our Juftification, and a very good Caufe of O- bedience and good Works : and fo much the more are we here
rightly
Fart III. Condition on us. 89
rightly to diftinguiih, as there be fome pernicious Opinions upon this Point, which involve us in Doubts and much Ab- furdity $ notwithftanding that great confidence fome pretend to towards God, by which they too much confine this Grace, as they do the Promifes, or yet the Duties.
From hence, from the nature of Faith, theobje<5t of it is plain, and that is the whole truth of God; not only the Merit of Chrift, or the fpecial mercy of God peculiar to fome, but alfo the Commands and Commi- nations : As our Faith is to em- brace the whole Work of our Redemption entirely , as well what our Saviour fpoke unto us, as what he did for us 3 fo are we to look upon all his Offices as the Objeft of our Belief 5 as he
was
I-
po Faith Evangelical the Part III. was that faithful Prophet at Iaft to be rais'd up, whom in the Dm. 1 8. Prophets we were to hear in all things whatfoever he [aid unto us $ as he was that perfedt High-Prieft and Sacrifice, who by his own Blood enterd into the Heavens, there to make our Reconciliation $ or as he was there exalted by that vertue to be a Prince and King, fo he protedts us by his Word and Spirit, giving to fuch as (hall perfevere in his Obedi- ence, a Crown of Life: Or to fpeak more briefly, that Chrift is our Redeemer, upon whom we relie for our Salvation, upon the condition he himfelf has given us: Such is the Objeft of our Faith defcrib'd to be in Jo. 1 7. 3. This is Life Eternal to know thee the only living and true God, and Jefm Chrift whom he hath fetit* Thefe who are fo intent to
make
Part III. Condition onus. 91
make Gods Free Grace, or the Righteoufnefs of Chrift to be a- lone the ObjeH of their Faith 5 feems much to refemble the Pi- vinity of thofe of late, who would feparate the Kings Perfon from his Authority 5 or like that Do- <5trine introduced fome years fince into this Church and State, (though it may be remember'd it was to the Deftru&ion of both ) that the Peoples Pleafure is to be fet before Prerogative Royal, or yet the San&ions of Laws* fo thofe who would have their Faith to be toncern'd only with the Meritorious Part of Chrift , or with Gods love only, they at the fame time deny the Juftice of the one , and of the other, the condition of his Laws, or the extent of his Grace : Or whilil they think the Promifes are theirs peculiarly, that the Chriftian Li- berty
2 2 Faith Evavgelicdl the Part III. berty has fet them free from the neceffity of Obedience , furely they muft be faid to neglett that Great Salvation, which was fpo- ken to us by the Lord Jefus : No, without doubt, the mercy of God is over all his Works, and without any refpe<5t of Per- fons at all, his Grace is Vniverfal inChriftj that whofoever fliall believe in him fincerely (hall ne- ver perifli.
Wherefore as we are to have much in our Meditations and Thoughts, the unfpeakable be- nefits Chrift wrought for us $ that he died, and rofe again, and en* ter'd into his Glory $ that he makes ever Interceflion for the Sins of the People 5 asthefe, and what befides he has done for us, are to be the Subjetts of our Faith, our Joy, and Crown of Rejoycing 5 fo are his W brds to
fink
v
Part III. Condition on us. p%
fink deep into our Hearts, to be our delight and conftant Medi- tation 5 that whatever he fpoke, which pertain unto Life and Godlinefs, may be efteem'd by us as the Oracles of God $ build- ing up our Faith upon this Founda- tion of the Apoftles and Prophets, Jefus Chrift himfelf being the chief comer Stone : Whatever we find in the Book of God to be done, or hop'd for, or believ'd, is to be the Subject Matter of our Faith : All thefe things, whether they are his Commandments,(and if we add to this what his Apo- ftles faid by the fame Spirit ) whether it be his Tajfive Condi- tion, or his exalted State, they very eafily come within the com- pafs of our Belief: As one com- mon Bond, in a mutual relati- on to each other, fo do they all meet in the Work of Faith.
Sc-
f • -~ - - . •>... - V ~';'-
'- ■ -. ■ . — • — '- -
24 Faith Evangelical the Part III.
Secondly, we come to fhew that Faith and Obedience is the neceffary Condition of our Jufti- fication, notwithftanding the Me- rit or Satisfaction Chrift made.
For certainly the new Cove- nant confifts alfo of two Parts, of Obedience on Man, of the Promifes and Comminations on Gods part : The Duty which re- mains on us, is defcrib'd by fe- veral Names, and in divers Man- ners 5 fomctimes 'tis joyn'd to- gether with the Promife, as the one is made the Condition of the other: fometime fingly by the general Terms of Faith and Re- pentance , Renovation of Mind , Converfion from Darknefs to Light, Regeneration, and the New Crea- ture, rifing from the Dead, and the New Man $ by thcfe and the like Phrafes, is our Chriftian Duty nam'd by the Holy Spirit: For
our
Part HI. Condition on us. P5
our Difobedience Gods Wrath and Indignation is very manifcft, Anguijh and Tribulation upon eve- ry Soul of Man that doth Evil i The Promifes is our Adoption to become the Sons of God, our Juftification, and the other Ads of God's love in this Life : But the greateft of all, and what may be faid to be the peculiar Pro- mife of our new Covenant, is our Eternal Life 3 Perfecution and the Crofs may very likely be- fall the bed Chriftians, or the Goods of this Life may equally happen out to the Wicked, when the [pedal Promifes of God re- fpeft chiefly the Life to come.
As our New Covenant is efta- blifh'd upon better Promifes than ever was the Law, fo are the Terms of it very Merciful 5 the Difpenfation all over inlaid with Forbearance , Long-Suflfering ,
and
p6 Faith Evangelical the Part III.
and Pardon for Sin 5 the Toa^ is faid to be, eafiey and the Burden
7oh.j.i7,/ighty that Grace and Truth came by Jefus Chrift : Yet we are not to abufe fo much the goodnefs of God, to negled: from hence our Chriftian Duty, or to abate our Religious Courfe 5 the ufe of fo much goodnefs is rather to lead us to Repentance : Indeed the Ri- gour of Duty, or Gods fevere Judgments obtain'd chiefly in the Law ; where the Rewards, what appear'd at Ieaft, were little, and the helps to do what was good, much lefs 5 fo fevere theLaw,that
m.i. 2. every Tranfgrejfion and D if obedi- ence receivd a juji Recommence of Reward^ or he that defpifed Mo- fes Law died without Mercy : For this ?eafon the Gofpel is call'd Grace, as the Do&nne is very Gracious and Merciful, compre- hending great and precious PrQ-
mifes,
Part III. Condition on us. yf
mifes , very faving Rules and Precepts to live by, much Fa- vour, and Forbearance, and Mercy, to fuch as love God, or to thofe who be out of the Way, even to the greateft Sinners, but now repenting: But the greateft inftance of his Grace, is the Free Gift of his Holy Spirit, that ef- fectual Power from above, which our Saviour fo plentifully gave down, after he had afcended up on High. This Priviledge there- fore is peculiar to us , which God is pleas'd to difpenfe to eve- ry one feverally as he will ; a jufficient Measure of which he gives to all, preventing us in what we do by the fame Spirit, and upon our compliance with it, by Co-operating with the grace given unto us, we come unto perfection : to thefe gracious Aids we may add the continued H '.appear-
p8 Faith Evangelical the Part III. Appearance and biterceffwn of our Saviour to God for us, that we may haveGrace to help in time ofNeed,tofufpend his fevere, but juft Wrath, and to compleat his Love. All thefe be fo many Ac- ceflions to the Excellency of the Covenant^ fo very effectual are thefe helps in whatever we do, that our fufficiency in this refped: may befaid truly to be of God.
For the want of thefe Super- natural means heretofore it was importable to pleafe God, where- fore the Legal Service, and the bc(t Obedience jn that State was call'd their own Works, but Grace and Truth cai?ie by Jefus Chrift : that is, a Difpenfanon, though never fo perfedt, though it de- mands in thehighcfitneafureour Holinefs, and winks at no fault, not the kail Error, in Thought, Word, or Deed $ yet ftill fraught
with
Part III. Condition on us. pp
with the greateft Encourage- ments that can be, with Remiffion for Sin pad, and much Grace for the future, with great Allowan- ces for Infirmities, with Reme- dies even for wilfull Re/apfes , with great AflTurances for the Godly , and great Hopes for the Penitent: The Holy Spirit alfo helping our Infirmities, go- ing before us, as the Angel be- fore Ifrael, in the Pillar of Fire, to lead us in the good and per- fect Way, to encreafe our Faith, and to reftore our Failures, or to make us perfeft Men in Chrift Jefus. Thefe are fo great En- couragements in our New Co- venant , that our Juflification may be truly faid a majoriy to be the Gift of God 5 not of our own felves, nor yet of Works have we here any caufe to boaft $ not but that our Obedience at the H 2 fame
i oo Faith Evangelical the Part Hi.
fame time is very ftridtly re- quire!, a Law of Faith, and a plain Condition fet before us, upon our Difobedience to which we come fhert of the Glory of God. From hence, from fo great a part a.s the Holy Sprit bears in the Work of our Salvation, and from the great Recommences of the Rewards, in a good fenfe it may be faid, that God worketh in us to will and to do of his good Plea- fure 5 or that our Juflijication in this fenfe, may be faid to be the Gift of God i fincc all ourlndu- ftry, and Human Diligence can make no manner of proportion to the Excellencies of the Pro- mifes 5 nor yet have our Works in themfelves any EfKcacy to o- vcrcome Sin, the Guilt, Punifh- nient, or the Dominion of it : For this reafon was it that St. Paul was fo vehement upon this
Ar-
Part III. Condition on us. \o\
Argument 5 when the Judiazjng Chriftians infilled upon Circum- cifion, and the Works of the Law, that thofe vile Elements, very poor Patterns of things in the Hea- vens, after the manner of Mofes, muft (till fave them i He there- (ore perfued this profperous He- re fie with the utmoft Indignati- on 3 beating down all fucb Imagi- 7iationsy and every thing that ex- alteth it felf againfi the Know- ledge of God, bringing into Cap' tivity every Thought to the Obedi- ence of Chrifl : The Holy Ghoft fignifying by him the Impofture of fuch Doctrine, andthenecef- (ity of this Evangelical Way 5 nay, fo high did the Apoftles Pew run in this Matter, againft the Deeds ot the Law, the Superfti- tion of their Ceremonies, the vain conceit or boafting was plac'd in them, that fome, it H 3 feems,
102 Faith Evangelical the Part III.
feems, miftook his Words in a moft pernicious fenfe : Whether this Argument which he fo fully handles in all his Epiftles, were thofe things hard to be underftood in them, it feems thty wrefted w7hat he faid to their own Veftru- Uion, as if he had condemn' d Works Evangelical , together with the Deeds of the Law $ or
Ro«».3.a8.as if he had faid, that we might
3 8 do Evil, that this Grace might abound \ From the latter of which Afperfions he exprefly purges himfelf, and from the former al- fo by plain Words and Inference $
ic#r.7. that it is a Faith including Love and Charity^ and the Command'
u.a. ments of God , that putting on the Lord J ej us Chrifl in all his Royal Commandments $ or the good Works of the New Creature, by renewing of the Holy Ghoft,and that of Faith, not of our own
Strength
Part III. Condition on us* 103
Strength or Nature $ that fuch Duties as thefe in all Well-do- ing, is the plain Will of God : Nay, the Condition of thefeDu- ties is fo incumbent on us, that our Eternal Life or Condemna- tion relies upon them, upon our Obedience to thefe Commands which Chrift and his Apoftlesgave us down 5 nay, fo folemn are their Words pertaining unto the Kingdom of God, that notwith- standing the Law was faid to be a rigorous Service, for the mul- titude of Ceremonies, and for the want of Gods Spirit 5 fo for the reafonablenefs of our Reli- gion, and the univerfal Difpen- fation of Grace 5 for this reafon our Difobedience now will be of worfe confequence, of much/0-^.2*.^, rer Pwiijhment and Guilt.
'Tis confefs'd, that our beft
Works in the fight of God have
H 4 no
i p4 Faith Evangelical the Part III.
no manner of Merit in them, nor yet Condignity of Merit 5 we will account them all without Faith, to be no better than fpkn- did Sins, or to ufe our Apoftles Words, we count all things but lofs, for the excellency of the Know* ledge of Cbiji J ejus our Lord ^ mi 3*9. but 05 Dung that we may win Chri/i, not having our own Righte- oufnefs : No, not according to our Worlds are we fav'd, but ac- cording to the Grace of God, be- fore the World began , which was given us in our Saviour : here have we the firftcaufe and means of our Salvation : But then when we confider our Saviour as a a LegijlatorzUo, entring with us into the moil folemn Covenant, and ratifying the fame by his own Blood: When we look upon God now entered into League with ho has bound himfejf up to
us
Part III. Condition on us* 105
us by fo many Promifes, and from us demanded fuch Condi- tions, that // a Man keep my Say* io. 8. jr. ingy he jhould never fee Death $ when fuch as thefe Dutie5 arc made the Conditions of our Hap- pinefs, and feeing that God has made himfelf a Debtor to them $ from henceforward furely we have reafon to have great Con- fidence in them, fince God can- not deny himfelf, but is pleas'd rather to impute the Reward to him that Worketh^ not of Grace, but of Debt.
A Faith working by fuch In- ftances appears fo very plainly our Duty, that he that runs may read it : If St. Paulhavc fet down in fome of his Epiftles, things never fo hard to be underftoody and perhaps fome things upon this very Point,' that may give us Doubts 5 yet there be Scrip- tures
io6 Paith Evangelical the Part III. tares enough in the fame Epiftles to our purpofe$ his more plain Texts to this end will interpret the more obfcure: And there be fome entire Epiftles of out Apo* file which feem to enlarge upon this our Duty : I am fure St. James's Words are very (hining, by which we have all reafon to
james i. expound him, that Faith, if it hath not Works, is dead, being a- lone$ and that by Works a Man is jufti/iedy and not by Faith only : And the Apoftles, though never fo General or fhort in what they have Writ, yet they feem to be wholly in the Application of
jude ao. the Duties, that we fhould build up our felves on our ??io(i Holy Faith: But before we come to fet down thofe common places out of the Scriptures, by which we cannot but prove that fuch a lively Faith is the plain Terms of
our
Part III- Condition on us. 107
our Juftification 5 we may do well to remove an Obftacle or two in our way, touching the Satisfacti- on of our Saviour, which may otherwife feem to make void our Obedience , or take away the neceflity of any fuch Condition.
Though we could fpeak with the Tongue of Men, or Angels, the Task would have been too hard for us, had this been a pro- per Place, to kt forth in due Pomp all the noble Adts of our Saviour, or yet the Aftonifhing Nature of his Paflion $ we may enumerate fome of his Divine Excellencies in this manner, who in the Beginning was that Eternal <A*}°5 with God, and this Word was Jm.i.m. very God, by whom all things were made, and without him was not any thing made^ that was made ^ in whom was Life, and the Life was the light of Men 5 who not-
with-
i ©8 Faith Evangelical the Part HI. withftanding all this, he ftoop'd as low as Earth, and for our fakes became Flejh 5 nor yet was he born of Blood, nor yet of the Will of Man, but of God 5 the
Luke i- Power of the Highefl, is faid, to overfhadow her, whom God high- ly favour'd$ and the Virgins Name was Mary, who conceived and bare him $ who from this time until he was about thirty years of Age, denied himfelf the Manfions of Heaven, and led a very private inglorious Life 5 nay, until he had finifh'd our Re- demption, his State was fo mean, that he had not where to lay his HeaJ-j not to name the Signs and Wonders which God fpent upon him before, or what himfelf did 5
Matth. %. at his Birth a Blazing-Star atten- ded upon him, even in the Man- ger, and his Minifiring Angels in the mean time fav'd him from
the
2.13
Part III. Condition on us. 109
the Ungodly $ at his Baptifm/Ae Heavens were open ' dunto him, and the S fir it of God descended like a Dove, and lighted upon him : And before we may fee his own Glory blaze out at times, and to feat- ter fome Miracles before, it may be, his proper Hour was comeiox. them 5 but when he made hisfo- lemn Entrance upon his Bufinefs, the Things that he did, are faid, to be fo many, that the beloved Difciple adentur'd upon fo lof- ty Expreffion , that if they were j0h.lt*s. written, the World it felf could not contain the Books : By his Divine vertue he heal'd the Lame, the?0* !-«- Dumb, and Blind 3 the Dead were raised up, and the Lepers were cleanfed, and that by his Word only, or Touch, or as many as believ d onhim -, nay, by the fame Power he forgave Sins alfo. But to add no more Inftances of his
Divi-
i io Faith Evangelical the Part III. Divinity, or thefe infallible Signs N*t. 17 5 that he was indeed the SonofGod, only this fingle one, thegreateft and mod ineftimable of all his Works, this of our Redemption 5 indeed by the Works of Creati- on and Providence we have our Being , and Confervation , but furely by this our Saviour gave us our Well-being; he reftord us, when we were in mifery, to Gods Grace, and Vs to our felves again : Such honour as this we may afcribe unto our Lord, as juftly due unto his Name : And yet notwithftanding all this, the Duty now before us, our Faith, with all it's Circumftances, will appear the Condition of our E- ternal Life.
Secondly, Thefe who by good Interpretation deny our Obedi- ence, that Chrifts Death is full Satisfaction for our Sins, that
the
Part III. Condition on us. hi
the things which he fuflfer'd is a Caivin. full Compensation for what we^.iV.2' fhould, they draw their chief Ar- gument from the exceeding for- rowfulnefs and bitternefs of his PafTion, fowell difcover'd to us in that Prayer of his, 0 my Fa-**"'"-*6* thery if it be pojjible, let this Cup pafs from me : Nor yet will this Text ftand them in any ftcad 3 for furely 'tis confefs'd on all Hands, that our Saviour fpeaks of himfelf fometimes as he was the firji begotten of every Creature , and fometimes as he was Man 5 fo in thisfirft Prayer of his/ he only (hews the common Infirmi- ty of his Human Nature 5 but then immediately after, the Ala-42.44. crity of his Spirit appears, giv- ing himfelf up twice together in the fame thing, with all Submif- fion to Gods Will, nevertbelefs Mark 14. not what I will, but what thou*6
wilt :
ill Faith Evangelical the Part III. wilt: Or methinks Origeris fenfe of thefe Words in anfwer to origencon-Celfus feem proper enough, as wit if our Saviour had faid, 'O my Father! feeing that if I drink this bitter Cup, the whole Na- tion of the Jem will be forfa- ken by thee, if it may be, I pray thee, that it may pafs from me, leads thine own Portion, and the loft Sheep of the Houfe of lfrael, unto whom I amfirfl: and chiefly fent, for this wick- ed Deed of theirs upon me, may be utterly condemn'd by thee. And thus we may very well underftand all our Saviours Concern, before, or at the time of his Pafiion $ or rather accor- ding to hiscommon Human Na- ture : Not that his better Part, much lefs his Divine Nature, can properly fpeaking , fuffer any real part in the Agony; or what
part
Part III. Cvndnion on u>. 1 1 3
part they had in it, muftbefaid to come from the Neighbour- hood of the Body 5 fo that ftill the Merit muft lie chiefly in the Acceptation and Will of God.
The Wages of our Sin was E- ternal Death, with the other pe* nal Acts of the Condemn'd, T)e* [pair, and Wrath, and bid i gnat i- on, and the utmojl Torments $ but our Saviour did not fufter fuch a Puniihment, because it was not***** *4 pojfible that he fhould be ho/den of it : what he did for us, was pure- ly the Will of God, which he. fulfilld with a perfect Obedi- ence 5 as the Price of thofe who are in Captivity is the good Will and Pleafure of thofe who have them Captives* not confidering fo much the exact value, between the Ran[om and them that are fet free 5 fo the Redemption our Sa- viour paid for us, was the ft
H4 Faith Evangelical the Part III. Appointment of God only 3 and he did for us all that was appoint- ed him 3 he was truly our Sacri- crifice, upon vpho?nwas laid the In- quiries of us ally blotting out the Enmity betwixt God and us, the Guilt and Power of Sin 3 i,n which fenfe he may be faid to Merit for us, and fatisfie the Will of God, not the rigour of his Juftice. When we look upon our Saviour, he went through uebr. to the whole courfe of his Office, c'6'7'8- and fimfttt all that Work which was given him to do 5 but when upon our felves , fo he cannot be faid to have paid for us the uttermofl Farthing 5 all the means were his, but the Ufe and Appli- cation of them is ours : And that he enter'd into certain Conditi- ons with us, fuch as Faith and good Obedience, in all Sinceri- ty , upon which ftands the full
Re-
Part in. Condition on us. 115
RemifTion of Sin , and confe- qucntiy our Juftification, will plainly appear from thefc feveral Conllderations.
Wc mull: all grant this one thing, that the bell of our Obe- dience without Faith^ is not ac- ceptable with God 5 nay, Faith it felf, without his Preventing and Concomitant Grace, is Dead and Unprofitable : But when our Chnlfian Works are fandfrfied by Faith in Chrift, proceeding from a full AlTurance of Gods future Promifes, when our Obe- dience is drawn from thefe Mo- tives, it will then be found to be highly necelTary : Firft, that fuch a Faith as works by Love, and all fincere Obedience is requir'd, is plain from the end and intention of the word of God ; that it was. written on purpofe that we might believe that Jefus is Chrift the Son I 2 of
1 1 6 Faith Evangelical the Part III.
job.xc.ji. of God, and that believing, that 'is obeying himy we might have Life through his Name 5 that all Scrip- ture is profitable for Dotlrine, for
iito.i. Repr00f y &c. tfrat the Man of God
may be perfeil, throughly furnifh'd Mat. 7.24. nvt0 all goodWorks ' that who fo [ball keep the fayings of our Saviour, is to be great in the Kingdom of Heaven-. Wherefore the Holy Word is faid to be a Lanthorn unto our Feet, and a Light unto J6knl '•'«■ our Paths, and that true Light, which lighteth every Man that com- eth into the World $ as 'tis the lad and cleareft rule we have to walk by: Nay, our Obedience m this manner is the real end and riefign ot our being m the World, in Ephef. 2. 1 o. for we are his Worlijnanjhip, created in Chrijl Jefus inito good Works, which God hath before ordain d that wefhould walk^ in them.
Se-
Part III. Condition on us. 1 1 7
Secondly, We have a furc reafon forfuch Obedience, from the iinccrityand plain dealing of the Apoillcs, which were the Ten- men ot the Word 5 whatever they faid, were the words of Truth and Sobemefs • what they writ is with much fimplicity of Speech 5 not infinuating what they faid by idle Eloquence, by Tropes and Figures, fo much as by Demon- fir a t ion of the Spirit, they renounc d the hidden things of Dilho?ie/lyyEphef^.i. not walking in Craft inejs, nor hand' ling the Word of God deceitfully , but by manifeflation of the Truth. And methinks as plain as words can well be, they throughout their Epiftles enforce our Chrifti- anDuties, upon the greateft Mo- tives : And for the fame reafon we are alfur'd that St.PWmeans no more by the Worlds of the Law, but only the Ceremonies of the I 3
1 1 8 Faith Evangelical the Part III.
Jews, or fuch as wanted Faith, fince he reenforces the Chriftian Vermes upon all Occafions ; As we may fee, Thirdly,
From the Exhortations to fuch Obedience, as 'tis made the Con- dition of Life, inibmuch that our Faith is made an AR of our Obedience. In the i John 3. 23. This is his Commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son f&. 3 16. Jefus Chrifl $ and he that be- lieveth on the Son hath everlafting Life 5 and he that believeth not the Son, (hall not fee Life, but the Wrath of God abideth on him. If we walk, in the Light as he is in the Light, we have Fellowfhip one with another -, and the Blood 1 j». 1.7.0/ Jefus Chrijl his Son, cleanfeth m* 3. 19- us from all Sin : That we repent and be converted ', that our Sins may be blotted out : That in Chrifl Jefus neither Circumcifwn avail-
eth
Part III. ConcIitio?i on us* i ip
eth any thing, nor Vncircumcifwn^*1 s-*- but Faith which worketb by Love, And St. James, to quote no more Places, puts it beyond all dis- pute, that the Faith which will jujiijie us before God, mult have m it the fare Fruits of it, Charity and good Works: Or we have as good Argument from fuch pla- ces which do put us upon the ne- ceility of thefe Duties $ as whojo^t. 19. jhall break, one of thefe leafl Com- 2C mandments, and jhall teach Men fo, he jhall be called the leafl in the Kingdom of Heaven \ thatjpz7j&-H<*-
12.14.
out Holinefs no Man (hall fee the Lord 1 that we are to be judge/ according to our Works at the laft Day, by which we are to be Jufti- fied or Condemn'd. And to kt down all thefe places which have plain reference to this Head, as the negative Texts, denying us upon pain of Death evil A£ts 3 I 4 or
i 20 Faith Evangelical the Part III.
or the Precepts, encouraging us on from the Recommences, or the conditional Scriptures, which fet Life and Death before us upon the terms of our Obedience 5 to name them all would be infinite, it being fo good a part of Holy Writ.
But then the Exaltednefs of our Saviour's Doctrines is much to be confider'd by us, as they be fo much rais'd above any thing before 5 as appears by his way of fpeaking in Mattb 5. but 1 fay unto you-^ intimating plain- ly that what he laid went beyond the Vemiifjions of the Law, thefe rude and beggerly Elements of true Religion: Befides the ad- ditional Precepts our Saviour gave, is another acceflion to our Reverence of them, which we rind plainly in his Sermon upon the Mount, fuch as to forgive In-
juries,
Part III. Condition on us. 121
juries, to love our Enemies, andA/.*.-*. %t , Jo good to them that hate us 5 fuch32' as the Jews, it feems, could not away with, for the hardnefs of their Hearts. If thefe were ever meant in the Law, it could not be in the Letter of it, whether our Saviour rais'd his Inftituti- ons, or added new for this rea- fon, as his Promifes were fo much more Excellent 5 or as the Gifts of the Spirit were alfo New and Plentiful, that for this reafon he might fet the one over-againft the other : Or was it to fulfill fome prophetick Paflages con- cerning him, that hefhould judged n. *■ the poor with Righteou[ne\s, and re- prove with Equity-, that he vooikld put his Laws i?ito their Minds, and write them in their Hearts. How- ever we are to make this Inftru- ftion of it, that our Obedience muft needs be rais'd together
with
122 Faith Evangelical the Part III. with the Precepts,and that to neg- led: fo great Salvation, is to bring upon our felves the. greater Con- demnatioju
'Tis true, when we have done all that is commanded us, yet we are ftill unprofitable Servants 5 and 70*9. io, if Ijuflifiemy felf fays Job, mine Hi IS own Mouth Jhall condemn me, if I fay, I am perfect, it Jhall a If 0 prove meperverfe, &c. or how much li- berty of Will we have, how much indifferency to Good or Evil , yet without Gods Grace, we can do nothing acceptable unto him $ fo far off are our Works, nay, Faith itfelf, from being in the leaft commenfurate to the Re- ward, from any Merit, or Con- dignity, or intrinfick Goodnefs : But when God is pleas d of him- fclf, to fet fuch a value upon them, to affign over to them fuch Promifes of hisown Ordination,
to
Part III. Condition on us* 123
ro make them fo folemn a Condi- tion of all the Promifes $ upon this account 'tis that we fo much infift upon them, that notwith- standing our beft Works cannot ftand the Teft of Gods Juftice, yet for his Promife fake, and for his Righteoufnefs fake, we may rely upon him, for he is faithful that hath pomisd.
And in the fame manner is it that our Faith and Obedience in Chrift is imputed unto us for Righ- teoufnefs, or that 'tis made the Condition of our Jujlification 3 for this very reafon, as God has folemnly made thefe Duties to belong to us in the Covenant , that we fhould follow our Savi- ours Steps by Faith, and the o- ther Fruits of the Spirit 5 that notwithftanding many Imperfe- ctions of our Life, interrupted |t may be by fome Infirmities,
or
1 14 Faith Evangelical the Part III.
or it may be evil Acfts $ yet it with all fincerity we repent and amend, wc fhall be faved by him 3 or that our Faith and Obe- dience, though in it felf imper- fedt, or unworthy of fo much goodnefs, yet is accounted per- fect: for the fake of Chrift, and is to be rewarded with a Cromi of Life 5 and that fuch Obedi- ence, arifing from Faith, if it may not properly be calld a Caufe, yet is it the mod apt Condition of our Juftification : And this is the fenfe of our Article upon this Article of place 3 Albeit that good Works ™giM which are the fruits of Faith, can- not put away our Sins, and endure the feverity of Gods Judgment, yet are they pleafing and acceptable to God in Chrift, and do Jpring out necejfarily of a true and lively Faith. From whence,
Third [5
Part III. Condition on us. 12s
Thirdly, We may fee the Ab furdity of it, and danger on the other Hand, that our Juflificati- on fhould precede this our Duty, without any manner of regard to it.
Indeed a confirm'd Opinion or Prejudice is fo abfolute, that like fome great Mafier, it does even what it lifts 3 yet of all the fad eftedts of it, methinks, there is none more to be obferv'd, no Error more to be avoided, not to call it downright Contumacy , becaufe none more dangerous, than in the matter now before us : Was the Difagreement only up- on the Forms of our Worfhip, upon Cburcb'Governme?2tj or the Difcifli?ie of it ( which yet af- ter the Principles of our Faith, is the next to be Religioufly kept, nor is there any thing of this nature more excellent than our
own)
1 2.6 Faith Evangelical the Part III. own ) yet was this the Difagree- ment, we might bear with them a little, we might perhaps forbear our Pains, fince the Crop we might have rcafon to reap , yet the Hopes are (o little : we might enlarge our Charity, and add our Prayers, that notwithstand- ing a Non conformity to the beft Church and State, yet they might ftill be faved in the Day of the Lord Jefus : Or was the Difpute abouc Words or Terms of Art, we might take the Apoftles Ad- vice, and drop the Argument : 2iTim. y But when this Opinion is found I4' to ftrike at the great thing it felt, to fubvert the right ways of our Salvation, the Means and Me- thod of it,as it is laid down in the Scriptures, to make the Crofs of Cbnft, of no effed:, or of very little -> to confine the Work of our Redemption to a few, to
make
Part III. Condition on us. 1 27
make God to be a Refpefler of Perfons only,not of Rigbteoufnefs 3 nay, to contradidt, obliquely at leaft, the reveal'd Will of God, and the mutual agreement of his Holy Attributes 5 to Accommo- date very proudly even his De- crees, whether declard or fecret to this purpofe, is certainly an opinion mod abfurd and perni- cious.
For what opinion foever ihall invert the facred Scripture, is to be held abfurd and pernicious $ or what is found to be the De- jhutlion of all Religion, or what ihall contradict the clear Dictates of Human Reafon 5 what fliall divide our Saviour in the Work of our Redemption, by making him a Sacrifice , and no Pro- pbet, or at leaft not acknow- ledging his Precepts to be our indifpenfable Duty; what Opi- nion
1 28 Faith Evangelical the Part III.
nion (hall place our Eternal Life, caivm or the Objcdt cf cur Faith in w'. a. J* the fpecial Mercies or Promt fes of God, not the leaft in the Com- mandments 5 what does put the Ejfecl before the Caufe , nay , without almoft any juft Caufe at all j what (hall utterly take a- way all Incfuftry, and Study oiPie- tyy the Ufe of our Prayers, and every other Vertue $ what takes from us our Free ^i//, and all the Reafons of Religious Indu- stry, Rewards and Pwiijhnents $ or what attributes them to Men without any condderation at all ; what is very apt to give us too much Cc?ifidence or Security, or On the other hand Doubts and Defpair $ to name no more Ab- furdities, what Do&rine that is "which (hall make God abfolute- ly the Efficient Caufe of. what wc we do, whether good or bad 5 ' or
Part III. Condition on us. 1 29
or (hall account the particular Mercy of God, not our Saviour, to be the main reafon of our Salvation $ all fuch Doctrines as thefe do very plainly invert the Scriptures, and therefore are ve- ry dangerous and evil, and yet fuch is the Supra or Sublapfarian Principles. Thefe Propositions are fo plain, that ' they feem to prove themfelves 5 and we have feen the Falfity of molt of them, in our Condition or Duty before laid down.
By fuch a low fenfe of God and Religion as this, it leems as if we come much fhort even of the times of Ignorance, of the Speculations of the better Heathens, to* think fo meanly of the Deity , as if he took delight to play the Tyrant with the Sons of Men 5 or for that we are fetin a better light of Religion, that therefore our Ob- K Lgation
130 Faith Evangelical the Part III. lation and Duty fhould be the
2*JSf::kfe: I'm (uxe Cicero, Plato, and the reft, had more honqurable Thoughts then fo $ that as the Deity was Great, unconfin'd in his Power, fo was he a Wife, and Good , and Beneficent God $ who
Dt conjota. mil punijh the Flagitious, and requite Vertue very amply 3 that the vitioujly given were Condemnd, but the Pure and Incorrupt had- a blejfed Eternal Life 5 that the
fo when it departed from the Body Unpolluted., it afcended to it's own Nature, even unto Heavenly Ha- bitations, tec. fuch as thefe were the Meditations of thofe , who had no' better Light than that of Nature $ and it reflects upon us not a little, that our Notions of Heavenly things fhould be fo far behind them : We have be- fore us the clearer Day of Chrift,
which
Part IIT. Condition on 7/s. 131
which many Prophets and Righ- reous Men (o much denYd to fee 5 who have Life and Immor- tality in it's full light, who have tajied of the good word of God ' $ yet after all to rob God of his Be- neficence and Goodnefs, fo well aflur'd to us, without which At- tributes we make even no Man our Friend, is a very high Indig- nity : Or in the matter of our Juftification to judge as if God had now flackned his Hand , and not requir'd fuch a meafure of Obedience as he did before 3 as if he had now forgotten to be Gracious, or forgotten even his own Nature 5 as if he dealt the Trcafures of Heaven away by chance, as his private Will and Pleafure took him 3 not accor- ding to the Revelation of his Mind given us by Chrift, which was yet aflur'd by all the Vernon- K 2 flration
132 Faith Evangelical the Part III. fir at ion of the Spirit, and of Power 5 and alfo confirm d unto us by them that heard him, and which de- mands our Obedience to it 5 and yet to fay we can be fav'd with- out it, will certainly deferve the greatcft Reprehenfion.
This way is the ready courfe to incur the Apoftle's Denuncia- g»u. 8,9. tion, and to preach another Gofpel than that which we have receivd, and to pervert the right ways of the Lord: By undermining the rea- fons of our Obedience, of Re- wards, and Punilhments, of all Religious Induftry, Temperance, Juftice, Charity, or of any other Vertue : By attributing the Pro- mifes, or yet the fevere Judg- ments of God fo promifcuoufly, without regard to any of them 5 by breaking quite the New Co- venant in Chrift, or by taking away the Terms and Conditi- ons
Part III. Condition on us. 133
ons of it : But in the manner of our Salvation we have here laid down, according to the current fenfe of Scripture, we have Re- medies for all our Wants, for all that Mifery we were in by Na- ture: For our Ignorances, and the Servitude of Sin , we have the joynt Helps of Gods Spirit, and his Word together -, for our Guilt, we have the Death and Sacrifice of our Lord 5 and for our perfect Pea£e, his Inter cef- fion fully to reconcile us to God : So we preferve entire the Vertue of all the Offices of Chrift, all that Honour due unto his Name, as well as the neceflity of our Duty : All the Merit that can be is attributed to our Lord, with- out excluding the Divine Grace, and Mercy, or yet our Obedi- ence : By this alfo is the common Liberty of our Will confider'd, as K3 it
134 Faith Evangelical the Part III. it makes more to the glory of God, than to be carried on to our Salvation, by mere con- ftraint, by Grace Irrefiftible : By this Way, aswepreferve ourO- bedience to God, fo do we alfo to Man, to all the Powers which be ordain' d of God '$ whereas the other Doctrines have been known Heyims to raife Seditions^ Schifm , and S?es- Corfu [ion in all Places, in Church h6thX"d and State, by the confequences 7thBook.. fome have drawn from them, by wrefting the Scriptures to their own Purpofes, by putting their own fenfe upon them, whereof we have known the fad Eflfe&s : By the order we have kept, by a more Genuine Interpretation, we give unto God, and to our Saviour, all that we can find the Holy Scriptures does, in the Work of our Jufiification, and to our felves what belongs to us 5
to
Part III. Condition on us. 135
to God we afcribe the firft caufe of all, which is his Free Grace, and which he ftill continues 5 to our Saviour all the Meritorious Part, and the means for this end 5 but the ufeof thefe Means, and of all this Grace given unto us, by the preve?2ting and Concomitant help of the Spirit, this belongs to our felves, which is our Faith, and the Faith which juftifies muft needs fhew it felf in Charity, and all Sincere Obedience.
The Inferences to be made from hence are very eafie, that fince by the Blood of Chrifl we are juflified from all Things, have full Remiflion of our Sins, and perfedt Peace with God $ that he is become the Author of Salvati- on, unto all them that obey him, or (hall believe in him 5 and fince our Faith in him is imputed unto us for our Righteoufnefs, we are to K 4 be
i$6 Faith Evangelical the Part III.
be fure to keep that Law of Faith which is ftruck with us,the Terms, and the Conditions of it $ that E- vangelical way given !r in Chrift : And fince Faith cometh by Hear- ing, and Hearing by the Word of God, we are much to intend this our Duty, to make the Ho- ly Scriptures our common Me- ditation, to give our felveSjWhen- ever we have time, wholly to them $ to karch them diligently, that we may know what the Will of the L ord is \ to put up our Pray- ers, together with the Sacrifice of Praife, that God would en- large our Underftanding , in- creafe our Faith, and make us f erf ell Men in Chrifi Jefus.
That as God did fet forth the Work of our Redemption of his Grace, and fiftilh'd the whole Work by the Hand of Chrift, Of his Veracity and Truth 5
that
Part III. Condition onus* 137
that he might declare to the World how Righteous and Faith- ful he is in his Promifes, which he made to Abraham, and which he all along fpake by the Mouth of his Holy Prophets $ fo does he expe<5t from us, that we do the part belongs to us with the fame Sincerity : For notwith- ftanding the Death of Cbrift, and all the Power that is given to him in Heaven and Earth, yet 'tis impof- fible for us to have the Fruits of his Death without it : As in the Law, befides the Satisfaction made by the Sacrifice, there was a Re- ftitution of Goods, and many more things done by the Offen- Leva. 6.1. der for his Offence, before the Sin was forgiven him $ fo before we can have fully the effects of Chrirts Oblation, our Converfa- tion is to be according to him 5 and then chc Blood of Jefus Chrift
will
138 Vaith Evangelical the Part HI.
will clcanfc us from all the Guilt and Punifhment due to Sin.
'Tis the proper Character of the Righteoufnefs of Faith, of our Chriftian Duty, that it confifts of much Exercife, and of divers Degrees 5 as the greateft things are known to come from the fmalleft beginnings , fo is the Nature of Faith, to come unto Perfection, it may be from the greateftlgnorance $ our own O- bedience, joyn'd with the Ope- rations of the Spirit, delivering us infenfibly out of Darkjiefs into a marvellous Light : and thus we find the State of the Gofpel corn- par d to the fmalleft Seeds, and to things that come to pafs we kiiow not how: The Chriftian Religion, or this way of Faith, is not taught us by Men, fo much as of God 5 nor is it made up of a fet form oi '"Laws, to keep
us
Part III- Condition onus* i^
us in feeming Order and outward Obedience 3 no, it lies chiefly in the Heart, and according to the encreafe of Grace given unto us, every Man is to receive icw.m. his own Reward, according to bis own Labour.
'Tis potfible indeed, that Faith may be call'd Good, and that without the evidence of Works, when it is full of good Intenti- ons, and only wants Time and Opportunity 5 but where thefe may be had, a Faith pftify- ing us will certainly exprefs it felf in Fruits worthy of it^ in all Vertue and Godlinefs of Liv- ing, in Brotherly Kindnefs, and Charity, and hearty Obedience 5 in often Reading and Medita- ting upon the Word 5 in Break? ing of Bread, and in Prayers of- ten 3 m as frequent Communion of the Holy Sacrament, as we
can,
140 Faith Evangelical the Part III. can, in all due Attendance upon the Holy Afemblies and Church cf Gocf$ and by (uchgood Works only, is our Faith made f erf eft, and very acceptable unto him.
■in "in
The
»4»
The true State of
JUSTIFICATION,
As it Hands between God and Man.
"* PART IV.
The End of this Grace, Gods Mer- cy and Truth.
AS in every thing, whether in the Heavens, or the Earth , we can difcern nothing to be done by Chance, in Vainy or Fortuitoufiy $ but that we fee in them all the greateft Con- ftancy, Order, and Reafon that • can be 5 infomuch that Crea- tures
142 The End of this Grace, Part IV. tures endued only with Life or meer Senfe, yet by their Nature, they have their Vfe9 and End, and their Perfection in their kind : Much more when we look up in- to the Heavens, we fee clearly the Wifdom of God, directing all the Heavenly Bodies in a moft admirable manner, in their feve- ral Journeys, to their proper P/4/.104. ]?nj . wj)0 appoi?iteth the Moon for certain Seafons, and the Sun knoweth his going down 5 by their various Courfes, to quarter out the year into its Seafons, that fo they may ferve their Purpofes, and produce all things in courfe for the ufe of Man : As every Art, Science, or Adrion is fup- pos'd to be done for fome good End-, or as fome great piece of Building, or yet Painting, after many Ejfays, comes at lalt to the Mleffett of a perfeft Work : As
in
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth. 143
111 thcfe, and every thing we can name, we can find nothing done rajhly, but with the greateil Ad- vice and Conduct, to be all of them fo many Manifeftations of the Power and Providence of God : So in the matter of our Juflifi- cation, the end and defign of this was themoft eminent of all 5 in which we may behold all the chiefeft of Gods Attributes em- ploy'd : The main caufe of which, we have feen, was his Love and pure Grace, the Means were the Propitiation of Chrift, and more immediately on us, our Faith in bis Blood $ and the end of all was the Demonftration of his Righte- oufnefs, of his Truth, and Faith' fulnefs, and Mercy to. Mankind.
To declare his Rlghteoufnefs for Rm. yi6. the Remijfion of Sins that are pafi, through the forbearance of God.
In
144 The End of this Grace, Part IV.
In which we have the Final Caufe, or the End of Gods Love in our Juftification, that it was to make appear his Right eoufnefs, that is, his Truth, and Goodnefs, and Long-Suffering,
Secondly, That fuch his Good- nefs and Mercy is mod becoming the Divine Nature ; and yet have we from hence no pretence for our Security, but much rea- fon for all Sincere Obedience.
Firft, We have clearly in the words, the Final Caufe, or the end of Gods love in our Juftifi- cation, that it was to make ap- pear his Righceoufnefs, his Truth, and Goodnefs, and Long- Suffer- ing.
We confider firft this Righte- oufnefs of God, as it may very properly be cali'd his Truths or Eaithfulnefs $ for this Work of our Juftijication in Chrift, for
the
Tart IV. Gods Mercy, dndTrutb. 145
the depth of Gods Wifdom, was meant perhaps long before the World began 5 but difcover'd moil plainly from the firit Foun- dation of it, by a more particu- lar Application of Gods Eternal Decrees, of our Faith and Obe- dience in his Beloved, was this Grace all along reveal'd to the Holy Men of old : For fince the Salvation of Mankind was the thing which God always fo much defir'd, for which reafon he went to the Method we have feen, and to the dear Expences of the Sacrifice of his only Begot- ten for us 5 this fame Method he laid doYv n before us, and the ve- ry Perfon of Chrift in all the Of- fices he (hould do for us, the way and manner of his Doctrine, that Part, and Duty, and the way of Worihipwe were to keep,andhow hn the Efficacy of his Sufferings h were
1^6 The End of this Grace , Part IV*
were to go : Indeed the firft hints of our Redemption are fome- thing fecret , but the following Oracles concerning this thing , much more the fulfillment of them, makes them clear to us* The firft time we read of this Pro- mife is in Gen. 3. and 15. that the Womans Seed fhould bruife the Serpents Head $ the fecond Pro- mife was made to Mofes by that
w.m4. faithful Name of God. / am that I am, or that he was the God +• s- of Abraham, the God of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob $ to ihey that he was a God of Truth, and of his Word, that he would furelymakc good his Promifc he formerly
tfa*. 24. mac]e to them, that a Star jkall
come out of Jacob,and aS tester jhall rife out of Ifitod 5 thefe may be laid to be the more remote Pre- dilMom concerning Chrift , of Gods eternal Truth, and Loving-
kjndnefs
* j
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth. 147
kjndneU to us in him ; but then we have Prophecies which comt home exprcfly to our Saviour, to all thefe gracious Promifes of God in him : Zacbary, in the ifl of Tuke 68, 6 p. feems to recapitu- late them all to us 3 ble/fedbe the Lord God of Ifrael, for he hathvi' ftted and redeemed his People, and hath raisd up an Horn of Salvation for us in the Houfe of his Servant David 5 as he (pake by the Mouth of his Holy Prophets, which have been fince the World began -^ that we Luke 1.6^., Jhould be faved from our Etie+**79>7h mies, and from the hands of all that hate us 5 to perform the mer- cy promifed to our Forefathers, and /member his Holy Covenant, &c. Thefe words are the Sum and Subitanceol the other Prophets, who gave down the fame thin] from Age to Age, as God fpa unto them,*/ fuvdry Times, and in I 2 liih
148 The En d of this Grace Part IV. a-*. 1 . 1. divers Manners ^ only they def* cribe them to us in a more par- ticular manner : thus the Evan- gelick Prophet in many places fets out the nature ot Chnfts Kingdom, his Pcrfon, and his fa- r*.u.i,»,YiQg Dodtnnes: And there fl.all come forth a Rod out of the Stem of Jeffe, and a Branch fk a 11 grow out of bis Roots, and he jhall not judge after the fight of bis Eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of ~ bis Ears $ but with Right eoufnefs . jhall be judge the Poor, and re- prove with Equity : I the Lord have call d thee in Righteoujnefs, and will give thee for a Covenant of the People ■, for a light of the Gentiles: To open the blind Eyes, to bring out the Prjfoners from the Prifon, a?:J them that fit in Varlyiefs out of the Prifon Houfe. And the ex- tent of this Salvation lsdefcrib'd • . - in ether places h and it Jhall come
to
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth. i ^ to pafs in the laft Days, that the Mountain of the Lords Houfe jhall be eftablijhed in the top of the Moun- tains, and Jhall be exalted above the Hills, and all Nations jhall flow unto it. And the faving be- nefits of Chrift's Paffion is fee down by the fame Spirit in the S3 Chapter throughout, Surely he hath born our Griefs, and car- ried our Sorrows, he was wounded for our Tranfgre/Jions, he wa> bruif- ed for our Iniquities, the c haft ife- ment of our Peace was upon him, and with his Stripes are we heard, and the Lord hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all,
Thefe be fome of thofe Pro- phecies by the Holy Men of old, in which Gods love towards Man fo plentifully appear'd, in which the Generations to come, were to have fo much Grace, and Candour, and Companion, and L 3 per-
1 50 The end of this Grace, Part IV.
perhaps all that Grace and Good- nefs, which runs fo manifeftly m the words oi Chrift, in all the Evangclick Hiftory , that for- bearance, and gentlenefs of God, that fellow feeling of our Infirmi- ties, was intimated at leaft , if not clearly fee down long before m the Law and the Prophets : that heavy Toak, which neither the Jews nor our Forefathers were a- ble to bear, the burthen of the Ceremonies, or the inefficacy of their Offerings, the rigour or im- potency of that Service, were all to be removd by Chrift : For which reafon the term of time, when thefe fhould come to pafs Btfr.i.a. is call'd the fulnefs of time, the I aft Days, and when the ends of the World jbould come, as they were fpoken of long before, either to the Fathers, or in the time of the Law 3 whether God might chufe
to
1 Cor. I o tu
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth. \ 5 1
to declare his mind in fo folcmn a manner, thus from Age to Age, gradually to pome Chnft out to us ; was it to remove all incre- dulity or doubt concerning him, or to let lb (landing a Pattern of" his Sincerity with us in this mat- ter ? but furely it was in all ref- pects to fhew us, how true the Lord our Strength is, and that there is no VnrigbteouJ7iefs in him.
ily, This Righteouf?iefs of God includes his Mercy alfo, ar'by the fame Work of our Redemp- tion he declar'd in a mod emi- nent manner his great Clemen- cy, and Forbearance : As Chart's coming was to confirm the Promt- $m, i$% fes made unto the Fathers, fo was Grace, and all the Divine Good- nefs to come by him 5 indeed Mercy and Goodnefs is the Di- vine Nature, as effential to God as his very Being 5 he is cali'd L 4 Mer-
i}2 The End of this Grace Part IV. Exod. j4. Merciful and Gracious, Long-fuj- fering, and abundant in Goodness and Truth, keeping Mercy for thou- fands, forgiving Iniquity andTranf grejjion, and Sin $ i uch as thefe are Gods peculiar and belov'd Attri- butes, and may be faid to have in him the Afcendant of all the reft 5 his forgiving Nature runs throughout his Works, infomuch that in the ftri&eft Ads of his Juftice, yet his Mercy muft be faid ftill to have a part: For which reafon we find Gods Truth and Mercy joyn'd together fo of- ten in the Pfalms and other pla-<
pfoim 36 ces 5 for the greatnejs of thy Mercy
\ re ache th u?ito the Heavens, and thy Fait hfulnefs unto the Clouds $ all
u 9 the Paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth-* unto f uch a* keep his Covenant and his Teftivwnies 3 and
85. ro. Mercy and Truth are met together, Righteoufnefs and Peace have kjjfed
each
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth* 153 each other: And for this rcafon Epicurus is rightly condemn'd, that he utterly took away all Re- ligion from Mens Minds, when he denied to his Immortal Gods, Beneficence, or any goodnefs in them to Man : For certainly we cannot have any Conception, or yet Notion of God without it, fo very natural to him is Benevolence, Love&nd Mercy, and all that, that we cannot conceive the one, with- out the other alfo : nay,this Mercy of God is alfo Gratuitous, flow- ing from him purely as Free Gift, unmerited altogether by us, nor yet indued to it by any Fruits or Gain of his ; yet howboundlefs,or infinite foever is his Mercy, we are not to think it to be Gods abfolute Will, as if our Faith had not to do with any thing befides, not with the Duties, as well as with the Promifes 5 or as if he muft needs beftow it upon fome,
and
154 The End of this Grace, Part IV. and deny it unto others for the fame reafon:-No, this Mercy, or the Remiflion of our Sins, is a moft free Ail of his Will, made to none but to the Faithful, and the Penitent 5 to thefe indeed God gives the Treafures of his Mercy, but unto the Wicked and the Ungodly the Adts of his Juftice be as free and natural. %ly, Gods Righteoufnefs in this
Extd.u.6. place fignifies alfo his Longfuf- fering and Forbearance, for which he is faid, to be Long-fuffering, and of great Ki?idnefs 5 not to
Jf*- 42. 3. break, the bruifed Reed, nor quench the fmoakjng Flax. Examples of thisgoodnefs, we have in the old WorId,with which God forbear'd an hundred and twenty years, in the mean time fending Noah to
, p*M.io. be a Preacher of Righteoufnefs $ in
rcv.i.5 the People of Nineve, and in the Church of Ephefus : This Grace
nam*
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth. 1 5 5
naturally flows from the former, Gods continued Mercy being properly call'd his Forbearance, and Longanimity 5 and both of them, and all rhc riches of his Mercy, are deriv'd from his Truth and Rigbteoufnefs, from that an- tient Promife made to our Fore- fathers inChnftJefus.
Indeed the Divine Nature is the Fountain of all Mercy, a Rule of the greateft Jufticeand Good- nefs to it felf 5 and without a bet- ter difcovery of it, our common reafon fpeaks to us no lefs, that fo excellent a Nature muft needs be endued with every thing that may b all'dgoodj yet the full AfTura. e or Declaration of it was made over to us in Chrift, who by that oblation of himfelf, has won fo much upon the natural goodnefs of God, as to pafs it into a Law between us; that his
Clemen-
1 5 6 The End of this Grace, Part IV.
Clemency, and Long-fuffering, is now become a Term and League : For as foon as Chrift had offer' d up himfelf, and enter'd in- to his Glory, (tho' he had done great things for us already, ) yet according to his Promife he ne-
>&.i4.is. ver leaves us Comfortlefs $ but for ever executes that Office of his biterceffion to the Father 3 that is, he Advocates our Caufe with God, Reconciles him fully to us by ver- tue of that perfuading Blood, by his own prefence, as it were, of- fering it up continually as Sacri- fice for Sins 3 by which means he gives much grace to help in time of need, fatisfiesGods juft Indig- nation for Sin, leffens the Guilt, and delays the Punifhment, and applies all the fure mercies of God: As the Blood of the PalTover was
£*•/ 12 a fure token of fafety to lfrael, that where ever God fawit, he
pafs'd
Fait IV. Gods Mercy^andTrutb. 157 pafs'd over that Houfe, and did net fujfer the dejhoyer to come in 5 lb the Blopd ot the Lamb, fpeaks to us much better things, even all the goodnefsof God, Love and Life : The fprinkjing of which God is pleasd to accept for the Remifjicn of former Sins, ^rh wot™, and tor the fake of it at pre- fent to pafs them by : Neither are we to miftake, or fo to abufe the Riches of his Goodnefs, Forbearance, or Long-fuffering ; or yet of our Saviours htercejfion, and concern for us, from hence to neglect our Duty, to remain Impenitent and in Sin 5 no, the ufe of all thisgW- nefs is to lead us to Repentance, that row j we might work out our own Sal- vation 5 for when the Patience of God is worn out,to this fucceeds his juft Severity , to execute his Wrath upon fuch as obey not the Lord Jcfus Chnft 5 and there remains
nothing
158 The End of this Grace, Part IV.
urf.10.27 nothing butrf certain fearful look: ing for of Judgment, and fiery In- dignation^ no, without doubt, the cafe of the Impenitent, to iji 5. 6. be the fame with that Vineyard, or uken.7 with the barren Figtree, when af- ter all the Gentlenefs, Grace, and Goodnefs, they ftill remain Stub- born and Contumacious, fuch as thefe are to undergoe the fe- vere Judgments of God : From whence we come to the fecond thing.
2. That fuch Goodness and For- bearance is moft becoming the Divine Nature, and yet it will appear that we have no pretence of Security, but much reafon for all iincere Obedience.
That fuch Goodnefs and For- bearance is fo peculiar to God is plain, firft from his very Nature, from that innate Notion and Knowledge there is ingraven up-
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth. t§|
on the minds of Men, of the Bene- ficence and goodnefs of Gods Na* tmc,d\\S anility, an&Rettitude^nd Jufiicey being the ifa/? of the Di- vine Eflence, of what he does, or of what his will and pleafure is t For fince we cannot have one thought of God, but we mud needs conceive his Nature to be furely the beft and mod excellent, and fince the greateft Goodnefs and Beneficence muft belong to the bed Nature, we muft needs grant that fuch venues as thefe muft very properly belong to him. Indeed the falfe Opinions of the Gentiles deprav d much the Divine Nature, having their Vn- derftandi?ig darkned,\x\{om\\Q\i that they turn a the glory of God in- to an Image made like to cor- ruptible Man, into all the Simili- tudes of Human Nature $ and thus we find Homer introducing"™'^
his ' 2
1 60 The End of this Grace, Part IV
his Gods with all the irregular Paflions, venting them in Clouds and Thunder, waging War a- mong thcmfelves, and liding with the feveral Parties for their plea- fure$how fuperftitious or vain foe- ver be thefe Stories,y et their Error £^.4. is.muft needs lie in the blindnejs of their Hearts $ for certainly Minds fct free from fuch Prejudices, en- dued but with common Rcafon, may eafily behold Gods good and wife Adminiftratio?i of the World, and of all things therein, whereby he governs them all with thegreateftjufticc, and Equity 5 but that he prefides Mankind with a more peculiar Ha?id, as a Subjedt endued withReafon, and defign'd for Rewards and Pumfh- ments : That God Ihould there- fore deal with fuch a rcafonable. and free Na ture, with all the Equi- ty, and Juftice that can be, in his
Eternal
Part IV. Goc/s Mercy, and Truth. 161
Eternal ballance of Right, our very Thoughts, and Confcience bear us witnefs.
But the Forbearance and Good- nefs of God is beft confirm'd to us by Gods promife of it, made over to us of his own Grace and Bounty : This we repeat often , (and it can never be faid too of- ten 5) thatnotwithftandingbythe Law of Nature, out of the Equi- ty of his own Nature, God feems to become very merciful to us, by a tacit Condition, not to keep from us what feemeth right, but to give us what is juft and equi- table 5 as we are endued with Reafon, a free Will, and a pow- er to chufe Good and Evil 5 yec the full aflurance of this Good- nefs was gnen to us in Chnft, in whom God has enter'd with us in- to the mod folemn Covenant, by which that fupream and abfolute M Rigbs
1 62 The End of this Grace, Part IV.
Right he had before over us, is come down to the fame Law : Indeed all the Mercy given us in Chrift,and the Confederation God (truck with us,is of FreeGrace,and Liberality 5 but then as foon as God pafs'd it into a Promife,from thenceforward it may be faid to be nomore of Grace, but of Debt. From this right which accrues to us by this means, God is faid to tieb.6. 10. be faithful, who hath -promised, and *7&»,4-.«.ffft! unrighteous to forget our WorJ^ and Labour of Love 5 a juft Judge, and that h'vsjudgment is righteous 5 and the Faithful, are faid to be ii&fi.y. counted worthy of the Kingdom of God: Not that all our Obedience can make any proportion to the Recommences of the Rewards, but is fo well accepted only of the bountifulnefs, and good will of God,
And
Part IV". Gods Mercy, and Truth. 163
And fuch a bountiful and for- giving Nature as this, is moft worthy of God, to encourage our Induftry, and to bear with our Failures, as far as will confift with his Decrees. It was a great miftake in the Philofopber, to fay, it was beneath a Man to forgive an Injury $ for as it is more blejfed to do to others a good turn, than to receive the fame, foitlhews a more generous Spirit, and cer- tainly a very noble part of Reli- gion it is, to forgive whatever Indignity it be : and if fo between Man and Man, furely thefe Gra- ces are much more eminent in God, gracioufly to confider our Infirmities, and to remit of his firiff Juftice, without any injury Mat.6.s 2, to himfelf or other: And fo it is but juft with God, to fet before us Life and Death, all the reafons that can be of our Induftry, of ffl $ dtft
1^4 The En J of this Grace j Part IV, our Fear and Love, and Reverence of him : For as a Houfe or Com- mon-wealth cannot be faid to be well govern'd, without Encou- ragements for well-doing, and Punifljments for Offences $ fo the Adminiftration of God over us, is truly none, did he make no diftinclion between the Evil and the Good : For this reafon has he ailign'd over Rewards and Ttinijhments to our Obedience, or to our Negleff i to the one he has made himfelf a willing Deb- tor , in which he feems to exceed his Promife 3 and for our Sins, though by them God has thebeft right to deftroy us , yet upon a ferious and godly Sorrow for them, he will ftill remit them to us , and befides will add to this all his faving Ac5ts : He will not punifh the Child for the fault of the Parent, or impute the Ini- quity
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth. 1 65 quity of the Father to the Son 5 he will not impute the firft Tranf- greflion to all Pofterity, or -de- ny us an Univerfal Sufficiency of his Grace 5 that fo in all things God might be ju/iified in his Sayings, in all his Words and Promifes, and clear when we are judgd.
It is faid of the Carthagini- ans, that they quite loft them- felves, and perhaps their Name and Nation, by their ungrate- ful Cruelty 5 that the Romans got all their Efteem by their Clemency and Moderation , and *w*n a without doubt, the Equity andE Mercifulnefs of God redounds more to his Glory, than a more rigorous dealing would : Indeed Gods Punifhments upon us are moft juft, and in his Judgments alfo his Glory is the fame, in condemning the Unfaithful and M 3 the
\66 The end of this Grace , Part IV.
the Impenitent ; But then his Forbearance makes more for his Honour, as this wins upon the mod difingenuous Natures, and gives them fo good reafon for their Fear and Love of him : For if fo be that God was fo inexorable, for the lead Of- fence, as to be no more intreat- ed, quite to fhut up his Lov- ing-kindnefs from us, that there remained no manner of Recon- ciliation, no means for our Re- acceptance with him 3 could the Divine Nature be alter'd, Gods natural Philanthropy into the greateft Severity 5 or could we fuppofe him, with fome, with- out any love or goodnefs m him, Blind ox. Impotent, notable tQ take care ot us 5 or that he car'd for fome things, and fet by the lefler Matters : Or could we conceive God with others,
for
Part IV. Gods Mercy y and Truth. 1 6j
for his pleafure only, to deny us that Grace that is (ufficient for us 3 or that he left us un- der a Necejjity of Sin, or yet JVlifery$ or that he a£ted with us himfelf by the fame Necejfi- ty 5 in fhort could we divide his tender Mercies^ from his Juftice $ if: any thing of this was true, then indeed all our Religion would be in vain $ our Prayers, all Divine Worlhip, and every Vertue would be needlefs 5 and from hence we might have good Authority even for Sin it felf 5 but there is Mercy with God, , p£;* therefore he jhall be fear d : \x\ which Attribute he feems there- fore fo much to abound, and that naturally, that fo we may be drawn to him with the Cords of his Love : but the full affu- rance of this Goodnefs, the great Pledge and Manifeftation of it, M 4 we
id8 The End oj this Grace, Part IV.
we had in Chrift , in whom a- lone God fully fhew'd us the Force and Emphafts of his Love towards us $ which no Romance of Friendfhip, no Heroic \ Adven- ture of Love and Honour, is able to match, which furely no Tongue, never fo Eloquent, can exprefs $ no Words, never fo Comprehenfive, not the Ten of St. Paul can come near it 5 by whom it is faid that this Love EPh yi9.paj[eth Knowledge-^ that God fhould go to this coftly Method we have feen, to fave us, to ex- cmplifie his LoveandGoodnefs5 that fo whenever God executes his Judgments upon us, it may appear, how true and merciful they are, that the Lord is Righ- teous, and our Iniquities and Sins very juftly condemned.
For, without all doubt, if we are found to abufe this good-
nefs,
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth- 169
nefs, the Attribute of Gods Ju- stice will appear to us prefently to be as free then to pumfh us , and that with very good rea- fon : here we only mention the greatnefs of his Mercy, and that he does no injury to himfelf, or others, not to inflidt the extremity of his Juftice : And 'tis very certain, that in the ut* mod of his Judgments, yetftill his Longanimity and Love goes before them, nay, far exceeds them alfo 5 for I have no pleafure £^. ,s in the death of him that dieth, 3a- faith the Lord God 5 and as I live, faith the Lord, I have no pleafure in the Death of the Wick- ed, but that the wicked turn from 33.11. his Way , and Live : Of what manner or kind foever be the Divine Judgments, whether they be Gods Spiritual Funifhments, or fuch as befal our outward
Man^
170 The End of this Grace, Part IV. Man; whether they may take from us our worldly Goods, or whether it be Life 5 and in the latter fort, whether God takes away our Life in fome general Deftru&ion, when the Innocent fhall fall together with the GuiU ty^ whether it be in the very At% of Sin, to our feeming per- haps for a fingle Offence 5 much more when an old Impiety fhall call for Puniihment: inallfuch like Judgments, there goes with them Long-fuffering, and Gen- tlenefs, and preventing Grace, and to be fure the greateft Rea- fonj Gods Mercy eafily over- coming his Severity in every pjaim one of them : Who is Merciful ,03;8-10- and Gracious, flow to Anger, and plenteous in Mercy 5 who does not deal with us after our Sins, nor reward us according to our Ini- quities : And yet have we from
hence
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth* 171
hence no pretence for our Se- curity, but much reafon for all fincere Obedience.
For how good and gracious foever Gods Nature is to Sin- -ners, or this Difpenfation of his in Chrift 3 much more to the Righteous and the Penitent 5 as he abundantly rewards them, fo he plentifully rewardeth the proud Doer. When Gods Pati- ence and Forbearance is worn out, quite neglected , or defpis'd , 'tis but reafon then his Severi- ty fhould follow 5 for when all the Riches of his Love and Good- nefs are fet by, the outward In- ftrudlions of his Word, (be- fides the Dictates of Con- fcience ) and the more immedi- ate Influences of his Spirit 5 when every means is us'd for our Converfion, is become of none EffeSi 5 there remains nothing
then
172 The End of this Grace j Part IV. then but looking for of Gods Judgments : Then does God fend forth all the Thunderbolts of his Wrath, Fury, Anger , Difpleafure, his Goodnefs is turrid into 7/z- dignation, and his Clemency, in- to Juflice 5 his Penal ARs will follow alfo upon our Minds , his utter Reprobation , blindnefs of Vnderftandingy and hardnefs of Heart : Then is it, when God very juftly vifits a People , or Nation , or C/#, with a more than ordinary Punifhment: Or fometimes particular Perfons he takes off in the very Adl, to our feeming at leaf!:, yet for the greateft Reafons : But moft com- monly his Judgments come af- ter his Long-Suffering , after a long delay and expeftation of Repentance $ and when this fails, then is Gods proper time to pun- ifh 5 when he oftentimes reconv
pences
Part IV. Gods Mercy, andTruth. 1 73 penccs his Delay, and fhews all his Power upon bis Adversaries : ExQd.9,16. Indeed the rigour of his Seve- rity is temper'd with much good- nefs, and ftill very becoming his Nature, as well as the Im- penitent $ for notwithftanding God moft of all abounds in Mercy, that the many A&s of it, and that in divers Manners, goes before his Juftice 5 yet the pro- ceedings of the one be as free to him, as of the other , and that when he punilhes, he does nothing contrary to his Mercy.
For as in all Government , the not putting in execution the Laws provided againft Offenders, is the ready way to cancel all the reafons of Right and Wrong, and to bring Authority into Con- tempt 5 fo fhould God difpenfe with the Offences of Perempto- ry Men, or pafs them by with
Impu-
74 The End of this Grace, Part IV Impunity , without any Refent- ment of them, would be the greateft dijhonour to his Maje- fiy, and Juftice that could be 5 this would be- to harden the Wicked, and to encourage them
1 8. to do Evil : Indeed for God to forbear long with us, to have much Charity for our Infirmi- ties, is truly worthy of him 5 but to have no regard for the mod Contumacious Wickednefs, is as much beneath him : For this reafon God hath fet the one o- ver-againft the other, afligning to our Piety, fo great Reward \ and to our Iniquity, his juft Wrath $ that fo he might draw us to him by the one, and con- vince us of the other by the dan- ger of it.
The only reafon we have now for any Confidence or Pardon, muft be confefs'd to be in our
fartlV. Gods Mercy, and Truth. 175
Saviour, who has brought God to terms more condefcending to us than ever 5 who, we may alledge, died for our Sins, and rofe again for our Jufiification , and ever liveth to make Intercej- . fion for us ; Yet all this Merit, and whatever the Lord did for us , can by no means fecure us from Impenitency : This E- uangelick way is faid to be for the remijfion of Sins that are pa jl, it is chiefly, it feems, concern' d with former things , with Sins committed before Chrifts com- ing, which the Apoftle menti- ons elfewhere, the times of thisJ8sx7, Ignorance God winked at^ fo3° great was the hardnefs of the Hearts of the Jew, as well zsGen- tile, that God allow'd them, e- ven by a Law, things bafe and mean , weak and beggarly Ele-Gai.*.? ments, and a meer lhadow of
Reli-
\y6 The Entf of this Grace, Part IV. Religion: And without doubt, the Holy Antients faw better things afar off, look'd beyond their City, and view'd the Hea- venly Jerufalem 5 but now that God commandeth all Men every where to Repent : For certainly our Saviour did not come to dejiroy the Law, or yet our Du- ty, but much rather to fulfill them, to fet them in their due and proper Light, to change all the Myftenes of the Law in- to Grace and Truth 5 the Adum- brations and Types of it , into their Subftance, and the proper intention of them.
Indeed we have in our Savi*
1w.11.40. our all thofe better Things, all the Promifes of the Kingdom are unvail'd and clear 5 we have a Law fo perfect, that by it we '
-«i*i* are juftified from all things, purg- ing even our Confcience from
dead
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth. 177
dead Works 3 the Holy Spirit alfo helping our Infirmities with the Divine Efficacy, a Priviledge fo peculiar to us, as not given before 5 befides the interceding part of Chrift, and the Appli- cation of his Merit$ thefe are great Favours, unheard of be- fore 5 yet as great as they are, mftead of bringing down our* Obedience, they exalt it to much more Perfection 5 and our Con- tempt now in proportion, will be more blameable $ fo that the more is the Grace given unto us, the more is our Obligation, and to whom much is given, much fliall be rcquir'd : Therefore mm.*. Ought to give the more earneft1'2'3'* heed to the things which we have heard, lea ft at any time we fhould let them flip 5 for if the word fpo- ken by Angels was ftedfaft, and every Tranfgreffion, , and Difobedi- N Hiii
178 The End rof this Grace, Part IV. ence receive/ a juft recommence of Reward ^ how [hall we efcape, if we tiegleft fo great Salvation, which at the firfi began to be fpo- ken by the Lord, and was confirm d 10. 28,19 unto us by them that heard him ? and he that defpisd Moles Law, died without Mercy, under two or three . Witnejfes 5 of how much fo- rer Vunif)mient, juppofe, ye jhall he be thought worthy, who hath trod' den under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the Blood of the Covejiant, wherewith he was fan&i- fied, an unholy thing, and hath done defpite unto the Spirit of of Grace ? That as our Lord Mr. $.9. was the Mediator of a better Job ' l8 Covenant , and what he faid came immediately from the bo- fom of the Father, from hence his Doctrine is become the more Authentick • For as a Beam ex- tended from the Sun, remains
flill
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth. 1 79* ftill a portion of the fame Sub- ftance, without any Separation 5 fo our Lord, as he came forth froj^t the Father, remained for e- ver of the fame Subftance 3 the* exprefs Image of his P erf on, Son of tub. 1. 3. God, and very God together.
What our Lord faid to the im- potent Man in Job. 5.14- Behold thou art made whole, fm no morer left a worfe. thing come unto thee 5 is our very Chriitian cafe : That if we now fin wilfully after that we have ^.io.i<s, receivd the knowledge of the Truth, there remaineth no 7?iore Sacrifice for Sin, but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment, and fiery Indig- nation, which jhall devour the Ad- verfaries : That as our Lord came into the World on purpofe to give himfelf up a Sacrifice for Sin, to make Re conciliation for the Sins of the People, to redeem us from thofe times of Ignorance, tofetbe^ N 2 fore
tSo The End of this Grace, Fart IV. fore us a perfect Law of Liberty, the Way, the Truth, and the Life 5 yet for us (till to defpife fo much Grace and Love, muft needs turn to our Condemnation : That we fhould fet by the moil gracious way that ever the Goodnefs or. Wifdom of God could think on 5 and the ufe of fo eafie means, which be no more then thefe two, Repent a?ice towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jefus Chrifl.
As therefore thefe who are re- cover'd from fome great Difeafe, will, or ought to have, more care of their Conftitution for the fu- ture, than they ever had before 5 fo we, who are redeem'd even from Death, from the Guilt and Punifhment, the Power and Do- minion of Sin, from all the fad effects of the Difobedience of the firft Man, who are come out of Uarkjiefs into a marvellous Light $
for
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth. 1 8 1 for the fame reafon fhould we now give all diligence to make our Calling and Election fure : For 'tis certain our Redemption is Conditional, that we obey the Gof z nef.us pel of our Lord Jefus Chrijl, and the Grace that is given to us, Re- vocable 3 like that wicked Servant, who after he was forgiven his Debt, yet upon his unmerciful dealing with his Fellow-Servant,^^- his Lorddeliver'd him to the Tor 33 mentors, till he fhould pay all that was due unto bim$ or like the Seed fown upon flony places, for want of Root wither d away : In ij.f like manner, if after we are recon- cile to God by the death of his Son, when we have been made Partakers of the Holy Ghoft, that we are not far it may be from the Kingdom of God$ yet if we fhall fall away at laft, all the ver- tue of that Sacrifice is loft upon
us?
1 82 The End of this Grace, Pat t IV. us, and the laft State of fuch Men is worfe than the firft.
Notwithstanding then all the goodnefs of God, his Long-fuf- fering, and Forbearance, and all that Grace given unto us, and the Redemption that is in Jefus Chrifl $ yet without Faith in his Blood, and that fuch as works by all O- bedience to the Commandments, or without the ufe of thefe means, we have no part in him: This being the great diftindtion be- tween . our Chriftian Profe]Jiony and every other $ that it confifts of Holy Exercifes, proceeding from many Holy A£ls unto per- fection 3 when every other was taken up according to the Infti- tutions and Laws of the Country : •And this the Hate of it, to obey the Gofpel, or if we fin, fenouily to repent of it 5 upon which our Saviour will have compaflionot
us 5
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth* 183 us 5 though we be a great way off from him, yet upon this Condi- tion, he will ftill rejoyce over the Son that was loft : But for the Ungodly and Impenitent , for fuch as go on ftill in their Wick- ednefs, Gods Judicial A6fc re- main for them in this Life 5 and hereafter his Indignation , and Wrath, Tribulation and Anguijh> upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil
The ufes therefore we are to make of the forbearance of God, is by no means to defpond of his Mercy, though our Infirmities be many, and we heavy laden with our Sins, yet upon a godly Sorrow , we have great confi- dence in our Lord of the Remifli- on of them : That by the fame mercies of God, we have a good reafon of our Fear and Love of him 3 that we prefent unto him
our
The End of this Grace, Part IV. otir Bodies a living Sacrifice : And yet not to prefume any thing from hence, or to continue in Siny that this Grace may abound, no, God forbid $ but rather, fince Gods-J7- fitations at leaft are only in this Life, that his Mercies are now chiefly to be confider'd by us, we are to take care leaft we he- rn, xi, come hardned through the deceit- **' 29 fulnefs of Sin, that we have grace to ferve God acceptably with reve- rence and godly fear, for our God is a confuming Fire.
And the proper life we are to make of this Difcourfe, of what have been faid upon the whole matter of our Justification, is to contemplate often upon the Means, as well as upon the Caufe of it, and when we think upon the Caufe of it, that it was Gods pure Benignity, and Mercitulnefs to- wards us 5 that even when we were
dead
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth. 185 dead inSins, for his great love where- with he loved us, did he quicken us together with Chrifi 5 that he fhould bring all this to pafs in fo won- derful a manner, thefe things do naturally fugged to us the great- eft Admiration that can be of the Wifdom andGoodnefs of God 5 Glory, and Honour, and Praife, and all fincere Obedience.
When we confider the Means of this Stupenduous Work, (and very often are we to meditate upon them ; ) Firft that our Sa- viour, (who, as touching his Di- vinity, had neither beginning of Days, nor end of Life, but Co-eter~ ?ial with God $ ) fhould yet give himfelf up to his Fathers will, and become a Sacrifice for Sin $ to this end, fhould make himfelf of no Refutation, and become obedi- ent unto Death, even the death of theCrbfs* This, and the like Medi- G tations
1 8 6 The End of this Graces-Van IV. tations upon this Head, do as na- turally fpeak to us the exceeding finfulnefsof Sin, for which Chnft died 5 the great Guilt, and Mife- ry, and Danger of it $ and alfo Wifdom, and Blejfing, and Honour, and Glory, and Power, unto the Lamb for ever.
The fecond means of our Ju- ftification, is faith in his Blood, and by this we are to underftand an Evangelical fincere Obedience to his Dodtrine $ fuch a Faith, God know?, is fo much to be wifh'd for, that cur Saviours queftion to the unbelieving Jews may be again put, tho' I hope in a lefs
*b 18.8. degree of Truth, Nevefthelefs when the Son of Man comethjhall he find faith on the Earth? So rnuch truly may be faid, that too many live without Chriji, nay with out God in the World: But be it remembnd, that fuch a firm and
lively
Part IV. Gods Mercy, and Truth 187 lively Faith, which fhall be found to be according to Godli?ie(s, js here an abfolute Condition , which (hall work by Love, and Charity , and that Duty which isc*/.M« according to Chriji Jefus. As the aI followers of any Sett or Opinion whatsoever, is bound to hold the fame Principles, otherwife they will be faid to derogate from them, and to deny their Majiers 5 fo if we continue in our Savi- ours Doctrine, and bear much Fruit, then are we his Difciples in- • deed $ but when we break his Sayings, the blelTed Command- ments fet before us, we then de- ny our great Lord and Ma/ier.
I conclude therefore with the Exhortation of the Author to the 12- 25. Hebrews, after he had fhewn the Preheminence of Chrift and his Gofpel, above the Law or the Mediator of it 5 fee that ye refufe
not
88 The End of this Grace, Part IV. not hi?n thai fpcaketh, for if they efcaped not who refufed him that fpake on Earth, much more fhall not we efcape, if we turn away from him, that fpeafeth from Hea- ven: To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be given all Glory and Majefty , Grace, and Truth, and Righteoufnefs for ever- more, Amen.
ERRA T A,
TN part i.p. 15.1. 22. for clare, read declare, in part 2. p. 44.' 1. 19. for Difcoures, Ditcourfe, in part 4. p. 143. Rom. 3. 36. r- 25. Omitted in parfM. p. 1 5. 1. 18. in the Margin, Rom. 3. 24,25. in part 2. p. 43.I. 13. in Margin. Rom. 3. 24. v. in Part 4. p. 158. 1. 4. read i* before to.
FINIS-
/ -,
im
T*
in
MfM
■ Jr